Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly prepared to rival close friend Xabi Alonso as the Gunners eyes a move for Real Madrid target Rodrigo Mendoza. The Elche wonderkid, who has a €20 million release clause, has attracted widespread interest from across Europe following his eye-catching performances in La Liga. Premier League giants Manchester City are also keen on signing the youngster.

Mendoza impressing in La Liga

Mendoza graduated from Elche's youth system and made his professional debut for the club in 2022. Last season, the midfielder featured in 21 league matches as Elche finished second in the Segunda Division and earned promotion to La Liga.

In the current campaign, Mendoza has appeared in nine La Liga matches, scoring once. His impressive performances in the centre of the park for Elche have caught the eyes of several top European clubs. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportAlonso ready to rival close friend Alonso

According to , Arsenal are closely monitoring the progress of Mendoza at Elche and are prepared to join the race to sign the 20-year-old. The Gunners' recruitment specialists have kept a close eye on the Spanish youth international, who could consider triggering his €20m (£17.5m) release clause.

The Gunners, however, will face intense competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City, while La Liga giants Real Madrid have also shown strong interest in signing the Spaniard, who has often been compared to Barcelona and Spain playmaker Pedri.

Arteta is a childhood friend of Madrid boss Alonso and the two Spaniards have a very similar outlook towards football. The duo also battled it out for Martin Zubimendi in the summer, and he ultimately chose Arsenal over Madrid. Arteta also signed Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen after talking to Alonso, who lured Granit Xhaka to Bay Arena from Arsenal in 2023. 

Now, it seems the two friends will once again compete in the transfer market to secure a move for Mendoza.

When can Mendoza leave Elche?

Elche recognised Mendoza's talent last summer when they reportedly rejected a few offers from the Saudi Pro League for his services. In August, the Spanish club moved to secure his long-term future by offering him an improved contract, extending his stay until 2028. This new deal included the €20m release clause, which, while substantial, is considered "negotiable" and "certainly affordable" for top European clubs. 

Despite Elche's efforts to tie him down, the report added that Mendoza is destined to leave the club next summer. He could also consider moving in January if any club triggers his release clause.

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Getty Images SportKane on Arsenal's mind ahead of key UCL fixture

For now, the Premier League leaders are focused on the current season and will be up against Harry Kane's Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Ahead of facing one of Europe's best strikers, Gunners defender Jurrien Timber revealed Arteta's plan to stop the England captain as he said: "That is not going to be easy, of course. I think he is an amazing striker, everyone knows that. He has so many qualities. He has been doing it for such a long time already, and now at Bayern Munich he has been one of the best players in the world. So, it is going to be a nice challenge for us as a team, as defenders, to stop him tomorrow. I think when you face an opposition with Harry Kane as the striker, he is a topic and you discuss him as defenders, because he is one of the dangerous players. It is the same with any other game, we discuss their players and the way they play. For tomorrow, it is the same."

An EFL expert has been left “pretty surprised” at a Southampton manager claim he has heard from St Mary’s.

Southampton manager latest on Tonda Eckert

After parting ways with Will Still at the beginning of November, Sport Republic have been on the hunt for a new permanent Saints boss.

However, no manager has arrived in the two weeks since Still’s sacking, with interim boss Tonda Eckert recording successive Championship wins over QPR and Sheffield Wednesday.

Eckert has already come in for praise from Southampton star Finn Azaz, and as time has gone on, there has been more speculation over the 32-year-old landing the job on a full-time basis.

There have been claims that Eckert is set to be given the Southampton job permanently, whereas reports elsewhere have claimed he will get the next three Championship fixtures to increase his chances of landing the role.

Southampton’s next 3 Championship fixtures

Date

Charlton Athletic vs Southampton

22nd November

Southampton vs Leicester City

25th November

Millwall vs Southampton

29th November

Meanwhile, Southampton fan pundit Ray Hunt stated that supporters “want to see an experienced manager” come in.

“Sport Republic have appointed five permanent mangers in their three full seasons in charge. During that period, they have overseen two relegations from the Premier League, and one promotion with their only success, Russell Martin, but failed to give him the tools needed to succeed in the top flight.

“Moving forward, fans will want to see an experienced manager, who’s widely respected with a clear structure. We cannot repeat mistakes from the past. It is a huge task they simply have to get right. Take your time, give Tonda time in that interim, but ultimately make the right decision. The fans won’t tolerate another failure.”

Sport Republic appointing Eckert on a full-time basis would get pundits and fans talking, and it has already done just that.

Expert reacts to Southampton claim on appointing Eckert

Reacting to reports of Southampton looking set to give Eckert the permanent job, EFL expert George Elek admitted to the Not The Top 20 Podcast that he would be “pretty surprised” if that materialises.

Eckert, who plays a 3-4-2-1 system, is on course to be in the dugout at The Valley unless something drastic happens, and he’s already surpassed Still in winning back-to-back second tier games.

Their own Clement: Southampton could hire "world-class" Eckert replacement

خطف منتخب الإمارات، بطاقة التأهل إلى دور ربع النهائي من بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، عن المجموعة الثالثة مع منتخب الأردن.

وتواجه منتخب الإمارات مع الكويت مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من مباريات دور المجموعات، انتصر بنتيجة 3-1، ليحصد 3 نقاط ثمينة تؤهله إلى دور ربع النهائي من كأس العرب.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة مصر في كأس العرب 2025 بعد الهزيمة أمام الأردن ونهاية دور المجموعات

وسجل أهداف منتخب الإمارات، يحيى الغساني “هدفين” في الدقيقتين 16 و 18، والهدف الثالث أحرزه نيكولاس خيمينيز بينما جاء هدف منتخب الكويت عن طريق فهد الهاجري عند الدقيقة 59.

وكان منتخب الإمارات يتنافس على التأهل مع منتخب مصر على البطاقة الثانية إلى دور الـ 8 من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

منتخب مصر خسر أمام الأردن في نفس الجولة، بنتيجة 3-0، ليقبع في المركز الثالث بترتيب المجموعة برصيد نقطتين فقط، ويودع بطولة كأس العرب من دور المجموعات.

وبذلك، يلحق منتخبا الأردن والإمارات، بالمنتخبات المتأهلة إلى دور ربع النهائي من كأس العرب “العراق وفلسطين وسوريا والمغرب والسعودية”. أهداف مباراة الإمارات والكويت اليوم في كأس العرب 3-1

MatériaMais Notícias

O Flamengo aplicou a maior goleada da história sobre o Vasco ao fazer 6 a 1 no rival pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. O jogo aconteceu na tarde deste domingo (2), no Estádio do Maracanã. O Cruz-Maltino chegou a abrir o marcador com Vegetti, mas foi surpreendido pelo rival que virou rapidamente ainda no primeiro tempo. Pelo Rubro-Negro, marcaram Everton, Pedro, David Luiz, Arrascaeta, Bruno Henrique e Gabriel. Com a vitória, o Flamengo foi a 14 pontos, enquanto o Vasco, com seis, está perto da zona de rebaixamento.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

As melhores e mais variadas ofertas para o Brasileirão estão no Lance! Betting! Abra já a sua conta!

✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
VASCO 1 X 6 FLAMENGO
7ª RODADA – CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
🗓️ Data e horário: domingo, 2 de junho de 2024, às 16h (de Brasília);
📍 Local: Estádio do Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro;
🟨 Árbitro: Bráulio da Silva Machado;
🚩 Assistentes: Bruno Raphael Pires e Guilherme Dias Camilo;
🖥️ VAR: Rafael Traci.

➡️ Veja tabela com datas e horários dos jogos do Brasileirão

VASCO (Técnico: Álvaro Pacheco)
Léo Jardim; João Victor, Maicon, Léo e Puma Rodriguez; Sforza, Galdames e Payet; Lucas Piton, Vegetti e Rayan. 

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FLAMENGO (Técnico: Tite)
Rossi; Varela, Fabricio Bruno, David Luiz e Viña; Allan e De La Cruz; Gerson, Arrascaeta e Everton Cebolinha; Pedro.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoFlamengoFutebol NacionalVasco

Fast bowler shows worth in match-turning performance, but will sit out final round on England’s orders

Vithushan Ehantharajah18-Sep-2025Josh Tongue’s final act of the 2025 English summer was taking Nottinghamshire to the cusp of the Divison One County Championship title.Tongue’s 5 for 100, his fourth five-wicket haul of the first-class season, completed a thrilling victory against Surrey. Chasing a remarkable four titles in a row, the defending champions now trail Nottinghamshire by 14 points heading into the final round.The new Division One leaders host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge next week, hoping to seal their first Championship since 2010. But they will have to do so without Tongue, who also took 3 for 43 in the first innings, with England erring on the side of caution to preserve Tongue for the Ashes, which begins on November 21 in Perth.Related

• India get caught up in the Tongue paradox

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• Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

Tongue is currently on an ECB central contract, which is due to be extended next month, and has emerged as a crucial member of the fast-bowling armoury. His high release point, speed and ability to find movement on flat pitches are vital to England’s hopes of wrestling back the urn in Australia.Though unfortunate for Nottinghamshire and Tongue, who only made his debut for the county in April after right pectoral issues and a hamstring tear kept him out of action having joined at the end of 2023, his performances showed why the 27-year-old is worth the cotton wool treatment.He was the difference-maker on day four of this de facto title-decider, bowling 17.2 of a tense final 55.2 overs of the match. A top speed of 93mph was surrounded by consistent pace in the late 80s, and consistent spells – the longest of six overs after the lunch interval. His removals of Rory Burns (ending an opening stand of 74) and Ben Foakes accounted for two of the top four, before a blistering final 3.2 over burst ended a dogged rearguard effort, taking the final three wickets to leave Surrey 21 short of their 315 target.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores likened Tongue to former England seamer Stuart Broad, for his knack of bending matches to his whim.”The best person I ever coached on sensing moments was Stuart Broad – he knew when to up it,” said Moores, who had two spells working with Broad as England coach, and is on the cusp of becoming the first head coach to win the Championship with three different teams (Sussex in 2003 and 2006; Lancashire in 2011).”The way he [Tongue] impacted the game, it’s reserved for [only] a few people. Bowlers are kings of the game, really, if they have moments like that, because they are the only people that start the process. Everybody else reacts to what they do. But when he’s doing that, and at the top of his mark, we are glued. It’s box office.”Today we saw a player who is enjoying playing the game. He’s talented, he’s got pace and he’s got something I think we should never ignore in a bowler – he’s got an awkward action. You never ignore that. He delivers from past the perpendicular; it looks like it’s coming in but sometimes it’s going away.”England’s caution with Tongue is understandable given his injury history, which includes 15 months sidelined with a potentially career-ending right shoulder issue. That ended up being alleviated unconventionally with botox injections, leading to a Test debut against Ireland in June 2023, followed by an Ashes appearance at Lord’s later that month.Further setbacks kept him out of action entirely in 2024. This year, however, he has delivered the most red-ball overs (382.3) of his career, of which 369.3 have come this summer. Not only was he England’s leading wicket-taker in the Test series against India, with 19 from just three appearances, but he currently has more first-class dismissals (54) than anyone else in the ongoing English season.”I feel like now I’m in a better place physically I can hold that pace for longer periods and longer spells,” Tongue said. “Last year was a tough year for me during my injuries. But I know the hard work that I did over the winter just gone, it’s going to put me in good stead this season.”I did a few long spells during that Test series as well, so I knew I’ll be able to do it for Notts as well. And that’s the main thing, I just want to put all my effort into to winning games of cricket – and thankfully it’s, paid off today.”Tongue is not the only player involved in the title race who will not participate in the final round. Gus Atkinson will also be absent for Surrey’s trip to Hampshire.

Rangers are now reportedly ready to grant Danny Rohl’s transfer request after the German commenced a personal scouting mission ahead of January.

Rangers must be "ruthless", says Rohl

As Old Firm rivals Celtic closed the gap on Hearts at the top of the Scottish Premiership, Rangers stuttered for the second-consecutive outing in midweek – drawing 2-2 against Dundee United. Just when Rohl was looking for a reaction, he watched on as the Gers were forced to salvage a point courtesy of Nedim Bajrami’s late penalty.

Disappointed by yet more dropped points, the Rangers boss told reporters: “We are disappointed because it’s just one point. We put everything on the pitch until the end, that’s why we deserve a point.

“When I see how many chances we create, we should win this game. If we can bring this together in the future with a clean sheet, we win games.

“We are disappointed, but I see a step forward today from my group. We had more tempo, better decision-making, our body shape between the lines. We sped up our games in the right moment.

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“I’m not happy because you have to win, there’s no question. We have to be ruthless in both boxes. I am convinced that more goals will come. At the moment it is hard work.

“Of course, the last two results are not what we want. They are two different results. The weekend [at home to Falkirk] was a boring draw, today it was an entertaining draw, but for both you get just one point.”

It’s become clear in the last week that those at Ibrox must back Rohl when the January transfer window swings open. Without sporting director Kevin Thelwell, there’s also every chance that the German will have greater control on arrivals and that could see Youssef Chermiti replaced.

Rangers ready to grant Rohl request

As reported by TeamTalk, Rangers are now ready to grant Rohl’s request for a new No.9 to replace summer flop Chermiti. The Gers boss has commenced a personal scouting mission in recent weeks and recruitment chiefs have held talks with agents in the Netherlands and Belgium on the hunt for a crucial addition.

Alongside a new striker, Rohl has reportedly asked the 49ers to sign a dynamic central midfielder and a versatile full-back in an attempt to add quality in depth.

It comes as no surprise that Rohl has set his sights on a striker. It would instantly make up for Thelwell’s mistake in the summer, which saw Chermiti arrive for as much as £8m to make the forward one of Rangers’ most expensive ever signings. That alone perfectly sums up the disaster that was the sporting director’s time in Scotland.

It’s also not a great shock that Rohl’s after a dynamic midfielder in 2026, given that Nicolas Raskin could still leave the club amid interest from the Premier League. Losing the Belgian would be a major blow, but the sale would also fund a much-needed overhaul when the winter window swings open.

Rohl must now ditch Rangers dud who was the "shining light" under Martin

This week, Tottenham Hotspur fans will get to see Heung-min Son again. On Tuesday, he will be there, down N17, beaming and emotional as he waves goodbye to the club he devoted the prime years of his iconic career.

Poetry has a funny way of weaving its way into so many narratives in football, and there was certainly something romantic about the South Korean legend sealing silverware on his final game for Spurs, ending the endless drought.

Tottenham haven’t really replaced their former captain, just as someone on a level with Harry Kane at number nine has not been signed either.

That may change in 2026.

Spurs lining up new forwards

In October, Tottenham announced a £100m equity injection. What this pertains to could go on interminably, but it effectively means Frank’s first-team squad will be seeing some improvements in the near future. Investment is imminent.

And it’s clear that additions are needed up top, with the potency Son provided – even on the decline, the 32-year-old scored 24 goals and assisted 19 more across his final two Premier League campaigns – yet to be matched.

Should the Lilywhites win the race for RB Leipzig prospect Yan Diomande, with their interest confirmed by Caught Offside, Frank might just land the talisman he is looking for.

The report claims Spurs are among the myriad of top clubs to have sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old winger this season, and such competitive intrigue indicates a market value or around €80m (equating to £68m).

The news comes just days after it was revealed by separate sources that Spurs were in ‘very advanced talks’ with the player’s agents last week to sign the player.

Why Spurs should sign Yan Diomande

Diomande might be in the hatchling stage of his career, but already, he is proving that he can throw down with the heavyweights, having made an electric start to his career in Germany with Leipzig, scoring seven goals and supplying four assists across 15 matches this term, having joined from

The Ivorian winger’s technical skills stand out, and a slippery dribbling style makes him a force to be reckoned with. Coach Harry Brook believes he will “be worth £100m plus” in the not-too-distant future, and so it’s worth Tottenham snapping him up promptly.

Already, we can observe startling progress across a range of areas for Diomande. He is physical and he is fast, and he is also fostering a natural-born clinical edge in front of goal, with his defensive work-rate not leaving much to be desired either.

Remind you of anyone? This could be the new Son, especially since he hails from the Bundesliga, with Tottenham signing their departed hero from Bayer Leverkusen in 2015.

Goals scored

0.36

0.31

Assists

0.21

0.31

Shots taken

2.08

2.75

Shot-creating actions

5.23

4.51

Touches (att pen)

7.16

5.55

Pass completion (%)

81.2

76.4

Progressive passes

3.44

4.25

Progressive carries

6.66

4.30

Successful take-ons

4.01

1.61

Ball recoveries

6.01

3.16

Tackles + interceptions

2.72

0.83

Diomande is showing signs of elite balance in output. He’s got an eye for goal, but that doesn’t detract from his playmaking, and nor does it mean he shirks away from defensive duties, from using his speed to cover plenty of ground and influence in different areas.

Son, in many ways is irreplaceable, and perhaps that’s why the board opted against trying to find a carbon copy, as they did with Kane.

But now, real quality, bona fide quality, is needed up top, else Tottenham will find themselves struggling to match the might of rivals at the top of the Premier League.

Diomande has talent in spades, and he might just find himself developing into a winger of a similar level with Son, following that Korean legend’s footsteps from Germany over to English shores.

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Will the start of yet another new era off the park lead to one on the pitch for Rangers?

On Monday, it was announced, somewhat out of the blue, that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, just weeks after they had been publicly backed by Andrew Cavenagh and other members of 49ers Enterprises.

Thelwell and Stewart oversaw the hiring and swift firing of Russell Martin, as well as appointing his successor Danny Röhl, with the power vacuum upstairs likely to see the German head coach have a rather large say when it comes to January recruitment.

Before the transfer window opens, Rangers have eight more matches to play, with Röhl still attempting to build a cohesive team out of the mishmash squad he has inherited, but which big-money signing should find himself on the bench against Falkirk on Sunday?

Danilo's continued poor performances

Rangers have signed plenty of players who have not lived up to their price tag in recent years, with Danilo right towards the top of that list.

Since arriving from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023 for a reported fee of £6m, the Brazilian striker has made just 67 appearances for the Light Blues due to injury problems.

However, when he is on the pitch, he is not delivering either, scoring just 15 times for the club, of which three have come this season, putting in a very underwhelming display during Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Braga, as the table below documents.

Shots on target

1

3rd

Expected goals

0.15

6th

Successful dribbles

2

7th

Accurate passes

14

18th

Passing accuracy %

71%

17th

Touches

34

18th

As the table documents, Danilo made little impact on the night’s proceedings.

His major moment came just after the half hour mark, played in-behind by Mohamed Diomandé, but tamely shooting straight at Lukáš Horníček, lacking any semblance of confidence or conviction, never appearing to believe he was going to score.

In the Brazilian’s defence, he was deployed out of possession on the left-wing so, with that in mind, Röhl surely must start his forgotten special young talent when Falkirk visit Govan on Sunday instead.

Rangers' youngster with an exciting future ahead

Amazingly, 26 matches into this season across all competitions, only two Rangers players have scored four goals or more, namely Djeidi Gassama and James Tavernier.

Just below them on three goals is Findlay Curtis, despite the fact he has barely featured for three months.

The teenaged academy graduate made his senior debut against Fraserburgh in the Scottish Cup in January, but was one of the stars of Martin’s ill-fated tenure, scoring three times before 24 August.

The pick of the bunch was this rocket to secure a 2-0 victory over Panathinaikos in a Champions League qualifier back in July.

Overall, Curtis has seen 244 minutes of action this season, but just 17 minutes of this have come since the start of September, not featuring at all in 12 of Rangers’ last 15 fixtures.

He was given a nine minute cameo by Röhl during the defeat to Roma earlier this month, this the only time he has been seen under the new manager.

Despite this, Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout asserts that he has an “exciting future ahead”, while Kai Watson asserts that he “looked really bright” every time he is called upon.

Curtis’ direct dribbling and fearlessness is something Rangers severely lack, especially with Mikey Moore currently sidelined, while fellow wingers Oliver Antman and Thelo Aasgaard simply are not offering enough.

Thus, with games against Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock up next, Röhl surely has to reintegrate Curtis, or risk him becoming the latest Rangers youngster who is forced to depart in search of first team opportunities.

Forget Djiga: Rohl must bin Rangers flop who lost the ball every 2 touches

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He was disappointed to miss out on a maiden first-class double ton but pushed towards his India A dream

Ashish Pant13-Sep-2025Yash Rathod paused for a moment right after facing his first ball on the second morning of the Duleep Trophy final. He had just been beaten by Gurjapneet Singh. Stepping away, Rathod nodded his head furiously, talking to himself, trying to calm his nerves. After a disappointing semi-final against West Zone, where he managed just 2, Rathod was determined to make amends.Two hundred and eighty five balls later, as he walked back for 194, he had done his bit in helping Central Zone close in on their first Duleep Trophy win in 11 years.It wasn’t easy initially. Central Zone were 93 for 3 in the 34th over when Rathod walked out. A first-innings lead was just 56 away, but Gurjapneet was in the middle of a searing spell. He had just flattened Shubham Sharma’s middle stump, had Danish Malewar nick to slip, and was extracting plenty of movement in overcast conditions.Rathod started tentatively, particularly against Gurjapneet, who bowled 16 straight dot balls at him. He was beaten a few times and had an early escape when he edged the quick to second slip, with the ball falling just short. Then, twice he flashed outside off against fast bowler MD Nidheesh and was lucky to get thick edges past the gully fielder. The fluency, which had fetched Rathod 960 runs in the last Ranji Trophy season, was missing.Related

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Yash Rathod's 194 gives Central Zone a firm hold

“Initially, I think I was over-trying,” Rathod told ESPNcricinfo. “When I went to bat, the situation was tricky, but the plan was to react to the ball. Gurjapneet was also hitting the right areas quite consistently. The ball was swinging and seaming off the wicket as well.”Once I got past that phase, and the spinners came on to bowl, I thought I will capitalise. I tried to dominate them before lunch, but no matter what I tried – stepping out, sweeping, or playing off the backfoot – I wasn’t connecting [with] the ball consistently. It just wasn’t clicking.”Lunch came at the right time for Rathod. At the break, as he gathered himself, focus shifting over to playing instinctively, and once back, everything fell in place. Rathod clipped Gurjapneet for four through midwicket to raise his half-century off 84 balls. Soon after, he waltzed down the track to left-arm spinner Ankit Sharma, driving him past mid-on and then through covers.A key feature of Rathod’s innings was his backfoot play. He would often go deep into his crease off Ankit, nudging him fine past slip and would pull anything that was marginally short of a length. It took Rathod just 132 balls to reach his seventh first-class century, getting there by tapping Ankit to point off the backfoot, ending the second day unbeaten on 137.

My immediate goal is to prepare myself for the Irani Trophy. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first stepYash Rathod

Rathod was more proactive on the third morning. He clipped Gurjapneet through midwicket in the first over and reached his 150 with a push to mid-on. He rushed through the 180s with two fours but was cleaned up by Gurjapneet shortly after lunch, falling six short of a maiden first-class double-century. He was visibly dejected as he trudged off slowly, constantly looking at the replays of his dismissal on the big screen at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.”It was very disappointing,” Rathod said on missing out on a double ton. “I have been trying to get a double-century for a while. Last year, I scored five centuries, but being a No. 5 batter, it becomes tough to score a 200 as you end your innings mostly with tailenders.”Today, I had a chance to score a double ton on such a big stage. So yes, it was quite disappointing to not score those six runs but again, very grateful for 194. Maybe there is something better lined up for me, maybe I can score a double-century in the Irani Trophy.”Rajat Patidar and Yash Rathod added 167 for the fourth wicket•PTI A highlight of Rathod’s 194 was his calmness. Once settled, at no stage did he look hurried. He was involved in two big stands – 167 for the fourth wicket with Rajat Patidar and 176 for the sixth wicket with Saransh Jain – and ensured he didn’t try to match his partner’s pace.”It doesn’t matter how the batter at the opposite end is playing. Everyone has a pattern,” Rathod said. “I can’t play like Rajat bhai. His intent is different. My game plan is very different. I love playing risk-free cricket.”Five-day cricket is a long game. I know my patterns, I know my strengths where I can perform well. I like to take the game forward calmly, take control of the situation and stay clear with my plans and what I need to do.”Rathod has had a stellar start to his first-class career, with 15 scores of fifty-plus in just 35 innings, and was a key factor behind Vidarbha’s winning 2024-25 Ranji season. His next goal is to play all three formats but he is not looking too far ahead.”I have the belief it [playing all three formats] will happen,” Rathod said. “I also obviously want to play IPL, but my immediate goal is to prepare myself for Irani Trophy as that is also a big stage. If I perform there, I will get closer to my India A dream. Yes, I want to play for India, but to reach there, India A is my first step.”At 25, Rathod has already been part of a Ranji Trophy-winning team and is now close to being part of a Duleep Trophy-winning side. While things have happened quickly in the last year, Rathod is taking them in calmly, at a specific pace, much like his batting.

The BCCI took the decision due to the fast-fading light in north-east India

Nagraj Gollapudi11-Nov-2025

Due to early sunrise and sunset in Guwahati, the second Test between India and South Africa will see players having tea first followed by lunch. Normally, tea prior to supper is a routine followed in day-night Tests, but the BCCI took the special decision for a day Test in Guwahati due to the fast fading light in north-east India.The Test, which starts from November 22, will be the first Test match in Guwahati, which recently hosted several matches in the women’s ODI World Cup. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who is from Guwahati, confirmed the Test would start half an hour earlier than the norm for red-ball Tests in India, including the first Test in Kolkata, which will begin at 9.30am IST.The toss in Guwahati will be at 8.30am IST, with the first session between 9 and 11am, followed by a 20-minute tea break. Lunch will be between 1.20 and 2 pm with the final session scheduled till 4 PM, with an extra half-hour if needed.Related

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According to Saikia, having lunch at 11 after the end of first session would have been too early for players, and hence the BCCI decided to tweak the session timings.”It is a practical decision,” Saikia told ESPNcricinfo. “In winters, sunrise and sunset are very early here in north-east India. By 4pm the (day)light recedes and you can’t play much after. Because of that we have decided to start early, so play will start at 9 am.”The series starts Friday at Eden Gardens, where a special gold-plated coin, with insignia of BCCI and Cricket South Africa on each side, will be used at the toss.