Chelsea are once again expecting a busy summer window at Stamford Bridge, which could see several established stars depart to make way for new arrivals in West London.

Chelsea look to make another statement in the summer window

BlueCo have no designs on slowing down in their bid to make Chelsea a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League and their commitment to building a wide portfolio of talent has been on full show over the last few weeks.

Striking early, the Blues have agreed a £62 million double deal for Sporting duo Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo. The former is set to arrive in 2026 after another year honing his talents away from the pressure of life in the capital.

Essugo is set to be Chelsea’s first summer arrival, and he may be joined by Bournemouth’s Dean Huijsen if Chelsea opt to activate his £50 million release clause that becomes active from this summer onwards, according to David Ornstein.

PSR regulations are bound to throw a spanner in the works somewhere along the line. Still, Todd Boehly and company have a knack of being able to conduct swift negotiations when it comes to incomings or outgoings that will stand them in good stead.

Chelsea star was once ahead of Reece James, then Boehly let him go for £0

Chelsea had another shining right-back in the academy ranks at one stage

ByRobbie Walls Mar 22, 2025

Exits are a necessary evil at every football club to balance the books, and it is fair to say Chelsea don’t have a shortage of tradeable assets ready to move on this summer.

Enzo Maresca has taken a cut-throat approach to moving on spare parts since arriving from Leicester City and could now repeat the trick with a star attracting genuine interest from one of Europe’s elite clubs.

Chelsea outcast Raheem Sterling now wanted by Juventus

According to a report in Spain, Chelsea could let Raheem Sterling depart for Juventus and the elite giants view the former Liverpool man as a significant reinforcement that could strengthen experience within their ranks, particularly for European competitions. Their interest is believed to be genuine, though no approach has been made yet to secure his services.

Earlier this week, £215,000 per week Sterling and Joao Felix were earmarked as two Stamford Bridge departures to raise money for a striking addition to provide competition for Nicolas Jackson, with neither wanted by the Blues and Maresca going forward.

Raheem Sterling’s disappointing season on loan at Arsenal

Appearances

23

Goals

1

Assists

0

Successful dribbles (Premier League)

8

Chances created (Premier League)

5

On loan at Arsenal, the Three Lions international has struggled to make the most of his opportunities under Mikel Arteta. Chelsea are now looking to get his hefty pay packet off the books with little opportunity for a renaissance at his parent side forthcoming.

Sterling has had his moments at the Blues, registering 12 goals and 19 assists in 81 appearances. Nevertheless, he is a shadow of his former self and a change of scenery may be necessary to bring out the best in the Kingston-born man.

Labelled “special” by Pep Guardiola while at the peak of his powers in 2019, there is no doubt he has something to offer elsewhere if initial admiration turns into something more concrete this summer.

Aman Khan rescued them with the bat before Ishant Sharma sealed victory with a nerveless final over

Sreshth Shah02-May-20232:53

How Ishant used his experience to trump Tewatia

In a game with twists of epic proportions, tenth-placed Delhi Capitals trumped table-toppers Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad, winning by five runs in dramatic fashion.The game’s pendulum swung numerous times, starting with Mohammed Shami picking up four wickets inside the powerplay to reduce Capitals to 23 for 5. But Aman Hakim Khan’s maiden T20 fifty and contributions from Axar Patel and Ripal Patel dragged the Capitals to 130 for 8.Capitals then took the upper hand when Khaleel Ahmed, Ishant Sharma and Kuldeep Yadav left the Titans on the mat at 32 for 4. Even though Hardik Pandya steadied the chase with a half-century, the momentum was with Capitals going into the final two overs.Just when the game seemed lost, Rahul Tewatia hit a hat-trick of sixes off Anrich Nortje in the 19th over to bring Titans to within touching distance of victory. But Ishant held his nerve in the final over and conceded just six against Hardik, Tewatia and Rashid Khan to seal the deal for Capitals.Ishant Sharma kept a rampant Rahul Tewatia at bay in a sensational final over•Associated Press

Tewatia sets up thrilling finish
When Titans needed 42 off the last four overs, the game could have gone either way. But quiet overs from Kuldeep and Khaleel to end their respective spells made the equation 33 off the last two overs.When Nortje began the 19th over with three pinpoint yorkers, the game was in the Capitals’ grasp, only for Tewatia to bring the home crowd alive once again with three successive leg-side sixes. When Ishant ran in to bowl the 20th, the momentum was with the Titans, but Hardik and Tewatia couldn’t find the early boundary in the over. Ishant then had Tewatia caught at cover, and when Rashid Khan needed a six off the final ball to force a Super Over, he conceded just a single to finish with figures of 2 for 23.Capitals’ Indian players stand up
Warner, who was run out, Phil Salt and Rilee Rossouw all failed with the bat, and were the first three men gone after Capitals opted to bat at the toss. When Shami also sent Manish Pandey and Priyam Garg packing, there was a chance Capitals would fold for a sub-100 score.But Aman and Axar put on 50 off 54 balls for the sixth wicket to resurrect the innings. The pitch was not hugely difficult but the early jolts forced the pair onto the defensive. As their partnership grew, their scoring rate increased but Capitals suffered another setback when Axar fell at the end of the 14th over, miscuing Mohit Sharma to the deep. Aman, though, took charge after Axar’s dismissal and got to his half-century. He combined with Ripal to help Capitals take 41 runs from overs 16 to 18, a passage of play that allowed them to set Titans 131 to win.Aman Khan scored 51 off 44 balls•Associated Press

Then, it was Khaleel, Kuldeep, Axar and Ishant who hurt Titans in the chase. Khaleel bowled a first-over maiden that included the wicket of Wriddhiman Saha. Returning to the team after a long hamstring-injury break, Khaleel beat Saha’s edge three times off his first three deliveries and then found the edge to the keeper off the last ball of the over.Two overs later, Shubman Gill was out to Nortje, finding cover with a drive, but the body blows came when Ishant rattled Vijay Shankar’s stumps with a knuckleball and Kuldeep disturbed David Miller’s poles. That had the Titans reeling at 32 for 4, almost as bad a situation as Capitals’ 23 for 5.Hardik and Abhinav Manohar battled away, putting on a 62-run fifth-wicket partnership, but they consumed 63 balls, allowing the required rate to climb steadily. Axar conceded just 24 in four wicketless overs, while Kuldeep finished with a frugal 1 for 15, including a five-run 17th over. Khaleel and Ishant then bowled terrific overs either side of Nortje’s expensive 19th to make it a day to celebrate for Capitals.Mohammed Shami picked up four wickets inside the powerplay•Associated Press

Shami’s super spell
Shami’s first-ball wicket was a lucky one, a slot delivery hit straight to cover by Salt, but it was all skill after that. He delivered four overs straight after taking the new ball and finished with figures of 4 for 11, with 19 dots in 24 balls. He operated on a good length and had Rossouw edging a delivery angling across to Saha in his second over.In his third over, he stayed on a similar length with a more prominent upright seam to right-handers Pandey and Garg, and both batters were caught behind fishing at deliveries outside off. Shami, who took the Player of the Match award, extended his lead at the top of the IPL 2023 list for most powerplay wickets. Sandwiched between Shami’s first two wickets was Warner’s dismissal, run out at the non-striker’s end after a mix-up with Garg.Once Shami’s spell was done, the pitch didn’t turn much for Noor Ahmad or Rashid Khan. Mohit and Josh Little did not find much grip with their cutters either. The two seamers eventually finished with relatively expensive figures as they failed to control the flow of runs at the death. Capitals scored 52 in their last five overs, propelled by Ripal’s unbeaten 13-ball 23 and Aman’s 44-ball 51, which proved to be the difference in the end.

The transfer window might have slammed shut earlier this month, but that hasn’t stopped players being touted for a move to Arsenal.

The latest ace being linked with a potential move to the Gunners is Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich.

The German international’s £311k-per-week contract expires in the summer, representing an incredible market opportunity for the North Londoners.

That said, Mikel Arteta has already signed someone who’d provide plenty of competition for Kimmich and is currently worth significantly more money than him.

Why Kimmich would be an excellent signing for Arsenal

So, aside from the excitement that would come with bringing such a big name to the Emirates, why would signing Kimmich be a brilliant move for Arsenal?

Well, the first reason is that the Rottweil-born superstar has bags and bags of experience.

In all, he’s made 426 appearances for Bayern Munich, in which he’s scored 43 goals, provided 114 assists and won everything there is to win in the club game, like eight Bundesliga titles, three DFB Pokals, the Champions League and more.

On top of that, the “world-class” talent, as dubbed by former manager Julian Nagelsmann, has won 97 caps for the German national team and helped them win the Confederations Cup.

The second reason Arteta and Co should bring him to North London is that he’s positionally versatile but is exceptionally proficient in two positions: right-back and defensive midfield.

For example, he’s made 129 appearances in the former and 271 in the latter across his career, meaning he could help solve a lot of problems.

Impressively, despite being 30 and his contract expiring in the summer, Football Transfers rate Kimmich so highly that they still value him at up to €38m, which is about £31m – although one of Arteta’s star players is worth even more than that.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Kimmich

Fortunately, Arsenal have come quite a long way under Arteta and have more than a handful of players worth more than Kimmich.

However, in this case, we are talking about an Arteta signing who could directly compete with the German: Declan Rice.

The Englishman joined the Gunners in the summer of 2023 for £105m, which remains the record transfer fee paid by the club to this day.

Impressively, his valuation has risen even beyond that monumental sum in the years since, with Football Transfers now pricing him at up to €132m, which comes out to around £109m, or £78m more than the Bayern ace is worth.

That is certainly a lot of money for a non-forward, but since he moved to North London, it would be hard to argue that he’s not more than lived up to his price tag.

For example, the former West Ham United captain, who has also been described as “world-class”, this time by journalist Tom Marshall-Bailey, has made 87 appearances for the Gunners, in which he’s scored ten goals and provided 17 assists.

That means the 26-year-old titan has averaged a goal involvement every 3.22 games, despite primarily playing as a left-eight or six.

Moreover, he’s not just been lucky with his attacking output either, as FBref places him in the top 5% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League for progressive carries, the top 7% for assists and the top 10% for expected assisted goals, all per 90.

Ultimately, Rice may have cost the club an arm and a leg in 2023, but he has since more than proven his worth, and while he wouldn’t cost nearly as much – or anything at all – Kimmich could prove to be just as game-changing an addition for Arsenal.

Berta must instantly axe Arsenal star who earns more than Gabriel & Timber

Arsenal are said to be closing in on a new sporting director to replace Edu.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 3, 2025

Everton scored a late equaliser courtesy of Jake O’Brien to salvage a point against West Ham United this afternoon.

David Moyes was taking on his old team for the first time since departing the London Stadium at the end of last season and the 1-1 draw moves the Toffees 17 points clear of the drop zone.

The Merseyside club can look forward to Premier League football at their new Bramley Moore Stadium, but Moyes has some work to do regarding his first-team squad, that’s for sure.

Several players failed to deliver against the Irons on Saturday, most notably Beto…

Beto’s struggles for Everton continue

A few weeks ago, having scored for the fourth game in a row against Manchester United, Beto looked like he could become Moyes’ new talisman.

Since then, he has failed to find the back of the net and struggled against West Ham today.

Indeed, the striker won just six of his 23 contested duels, lost possession 14 times and completed only ten passes before he was subbed off in the 79th minute.

Metric

Highest-Ranked

Accurate passes

James Garner and Jarrad Branthwaite (51)

Tackles

Idrissa Gueye (4)

Key passes

Jake O’Brien, Carlos Alcaraz and James Ward-Prowse (3)

Ground duels won

Mohammad Kudus and Tomas Soucek (6)

Shots on target

Jake O’Brien, Tomas Soucek and Jarrad Bowen (2)

It was another disappointing display from the centre-forward. Thankfully, he was rescued by O’Brien, who scored in the final minutes to save Everton.

If Beto was bad, then Jack Harrison was even worse, however. Will Moyes make his deal permanent in the summer? Or will he move on from the current Leeds United loanee?

Jack Harrison’s game in numbers vs West Ham United

Harrison has failed to offer much going forward for Everton this season. Across 29 games in all competitions, the winger has scored a solitary goal, failing to grab a single assist.

Hardly the sort of contribution that will turn Moyes’ head with regard to a permanent deal, and he should be axed when the season finishes.

Against Graham Potter’s side, Harrison was deployed on the right wing. He delivered ten crosses into the box, yet only two were accurate, while he succeeded with just 50% of his dribble attempts.

The Englishman was even dribbled past on two occasions during the game along with losing possession 15 times, winning just three of his seven total duels and failing to even register a shot on target.

Will Rooney of Liverpool World gave Harrison a match rating of 6/10 for his display against the Irons.

If Moyes wishes to take this Everton team to new heights during the 2025/26 campaign, he won’t get very far by using players such as Harrison. That’s a certainty.

Plenty of change is required at the club, especially with the move to the new stadium requiring the Merseyside club to finish much higher up the table, avoiding relegation battles.

Harrison must be axed this summer and someone much better signed in his place. Moyes faces a massive challenge, especially now the honeymoon period is over.

Making a few key signings will help massively this summer. But Harrison should be one player who departs the club.

Moyes has unearthed his next Arteta at Everton in "special" £20k-p/w talent

Everton are moving forward but drifting back toward the good old days too.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 14, 2025

Arsenal may still be in the Champions League, awaiting a daunting quarter-final tie with Real Madrid, but any ambitions they harboured on the domestic scene are surely now over.

The Gunners sit 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool and as a result, attentions must turn towards the summer window.

Whatever happens, incoming sporting director Andrea Berta needs to sign a new striker. If he doesn’t, he will already be on thin ice with supporters at the Emirates Stadium.

Alexander Isak is the number one target for a lot of clubs around Europe while Benjamin Sesko remains a long-term option for Arsenal. It’s also reported that Berta is a fan of Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.

Before then, however, Arsenal may need a summer clearout. Here’s who could depart the Emirates…

Arsenal's big summer clearout

With Arteta’s men sat second in the title and in the last eight of Europe, a clearout perhaps seems a bit excessive.

However, the hierarchy need to raise the floor of the squad and they will only do that by getting rid of some of the deadwood.

So, let’s take a look at the wage bill. One of the prime candidates to be moved on this summer would have been Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian is the second-highest earner at the club behind Kai Havertz on £265k-per-week but his season-ending ACL injury has ended any hopes Arsenal had of potentially cashing in. Of course, we wish him a speedy recovery.

That aside, midfield duo Thomas Partey and Jorginho are likely to depart north London when their contracts expire in the summer. They won’t make the club any money but Oleksandr Zinchenko may do.

The Ukrainian has become a bit-part member of the first-team squad and having been linked with Borussia Dortmund in January, looks like he could be on his way out.

Another defender in Jakub Kiwior could also leave. He was touted with a return to Italy in the winter and has seen his game time decrease this season.

In the attacking department, Leandro Trossard could also be shelved. The Belgian has only scored six times this term and it’s alleged that there is interest from Saudi Arabia in the former Brighton star.

He’s not the only attacker who should be on the chopping block, however.

Edu's Brazilian acquisition will never play for Arsenal again

While Trossard’s future is very much up in the air, the future of winger Marquinhos looks a lot more clear-cut. Remember him? Just about, right?

The Brazilian talent signed for Arsenal in the summer of 2022 for just £3m, with Edu and Co hoping to repeat the success story of Gabriel Martinelli’s introduction to English football.

Marquinhos initially made quite a big impression, notably scoring on his debut in September 2022, finding the back of the net in a Europa League tie with FC Zurich.

Possessing a dangerous left foot and causing havoc from the right-hand side, it drew comparisons to a certain Bukayo Saka. Speaking after that goal, Martin Keown commented that “it was like Saka in that position, it’s almost a copycat performance.”

Sadly, since that night in Switzerland, the young forward hasn’t really taken his game to a strong level.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

He ended his debut campaign in England by appearing in six games and remarkably hasn’t been seen in Arsenal colours again, last appearing for the senior side in January 2023, an FA Cup tie with Oxford United.

Since his first year in England, Marquinhos has endured loan spells at Norwich City, Nantes, Fluminense and Cruzeiro.

Sao Paulo

42

4

3

Fluminense

29

2

2

Norwich

11

1

1

Cruziero

10

1

0

Nantes

7

0

0

Arsenal

6

1

1

Looking at the numbers, it’s safe to say that the 21-year-old has struggled big time to find form. He’s still young but it looks as though his immediate career is back in his homeland of Brazil.

He’s now playing for Cruzeiro having signed on loan in January and won’t return until December, that’s providing they don’t utilise their option to buy.

Either way, this is a player who is destined never to play for the club again. He’s gone from looking like a Saka regen to a player lacking end product.

Arteta has found a "sensational" Hale Ender who's Arsenal's new Smith Rowe

The incredible talent will be a superstar for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 25, 2025

Moeen Ali has been fined 25% of his match fee and handed a demerit point on his return to red-ball cricket after spraying “a drying agent on his bowling hand” on the second day of the first Ashes Test.Moeen admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Andy Pycroft, the match referee. “In reaching his decision to sanction the player, the match referee was satisfied that Ali had used the spray only to dry his hands,” the ICC said.”The spray was not used as an artificial substance on the ball and consequently it had not changed the condition of the ball, which would have been in breach of clause 41.3 of the ICC playing conditions – Unfair Play – The Match Ball – Changing its Condition.”Related

• Moeen Ali feels the pain, but should the finger be pointed at England?

• Australia breathe fire in the Birmingham rain: 22 balls of drama in the dark

• England lose openers as Australia edge forward on rain-hit day

• Moeen views Ashes return as a 'free hit' after short-notice recall

• England in 'really positive' position after second day – Stuart Broad

Moeen is returning to Test cricket after an absence of nearly two years and bowled 29 overs on the second day, taking 2 for 124. He has not bowled in a red-ball match since September 2021 and ESPNcricinfo understands that he has a small blister on his spinning finger as a result of the increased workload.During the 89th over of Australia’s innings, Moeen was seen spraying a substance from an aerosol can on his bowling hand while fielding on the boundary, before bowling the following over. The ICC said he had defied “the umpires’ pre-series instruction about [players] not using anything on their hands without prior approval”.This being a Level 1 breach of the ICC Code of Conduct, one demerit point was added to Moeen’s disciplinary record. It is his first demerit point in the last 24 months and he will not be suspended unless he accumulates three further points in the next two years.The charge had recent precedent. During India’s home series against Australia earlier this year, Ravindra Jadeja was penalised under the same article of the ICC’s Code of Conduct after applying a soothing cream to the index finger of his bowling hand.

Setting their sights on stars of the future, Aston Villa are now reportedly expected to submit what would be their third bid to sign a rising star amid news that his valuation has dropped.

Aston Villa hoping third time's the charm

Aston Villa proved in the January transfer window that they’re more than capable of luring some of Europe’s biggest names to the Midlands – welcoming both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio on loan from Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain respectively. And that pull power should come as little surprise these days. After all, we are now talking about Champions League quarter-finalists.

After sweeping past Club Brugge in clinical fashion, the Villans are now set to face their toughest challenge yet in the form of PSG. Meanwhile, as Unai Emery’s side continue to make progress off the pitch, those away from the action are beginning to steal headlines of their own.

According to Sabah, as relayed by Sports Witness, Aston Villa are now expected to submit a third bid to sign Semih Kilicsoy from Besiktas this summer.

Aston Villa have possible £42m replacement if they can't sign Asensio

He’s just 19 years old…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 15, 2025

The Villans were reportedly unsuccessful with two offers last summer, including one worth €18m (£15m) with add-ons included. Now, one year on, patience could prove to be a virtue amid reports suggesting that the teenager’s price has dropped to just €15m (£12m) ahead of the forthcoming transfer window.

Up against Newcastle United in the race for his signature, Aston Villa will be desperate to see their third bid end in success and welcome Kilicsoy once and for all this summer.

"Monster" Kilicsoy is one to watch

In his debut season for Besiktas’ senior side, Kilicsoy was involved in as many as 15 goals in all competitions with 12 goals and three assists to his name. Now, one season on, the 19-year-old winger has simply picked up where he left off – scoring six goals and creating a further four – to attract the attention of Aston Villa once again.

Dubbed a “physical monster” by analyst Ben Mattinson, Kilicosy is simply not a player that Aston Villa want to miss out on. After chasing his signature since last summer, they seemingly have the chance to land a bargain deal just one year on.

Meanwhile, as the transfer rumours continue, there’s no doubt that the Besiktas star will continue to steal the headlines.

MatériaMais Notícias

Acabada a partida onde o Fortaleza empatou por 2 a 2 com o Fluminense e acabou eliminado da Copa do Brasil, o zagueiro Titi engrossou o coro de figuras por parte do Leão do Pici a reclamarem da atuação da arbitragem no Maracanã.

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>Seleção Brasileira já conta com quase 20 patrocinadores

Segundo a avaliação do defensor, tanto o surgimento da penalidade convertida por Paulo Henrique Ganso como no lance que resultou no tento de Cano foram momentos classificados como “lances totalmente questionáveis” e “duvidosos”.

Apesar dos apontamentos, Titi tratou de olhar também para o lado positivo da questão onde, diante do desempenho apresentado, dá confiança de um viés de alta na campanha pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

-Não houve mudança de postura (para o segundo tempo). Foram dois lances que decretaram o empate, dois lances totalmente duvidosos. A meu ver, foi impedimento e não foi pênalti dentro da área. E é difícil jogar no Maracanã. O Fluminense é uma boa equipe, bem treinada, mas hoje o Fortaleza mostrou que tem grupo forte e qualificado – disse Titi.

-Foram dois lances totalmente questionáveis. A gente sai de cabeça erguida, é claro que a desclassificação nos traz uma tristeza muito grande. Mas nos dá também uma certeza de que com esse trabalho, com essa dedicação, vamos conseguir colocar o Fortaleza no seu devido lugar – completou.

By virtue of finishing in the top two, both teams who are similar yet dissimilar in their methods, will have two shots at reaching the final

Shashank Kishore22-May-20235:49

Moody: Super Kings might turn to Jadeja in the powerplay

Big picture: Titans and CSK – similar yet differentIt is no coincidence that Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings, teams that have built their campaigns around continuity, consistency in selection and role clarity, have earned the right to a second chance by finishing in the top two.MS Dhoni’s leadership traits are something Hardik Pandya, his opposite number, has deeply embodied over time. The backing of misfiring seniors, handholding junior players, encouraging the uncapped, boosting morale of players on the bench are all characteristics of a popular leader for whom the team would go the extra mile.Hardik’s handling of Vijay Shankar, once seen as his competitor, or young Noor Ahmad and Josh Little, to cite a few examples, has been as exemplary as Dhoni’s handling of Ajinkya Rahane, Tushar Deshpande or Matheesha Pathirana.Related

Dhoni on CSK's success: Pick the best players and give them the best slots

Malinga on Pathirana: 'I somehow want to make this guy even better than me'

Deshpande has the pace, the wickets, and the makings of a bright future

Hardik is Neymar as Neymar could rarely be

Shami succeeds flying in the face of T20 logic

With the bat, Vijay is enjoying his best year at the IPL with the backing he has seldom received elsewhere. Mohit Sharma’s journey from a net bowler, who swallowed his ego to sharpen his skills last year, to being one of the key bowlers this season is also a result of the captain’s backing.Rahane’s career appeared to have hit a dead end until he linked up with CSK. An injury to Ben Stokes gave him a foot in the door. Five games in, he broke the doors down with a batting approach seldom seen earlier. Now, as he gears up for the playoffs, Rahane’s career has received an unlikely second, or maybe third, wind with the prospects of being a World Test champion looming.Shivam Dube’s journey from an inconsistent allrounder to an on-demand six hitter against spin or Deshpande’s evolution from an erratic seamer riddled with no-ball problems and consistency to a gun striker are all examples of players thriving under the freedom and backing Dhoni has given them.Tuesday’s Qualifier 1 will pit these two similar, yet very different teams against each other in what promises to be a blockbuster clash. CSK will enjoy more than a slight edge, given they’ll have the home advantage emphatically by their side. The Chennai fans will have one more chance to celebrate their larger-than-life icon, their talismanic leader as a place in the final is a step away.Titans will quickly have to shake off weariness from their final league fixture against RCB that went past midnight. A long road trip to the airport and the subsequent processes to board will be perhaps longer than the flying time to Chennai itself. To do this all in the space of a few hours, knowing there’s another game to look forward to the next evening will no doubt be another test for the table-toppers.That they’ve made it this far for a second straight season is as much credit to the team as it is to the management. Now for the opportunity to be only the second team, after CSK in 2011 and 2012, to have a second straight crack at a home final in their second year of existence. It can’t get bigger than that.7:14

Runorder: What can MI and CSK’s turnaround be attributed to?

Form guideChennai Super Kings WLWWL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Gujarat Titans WWLWWTeam news: Will Hardik bowl?Hardik hasn’t bowled in three games now. When he last bowled in a game on May 7 against LSG, he didn’t complete his quota. Against RCB, without Hardik the sixth bowler, Yash Dayal and Mohit conceded 93 off their eight overs. If Hardik isn’t bowling, they might require either Dasun Shanaka or Rahul Tewatia to chip in, depending on conditions in Chennai.Josh Little, who featured in eight of Titans’ first 10 games, is back in India after international duty with Ireland and could replace Dayal in the side. If Titans go down that route, Abhinav Manohar is likely to return in place of Shanaka.CSK don’t believe in making too many changes, so expect them to go unchanged.Impact Player StrategyTitans have mostly used Shubman Gill or Vijay Shankar as Impact Player when they bat. With Gill set to play the WTC final within a week of the IPL finishing, it’s perhaps prudent to not expose him to potential on-field injuries. That said, Vijay gives them an additional bowling option, if required. However, he hasn’t been called in to bowl a single over so far this season. With the ball, one of them will likely be substituted for Mohit Sharma.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 , 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), 4 Vijay Shankar, 5 David Miller, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Yash Dayal, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Noor Ahmad, 12 Ambati Rayudu’s sharp catching may have earned him the right to not be subbed off in the Qualifier 1•BCCI

Pathirana and Dube have been used as Impact Players in each of their last three matches. In the previous game, Ambati Rayudu had a chance to provide a rare glimpse into his fielding abilities with a stunning catch at mid-off. So, after having a minimal role on the field for much of the group stages, Rayudu may well have earned the right for continuity. Is Dhoni thinking that way, though?Chennai Super Kings (probableXII): 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 , 5 Moeen Ali, 6 Ambati Rayudu, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Tushar Desphande, 12 Stats that matter Jadeja has a particularly good match-up against Hardik, having dismissed him twice in four innings. In comparison, Gill has struck at 153 against him without being dismissed even once in 36 deliveries. Shami has the wood over CSK’s openers. He has dismissed Conway on each of the two occasions they’ve faced off earlier, including the tournament opener. Shami also has the lid over Gaikwad, who has only managed to score at a strike rate of 70. It’s the lowest strike rate he has had against any pacer off whom he has faced at least 15 deliveries. Gaikwad hasn’t let being dismissed by Rashid alter his approach against the legspinner. His strike rate of 147 is the third-best in the IPL among all batters who’ve faced a minimum of five overs from Rashid. The 32 sixes Tewatia has hit in the death overs is the joint-most – alongside Jadeja – by an Indian since IPL 2020Pitch and conditionsHot weather, surfaces on the dryer side and spin-loading – all pretty common at this time of the year in Chennai. Expect it to be no different. The defending team will have to contend with some dew later at night. Four of the seven games so far this season at Chepauk have been won by the chasing side.

No new faces for the three-match series, which is part of the Women’s Championship

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2023Sri Lanka have named a spin-heavy squad for the three-match women’s ODI series against New Zealand at home.From the 21-member squad that played three ODIs and three T20Is against Bangladesh in April-May, six players failed to make the cut. Those were Kaushini Nuthyangana, Prasadini Weerakkody, Tharika Sewwandi, Rashmi Silva, Malsha Shehani and Sathya Sandeepani. Vishmi Gunaratne and Imesha Dulani, both of whom played in the recent Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Hong Kong, retained their spots. There were no new additions, though.The experienced trio of Inoka Ranaweera, Oshadi Ranasinghe and Sugandika Kumari will lead the spin attack, with more options in the form of Inoshi Fernando, Kavisha Dilhari and captain Chamari Athapaththu.Related

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Udeshika Prabodhani and 20-year-old Kawya Kavindi will share the responsibilty in the seam-bowling department. Kavindi made her ODI debut during the Bangladesh series but her sole appearance was a washed-out game.The New Zealand series is part of the Women’s Championship. It will be Sri Lanka’s fourth series in the current cycle. With six points from nine games so far, they are placed fifth on the points table while New Zealand are third with eight points from six outings.The series starts on June 27, with Galle hosting all three matches. It will be followed by three T20Is in Colombo, for which the squad is yet to be announced.Squad: Chamari Athapaththu (capt), Vishmi Gunaratne, Harshitha Samarawickrama, Nilakshi de Silva, Kavisha Dilhari, Anushka Sanjeewani, Oshadi Ranasinghe, Kawya Kavindi, Sugandika Kumari, Inoka Ranaweera, Udeshika Prabodhani, Hansima Karunaratne, Inoshi Fernando, Imesha Dulani, Hasini Perera