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Tottenham Hotspur’s activity in the transfer market over the last few days has been frantic to say the least, with huge moves being made by new boss Thomas Frank.

Mohammed Kudus appears to be the first major signing of the Dane’s tenure in charge, after a £55m deal was agreed between the Lilywhites and West Ham United.

The Ghanaian could prove to be an excellent addition for the club, with the 24-year-old scoring 19 times during his two years with the Hammers after joining from Ajax.

It certainly would be the start of what’s going to be a huge window for the club, especially if they are to rise up the Premier League table throughout 2025/26 after their dismal finish last year.

However, numerous other players still remain on their radar between now and the end of the window, but it remains to be seen how many more deals will be completed.

The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer

Brentford striker Yoane Wissa has been labelled as a potential option for Spurs this summer, potentially following Frank in moving across the capital to join the Lilywhites.

A £50m price tag has been mooted for the 28-year-old, who registered 19 league goals for the Bees during the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

However, another player in England’s top flight has emerged on their radar, with Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White a key target, according to The Athletic.

They claim that direct talks have been held between the two clubs, with a deal now being given the famous “here we go” by Fabrizio Romano who has suggested that it is a “massive” move for the club.

Whilst no deal has yet been formally completed, journalist Ben Jacobs has stated that the player has “agreed” to the move and will head to north London for around £60m, a bargain for Frank’s side.

The player is set to undergo a medical on Friday, according to Mike McGrath of The Telegraph.

Why Spurs’ £60m target would be a better signing than Kudus & Wissa

Whilst a deal for Kudus is pretty much in the final stages, it’s evident that the board are serious about completing moves for numerous players ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Daniel Levy evidently wants to back Frank in his quest for success, looking to build on the Europa League triumph they achieved at the end of last season.

Kudus and Wissa would add further quality to the frontline without a doubt, with the pair registering a combined total of 24 league goals throughout 2024/25.

However, despite their pending arrivals, a move for Gibbs-White would undoubtedly be a better option, with the England international one of the most sought-after talents in the division after being on Manchester City’s radar earlier this summer.

When comparing his stats to those of the aforementioned duo, he’s massively outperformed the pair in numerous key areas, handing Frank the attacking quality he has craved this window.

How MGW compares to Kudus & Wissa in the PL (2024/25)

Statistics (per 90)

Gibbs-White

Kudus

Wissa

Games played

34

32

35

Goals & assists

15

8

23

Progressive passes

5.3

2.7

2.1

Passes into final third

4.2

1.6

1.3

Shot-creating actions

3.7

3.6

2.1

Take-on success

50%

44%

30%

Aerials won

1.3

0.3

0.9

Key passes

1.3

1

0.8

Stats via FBref

Gibbs-White, who’s been labelled “world-class” by journalist Jamie Martin, has registered more progressive passes per 90, along with more key passes completed – having the creativity ability to allow those ahead of him to thrive in front of goals.

He’s also registered more shot-creating actions despite his deep-lying role, whilst completing a higher percentage of his take-ons, subsequently able to create chances for himself or his teammates.

The 25-year-old has further showcased his dominance with his higher figure of aerials won per 90, with his skillset handing Frank a superb all-round option within the final third.

£60m for a player of his talent in today’s market would be an excellent piece of business by the hierarchy, offering the side yet another incredible talent within the final third.

There’s no denying that Kudus or Wissa would also be impressive signings, but given the stats produced and his current international status, Gibbs-White would blow the pair out of the water, potentially playing a huge role in any future success under Frank.

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While the Premier League’s elite have been spending money by the bucketload – Liverpool and Manchester City, we’re looking at you – Arsenal have been idle.

Should we be surprised? Not really. Over the last two transfer windows, the Gunners have failed to improve their forward line and efforts to finally sign a striker so far this summer have been fruitless.

Two names dominate the headlines with Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres at the forefront of their minds. The trouble is, both deals look complicated.

Reports from Sky Germany suggest that Arsenal are unwilling to pay RB Leipzig’s asking price for Sesko, while it was claimed in Portugal a few days ago that they have paused their efforts to sign Gyokeres, instead looking at Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.

Signing a new centre forward isn’t the only thing on the agenda for Andrea Berta this summer.

Arsenal’s hunt for a new winger

Due to a number of factors, chiefly Bukayo Saka’s workload and the inconsistent form of Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, Arsenal need a new winger this summer.

Unfortunately, it now looks as though it’s unlikely that’ll be Athletic Bilbao’s Spanish sensation, Nico Williams.

The north Londoners have been interested in the 22-year-old for over a year now but the wide attacker is prioritising a move to Barcelona, his dream club, instead.

As a consequence, interested parties in the form of Arsenal and Chelsea have ‘cooled’ their interest in the words of The Athletic’s David Ornstein.

With that blow fresh in the mind, it looks as though Arsenal have been ramping up their efforts to sign Real Madrid star, Rodrygo.

Transfer Focus

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

That’s according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who took to social media on Tuesday afternoon to reveal that Mikel Arteta and Co have a ‘genuine interest’ in the Brazilian.

Exploratory talks dating back to May have already been held with the player’s representatives but it will take a fee of around £77m to convince the Spanish giants to sell.

Madrid have a new manager in the shape of Xavi Alonso and it appears as though the former midfielder isn’t too keen on Rodrygo. Consequently, Arsenal should do all they can to convince the player to jump ship.

How Rodrygo compares to Nico Williams

Williams has swiftly been thrust into the limelight over the last year when aged just 21, he was one of the players of the tournament at Euro 2024 as his nation won the title.

The left winger was fabulous throughout, most notably scoring the opening goal in the final against England.

Since then, however, he’s failed to truly kick on, even if the frightening potential still lurks within.

Williams has never been a rampant goalscorer, finding the net on just five occasions in the league this season.

Rodrygo, on the other hand, would be capable of offering Arteta the added goals he needs his side to produce if they are to challenge for the title and Champions League.

Last season, Martinelli and Trossard managed to score just 16 goals between them in the 73 Premier League matches they featured in. Well, in his own last 73 LaLiga matches, Rodrygo has a better record than both players combined, scoring 20 times.

While 2024/25 wasn’t his best campaign, shoved out on the right-hand side to accommodate Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe, this is a player who is far more comfortable in front of goal than someone like Martinelli, and crucially, Williams too.

You only have to cast your minds back to 2022/23 when the Brazil superstar found the net 19 times, bettering Martinelli’s best season haul of 15, which coincidentally came in the same campaign.

Another string to Rodrygo’s bow is not just his versatility – able to play up front or on either flank – but his creativity.

Games

159

141

141

125

Goals

50

33

35

28

Assists

30

18

26

29

Goals per game

0.31

0.23

0.24

0.22

G/A per game

0.42

0.36

0.43

0.45

Analysing the data, Williams is also a particularly creative individual, thriving in that area more than his goalscoring.

However, Arsenal are still proficient creators of chances. What they need is someone capable of sticking the ball in the back of the net and Rodrygo has done that on a far more regular basis in all competitions since 2022 than Martinelli, Trossard and Williams.

Last term, no player in red and white reached double figures for goals. Kai Havertz was their top scorer with 15 and they ended the campaign with Mikel Merino playing as a makeshift striker.

On that evidence, Arsenal need a centre-forward, but they also need more contributions from elsewhere on the pitch. Madrid’s “world-class superstar”, as he’d been described by teammate Luka Modric, would certainly help in that regard.

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It was unquestionably a successful season for Celtic, even if one that ultimately ended in disappointment.

On Saturday, the Hoops were beaten on penalties by Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final, with both captain Callum McGregor and then Alistair Johnston seeing their attempts from 12 yards saved by Dons keeper Dimitar Mitov in the shootout.

This is Brendan Rodgers’ first-ever defeat at Hampden and the first time the Celts’ have lost a cup final since being beaten by Kilmarnock in the League Cup Final of 2012, winning all 15 subsequently, prior to the weekend of course.

Nevertheless, the Bhoys claimed a fourth consecutive Premiership title, captured the League Cup and reached the Champions League knockout phase, so there is still plenty for supporters to be positive about.

Now, can they secure the services of a highly-rated young winger?

Celtic chasing a new wide-forward

As reported by Ola Gustavsson of Fotboll Direkt, a Swedish-based outlet, Celtic are ‘interested’ in signing Oskar Fallenius, while fierce rivals Rangers are also noted as having scouted the 23-year-old.

Transfer Focus

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

Fallenius’ senior breakthrough came at Brommapojkarna, earning him a move to Brøndby, but he made little impact at the Danish Superligaen giants, scoring just two goals in 13 appearances, an unused substitute on 22 occasions, also hampered by a ligament injury.

This saw him return to his native Sweden, joining Djurgårdens for just two million kronor, around £155k, for whom he has certainly impressed, with Freddie Arnesson of TuttoSvenskan labelling his performances “incredible”, helping the club reach the Conference League semi-finals.

So, could he be on the move again, this time to Glasgow’s East End?

How Oskar Fallenius compares to Jota

Celtic are certainly in the market for multiple new forwards this summer, following Jota’s anterior cruciate ligament rupture suffered against Dundee United at Tannadice in April, with Rodgers confirming he will be sidelined for “six to nine months”.

With Kyōgo Furuhashi having been sold to Stade Rennais in January, and Luis Palma expected to depart permanently this summer, the Hoops are a bit short of attacking options.

Right now, Daizen Maeda, Adam Idah, Nicolas Kühn, Yang Hyun-jun and youngster Johnny Kenny are their only players vying for the front three positions.

Thus, fair to say, Rodgers will want more firepower than that at his disposal, especially with a crucial Champions League play-off to come towards the end of August.

Since returning to the club in January, prior to his injury, Jota had been in decent goalscoring form.

He was on target off the bench a mere 25 minutes into his second debut against Motherwell at Fir Park, bagging five goals and two assists in just 16 appearances overall.

So, how does he compare to his potential replacement Fallenius?

Jota at Celtic 24/25 vs Oskar Fallenius in Europe 24/25
Statistics	Jota	Fallenius
Appearances	16	13
Minutes	783	789
Goals	5	1
Assists	2	3
Big chances missed	1	2
Big chances created	3	0
Shots on target	9	8
Shooting accuracy %	64%	62%
Passing Accuracy %	82%	75%
Take-on Success %	35.71%	36.36%
Touches per 90	62	41
Average Sofascore rating	7.17	6.92
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, Squawka and SofaScore

As the table outlines, in a near identical number of minutes, Jota and Fallenius’ statistics are broadly similar.

The Portuguese winger has the edge when it comes to goals, as well as shooting and passing accuracy and touches per 90, but the young Swede registered one more assist and a marginally higher take-on success percentage.

Djurgårdens manager Jani Honkavaara believes Fallenius possess ‘the X-factor’, with Marcus Christenson of the Guardian labelling him one of the Blue Stripes’ key attacking players.

Thus, the 23-year-old is clearly a forward with lots of potential, making him an excellent low-cost option for Celtic this summer.

​​​​​​​

Better than Kvistgaarden: Celtic could sign 23-goal "sensation"

Celtic could find a better striker than Mathias Kvistgaarden by signing this star.

1

By
Dan Emery

May 29, 2025

Work is already underway to improve Celtic’s squad in the upcoming summer transfer window as they go in search of a fifth successive Scottish Premiership title next term.

The Hoops secured their fourth league title in as many seasons with a 5-0 win over Dundee United at the end of last month, whilst they also have a chance to complete a domestic treble with an SFA Cup final clash with Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers has already sealed one new signing for the summer in the form of Kieran Tierney, who will officially return to Celtic when his contract at Arsenal expires at the end of June.

Kieran Tierney's current market value

At the time of writing (11/05/2025), the Scotland international is valued at a whopping £8.5m by Transfermarkt, which suggests that the Hoops have landed a bargain by signing him on a free transfer.

As you can see in the graphic above, Tierney was sold for a staggering £25m after his terrific first spell at Parkhead after coming through the academy, as he joined Arsenal in the summer of 2019.

This shows that the Scottish giants have played a blinder with the experienced left-back because they sold him for a huge transfer fee and are now signing him back for nothing, whilst he is still valuable, albeit not as valuable as he once was.

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Celtic, though, have developed their own full-back who is now worth just as much as Tierney, after they signed him for a fee of just £3.5m back in 2023, in the form of Alistair Johnston.

Alistair Johnston's soaring market value

The Hoops swooped to sign the defender from CF Montreal for a fee of £3.5m in the January transfer window at the start of 2023 to bolster Ange Postecoglou’s options at right-back.

Johnston has been a regular starter at right-back when fit and available for Celtic since his move, and has proven himself to be an excellent performer at Premiership level by combining solid defensive work with outstanding attacking contributions.

The Canada international has the strength and positioning to win the majority of his physical duels to stop opposition wingers, whilst also having the drive and stamina to constantly bomb down the flank to deliver high-quality balls into the box.

Appearances

32

30

Goals

1

4

Big chances created

11

15

Assists

5

9

Duel success rate

58%

56%

Clean sheets

11

12

As you can see in the table above, Johnston has been a star for the Hoops in his two full Premiership seasons in Glasgow, creating 26 ‘big chances’ in 62 matches.

This has helped his market value to soar way above the £3.5m that the club initially paid for his services at the start of 2023. At the time of writing, the Celtic sensation is valued at £8.5m by Transfermarkt, which means that his value has soared by £5m in a little over two years at Parkhead.

Johnston, whose work ethic was dubbed “phenomenal” by Rodgers, is now worth as much as Tierney, who was once sold for £25m, and is a highly-valuable asset for the club, thanks to the brilliant performances that he has put in on the pitch.

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Therefore, Celtic have hit the jackpot with the Canadian defender because he is an excellent player and a star who could be sold for a profit in the future, given that his value has soared during his time in Scotland so far.

Aston Villa are now “closing in” on a personal terms agreement with a “decisive” attacker, and they are confident they will be able to get a deal done, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Villa's Champions League hopes take hit

Villa were handed a major setback in their pursuit of the Champions League places on Tuesday night, falling to a late 2-1 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium, in what could prove to be a real six-pointer.

That said, the Villans had been victorious in their five previous Premier League outings, having kicked on in the second half of the season, with the likes of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford making a difference since arriving on loan.

Performances suggest Unai Emery doesn’t need to introduce too many new faces to his squad this summer, but there may be a desire to bring in a new striker, having sold Jhon Duran to Al-Nassr at a late stage in the January transfer window.

Emery is also eager to bring in a new midfielder, with the manager said to be a fan of Athletic Bilbao maestro Oihan Sancet, who has been in fantastic form this season, netting 15 goals in La Liga.

Sancet could be capable of making an instant impact at Villa Park, but an up-and-coming prospect has also been identified as a target in midfield, namely Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan, who could be available for a fee of around £12.5m this summer amid Monchi’s trip to Norway over the weekend.

Romano has dropped a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Nypan, taking to X to state they are “closing in on the agreement” over personal terms, with just the final details left to be sorted.

Talks with Rosenborg are set to follow, in order to strike an agreement on a transfer fee, and Villa are “confident” they will be able to get a deal over the line.

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"Decisive" Nypan is one for the future

The Norwegian is yet to prove himself outside his home country, so it is unclear how quickly he would be able to adapt to life in the Premier League, but his performances for Rosenborg have been very promising.

The 18-year-old is particularly impressive in an attacking sense, picking up 14 goals and 11 assists in 63 appearances for the Norwegian club, while he has also received praise for his playmaking abilities from freelance scout Ben Mattinson.

Nypan is showing very promising signs in Norway, so it is exciting news that Villa could be set to win the race for his signature, despite being linked to some of the Premier League’s top clubs earlier this season.

It’s fair to say Chelsea are underperforming in Enzo Maresca’s system at the moment, but having reached the Conference League semi-finals while sitting inside the Premier League’s top qualification zone, it’s all to fight for over the business weeks of the campaign.

Finishing inside the top five should provide a route into next year’s Champions League, and with the Blues sat in seventh place, four points behind Manchester City, it’s crucial that Fulham are beaten at Craven Cottage this afternoon.

The problem, of course, is that Chelsea haven’t won any of their past nine domestic matches on the road, with the Cottagers losing only four of their 16 matches at home in the top flight this term.

20/04/25

Fulham (A)

9th

04/05/25

Liverpool (H)

1st

11/05/25

Newcastle (A)

3rd

16/05/25

Man United (H)

14th

25/05/25

Nott’m Forest (H)

4th

Maresca fielded a surprisingly strong line-up against Legia Warsaw on Thursday, losing 2-1 on the evening but prevailing on aggregate.

It won’t be easy, but the Blues simply have to see themselves over the line in this one.

Chelsea team news

Maresca confirmed during his pre-match press conference that Romeo Lavia is available for selection after returning from injury and should be involved.

Wesley Fofana, Marc Guiu and Omari Kellyman remain long-term absentees, while Mykhaylo Mudryk is still unavailable.

Pedro Neto and Noni Madueke were benched for the quarter-final tie, but Jadon Sancho did pick up an assist for Marc Cucurella’s goal and may fancy another shot at the wide flank against a stable Fulham defence.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo were both excluded from the matchday squad on Thursday ahead of this weekend’s fixture, and with both ready and raring, Maresca may want to make a bold move and drop Cole Palmer for the second time in four Premier League matches.

Why Maresca could drop Palmer

It’s been 15 matches across all competitions since Palmer last found the back of the net. Unquestionably, he’s one of Europe’s superlative attacking midfielders, but equally, he’s well below his best at the moment.

Last season, the 22-year-old was untouchable, matchless in his breezy, Midas touch style in front of goal. Now, he cuts a frustrated figure as chances go begging and fluency looks absent.

The sun will shine again on the England international, who Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared “the best player in the Premier League” back in October, having started the term with such panache. Still, he’s got 14 goals and nine assists across 31 appearances, hardly a tally to be sniffed at.

Palmer has maintained an impressive creative level in the Premier League, still showcasing those arresting attributes that have earned him such lofty acclaim.

As per Sofascore, the rangy midfielder averages 2.5 key passes per league game (more than last year’s 2.1 averages per game), winning 56% of his ground duels and creating 20 big chances besides.

However, there’s another playmaking gem who could be unleashed in a fresh role later today. With Lavia combining so well with Caicedo in the early knockings of the season, Maresca may well look to shake things up here.

How Maresca could replace Palmer

It could do Palmer some good to take a seat against Marco Silva’s Fulham, fuelling him to make a positive impact when introduced in the second half.

Chelsea don’t have an abundance of central attacking midfielders, and while Neto could play the role well off Jackson’s back, it’s Fernandez who should be allowed to shift forwards into Palmer’s realm.

Fernandez has been through the emotions since becoming English football’s most expensive player of all time in February 2023, leaving Benfica in a deal worth £107m. He was regarded as a “superstar” by journalist Roy Nemer, and is beginning to prove such praise despite his team’s struggles.

The 24-year-old has come on leaps and bounds with his timing and movement in the danger area, bounding into space and using his feet or head to fire home.

Principally from a deeper-lying role, this is quite impressive, especially when doubling that with the fact that he’s one of the Premier League’s most creative players right now.

To add context to this: during March, no player across England’s top division created more big chances than Fernandez’s eight, the Argentine thriving in his influential central berth.

As per FBref, the 5 foot 10 midfielder ranks among the top 14% of midfielders in the Premier League this season for goal involvements, the top 8% for shot-creating actions, the top 13% for passes attempted and the top 11% for progressive passes per 90.

Clearly, he has the properties to play a more advanced role, and Maresca’s not afraid to give him a shot. Four times already in 2024/25, Fernandez has featured as the number ten, scoring one goal and registering one assist.

He’s not one to shirk away from defensive responsibilities either, winning 4.4 duels and recovering 4.3 balls per game so far. Fielding him ahead of Caicedo and Lavia might compact Chelsea’s midfield while retaining the playmaking spark that Palmer provides with such aplomb, even when things aren’t going his way.

It bears testament to Chelsea’s strength in depth that such a scenario is even a possibility, and it might just be one that Maresca wants to enforce to keep his players on their toes and take Palmer out of the firing line.

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The opening batter from New Zealand lit up the opening day of the tournament in the USA

Sampath Bandarupalli13-Jun-202519 – Sixes Finn Allen smashed during his 151-run knock for San Francisco Unicorns against Washington Freedom in the opening game of MLC 2025. He broke the record for most sixes hit in a T20 match, bettering the joint-record previously held by Chris Gayle (vs Dhaka Dynamites in 2017) and Sahil Chauhan (vs Cyprus in 2024), who hit 18 sixes each.49 – Balls Allen took to complete his 150 in Oakland. It is now the fastest 150 in T20s, bettering the record held by Dewald Brevis, who got to his 150 off 52 balls when he scored 162 against Knights in 2022 in South Africa’s domestic T20s.134 – Runs Allen scored off boundaries, including the 114 coming through the 19 sixes he hit. Only three men have scored more runs through boundaries in a T20 innings than Allen.28 – Total sixes by Unicorns in their innings, the second-most by any team in a T20 match, behind the 37 by Baroda against Sikkim last December in India’s domestic T20s. The Unicorns batters hit at least one six in 16 of the 20 overs in their innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd151 – Allen’s score against Freedom is now the highest individual score in MLC. The previous highest was 137* by Nicholas Pooran against Seattle Orcas in the 2023 final before the league acquired T20 status.34 – Balls Allen needed to bring up his hundred, the second-fastest in a T20 franchise league, behind Gayle’s 30-ball effort against Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. The previous fastest hundred in MLC came off 40 balls by Pooran in the 2023 final (before the T20 status).269 for 5 – Unicorns’ total against Freedom is by far the highest in MLC. They also became the first team to breach the 250-run mark in a T20 match in the USA, as the previous highest was 245 for 6 by West Indies against India in 2016 in Lauderhill.

He will always be associated with this team, a team that has created its brand and its identity around him

Matt Roller27-Apr-2023Walking along Cubbon Road in Bengaluru at six o’clock on Wednesday evening, I had a stray thought. Is this what Naples was like in the time of Diego Maradona?Everyone in front of me has the same thing written on the back of their shirt: 18 VIRAT. Every ten metres I walk, someone else is trying to sell me a cheap replica of a Royal Challengers Bangalore jersey, each and every one emblazoned with the same print.If it was not already clear who the 40,000 fans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium had come to see, it was confirmed by his emergence for the warm-ups. As he walked on to the outfield, Virat Kohli’s face popped up on the big screen, and the crowd came to life.Related

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I had witnessed the same love for Kohli during the previous Sunday afternoon’s game, a hard-fought victory over Rajasthan Royals. After his dismissal, pinned lbw first ball by Trent Boult, the ground fell silent. The TV broadcast cut to an older woman in the stands, who put her hand on her head then turned to her neighbour in utter disbelief.But all was forgotten by the time he was patrolling the long-on boundary, temporarily back as RCB’s captain, with Faf du Plessis managing an injury. Kohli blew a kiss to the crowd, towards the executive box where his wife Anushka Sharma was sitting; the big-screen, slow-motion replay drew a louder cheer than the catch itself.Having witnessed Sunday’s game behind the insulated glass of the press box, I moved to the stands on Wednesday night to hear the crowd at full throttle. The Chinnaswamy is an old, enclosed, concrete stadium with remarkable acoustics; it seems to amplify the noise created by its crowd, which is invariably a sell-out for IPL games.As Wanindu Hasaranga bowled the fifth over of Kolkata Knight Riders’ innings, Kohli positioned himself at mid-off. After each delivery, as he walked back towards the edge of the ring, the lower tier of C Stand cheered as one, hoping beyond hope that he would acknowledge them. He only touched the ball once, but was still the centre of attention.’18 VIRAT’: Who wouldn’t want it?•Associated PressThe PA announcer knows who is in charge of this city, and plays up to it. In the previous over, he had declared to the fans that it was time for an apotheosis: “When I say ‘King’, you say ‘Kohli’!” he instructed, and so they did. It is a remarkable status for anyone to even begin to live up to.But Kohli is RCB, and RCB is Kohli. He is the only player to have featured for the same franchise in all 16 IPL seasons, playing in all but four of their 235 IPL matches. He was here as a 19-year-old boy on the competition’s opening night, playing for the same team against the same opposition, and he is still here now as a 34-year-old man. He will always be associated with this team, a team that has created its brand and its identity around him.When Kohli gave up the RCB captaincy 18 months ago, he appeared to unilaterally and indefinitely extend his contract with the franchise: “I will only play for RCB until my retirement,” he had said in a statement. Nobody batted an eyelid. As if they would ever dare to let him leave?He is front and centre of every sponsorship photoshoot, his face plastered on every billboard in the surrounding area. Kohli is not only a cricketer, but also a brand: you can buy suitcases, tyres, wellness supplements, orthodontic aligners and air-conditioning units which come with his seal of approval, and are reminded to do so every time you switch on your television.So when Kohli came out to bat alongside du Plessis, a 201-run target in their sights, there was a sense that this was why everyone was here. KKR’s innings had felt like a necessary inconvenience, a support act to warm the crowd up before the main event.As he has throughout this season, Kohli started positively. He slashed the first ball he faced to deep third for four, and after hitting Suyash Sharma for back-to-back fours at the start of the fifth over, he had raced to 30 off 15 balls with five boundaries, strutting around the crease with a characteristic swagger.Silence enveloped the ground after Virat Kohli was given out against KKR•Associated PressIn doing so, Kohli set a new record for the most runs by a T20 batter at a single venue. The landmark went largely unnoticed, but was fitting: along with MS Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk, and Rohit Sharma representing Mumbai Indians at Wankhede, Kohli playing for RCB at Chinnaswamy is one of this league’s iconic combinations.But after the soft dismissals of du Plessis and Glenn Maxwell, the two other superstars in this RCB batting line-up, Kohli was almost on his own. There were few qualms about his now-characteristic slowdown against spin; given the circumstances, it seemed their only chance of hauling down this target was for Kohli to bat deep into the innings.When Shahbaz Ahmed, Mahipal Lomror and Suyash Prabhudessai’s names were read out, they hardly drew a response. The contrast in reception for RCB’s big three and the rest of their middle order emphasised the over reliance on a select few that this franchise has always faced, one reflected in their supporters’ adoration of their established stars but apparent ambivalence towards their young players.Lomror provided an effective foil. He dominated a 55-run stand with Kohli for the fourth wicket, hitting 34 off 18 balls before he was caught on the rope, falling just short in an attempt to strike back-to-back sixes off Varun Chakravarthy.Kohli’s method – trying to build a partnership to attack at the death after losing three early wickets – left the game in his hands. And when, on 54, he swung Andre Russell out towards midwicket after a lull, there was a brief moment when he seemed to have got enough power into his pull shot to clear the ropes.He hadn’t. Venkatesh Iyer dived forward and clung on to a difficult catch, and the game was as good as done. Silence enveloped the ground as the TV umpire confirmed that Iyer’s catch was clean. Kohli trudged off, taking a realistic chance of a third consecutive victory with him.Forty-five minutes later, Kohli was in front of the cameras again, sending his team a rocket after a sloppy performance in the field. As he spoke, Cubbon Road was full of people again. They traipsed towards the metro station or hailed auto rickshaws, having witnessed a defeat that must have been all too familiar for supporters of a franchise who have always fallen just short.But those same supporters had witnessed a hero in the flesh, cutting and pulling, living and breathing. And in three weeks’ time, when RCB return home after five consecutive away games, there is no doubt that the road will be filled with shirts emblazoned with ’18 VIRAT’ on their backs once more.

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Sreshth Shah and Gaurav Sundararaman26-Feb-2021