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Tottenham Hotspur have now submitted a £62m opening offer for Athletic Club forward Nico Williams, and they are confident a deal will be finalized soon.

Spurs are now stepping up their pursuit of a new forward, amid doubts over the capabilities of some of Thomas Frank’s current attacking options, with Jamie O’Hara particularly scathing of the frontline after the 1-0 defeat at home against Chelsea earlier this season.

The former midfielder said: “We’ve got a garbage team – going forward at home at the minute is absolutely terrible. “We’ve spent £60m on Xavi Simons, £60m on Richarlison, £60m on Ndombele. The money we spend on some players… our recruitment is an absolute disgrace.”

Not only that, but Dominic Solanke has been unable to overcome his persistent injury problems, with the striker missing 15 Spurs games already this season due to an ankle issue, and Mathys Tel has scored just two Premier League goals so far this season in the Englishman’s absence.

The Lilywhites need goals from somewhere if they are going to push for the Champions League places this season, and they have now made their first move to sign a new forward…

Tottenham submit opening offer for Athletic Club star Nico Williams

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham have now submitted a €70m (£62m) opening offer for Athletic Club forward Williams, matching the bid made by London rivals Chelsea, with both clubs confident they will be able to finalize a deal soon.

The 23-year-old’s future at the Spanish club is now up in the air, with Spurs looking to triple his salary, having emerged as serious contenders for the winger’s signature, given that he is viewed as a perfect fit for their forward line.

The north Londoners are trying to get a deal done in the January transfer window, and there is every indication the Athletic Club star could be a real difference-maker in their bid to secure Champions League football for the second season running.

Perhaps the Spaniard’s most impressive attribute is his dribbling, averaging 3.33 successful take-ons per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers, while also ranking in the 90th percentile for progressive carries.

Lauded as “world-class” by journalist Zach Lowy, the 30-time Spain international has also made a promising start to the season in La Liga, chipping in with two goals and two assists in nine matches for Athletic Club.

With a number of Tottenham’s current attackers struggling, including Simons, who is yet to score since making the move to north London, bringing in a new winger in January might be necessary, and Williams has proven he could be an excellent addition to Frank’s squad.

Nico Williams has been named as one of the best wingers in the world

The Best 15 Wingers in World Football Ranked (2025)

Who is the best wide man in world football right now?

By
Charlie Smith

Nov 28, 2025

The Atlanta Braves are off to a slow start to the 2025 MLB season, having won just two of their first 11 games, but reinforcements could be arriving soon.

Former All-Star starting pitcher Spencer Strider was making a rehab start at Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday and he was absolutely dialed in on the mound. Strider threw 90 pitches across 5 1/3 innings and struck out 13 of the 21 batters he faced in the game. He ended up surrendering one run on three hits and walking two batters while fanning 13 in a dominant outing in the minors.

It's possible that will be Strider's final ramp-up game ahead of his season debut for the Braves, who are in dire need of a boost on the mound.

In 2024, Strider threw just nine innings before being shut down and undergoing Tommy John surgery. He was one of MLB's best pitchers in 2023, racking up 20 wins and striking out a league-high 281 batters across 186 2/3 innings. He maintained a solid 3.86 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 32 starts.

A few weeks into the 2025 season, Braves starters not named Spencer Schwellenbach have struggled, including reigning Cy Young Chris Sale. Apart from Schwellenbach, no one in the starting rotation has an ERA below 4.00.

Getting Strider back will be crucial for Atlanta as they look to curb their poor start and get back on track to push for the postseason. Based on his latest outing at Triple-A Gwinnett, he looks more than ready to get back to facing big-league hitters.

Ryan Reynolds has praised Wrexham’s “heart” after the club’s impressive rise continued with a determined 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic. Josh Windass’ penalty extended the Red Dragons’ unbeaten run to five matches and lifted them to 13th in the Championship, just four points off the play-off spots, capping off a strong turnaround that has left the Hollywood co-owner beaming with pride.

• Reynolds praises Wrexham as they extend unbeaten run

  Wrexham continued their impressive surge up the Championship table with a 1-0 victory over Charlton Athletic, further cementing their place as one of the division’s most inspiring stories. The decisive moment came in the 77th minute when substitute Onel Hernandez was penalised for handball, allowing Josh Windass to calmly convert from the penalty spot for his fifth goal of the season. The goal was enough to secure Wrexham’s third consecutive home win and fifth match unbeaten in the league.

  The result carried even more significance given the quick turnaround from a midweek fixture against Portsmouth, where Wrexham had ground out a gritty draw. Despite the fatigue, Phil Parkinson’s side maintained their energy and resilience, keeping Charlton’s attacking threats largely quiet. It was another display of maturity from a squad that had once looked out of its depth early in the campaign but now appears to be growing stronger with each passing week.

  The atmosphere inside the Racecourse Ground was electric once again, with fans fully embracing their side’s newfound confidence. The energy in the stands, mirrored by the team’s intensity on the pitch, reflected a club that has rediscovered its belief at home. The full-time whistle was met with jubilant scenes, while Ryan Reynolds’ short Instagram post — “This Town. This heart. Forever.” — summed up the pride that has defined Wrexham’s remarkable rise.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Intensity' key to Wrexham's return to form in the Championship

  Wrexham’s resurgence has come at a good time. From a nervy start to life back in the Championship — their first appearance in the second tier since 1982 — to now sitting four points off the play-offs, the Red Dragons’ transformation has been a testament to patience, structure, and spirit. The early-season growing pains, marked by defensive errors and narrow defeats, have given way to a side that plays with organisation, confidence, and self-belief.

  As Parkinson put it, the “intensity” has returned — a feeling long associated with Wrexham’s ascent through the divisions. The Wrexham boss said:  "I think the atmosphere now and the feeling in the stadium is what we've been used to. Those early games, we didn't quite create that intensity in our play. We had some really good periods in all those games but we got punished in key moments.

  "The Oxford game, I thought the support was great. Coventry was special and today, what an atmosphere. We've always spoke about making this place difficult for the opposition to play and I think we've got it where we need it to be, and we've got to keep it there. That comes with the supporters obviously playing their part like they've done so well today, but also the manner of the performance, the physicality.

  "I think Issa Kabore kind of typifies that really in his fighting spirit and the defenders winning headers when they needed to and playing with that physicality, and teams know if they come to Wrexham, they're in for a tough afternoon." 

• Wrexham's remarkable story from non-league to Championship

  Wrexham’s return to the Championship marks one of football’s most remarkable modern success stories — a story written not only through investment but through culture. Since Reynolds and Rob Mac took ownership in 2021, the club has undergone a complete transformation, combining Hollywood ambition with genuine community spirit. What began as a bold experiment has evolved into a model of sustainable growth, media influence, and sporting ambition.

  The documentary Welcome to Wrexham introduced the club to global audiences, but it’s their on-field progress that continues to astound. Three consecutive promotions — from the National League to the Championship — were achieved through smart recruitment, shrewd management, and the unwavering backing of the fanbase.

  Financial investment from the owners has undoubtedly been key, with improved training facilities, global sponsorships, and Racecourse Ground redevelopment projects all elevating the club’s infrastructure. Yet, beyond the money, Reynolds and Mac’s genuine emotional connection to Wrexham remains the defining factor.

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  Wrexham will look to maintain form after the break

  Wrexham enter the international break sitting comfortably in 13th place. Phil Parkinson will use the next fortnight to rest key players and prepare for a challenging run of fixtures, beginning with a trip to Ipswich Town on November 22. Maintaining this momentum could turn a season of survival into one of genuine promotion contention.

  For Reynolds and Mac, the latest chapter in Wrexham’s journey is further vindication of their long-term vision. The club’s trajectory continues to defy expectation, with performances on the pitch matching the ambition off it.

Glasgow Rangers are currently on the lookout for a new head coach at Ibrox after they decided to part ways with Russell Martin on Sunday night.

The Rangers board finally made the decision to sack the former Scotland international after a 1-1 draw in the Scottish Premiership, which left the Gers in eighth place in the division.

Martin only won five of his 17 competitive games in charge of Rangers, including one win in the Premiership, and he cannot have many, if any, complaints with this decision.

Now that Patrick Stewart and Kevin Thelwell have made this call, the Ibrox chiefs must come together to make a successful appointment that will get the supporters back onside.

Title-winning boss is interested in Rangers job

Rangers are a massive club that represents a significant opportunity for numerous managers, due to their history and fan base, which means that there will be plenty of candidates vying for the job.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

This is evidenced by journalist Ben Jacobs reporting that Dutch head coach Mark van Bommel is “interested” in replacing Martin in the dugout at Ibrox.

The Dutchman, who favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, has been out of work since he moved on from Belgian side Royal Antwerp at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, which means that the club would not have to pay out any compensation to bring him in.

Jacobs adds that van Bommel was one of the managers who was approached by the club before Martin got the job this summer. This means that he is on their radar and could be an option once again.

If the Light Blues do opt to go back in for the former Royal Antwerp head coach, he could be a repeat of Giovanni van Bronckhorst, which may not be a bad thing.

Why Mark van Bommel could be Giovanni van Bronckhorst 2.0 for Rangers

Since Steven Gerrard left Ibrox to join Aston Villa in 2021, van Bronckhorst has been the most successful Rangers manager. He won the SFA Cup and reached the final of the Europa League.

Barry Ferguson, Michael Beale, and Russell Martin failed to win any trophies. Philippe Clement won the League Cup but did not have the success in Europe that the Dutchman did.

Prior to replacing Gerrard at Ibrox, van Bronckhorst had won the Eredivisie title and two League Cups during his time with Feyenoord in the Netherlands, and he used that winning mentality to win a trophy and come within a couple of penalties away from winning a European trophy.

Eredivisie title (16/17)

Belgian Pro League title (22/23)

Dutch League Cup (17/18)

Belgian Super Cup (23/24)

Dutch League Cup (15/16)

Belgian League Cup (22/23)

Dutch Super Cup (18/19)

Dutch Super Cup (17/18)

As you can see in the table above, van Bommel’s managerial success is not drastically different to van Bronckhorst’s before his move to Rangers in 2021.

The former Royal Antwerp head coach has won a league title in his career, in the 2022/23 campaign, and won two other trophies with the club before his exit in the summer of 2024.

This means that the Light Blues would be bringing in a manager who knows how to win trophies, a league title specifically, and could instill a winning mentality into the current team, that had been managed by a head coach in Martin who has never won a league title in his managerial career.

Rangers should be winning trophies, including titles, and they may need to appoint a proven winner to do that, which is why van Bommel could be an interesting option to turn to.

He's like Mourinho: 54-year-old manager wants to replace Martin at Rangers

Russell Martin’s job as Rangers manager is no more, so who could be his replacement?

ByMatt Dawson Oct 6, 2025

Jack Grealish peeled away in celebration. The joy on his face was palpable. Infectious. This was the moment, sending the roof off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Everton sealing a last-minute winner against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

19 games unbeaten. No more. The Eagles had been grounded and Everton had taken off. That’s 11 points on the board for the Toffees, and only seven matches played. Last year, 12 fixtures were needed to reach the same points total.

David Moyes’ squad are coming together, even with the centre-forwards still toiling. Beto is beginning to look rather stale, while £27m summer signing Thierno Barry hasn’t yet provided the quality or fluency to suggest he can lead the line.

It’s a familiar problem on the blue half of Merseyside.

Everton's striker issues

After Moyes’ appointment last winter, Beto came alive. He had previously laboured under Sean Dyche’s management, but scored five from four Premier League games to rebind the rigging and turn the ship away from relegation danger.

With one top-flight goal this season, things need to change if Beto is to retain his star spot as the frontman. Everton have been here before, with struggles at centre-forward a common theme since Farhad Moshiri first purchased a stake in 2016.

While Dominic Calvert-Lewin had some high points across his long stay in Liverpool, the tall and commanding star lacked control of his fitness levels and toiled over the final years of his Everton career.

Few and far between are the strikers who have left Everton with their heads held high, and Beto knows he needs an upswing in form if he wishes to edge away from an unwanted reputation when he does play his football elsewhere.

Beto

80

17

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

273

71

Neal Maupay

32

1

Moise Kean

39

4

Richarlison

152

53

Cenk Tosun

61

11

Salomon Rondon

31

3

Here is a list of differing fortunes, but there are more than a few strikers who will look back at their time at Goodison Park with regret.

Moise Kean, for example, arrived from Juventus as a teenage prodigy with a weight of expectation. But it didn’t work out in England.

Everton's new Moise Kean

Everton haven’t always hit the jackpot in the transfer market over the past several years, but recent additions certainly speak of greater accuracy and synergy when planning for the future.

Kean, who completed a £25m move to England in August 2019, was billed as a real coup for a first-class prospect, but he never managed to make it work on Merseyside and returned to his homeland, having scored only four times and completed a series of loan spells.

Now, Kean is a superstar in Italy with Fiorentina, prolific and powerful, and Everton might want to bear that one in mind when considering Tyler Dibling, who arrived from Southampton this summer for £42m but has endured a difficult start, used sparingly by Moyes and yet to show off the skills that caused such a furore regarding his services.

Sunday’s tie was considered a huge opportunity for the 19-year-old. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was suspended, after all. But he failed to take the opportunity, with the Liverpool Echo slapping him with a 4/10 match rating and saying he was ‘anonymous at times’.

Dibling is young and talented and has demonstrated his potential already in the Premier League, but he’s a work in progress. He was hounded out of any promising positions at the weekend, and it’s unlikely he has gained Moyes’ trust at this stage.

This “world-class talent”, as he has been described by Southampton youth coach Andy Goldie, may well reach the end of the campaign with little individual triumphs to boast about. Perhaps there will be scrutiny, and knots of adversity and frustration from which he must disentangle himself and keep his head down and work hard.

Minutes played

45′

Goals

0

Assists

0

Shots (on target)

0 (0)

Accurate passes

6/7 (86%)

Chances created

0

Dribbles

0/3

Tackles

1

Duels won

3/10

Dibling impressed with Southampton last year, a bright spark during a difficult year. Saints were doomed, and that was a fact long before the season curtailed. But Dibling shone, notching seven goal involvements across the term and impressing with his strength and pace and gusto.

The lesson here is that Everton have paid for a youngster who is anything but the finished product. Maybe it will take time, and maybe he will need a loan spell away to find his feet.

Perhaps he won’t. But Everton must keep the faith in a top prospect and watch him bloom into a star down the line, because Everton and Moyes know what they have paid for, and there is a lofty, grand-scale future for this one.

Moyes must ditch £56m Everton duo who have been holding Grealish back

Moyes’ Everton have made improvements but there are some stars who need to be dropped.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 2, 2025

Kathryn Bryce starred with bat and ball as The Blaze beat Essex Women by seven wickets in the Vitality Blast match at the Central Co-op County Ground Derby.Despite losing opening bowler Grace Ballinger after one ball of the game, The Blaze delivered a disciplined display in the field with Bryce taking 2 for 11 and Cassidy McCarthy 2 for 22.Essex were bowled out for 104, Jo Gardner making 22, but that proved inadequate with Bryce scoring a run a ball unbeaten 51 to seal a bonus point win with 35 balls to spare.The Blaze suffered a setback at the start when Ballinger pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring injury and had to leave the field. But it was Essex who had problems to solve when they lost three wickets in the powerplay.Kathryn Bryce took over from Ballinger and with her fourth delivery, had Lauren Winfield-Hill lbw playing across the line.Essex then lost two wickets in the fourth over. A brilliant piece of fielding by Ella Claridige at gully ran out Lissy Macleod before Cordelia Griffith top edged a pull to mid on.Grace Scrivens and Maddie Penna were beginning to repair the damage when they both fell in quick succession. Scrivens top-edged a reverse sweep at Josie Groves and was caught at point before Penna missed a conventional sweep at Kirstie Gordon to leave Essex on 44 for 5.Gardner and Sophia Smale added 42 from 37 balls but the pair were parted in the 17th over when Smale was bowled trying to sweep Maddy Green. Gardner went in the next over, caught at deep midwicket off McCarthy and Bryce returned to bowl Eva Gray in the 19th.Essex passed 100 but they needed early wickets to have a chance of defending a small total and Kate Coppack struck in the first over of the Blaze chase. She found enough movement to have Georgia Elwiss caught behind without scoring but she lost control in her next over which cost 17.Esmae MacGregor replaced her and had Marie Kelly caught at mid off but at the end of the powerplay, The Blaze were well on course at 45 for 2.MacGregor beat Sarah Bryce’s drive but sister Kathryn moved through the gears and won the game in style with a straight six off Smale which also took her to a richly deserved 50.

A Tottenham Hotspur player hasn’t impressed Thomas Frank and is now “expected” to leave soon, as he will “find it hard” to get back into the starting XI.

Tottenham ace expected to seal post-deadline exit

The summer transfer window reached its conclusion just under a week ago, and Frank is likely to be happy with the business that got done, despite missing out on both Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White.

One signing who has immediately hit the ground running in north London is Joao Palhinha, with the Portugal international opening his goal-scoring account in what was an impressive all-round performance in the 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

Statistic

Number completed

Ground duels won

6

Aerial duels won

2

Tackles

4

Clearances

2

The 30-year-old made the joint-highest number of tackles of any player on the pitch, starring alongside Rodrigo Bentancur and Pape Matar Sarr in a central midfield which has remained unchanged for the last two Premier League games.

On the opening day of the campaign, Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall featured in the engine room for Spurs, but one midfielder who is yet to receive any game time is Yves Bissouma.

According to Football Insider’s transfer correspondent, Pete O’Rourke, Bissouma could now be set to leave Tottenham in the near future, given that several countries’ transfer windows still remain open.

The journalist said: “There would be potential for Bissouma to be moved on before the Saudi Arabia and Turkey [transfer] windows close, that is expected.

“He’s out of favour under Thomas Frank and was dropped from their UEFA Super Cup squad, due to being late for various meetings and training.

“He hasn’t made the best of impressions on Thomas Frank, and he’ll probably find it hard to get into that Tottenham midfield.”

Bissouma should be offloaded as soon as possible

It is good news that the 29-year-old’s time in north London appears to be coming to an end, given that he has clearly shown a lack of professionalism by turning up late for meetings and training, which has meant falling down the pecking order in central midfield.

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They’re not giving up.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 6, 2025

Spurs haven’t looked like they’ve missed the Mali international at all, with Palhinha proving himself as a more than capable replacement, earning high praise from Frank, who said: “What is 100 per cent sure is that we brought two top players into the club, (Mohammed) Kudus and Palhinha. Both of them performed very well, which I’m very pleased with.

“And Palhinha, wow. You know, sometimes players need confidence, and they need to be on top. I actually don’t think he’s fully fit yet where I want him to be, but very pleased with his performance and he’s definitely helping the team.”

As such, Tottenham can definitely afford to get rid of their £55k-a-week midfielder, and there is plenty of interest in his signature, with the likes of Fenerbahce and Galatasaray recently being named as potential suitors.

“To hold back Krunal for the 20th over made absolute sense” – Bangar also praised Patidar’s captaincy

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-20252:15

Is 2025 finally going to be RCB’s year?

The popular Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) slogan, , which translates to “this year the cup is ours”, has been doing the rounds over the years in IPL. It’s never happened, not with the men’s team. But Ambati Rayudu believes IPL 2025 could be that year – 18th time lucky.”If you look at their team, they have a pretty set combination,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “If you see the teams that are not doing well in the IPL, they are still trying their combinations. But RCB is one team, along with Delhi [Capitals (DC) and Punjab [Kings (PBKS)] to some extent, who have got their combinations well set for the season.”I have always enjoyed their [RCB’s] cricket. We have fun at their expense, only because nobody talks about DC or Punjab. Only because RCB always has a team that can win the IPL. But somehow, they come short because of their own shortcomings. Nobody else defeats them, it’s them. But this year, with [Rajat] Patidar [as captain], (this year the cup is RCB’s).”Related

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In Patidar’s first year as captain, RCB have won all their three away games – in Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai – so far and lost one at home to sit third on points table following their 12-run victory against Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday. Only net run-rate separates table-toppers DC, second-placed Gujarat Titans (GT) and RCB.Sanjay Bangar echoed Rayudu views and heaped praise on Patidar’s captaincy and tactics during the game against MI. Chasing 222, MI needed 138 runs from the final ten overs, and they had brought the equation down to 52 from four overs with six wickets in hand and, at that stage, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya looked set to finish it off. However, Patidar’s use of fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Josh Hazelwood, and left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya at the death saw RCB eke out a win. While Bhuvneshwar bowled the 16th and 18th overs, Hazlewood bowled the penultimate one. Handing over the ball to Krunal for the last one was also an unusual move but worked for RCB as he picked up three wickets and defended 18.”For me, the biggest takeaway in that captaincy during those 20 overs is getting Bhuvi early,” Rayudu said. “Because you generally associate Bhuvi to bowling either 19th or 20th. But getting Bhuvi early when they really needed experience, when they needed to get the game back into their control, I felt was a brilliant move.Rajat Patidar has led RCB to three wins from four matches•Associated Press”Because he could have gone [to] Krunal again, thinking that we have Hazlewood and Bhuvi. But even the execution from Bhuvi and Hazlewood was amazing. And this also shows this IPL is different, because there is no dew. Bowling yorkers even in the second innings has become slightly more easier. And also with the use of saliva. “Bangar said that having just five bowlers might have been an “advantage as well” for RCB because Hardik “had numerous options” and “probably MI didn’t really use the resources” at the right time.”But that wasn’t the case with RCB,” Bangar said. “I just guess that also the type of batsmen that were there at No. 3 and No. 4 allowed Rajat to bowl those spinners [Krunal and Suyash Sharma] in tandem. Which wasn’t the case with MI. Because MI always had this at the back of their mind. That they don’t have to bowl spin to Rajat Patidar. And that played in RCB’s hands. So he was pretty smart with that particular thing.”And to hold back Krunal for the 20th over made absolute sense. Because you don’t really want him to be bowling the 19th over, with Josh Hazlewood only having 10 or 12 to defend. So all in all, a very good day out for Rajat.”For all you know, before the season began, everybody was talking about RCB not really having the depth in the spin department but here you have eight overs of spin [were] bowled at Wankhede and quite effectively, which was probably the difference between winning and losing.”

India captain says their three allrounders gives them a lot of options

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-20251:12

Harshit or Arshdeep in India’s XI?

So what if it’s overcast in Dubai? And so what if there’s dew, or a little spice in the deck, or some movement in the air? Whatever this venue throws at India, they have the bowling options to deal with it.So said captain Rohit Sharma, ahead of India’s first match of the Champions Trophy against Bangladesh. This is a venue to which India are well-accustomed, having played nine T20Is here since October 2021. They haven’t played an ODI in Dubai since 2018, but the versatility in their likely XI will put them in a good position to adjust on the fly, according to Rohit.”If it’s going to be overcast, we have the bowling arsenal to combat that,” he said. “If there are overhead conditions helping the bowlers, we have the bowlers to exploit that. And if we bat in those overhead conditions, the batters know exactly what to do.”Among the strengths in this India squad, are the presence of “multi-skilled” cricketers, Rohit said. Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, and Ravindra Jadeja could potentially all play in the same XI. Without spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, who was ruled out through injury, these are bowlers Rohit may lean on through the course of the tournament.Related

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“Those three guys – Jadeja, Axar, and Washy – give us a different dimension to the game, our combination, and our squad, and add a lot of depth. That is why we tried to get players who have two skills rather than one.”One of India’s pure bowling options, however, is wristspinner Varun Chakravarthy. He’s played only one ODI so far, but has an impressive List A record, having claimed 60 wickets from 24 matches at a spectacular average of 14.80. He is a player who deals in subterfuge, Rohit said.”He doesn’t bowl too many variations to us in the nets. He bowls just one type of delivery. Maybe, he doesn’t want to show his variations even to us. But that is a good thing. He has got certain weapons which he wants to just put it out there, when it actually matters. I am more than happy if he wants to do that.”But, he has got something different which is why he is here with us. He has been impressive in the last eight to nine months. That is why we wanted to bring him here and see what he has and what he can do for India on the big stage.”Another player who Rohit will look to, is Mohammad Shami, who only returned to international cricket late last month, after undergoing ankle surgery in early 2024. He only bowled 15.5 overs across the two ODIs he played against England, claiming a wicket in each outing. With Bumrah out, Shami’s form may be especially important to India’s chances.”All we wanted with Shami was to get back to wearing India colours more than anything else. Whether he gets wickets or not was completely immaterial to us [in the England series].”When you talk about a bowler like Shami, who has done the job over the years so many times for us – for them it’s just about getting back into rhythm. Hopefully he can find some rhythm early on in this tournament.”

WPL 2025 will begin on February 14, a week later than earlier planned, with Gujarat Giants hosting defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru at the newly built BCA stadium in Vadodara. As ESPNcricinfo had reported earlier, Lucknow is the other new venue for the upcoming season, with Mumbai and Bengaluru to host matches as well.After the first six games in Vadodara, the tournament will move to Bengaluru for the next eight matches. Lucknow will then host four games before the last leg in Mumbai. Mumbai will also stage four games, including the Eliminator on March 13 and the final on March 15 – all at the CCI stadium.RCB will play four games at their home venue, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, which drew boisterous crowds last season. As for the UP Warriorz, they will play three games at their home base, Lucknow. Delhi Capitals are the only team who don’t have home games in the five-team tournament.Related

• Aggression, clarity, fearlessness – coach Edwards reveals MI's mantra for WPL 2025

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Just like the previous season, all matches will be single-headers.In the new women’s FTP, a separate window has been allocated for the WPL, the most lucrative women’s franchise league.The WPL 2025 auction, which was held in December last year, turned out to be a big deal for uncapped Indian players, with Simran Shaikh, the Mumbai allrounder, fetching the highest bid of NR 1.9 crore (USD 223,000 approx).RCB had clinched their first WPL title in 2024 after beating Capitals by eight wickets in Delhi.