Manchester United desperately needed attacking reinforcements during the summer window, after netting just 44 league goals in the Premier League during 2024/25.

Ruben Amorim wanted an overhaul in such a department, with incomings and outgoings needed to help change the club’s fortunes in England’s top-flight.

INEOS went into the transfer market and spent around £200m on an attacking trio of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, whilst allowing the likes of Rasmus Hojlund to depart.

Mbeumo has already wasted no time in hitting the ground running at Old Trafford, as seen by his tally of five goals in his first 12 league outings – the most of any player in the squad.

However, that hasn’t stopped the board from targeting added reinforcements, with numerous attacking talents still on the club’s radar ahead of the January window.

The latest on United’s hunt for reinforcements in January

Over the last couple of days, United have once again been touted with a move to land Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo in the upcoming window.

The Red Devils are just one side who are currently in the race for the Cherries star, with the Ghanaian international currently having a £65m release clause in his deal at the Vitality.

However, Amorim’s men aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 25-year-old, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur all keeping a close eye on his situation at present.

He’s not the only attacker currently on their radar, with Borussia Dortmund talisman Serhou Guirassy another option being targeted by INEOS and Amorim ahead of January.

According to Sky Sports in Germany, United have been offered a €50m (£44m) deal to land the Guinean international, after his release clause became active.

It also states that Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester City are just a handful of teams who can activate such a clause, but it’s unclear if the player himself would entertain a winter move.

Why United’s latest target would be Amorim’s own Haaland

Erling Haaland is a player who many United supporters have envied over recent years, with the Norwegian talisman constantly providing the goods for local rivals Manchester City.

It could have been so different, especially considering Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pleaded with the board to sign him during his tenure in charge at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old has since moved to the Etihad, with such a transfer allowing the forward to take his career to the next level – as seen by his remarkable goalscoring record since his move in 2022.

Haaland has racked up a staggering 143 goals in just 163 appearances, including a mind-boggling 22 goals in just 21 outings across all competitions for Pep Guardiola’s men.

During his time in England, he’s played against the Red Devils on nine separate occasions, finding the net eight times – with such a record one of the best for teams he’s faced.

However, Amorim could be about to land his own version of Haaland with a winter deal to land Guirassy, with the pair possessing numerous similarities.

Both would have moved to the Premier League from Bundesliga side Dortmund, whilst both have showcased their phenomenal goalscoring feats in recent years.

When comparing their respective stats from the current campaign, the Guinean international has managed to outperform the City star in key areas despite his own record in front of goal.

Guirassy, who’s been dubbed “one of the best strikers in Europe” by Lothar Matthaus, may have been outscored to date, but has posted a higher shot-on-target accuracy rate.

How Guirassy & Haaland compare in 2025/26

Statistics (per 90)

Guirassy

Haaland

Games played

10

12

Goals & assists

6

15

Shot on target accuracy

59%

57%

Pass accuracy

72%

64%

Passes into final third

1.1

0.6

Carries into final third

0.8

0.7

Aerials won

2.9

2.6

Fouls won

1.3

0.7

Stats via FBref

Such a tally highlights his impressive ability in the final third, arguably taking advantage of more of the opportunities that have fallen his way in front of goal this season.

The Dortmund star has completed more passes this campaign, with more of his efforts being made into the final third – which could hand the United side an added creative threat in attacking areas.

His all-round dominance over Haaland is further reflected in his higher tally of carries into the final third and aerials won per 90 – both of which would improve the Red Devils’ attack tenfold.

£44m for a player of his quality in the current market would be an excellent deal for a striker who has consistently found the back of the net in the last few years.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by Haaland in the Premier League, it would be a sensational deal and one that could help Amorim in his quest for success.

Related Best January deal since Bruno: INEOS make PL "warrior" Man Utd's top target

Manchester United have a new top target ahead of the January transfer window.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Nov 29, 2025

Raheem Sterling remains out of sight and mind at Chelsea, with the Blues opting against wishing a happy birthday to the England international on the occasion of his 31st birthday. The experienced forward has been frozen out at Stamford Bridge under Enzo Maresca and remains part of the infamous ‘bomb squad’ in west London. The expectation is that he will push for a transfer in the January window.

Sterling snubbed: Chelsea ignore 31st birthday

Sterling has suffered a humbling fall from grace in recent times. Back in 2019, he netted an 11-minute hat-trick for Manchester City in a Champions League clash with Atalanta. Giovanni Sartori, technical director of the Italian opposition faced that day, told Sterling after a stunning performance that he was “the best player in the world”.

Fast forward six years and Chelsea are preparing to line up against the same Serie A outfit. This time around, there will be no role for Sterling to play. That is because he has been left out of Premier League and European squads in 2025-26.

The Blues appear to have forgotten all about the 82-cap England winger. His latest birthday, which was celebrated on December 8, was recognised by the Three Lions and his former club City. Sterling’s current domestic employers chose to overlook that occasion.

AdvertisementSterling's record at Chelsea: Goals and appearances

Sterling faces an uncomfortable present and unpredictable future. His £50 million ($67m) transfer to Chelsea in 2022 has not played out as anybody had hoped. He has registered just 19 goals for the Blues through 81 appearances, with his last competitive outing for the club coming on May 19, 2024.

Last season was spent out on loan at Arsenal, with no Premier League goals being recorded there. It came as little surprise when a purchase option was not taken up by the Gunners. Sterling was forced back to Stamford Bridge and into the shadows.

He will be watching on from afar in midweek as Champions League action takes centre stage. Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney are the only fellow Englishmen to have registered more goals than Sterling in elite continental competition. He may not get another chance to bolster that tally.

How has Sterling been filling his time?

Maresca has said that “anything can happen” when it comes to the likes of Sterling and other exiled first-team stars being welcomed back into the fold at Chelsea. The expectation is, however, that game time will need to be found elsewhere.

reports on how Sterling’s former City team-mate Vincent Kompany called him late in the summer window to gauge interest in a loan move to Bayern Munich. It is claimed that Sterling would have agreed a permanent switch, with a two-year contract being promised, but was reluctant to leave his homeland on a short-term deal that included no guarantees.

Sterling is still training at Chelsea, either on his own or with the club’s U21 squad, but is being denied the opportunity to step onto the field. As a result, he is having to find alternative ways to fill time and keep himself amused.

The Telegraph says Sterling has “kept his passion for football alive through his children and his academy over the past six months”. He is said to be a regular at Arsenal academy matches, with eight-year-old son Thiago on the books in north London.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty/GOALWrexham link: Will Sterling get a move in January?

There are still 18 months left to run on Sterling’s contract at Chelsea. That deal is said to be worth more than £300,000-a-week. Said terms are considered to have been a barrier when sounding out interest in recent transfer markets. The Telegraph claims “there has never been a conversation about renegotiating his contract at a reduced rate or simply cutting his salary” at Stamford Bridge.

A wage cut may have to be agreed, though, in order to find a much-needed fresh start. Sterling needs to be playing at this stage of his career, with sporting ambition being ranked about financial gain. He has seen a move to join Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac at ambitious Championship side Wrexham mooted, but a switch to North Wales is considered to be unlikely.

First and foremost, Newcastle United have no pressing concerns relating to finances and the ever-ominous profit and sustainability rules in the Premier League.

Furthermore, technical director Ross Wilson is now settled into his chair in the St. James’ Park offices, and have formed a good early relationship with Eddie Howe as they look to tackle key areas of the squad.

Now is the time for action. It’s been a wobbly start to the season after a summer of upheaval, but United are beginning to show green shoots in their bid to cement themselves as Champions League contenders and a multi-trophy-winning outfit.

Defensive positions are being examined, but with Joelinton’s form lacking in stages this season, Howe wants a new midfielder.

The question on everyone’s lips: Will it be Elliot Anderson?

Newcastle chasing elite midfielder

Howe spoke at the start of October about his desire to bring Anderson back home. The 23-year-old was sold to Nottingham Forest in 2024 and he has since become a top-class midfielder. It was not a happy sale for the Magpies, whose hand was forced by PSR.

Now, United want him back. The problem? Manchester City and Manchester United are also keen, and the Tricky Trees have priced their gem in excess of £100m.

This is a superstar in the making. Already, he is ranking favourably against the likes of Sandro Tonali in the Newcastle midfield; the Italian is widely regarded as one of the best in the Premier League.

If Newcastle are fruitless in their bid to sign Anderson, they could do worse than fall back on Scott McTominay, who was named the Serie A MVP last season after leading Napoli to the Scudetto.

As per Chronicle Live, McTominay is reportedly unsettled in Naples and is considering a return to the Premier League. Newcastle would be right there, offering the Scotland star a chance to take his career to the next level.

Valued at £70m, McTominay, 28, will not be short of suitors in 2026, but sources close to the player suggest that he would be open to moving to Tyneside and working under Howe’s stewardship.

What McTominay would offer Newcastle

It’s a testament to McTominay’s meteoric rise in Italy that had Newcastle signed him from Manchester United, it would have been a move met with indifference.

But now, he is revered as a hero for both club and country, 18th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings and regarded as a “true superstar of European and world football”, as said by content creator Adam Joseph.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær, his former boss at Old Trafford, also hailed him as a “physical monster” once, and this is why McTominay could be such an interesting Anderson alternative.

He is capable of show-stopping moments, but the Tartan Army hero also has the athleticism and defensive attributes to dovetail right into Howe’s engine room.

His high duel success bespeaks his tenacity, and his eye for goal makes him an intriguing option to place just ahead of Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, both elegant and combative players with excellent passing ranges, sure to pick out the Napoli star’s surges into the danger area.

Anderson has since raised his level, but McTominay has hardly regressed himself, instrumental in a title-defending Napoli team that trail first-placed AC Milan this season by only a single point.

There is a winning mentality about McTominay that Newcastle need to take their project to the next level, and while the 23-year-old Anderson would be a fantastic addition, this would provide Howe with the instant effect he and his team need.

Newcastle need a new midfielder, and that won’t change. Either of these stars would mark stunning acquisitions.

He wants to leave: PIF must sell Newcastle's "poor man's Haaland"

Newcastle United must cash in on this player who reportedly wants to move on from the club in January.

1

By
Dan Emery

Dec 1, 2025

Adam Voges will finish with the state at the end of the current season but may continue to coach Perth Scorchers

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2025

Adam Voges, who will likely be in the frame to coach Australia when Andrew McDonald finishes, will step down as Western Australia head coach at the end of the 2025-26 season in order to pursue opportunities in franchise cricket.Voges took up the role in 2018-19 following Justin Langer’s appointment as Australia coach and oversaw an incredible run of success for WA with a hat-trick of Sheffield Shield titles and four One-Day Cup trophies, doing the double in three consecutive seasons from 2021-22 to 2023-24 in the process.Last season, they finished bottom in both competitions but are currently third after four rounds of this summer’s Shield after a thrilling one-wicket win over Queensland.”I’m incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to be in the role of WA men’s team head coach over the past eight seasons,” Voges said. “We have enjoyed an incredible amount of success over the past four seasons, which is a credit to everyone involved with the side.”It’s also been really pleasing to oversee many players from WA take the step to international duty and excel playing for their country. While it wasn’t an easy decision to make, I’m looking forward to pursuing more coaching opportunities in franchise cricket.”Earlier this month, ESPNcricinfo had reported that Voges was in talks to join Trent Rockets in the Hundred as an assistant coach. He has previously coached Australia A and worked with the national side.WA Cricket are continuing discussions with Voges about staying on as Perth Scorchers head coach in the BBL.McDonald’s current contract as Australia coach runs through to 2027 and he has indicated he is unlikely to seek an extension having been in the job since early 2022.Voges, who played 20 Tests and finished with the incredible average of 61.87, has been in charge at WA during a time where they have had significant Australia representation. Cameron Green and Josh Inglis are part of the current Test squad.There is a new generation coming through the WA system including allrounder Cooper Connolly and fast bowler Mahli Beardman.

After Erik ten Hag’s dismissal from Manchester United in October last year, it was always going to be crucial that the hierarchy made the right call with their next appointment.

The Red Devils board turned to Ruben Amorim to fill the void, but around 13 months on from his arrival, he’s still struggling to provide the goods on a consistent basis.

He’s currently achieving a 41% win record in his 56 matches in charge at Old Trafford to date, with the 40-year-old only registering a total of 23 victories across all competitions.

His 3-4-2-1 system is yet to be seen in full flow, as numerous players are still getting used to the demands of the manager’s intricate system in the Premier League.

One player in particular has had to adapt his playstyle over the last couple of months as a result of the switch, but he’s struggled in 2025/25 – as seen by his stats in recent weeks.

The stats behind Dalot’s struggles in 2025/26

Diogo Dalot was signed by United back in 2018 from boyhood club Porto, with the Portuguese star seen as the long-term solution at right-back at Old Trafford.

The 26-year-old has already racked up over 200 senior appearances for the Red Devils since his transfer, but concerns have been raised about his performance levels in 2025/26.

He’s been asked to operate in a more advanced right-wing-back role as a result of Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system – a position in which he’s massively struggled to date.

In his 11 appearances in the Premier League, he’s massively struggled in possession, as seen by his lowly tally of just 2.8 progressive passes completed per 90.

Such a tally ranks him within the bottom 20% of all full-backs in the division this season, further showcasing his lack of impact when in possession this campaign.

Going forward, he’s also massively struggled to impress, as seen by his tally of just 1.7 passes into the final per 90 – which also places him in the bottom 14% of other defenders in the league.

When he gets himself into shooting positions, Dalot has also massively struggled in the Premier League, as seen by his tally of zero shots on target, the joint-worst of any player in the division.

It’s evident that he’s massively struggled to impress since the arrival of his compatriot, with the manager desperately needing to address the situation in such an area.

The star who can end Dalot’s Man Utd career

In an attempt to fix the issues in the wing-back department, Amorim has put faith in Amad Diallo to try and nail the place down as his own in recent months.

The Ivorian, who’s primarily a winger, has managed to impress in the role, with the 23-year-old netting 11 goals and eight assists across all competitions in 2024/25.

In the current season, the youngster has continued to impress, already netting a goal and two assists – with his only goal a tremendous strike in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

However, the manager could be presented with an issue in the months ahead, with the player set to join up with the Ivory Coast national team for the African Cup of Nations.

Despite the issues, the manager could call upon academy star Bendito Mantato to try and fill the void and solve the long-standing problem in wide areas.

The Englishman joined the academy at the age of nine, subsequently spending his entire youth years with the Red Devils and is now a star performer in the youth ranks.

He’s made three appearances for the U18 squad during the early stages of this season, but has managed to impress – as seen by his tally of three goals and three assists.

Mantato, who started out as a winger, has even played as a full-back for the academy sides, subsequently allowing him to make 11 appearances for the under-21 side this campaign.

As a result of his recent performances, analyst Ben Mattinson has already labelled “explosive” – even touching on his ability to get up and down the pitch with his tireless nature.

Games played

14

Goals & assists

9

Pass accuracy

89%

Successful dribbles

1.1

Tackles made

3.4

Duels won

6.7

Duels won

49%

Fouls won

1.3

The youngster starred in the U18s 7-0 demolition of Liverpool at the weekend, with the wideman finding the net early on to get the ball rolling against their bitter rivals.

At just 17, expectations will no doubt have to be managed by the club and Amorim, but it’s evident that he’s a player with bags of talent and potential for the future.

However, if he does manage to continue his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t replace Dalot in the first-team setup and save the hierarchy millions.

The Portuguese international is certainly on borrowed time at Old Trafford, with the full-back needing a miracle to prevent the hierarchy from looking at options to replace him.

Better than Dorgu: Man Utd plot move to sign 'the world's most coveted LB'

Manchester United look set to make yet another big-money move in the defensive department.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 2, 2025

Kurtis Patterson led the way for New South Wales on a dominant first day of batting in their rainy Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania at Cricket Central.A day after the Australian batting order’s lean start to the Ashes, Patterson sent a reminder why he was considered an out-of-the-box option for a Test recall at the beginning of the summer.Patterson, the 32-year-old left-hander, will resume unbeaten on 79 next to Lachie Shaw with NSW 214 for 2 and seemingly in a commanding position after being made to bat.”It was a bit of yucky day, I didn’t feel like I had a lot of rhythm for most of the day, to be honest,” Patterson told AAP. “The wicket looks OK, there’s a little bit of grass there, it actually probably played a bit better than we thought. 2/200-odd, we would’ve taken that at the beginning of the day.”Axed Test opener Sam Konstas made a positive start but was trapped lbw by Riley Meredith’s yorker and is still searching for his first big score of the home summer.Konstas came to the crease with his trademark positive intent, though opted for more conventional cricket shots over off-side rather than the eye-catching fare of his debut Test series.He pushed Aidan O’Connor past long off for two fours in the second over, and had two more off fellow opener Gabe Bell in the next.Konstas fell just after the second of Saturday’s three rain delays and is now averaging an underwhelming 22.67 across nine Shield knocks this summer.But Patterson saw good signs from his young teammate.”Today was probably the first time those pre-meditated moments that can kind of creep into his game haven’t been there,” he said. “He looked like he just watched and reacted to what was sent down and reacted in a really positive way. I thought every ball up until he got out was a big tick.”Jackson Bird had the next breakthrough for the visitors after replacing O’Connor, who suffered a head knock sliding into the fence as he attempted to save a boundary.”I was looking forward to putting my feet up for a few days, actually,” Bird joked. “With this new rule, you’ve got to be ready if you do come away on tour.”Bird caught and bowled Ryan Hicksjust after Konstas’ fellow 20-year-old opener brought up a maiden first-class half-century.Bird could have had Patterson caught behind for 0, but Mitch Owen spilt the tough chance at second slip in the first over after lunch.Patterson made the visitors pay, bringing up a 40th first-class half-century with two runs past midwicket off Bird.His 100-run partnership with highly-rated young gun Shaw came up just before bad light forced the teams off the field yet again, with play unable to resume thereafter.

New Zealand swept West Indies 3-0 and fortified their command at home – they have lost just two ODIs at home since the start of 2020

Deivarayan Muthu22-Nov-2025New Zealand’s four-man pace attack tore through West Indies’ fragile batting line-up with swing, pace and bounce, dismissing the visitors for 161 in the third ODI in Hamilton. Having already wrapped up the series, New Zealand swept West Indies 3-0 and fortified their command at home – they have lost just two ODIs at home since the start of 2020.Only South Africa (17) have achieved more consecutive bilateral series wins than New Zealand’s 11 at home in men’s ODIs.In the absence of the injured Daryl Mitchell, the current No.1-ranked ODI batter, New Zealand were made to work hard in their chase. They lost their top three within 11 overs, and then Tom Latham also fell cheaply, but Mark Chapman settled New Zealand along with Michael Bracewell. He crashed 64 off 63 balls, countering both Matthew Forde and Jayden Seales, who had posed a bigger threat with the new ball, and putting New Zealand back on the road to another win.Michael Bracewell also flexed his muscle at the other end in a 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket off only 48 balls. Their presence kept left-arm fingerspinner Khary Pierre, who had replaced the injured Romario Shepherd, away from the attack. Pierre didn’t bowl at all and ended up playing as a specialist fielder during West Indies’ defence.Chapman and captain Mitchell Santner holed out when New Zealand were on the doorstep of victory, but Bracewell and Zak Foulkes took them home with four wickets and almost 20 overs to spare.After opting to bat first, West Indies had left almost 14 overs unused in their innings. Matt Henry was the wrecker-in-chief, coming away with 4 for 43 while Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy and Foulkes, who had replaced the injured Nathan Smith (hamstring issue), shared four among them. In the absence of Shepherd, who was out with a hamstring niggle of his own, West Indies’ batting lacked depth.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

It was Henry who started West Indies’ slide in the powerplay when he removed rookie opener Ackeem Auguste and Keacy Carty in the fifth over. Auguste, 22, squandered another start when he flapped a hard-length delivery to mid-on for 17 off 19 balls. Henry then shifted to a Test-match line and length to have an indecisive Carty chopping on for a duck.The Seddon Park conditions didn’t offer prodigious swing or seam movement, but there was enough to keep Henry and Jamieson interested. Jamieson went around the wicket and found movement and extra bounce to have John Campbell, the other opener, nicking off to slip for 26 off 24 balls. Apart from Campbell, Roston Chase was the only other West Indies batter to pass 25.Shai Hope, the best batter in this West Indies ODI side, had a decent start, but his innings was cut short on 16 when Foulkes had him caught by the keeper down the leg side off an inswinger. West Indies slumped to 77 for 4 at that point.Only the early juice disappeared, New Zealand’s quicks relentlessly banged the ball into the pitch and discomfited West Indies’ batters. Henry, Jamieson and Duffy all showed their creativity and range by bowling cross-seamers and scrambled-seam deliveries into the pitch.Sherfane Rutherford, Chase and Shamar Springer all were bounced out and at one stage, Santner had even installed Rachin Ravindra at short leg. Neil Wagner, who was in the commentary box, might have had memories of his own short-ball bursts.Shai Hope throws his head back in disappointment after being strangled down the leg side•Getty Images

Chase needed some treatment and taping on his hand after Jamieson smacked him on his glove with a lifter in the 30th over. After Jamieson had softened Chase up, Henry made the incision in the next over when he had the batter top-edging a catch to extra-cover.Pierre and Seales showed some semblance of resistance with an 18-run stand for the last wicket before Henry broke through and applied the finishing touches.Santner had also done his bit with the ball, picking up the wickets of Justin Greaves and Forde in his first over to hasten West Indies’ collapse.West Indies then hit back through Forde and Seales with the ball. Seales dared Devon Conway to hook and had him caught at long leg before prolonging Will Young’s lean run. Forde, who has troubled left-handers with his sharp angle from around the wicket and swing throughout this tour, had Ravinda chopping on for 14. When Chase had Latham caught at midwicket, New Zealand appeared vulnerable at 70 for 4, especially in the absence of Mitchell, but the left-handed duo of Chapman and Bracewell saved the day for them.Chapman had a slow start – he was on 13 off 29 balls at one point – but turned up the tempo to reach his fifty off 58. He took Forde for 4,6,4,4 in the 27th over and ruined his figures. Bracewell remained unbeaten to seal the deal along with Foulkes.

Watching the two India greats in the latter stages of their career, pushing themselves to the 2027 World Cup, is full of feels

Alagappan Muthu29-Nov-20257:34

Rahul: ‘Senior players make dressing room feel more confident’

Virat Kohli’s eyes were speaking in tongues. He was trying to digest being run out. This was back in 2014, a time when he was converting his 10s into 100s. On that roasting hot November day in Kolkata, he wouldn’t get to.Rohit Sharma must have felt really, really bad. It was partly his fault. So he did the only thing he could. Score one hundred for himself and another for his bestie. When he went back to the dressing room, 264 not out, Kohli’s laser eyes had turned into one of the come-hither variety.He had seen how much that innings meant to Rohit when he had gone down on his knees in the middle of Eden Gardens, overcome with emotion, shirt drenched in sweat, head slanted back, eyes closed, hand clinging to the bat that helped him make history which is part of Indian cricket folklore.Related

Morkel: Gill is recovering well, Iyer has started rehab

Tests lost, India look to feel at home as ODIs against South Africa begin

'Look forward to enjoying responsibility' – Rahul steps into the hot seat

Kohli pulled Rohit into a big bear hug the moment they were back within touching distance.A moment in time.The PDA went the other way in 2022 when India burst out into the crisp Melbourne air. Ninety thousand people were losing their heads. They wanted to make a beeline for the man who had taken complete ownership of the MCG. But Kohli is precious cargo. Only a few have access. Rohit got to him first. And jumped on him.A moment in time.”Virat bhai!” “Virat sir!” “Rohit bhaiyya!” “Hitman!” Ranchi, this week, has delighted in welcoming them. It was a thrill to be so close. A memory to take home. A wave. A smile. A sumptuous straight drive. A glorious pull shot.A moment in time.There have been so many over the last 18 years. Bedlam in Hobart. Breakthrough in Cardiff, Blitzkrieg in Jaipur. The catalogue only ever expanded, and so did its uses.Mums and Dads gained a foolproof bargaining tool. Kohli and Rohit’s screen time for being good boys and girls. Cricket matches turned into date nights. Previously unexplored areas of pop culture were infiltrated. Shared fandom became the basis of new friendships and sometimes a strain in established ones, particularly because one succeeded the other as captain, triggering some of the most intense debates about who made the bigger impact on Indian cricket.Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have a chat•ICC/Getty ImagesAt the JSCA cricket stadium on Friday, there was a glimpse of meticulous Kohli. Scuffing up a part of the pitch, short of a length, and asking for balls to be aimed there so he could proceed to flat bat them away. And serene Rohit. Batting like he used to in ODIs, careful at first and expansive at the end. There was cheeky Kohli. Sticking his hands – still holding the bat – onto his helmet after he got beaten, playing to the jeers from his team-mates. And big brother Rohit. Standing by Yashasvi Jaiswal and talking to the young opener until long after it was dark.Eighteen years and endless memories condensed into little moments in time that have now started to feel fleeting. Rohit is 38. Kohli is 37. They only play one format of cricket and their stature is doing a lot of the work in keeping them in the conversation about the 2027 ODI World Cup. They haven’t said it out loud. They’re probably trying not to think about it. When Ravi Shastri tried to big them up after their 168-run partnership to beat Australia last month – “two old dogs still had sting in the tail” – Rohit just said “looks like it.”Sachin Tendulkar had his fairytale ending in 2011 because by that time, the team had developed other pillars to lean on. MS Dhoni. Yuvraj Singh. Zaheer Khan. This India and their two legends might enjoy that same leg up in two years, which is where these three ODIs against South Africa could help. They can arm the probables like Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy and even the wild cards like Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad with the experience they’ll need under ICC tournament pressure.To create one final moment in time.

The South Africa captain smashed records at the Women’s World Cup and showed off a new aggressive side of her game

Firdose Moonda03-Nov-20252:48

Wolvaardt: Reaching three finals shows we’re doing something right

If you didn’t know Laura Wolvaardt was special, there’s a clever South African television advert that could tell you.A person sits on a couch with their face covered by a cricket magazine. Quinton de Kock is on the cover. A voice asks, “Who is the youngest person to score an ODI century for South Africa?” The person reveals themselves as Wolvaardt, complete with a smug grin. “Sorry, Quinny, it’s me,” she says and flings the magazine to one side.At 17 years and 105 days old, in August 2016, Wolvaardt raised her bat to a hundred against Ireland. Though she broke the record set by Johmari Logtenberg in 2007, the person best-known in South African circles for holding it was a male player, especially as women’s cricket was not even been televised when Wolvaardt broke the record. That man was Quinton de Kock. He was the youngest South African man to score an ODI century and he did it in November 2013, when he was 20 years and 326 days old. Sorry Quinny, it was never you.Related

• Deepti, Shafali star as India savour World Cup glory

• Third time's not a charm for South Africa

• Deepti sings her song of redemption

• The night Shafali defied her destiny

Wolvaardt is one of several female sportspeople to feature in the campaign which serves to remind South Africans that women are pioneers in things like becoming the first South African to win The Open (Ashleigh Buhai, if you were wondering) or the first senior football side to get out of the group stage of a World Cup (the women’s team, Banyana Banyana). Though gender comparison is often futile, in a world where competitive sport is only emerging from the shadows of patriarchy, it makes a point: women are worthy. And Wolvaardt has always been seen in that light.Laura Wolvaardt kept fighting in the final even as wickets fell at the other end•ICC/Getty ImagesAs a teenage prodigy, who was also a straight-A student, a wannabe doctor and an occasional musician, she entered the scene as a high-achiever. Two hundreds in the first 15 months of her ODI career promised great things, not least because her batting was so easy on the eye. Comparisons with Aiden Markram’s cover drive were meant to flatter Markram, not the other way around.There was, at one stage, a suggestion that she batted too slowly – with a strike rate of under 60 in her first year in ODIs and around 70 until the 2022 World Cup – but she played significant amounts of T20 cricket and improved. By the time she was made captain after the 2023 T20 World Cup, the only person concerned about whether she could juggle that role with her batting was Wolvaardt herself. She soon answered her own question about her capability.Wolvaardt had scored a century in her seventh innings as captain and six in the space of two years. Before this World Cup, Wolvaardt averaged 56.40 in ODIs and 40.37 in T20Is with a strike-rate of 122.30 as captain.Still, there were things missing in her game. Wolvaardt remained predominantly an off-side player and while she could find gaps on the ground, she seldom went over the top. In fact, in 110 ODIs before the Women’s World Cup 2025, she’d only hit 11 sixes. In 2025, she felt her ODI game struggled, with one hundred in eight matches in the same time that her opening partner Tazmin Brits scored five. And then, the World Cup started slowly for her with scores of 5 and 14 against England and New Zealand before she started to get going.Laura Wolvaardt showed off her on-side play as the tournament went on•ICC/Getty ImagesA 70 against India set South Africa up for a successful chase, and scores of 60 not out and 90 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan could easily have been much more. Her innings against Sri Lanka only ended because South Africa’s target was reached but Wolvaardt got those runs in 47 balls and her most productive shot was the on-drive. Things were changing.Then came the two games of her life. Wolvaardt’s 169 against England in the semi-final was an innings that showed a whole new side to her. She hit sixes over midwicket – four in the innings in fact – and displayed an element of power-hitting that has never previously been associated with her. Then, in the final, her valiant 101 came off 98 balls, a strike-rate of over 100 and she was going quicker through most of it. With some support, the story could have been different for South Africa.Instead, it’s different only for Wolvaardt. No other player has scored more runs than her in a single edition of the ODI World Cup. She was already South Africa’s leading ODI run-scorer but reached the 5000 run mark at this tournament and is sixth on the all-time list. At the rate she is going, the smart money would be on her to finish on top, considering she is likely to play longer than Smriti Mandhana, who is three years older.Despite the disappointment of defeat, she could recognise that she has evolved. “My ODI cricket has come a long way in this tournament. To win games, you’ve got to be nice and positive and nice and aggressive and I’ve really tried to explore that a bit in this tournament,” she said afterwards. “It hasn’t been my best year in ODI cricket. It was maybe a bit too conservative or one-dimensional, so I’m really happy with the different options that I was able to bring in throughout this tournament. I scored quite a lot of leg-side runs and a few leg-side boundaries, which is something I’ve been working on: to open up different spaces, because they stack that offside and dot me up there. In T20 cricket, it’s an option that I use, but not necessarily in ODI cricket, so I’m happy I was able to bring some of that in.”Laura Wolvaardt kept the chase alive with a stunning century•ICC/Getty ImagesShe also made her presence felt in the field, where she took the most outfield catches at this tournament, including the one-handed stunner at extra cover to dismiss Lea Tahuhu – an early candidate for catch of the tournament. With numbers and actions like all the above, Wolvaardt showed she is both an ever-evolving athlete and an astute professional but also that there is real heart behind both those qualities.Her emotional range has gone from none on public display when South Africa lost the T20 World Cup final last year, to a little in the form of some tears and a few sad smiles when they lost the final in Navi Mumbai. But unlike many of her team-mates, she didn’t break.Whether that is a front from someone who wants to put on a brave face, or the genuine and mature understanding of someone who is aware the world has not ended because a match was lost, is still unknown. For South Africa, it’s just leadership and it’s of the kind that could be crucial in keeping this team together. “Laura has shown a great deal of fortitude,” Mandla Mashimbyi, South Africa’s coach said. “And in terms of her talent and in terms of how she led the team, she’s also grown in this tournament. Going forward, this team will be even better, will be even stronger, even tighter. I’ve got no doubt, in the next World Cup, we’ll give it a good go.”Mashimbyi is not the only one who believes South Africa will come back, because that is in the DNA of the nation, which excels across sporting codes. But there is also fatigue. Reaching final after final after final and finishing empty-handed is draining and there may be a sense that South African cricket is becoming the sporting code that cries wolf.One of the few people who can change that is Wolvaardt and because they already know she’s special, her perspective is something critics will keep in mind. “I’m really proud that we’re able to reach three in a row. It shows that we’re doing something right domestically and from a squad perspective, consistency-wise,” Wolvaardt said. “Hopefully we can keep reaching finals and one day we can win one.”

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has confirmed the reason Daniel Munoz sat out Sunday's trip to Fulham. Munoz missed out on the Premier League clash at Craven Cottage as the Eagles look to follow up their 1-0 win Burnley in midweek. The Colombian scored the winning goal at Turf Moor on Wednesday night but wasn't part of the matchday squad in west London at the weekend.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Munoz absent for Palace's game at Fulham

  Munoz wasn't part of the Palace matchday squad on Sunday afternoon, with the experienced Nathaniel Clyne instead called upon at right wing-back in Glasner's favoured three-man setup. The Colombian wasn't the only first team regular to miss out on a spot in the starting XI at Fulham, with Will Hughes also starting from the bench as Eddie Nketiah came in for a rare start.

  Nketiah scored his second league goal of the season on his first start as he featured alongside Yeremy Pino behind Jean-Philippe Mateta in attack. However, it was Munoz's absence that raised eyebrows after the 29-year-old hadn't missed a single minute of game time prior to Sunday's London derby.

  And prior to the weekend game at Fulham, Glasner confirmed the reason behind Munoz's absence in west London, which was due to a knee injury.

Advertisement

• 'Sorry, mate, I have to rest you'

  When asked by Munoz wasn't included in the matchday squad by Sky Sports, Glasner replied: "His knee. I said to Danny 'sorry, mate, I have to rest you' and that's why he can't play. He knee is a little bit swollen. Of course, we never take any risk, and that's why he misses today's game. We are hopeful that he can return to face City next Sunday."

  And on Clyne's first league start of the season, Glasner said: "Clyne has not played many minutes, but he's always available and he knows what to do in this position. We know that we can always rely on Clyne.

  "He's not that attacking player like Danny, but he's very reliable, so that's why he starts. Then we know maybe we are missing a very attacking wing-back, so we're getting a second striker on the pitch, in [Eddie] Nketiah, who has proven that he can score goals."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'He's a mix between a right-back and a right winger'

  Munoz has established himself as one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League following his arrival from Genk last January, and has become a mainstay in the Eagles starting XI. The Colombia international has scored three goals and provided two assists for the south London side in the Premier League this season as Glasner looks to mastermind a top-half finish.

  And Glasner had praised Munoz ahead of Palace's game at Fulham, telling the club's official website over the weekend: "I think it's unfair to compare him with right-backs because when you play a back four, as a right-back, you have to be a little bit more cautious. He’s, let's say, a mix between a right-back and a right winger, and that's why we're also playing this system because we know his attacking style and we know that he's very dangerous. Even before he came to Palace, I think he scored five goals in the Belgium league in six months and that's just his nature.

  "Of course his physicality, his runs, always being there and having this feeling in the box, at the far post, this is something special. You can't always have your right-back in the opposite box, but in our system we can, and that's one of the reasons why we play a back three. For us, Dani is a very important player. if you don't score many goals, and your right wing-back has now four… at the moment, after losing Ismaïla [Sarr, to injury] he's one of our few players who makes runs in behind without the ball, and that helps us."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

• Palace looking to bounce back in Europe

  After Sunday's game at Fulham, Palace are next in action against Shelbourne in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday night as they look to bounce back from their 2-1 loss to Strasbourg last month.

  And Palace follow up their midweek European tie with the welcome of Premier League title contenders Manchester City. The Cityzens closed the gap on league leaders Arsenal to two points as they claimed a 3-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday afternoon.