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Earlier this week, he coached Chennai Super Kings to their fourth IPL title

Deivarayan Muthu17-Oct-2021A day after coaching Chennai Super Kings to their fourth IPL title, Stephen Fleming joined the New Zealand coaching staff for a short gig in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup in the UAE. Fleming has established himself as a high-profile coach in franchise T20 cricket, having had stints in the IPL (Super Kings) and BBL (Melbourne Stars) among other franchise leagues, but this is his first official coaching role with New Zealand since his retirement in 2008.Fleming had ruled out international coaching back in 2012, but now he will assist Gary Stead (head coach), Luke Ronchi (batting coach), Shane Jurgensen (bowling coach), Shane Bond (who will work specifically with the spinners) in the New Zealand backroom during their warm-ups before he heads back home to serve his Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ). As per government rules, all those arriving in New Zealand are required to undergo 14 days of managed isolation in hotel rooms. However, there are various eligibility criteria to be met for individuals or groups to be granted MIQ.”There’s a little bit of time before my MIQ spot and it’s just a great opportunity,” Fleming told NZC’s in-house media team in Dubai. “We’ve talked for a while about sharing ideas and coming into the camp and watching these players who I’m a big fan of. [I’m] very lucky to have that opportunity.”I’m doing five days now pre-World Cup and talk about the conditions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, which we [Super Kings] have been playing in, and also cast an eye over and get some ideas back from him [Stead]. So, it’s a great opportunity, very proud to get the Black Caps kit back on as well. So, straight into it and will be looking forward to it.”Having recently been around the venues in the UAE, Fleming was particularly eager to work with Stead and pass his inputs to the New Zealand squad.”The T20 is what I’ve had my head into for so long now,” Fleming said. “With the Black Caps performing well and the World Cup around the corner, to share some of those experiences and get a bit closer to some of these guys… From coaching the best players around the world you learn some lessons. So, it’s just passing on the knowledge and being a fan and being around [the team]. I’m looking forward to it. It’s a good coaching group. There’s a lot of experience there and I’ll get some stuff come back my way as well. So, it’s a win-win.”Fleming also delivered a glowing endorsement of New Zealand’s depth and urged them to adjust their games to the slow, low conditions in the UAE.”It’s a good squad,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent, we’ve never had as much talent as this within New Zealand cricket, so getting the right balance and the way you want to play the game is very important. But the skill set, and what these guys put out and entertain us with, is very high.”Coming to grips with these conditions will be the challenge in warm-up games, and there’s a couple of key games first up. So dealing with pressure and starting the tournament well, I think, is a priority.”Spin-bowling allrounder Mitchell Santner was with Fleming at Super Kings but didn’t get a game in the IPL. However, he shook off the rust on a hot Saturday afternoon, picking up a wicket in New Zealand’s six-run warm-up victory against Netherlands at the ICC Academy in Dubai. He is hoping to tap into Fleming’s experience further in the New Zealand backroom.”I’ve had enough of him actually ,” Santner said of Fleming. “No, he’s obviously had a wealth of experience, he’s been at Chennai [Super Kings] for 14 years, I think, and he has seen a lot of T20 cricket. I think trying to bring some of those characteristics that he has got and he has obviously got a pretty good record as a coach in franchise cricket, so he’ll bring in some good stuff.”New Zealand will play two more warm-up games against Australia and England before they face Pakistan in the main tournament in Sharjah on October 26.

Both teams have shown plenty of spark in the UAE, despite their captains misfiring with the bat

Saurabh Somani10-Oct-20211:27

Should RCB stick to their batting order? Should KKR make Shakib bowl more?

Big picture

After two years of missing out due to an inferior net run rate (NRR), Kolkata Knight Riders are back in the playoffs, and have done it in barnstorming fashion in the second half of IPL 2021. When the season was suspended in May, Knight Riders had played seven games and won two. The move to UAE saw them reverse those results, winning five of their next seven games, and in commanding enough fashion to survive a Mumbai Indians’ late NRR charge.Royal Challengers Bangalore have not been too far behind, following their good showing in the first half with solid displays in the second, winning four of their seven matches in UAE.

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So, there’s no obvious “form team” between the two, both having shown plenty of spark so far in this leg, both filled with match-winners in their line-ups, both discovering breezy options in the top order in Venkatesh Iyer and KS Bharat – and both having captains who haven’t been piling up the runs as they normally would.Virat Kohli has 168 runs in seven games in the UAE leg, bolstered by two fifties in the first three of those. The last four have yielded only 59 runs. His strike rate’s been 117.48, and not too much higher even during his half-centuries. However, Kohli’s returns look gargantuan when compared to Eoin Morgan’s in the UAE leg this year: a measly 32 runs in six innings, reaching double figures for the first time in Knight Riders’ last league game where he finished unbeaten on 13. He’s also been considerably slower than a run a ball, striking at 82.05.That they have come so far despite these numbers from key batters is a credit to both teams. But for one of them, the journey will end tomorrow.

In the news

The biggest question ahead of this game is Andre Russell’s fitness. As of two days ago, Knight Riders chief mentor David Hussey said Russell would be “pushing hard” to get fit for the playoffs, while Morgan took solace from Russell’s ability to heal quickly from injuries. The last time these two sides met, Russell yorked AB de Villiers first-ball, and his legendary six-hitting ability has often found an extra gear against Royal Challengers. But will Russell be fit? We’ll know only at toss time. Shakib Al Hasan has been a good addition to the XI, but really, there’s no replacing Russell.Related

• Andre Russell 'pushing hard' to be fit for playoffs

• How KS Bharat redefined his strategy to turn his career around

• Stats: A season of wickets for Harshal Patel

• How sustainable is KKR's innovative high-risk approach?

Royal Challengers have no injury worries, and having won a stirring last league game against the table-topping Delhi Capitals, might not want to change their XI. George Garton hasn’t had the best returns, and there will be the temptation to bring in Dushmantha Chameera or Kyle Jamieson, but Garton’s changes of pace might suit the Sharjah pitch.

Likely XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Eoin Morgan (capt), 7 Andre Russell/Shakib Al Hasan, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Lockie Ferguson, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Shivam Mavi.Royal Challengers Bangalore: 1 Virat Kohli (capt), 2 Devdutt Padikkal, 3 KS Bharat (wk), 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 Dan Christian, 7 Shahbaz Ahmed, 8 George Garton, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.

Strategy punt

• Bowl spin to Virat Kohli. In the UAE leg of IPL 2021, Kohli has faced 47 balls of spin, and while he’s not been dismissed, he’s scored only 42 runs off these. In Varun Chakravarthy, Sunil Narine and Shakib, if he plays, Knight Riders have the men to tie Kohli down in the powerplay and middle overs. And bowling spin first up might be a smart ploy from another point of view too, because…
• …Glenn Maxwell has been devastatingly good this IPL, and particularly against spin in the middle overs. In the UAE leg, he’s hit 101 runs off 63 balls of middle-overs spin, and been dismissed just once. In comparison, against pace bowlers he’s made 80 off 74 in this period. That’s not to say Maxwell has struggled against pace – at the death he’s carted them for 87 runs in 43 balls. And if Knight Riders front-load spin against Kohli, Royal Challengers always have the option of sending Maxwell in at No. 3 to disrupt that plan.

Stats that matter

• In games in Sharjah this IPL, the team that has scored more in the powerplay has always won the match. It’s been much easier to score against the hard, new ball with only two fielders out. Maximising that phase will be top priority for both teams.
• Mohammed Siraj is one wicket away from getting to 100 in T20 games. He’s got 99 wickets in 81 games so far.

Tymal Mills, Liam Livingstone and Moeen Ali shared seven wickets, as England dominated with the ball

Andrew Miller27-Oct-20212:04

Shahriar Nafees: England were disciplined, but Bangladesh played too many dot balls

England 126 for 2 (Roy 61, Malan 28*, Shoriful 1-26) beat Bangladesh 124 for 9 (Mushfiqur 29, Mills 3-27, Livingstone 2-15) by eight wicketsEngland continued their imposing start to the T20 World Cup with a second powerplay-inspired victory of the competition, as Bangladesh emulated West Indies in being overwhelmed in the opening exchanges of the contest before being dispatched in a low-key run-chase for an uncompetitive eight-wicket scoreline.While Bangladesh’s total of 124 for 9 was a significant step-up from West Indies’ 55 all-out in Dubai on Friday, the seeds of their downfall were all too familiar. Mahmudullah won the toss and batted first on what he described as a “belter”, but his team then ran aground on the spin-and-seam combo of Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes, who bowled unchanged through the powerplay for a game-breaking combined analysis of 3 for 27.

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Moeen continued a staggering start to his tournament. In a format where familiarity tends to breed contempt, he has now bowled all seven of his overs straight off the reel at the top of his two innings – four in a row against West Indies for 2 for 17, and a further three with 2 for 18 today. Liton Das tried briefly to hit him off his length with consecutive fours down the ground, but he scuffed a third such blow to deep-midwicket to depart for 9 from 8 balls before a rash swipe one ball later did for his fellow opener Mohammad Naim too.At the other end, Woakes thumped a two-paced deck with a typically proud seam and tight line, and when he extracted the priceless scalp of Shakib Al Hasan – via a top-edged pull and a superb leaping take from Adil Rashid – there was little that Bangladesh’s other two senior statesman, Mahmudullah himself and Mushfiqur Rahim, fellow veterans of every T20 World Cup since 2007, could do to change the narrative.Livingstone, I presume

Moeen’s impact at the top of England’s innings transformed the permutations for Morgan through the middle overs – particularly once it became apparent that the extra pace of Chris Jordan and – at that stage of the innings – Tymal Mills was offering a hint of a route back into the contest for Bangladesh. After conceding 12 and 11 runs respectively in their first forays, Morgan turned instead to the variations of Liam Livingstone, who skidded his third ball through Mushfiqur’s attempted reverse-sweep and extracted a crucial breakthrough on review.Afif Hossain followed in Livingstone’s next over – desperately run-out as Mills at backward square fumbled a simple pick-up and coaxed the batters in an aborted attempt at a stolen second. And such was the panic that Livingstone was creating, that Nurul Hasan all but ran himself out too from each of his first two balls.And his work was duly completed when Mahmudullah – Bangladesh’s last remaining hope – scuffed another ripping legbreak straight to point for 19 from 24.England successfully reviewed to remove Mushfiqur Rahim•Francois Nel/Getty Images

Slowness does it for Mills at the death

A minor dent to England’s progress followed when Rashid, entrusted with one half of the death overs in a worthwhile experiment, was bludgeoned with some success by the left-hander Nasum Ahmed, who targeted the short leg-side boundary for the only two sixes of the innings.But at the other end, Tymal Mills unfurled his full repertoire to stunning effect for final figures of 3 for 27. His impact was epitomised by the manner of his final two wickets – from consecutive balls right at the death of the innings. Mahedi Hasan was bounced out by a fierce short ball that brushed his glove and was given out on review; then one ball later, Mustafizur Rahman was confounded by the slowest of slow inswinging yorkers, to lose his leg stump for 0. The knowledge of Mills’ physical threat, allied to the subtlety of his wealth of variations, makes for a very potent package.Roy at the double

England’s only duff note against West Indies was the slight tangle they got in while trying to rush to their 56-run target. They made no such errors this time around. Jason Roy marked his 50th T20I cap with a rampant knock of 61 from 38 balls, his five fours and three sixes including a massive straight strike off Nasum to bring up his half-century. In adding 39 for the first wicket in 28 balls of the powerplay, he and Jos Buttler ended any fears of a twist in the tale.Dawid Malan had been overlooked in that West Indies romp, but his reappearance at No. 3 resulted in another typically fuss-free knock of 28 not out from 25, as he ticked along at a tempo that met the match requirements – nothing more, nothing less. Jonny Bairstow sealed the deal with a pull for four through midwicket with 35 balls left unused. The World No.1 T20I outfit are looking ominous in these early exchanges.

Travishek finally clicked this season and effortlessly chased down 246 in Hyderabad

Shashank Kishore12-Apr-20251:54

Jaffer: Abhishek has given SRH a new lease of life

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) ended a four-match losing streak in style by pulling off the second-highest run chase in IPL history, roaring past the 245 of Punjab Kings (PBKS), the team that holds the record. The win was made possible by Travishek, the opening duo finally clicking this season.On a Hyderabad pitch back to its batting-friendly best after last week’s turner against Gujarat Titans (GT), Abhishek Sharma and Travis Head capitalised, punishing PBKS with the season’s highest partnership – 171 in just 12.2 overs – after Abhishek rode his luck, surviving two missed chances.Related

• Most expensive IPL spells – O'Rourke third after conceding 74

• Chahal 'the main puzzle Punjab Kings need to solve' in quest for playoffs

• Abhishek Sharma takes T20 hitting out of this world

• 'Felt today was going to be my day' – Abhishek dedicates century to Orange Army

• Stats – Abhishek Sharma smashes the highest IPL score by an Indian

Abhishek, previously without a six this season, smashed six on his way to a 40-ball century that floored PBKS. He then added a few more after celebrating his landmark with a note: “This one is for the Orange Army.”Abhishek’s maiden IPL century – the highest score by an Indian in the tournament – stole the spotlight, but Harshal Patel’s 4 for 42 was just as crucial, as it helped cut PBKS short by at least 20 runs from what they seemed set to score. It was only their second loss of the season, made worse by an injury to key pacer Lockie Ferguson.

The Travishek show

Coming off scores of 18, 2, 1 and 6, Abhishek hit the ground running with three consecutive fours off Marco Jansen in the second over of the chase. Head followed suit by giving similar treatment to Arshdeep Singh, peppering different pockets of the ground.Abhishek got a lifeline on 28 when Yash Thakur, who came on as an Impact Sub for Nehal Wadhera, had him slice a catch to deep point but was found to have overstepped. Abhishek capitalised on the free-hit with his first six of the season, sparking the explosion.2:33

Chawla: Not the Chahal we’re used to seeing

PBKS’s woes deepened when Ferguson walked off clutching his hip two balls into his spell, and when Yuzvendra Chahal dropped Abhishek off his own bowling on 57, the wheels truly came off. Abhishek punished him with a six next ball, as SRH stormed to 100 by the eighth over.Having watched the carnage from the other end, Head pummeled Glenn Maxwell for back-to-back sixes as SRH were halfway to their target inside the ninth over. The carnage led to full-blown Australian-style tension when Maxwell let go a verbal volley at Head, with Marcus Stoinis playing mediator.

Abhishek mayhem

Among all the big sixes Abhishek hit, a strong bottom-handed helicopter shot off former team-mate Jansen stood out. This six off an attempted yorker was a follow-up to a short ball on the body which Abhishek managed to hit over deep square. He ended the over with back-to-back fours, ridiculously scooping and picking off length balls behind the wicketkeeper.By the time PBKS had a wicket, when Chahal had Head holing out to Maxwell at long-on, the muted celebrations told the story of a team that had already been deflated. Abhishek raised his century four balls later as the Orange Army stood up and applauded.1:31

Jaffer: ‘Shami struggles when he doesn’t nail his yorkers’

Abhishek would hit five more sixes after bringing up his century, and when he fell in the 17th over to good friend and Punjab team-mate Arshdeep, there was widespread applause from both the crowd and the opponents.Heinrich Klaasen and Ishan Kishan then saw off the chase with nine balls to spare.

Arya and Shreyas lead PBKS charge

A 36-ball 82 from Shreyas Iyer and an early turbo-charge from Priyansh Arya that helped raise the joint-fastest half-century of the season helped set up the game.PBKS threatened to blaze past 250 halfway into the innings, but then appeared to fall well short of that mark as Harshal picked up the big wickets of Shreyas and Maxwell in a gun 18th over – he finished with 4 for 42.Then Stoinis, who hadn’t made much of an impact with the bat till this game, got stuck into Mohammed Shami, hitting him for four consecutive sixes in the final over that went for 27 as PBKS finished with 245 for 6. Shami’s figures read a forgettable 4-0-75-0.1:22

‘Shreyas not doing anything fancy, he just sticks to his strengths’

Harshal’s impact

Generally used at the death, Harshal was brought on early to try and stem the run flow, and he delivered in his very first over, the fourth, when he had Arya hack an offcutter to Nitish Kumar Reddy at mid-on.But his real impact was in the last six overs. Coming on for his third, in the 15th, he foxed the dangerous Shashank Singh with an offcutter that trapped him lbw in a nine-run over.Then, off the 18th, with PBKS looking for a lift-off, he had a struggling Maxwell bowled off a dipping slower ball as he attempted a reverse ramp, and then Shreyas two balls later when he took all the pace off to have him lob one to point in trying to hit the ball over the infield.In between Harshal’s heroics, Eshan Malinga, the Sri Lankan seamer, gave a good account of himself on debut to pick up two wickets.

Puthur, who made an impressive debut this season, has had bone stress reactions in both shins

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2025Mumbai Indians’ (MI) left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur has been ruled out of IPL 2025 with bone stress reactions in both his shins. The franchise has signed uncapped legspinner Raghu Sharma as Puthur’s replacement.Puthur had a memorable debut earlier this season, picking up three wickets against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In all, he took six wickets in five games at an economy rate of 9.08.”Vignesh will continue to be with the team to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation with the Mumbai Indians medical and S&C team,” the franchise said in a statement.Related

• Auto-rickshaw driver's son latest entrant to MI's talent club

Raghu, 32, was part of MI’s net bowlers and joins the main squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh. Just like Puthur, this will be a maiden IPL stint for him.He has represented Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket over the years. In 11 first-class matches, he has 57 wickets at an average of 19.59. He has 14 wickets in nine List A games and three in three T20s.MI had a slow start to the tournament with one win from their five games. Since then, they have stacked five wins in a row and are currently third on the points table with 12 points from ten games.

“It’s nearly like the young Virat Kohli coming out of him, just celebrating and rejoicing in an emotional way,” Tom Moody said after RCB’s maiden IPL win

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jun-20252:28

Moody: Kohli’s cricketing career was nearly born at RCB

After almost two decades of waiting, when Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finally became IPL champions, it wasn’t just a title triumph for Virat Kohli. It was the culmination of a journey that began in 2008 when he was a fiery young batter who would go on to become one of the most influential cricketers of his generation. It was also a full-circle moment for a player and a franchise that have become one and the same over time.As former RCB pacer Varun Aaron put it on ESPNcricinfo’s Time Out show, “He [Kohli] has been the king of the castle in RCB for 18 years.” Aaron went to say, “At the end of the day, if they haven’t won a trophy, the first person they’re going to look at is Virat Kohli. And Virat Kohli, he loves to win. He can’t take second as even an option. So this is huge for him. Also, the kind of adoration and love he gets from the fans, from the franchise, is just huge.”And this is what they’ve been expecting for the longest time. It has come good. RCB have been the most loved team in the Indian Premier League by far. And now I don’t know where Virat’s going to go after this.”Tom Moody summed up Kohli’s IPL journey, saying it was a story of how a career was born, shaped, and lived out within a single franchise.”His cricketing career was nearly born at RCB,” Moody said. “So that’s why I think he’s so emotional, because he’s been so invested as a young player with a young mind, without knowing the body of work that he’s going to do in the game and that status that he was going to get in the game.”So you can see the connection that this has to him, because he’s been through all those ups and downs. We saw the stats earlier on about how many times RCB have made the finals in the 18 seasons. Ten times [in the playoffs]. Four times final. You can see why he’s emotional.”It’s nearly like the young Virat Kohli coming out of him, just celebrating and rejoicing in an emotional way.””When fans see the main player give everything on the field, they’re obviously going to feel that this guy deserves something”•AFP/Getty Images

Kohli has grown, faltered, risen and roared – all in RCB colours. With 8661 runs in 259 innings at a strike rate of 132.85 and an average of 39.54, he is the highest run-getter in IPL history.Between 2011 and 2023, he led RCB 143 times, the third-highest number of matches played as a captain in the IPL. He led RCB to the final in 2016 where they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). His 973 runs in that massive season still remains a record in the IPL.”The biggest Indian player after Sachin Tendulkar, I would say, who’s played day in day out for 18 years, he’s hardly ever missed matches, he’s hardly ever missed IPLs, he’s turned up season after season,” Aaron said looking back. “And given everything, when fans see the main player give everything on the field, with bat and even on the field, they’re obviously going to feel that, you know what, this guy deserves something.”While RCB gave Kohli a stage, it’s equally true – as Aaron put it – that “RCB has had its role in making Virat, but Virat has also made the franchise.”

The selectors have dropped Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanvir Islam and Tanzim Hasan

Mohammad Isam04-Jun-2025Ebadot Hossain returns to the Bangladesh team for the first time in almost two years, after being named in the 16-man squad for the two Tests against Sri Lanka later this month. He has recovered from an ACL surgery after he was injured during an ODI against Afghanistan in July 2023. Litton Das also returns to the Test side after he was given time off during the Zimbabwe series in April.The selectors, meanwhile, have dropped Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanvir Islam and Tanzim Hasan for the Sri Lanka Tests. Taskin Ahmed couldn’t be fit in time for the Test series as he recovers from an ankle injury.Ebadot’s return, however, is good news. He played 27 competitive matches in the 2024-25 season including three first-class matches. He played one of those against the visiting New Zealand A side last month. The 31-year-old Ebadot has taken 42 wickets in 20 Tests so far.Left-arm spinner Hasan Murad returns to the Test side too, after he was in the squad against South Africa and West Indies last year. Murad played only three first-class matches in the past season, as he was touring with the senior team during the 2024-25 National Cricket League.Bangladesh and Sri Lanka will kick off the 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle. Bangladesh drew their last Test series, against Zimbabwe at home, in April.Bangladesh are likely to arrive in Sri Lanka on June 13, with their first Test in Galle from June 17. The second Test is at the Singhalese Sports Club Cricket ground in Colombo from June 25. The Tests are followed by three ODIs and three T20Is, with the tour ending on July 16.IN: Litton Das, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain, Khaled AhmedOUT: Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Tanvir Islam, Tanzim Hasan SakibBangladesh squad: Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), Shadman Islam, Anamul Haque Bijoy, Mominul Haque, Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das, Mahidul Islam, Jaker Ali, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Nayeem Hasan, Hasan Murad, Ebadot Hossain, Hasan Mahmud, Nahid Rana, Khaled Ahmed

The English top flight is packed with international superstars but which lesser-known players could make a big impact this season?

• Getty Images
  

  1Rafael Camacho

  Rafael Camacho is just one of several youngsters to have impressed Jurgen Klopp this summer but the Liverpool boss has been particularly taken with the Portuguese starlet on account of his remarkable versatility.

  "Rafa Camacho is having a pre-season that is just fantastic," the German enthused, "and mostly as a full-back, where he'd never played before."

  Indeed, while the converted winger excelled as a wing-back for Steven Gerrard's Under-18s last season, he is now proving that he has the defensive discipline and requisite intelligence to play as an orthodox right-back.

  Camacho should spend the upcoming campaign with the Under-23s but Klopp would not have any doubts about utilising a character he says is full of "football joy".

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• Getty
  

  2Phil Foden

  This time last year, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was raving about Phil Foden after a performance of remarkable maturity in an International Champions Cup clash with Manchester United. 

  The Catalan's hopes for the classy and versatile midfielder have only risen after a 2017-18 campaign in which the teenager became the youngest Englishman to ever start a Champions League match before then becoming the youngest ever recipient of a Premier League winners' medal.

  When one considers that he was also named player of the tournament after helping his country win last October's Under-17 World Cup in India, it's clear that the prodigiously gifted Foden has both the talent and the temperament to make an even bigger impact on the English top flight this term.

• Getty Images
  

  3Matteo Guendouzi

  Having been plying his trade in Ligue 2 with Lorient, Matteo Guendouzi was the least known of Arsenal's summer signings. 

  However, the 19-year-old defensive midfielder, who represents France at Under-20 level, has been the surprise star of the Gunners' pre-season campaign and is already beginning to look like a bargain buy at just £7 million.

  Indeed, with his impressive composure and pin-point passing, the Paris Saint-Germain product is showing just why Gunners boss Unai Emery believes that Guendouzi will be "an important part" of Arsenal's first-team squad this season.

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  4Callum Hudson-Odoi

  New Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has been at pains to point out that Callum Hudson-Odoi is not guaranteed first-team football this season but even the Italian couldn't help but get excited by the forward's potential on the back of his pre-season performances, admitting that the 17-year-old is going to become "very famous". 

  Hudson-Odoi certainly has the pace and trickery to excel at the highest level, as underlined by the fact that the Englishman is being tracked by Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus.

  Luckily for Chelsea, the Under-17 World Cup winner has already admitted that he is savouring Sarri's brand of high-energy, high-pressing football and appears to be edging closer to signing a lucrative five-year contract with the Londoners.

The new footballing rich list for 2019 is here, with all the usual suspects still on top of the world when it comes to making their money count

The Soccerex Football Finance 100 for 2019 is out – and there may be one or two surprises floating around this year’s list.

Charting the strongest clubs around the globe in terms of monetary power with an analytical model utilising five variables to deliver a final calculation, the list allows fans to see who packs a punch when it comes to the big bucks.

Through utilising the values of playing assets, tangible assets such as stadiums, cash in the bank, owner potential investment and net debt, the Soccerex Football Finance 100 measures up the powerhouses of world football, ultimately awarding them a Football Finance Index (FFI) score based on the results.

The results this year aren’t too unexpected, with many of the usual suspects rounding out the top 10 – but below, there may be a few more unforeseen teams jostling in the ranks.

Teams from 100-21 have been abbreviated, showing only their FFI scores, while a more detailed breakdown of the numbers is available for the top 20.

• Getty
  

  No. 100-91

  100. Tianjin Quanjian (China) – 0.09

  99. Tijuana (Mexico) – 0.10

  98. Sporting CP (Portugal) – 0.10

  97. Cruzeiro (Brazil) – 0.11

  96. Cardiff City (UK) – 0.11

  95. Palmeiras (Brazil) – 0.12

  94. Shandong Luneng (China) – 0.13

  93. Sao Paulo (Brazil) – 0.13

  92. Pachuca (Mexico) – 0.14

  91. Cruz Azul (Mexico) – 0.14

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• CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images
  

  No. 90-81

  90. River Plate (Argentina) – 0.16

  89. Hebei China Fortune (China) – 0.16

  88. Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine) – 0.16

  87. Huddersfield Town (UK) – 0.17

  86. Shanghai Shenhua (China) – 0.18

  85. Flamengo (Brazil) – 0.19

  84. Independiente (Argentina) – 0.20

  83. Atletico Mineiro (Brazil) – 0.21

  82. Queens Park Rangers (UK) – 0.21

  81. Watford (UK) – 0.23

• Getty Images
  

  No. 80-71

  80. Bordeaux (France) – 0.23

  79. Tigres (Mexico) – 0.23

  78. Pumas (Mexico) – 0.24

  77. Feyenoord (Netherlands) – 0.24

  76. Corinthians (Brazil) – 0.24

  75. Jiangsu Suning (China) – 0.25

  74. Boca Juniors (Argentina) – 0.28

  73. PSV (Netherlands) – 0.30

  72. Atletico Paranaense (Brazil) – 0.30

  71. Aston Villa (UK) – 0.30

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  No. 70-61

  70. Porto (Portugal) – 0.31

  69. Beijing Guoan (China) – 0.32

  68. Girona (Spain) – 0.33

  67. Nice (France) – 0.34

  66. Benfica (Portugal) – 0.34

  65. Internacional (Brazil) – 0.35

  64. Espanyol (Spain) – 0.35

  63. Shanghai SIPG (China) – 0.36

  62. Burnley (UK) – 0.39

  61. Roma (Italy) – 0.39

GOAL reveal which African All-Star topped each of these critical stats categories this season

• Getty Images.
  

  Goals

  Mohamed Salah tops this category for African players, and indeed across the Premier League, as he ended the campaign with 23 goals—tied in top spot overall with Son Heung-min.

  The Egypt superstar’s haul wins him his third Premier League Golden Boot as he becomes the first African player to top the scoring charts in three separate PL campaigns.

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• Assists

  Salah again leads the way here, having registered 13 assists throughout the campaign. It’s again the most of any player in the division during the course of the season, as the Liverpool sensation becomes only the fourth player in Prem history to lead both the goal charts and the assists charts in a single campaign.

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  Minutes Played

  Edouard Mendy was in action for 3060 minutes across the course of the campaign, with the goalkeeper starting 34 of Chelsea’s 38 matches.

  This was level with the likes of Aaron Ramsdale and Virgil van Dijk, although Mendy was someway off David de Gea and Hugo Lloris who both led the way after being in action for 3420 minutes during the season.

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  Yellow Cards

  Yves Bissouma tops Africa’s disciplinary charts during 2021-22 after picking up 10 yellow cards during the course of the campaign.

  This is only one lower than James Tarkowski, Tyrone Mings and Junior Firpo, all of whom were booked on 11 occasions.