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Sri Lanka may sack T20 captain Charith Asalanka two months out from a home World Cup. Chief selector Upul Tharanga insisted no decision over the captaincy had yet been made, but did confirm that the selectors were mulling changes.According to Tharanga, Asalanka’s poor form in T20Is has prompted this re-evaluation. That Asalanka was sent home ahead of the ongoing tri-series in Pakistan was only due to illness, or so at least team management has claimed. In any case, it is possible he has captained his last T20 match for Sri Lanka.”We have to weigh our best options after this series,” said Tharanga, when asked whether the selectors were considering a change in captaincy. “With a World Cup so close we can’t make a lot of big changes. The selectors, after talking to the coach, will have to make a decision on what’s best for the team.”Related

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Tharanga indicated that the selectors had been mulling a change to the leadership even before the ongoing tour of Pakistan, which is why they had appointed Dasun Shanaka – who has captained Sri Lanka before – vice-captain for the tour. “That was to give us another option,” Tharanga said.Still, no firm decision has been made, he said.”Still Charith is our captain. It’s because of an illness to Charith that we appointed Dasun as our stand-in captain. Charith is still the captain in our plans. We haven’t made a decision to change that. We’ve planned all along for Charith to captain this World Cup. We’ll see what happens. We haven’t made a decision about that yet.”Charith hasn’t been among the runs in T20s, and because of an illness he was forced to return home, unfortunately.”Asalanka had never quite established himself as a reliable T20I batter, with a strike rate of 126 across 68 innings. He’s been modest in 2025 too, having scored only 156 runs in 12 innings this year, with a strike rate of 122. Sri Lanka have won 11 and lost 14 matches under Asalanka’s captaincy.Still, his return from Pakistan ahead of the tri-series serious prompted speculation in local media. One theory suggested Asalanka had been among the players who opposed remaining in Pakistan following a suicide bombing in Islamabad, and that his being sent home was punishment for voicing opinions that ran counter to board wishes. As the tri-series runs for two weeks, teams would generally keep a player in the squad until they make a recovery, especially if that player is captain.Tharanga said it was illness that forced the selectors’ hand.”He had a viral fever, and he had body aches,” Tharanga said of Asalanka. “The physio told us that it’s hard for him to predict when Charith would get better, and that’s why we had to make that decision.”We’ve also had a problem in the middle order, and we’ve not been consistent there. If he couldn’t play, we needed to have someone else there. That’s why we brought Charith to Sri Lanka.”Tharanga envisioned Asalanka playing a role in Sri Lanka’s World Cup campaign with the bat.”Charith is a very talented cricketer, with a lot of experience. I’m sure he’ll be an important cricketer for Sri Lanka in the T20 World Cup. We’ve seen what he can do in the middle order, where sometimes he’s won games by himself. He’s in our World Cup plans.”

LOS ANGELES — Like a Battle of Gettysburg reenactment, the visiting clubhouse of Dodger Stadium in the first hour of Tuesday morning reeked of equal parts loss, pride and discarded bandages. Just as Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora did in the same room seven years ago, Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider poured salve on wounds 18 innings in the making.

“This game,” he told his players, “is not going to beat us twice.”

Said ace pitcher Kevin Gausman, “He was pretty adamant.”

The Red Sox in 2018 Game 3 lost in 18 innings on a walk-off home run. The Blue Jays lost Game 3 Monday in 18 innings on a walk-off home run. Cora in his 2018 postgame address made sure his troops honored the losing pitcher, Nathan Eovaldi, who threw 97 pitches in emergency relief work. Cora believes the Red Sox won the World Series that night because of not just how Eovaldi saved the bullpen from overuse but also the way he personified the grit of the team.

Carlos Febles, a coach with those Red Sox and these Jays, was the one person in the room on both nights of the two most grueling losses in World Series history.

“Erik Lauer,” he said to Schneider, “is our Nathan Eovaldi.”

Lauer threw 4 2/3 innings in the defeat, his longest outing in two months.

At least for one game, the Blue Jays reenacted the postscript to the original Battle of 18 Innings. They had no business winning Game 4, at least if you buy into narratives, what with Jays DH George Springer, an all-time great World Series slugger, out with an oblique injury suffered in Game 3 and the Dodgers giving the ball to Shohei Ohtani, who was unbeaten with a 1.33 ERA at Dodger Stadium in his career. The Blue Jays did not care and won 6–2.

“Really, it just started last night,” Gausman said. “It was just flushing it and moving on to the next one. Maybe that’s a little naïve, but we just kind of believe that the next guy up mentality. We’re good whatever happens, going up against anybody, whoever’s pitching on the other side.

“So, it was really just kind of hurry up and go to sleep and get ready for tomorrow and today. Yeah, I mean, it's pretty loose in here. This is the loosest team I’ve ever been on. Nothing changed today.”

Stop me if you heard this before: Vlad Guerrero Jr. hit a home run (off a hanging sweeper from Ohtani, who had allowed one homer on the pitch all year), the Jays’ fast-break offense put up four runs in a 19-pitch eyeblink in the seventh inning (without benefit of a home run), and the pitching staff worked its pitching backward postseason philosophy to exquisite results.

Two crucial late strikes from Gabe Bell has put Tasmania on the brink of victory at Bellerive Oval after Western Australia quick Matthew Kelly took a career-best six-wicket haul on a wild day of momentum swings.Chasing 259 to win in the fourth innings WA were 198 for 5 as they neared stumps on day with Aaron Hardie on 61 having shared a half-century stand with Joel Curtis before they lost three wickets in 12 balls with Bell snaring two of them. It left WA still needing 44 to win at stumps on day three with Curtis not out alongside Corey Rocchiccioli and No.11 Liam Haskett still to come.Earlier, WA were given a chance by Kelly as he tore through Tasmania’s lower order taking a career-best 6 for 49. Tasmania had started the day 244 for 5 with skipper Jordan Silk on 51 and Jake Doran unbeaten on 29. Cameron Gannon removed Doran caught behind in the third over of the morning before Kelly took three of the last four in a devastating burst as Tasmania lost 5 for 9 to be all out for 259.Cameron Bancroft and fellow opener Sam Whiteman both fell cheaply in the chase and the hosts were reduced to 76 for 4 when Hilton Cartwright (14) and Jayden Goodwin (48) fell in quick succession.But Sam Fanning (31) and Hardie swung the balance in WA’s favour, the visitors appearing on track for victory until Hardie fell for a set trap and was caught by captain Silk at a second short midwicket off the bowling of Bell.Riley Meredith then blasted through Kelly’s defences and Bell bowled Gannon to leave WA needing 58 runs with just three wickets in hand.Rocchiccioli hung with Curtis at stumps to keep WA in the fight.Bell continued Test aspirant Bancroft’s lean run to begin the Shield season when he was caught behind while Jackson Bird bowled without luck.

Aston Villa have recently submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, and the Spanish club’s stance on sanctioning a departure has now been revealed.

Villa have stepped up their pursuit of a new centre-forward with Ollie Watkins failing to reach his usual lofty standards in the Premier League this season, netting just one goal and receiving criticism from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright back in September.

Wright said: “As a player, I think that he should be doing more for what he’s capable of doing.

“He’s a channel runner, gets in the box, he gets on the end of things. I think he could be a lot sharper with his finishing, and I thought that’s what he’d be working on.”

Fortunately, the Villans have managed to find goals from other sources, which have propelled them up the table in recent weeks, rising to sixth after a dominant 4-0 rout of AFC Bournemouth in their final match before the international break.

That said, Watkins’ poor form is likely to still be a concern for Unai Emery, and the manager has seemingly decided to bring in another striker capable of challenging for the Englishman’s place in the starting XI.

Aston Villa submit offer for Gonzalo Garcia

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have offered €20m (£18m) offer for Real Madrid forward Garcia, and they are looking to finalise a deal as quickly as possible, given that the Spaniard’s value could plausibly rise as the season goes on.

Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers have lodged bids of their own, so there will be competition for the 21-year-old’s signature, but a deal could be there to be done, as the Spanish club view cashing-in as an ‘attractive financial opportunity.’

As one of the first clubs to make contact with Madrid, Villa should be well-placed to get a deal done, not least because their main rivals seem to be newly-promoted Sunderland and a Wolves side at serious risk of relegation.

Hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before Watkins starts scoring again, but the 29-year-old having some healthy competition could kick him into gear, and there are signs the Real Madrid starlet could push for a starting spot.

Lauded as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster performed remarkably well at youth level in the 2024-25 campaign, netting 26 goals in 37 games for RM Castilla, before going on to impress considerably at the Club World Cup, netting four goals for the senior side.

That said, it would be a risk to sign Garcia, given that he is yet to prove himself in the Madrid first team over a sustained period, and 21-year-old FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who scored 19 league goals last season, could be an interesting alternative option.

Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa amid interest from Tottenham and Arsenal

Recent reports have indicated that Aston Villa would be keen on signing Porto forward Samu Aghehowa.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025

Manchester United are now ready to push harder and complete the signing of Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Elliot Anderson.

The Red Devils drew 2-2 away to Forest in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, with Ruben Amorim assessing a solid day at the office, if not a perfect one.

“We lost control of the game for five minutes and we paid the price. I felt that the level of energy was not the same compared to the last game. Sometimes, when you play away, you can feel that. [My players] gave everything, and you could see it in the game but, in the small details, the energy was not the same.

“We have to work on that. Like I was saying, we were in control of the game. In the Premier League, if you disconnect for five minutes, you can change the result.

“Comparing [to] the recent past we had, some games [in] these big bad moments we struggle so much more than today, we managed to control the emotions, to put the ball on the ground and try to push the opponent to the final third. We managed to score, we had a big opportunity in the end. But we lost two points and that is the feeling, but we have the next week to work and to try and get these points in another stadium.”

United didn’t always look wholly convincing as a unit against Forest, and with Casemiro out of contract next summer, the need for a new signing in the middle of the park will be great.

Man Utd ready to push ahead with "perfect" Elliot Anderson pursuit

According to a new update from Caught Offside‘s Mark Brus, Manchester United could now “accelerate their efforts” to sign Anderson from Forest in the January transfer window, with Amorim a fan and Old Trafford chiefs seeing him as “perfect”.

“United see Anderson as a perfect option and a long-term investment, though they could also accelerate their efforts for him this January. There is a unanimous feeling among the directors, Ruben Amorim, and his coaching staff that Anderson would be a great addition in that position.”

Anderson’s rise has been meteoric of late, going from a relative unknown to a key starter for England over the past 12 months, playing a big role in Forest getting into Europe last season.

Still only 22, he has so much time ahead of him to improve and Amorim spoke glowingly about him before Saturday’s game, which may only increase the speculation.

“They have Hudson-Odoi, they have Anderson, a very, very good player. So they have solutions. They have top players, they have a very good coach, we need to play a different game but we will be prepared.”

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Joe Nuttall

Nov 2, 2025

Anderson ticks so many boxes for United, from quality on the ball to being a homegrown player, and while his rumoured £70m price tag is huge, he has the potential to make it worth their while.

Casemiro isn't the only Man Utd star who has saved his career under Amorim

Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has a grand plan for striker Dominic Solanke once he returns from injury, contrary to other reports.

In the last few days, Spurs’ club-record signing has actually been linked with the January exit door.

The 28-year-old’s last appearance came during a brief cameo in Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Man City at the very start of the campaign, but he’s been sidelined with a niggling ankle problem ever since.

Solanke underwent minor surgery to fix the issue, with Frank’s forward still working his way back to full fitness ahead of a tough run of fixtures.

Despite playing just 49 minutes in total under Spurs’ new boss, reports have surprisingly suggested that Frank isn’t particularly impressed by Solanke and could look to sell the England international.

Solanke’s inconsistency and fitness issues have raised some doubts among supporters about his suitability as Tottenham’s long-term first-choice striker, with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović reportedly emerging as a prime alternative as the Serbian’s contract expires at the end of this season.

Links to Vlahovic could raise some questions about Solanke’s future in N17, but according to reporter Dean Jones, the former Bournemouth star shouldn’t be too worried about his place.

Thomas Frank's grand plan for Dominic Solanke at Tottenham

Jones, writing for TEAMtalk, says that Frank is preparing to make Solanke the focal point of his attack once the striker returns from injury, with growing “inside” belief that he can add a fresh and “new” dimension to their attacking play.

Despite Solanke’s challenges, there’s a clear sense among Tottenham’s coaching staff and insiders that he has the qualities to lead the line effectively.

The return of Solanke is eagerly anticipated by Frank, with hopes that he will elevate Tottenham’s attacking threat in crucial matches.

The delay in his comeback may also be put down to Spurs adopting a more cautious approach with the number nine’s overall fitness as they look to avoid any setbacks.

Mathys Tel, bar his goal away to Leeds United, has struggled to replace Solanke overall, while Richarlison endured another night to forget during Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Last season, Solanke proved his worth by scoring 16 goals across all competitions, finishing as Spurs’ second top scorer behind Brennan Johnson. This goal tally underscores his importance to the team’s attack and highlights the threat he poses when fully fit.

Solanke’s presence allows Frank to build the attack around a proven goalscorer, providing a sense of stability to the entire forward line.

The ‘underrated’ forward’s ability to deliver crucial goals will be vital, especially in tight games where a clinical finish can make all the difference.

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Shrubsole said there was no place for Healy in their top five, while Nayar of UPW called it “unfortunate”

Sreshth Shah27-Nov-2025At the WPL 2026 auction, one of the biggest talking points was Australia’s Alyssa Healy going unsold. She was the first name drawn from the eight-player marquee list to start the auction in Delhi but received no bids.At that point, it was possible teams were holding off, prioritising other players and planning to revisit Healy later in the accelerated round. But when the re-run took place, no team listed her on their wishlist and, therefore, her name did not come up again.After the auction, Anya Shrubsole, assistant coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Abhishek Nayar, head coach of UP Warriorz (UPW), explained why they did not bid for Healy. Meanwhile, Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Jonathan Batty said Healy was on their list, but squad “flexibility” took priority.”Alyssa Healy going unsold was surprising for different reasons,” Nayar said. “When you’re allowed only four overseas players [in the XI], your options are limited, and many teams prefer allrounders in their set-up. It’s a tough situation for someone of her stature.”Shrubsole said Healy did not fit RCB’s combination. “We have a very strong top order, and Georgia Voll gives us some offspin as well,” she said. “With Richa Ghosh [as a wicketkeeper-batter] in the top five, going for Healy didn’t make sense for us.”Healy entered the auction at a base price of INR 50 lakh after being released by UPW, who had signed her for INR 70 lakh for the first two seasons. A foot injury kept her out of last season. She has 428 runs in 17 WPL games at an average of 26.75 and a strike rate of 130.48. She is currently playing for Sydney Sixers in the WBBL and recently scored consecutive ODI World Cup hundreds against India and Bangladesh.While opening batters and potential captains were not in high demand, wicketkeepers surely were. Gujarat Giants (GG) had retained wicketkeeper Beth Mooney but also bought Yastika Bhatia (currently injured) for INR 50 lakh. DC bought South Africa’s Lizelle Lee and Taniya Bhatia for a combined INR 60 lakh. UPW opted for an inexperienced Shipra Giri as their lone keeper for INR 10 lakh. Mumbai Indians (MI) had retained G Kamalini and RCB had retained Richa.Other overseas players to go unsold included the England pair of Heather Knight and Alice Capsey, Australia’s trio of Alana King, Amanda Jade-Wellington and Darcie Brown, and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu.Amelia Kerr was the highest-paid overseas player, signed by Mumbai Indians for INR 3 crore. She was followed by Sophie Devine (Gujarat Giants for INR 2 crore) and Meg Lanning (UP Warriorz for INR 1.90 crore).

Liverpool have now reportedly joined the race to sign a rising star who could replace Ibrahima Konate, having already sent their scouts to watch the defender in action.

What next after Salah's explosive rant?

Just when they thought it couldn’t get any worse, Mohamed Salah found himself strolling through the mixed zone towards the first microphone available. And this was no friendly catch-up. The Egyptian unleashed a sensational rant, accusing Liverpool of throwing him “under the bus” and claiming that there is no longer a relationship with manager Arne Slot.

So, where do Liverpool and Salah go next? The Egyptian has trained today and a decision is yet to be made as to whether he travels to face Inter Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

According to The Athletic’s James Pearce, some teammates were expecting his rant and those higher up at Anfield knew it was only inevitable that the chances increased that he’d speak out with every passing week on the bench.

Slot maintains the backing of Anfield chiefs, however, who view his decision to drop Salah as a selection choice which was unlikely to be long-term.

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What’s more, as reported by the BBC’s Sami Mokbel, the relationship between Slot and Salah is genuinely broken at present and the Egyptian simply does not see a future at Liverpool whilst the Dutchman is in charge.

It’s the lowest moment of Liverpool’s season so far and one that they could certainly do without as the fixtures come thick and fast. Alas, business goes on for FSG, who have reportedly joined the race to solve another one of Slot’s glaring problems at Liverpool.

Liverpool join race to sign Jeremy Jacquet

According to Sky Sports’ Sacha Tavolieri, Liverpool have now joined the race to sign Jeremy Jacquet, who has impressed their scouts at Stade Rennais.

The Reds have already made checks on the 20-year-old defender and could welcome his arrival to replace Konate in 2026. The Frenchman is in the worst form of his Liverpool career and has already played himself out of a potential move to Real Madrid. Now, with his contract still on course to expire in the summer, he could still leave as a free agent.

Dubbed “physically imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson back in May and as “an insane centre-back in the making” by Jacek Kulig, Jacquet has only come on leaps and bounds ever since. At 20 years old, he’s someone that should be on the radar of several top clubs.

For Liverpool, that physicality would be key. The Reds have been bullied far too often this season with Konate at the scene of the crime all too often.

Salah replacement: Liverpool keen to sign "one of the best wingers in Europe"

The result extended India’s dominance, making it 12 wins in 12 ODIs against Pakistan

Sruthi Ravindranath05-Oct-2025

Kranti Goud celebrates with Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur•AFP/Getty Images

Seamer Kranti Goud led the way for India with 3 for 20 as they dismissed Pakistan for 159 in their chase of 248 in the Women’s World Cup at Khettarama.The result extended India’s dominance, making it 12 wins in 12 ODIs against Pakistan. It also took India to the top of the points table, ahead of Australia, while Pakistan have lost both their games in the tournament so far.India were sloppy in the field, but Pakistan failed to capitalise on it, never quite keeping pace with the required rate during their chase. Sidra Amin held one end up with 81 off 106, offering Pakistan a glimmer of hope, but her dismissal effectively ended Pakistan’s resistance. They were eventually bowled out in 43 overs.On a pitch where every other India batter found it difficult to score, Richa Ghosh crashed 35 not out off 20 from No.8, lifting India to 247 – the highest total without a fifty-plus stand in women’s ODIs. Harleen Deol top-scored for India with 46, with Pakistan’s five bowlers never letting the momentum go India’s way on what Jemimah Rodrigues described as “not an easy pitch” for batting during the innings break.Pakistan opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal after putting India in under grey skies, but soon went back to their usual new-ball pairing of Diana Baig and Fatima Sana. Pakistan lost a review early after an lbw shout against Smriti Mandhana was not given with the replays indicating that Baig’s delivery had pitched outside leg. Mandhana, however, struggled to get going, especially against Sana who mostly bowled tight lines, not allowing her to score on the off side. She eventually fell lbw to an inswinger from Sana for 23 after burning a review in the process.Related

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The introduction of spinners squeezed the scoring even further. Though Deol walked down the track to hit Rameen Shamim for a six, Pakistan kept building up the dot-ball pressure. Pratika Rawal scored 31 off 37 balls before she was undone by a Sadia Iqbal arm ball. By the end of 20 overs, India had played out 78 dots.With captain Harmanpreet Kaur too falling without making any big impact, leaving India 106 for 3 in 25 overs, the onus was on Deol to build on her start. India seemed to have found themselves in more trouble after Baig had Rodrigues caught behind for 2, but it turned out to be a no-ball. Rodrigues then smashed the free-hit to the midwicket boundary.Sidra Amin top-scored for Pakistan with 81 off 106 balls•ICC/Getty ImagesRodrigues and Deol added 45 in 51 balls before Shamim had Deol hole out to long-on in the 34th over. In the next over, Nashra Sandhu then had Rodrigues lbw for 32 after overturning an on-field not-out decision. In between those two overs, there was a 15-minute delay while the playing area at Khettarama was fumigated to clear it of a swarm of insects.India sent in Sneh Rana at No.7, ahead of Ghosh, and their struggle to up the ante continued. She holed out for 20 off 33 while struggling to break free, which brought Ghosh to the middle. Ghosh went on to punish the fast bowlers, smashing Sana’s slower delivery over wide long-on though wickets tumbled around her. She took 13 runs off Baig in the 48th over, and then Goud contributed with two boundaries in the final over of the innings to take India to an above-par total.India burnt a review with the very first ball of the chase, trying to overturn an lbw decision against Muneeba Ali. Pakistan’s openers, however, struggled to score against new-ball bowlers Goud and Renuka Singh, who came into the XI in place of Amanjot Kaur.In the fourth over, Muneeba was run-out in unusual circumstances. Muneeba, batting out of her crease, was not attempting a run when India appealed for an lbw off Goud’s bowling. As that appeal went up, Muneeba had promptly grounded her bat behind the crease before the throw from Deepti Sharma came in from the slip cordon. But replays revealed she had very briefly raised her bat off the ground again without having grounded any other part of the body behind the line when Deepti’s throw had dislodged the bails. The decision caused a brief stoppage with Pakistan captain Sana seen chatting with the fourth umpire near the rope.Goud continued to keep India in control, mixing her lengths and pace superbly. After having Sadaf Shamas caught and bowled, she had Aliya Riyaz caught at second slip, leaving Pakistan at 26 for 3 in 11.1 overs.Amin, getting off the mark with a boundary, had luck going her way. She escaped an lbw shout with India not opting to review while batting on 8; the replays later showing three reds on ball-tracking. Ghosh dropped an edge off her shortly after. She was also nearly caught and bowled by N Sree Charani while batting on 12. Amin, however, couldn’t score freely against India’s quicks.Amin, though, seemed to gain in confidence with the introduction of spinners as she hit Rana for a six over long-on. It was Pakistan’s first-ever six in an ODI against India. She then found able support from Natalia Pervais who made 33 off 46. Amin went onto bring up her fifty off 82 balls, but by then Pakistan’s required run rate ballooned towards eight. Amin fell under the pressure of that asking rate, leaving Pakistan at 150 for 8, and it didn’t take long for India to wrap up Pakistan’s innings.