“Whenever we needed a breakthrough, she was there for the team,” Harmanpreet Kaur says of Kranti Goud, whose six-wicket haul helped India defend 318 in the deciding ODI against England

Valkerie Baynes23-Jul-2025Ten balls had gone – and Harmanpreet Kaur was counting – before she scored her first run, the first of 102 that would set the platform for India’s series-clinching victory against England and lay down a marker ahead of the home ODI World Cup.On the 11th ball she faced at Chester-le-Street in the third and final ODI, Harmanpreet found the boundary with a gorgeous cover drive off left-arm spinner Linsey Smith and, while it was slow-going at first, she was on her way.Harmanpreet’s century was her seventh in ODIs but her first score above 50 in the format in 13 innings. Since scoring 54 in the 50-over warm-up match against an ECB Development XI at the start of the tour, her best score in either of the white-ball series against England had been 26 in the fourth T20I.Related

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“In all the matches I wanted to give my best in batting but today’s game was very important to us,” she said. “The plan was to spend some time on the wicket and then see how things go. That really worked for me.”The first [ten] balls, I didn’t get any runs but then I was just talking to myself: ‘I’m not going to lose myself, just be there, be there for the team’.”By reaching a hundred in 82 deliveries, Harmanpreet surpassed her 87-ball effort against South Africa last year as the second-fastest for her country in women’s ODIs after Smriti Mandhana’s century off 70 balls against Ireland earlier this year. She also became the third India player to pass 4000 runs in women’s ODIs in the process.Also satisfying for India was their all-round batting performance, which also included 50 for Jemimah Rodrigues, who put on 110 runs for the fourth wicket with Harmanpreet, 45 each for Mandhana and Harleen Deol, and an 18-ball 38 from Richa Ghosh.Kranti Goud struck twice in the first powerplay on her way to a six-wicket haul•PA Photos/Getty Images

Then Kranti Goud, the 21-year-old seamer playing her fifth match for India, took 6 for 52 as England were bowled out for 305 with one ball remaining, 13 runs shy of achieving a world-record run-chase. Goud became the second-youngest India player behind Deepti Sharma to take a five-wicket haul in women’s ODIs.”She’s been really impressing whenever she was on the field and bowling for the team,” Harmanpreet said of Goud. “I’m really happy the kind of bowling she did today and whenever we needed a breakthrough, she was there for the team.”India’s 318 for 5 was the second-highest ODI score by a visiting team in England after their 333 for 5 in Canterbury in 2022. It was also the fifth time India had scored 300 or more in ODIs this year.Tuesday’s narrow winning margin belied India’s dominance in the match, although allowing England to go from 8 for 2 to 170 for 2 as Nat Sciver-Brunt and Emma Lamb added 162 runs together will act as a reminder that the World Cup hosts cannot give any ground to their opponents.India can expect a sterner test from reigning champions Australia, whom they will play in a three-match ODI series immediately before the World Cup. But Harmanpreet said her team would take confidence from their tour of England, which also included a 3-2 victory in the T20I series.There will be sterner tests ahead, but India can celebrate the double in England for the moment•Getty Images

“Today was a totally different situation and different pitch, different atmosphere, in home conditions it will be different,” she said. “But whenever you win, that can always give you a positive mindset and keep you in a good place.”This series definitely will give us a lot of confidence but, again, when we go back, we have to start again from ball one.”She was also pleased that her team were hitting good form at the right time.”Our team has been really working hard for so many years and this is the time where we are getting that [reward],” she said. “We only talk about playing good cricket and we know the kind of talent we have in our side. It’s only about using the right talent at right time and getting the best out of them.”I’m really happy. All the girls, they’re coming up with a positive mindset and working really hard on their fitness. We have understood a lot of things in the past few years and right now we’re just trying to pass that benchmark and set ourselves into that position where people can talk about women’s cricket. People can take a women’s cricket really seriously back home because we all know how much people love cricket back home, and they also want us to do well.”

In a new interview, Todd Boehly has taken aim at the English media as the Chelsea co-owner fires back at criticism. The American businessman, along with Mark Walter, Hansjorg Wyss and Clearlake Capital, launched a successful bid to buy the Blues in March 2022. Roman Abramovich had put the club up for sale after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

AFPRollercoaster start to Boehly era

Former Chelsea owner Abramovich had been forced to sell the club in 2022 after he was sanctioned by then-UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Abramovich's close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin meant the 59-year-old's assets were frozen in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, a conflict that continues to rumble on.

This paved the way for Boehly to take the reins at Chelsea, having initially seen a $3bn offer to buy the club rejected in 2019. A consortium fronted by the American businessman would ultimately pay £4.25bn to seal the takeover, which was approved by the British government on May 25, 2022, and on May 30, the sale was completed, ending Abramovich's 19-year ownership of the club.

Boehly's time at Chelsea hasn't been plain sailing, with the American coming in for criticism for the way in which he has managed the club. Indeed, he opted to relieve fan favourite Thomas Tuchel shortly after taking charge, while the German's successors Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and Mauricio Pochettino also suffered the same fate.

Chelsea, though, are on an upward trajectory with Enzo Maresca in the dugout. The Italian guided the Blues back to the Champions League in his debut season in charge, and also won the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup in his first 12 months in west London.

AdvertisementBoehly takes criticism on the chin

Boehly, who also has stakes in the LA Dodgers and the LA Lakers, is used to dealing with unhappy fans. Indeed, when asked by the Australian Financial Review how he deals with criticism, Boehly replied: "Sometimes my wife and my family take it differently than I take it. I just find it’s one more person that doesn’t know what they’re talking about."

Taking aim at the media, Boehly added: "The English papers remind me every day how smart they are and how stupid I am."

Boehly went on to express his excitement about the future of the club, saying: "You’re going to continue to watch our team evolve and grow. We’ve got them together for a long time. I’m pretty excited about what the future looks like."

Chelsea's first season since Boehly took ownership didn't go quite according to plan as the Blues finished 12th in the Premier League. However, there has been a marked improvement in the following seasons, with Chelsea finishing sixth in the 2023-24 campaign before securing a top-four finish under Maresca last season.

After 11 games this season, Chelsea find themselves in third place, six points behind league leaders Arsenal, following their 3-0 win over Wolves last time out.

Getty Images SportChelsea's established global fan base

The Chelsea supremo also mentioned that one of the focuses is to grow the club's global brand across the world. "We’re trying to grow a global fan base. If your fan base is continuing to grow all around the world, that should lead it to naturally believe that your revenue is going to continue to grow," Boehly said.

Chelsea already have a well-established global fan base, which rose considerably after Abramovich initially took charge in June 2003. During his time at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea won the Premier League five times, the Champions League twice and the Europa League twice as the Blues became a European force to be reckoned with.

And as of February 2024, Chelsea have an estimated 136.7 million social media followers across numerous platforms, including X, Facebook and Instagram.

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Funds from Chelsea sale still frozen

While Abramovich was forced to sell Chelsea in 2022, full proceeds from the £2.5bn sale remain frozen in a UK bank account. Abramovich wanted the funds to benefit "all victims of war" while the UK's position is that the money can only be used for "humanitarian purposes".

"This government is working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible," a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson said on Monday.

"The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation is established to manage and distribute the money.

"UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we will double down on our efforts to reach a resolution."

The UK government's position, which has not changed despite Labour's UK election win last year, is that the money can only be used for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.

A significant update has emerged regarding one Rangers star’s Ibrox future, with the 49ers Enterprises tempted to sell and his potential price tag in the January transfer window revealed.

The Gers have found some much-needed form with Danny Rohl at the helm, with three wins in succession coming their way in the Scottish Premiership.

Numerous players have performed better under the German than they did with Russell Martin in charge, not least Nicolas Raskin, who was impressive in Sunday’s 3-0 win away to Dundee in the league, bossing the midfield battle for the visitors.

The Belgian fell out of favour under his previous manager, who publicly explained why he axed him from Rangers’ squad to face Hearts earlier this season.

“He won’t be in the squad tomorrow. We have a lot of conversations as we do with every player, but he’s back training with the squad which is a good step. Now, like every player, he has a duty to make sure he earns the trust of all his other team-mates, coaching staff and the staff in the building to help us win football matches.”

Rangers may sell Raskin for £20m in January

Now, according to a new update from TEAMtalk, Rangers and the 49ers could be willing to sell Raskin in January, potentially demanding as much as £20m for his signature, even though Rohl has “consistently praised” his influence and sees him in his long-term plans. Two unnamed Serie A sides are weighing up a New Year approach.

£20m “could be enough” to force the Gers’ hand midway through the season, with the Scottish side “aware of his growing market value -particularly after another impressive international break with Belgium, where he earned widespread plaudits for his composure and work rate.”

Opinion may be split over Rangers potentially letting Raskin leave the club in January, not least because he has shown the quality that he has in his locker in recent weeks, also being lauded by Derek Ferguson in the past: “Raskin, since he started looking after himself, has been phenomenal. It’s his drive, his ability on the ball.”

The 24-year-old is contracted at Ibrox until the summer of 2027, so a big decision does need to be made relatively soon, in order for the Gers not to miss out on receiving a hefty fee for him, and certainly not losing him on a free transfer at that point.

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That said, waiting until the summer feels like a sensible choice, allowing Raskin to remain at the club for the rest of this season, helping Rohl’s side give themselves the best possible chance of success, both domestically and in Europe.

0 mins under Martin: Rohl must unleash Rangers' "left-footed Van Dijk"

أصدر المجلس الأعلى لتنظيم الإعلام، برئاسة المهندس خالد عبدالعزيز، عددًا من القرارات والتدابير التنظيمية عقب مناقشة توصيات لجنة الشكاوى برئاسة الإعلامي عصام الأمير.

وجاء ذلك بشأن محتوى برنامج “البريمو” والذي يُذاع عبر قناة “Ten”، وبعض المنصات الرقمية المرتبطة بالشأن الرياضي.

طالع أيضًا | خالد الغندور: الزمالك لا ينافس على الألقاب.. وغير مُرشح للبطولة الأضعف في إفريقيا العقوبات والقرارات الصادرة من المجلس الأعلى للإعلام

أولًا: تغريم قناة TEN الفضائية مبلغ 50 ألف جنيه، على خلفية ما رصدته اللجنة من مخالفات مهنية وأخلاقية في عدد من حلقات برنامج “البريمو” الذي يقدمه الإعلامي إسلام صادق، وذلك لمخالفتها الأكواد والمعايير الصادرة عن المجلس.

ثانيًا: توجيه إنذار رسمي للحسابات الإلكترونية التي تعمل تحت اسم “نجم الجماهير” على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي، بعد ثبوت بث محتوى مخالف للقانون في بعض حلقاتها المنشورة عبر هذه المنصات.

ثالثًا: إلزام جميع الوسائل الإعلامية الخاضعة لأحكام قانون رقم 180 لسنة 2018 بحظر ظهور كل من: الكابتن رضا عبدالعال، الإعلامي أبو المعاطي زكي، وذلك لمدة شهرين اعتبارًا من تاريخ صدور القرار.

رابعًا: مخاطبة نقابة الصحفيين، برئاسة الكاتب الصحفي خالد البلشي، لاتخاذ ما تراه مناسبًا وفق القانون بشأن المحتوى الذي يقدمه الإعلامي أبو المعاطي زكي.

Also, who was the fastest bowler to 300 Test wickets by time?

Steven Lynch29-Oct-2024New Zealand have just won a Test series in India. Have they ever done that before, and how often have India been whitewashed at home? asked Michael O’Sullivan from New Zealand

New Zealand had never previously won any of their 12 Test series in India, and indeed had won only two previous Tests there – in Nagpur in October 1969, and in Mumbai in November 1988. That first win enabled them to draw the series 1-1, and a two-match rubber in 2003-04 was drawn 0-0; India won the other ten. New Zealand have done much better at home, winning six series (and ten Tests overall).India might have lost the series after their defeat in Pune, but there’s still another Test to come so it’s too early to talk about a whitewash. The only time they have ever lost every match of a series (more than one Test) at home was in 1999-2000, when South Africa won both matches. They did lose three-match series 2-0 to England in 1933-34 (the first Tests in India), Australia in 1956-57 and West Indies in 1966-67. As this list shows, India have lost three matches in five longer series at home, which included 3-0 defeats to West Indies in 1958-59 (five Tests) and 1983-84 (six).I saw that Kagiso Rabada was the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets in terms of balls bowled, but who got there fastest by time? asked Andy Johnson from England

You’re right that Kagiso Rabada was the fastest to reach 300 Test wickets by balls bowled – he got there when he dismissed Mushfiqur Rahim during South Africa’s recent Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur. That wicket came with Rabada’s 11,817th legal delivery in a Test, 132.3 overs quicker than Waqar Younis (12,602), who himself was three balls quicker than Dale Steyn.The fastest in terms of time was Shane Warne, who got there in six years and three days from his debut against India in Sydney in January 1992. R Ashwin ran Warne close, reaching 300 in November 2017, six years and 21 days after his debut. Rabada played his first Test in November 2015, so is well down this particular list, in 15th place.Was Zimbabwe’s 344 the other day a T20 international record? asked Burton Mugambwa from Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe ran up 344 for 4 in their match against Gambia in Nairobi last week, during the African qualifying tournament for the next T20 World Cup. It was not only the highest in a T20 international, but the biggest in any senior men’s T20 match, beating Nepal’s 314 for 3 against Mongolia in the Asian Games in Hangzhou (China) in September 2023. As mentioned two weeks ago in this column, there have been higher totals in women’s T20 internationals.Zimbabwe won by 290 runs, another record for men’s T20s, beating Nepal’s 273 in the match mentioned above. Argentina’s women won successive games against Chile in October 2023 by 364, 281 and 311 runs.Sikandar Raza reached his century – Zimbabwe’s first in T20s – against Gambia in just 33 balls, putting him joint-second in men’s T20 internationals behind Sahil Chauhan’s 27-ball onslaught for Estonia against Cyprus in Episkopi in June 2024. That’s also the fastest in all men’s T20 matches.Sydney Barnes’ 189 wickets came in just 27 Tests, an average of seven wickets a Test•PA PhotosPrabath Jayasuriya currently has 97 wickets in 16 Tests – that’s more than six a match. Has anyone else had a higher average? asked Nishantha de Silva from Sri Lanka

Slow left-armer Prabath Jayasuriya currently averages 6.06 wickets per Test, a rate he’ll have to sustain for a long time to stay ahead of Muthiah Muralidaran, who took 800 wickets in his 133-Test career, at the rate of 6.01 per match.Leading the way is the great England bowler Sydney Barnes, who took 189 wickets in just 27 Tests, an average of exactly seven per match. Among those who took 50 or more Test wickets, the only others above six are three 19th-century bowlers in Jack Ferris (6.77 wickets per Test), Tom Richardson (6.28) and George Lohmann (6.22). Lohmann is the only man to have more wickets after 16 Tests (101) than Jayasuriya’s 97.The only other current bowler who averages more than five wickets per Test is R Ashwin, who stood at 5.12 per match after the second Test against New Zealand in Pune.Saim Ayub opened the batting and the bowling in Rawalpindi. How often has this happened in a Test? asked Abdul Hameed Majeed from Pakistan

Offspinner Saim Ayub took the new ball for Pakistan in the third Test against England in Rawalpindi – a one-over spell before Noman Ali returned! He’d earlier opened the batting, and became the 70th man to do both in the same Test. There are now 154 instances in all, and two Indian allrounders lead the way: Manoj Prabhakar did it no fewer than 22 times, and ML Jaisimha 13. Next come Pakistan’s Mudassar Nazar (nine times) and Abid Ali of India (six).The most recent instance before Saim Ayub was by Solomon Mire, for Zimbabwe against West Indies in Bulawayo late in 2017; the previous year Dilruwan Perera did it for Sri Lanka against Australia in Colombo. Perhaps the most surprising name on the list is another Indian, Budhi Kunderan, against England at Edgbaston in July 1967 – he was usually a wicketkeeper!Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

The India and RCB allrounder and self-professed rebel is the queen of comebacks

Hemant Brar16-Jun-2025When Sneh Rana dismissed Anushka Sanjeewani to seal India’s victory in the ODI tri-series final in Colombo last month, she raised her right arm, lowered her sleeve and revealed a tattoo. Inked in Devanagari, just below her wrist, it read – which translates to “rebel”.”If someone says something cannot be done, my automatic response is [to ask] why it cannot be done,” offspin-bowling allrounder Rana says. “It can be done. I rebel.”The tri-series was the latest in a long line of comebacks for her. Playing white-ball cricket after almost a year and a half, she took 15 wickets in five games and was the Player of the Series. Five of those wickets came against South Africa, a career best, for which she was named Player of the Match, becoming only the third Indian after Smriti Mandhana and Deepti Sharma with a match award in all three formats.Related

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Soon after the series ended, Rana made another comeback. When India announced their squad for the England tour, she found a place in the T20I side after more than two years out of it. is not Rana’s only tattoo. The old adage tells us to treat our bodies like temples, but Rana treats hers like a journal, chronicling significant moments of her life on it in permanent ink. She made her India debut in 2014, but about two years later, she suffered a knee injury that kept her off the field for a year. People started to say her career was over. During that time she got a tattoo of an anchor on her left forearm with “I refuse to sink” written next to it.Read my arm: Rana is something of a tattoo aficionado”That one year was very difficult,” she says of the time she was out. “It was very important to stay calm and patient. In such times, people around you are equally important. I was fortunate to have my parents with me. They never let me feel down.”Rana stayed afloat and kept making waves in domestic cricket. It took her five years to stage a comeback, but she returned stronger. The bowling action was a bit more side-on; she put more body into it and gave the ball a proper rip.In her first game on return, her Test debut, in Bristol, she took four wickets in England’s only innings. When India followed on, she scored 80 not out from No. 8 and helped save the match. She impressed in the ODIs and T20Is as well. Ramesh Powar, India women’s coach then, called her “the find of the series”.It was an emotional roller coaster for Rana. A month before she was picked for the England tour, she lost her father, whom she was very close to. The date of his death is inked in Roman numerals on her left arm. “You know how a father-daughter relation is,” she says. “My dad always supported me, encouraged me, and protected me from all the negative things. He wanted me to play for India again. But when it happened, he was not there to witness it.

So finally after 5 long years the wait is over
PAPA this one’s for you
It’s an emotional moment for me and my Fam.I can’t describe my emotions.Just wanna thank each and everyone for your guidance and support throughout this journey.
Papa,wish u were here to live this moment pic.twitter.com/kjTQXikqPW

— Sneh Rana (@SnehRana15) May 30, 2021