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A lot of his runs in this IPL have come at the Wankhede. Can he be just as destructive when he travels away from home?

Abhimanyu Bose15-May-2023Suryakumar Yadav is about to face a serious test. Playing away from home.On Friday, he put Gujarat Titans to the sword with a sublime century – his first in the IPL – as Mumbai Indians consolidated their place in the top four of the IPL 2023 league table.It was an atypical Suryakumar innings for the first 34 deliveries he faced, before he brought out the full range of his audacity to light up the Wankhede.In the 19th over, he took on Mohammed Shami and played perhaps the most incredible shot of them all.This is how it was described on ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary: “I don’t have a name for this shot. Fullish, angling in towards off stump, and SKY steps away to the leg side to create room, to play what starts off as a lofted off drive, except he uses his wrists to slice underneath the ball and hit it over short third. Over short third! For six.”Related

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It was completely intentional. The commentators argued whether it was or not. Replays showed Suryakumar opening the face of the bat at the last moment. He can do wonders, when there is pace on the ball, but there is unlikely to be a lot of that in Mumbai’s next game in Lucknow.With its slow, low, turning pitches, the Ekana Stadium is the least friendly venue for run-scoring this season. Batters this season have averaged a mere 17.46 and have been striking at 112.22.Now Suryakumar is no ordinary player. More to the point, he is on a hot streak – 413 runs in his last seven innings at a strike rate of 202, including five fifty-plus scores.Even so, much of his success this season has come at home. In fact, after scoring just 1 in Mumbai’s first game at the Wankhede this season against Chennai Super Kings, Suryakumar’s lowest score there has been the 43 against Knight Riders.

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Where they finished in 2020

Fifth, due to a poor net run rate. They had 14 points, the same as the teams that finished third and fourth.

Potential XI

1 Shubman Gill, 2 Rahul Tripathi, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Shakib Al Hasan, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Prasidh Krishna

Batting

Slog-overs batting remains their biggest strength with Eoin Morgan, Andre Russell and Dinesh Karthik to finish the innings. Since IPL 2018, their death-overs run rate of 11.16 is the second-best in the tournament, with the Mumbai Indians leading with 11.49. This attribute can be beneficial when their top order has no batsman who stands out as explosive. Shubman Gill will play the anchor role, while fellow opener Nitish Rana – who moved to that position towards the back end of IPL 2020 – will have the onus of giving them a steady, quick start in the powerplay. Shakib Al Hasan’s skills help them segue into the big-hitters.Related

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In their best interest, the Knight Riders should try and avoid tweaking the batting order of their key players too often. With Sunil Narine’s batting blowing hot and cold and his bowling no longer as potent, he may not make the XI in Shakib’s presence. Tim Seifert, Ben Cutting, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Karun Nair and Gurkeerat Singh Mann – a late replacement for Rinku Singh – remain useful back-ups across various positions.Kolkata Knight Riders’ squad for IPL 2021•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Bowling

With their first three games in spin-friendly Chennai, Shakib and Varun Chakravarthy are likely to play key roles. The variations that Prasidh Krishna and a fully-fit Russell bring to the table will also be useful there. As they move to Mumbai and Bengaluru thereafter, Lockie Ferguson could be a formidable new-ball option. Otherwise, expect Pat Cummins and Krishna to open the bowling. One of Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti will likely be the third seamer.They will be keen to improve on two key numbers: the death-overs economy (10.84) and the lack of wickets in the powerplay. Since IPL 2018, they have averaged 52.64 runs per wicket in the powerplay, by far the worst among all teams. Their bench strength in the spin department is strong with Kuldeep Yadav and the experienced Harbhajan Singh available, an important consideration given Chakravarthy is quite injury prone.

Young player to watch out for

Madhya Pradesh opener Venkatesh Iyer. In his five Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy matches this season, he hammered unbeaten scores of 87 and 88 against Goa and Saurashtra to finish the tournament with an average of 75.66 and a strike rate of nearly 150. In the Vijay Hazare Trophy that followed, Iyer clobbered a 146-ball 198 against a Punjab side that had IPL bowlers like Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul, Harpreet Brar and Mayank Markande. The Knight Riders could include him in the starting XI if Rana or Tripathi isn’t firing.

Coaching staff

Brendon McCullum (head coach), Abhishek Nayar (assistant coach), Kyle Mills (bowling), James Foster (fielding), David Hussey (mentor), AR Srikkanth (lead analyst), Nathan Leamon (consultant strategist)

Poll

Thomas Frank’s start to life at Tottenham Hotspur has certainly been an impressive one, as seen by his side’s current Premier League standing in 2025/26.

The Lilywhites currently sit third in England’s top-flight, after losing just two of the first nine outings – even keeping four clean sheets during such a period.

His men have been just as impressive at the opposite end of the field, as seen by their tally of 17 goals in the first nine matches, with Mohammed Kudus having a huge bearing on such a record.

The Ghanaian has made an immediate impact after his £55m switch from West Ham United, subsequently registering one goal and four assists in the league to date.

However, despite his impressive start to life in North London, he may have a long way to go until he makes the list of the Lilywhites’ best additions within the last decade.

Spurs’ best additions over the last decade

Over the last few years, Spurs have made numerous high-profile additions to help the first-team squad mount a challenge for a Premier League title challenge.

Cristian Romero was brought into the club on loan in the summer of 2021, but would move to North London on a permanent basis 12 months later for a reported £42.5m.

Such a deal may have seemed to be an expensive one, but three years on, it could go down as one of the Lilywhites’ best over the last few years, given his impact in North London.

The Argentine has brought a needed steel to the club’s backline, racking up a total of 133 appearances across all competitions – even being named as part of the current leadership group.

However, Heung-min Son will no doubt take top spot for Spurs’ best addition in the last decade, with the South Korean exceeding all expectations during his spell in the Premier League.

The hierarchy paid £22m for his signature from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015, an absolute bargain given his total of 454 appearances in North London.

He would score on 173 occasions during his decade-long spell with the Lilywhites, with such a tally putting him fourth in the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

From solo goals against Burnley and incredible long-range strikes against North London rivals Arsenal, he was capable of the spectacular and handing the fanbase moments to last a lifetime.

Son was even a part of the club’s Europa League-winning campaign in 2024/25, with such an achievement undoubtedly cementing his place as a Lilywhites icon.

The player who could be Frank’s answer to Son

After such success in Europe, Son decided to call time on his Spurs career, leaving in the recent transfer window to join MLS outfit LAFC in a deal worth a total of £20m.

The South Korean international left for a net loss of just £2m from the fee forked out for his signature – further highlighting the incredible business done by the Lilywhites hierarchy.

The decision meant that current boss Frank was unable to have the opportunity to work with the iconic forward, which has often left him without a settled left-winger.

Wilson Odobert, Brennan Johnson and Xavi Simons have all operated in such a position over the last few weeks – but none have managed to clinch the faith of the boss in the role.

However, that could change in the years ahead, with the club already having a superb young talent within their ranks in the form of teenager Hyeok-min Yang.

The 19-year-old joined the Lilywhites from Gangwon FC back in January, undoubtedly being brought into the club for the future years rather than the present.

It’s evident he already possesses bags of talent, with the youngster scoring 12 times in his 38 appearances for his homeland club, prior to his switch to England earlier this year.

However, in order to gain familiarity with the demands of English football, he’s been sent on various loans in the Championship – currently spending the 2025/26 campaign with Portsmouth.

Yang may only have featured in seven league outings to date, but he’s already made an immediate impact with Pompey, registering two goals and one assist in England’s second tier.

Games played

7

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

79%

Touches in opposition box

4.7

Fouls won

1.8

Recoveries made

5.3

Shots on target

1.1

Chances created

1.4

His impressive form on the South Coast has led to Korean analyst Jason Lee stating that the teenager is just “like Son Heung-min” – huge praise indeed given his compatriot’s achievements in North London.

Yang’s underlying stats at Fratton Park further indicate how impressive he’s been in 2025/26, with the winger ranking in the top 18% of players for goals per 90.

Other tallies such as 1.8 fouls won and 4.7 touches in the opposition per 90, showcase the danger he poses to the backlines in the Championship, even despite being just 19.

There’s no denying that he has a long road ahead of him before he makes an impact in North London, but there’s no disputing that he could be a real asset to the club in years to come.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by his compatriot in the Premier League, Yang will be a force to be reckoned with and potentially help catapult Frank’s men to yet more silverware in the near future.

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Leeds United have now joined the race to sign a “remarkable” midfielder, with their plans for the January transfer window being revealed.

Leeds' January transfer window plans now taking shape

Leeds may have to enter the market for a new central midfielder and winger in the upcoming transfer window, given that Daniel James is set to be out for at least eight weeks after suffering a hamstring injury, while Sean Longstaff could be out for around six weeks due to a calf issue.

Speaking about how James’ injury setback will impact his plans for next month, Daniel Farke said: “He’s an important player for us. In the summer, we spoke about doing more in the offensive positions. It influences your planning for January. But right now, we are fully focused on the upcoming games.”

The Whites are entering a busy period of the season, and there are some tough games on the horizon, taking on Chelsea at Elland Road this evening, before hosting reigning Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday afternoon.

Consequently, Farke’s side are at real risk of being in the relegation zone by the time the January window comes around, and it has now been revealed they are planning to make a couple of new signings, who could help save their season.

That is according to a report from Football Insider, which states bringing in a new central midfielder and winger is a priority for Leeds this winter, and they have now joined the race to sign Tromso star Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

Regular checks have been made on the 20-year-old, but there could be competition for his signature, with Brighton & Hove Albion and AFC Bournemouth also being named as potential suitors.

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With the youngster’s contract set to expire in 2027, the Premier League trio have been alerted to his potential availability ahead of the January transfer window, and the Norwegian is regarded as one of his country’s best young talents.

"Remarkable" Hjerto-Dahl impressing in the Eliteserien

Hailed for his “remarkable” decision-making and vision by scout Drin Gashi, the starlet has a keen eye for creating chances and scoring goals, finding the back of the net four times in the 2025 Eliteserien, while also providing six assists.

The maestro has already established himself as a key player for Tromso, making 87 appearances for the Norwegian club since breaking through in 2023, and his performances across the 2025 campaign suggest he may now be ready to test himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

That said, while Hjerto-Dahl could go on to be a future star, he remains inexperienced at the top level, so Leeds should try to get a more experienced midfielder through the door too this winter, and it was recently revealed they have made an enquiry over a deal for Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips.

There has been some understandable concern from some sections of the Leeds United fan base over the club’s recent run of results in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

The Whites have lost their last three matches in the division, to Brighton, Nottingham Forest, and Aston Villa, despite taking the lead in the last two games.

This run of results has left the West Yorkshire outfit in the relegation zone, albeit only on goal difference, with a daunting run of fixtures on the horizon in the Premier League.

Leeds travel to The Etihad to face Manchester City this weekend before a clash with Chelsea at Elland Road in midweek and a game against reigning champions Liverpool next weekend.

Unless the Whites pull off a surprise result in one of those matches, which is not impossible when you consider that Farke did beat City with Norwich in 2019, they could find themselves adrift in the relegation zone.

If Leeds lose all three of those games, it would be six defeats on the spin and a spot in the bottom three for the club. That is a hard position for any manager to keep their job in.

The case for Leeds to stick with Daniel Farke

Farke’s Premier League record will, naturally, come into question after his dismal time in the top-flight across two seasons with Norwich and the Whites’ form this term.

The German boss has lost 42 of his 61 games in the league, averaging 0.61 points per game, per Transfermarkt, with the Canaries and Leeds combined, which is a concerning statistic for any supporter looking to the manager and hoping that he can keep the team in the division.

However, it is worth adding some context. Norwich spent money on one permanent signing, Sam Byram for £750k, in the 2019/20 campaign and they had to play their last nine games behind closed doors. Before the second season, Farke’s best player, Emi Buendia, was sold to Aston Villa just weeks after they earned promotion from the Championship.

Then, of course, Farke wanted Leeds to strengthen their attacking options in the summer transfer window, but the club were unable to get a deal done for Harry Wilson on deadline day, which has left the manager short of options in the final third.

As you can see in the table above, Leeds should be in midtable based on their performances, but the players have not taken their chances and their goalkeepers have conceded more than expected.

Whilst all of this mitigation is a case to save Farke’s job, a fresh report suggests that the club may be making a change in the dugout in the coming weeks.

The latest on Daniel Farke's future at Leeds

According to Football Insider, the owners are ‘preparing’ to part ways with the German boss if he is unable to oversee an improvement in the team’s results in the next week or so.

The report claims that the club are planning to sack Farke if he does not pick up any points from the matches against Manchester City and Chelsea, as harsh as that may seem given the level of opposition.

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It adds that the Whites are already looking at possible options to come in and replace the German manager in the dugout if they do have a decision to make in the next seven days.

Football Insider reveals that Valencia head coach Carlos Corberan is one of the names in the frame to possibly replace Farke, stating that he has moved ahead in the race to move to the Premier League.

If Leeds are able to convince their former U21s boss to return to Elland Road, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke and the club’s new Marcelo Bielsa.

Why Leeds should appoint Carlos Corberan

Whilst, as aforementioned, there is plenty of mitigation that suggests that Farke would be somewhat unfortunate to lose his job, this latest update clearly shows that Leeds are preparing for a change.

With this in mind, the focus should be on getting the best possible manager in to take the job, and there may not be many better and realistic options than Corberan, due to his history with Leeds and his managerial career to date.

The Spanish boss, who has played a 4-4-2 and a 4-2-3-1 in LaLiga this season, was a first-team coach under Bielsa at Elland Road before taking his first senior posting outside of Cyprus with Huddersfield in 2020.

Since then, he has managed Olympiacos, West Bromwich Albion, and Valencia, gaining vital experience, and has had his coaching style compared to that of Bielsa’s, as shown in the post below.

This suggests that the Whites would be signing a more pragmatic manager than Farke, and one who may be able to implement more subtle tactics within matches to secure results.

That is backed up by his record in LaLiga with Valencia since he made the decision to move on from West Brom to make the move to Spain midway through the 2024/25 campaign.

As you can see in the table above, the ex-Leeds U21s manager has a far better record in a major European league than Farke has, with ten more points from almost half as many games.

Of course, there is the aforementioned mitigation to take into account for Farke, but the Valencia boss is now a proven operator at that level of management, whilst the German is still yet to prove that he can successfully keep a team up.

Corberan was once hailed as “elite” by scout Petar Petrov for getting more out of his group of players than expected, which is exactly what the Whites need in the position that they are currently in.

Therefore, the Spaniard could arrive as an upgrade on Farke, due to his proven ability to get the most out of his players at the top level in Europe, whilst also being Bielsa 2.0 with his pragmatism and willingness to adapt, which is why the club should move for him if they sack Farke.

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The New York Yankees nearly made MLB history on March 29 in their second game of the 2025 season.

In a 20–9 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers at Yankee Stadium, New York hammered nine home runs, including three from two-time AL MVP Aaron Judge. The Yankees started the ballgame with a bang, hitting three homers on the first three pitches they saw, and the bats didn't quiet down the rest of the afternoon.

So, how close did the Yankees come to making history in that game? Let's take a look:

MLB Record for Most Home Runs in One Game

The all-time record for homers hit in a single game (since 1901) is 10—set by the Toronto Blue Jays in an 18–3 win on Sept. 14, 1987. Ernie Whitt blasted three dingers himself that game, and teammates Rance Mulliniks and George Bell knocked two bombs apiece.

With Oswald Peraza's two-run shot in the seventh inning, the Yankees became just the third team in MLB history to mash at least nine homers in one game.

The only other team in MLB history to hit more than eight homers in a single game is the 1999 Cincinnati Reds, who pummeled nine long balls in a blowout win over the Phillies on Sept. 4 of that year.

Thirty other teams have hit eight homers in a single game, most recently the Oakland Athletics in an 18–3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on July 14, 2024.

TEAM

DATE

HOMERS

FINAL SCORE

Blue Jays

Sept. 14, 1987

10

Toronto 18, Baltimore 3

Reds

Sept. 4, 1999

9

Cincinnati 22, Philadelphia 3

Yankees

March 29, 2025

9

New York 20, Milwaukee 9

30 teams

—

8

—

Keacy Carty and Alex Hales put on an 87-run stand for the second wicket in the Knight Riders’ chase after the bowlers had set a modest target for them

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2025

Nicholas Pooran finished the game with a huge six off Jayden Seales with eight balls and eight wickets in the bank, but Trinbago Knight Riders’ jinx-breaking win over Antigua and Barbuda Falcons (they had lost all three games prior to this one) on Wednesday night in CPL 2025 had been all-but confirmed well before that.First, by Mohammad Amir, Andre Russell and Akeal Hosein, who picked up seven wickets between them to set up a chase of 147. And then by a partnership worth 87 runs between Alex Hales and Keacy Carty for the second wicket, which took its time (73 balls), but Knight Riders were never in a hurry.Related

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In between, young McKenny Clarke pulled off a most remarkable catch in the deep, running to intercept a shot off Jewel Andrew, Falcons’ best batter on the night, and then just sticking a hand out and finding the ball in it.It was all rather comprehensive for Knight Riders, who had lost all their three games against Falcons before this one, and gave them a big start to their home leg, while also taking them to No. 2, just behind Falcons, on the points table.Pooran, though, had done exactly what Knight Riders wanted him to at the start, winning the toss and giving Amir & Co a chance to have a go at the Falcons batters. Amir was on the job right away, trapping Rahkeem Cornwall lbw second ball and doing the same to Karima Gore off the fifth ball of the over.