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Tottenham number one Guglielmo Vicario faces an uncertain long-term future amid reports of Inter Milan’s interest, with his personal stance on an exit now also coming to light.

Guglielmo Vicario criticised after recent Tottenham outings

Vicario’s tenure at Tottenham appears increasingly uncertain following his costly error against Fulham, which added to the concerns surrounding his capability as their first-choice goalkeeper.

The 29-year-old endured a nightmare moment during Spurs’ 2-1 home defeat to Fulham last Saturday, rushing needlessly off his line before playing a weak clearance straight to Josh King.

Harry Wilson capitalised spectacularly, curling home from near the touchline to double the visitors’ advantage inside six minutes.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 2, 2025

The blunder sparked an immediate negative reaction from frustrated Tottenham supporters, who booed Vicario throughout the remainder of the first half.

Thomas Frank defended his goalkeeper afterward, questioning whether those jeering could be considered true Spurs fans, with damage to the relationship between keeper and supporters appearing pretty significant.

Much was already made of the Italy international’s weak command of his area, with pundits suggesting that opposition teams should target Vicario as a weak link in Spurs’ side.

Frank has also been urged to drop the ex-Empoli star by former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, who called Vicario ‘nervous as a kitten’ with his distribution.

Despite his torrid time lately, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Inter hold a serious interest in Vicario, and the prospect of a 2026 transfer back to Italy isn’t ruled out.

Now, Italian newspaper La Gazetta dello Sport have shared their own update on the matter.

Guglielmo Vicario yearns for Tottenham exit and sends message to his agents

Indeed, Vicario has apparently communicated his growing frustration with life at Tottenham to his representatives, revealing his weariness and how he’s ‘yearning’ for a Serie A return.

La Gazzetta claim the shot-stopper has grown tired of difficult seasons at Spurs and has informed his agents that the current term could mark his final year in English football.

The newspaper suggests a powerful emotional pull toward his homeland is driving his thinking, with a permanent return to Italy now firmly on his mind.

Inter have emerged as the frontrunners for his signature, with reports in Italy indicating the Nerazzurri have already opened discussions with Vicario’s representatives.

The Serie A champions are said to view him as an ideal long-term replacement for veteran Yann Sommer, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Tottenham are reportedly already scouring the market for potential replacements.

Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen has been identified as a potential option, with TEAMtalk reporting earlier this week that Spurs have made contact over the keeper who Bayern are also looking at as an heir to Manuel Neuer.

Everton boss David Moyes opened up on Jack Grealish's injury fear after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's blow during the Chelsea clash. The Toffees went down 2-0 against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto were on target for the hosts. This was Everton's sixth defeat of the Premier League season as they dropped to eighth in the league.

• Palmer stars in Chelsea's win

  Chelsea and English star Palmer scored his first goal for the Blues since September as the attacker returned from injury to help his side beat Everton 2-0 in the Premier League on Saturday. Amid an injury-hit season, the Blues talisman opened the scoring before the excellent Malo Gusto doubled the hosts' advantage. The Toffees barely laid a glove on Enzo Maresca's team as they claimed their first victory in five matches in all competitions.

  Reacting to his performance against the Toffees, Palmer told BBC Sport after the match: "The game is never finished. We had many chances, we missed. But overall I'm happy with the clean sheet and the performance. We said many times with Cole [Palmer] we are a better team. Unfortunately, he was out for many games for us, but now he's back and for sure he will help us. 

  "Maresca was also quick to laud the performances of Reece James and Malo Gusto – who scored and bagged an assist against Everton. They are good players and when they are good players they can play in every position. They can play full-back and midfielder. [Malo Gusto] took the chance and his assist for Cole, so I am very happy for Malo. If we are not able to win, win, win that still doesn't mean we're not ready to compete for titles. When you don't concede it's not just about one player, it's about all the team. Joao Pedro's press, Alejandro Garnacho's press."

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  Moyes opened up on injury problems

  Everton dealt with a couple of injury blows during Saturday's clash, starting with Dewsbury-Hall's injury as he was forced off the ground in the 16th minute and was replaced by Carlos Alcaraz. Star winger and Manchester City loanee Grealish also complained about a hamstring after the full time whistle.

  Providing an update on Grealish's condition, Moyes said: "Jack felt his hamstring so we just need to be careful with these boys."

  On Dewsbury-Hall's situation, Moyes added: "It disrupted us for about 10, 15 minutes. “I thought we'd started the game well. In that period we just lost the goal… it’s hard to be disappointed with a lot of the stuff we've done. But I'm disappointed because we didn't win, disappointed because we've got a couple injuries, but not disappointed with how the players are going about it."

• Maresca analyses Chelsea's performance

  Speaking on his team's performance against Everton, manager Maresca told reporters: "This is the reason why I praise the players because with so many problems they are doing very well after a complicated week. Since I joined the club the last 48 hours has been the worst 48 hours since I joined the club because many people didn’t support us. So very happy for Malo in that moment that the effort from Malo and the rest showed that they are all there and want to help this club. Worst 48 hours since I joined the club because people didn’t support me and the team. The Chelsea also boss was then asked if the issue was an internal problem or related to supporters and explained: In general. I love the fans and I am very happy with the fans."

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  Chelsea's hectic December schedule

  Chelsea still have four games to play before the end of the calendar year, starting on Tuesday with a Carabao Cup quarter-final tie at Cardiff City. The Blues then finish off 2025 with Premier League fixtures against Newcastle, Aston Villa and Bournemouth.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While MLB did not initially specify details of the investigation, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of that the league's probe is related to gambling.

The Guardians confirmed the news of the investigation in a statement on Thursday, adding that Ortiz, 26, was placed on paid leave.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players' Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the team said in the statement. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Ortiz was slated to make his 17th start of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Joey Cantillo will start in place of Ortiz for the Guardians.

Ortiz has recorded a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Last year, Ortiz racked up 3.1 WAR and pitched to a career-best 3.32 ERA as a starter and swingman out of Cleveland's bullpen.

As Monday’s historic, World Series Game 3 marathon began its descent into silly territory, Blue Jays manager John Schneider received a message from his Game 4 starter: Shane Bieber wanted his skipper to know, in the 11th inning the night before he was scheduled to take the mound, that he was ready to start warming up.

As it turned out, Bieber didn’t get the call to enter the 18-inning affair (which the Dodgers won, 6–5). Instead, he’d wait one more night to save Toronto’s season.

Facing the possibility of going down 3–1 in the series and armed with a bullpen running on whatever comes after fumes, Bieber turned in 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball to spearhead a 6–2 Blue Jays win in Game 4 of the World Series, evening things up at two games apiece.

It was just the latest contribution from a player who has quickly surged up the list of most impactful Blue Jays, despite beginning the season still recovering from Tommy John surgery while wearing a different uniform.

Bieber didn’t make his debut for his new team until Aug. 22, nearly 17 months from his most recent big-league game. But despite the injury and uncertainty about how he would perform after a lengthy rehab, the Blue Jays made him a priority at the trade deadline, along with several additional role players who have made crucial contributions to getting Toronto this close to the franchise’s first championship in more than 30 years.

“It's not an easy thing to do, get traded from the only team you've been with and then just have your life kind of flipped upside down in a new country and things, with a family,” Schneider said after Game 4. “But he just settled in really well, and these are the spots that we acquired him for.”

Bieber’s night was far from dominant. He allowed three of the first seven batters he faced to reach base, and gave up the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly from Kiké Hernández in the bottom of the second. He generated just five whiffs on 34 swings (14.7%).

But he kept a powerful Dodgers lineup in check, allowing just four hits (all singles) and pitching around traffic. He stymied Game 3 star (and Tuesday night’s opposing starting pitcher) Shohei Ohtani, walking him to lead off the game before striking him out twice. Less than 24 hours after reaching base nine times, Ohtani finished the game 0-for-3.

From being out of major league action for a year and a half, to changing teams and countries of residence, to winning a World Series outing, it has been a whirlwind few months for Bieber, the 2020 American League Cy Young Award winner and two-time All-Star. But he has quickly made himself feel at home with his new team while pitching on the game’s biggest stage.

“[It was] the first time I’ve ever been traded, so I didn't know exactly what to expect,” Bieber said of the transition. “Ultimately I feel like the organization, the families within it, my teammates, their families, have helped my wife and I acclimate better than I ever expected … I couldn’t be happier.”

Bieber’s not alone as a recently-arrived Blue Jay who’s stepping up in the postseason. Relief pitchers Louis Varland and Seranthony Domínguez—acquired at the deadline from the Twins and Orioles, respectively—are now vital high-leverage arms Schneider relies upon to bridge the gap between his starting pitchers and closer Jeff Hoffman.

Varland, for his part, has appeared in 13 of Toronto’s 15 games this postseason, striking out 16 batters in 14 innings. He has thrown at least 20 pitches seven times during that span.

“He's kind of a different animal,” Schneider said of Varland. “It's not normal to put a guy in as much as I have and have his stuff be consistent. I was talking to [GM] Ross [Atkins] at the deadline. He was one guy that I really wanted to acquire. There were a lot of big arms out there, big available arms, and the combination of his stuff and just kind of knowing his personality a little bit … he’s been nothing short of amazing. It’s not easy to do what he’s doing, pitching this much and in high leverage. But I trust the hell out of him.”

The Blue Jays have gotten help on the margins, too, from less-heralded acquisitions on the position player side. Veterans Ty France and Isiah Kiner-Falefa have each been called into duty after injuries to Toronto’s regulars. France made his postseason debut during Monday’s extra-inning affair, going 1-for-3 off the bench, and had an RBI groundout on Tuesday to add an insurance run in the seventh inning. Kiner-Falefa has appeared in 13 playoff games (eight starts) and went 5-for-15 during the final four games of the ALCS to help the Blue Jays erase an 0–2 series deficit.

Add it all together, and the moves point to an organization that has successfully prioritized culture fits and niche roster needs over chasing big names.

“You have to give some credit to the front office there,” infielder Ernie Clement said. “They didn’t just get really, really good baseball players, they got really, really good people who fit right in in the locker room. It felt like all those guys came over and just fit right in immediately.”

Chelsea’s brilliant run of results, which saw them beat the likes of Benfica, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool, came to a screeching halt on Saturday afternoon.

Instead of picking up another Premier League win against the recently promoted Sunderland, Enzo Maresca’s side managed to lose 2-1 thanks to a late goal from Chemsedine Talbi.

What is most frustrating about the game, though, is that while the West Londoners were not anywhere near their best, they still had chances to win, taking seven shots on target to the Black Cats’ four.

Unfortunately, they just didn’t have their shooting boots on, although with the striker situation at the club, that is hardly surprising.

So, there is an argument that Maresca should look to drop Marc Guiu and start one of Cobham’s most exciting prospects, a striker compared to the legendary Didier Drogba.

Chelsea's striker situation

In the summer, Chelsea decided to sell Christopher Nkunku to AC Milan and João Félix to Al-Nassr, while also loaning out David Datro Fofana to Karagümrük and Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Now, while these weren’t necessarily bad moves for the club, they did only sign Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to replace the leaving players, and when the latter went down with a hamstring injury earlier this season, they were forced to recall Marc Guiu from his loan with Sunderland.

Moreover, while nobody can question Pedro’s ability, it has become increasingly clear that his best position is just behind another striker, either as an advanced ten or a classic second striker.

In other words, due to their business and the injury to the former Ipswich Town star, Maresca has been forced to either use Pedro out of his best position, start the young Tyrique George up top when he’s a natural winger, or, as he has done recently, play Guiu.

To give the former Barcelona gem his credit, he did score against Ajax in the Champions League, but against the Black Cats on Saturday, he was poor.

In fact, the Spaniard was so underwhelming that the Standard’s Sam Tabuteau gave him just a 4/10 match rating, writing that he showed ‘plenty of energy but not a lot of finesse.’

In short, Chelsea really need another option up top this season, and while it would be a risk, it looks like Cobham might have the player for them – a player compared to Drogba.

Chelsea's future Drogba

Now, it should really go without saying that comparing a youngster to Drogba is not something that should be done lightly.

After all, the Ivorian icon was one of the best strikers to ever play in the Premier League and is most certainly a massive Chelsea legend.

With that said, there is plenty of excitement building around 18-year-old Shim Mheuka, so much so that one analyst has made the bold comparison, calling him “the new Didier Drogba.”

So then, what makes him such an exceptional talent, and one worthy of a proper run in the first team?

Well, simply put, he is starting to look like a real goal machine and potentially one of “Cobham’s finest” prospects, per talent scout Jacek Kulig.

For example, despite being just 16 at the start of last season, he ended the campaign with 11 goals and three assists to his name, 30 appearances across the U18S and U21S.

Moreover, he also got a few run-outs in the first team, making five appearances totalling 118 minutes across the Conference League and Premier League.

This season, he has taken another leap forward, and as things stand, he has already scored ten goals and provided two assists in just ten appearances, totalling 883 minutes for the U21S and Youth League sides.

That works out to an average of 1.2 goal involvements every game, or one every 73.58 minutes, and if that’s still not enough, he has also racked up a tally of ten goals and three assists in 18 appearances for England’s U19S.

Ultimately, while it is still so early in his career, it is becoming increasingly clear that he is a lethal goalscorer, and while he might not reach the level of a Drogba, he might be able to have a significant impact on the team this season.

Chelsea now looking to sign "outstanding" £168k-a-week CB who's won 11 trophies

The Blues want to bring in a new defender, having struggled defensively at times this season.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 27, 2025

There was a common theme in the four wild-card series games that kicked off Major League Baseball's postseason on Tuesday. Three of the four winning sides received dominant pitching from their southpaw starters and the fourth benefitted from a very serviceable effort as well.

Detroit's Tarik Skubal got the ball rolling by striking out 14 and holding the Guardians to a single run in 7 2/3 innings. Chicago's Matt Boyd left his start in the fifth inning down 1-0 but the Cubs rallied for a victory. Garrett Crochet matched Skubal's line with three fewer strikeouts during a 117-pitch masterpiece. Dodgers ace Blake Snell put a capper on the night by taking care of the Reds with seven innings of two-run ball.

All told, lefty starters threw 28 2/3 innings while surrendering five earned runs and racking up 36 punchouts. In the cases of Skubal and Crochet, the electricity of their performances were through the roof and a reminder that both have a reasonable case to claim the title of best arm in baseball.

The quartet of performances led MLB Network analyst Chris Young to offer up a take that might be hard to completely fact-check yet seems legit.

"Today was the best day ever that I've seen with left-handed starting pitching," he said.

Young then asked purists to go back through the record books and prove him wrong.

On its surface what he's saying holds some water. Especially if extra weight is given to the magnitude of the games being played. It helps a lot that the baseball playoffs have expanded to the point where there are four games per day in the earlier rounds yet doesn't diminish the accomplishments.

Newcastle United resume their Premier League campaign after the international break hesitant about what the near future holds.

Indeed, back-to-back away defeats to West Ham United and Brentford very much exposed Newcastle’s weaknesses, as a lethargic defence was caught out in both games in London, alongside the midfield ranks looking equally as ropey.

In particular, Joelinton has fallen short of his usual high standards in recent defeats, with only three duels won by the midfielder at the London Stadium, who was once referred to as an energetic “machine” by Magpies teammate Kieran Trippier.

He could well be dropped for some fresh blood centrally, therefore, as Manchester City do battle with the Toon to close out November up next.

In an ideal reality, though, Eddie Howe’s men would still have Elliot Anderson to call upon, as the former St James’ Park product continues to excel for both Nottingham Forest and England.

Why Newcastle would love Anderson back at St James' Park

Once upon a time on Tyneside, a far rawer, younger Anderson would be clamouring for more senior minutes at his boyhood club.

Unfortunately, that failed to come to fruition, courtesy of an injury-ravaged final season at the Toon. In total, Anderson would make just a paltry three league starts during this swansong year.

But, the revitalised 23-year-old has never looked back since leaving the Magpies behind, with the Forest number 8 now setting the standard for midfielders in the Premier League this campaign, even as his side loiter towards the bottom of the division.

It was yet another classy display from Anderson last time out in league action before the break interrupted Forest’s flow, winning five duels and making seven ball recoveries, keeping a nervous Leeds largely at bay in a vital 3-1 win. While he excelled again, Joelinton limped off against the Bees scared for what his first-team future holds.

He also shone for England to further pile on the Newcastle misery, as only six of his 136 passes didn’t reach their intended target against Serbia and Albania.

Thomas Tuchel even heralded him as “one of the best midfielders in the Premier League” in the build-up to the Serbia encounter.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Safe to say, Newcastle desperately wish they still had the much-talked-about 23-year-old on their books, but Howe could start to unearth a new version of Anderson back on Tyneside.

Newcastle's next Anderson

Newcastle will need to ensure they don’t suffer another Anderson-style clanger soon, with Yankuba Minteh also sold prematurely by the Magpies, before he then exploded into life at Brighton and Hove Albion.

If they aren’t careful, they could lose Lewis Miley down the line, with the 19-year-old now ready for some “serious minutes” at his boyhood employers, according to journalist Liam Kennedy, after starring as a combative, yet skilful midfielder in flashes for Howe and Co in recent matches.

Much like Anderson has proven on the big stage countless times now for the Tricky Trees, Miley hasn’t looked fazed at all this season when also being dropped into the deep-end, particularly when he shone against Benfica in Champions League action to receive these rave reviews.

Indeed, the teenage sensation won all of his tackles on the night and also won four duels, while further exiting the field of play with only four passes going astray.

To further back up his similarities to the departed Anderson, the 19-year-old also stood out for the Three Lions at U21 level during the break when facing the Republic of Ireland.

Miley has also being tipped for greatness at international level, far beyond his current age bracket, notably hailed as “England’s next superstar” by BBC pundit Pat Nevin.

Again, much like his showing against Benfica, Miley stood out as a calm and assured operator, also capable of getting stuck in, with a 95% pass accuracy, coupled with three tackles and ball recoveries being amassed.

Of course, Newcastle would love to have the finished product of Anderson at their disposal. But, to win him back, it is reported that it could take an eye-watering reported £100m to regain his services.

Therefore, Miley could be their next best bet, having been branded a “mature” performer by Howe this season when used irregularly. That word not only aptly describes the Toon’s budding midfielder but also Anderson.

A Thiaw repeat: Newcastle keen on signing "one of the best RBs in Spain"

Newcastle United could pick up their next Malick Thiaw by landing this cut-price star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 17, 2025

Also on our list of ten: captain fantastic Shreyas Iyer, Arshdeep boss-both-ends-of-the-innings Singh, and one Fraser-McGurk who offers a glimpse into the heady future of T20 batting

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Nov-202412:15

Pant? Rahul? Which Indian player will get the big bucks at the auction?

Rishabh Pant

Set 2: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore (USD ($ 237,000 approx.)On the morning of deadline day, Delhi Capitals were unable to close negotiations with their captain Rishabh Pant, who opted to head to the auction instead. Fans and experts alike believe he could be one of the most expensive players at this auction, crossing the INR 20-crore mark.Related

• Don't rule out a 25-crore buy at the IPL 2025 mega auction

• Who should MI and CSK right-to-match?

• IPL 2025 auction – Full list of 577 players

• Who will RCB and LSG use their right-to-match options on?

• Who should DC and GT use right-to-match options for?

Why is Pant that valuable? Measured purely in terms of his T20 numbers, Pant doesn’t stand out. Counted among the most dangerous batters in Test cricket already, Pant, who is 27, has won just eight Player-of-the-Match awards in his 111-match IPL career which started in 2016.But Pant has always made us expect something special or freakish, that’s his X-factor. Also, alongside DC, several franchises – Royal Challengers Bangalore, Punjab Kings, Lucknow Super Giants, Kolkata Knight Riders – are on the lookout for a captain. Pant doubles up as a wicketkeeper-batter, too, a skillset many teams have a vacancy for. DC have the option of buying him back via the right-to-match card (RTM). A top India player, a leadership option, a growing brand, and, importantly, a fan favourite – there is a lot that can drive Pant’s bids to escalate quickly.Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer are captaincy options for teams•BCCI

Shreyas Iyer

Set 1: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore ($ 237,000 approx.)Like Pant, Shreyas Iyer is a frontrunner to fill the captaincy role available at several franchises including KKR, whom he led to the IPL title last season. Shreyas was bought by KKR at the 2022 mega auction, the franchise staving off rival bids from four others (RCB, DC, LSG, GT) to secure his services for INR 12.25 crore. They appointed him captain straightaway. After missing the 2023 season with a back injury, Shreyas took charge last season and worked successfully with the leadership group led by current India coach Gautam Gambhir.While KKR were open to retaining him, Shreyas opted to head to auction; their talks failed over money. Having retained six players, KKR don’t have a RTM to buy Shreyas back. They will still keep the option of buying him back with a modest purse (INR 51 crore) open, but Shreyas the captain is also an attractive option for PBKS – who have the strongest purse going into the auction (INR 110.5 crore) – as well as DC (purse: INR 55 crore) and LSG (purse: INR 69 crore).Shreyas the batter is also a bankable option in the middle overs, and there are teams who will eye him for that role too.

Mitchell Starc

Set 1: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore ($ 237,000 approx.)Last time around, the multiple-World-Cup winner breezed past the record bid of INR 20.50 crore that SRH had minutes earlier made for Pat Cummins, making him momentarily the most expensive player bought at any IPL auction. KKR had broken the bank for Starc, spending 80% of their purse (INR 24.75 crore out of 32.7) on him.Quiet during the league phase, Starc burst through SRH in the two matches that mattered: Qualifier 1 and the final. On both occasions, Starc hurt their top order with fiery spells of fast bowling which included the early wickets of the red-hot form players Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma. Starc was the Player of the Match in both games.With his varied skills, Starc is equally impactful in the powerplay and death overs, the crucial phases where matches are predominantly won and lost in T20s. After the 2024 IPL final, Starc, who will be 35 next January, said that he would be focusing on franchise cricket in the last leg of his career – this means whoever signs him could see him as a three-year player.With his experience, teams will also look at Starc as a bowling leader and a mentor. No surprises then, if Starc ends up adding another million or two to his wallet.KL Rahul has had six 500-plus years in the IPL•BCCI

KL Rahul

Set 2: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore ($ 237,000 approx.)Since IPL 2018, KL Rahul has scored 500-plus runs in six seasons. The one time he didn’t, in 2023, he had missed the second half of LSG’s campaign having injured his quadricep. In comparison, Virat Kohli and David Warner, bonafide IPL legends, have had seven 500-plus aggregates though they started much earlier than Rahul. Despite the constant chatter around the manner of his batting and strike rate specifically, Rahul has stuck to his strengths and shown enough signs of improvement during his three-season stint at LSG.He opted to leave LSG, who are highly unlikely to trigger the RTM option for him. Rahul has dropped hints that he would be happy heading to RCB, where his IPL journey started in 2013. RCB are on the lookout for a captain and Rahul could be seen as a long-term leadership option. RCB also need a keeper-batter, a position Dinesh Karthik performed from 2022-24 before retiring last year.There are also several other teams that need an experienced top-order Indian batter-cum-wicketkeeper, which means Rahul could be in for a significant bid.

Jos Buttler

Set 1: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore ($ 237,000 approx.)Since the 2022 IPL season, among top-order batters, Jos Buttler is the fourth-highest run-maker with a strike rate of nearly 145. In the same period, Buttler is also the fourth-highest six-hitter (71). Buttler can both create pressure with the bat and release pressure by hitting the ball into areas not many others can, especially thanks to his dextrous wrist work.Buttler, who is 34, has had recent struggles with his calf but showed his batting powers have not diminished with a brutal 83 in his second T20I on return for England against West Indies, playing at No. 3. At Rajasthan Royals, where he played since 2018, Buttler played mainly as an opener.A T20-World Cup-winning captain, Buttler offers teams the leadership option too.

Arshdeep Singh

Set 1: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore (US $ 237,000 approx.)From IPL 2022 to 2024, only Bhuvneshwar Kumar (64) and T Natarajan (61) delivered more yorkers than Arshdeep (50) in the death overs. The yorker is a key weapon for a fast bowler in the final overs, with batters looking to hit boundaries every single delivery. Despite such pressure, Arshdeep has an economy rate of 5.76 for his yorkers – that is only slightly higher than Jasprit Bumrah’s 5.38 for his 49 yorkers.In the death overs in these seasons, Arshdeep has 28 wickets, which is the second-most after Harshal Patel (50). Arshdeep has also been effective in the powerplay, where his 24 wickets are the fourth-most since IPL 2022.On top of this ability to bowl at the start and the close of an innings, Arshdeep has proven himself to be a matchwinner at the international level – think back to the recent T20I series in South Africa.Arshdeep Singh has been impressive in the death overs•BCCI

Liam Livingstone

Set 2: Marquee. Base price: INR 2 crore (US $ 237,000 approx.)Even in the noisy world of T20, some bats make a distinct noise. One of them belongs to England’s batting allrounder Liam Livingstone, who can bludgeon the ball hard and far. And usually, he will flex his muscle in the second half of the innings: in the last three IPL seasons, Livingstone’s strike rate of 191.66 (575 runs in 21 innings) is behind only India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav (193.85, with 789 runs in 26 innings). Third on this list is Heinrich Klaasen at 182.40 (757 runs in 24 innings).Livingstone also has the unique ability to switch between wrist- and fingerspin in the same over: he can bowl legbreaks or dart in sliders based on the match-up. Because of those factors, he earned INR 11.5 crore at the 2022 mega auction despite his bid coming on the second day. In 2025, it will be the first time Livingstone will be a part of the marquee set at an IPL auction. A power-hitting allrounder is always a popular buy in the IPL, and with PBKS having a RTM option and a strong purse, Livingstone’s price could once again escalate quickly.

Ishan Kishan

Set 5: Wicketkeeper (1). Base price: INR 2 crore (US $ 237,000 approx.)At the previous mega auction, in 2022, India’s wicketkeeper-batter Kishan was the most expensive buy with Mumbai Indians paying INR 15.25 crore ($2.033 million approx.) for him. Four teams were keen on him (skillset: left-hand opening batter-cum-wicketkeeper). PBKS got things started, followed by GT, and eventually MI sealed it after a stiff bidding contest with SRH.Kishan’s returns that season were poor, but in the last two years he has shown vast improvement – especially in the powerplay. In 2023, when MI made the playoffs, Kishan struck at a strike rate of nearly 145 (scoring 333 runs in 15 innings). In 2024, where MI finished bottom of the table, Kishan’s strike rate in the powerplay was over 161 (239 runs in 13 innings). Across the last two IPL seasons, Kishan is the third-highest run-maker in the powerplay (572 runs in 28 innings), and his strike rate of 151.32 is ninth highest.A left-hand opening batter is something several teams would desire. Add wicketkeeping to that, and the fact that he has age on his side (Kishan is 26), and you know you could have another bidding war coming up.

Phil Salt

Set 5: Wicketkeeper (1). Base price: INR 2 crore ($ 237,000 approx.)Sunil Narine was the undisputed MVP last season, but the KKR great would acknowledge much of his batting success was owed to his opening partner Phil Salt, who displayed some blistering stroke play.Since 2022, only Travis Head has a higher strike rate than Salt in the first six overs in T20s (min. 1000 runs), although Head has played far fewer matches. In 131 innings, Salt has scored 2450 runs at a strike rate of 163.77.Salt’s strength is dealing in boundaries, virtually every ball. In IPL 2024, Salt’s balls-per-boundary count was 2.61 (in 15 innings). Only Jake Fraser-McGurk, the young Australian who opened for DC, had a better count at 2.04, though he batted in just nine innings. Salt was also second in the balls-per-six count at 8.77, behind Fraser-McGurk’s phenomenal 5.05.Salt has shown his electric starts can contribute to a title-winning run. Moreover, he is now a regular wicketkeeper for England.Jake Fraser-McGurk sparkled in his first IPL season in 2024•Getty Images

Jake Fraser-McGurk

Set 3: Batter (1). Base price: INR 2 crore (US $ 237,000 approx.)This might seem like an outrageous pick. But outrageous is also the apt word for Fraser-McGurk’s batting in IPL 2024, his maiden season. With a baseball batter’s stance, Fraser-McGurk, 22, blasted bowlers of all kinds and provided powerful starts to DC in the powerplay. Owner of the fastest century in List A cricket – which he reached in 29 balls, two fewer than AB de Villiers against West Indies – Fraser-McGurk announced himself in the IPL by smashing 15-ball half-centuries twice.One came against MI, on a sweltering day in Delhi, when he went on to score 84 off 27. This included hitting Jasprit Bumrah for a six first ball, followed by a four and then another four off the final delivery of that over, making it the most expensive by Bumrah (18 runs).He remains a batter still being moulded, but Fraser-McGurk has already showcased, in his small sample size, the fast evolution of T20 batting – especially T20 powerplay batting. Dating back to IPL 2022, Fraser-McGurk has the best balls-per-boundary (2.04) and best balls-per-six (5.95) count in the first six overs. His strike rate of 250.94 is the highest for any batter to have played two or more overs in the powerplay last season.He struggled for form in white-ball cricket after the IPL, but recently showed he still has what it takes by carting Shaheen Afridi – again, showing the guts to take on the best of the best – for 18 runs in an over in a T20I.With franchises on the lookout for batters who can provide electric starts, Fraser-McGurk has the potential to earn some good money.

The Blue Jays saw their World Series title dreams end on a cruel double play in the 11th inning of Game 7's loss to the Dodgers, a heartbreaking finish for Toronto that will likely haunt the franchise for quite some time.

The Blue Jays had their best chance of clinching it in the ninth, when pinch runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa came mere inches away from what would have been a walk-off game-winning run. Two innings later, Toronto found themselves down 5-4 and couldn't get the break they needed against Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamomoto, and Los Angeles went on to win their back-to-back World Series championship.

After the loss, Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was seen sitting in the dugout by himself, as he was the last player to leave. It made for quite the lonely picture of the $500 million man who once seemed like he could lead Toronto to baseball's biggest prize this October:

Fox's cameras also caught Guerrero wiping away tears immediately following the 5-4 loss in an emotional moment:

Suffice to say, Blue Jays fans at Rogers Centre who were praying for their first title since 1993 were feeling the same way.

Entering Saturday night's do-or-die matchup, Guerrero reportedly had a simple message for his teammates, who may have been feeling jittery ahead of the elimination game. Guerrero said, "If you're nervous tonight, look at me." He showed poise and leadership when his team needed it most, and made some impressive postseason franchise history with his bat in the process, but ultimately came painfully short of closing out a championship run for the Blue Jays.

"I got to be very thankful, very grateful for our fans, for the city," Guerrero told reporters postgame. "I'm sorry, because we couldn't give that title that we know the entire city wants."

England may have fewer options at finisher but Jos Buttler’s form as an opener makes him look irresistible

Matt Roller06-Sep-2020Opening the batting in T20 cricket usually involves a trade-off between scoring quickly and consistently; batsmen either look to fly out of the blocks and make the most of the hard new ball and the field restrictions, or get themselves set and take an innings deep.For most opening batsmen, it is a binary choice: Jason Roy, for example, chooses the former, while Babar Azam opts for the latter.But Jos Buttler is not like most opening batsmen. Since his promotion to the top of the Rajasthan Royals order in May 2018, Buttler has scored 1414 runs in 33 innings, averaging 47.13 while maintaining a strike rate of 153.86. No wonder so many of his team-mates refer to him as a “freak”.If that record isn’t enough in and of itself, consider this. Many astute analysts considered Sunil Narine’s promotion to open to be a seminal moment in how T20 cricket is played, such is the disregard he shows for protecting his wicket while swinging from the hip.And yet, since midway through the 2018 IPL, Buttler has kept pace with Narine, with his 153.86 strike rate only fractionally slower than Narine’s 154.57; meanwhile, Buttler’s average is nearly three times higher.