£90,000-per-week star submits transfer request in effort to join Tottenham

Tottenham are ready to back new manager Thomas Frank in the summer transfer market, with Daniel Levy poised to follow up his deals for Mathys Tel and Kota Takai by completing a £55 million move for West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus.

Tottenham open talks with Premier League club to sign £30m star with Kudus

The Ghanaian isn’t Spurs’ only target.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

The Ghanaian, after weeks of talks, is set for his third season in London, but at a rival club, with Kudus expected to undergo a medical imminently ahead of his proposed switch to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

On Wednesday, news first emerged from the reliable David Ornstein that Spurs and West Ham have finally reached an agreement over the 24-year-old’s transfer, and it will be the first piece of business between both sides since Scott Parker’s move to Tottenham in 2011.

The versatile £90,000-per-week former Ajax star, who can be deployed on the left-wing, right-wing, in central attacking midfield and even as a centre-forward, is one of the Premier League’s most devastating dribblers.

Only Man City’s Jeremy Doku completed more successful take-ons per 90 on average than Kudus in the top flight last term (WhoScored), and that was in a campaign where many critics thought he didn’t quite perform at his best level compared to his debut season.

Kudus could be rejuvenated by his pending move to Spurs, with the forward now braced for an opportunity to play Champions League football for the first time since his final year at Ajax.

“Congratulations to Tottenham because they signed an excellent player to start this new project with the new coach Thomas Frank,” said Fabrizio Romano on his YouTube channel.

“Agreement done for Mohamed Kudus. I told you over the weekend only Tottenham despite the reports about Chelsea, despite the reports about more clubs, the player only wanted to go to Tottenham.

“Very clear in his intentions despite calls and approaches from several clubs. Kudus wanted to play for Spurs and now the deal is completed. £55 million paid in three years for Mohamed Kudus to leave West Ham and join Tottenham Hotspur.”

Mohammed Kudus put in transfer request to join Tottenham

Interestingly, West Ham insider Claret & Hugh have shared just how desperate Kudus is to link up with Frank across the English capital.

Sharing information and quoting a “top” London Stadium source of theirs, C&H report that Kudus “put in a transfer request” to force through a move to Tottenham – so Frank will be working with a player who’s very enthusiastic about donning the Lilywhites jersey.

Many Spurs supporters will remember Kudus’ bust-up with Micky van de Ven and Pape Sarr during a 4-1 London derby win last season, which resulted in the player’s sending off and an eventual five-match ban.

However, both van de Ven and Sarr will now seemingly have to put any tensions with their new teammate behind them, with Kudus on the verge of completing a move to N17.

Wolvaardt: SA 'pretty close' to nailing best XI for T20 World Cup

The South Africa captain says she will experiment with her spinners in the powerplay as well as at the death during the series in Chennai

Srinidhi Ramanujam04-Jul-2024

Laura Wolvaardt – “We’ll be looking to play our best side and most likely side to be playing in the World Cup”•BCCI

It has not even been a year since Laura Wolvaardt took over the South Africa captaincy from Sune Luus but it’s been hard for her as a captain. Though her batting has flourished in this period, on paper, South Africa haven’t been able to find much success, especially in T20Is.Coming off two series defeats against Australia and Sri Lanka, Wolvaardt said on the eve of the series opener against India that South Africa will be playing their best XI and “most likely side to be playing in the World Cup” having tinkered with the team in the last few series. The three-match T20I series will also be South Africa’s final assignment before the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh in October.”It’s one of our last dress rehearsals before the big occasion,” Wolvaardt said. “So we’ll be looking to play as strong an 11 as we can and to have plans that are similar, so we can have them to the World Cup whether they be bowling options or batting line-up. And just try and nail down different combinations. We’ve had a few T20 series in the last couple of tours where we’ve sort of tried one or two things and given some youngsters an opportunity. But for this one, we’ll be looking to play our best side and most likely side to be playing in the World Cup.”Related

Chloe Tryon returns to South Africa's T20I squad for series in India

Chance for India to sweep multi-format series against South Africa

Kapp joins Melbourne Stars on three-year deal

Rana's 10-wicket haul wraps up India's victory over South Africa

With spin-bowling allrounder Chole Tryon also returning to the side from injury, Wolvaardt added that her team is “pretty close” to nailing down the XI that would be featuring in the upcoming World Cup. But she couldn’t confirm if Marizanne Kapp, who played a specialist batter due to minor back injury and workload management in the ODIs and the Test, was fit to bowl in the shortest format.”Obviously, in an ideal world, Marizanne would also be bowling, but other than that we should have everyone on board. I was happy having Chloe back as well. It should be as close, barring any injuries touchwood,” she said.Under Wolvaardt’s captaincy, South Africa had lost nine of their last 15 T20Is since the T20 World Cup final last year. In the multi-format series, they had lost both ODIs 3-0 and the Test by ten wickets. In South Africa’s quest for a maiden win of the series, she called for the team to get extra “10-20 runs” and be a bit more consistent with the ball. India, on the other hand, are coming off a 5-0 series whitewash against Bangladesh, clinched the ODIs 3-0 in Bengaluru and won the one-off Test by ten wickets in Chennai.”It’s just about for the batting unit to find that extra 10 or 20 runs. Throughout that Australia series, we were, sort of pushing 150-160s, but with the game nowadays and coming on a flat wicket, you know teams are scoring 180-200, especially in these conditions. In the WPL, there are also a lot of very high scores. With the ball, it’s about just being a bit more clinical and a bit more consistent. But yeah, the direction of the game is moving, and we need to keep being brave and playing positive cricket.”Wolvaardt’s South Africa lost the one-off Test to India by 10 wickets•BCCI

As a part of the final leg of their preparations for the global event in Bangladesh, South Africa couldn’t have asked for better conditions than Chennai, which has traditionally favoured spin. Wolvaardt conceded that it’s an opportunity for them to try spinners in the first six overs or at the death, something that’s uncommon with their bowling. That apart, only Luus, Kapp and Tryon have played in a T20I in Chennai before, in the 2016 T20 World Cup.”It’s a good time to maybe see if we could perhaps use a bit more spin in the powerplay or at the death,” she said. “Traditionally we use a lot of spin in the middle, but it could be a good time to to experiment with one or two things. India will probably play a lot of a lot of spinners, maybe only one or two pacers, so they’ll probably bowl spin throughout the innings, which is probably something we could try as well. But yeah, it depends on the day and how the conditions unfold and how spin-friendly is out there.”The wicket looks a bit different for the T20s than on the Test. I think the Test we had that red clay, and this one looks a bit white clear and lighter. But having never played a white-ball game here before, we’ll have to see how much it turns. Yeah, a bit of a frustrating hard toil on that first day of the Test. For us, none of our plans were working. But yeah, we’ve had one or two discussions, but T20 cricket is more about sort of trying to keep the very explosive Indian batters more quiet, so it’s more just been talking around their batters and maybe keep them a bit quiet.”

Man Utd now make contact to sign "sensational" £34m Ballon d'Or contender

Manchester United have now held talks with the agent of a “sensational” player, who is among the main contenders for the Ballon d’Or, according to a report.

Man Utd's pulling power called into question

The Europa League loss against Tottenham Hotspur means, of course, that Champions League football has once again eluded Man United, and Roy Keane has suggested his former club no longer have the pulling power to attract top players.

However, Old Trafford clearly remains an attractive destination, even though European football will not be on offer next season, with it recently being revealed that Bryan Mbeumo would still prefer to join United ahead of Tottenham Hotspur.

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There have also been suggestions that Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres remains interested in a move, despite the highly sought-after striker attracting the attention of some other top clubs, suggesting the Red Devils clearly still have pulling power.

As such, Man United have now stepped up their pursuit of the highly-regarded Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, making contact with his agent, Enzo Raiola, in order to discuss a potential summer move.

Donnarumma’s PSG contract is set to expire next June, meaning he could be on the move this summer, despite expressing a willingness to remain at the French club, saying: “My priority is to stay at PSG. I don’t think there will be problems in the negotiations.”

Ruben Amorim is keen to bring in an upgrade on Andre Onana, but it could be difficult to tempt the goalkeeper into a move, considering his desire to remain in Paris, and Champions League finalists Inter Milan could provide competition for his signature.

"Sensational" Donnarumma emerges as Ballon d'Or contender

With just one year left on his deal, the Italian could be available for just £34m this summer, which could be a bargain fee for a player vying to win the Ballon d’Or, currently ranked fourth in the 2025 Power Rankings.

In recent times, a player from the Champions League winners has often scooped up the prestigious award, and the 26-year-old kept a clean sheet in PSG’s 5-0 demolition of Inter in the final, although Desire Doue was arguably the star of the show.

Not only did the PSG shot-stopper impress in Munich, but he also caught the eye of Joe Prince-Wright in the semi-final against Arsenal, with the reporter suggesting the Italy international was one of the main reasons his side progressed past the Gunners.

Evidently, Donnarumma could be a fantastic signing for Man United, but it seems unlikely that he would be willing to leave the European champions to move to Old Trafford.

A dream for Salah: Liverpool moving to sign "the world's best midfielder"

The campaign approaches its final stage, but for Liverpool, it’s all done and dusted. In the best way. Arne Slot has won the Premier League in his first season as the Anfield head coach.

Who saw this coming? Certainly not BBC Sport’s experts, for none of the 30 pundits listed Liverpool as champions in their pre-season predictions.

We should cut the analysts some slack; after all, the Reds had just lost Jurgen Klopp, and recent history tells the tale of a decline when iconic managers depart after so many successful years.

The odds were stacked against Slot’s Liverpool, but they have prevailed to clinch the club’s 20th top-flight title. So many players stepped up, but none more so than Mohamed Salah, who fulfilled a promise in putting the Merseysiders back on their perch.

And he’s ready to do it all over again.

Why Mo Salah can go again next season

Salah is surely a shoo-in for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award. Not only has he clinched the league title, but he’s done so with an absurd haul of 28 goals and 18 assists across 36 matches, with two fixtures still to go.

1 – Mohamed Salah

28

18

46

2 – Alexander Isak

23

6

29

3 – Bryan Mbeumo

18

8

26

4 – Erling Haaland

21

3

24

5 – Cole Palmer

15

9

24

Salah needs just two goal involvements from his final two games to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s long-held shared record for contributions in a single Premier League season (47), and those hauls were from a 42-match campaign.

But wait, he’s 33 this summer. Surely now is the time for the Egyptian king to regress, to accept the call of Father Time and take a seat on the back bench.

This is unlikely. Salah’s as hungry as ever, if not more so, with time against him. Slot has tweaked his talisman’s game to provide him with greater freedom in the final third, fewer duties from a defensive standpoint.

Salah is an elite athlete and his tactical intelligence has never been finer tuned. As per Sofascore, he’s only averaging 0.6 tackles per game this season but has seen an upswing in dribble and duel metrics. And, of course, he’s never been more prolific.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been spoken about ad nauseam this season, and at least now there’s clarity regarding his future. However, Liverpool do need to source a new creative lifeforce, and if Jeremie Frimpong is the man for the job at right-back, it won’t be him.

Trent and Carragher

That’s okay, Trent is a unique kind of playmaker. But Slot still wants someone to adopt the new playmaking mantle, and FSG appear willing to grant the coach an incredible new star.

Liverpool in contact with marquee signing

You’ll likely be somewhat aware of the incipient Florian Wirtz saga, with the German playmaker looking to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Bayern Munich had been thought to hold the lead in the race but The Athletic have since reported that Manchester City and Liverpool have made contact with the 22-year-old’s representatives.

One of the most coveted talents in world football, Wirtz’s signing would send shockwaves across English and European football, should he alight at either end of the M62.

It goes without saying that he’d cost a pretty penny, £126m, in fact, according to reports.

Why Florian Wirtz is Salah's dream signing

Wirtz is only young, but after being crowned last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year as an invincible champion, it’s fair to say he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world”, and former Leverkusen star Patrick Helmes has said exactly that.

Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz

Wirtz has plundered his way through Germany’s finest competitors in recent years, having scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists across 190 senior appearances for Leverkusen since graduating from their youth ranks.

This season alone, he’s created 21 big chances across the Bundesliga and Champions League, as per Sofascore, having scored six goals across nine fixtures on the continent to underscore his ability to do it on the biggest stage.

Liverpool Dream XI

This talented playmaker would replace Trent and relocalise Liverpool’s creative focus. Given that he’d be in close proximity to the inswinging Salah, he could be the perfect signing to keep the leading forward firing across the final two years of his Liverpool career.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

Wirtz’s dynamism is a wonderful thing, but he’s typically found in a roaming central role, with license to thrill.

Salah would be sure to benefit from this presence, for the Leverkusen man ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Contrast Wirtz’s creativity with that of Dominik Szoboszlai, for example, and you begin to see why Liverpool are so invested. The Hungarian, tireless and tenacious as they come, has provided only 14 assists across 90 games as a Red.

He’s also made just 12 big chances across 34 Premier League fixtures this season, and with Alexander-Arnold heading out the door, the addition of a creative player of Wirtz’s ilk is only magnified.

Whether Liverpool prevail in this race will remain to be seen for the immediate future, but the fact FSG are pushing is a good thing, especially when considering the importance of keeping Salah performing at the top of his game.

Stagnancy begets decline, but Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at exciting signings for Slot’s title-winning squad.

More exciting than Frimpong: Liverpool make enquiry for "world-class" star

Liverpool could be about to make a move for a star who could be more exciting than Jeremie Frimpong.

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Not just Darlow: Farke has revived £70k-per-week Leeds star's career

Leeds United took a gigantic leap towards promotion back to the Premier League with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Preston North End at Elland Road on Saturday in the Championship.

Some of the loudest cheers of the afternoon, however, did not come for Manor Solomon or Jayden Bogle’s first-half goals. Instead, they came from the stands when the news filtered through to fans that Sheffield United had surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 2-1 to bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle.

Thanks to that result for the Blades, the West Yorkshire outfit are now sat five points clear of third place and only need to rack up seven points from their last four matches to guarantee promotion.

They also have the added insurance of Burnley and Sheffield United still having each other to play later this month, which guarantees that at least one of them will drop more points.

Leeds United manager DanielFarkeapplauds fans

Another one of the biggest roars from the Elland Road stands on Saturday came towards the end of the match when a teasing cross came into the box and was met by the hands of Karl Darlow, who fell onto the floor and removed any danger from the situation, as he continued his Leeds revival.

Why bringing Karl Darlow in has been a masterclass

Whilst some could argue that the English shot-stopper should have been brought into the starting line-up sooner than he was, the former Newcastle United man has been a reassuring figure between the sticks for the Whites.

Illan Meslier simply had to be dropped from the side after his third error that directly led to a goal this season in the 2-1 defeat to Swansea, fumbling a cross that allowed Harry Darling to score.

Daniel Farke replaced him with Darlow for the following match against Luton Town and the experienced colossus has shown his quality in the last three games.

The 34-year-old veteran has proven to be a safe pair of hands in goal, with no thrills or spills, and avoided the kind of controversial moments that have followed Meslier throughout the season.

24/25 Championship

Illan Meslier

Karl Darlow

Appearances

39

3

Goals prevented

-2.73

+0.56

Error led to goal

3

0

Clearances per game

0.9

1.0

Aerial duels won per game

0.5

1.0

Aerial duel success rate

100%

100%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Darlow has been a positive between the sticks with his shot-stopping, compared to Meslier’s underperformance in that department, whilst he has also won twice as many aerial battles per game on average to claim crosses.

These statistics show that Farke has played a masterclass by bringing the Englishman into the team as the new number one because he has been a big upgrade on the French dud on current form, both as a shot-stopper and in terms of the command of his area.

His performances have gained instant respect from the fanbase, who – as shown in the post above – appreciated his cross-claiming efforts against Preston, and he will be hoping to continue this form into the final four matches to propel Leeds to the Premier League.

Darlow, who had only started one league game in more than 18 months at the club prior to the game against Luton, has revived his Elland Road career in recent weeks.

The former Newcastle and Nottingham Forest shot-stopper, however, is not the only Leeds star who has revived his career in West Yorkshire this month, as Patrick Bamford is in a similar boat.

How Patrick Bamford has revived his Leeds career

Prior to the last three Championship games, the former England international had become an afterthought at Elland Road due to his lack of impact on the pitch this season.

Bamford had been an unused substitute in 11 of his previous 19 appearances in the matchday squad in the Championship before that draw with Luton at Kenilworth Road.

TEAMtalk had reported in December that Wrexham and Genoa were both keeping tabs on the £70k-per-week centre-forward’s situation ahead of a possible swoop for his services.

The 31-year-old number nine’s current contract with Leeds is not due to expire until the summer of 2026, though, and this means that an exit from Elland Road this summer is far from guaranteed.

His last few performances off the bench suggest that a move away from the club this year may not be a foregone conclusion, that his prior lack of minutes on the pitch suggested, as he has shown great promise in his cameos.

As you can see in the highlights above, Bamford was incredibly unfortunate not to double the team’s lead against Middlesbrough with 15 minutes to go when he scored a perfectly good goal that was incorrectly ruled out for offside.

The replay showed that the striker timed his run perfectly to receive the pass from Wilfried Gnonto, and he finished equally as impressively, but the linesman got the call wrong – with no VAR to overturn it.

Even without the goal that should have stood, Bamford provided a strong presence at the top end of the pitch in that cameo by winning six of his nine duels in just 17 minutes on the pitch.

Joel Piroe’s lack of physicality

Stats

24/25 Championship

Appearances

42

Starts

32

Ground duel success rate

33%

Aerial duel success rate

18%

Duels won per game

1.5

Dribble success rate

31%

Dribbles completed per game

0.3

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Joel Piroe – the first-choice centre-forward at Leeds this season – has struggled with the physicality of the Championship this season.

The Dutch marksman, who has scored 15 goals in the league, has been dominated in duels by opposition defenders, losing 74% of his battles overall and only winning 1.5 duels per match.

Bamford, meanwhile, won six duels in just 17 minutes against Middlesbrough and one of his two ground duels in just ten minutes against Preston, which suggests that he could provide more physicality than Piroe.

After that cameo against Preston, Farke told LeedsLive: “You need to handle the pressure and the praise. Everyone senses how much effort Patrick (Bamford) puts in. He deserves all the praise.”

The English attacker appears to have revived his Leeds career, with Farke clearly appreciating the effort the forward puts in on the pitch, and it could even be time to bring him into the starting line-up to repeat the masterclass that has been played with Darlow.

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1

By
Kelan Sarson

Apr 13, 2025

Bid prepared: Liverpool chasing £51m "machine" who can be Slot's own Salah

If it wasn’t clear already, Liverpool’s victory over Everton in the Merseyside has surely silenced the last whispers of doubt. There is no doubt: Arne Slot will lift the Premier League title in a few months.

Leading the charge, of course, is Mohamed Salah, who has posted 27 goals and 17 assists in the top flight alone this term, a haul which has established him as European football’s runaway goal involvement leader this term.

Most Goals + Assists in Europe’s Top 5 Leagues (24/25)

Player

Goals

Assists

G+A

1.

Mohamed Salah

27

17

44

2.

Harry Kane

22

9

31

2=

Omar Marmoush

20

11

31

4.

Robert Lewandowski

25

2

27

5.

Mateo Retegui

22

4

26

5=

Ousmane Dembele

21

5

26

Stats via Transfermarkt

The Egyptian, 32, has grown into a stature as one of the Premier League and indeed Liverpool’s greatest players of all time since signing from AS Roma in a deal worth £34m almost eight years ago.

It was a signing that didn’t exactly send shockwaves through English football when completed, but one which has in hindsight proved to be the most brilliant of blinders from FSG.

Now, Slot’s Liverpool are looking to repeat the trick, dipping back into the Italian market.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

While The Athletic’s David Ornstein has suggested Liverpool aren’t placing midfielders on their priority list in the transfer market this summer, the right market opportunity will as always tempt FSG into pouncing, and Atalanta’s Ederson may just be that man.

Indeed, the robust midfielder has been an important part of Gian Piero Gasperini’s success over the past several years, and his progress has caught the eye of Europe’s elite.

So then, according to Tutto Atalanta, the Brazil midfielder has been on Liverpool and Manchester United’s radar for a while and interest may come to a head this summer, the Red Devils having failed with a bid one year ago.

Should their interest be genuine, Liverpool will hope that their superiority over their arch-rivals holds sway, for they are set to lift the Premier League title while Ruben Amorim’s side languish in the bottom half of the division.

Atalanta are resigned to losing their midfield general but will want to bank a pretty for his sale, fielding enquiries in the ballpark of €60m (about £51m), with Liverpool among those ready to ‘knock on the door’ and come forward with an offer.

Why Liverpool should sign Ederson

Liverpool have been brilliant this season, on course for the league title. However, there’s been a debate of late pertaining to Slot’s midfield’s lack of combativeness, and a player of Ederson’s ilk could make all the difference in firing across multiple cylinders next season.

Atalanta's Ademola Lookman celebrates scoring their third goal withEdersonand Matteo Ruggeri and completes his hat-trick.

Hailed as a “machine” in the middle for Atalanta by reporter Carlo Garganese after his performance against Bayer Leverkusen to win last season’s Europa League title, Ederson is renowned for his physical presence but is also an underrated technician, ranking among the top 17% of midfielders in Serie A this season for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 19% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

The 25-year-old, moreover, has been excellent in the Italian top division this term, starting 26 matches, winning five duels and recovering 5.1 loose balls per game, as per Sofascore, while also keeping it crisp with an 88% pass success rate.

With such a strong core of skills already, it feels like a transfer to Merseyside could be the perfect step, the launchpad, for the next stage in his career, emulating Salah in leaving Serie A having made his name and taking a seat among the uppermost echelon of midfielders on the continent.

To be sure, Salah has come on leaps and bounds since arriving in Liverpool, but there’s no question he was highly regarded for his exploits with Fiorentina and Roma, with Luciano Spalletti saying upon his transfer to Anfield: “He is the best player I’ve coached in my career.”

Ederson can now repeat the trick, giving Slot his own Salah signing to take an already impressive Liverpool side to the next level.

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Arshin Kulkarni, the Kallis fanboy who can hit the ball long

How the India Under-19 allrounder became the player he is, with a little push from his cricket-loving grandma

Shashank Kishore05-Feb-2024One of Arshin Kulkarni’s greatest privileges so far in his cricketing journey has been the opportunity to face Jasprit Bumrah at the nets. Kulkarni was an India Under-19 aspirant back then while Bumrah was in his final stages of rehab from a back injury. When the two squared off, simply being able to sight the ball and line himself up to defend gave him confidence.Kulkarni didn’t know back then that an Under-19 World Cup berth would be another chapter in this unlikely journey that began in Solapur, Maharashtra when he was all of six. His grandmother enrolled him at the nearest club to their residence – Salim Khan Cricket Academy – to ensure the ‘little’ child wouldn’t be bored after school hours.When the ‘little’ boy grew up to become much taller, as he hit adolescence, Kulkarni was told by his coaches to switch to seam-ups because he had the height. In 2019, he gave up legspin despite having had decent success – he even picked up a hat-trick in a club game – to bowl seam-ups. It’s one of the big decisions that Kulkarni is thankful for today.Related

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The other thing he’s thankful for is the support of his grandparents, especially his grandmother. An avid cricket buff herself, she had immersed herself in Kulkarni’s cricket since his parents, both pediatricians who run a hospital in Solapur, had busy and often draining schedules.Kulkarni grew up admiring South Africa allrounder Jacques Kallis and had this burning desire to be able to bat and bowl like him. Last month, Kulkarni was tongue-tied when he met Kallis for the first time during a camp at SuperSport Park in Centurion prior to the ongoing Under-19 World Cup.His spontaneous response was to seek Kallis’ blessings by touching his feet. Kulkarni had also carried with him a letter penned by his grandmother, where she addresses Kallis and the impact he has had on her grandson.”On my birthday, I was around eight-years old. My granny asked me ‘What would you like for your birthday?’ I said Jacques Kallis. And she got a six-feet poster of yours and it’s still in my room,” Kulkarni told Kallis after they met. It’s a video SA20 outfit Pretoria Capitals posted on social media, one that went viral around the time for Kulkarni’s gesture.

He hasn’t so far hit the kind of peak form those in Maharashtra’s age-group circuit are aware of, but his 174 runs in five innings in the Under-19 World Cup include a superb century against USA. Kulkarni has also picked up four wickets with his seam and swing, having proven to be a dependable bowler who gives the team plenty of flexibility.This massive step in his career has only been possible because Kulkarni, and his family, took the first big step in moving out of his comfort zone seven years ago. When he was 12, Kulkarni moved to Pune, five hours away, to train. He joined the Cadence Cricket Academy, a renowned institution in the city, to further his pursuits.But the family had one problem to solve: how someone, not even in his teens, would manage the long commutes and life away from home comforts. His grandmother took complete ownership and would travel up and down with Kulkarni, sometimes even to games in the interiors of the state to ensure he had moral support whenever his parents were unavailable due to their professional commitments.Kulkarni sought permission from his school to travel to Pune for three-four days a week. He’d finish school on Wednesday afternoon and reach the city to train from Thursday to Sunday before returning home to start a new week in school. The memories from this routine and the grind came flooding back when Kulkarni had a dream-come-true moment when he met Kallis.Kulkarni has first made a mark locally in Maharashtra when he struck a triple-hundred in an Under-16 invitational tournament. Among those who were impressed with his ability to bat that long, while also being able to score at a breakneck speed was Nikhil Paradkar, the former Maharashtra batter who also went on to coach Kulkarni a couple of years down the line.”We started working together around Covid,” Paradkar tells ESPNcricinfo. “He was tall, hefty at the time. You could see there was some uniqueness about him purely from the manner in which he batted and hit long he could bat trusting those methods. He could clear boundaries easily. For a 17-year-old to have these traits was impressive. The only thing we needed to do was to fine-tune his technique and smartness.”Last year, Kulkarni played a massive part in Maharashtra winning the Under-19 Vinoo Mankad Trophy. In the quarterfinal, he made a vital 60 on a tough surface. In the final, he made a match-winning hundred in the final against Mumbai.It was also around the time of this triumph that Kulkarni shed “seven to eight kilos” as per Paradkar. “The performances in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy earned him a T20 debut at the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy,” he says. “And the MPL (Maharashtra Premier League) then came as a boon, where his first knock was a century. The six-hitting in that innings was a treat.”In December, he was picked by Lucknow Super Giants for INR 20 lakh at the auction. This big-hitting ability was obviously one of the key differentiators.”His fitness transformation has been remarkable,” Paradkar. “The commitment, the discipline in his eating habits that he’s brought into his regimen has been a massive change. For someone to have that kind of understanding of the need to transform himself to take his game to the next level shows his maturity.”Away from cricket, Kulkarni loves playing tennis and is a PlayStation fanatic who loves FIFA and UFC. He doesn’t do a lot of social media, doesn’t fancy high-end gadgets, which he would happily trade for “good bats.”For the moment, his focus is firmly on the present. Which is to win the Under-19 World Cup for India. Kulkarni’s parents are with him in South Africa. In Solapur, his grandmother will be among many millions watching and hoping Kulkarni, and the Indian team, go all the way.

Tom Banton's best is bubbling back after struggles with lockdown lifestyle

Eye-catching innings in defeat augurs well as opener reaffirms his potential for England

Aadam Patel27-Jan-2022After the English summer, Tom Banton took a much-needed break from the game to “live a bit of a social life” and “see friends and family”. More than a year of quarantines and bubble fatigue had taken its toll and Banton insisted that he needed some time away from cricket.Such was the mental effect that, in Abu Dhabi in November, Banton admitted that he hadn’t done anything cricket-related throughout the whole of October. In Bridgetown in January, he was back in England colours, over a year after his last England appearance, showing exactly why England had given him a debut before his 21st birthday.After a disappointing dismissal in the first T20I for just four, Banton failed to capitalise on a good start in the second T20I as he reverse-swept his way to 25 before stunning a drive straight back to Fabian Allen. Such was the quality of Banton’s strokeplay that Mark Butcher on commentary stated that his reverse sweep “comes almost as naturally as a forward defence would have come to Geoffrey Boycott”.On Wednesday evening in Barbados, a fine innings of 73 off 39 deliveries – his highest in an England shirt thus far – nearly helped England pull off an improbable chase of 225 after Rovman Powell’s pyrotechnics at Kensington Oval. It was a bittersweet feeling for the 23-year-old as his superb knock, which included six sixes, ultimately came in a losing cause. For Banton, just being back in England colours is a feeling unlike any other.”Getting the chance to walk out at Kensington Oval in front of a full house… it’s probably just the best feeling in the world,” Banton said. “It’s just so good to be here, playing for England is what everyone wants to do and doing it in front of a full house was amazing.”With Sam Billings out due to illness, Banton was handed the gloves and perhaps had the best ticket in the house to witness Powell hit his first ever T20 century, as West Indies posted 224 for 5, the highest T20I score at Kensington Oval (England’s reply of 204 for 9 came in at second).As much as he was impressed with the way the hosts batted, Banton admitted that England must execute their plans better with the ball if they want to win the series. England’s bowlers are currently ranked 11th from all the ICC Member nations in terms of T20I economy rate at the death.Tom Banton: “There was an option to go to Pakistan after this, but I’m going to go home and make sure I’m ready for the summer”•Getty ImagesHe said: “They’re such good strikers of the cricket ball. I remember I was keeping last night and just seeing how far they hit it, it was pretty scary to be honest. I think maybe we just have to be a little bit clever with our bowling plans. I think the bowlers had great ideas, but they probably didn’t execute as well.”Speaking after Paul Collingwood’s frank assessment of bubble life. Banton agreed with the view of England’s stand-in coach for the Caribbean tour, and admitted that he, himself, had struggled with the experience.”I think people won’t actually understand it till they’ve done it,” Banton said. “I remember having to go to IPL in Abu Dhabi and having to isolate myself for eight days in my hotel room and then I was allowed out. After a time, it just takes its toll. I was like, ‘I want to be able to also live my life and not just be stuck in a hotel. I want to see my friends and be at home, see my family, as well as playing cricket.’ Just in the end, it was too much for me.”Related

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He added that for his own mental health, pulling out of the Big Bash last year “was the best thing to do” and that after his own experiences over the past two years, he is now making reasoned decisions that allow him to play cricket, enjoy the game and also provide him with sufficient time to spend with his friends and family.Banton has not entered the IPL auction after he was released by Kolkata Knight Riders last season and also declined the opportunity to play in the PSL, after a torrid experience last season where he contracted Covid-19, which led to 10 days of isolation in Karachi, followed by 10 more back home.”There was an option to go to Pakistan after this trip, but I’m just going to go home and make sure I’m ready for the English summer,” Banton said.Asked about whether those decisions were made with a focus on red-ball cricket, Banton believes that it is the right route for him to take at this time of his career, although the IPL is a pathway which he’d still like to go down in the future.”I think it is, but I don’t think it really matters what colour of ball it is, it’s just important for me now to keep playing and also I’ll be in England and I’ll be at home – I won’t be sat in a hotel the whole time so I’ll be able to go out and live a normal life as well.”If I’d have gone to the IPL, I probably wouldn’t have played. But yeah, that’s still one of the things I want to do all the time, to go to the IPL, but I think at the moment it’s the right decision for me to stay at home.”

Dodgers Reliever Brock Stewart Out for Season As Team's Bullpen Depth Wears Thin

Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart is done for the season, as he's set to undergo season ending shoulder surgery, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Friday.

The injury news about Stewart being shut down was hardly a surprise. The righty hasn't pitched since the middle of August due to his sore shoulder.

Stewart will undergo a debridement procedure, and will be on the shelf for at least six months. L.A. general manager Brandon Gomes said that the franchise does not expect him to be ready for spring's Opening Day, but that he could return sometime in the first half of the season if all goes well.

Stewart was acquired by the Dodgers from the Twins at the trade deadline, and finishes the season with a 2.63 ERA in 37.2 innings pitched. Stewart's injury is the latest blow to a Dodgers bullpen that has been up-and-down during the second half of the season.

England security in airport clashes with Australian media

Altercations in Brisbane and Adelaide continue theme of intense media scrutiny on Ashes tourists

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Dec-2025

England players have had to get used to attention while in transit in Australia•Getty Images

England’s security staff were involved in altercations with local media in Brisbane and Adelaide on Saturday as the touring party continued to feel the heat ahead of a make-or-break third Ashes Test.The first incident took place at Brisbane airport, with security confronting a Channel 7 camera operator. Footage from the broadcaster shows the security guard pushing away the camera operator as he looks to get up close to the players, who had driven down from Noosa where they had been enjoying a mid-series break. The trip itself had been the subject of derision after England went 2-0 down in the Ashes following their defeat at the Gabba last week.After the group touched down in Adelaide, where the third Test will begin on Wednesday, a local journalist tried a copycat stunt only to be given short shrift by Ben Stokes and managing director Rob Key before security again intervened.

Cricket Australia’s directive to all media during the series is that both teams should be respected when traveling between Tests, including at airports. All CA media briefing documents for the series contain the following: “The Australian and England teams will not be available for interview while in transit between matches during the NRMA Ashes series. All airport, hotel and transit is vision only, to be captured from a respectful distance.”In a statement, Channel 7 said: “While conducting routine filming in a public space, the camera operator was physically confronted despite acting respectfully and professionally. The safety and wellbeing of our staff is paramount. This matter is being taken seriously and is now being managed through the appropriate channels.”While the footage shows Channel 7 had adhered to the CA protocol, the state of the series has ramped up the media focus on England, who must win the next Test to keep the series alive having been beaten twice inside six days of cricket.Unofficially, England have urged their security staff to operate with a light touch, particularly given the number of well-meaning requests they have received for selfies when out and about. They were greeted in Adelaide by “eight to ten camera crews” at the baggage carousel, before a reporter from the attempted to conduct an interview with Stokes as he moved through the terminal.Ever since arriving in Perth at the start of November, England have been subject to plenty of attention from local and national organisations, and reacted in good grace. Having been warned of the intense scrutiny on Ashes tours, a number of players have not batted an eyelid at various intrusions.They indulged filming of their rounds of golf ahead of the first Test, joking that the use of drones made them feel like they were receiving coverage akin to professional golfers. In Brisbane, when skipper Ben Stokes and other team-mates were photographed not wearing helmets while using e-Scooters – a fineable offence in the state of Queensland – Stokes brushed it off, even when asked by a journalist if he and his team would apologise for the misdemeanour. When the transgression was put to Ollie Pope ahead of the second Test, he reacted matter-of-factly: “Just put a helmet on next time. Rules are rules.”Related

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The squad were also confronted by media in Noosa over the last three days, both at the beach and bars of the Sunshine Coast resort town. Stokes even indulged a photo opportunity on the beach during a squad-wide game of football keepy-uppy (otherwise known as PIG), with radio station MixFM employees “Archie and Bretz”, who were wielding placards such as “FOR SALE: MORAL VICTORIES” while dressed in full whites.These incidents, however, are a break from that norm, at a time when England have come under fire for their poor performances.Poor batting displays and a bowling attack losing their way have exacerbated annoyance from England fans at the team’s refusal to accept that their build-up for a series of this magnitude has been less than ideal.They played a single warm-up match against England Lions at Lilac Hills ahead of vastly different conditions at Perth’s Optus Stadium. After choosing not to send their first-string to practice under lights against the Prime Minster’s XI in Canberra, England opted for five training sessions ahead of the day-night Test at the Gabba. After succumbing to a second eight-wicket defeat, head coach Brendon McCullum stated they had “over-prepared”.There is a suggestion that England’s long lead-in to the second Test – which started with a previously unscheduled session at Allan Border Field – was triggered by the criticism of their preparation. This airport incident, however minor, speaks of a crack in their laissez-faire approach at the halfway point of the tour, with a month and three Tests to go, underlining the seriousness of what is at stake in Adelaide and beyond.

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