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Shohei Ohtani always says "hello," according to MLB umpires, at least, that's what Buster Olney reported during ESPN's broadcast of the Los Angeles Dodgers-New York Yankees game on Sunday night.

Olney briefly joined the broadcast during the bottom of the fifth inning and informed fans that Ohtani makes it a habit of saying hello to the home plate umpire whenever he comes to bat during a game. Apparently most players exchange pleasantries with the umpire and catcher during their first plate appearance of the game, Ohtani does it every single time.

"Umpires have told me Ohtani is the only hitter in the big leagues who will say hi to them before every plate appearance. So he'll go to, a lot of players will go up to the plate in their first at bat and he'll say hi at that point. He'll say hit to the catcher. Ohtani will do it before every plate appearance," said Olney.

So while Ohtani is only second in MLB in home runs following the Dodgers weekend series against the Yankees, he does still lead baseball in hello's.

Clearly Ohtani missed his true calling as a Home Federal Savings Bank teller.

Conditions could give Sri Lanka a leg up as they look to pull off an upset over unbeaten visitors

Madushka Balasuriya10-Oct-20252:46

Beaumont: Sri Lanka are a team on the rise

Two of the best batting units in world cricket – India and Australia – have in the Women’s World Cup 2025 struggled to come to terms with the some of the more sluggish pitches, stumbling to 124 for 6 and 76 for 7 against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, respectively.England, one of two undefeated sides in the tournament alongside Australia, meanwhile struggled in their chase against Bangladesh in Guwahati last time out. Now they arrive in Colombo to face a Sri Lanka side that they have lost to just once in 18 WODIs, but on a surface that might bridge the gap considerably.”I think the conditions here, obviously it being a lot more spin-friendly, is certainly bringing all the teams together,” Tammy Beaumont said. “I think that you see a team like Bangladesh playing us in the last game, [they were] so well-disciplined with the ball that it makes life a lot harder when you can’t necessarily trust the spin off the wicket and go to those big release shots; you have to really earn your runs.Related

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“I think that means that it’s a lot closer together for all the teams, and certainly the standard and depth of every single team has risen in the last four years. And we’re certainly going to see a few upsets in this World Cup, but hopefully not involving us.”Against Bangladesh it was Heather Knight’s 79 off 111 that took England past the finish line, and according to Beaumont the learnings and takeaways from that innings – primarily being patient and taking the game deep – will likely prove crucial in how they handle the conditions in Colombo.”What we spoke about mainly from Heather’s innings was about how patient she was and how precise she was in the balls she went to score off. And almost putting maybe your ego to one side and just trying to really graft one out for the team and be gritty.”I think that’s the kind of words we’re trying to use, to make sure that we’re working incredibly hard. And we might have to sit in for a bit, but we know that the longer you bat, the easier it gets. It certainly seems like a lot of runs have been scored in the last 15 overs in a lot of games, and actually sometimes you’ve just got to try to make it to that point as a batter.”One unique challenge England will face on Saturday is Sri Lanka’s left-hand heavy top order – three of Sri Lanka’s top five bat left-handed.”I think they’re a really well-structured team and certainly a team on the rise. They’re really well-organised. Obviously, they’ve got a lot of left-handers, which is not something we’re that used to. Not having any left-handed batters in our squad, I think makes things a little bit trickier.”With left-arm spinner Linsey Smith the solitary southpaw in the English side, it has forced some out-of-the-box thinking in terms of preparation.”Actually there’s been a few of us that have batted left-handed for her [Smith]. She’s obviously the only left-handed batter we have in the squad, so she’s also getting a lot of batting, but obviously she doesn’t get to practise against left-handers.”Smith has had a good tournament thus far, picking up five wickets across two games. And against Sri Lanka, she is likely going to play a crucial role once more in deciding the direction of the game.”I think she’s someone that maybe hasn’t played that much international cricket, but actually she’s a little bit older. She’s very experienced. She’s played some franchise cricket, so she doesn’t need too much support from us. She knows what she’s doing. She knows her craft so well.”What I love about her is she had a tough couple of games against India in our summer, and she really reflected, worked incredibly hard and has actually upped her game since then in a very short space of time, and I think that’s why it’s paying off out here. Obviously the conditions are helping, but getting the new ball I think really suits her.”

Sarwar Imran in a stable condition at team hotel and hopeful of attending training on Wednesday

Mohammad Isam30-Sep-2025Bangladesh women’s head coach Sarwar Imran suffered a minor stroke on Monday in Colombo, where the team is preparing for their World Cup opener against Pakistan.Team manager SM Golam Faiyaz confirmed the news to ESPNcricinfo, stating that Imran is now in a stable condition.”(Sarwar) Imran sir was feeling dizzy a couple of days ago, and it continued on Monday. We took him to the hospital where the doctors detected he had a minor brain stroke,” said Faiyaz.The manager said that Imran was released from the hospital on Tuesday. He is now recuperating in the team hotel, although he wanted to join Tuesday’s training session.”We asked sir to rest today,” Faiyaz said. “He is hopeful of going to the ground with us tomorrow (Wednesday).”Imran, aged 66, was appointed the women’s head coach in February this year, after Hashan Tillakaratne, the former Sri Lanka captain, left the role earlier in the year.Imran was also the men’s coach when the Bangladesh team played their inaugural Test in 2000.Bangladesh open their World Cup campaign against Pakistan in Colombo on Thursday. It will be their second appearance at the tournament, having made their debut in 2022 and scraped through qualifying for this year’s event.

Should Celtic re-appoint Ange Postecoglou to replace Brendan Rodgers?

Well, the Australian did enjoy great success during his two seasons in Glasgow, winning five trophies, meaning he may remain the club’s most universally popular manager of the modern era.

However, following an ill-fated 39 days stint in charge of Nottingham Forest, reports suggest that Postecoglou is not looking to jump straight back into management, while his record at Tottenham and the City Ground, Europa League triumph aside, would be causes for concern, suggesting he may not be the dream candidate some supporters believe him to be.

Instead, should they target “one of the best coaches” around in a move reminiscent of what occurred in the year 2000?

Martin O'Neill's Celtic career

On Monday evening, when news of Rodgers’ resignation was announced, Celtic also confirmed that Martin O’Neill would be placed in interim charge, working alongside Shaun Maloney.

This is the 73 year old’s first managerial position since an Ange-esque 19 game stint at Nottingham Forest in 2019 and, having been in charge of the Republic of Ireland for five years before that, he hasn’t truly been a club manager since leaving Sunderland in 2013.

He did make a winning start to life back in the dugout, overseeing a 4-0 demolition of Falkirk in the Premiership on Wednesday night, with Johnny Kenny bagging a brace, while Benjamin Nygren and Sebastian Tounekti were also on target.

Sunday’s League Cup semi-final against fierce rivals Rangers at Hampden should be a significantly tougher assignment, but O’Neill certainly has pedigree when it comes to winning Old Firm games.

The Irishman began his managerial career in the ’90s with very impressive stints in charge of Wycombe Wanderers and Leicester City, gaining promotion in charge of both, before winning two League Cups with the Foxes.

This earned him the Celtic job in 2000, viewed very much as a left-field choice at the time, but this proved to be a masterstroke.

Prior to his arrival, Rangers had won 11 of the last 12 Scottish titles, but O’Neill won the league in three of his first four seasons as well as leading Celtic to the UEFA Cup Final in 2003, ultimately defeated by José Mourinho’s Porto at the Cartuja in Seville.

Not since Jock Stein has a Celtic manager been so successful in Europe, with O’Neill also winning 13 of his 24 Old Firm games, while he also boasts the best win percentage of any permanent Hoops boss in history, before even including Wednesday’s win.

Martin O’Neill

283

75.6%

Ange Postecoglou

113

73.5%

Neil Lennon

335

70.7%

Jock Stein

761

69.6%

Brendan Rodgers

292

68.8%

Gordon Strachen

195

64.6%

Willie Maley

1,617

64.4%

Ronny Deila

118

63.6%

Billy McNeill

455

60%

David Hay

209

56.9%

Tommy Burns

140

55.7%

Liam Brady

126

54%

Jimmy McGrory

843

49.7%

Note: minimum 100 matches in charge.

O’Neill will be hoping to improve that win ratio further, for however long he remains in the dugout, although that won’t be easy, with games against Rangers and then Midtjylland in Herning next on the agenda.

So, should Celtic appoint someone who is reminiscent of when O’Neill first arrived a quarter of a century ago?

Celtic could appoint 'one of the best coaches' in England

Of all the people reportedly in contention to become Celtic manager, Nicky Hayen, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Keane, Kjetil Knutsen and others, would Kieran McKenna represent the biggest coup?

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

Sky Sports has reported that the Ipswich Town boss is a name whom the Celtic hierarchy are ‘very keen on’, although it remains to be seen if he would leave mid-season – while a reported £5m get-out clause could also prove prohibitive.

Just 39 years old, the Northern Irishman has been in coaching since 2009, employed by Tottenham and Manchester United as a youth coach and scout, before working alongside José Mourinho and then Ole Gunnar Solskjær as an assistant at Old Trafford.

Solskjær spoke glowingly about McKenna, describing him as “the most thorough and analytical… process-driven coach that I’ve worked with”, while fellow ex-Man United great Nicky Butt agrees, labelling him “one of the best coaches I’ve ever seen on the grass”.

His reputation earned him his first head coach role at Ipswich, enjoying unparalleled success in Suffolk, guiding the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promotions, leading them back into the Premier League for the first time since 2002, even if they were relegated straight away.

A mixed start to this EFL Championship campaign has the Blues 12th, but there is still firm belief that, with McKenna in charge, the East Anglian-based outfit will be promotion contenders.

In fact, despite taking a battering pretty much every week in the Premier League last season, only Mick O’Brien in the ’30s and Sir Alf Ramsey have a better win percentage of any Ipswich boss in history.

As outlined by the Coaches Voice, McKenna favours a ‘short-passing style’ with width provided by attacking full-backs, allowing wingers to drift inside, concluding that this approach should take him ‘ to the top of the game as a coach’, something that would suit how Celtic have played in the past and their current squad.

Also, as documents, McKenna’s history working with youth teams means he is more than willing to bring through younger players, helping Omari Hutchinson and others realise their true potential at Portman Road.

So, while his lack of experience, and poor Premier League record, with an admittedly weak squad, are causes for concern, the Celtic board must be bold, rather than churning through the same three of four faces.

If Neil Lennon wasn’t currently Dunfermline Athletic manager, he’d almost certainly be in the dugout; the Pars face Scott Brown’s Ayr United on Friday, winner gets the Celtic job anyone?

On a serious note, when O’Neill arrived in 2000, this was off the back of work with Wycombe and Leicester largely in the EFL, so who is to say McKenna could not do something similar, as he would certainly bring a freshness and new ideas to a club going a bit stale.

​​​​​​​

As good as Kenny: Celtic star who won 10 duels is already undroppable

This Celtic star who was as good as Johnny Kenny is now undroppable for Martin O’Neill.

ByDan Emery Oct 30, 2025

Tottenham return to action against Aston Villa on October 19 once this round of international fixtures ends, with Thomas Frank looking to build upon an unbeaten run which has stretched their last seven games in all competitions.

Spurs were forced to dig deep in their last outing at Elland Road, securing a 2-1 win over newly-promoted Leeds United and ending the Yorkshire side’s year-long unbeaten run at home in the league.

Leeds United 1-2 Tottenham – best players	Match Rating
Mohammed Kudus	8.4
Mathys Tel	7.8
Noah Okafor	7.0
Sean Longstaff	7.0
Jayden Bogle	6.8
via WhoScored

Player of the match, Mohammed Kudus, was once again a nightmare to deal with in the wide area and looks like the Lilywhites’ best summer signing thus far alongside Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha.

Mathys Tel also staked his claim for a starting nod over fellow striker Richarlison, and he rewarded Frank’s faith with their opening goal as Dominic Solanke continues to work his way back from minor ankle surgery.

Despite concerns surrounding some of Tottenham’s performances against lesser sides, with the North Londoners stealing draws in dramatic fashion against the likes of Brighton, Wolves and Bodo/Glimt, it has been a very solid start to life for Frank overall.

14 points from seven Premier League games has Spurs sitting third in the table with the joint second-best defensive record in the top flight, and only league leaders Arsenal have conceded fewer league goals than them so far.

It is a far cry from the defensive frailties which haunted Ange Postecoglou’s version of Tottenham last season, with Frank’s new-look side displaying a real grit and resilience to see out needed results.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero have been vital to Tottenham’s solidarity, with pundit Jamie O’Hara even suggesting that they’re the best centre-back partnership in the world right now.

Spurs’ full-back options have also impressed for the most part, and ex-defender Sergio Reguilon would’ve certainly struggled to battle his way back into the team.

The Spaniard is now a free agent after being forced to leave the club when his contract expired in July, but according to reports, he’s now closing in on a free transfer to the MLS.

Sergio Reguilon in advanced talks to join Inter Miami after Tottenham exit

According to ESPN and other reliable media sources, Reguilon is in advanced talks to join Inter Miami as he finalises a switch to David Beckham’s MLS franchise.

The 28-year-old did attract rumoured interest from West Ham and Everton, but it is Javier Mascherano’s side that have won the race to snap up the ex-Real Madrid starlet at zero cost.

Reguilon’s five-year stint at Tottenham was a mixed bag, with the former Sevilla man spending time out on loan at Brentford and Man United during his time there.

Postecoglou could barely find a place for Reguilon, despite the odd appearance during Tottenham’s injury crisis last season, and he was still allowed to leave on a free soon after Frank’s appointment in June.

Interestingly, Tottenham’s new boss briefly worked with him at the Gtech Community Stadium and actually praised Reguilon after he put pen to paper on a move there — calling him a “proven” Premier League player and a “perfect fit” for his former side.

MatériaMais Notícias

Líder do Brasileirão, o Botafogo também vê seus jogadores começarem a atrair as atenções da Seleção Brasileira. O goleiro Lucas Perri voltou a ser convocado pelo técnico Fernando Diniz para jogos das Eliminatórias da Copa do Mundo em um momento no qual vem se destacando apesar das oscilações alvinegras.

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Perri foi convocado pela primeira vez para os jogos contra Bolívia e Peru. Porém, o goleiro alvinegro não estava na lista inicial: seu nome foi chamado para substituir Bento, do Athletico-PR.

+ Condição especial para matrícula no curso Gestor de Futebol, aprovado por Dante, Petković, Léo Moura e outros craques. Saiba mais!

Posteriormente, o goleiro atuou nas três partidas nas quais o Glorioso sofreu derrotas no Campeonato Brasileiro. Porém, Lucas Perri chamou atenção tanto ao se empenhar em suas defesas quanto ao, novamente, ir até a área adversária para ajudar o Botafogo a ter poder de reação.

No entanto, a expectativa em torno do líder do Brasileirão vai além. Um dos destaques do setor defensivo vem sendo observado de perto por Diniz.

– O elenco do Botafogo é muito bom e tem, além do Perri e do Adryelson, outros jogadores monitorados. Nesse momento ele não foi convocado, mas está sendo monitorado, está fazendo um grande campeonato e a qualquer momento pode ser convocado. Está na nossa lista larga, como outros jogadores – disse.

Adryelson vem se desdobrando para frear o ímpeto dos adversários neste Brasileirão. São 66% de duelos vencidos. Sua precisão é de 62% nos duelos em campo e 69% em bolas aéreas, de acordo com o Sofascore.

Neste momento, Perri tem sua oportunidade de mostrar serviço. Porém, sua presença na Seleção faz com que corra o risco de não atuar em uma partida do Alvinegro devido aos confrontos do Brasil com Venezuela e Uruguai, nos dias 12 e 17 de outubro, respectivamente.

O Botafogo segue líder da competição nacional com 51 pontos, sete a mais que o Palmeiras.

It was very much smooth sailing for Liverpool when Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout. Overlooked by critics, the Reds dominantly won the Premier League despite minimal transfer investment.

Now, the defending champions have spent liberally across the summer but have lost their finely-woven fluency, lacking control and coherence across the opening weeks of the season.

The winning, never-quit mentality is still intact, but that alone will not carry the Anfield side through the campaign and to glory. Back-to-back defeats within the past week make a firm comment on that.

Tactically imbalanced and struggling through a bedding-in period, Liverpool have it all to do, with Slot dealing with a number of underperforming stars right now.

Liverpool's biggest strugglers this season

Where to start if not with Florian Wirtz? The German playmaker joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m this summer, billed as a world-class talent with unrivalled game-changing quality.

But, since playing a neat assist for Hugo Ekitike (who is certainly not an underperformer), Wirtz has blanked across nine fixtures in all competitions, with his performances leaving so much to be desired.

There is hope and expectation that the 22-year-old will hit his stride soon, but there may be more consternation over the form and future of Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the year, and with Real Madrid lurking, that’s not a good sign.

So far, the French centre-back’s campaign has been littered with mistakes. With Giovanni Leoni sidelined for the long term, this is ominous, with the durability of Liverpool’s starting defensive partnership essential to the success of the team.

Mohamed Salah has also endured a quiet start to the season, and he has received criticism for his toils. However, there’s another Redman who has struggled to get going so far, and he is quietly one of the most important cogs in the Slot machine.

Liverpool's quiet underperformer

Alexis Mac Allister has been a revelation since joining Liverpool from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in 2023. The Argentine World Cup winner has played influential and contrasting midfield roles across his two years on Merseyside, and has been hailed as a “superstar” by pundit Joe Cole for his efforts.

Matches (starts)

35 (30)

5 (5)

Goals

5

0

Assists

5

0

Touches*

55.8

48.4

Pass completion

87%

87%

Key passes*

1.3

0.8

Dribbles*

0.5

0.0

Ball recoveries*

4.2

3.6

Tackles + interceptions*

3.3

1.8

Ground duels (won)*

4.3 (50%)

1.8 (43%)

But there’s no denying that he hasn’t been right since the off-season. The 26-year-old star has lacked his energy and incisiveness, his hunger to win the ball back and progress play into the final third.

Given the importance of his form in the middle of the park, making everything tick for the Reds, it’s not outrageous to suggest that Mac Allister has been one of Liverpool’s worst performers this season, rarely offering any significant positivity.

Even Wirtz and Konate have enjoyed flashes of promise this term, but Mac Allister has yet to get going at all; he’s not protecting the defence, and neither is he carving out chances with slick passing.

Wirtz, after all, has created 21 chances across all competitions for Liverpool, and no Premier League player has created more since the summer. Clearly, there is a world-class player in there, and he will bloom before long.

It might even be that Slot needs to take his trusted lieutenant out of the firing line, with Curtis Jones producing an impressive, industrious performance in Istanbul.

In any case, there is plenty for Slot to sort out at Liverpool right now, and the changes need to happen sooner rather than later.

Trent 2.0: FSG have already sold a Bradley & Frimpong upgrade at Liverpool

Arne Slot has problems to fix at Liverpool after an up-and-down start to the season.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 30, 2025

Everton are interested in sealing the signing of a “sensational” Premier League champion before the January transfer window even opens.

Moyes positive ahead of Everton's return to action

The Blues are back in league action this weekend, hosting Aston Villa at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday afternoon, as they look to build on an impressive start to the season.

Everton manager David Moyes is certainly in positive spirits, assessing the current situation during the international break, in terms of getting certain players back fit and kicking on further.

“We’ll get a few players who probably need a bit more pre-season training. We’ve got a few players who need a bit more recovery, we’ve got a few who have got some injuries, but it gives us a chance to sort of regroup but it’s great to go away knowing we’ve picked up six points in the three games we’ve played.

“It’s a decent start for us in the league and we want to keep challenging, we want to be in a high place if we can be but we’ll certainly not get carried away, that’s for sure. We’ve got a lot to do but I’m pleased that I think we’ve played well enough today.”

Moyes will be happy with his summer recruitment at Everton, with the likes of Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling among the exciting signings they have made, but another reinforcement in the attacking midfield areas wouldn’t go amiss after losing Abdoulaye Doucouré in the summer.

Everton keen on signing "sensational" free agent

According to The Boot Room‘s Graeme Bailey, Everton are among the clubs interested in signing Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on a free transfer. The former Liverpool man is without a club after departing Besiktas earlier this summer, with the Blues joined by the likes of Leeds United and Burnley also believed to be eyeing him up.

Oxlade-Chamberlain would be something of a risk, considering he is now 32 years of age and arguably past his best, but the free aspect of the move would make it less of a gamble for Everton.

If Moyes believes the 2019/20 Premier League champion still has plenty to offer, he should be trusted, with Jurgen Klopp describing him as “sensational” and Thierry Henry also once hailing the progress he made after joining Liverpool from Arsenal, after not knowing his best position for years.

Everton are brewing a homegrown Barry in "prolific" 19-year-old star

Everton could possess their own homegrown version of Thierno Barry in this 19-year-old attacker.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 8, 2025

Oxlade-Chamberlain would surely jump at the chance to return to England and play for an Everton team heading in the right direction, even though a move there for an ex-Liverpool player could be controversial.

Emmanuel Adebayor has warned Mikel Arteta that a benched star at Arsenal could “spoil the whole training ground” if the Gunners boss does not take a leaf out of Arsene Wenger’s managerial playbook. Gabriel Martinelli is among those having to make peace with a spot among the substitutes in north London, and the Brazilian may not accept that role for long.

Starter to substitute: Martinelli benched

Martinelli started Arsenal’s opening two games of the 2025-26 campaign, but has failed to make an XI since. He has still been able to make important contributions in Champions League and Premier League competition.

AdvertisementGettyMartinelli netted crucial goals for the Gunners

The 24-year-old winger netted in a European clash with Athletic Club, before grabbing a stoppage-time equaliser in a heavyweight domestic showdown with Manchester City at Emirates Stadium.

Added competition for Martinelli after transfer talk

Martinelli was linked with a move elsewhere over the summer, only to end up staying put, and Adebayor believes the South American will want to play a more prominent role for Arsenal – despite seeing the likes of Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze drafted in to provide added creativity in the attacking department.

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Getty/GOALAdebayor fires warning to Arteta & Arsenal

Former Gunners striker Adebayor told of Martinelli potentially causing problems for Arteta: “I think that’s where man management becomes very important because you have to be talking to all these players to keep them happy all the time even knowing that they’re on the bench.

“When I was on the bench at Arsenal, I knew that I had Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie in front of me, but it was not easy because every weekend I’m in his [Wenger’s] office telling him ‘I’m here to play, I have to play’.

“This is when you need a manager that can calm the situation down. We have never seen Arteta go through those moments, and I think this is the right year for him to go through this.

“‘Manager, I want to play. Gaffer, listen I’m not here to sit on the bench. You didn’t buy me to be on the bench. I’m here to play because I want to win Ballon d’Or. I want to be the top goal scorer. I want to be the best player in the league’.

“We all have our individual things in our mind whether you like it or not. But at the end of the day, we put into the collective. We have to think of what I can do, what I’m going to bring into the team. If you’re on the bench, it’s hard.

“Martinelli, I think in a couple of weeks we will lose him because if he stays on the bench after this game the head will start going, then the body will follow, then he will spoil the whole training ground.”

Vidarbha are chasing their third title, while this is the first time Kerala have qualified for the Ranji Trophy final

Shashank Kishore25-Feb-2025Big picture: Kerala’s time under the sunHave film stars and politicians ever been this excited about the Ranji Trophy? Kerala’s entry into their maiden final has ticked that box. And the manner of their getting there has been nothing less than a Lalettan blockbuster.It’s the biggest moment in the careers of many who come from a part of the country where there’s a culture of hero worship, but also where there have been only a few cricket heroes – like S Sreesanth and, more recently, Sanju Samson. But dig a little deeper and you find others with an impeccable body of work.Like KN Ananthapadmanabhan, now a recognised umpire who led Kerala to their biggest result in the mid-1990s, when they made the pre-quarter-finals in 1994-95. Or Feroze Rashid, who helped them qualify for the Ranji Trophy Super League after they emerged South Zone winners in 1996-97. Or VA Jagadeesh, a probationary bank officer who was one of the classical old-school openers of the early 2000s. The list is long, but they have usually flown under the radar.So, when the Sachin Baby-led squad takes the field in Nagpur on Wednesday, a state of 35 million known mainly for its football, will have their time under the sun. Their previous shot at a final in 2018-19 ended in heartbreak, but the current squad has a number of players from that game who are not only better off from the experience, but perhaps better equipped, a direct consequence of a more streamlined system.They are up against Vidarbha, two-time Ranji winners who are now beginning to regularly dominate the domestic scene. A state that for long wasn’t known for producing players by the truckloads for India, but is now a feeder line of talent. Like Jitesh Sharma, who took over the mantle from Umesh Yadav and has gone on to play for India in T20Is. Or Harsh Dubey, the season’s leading wicket-taker who R Ashwin has taken under his wing.Vidarbha’s growing investment in the age-group set-up, has helped churn out seasoned players like Atharva Taide, Yash Rathod and Yash Thakur. Led astutely by Akshay Wadkar, a rookie when they first won a title in 2017-18, there’s a strong core group that now includes senior professionals like Karun Nair and Dhruv Shorey. Vidarbha are favourites, but Kerala have played like a team without baggage and will fight until the end, like they have time and again this season.Karun Nair has been in sparkling form this season•PTI Form guide: Vidarbha on a rollVidarbha WWWWD
Kerala DDWDDRun to the final: Two contrasting journeysVidarbha’s six wins in seven games were the most by a team in the group stage. Kerala got there on the back of just three wins, having pipped Karnataka and Bengal.Kerala made the final on the back of two first-innings leads in dramatic circumstances against Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat, while Vidarbha got here having ousted Tamil Nadu and defending champions Mumbai in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.In the spotlight: Aditya Sarwate and Karun NairAditya Sarwate bowled 11 wicketless overs combined out of the 194.5 Vidarbha bowled across two innings in last year’s Ranji Trophy final against Mumbai, back spasms holding him back. He ended the season with 40 wickets, the most by a Vidarbha bowler, but soon found himself under scrutiny when his fitness and work ethic were questioned within the team. Sarwate is now Kerala’s second-highest wicket-taker this season and is coming off a sensational semi-final performance on the final day against Gujarat. Kerala will bank on Sarwate for plenty of intel on his former team at his home ground.Karun Nair was in his first season when he hit three centuries during a memorable Ranji Trophy triumph with Karnataka in 2013-14. In the final that followed next year, Nair hit a triple-century as Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu to win back-to-back titles. A decade later, he’s back among the runs in a big way. Having topped the charts with a record-breaking 779 runs in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has the opportunity to trigger talks of an India comeback for the England Tests should he score big in the final.Aditya Thakare will be back for the final•PTI Team news: Thakare and Nizar fitSeamer Aditya Thakare, who picked up a five-for in the quarter-final against Tamil Nadu, missed the semi-final owing to a hamstring niggle. Thakare is fit and available for the final. That could mean Vidarbha leave out one of Darshan Nalkande and Nachiket Bhute.Vidarbha (likely XI): 1 Atharva Taide, 2 Dhruv Shorey, 3 Danish Malewar, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Yash Rathod, 6 Akshay Wadkar (capt, wk), 7 Harsh Dubey, 8 Parth Rekhade, 9 Nachiket Bhute/Darshan Nalkande, 10 Yash Thakur, 11 Aditya ThakareThe blow to his helmet in what was a tournament-defining moment for Kerala last week had left Salman Nizar concussed, but he has since recovered and is set to play. Kerala have no other injury concerns. They could bring back medium pacer Nedumankuzhy Basil in place of allrounder Ahammed Imran for better balance.Kerala (likely XI): 1 Akshay Chandran, 2 Rohan Kunnummal, 3 Varun Nayanar, 4 Sachin Baby (capt), 5 Jalaj Saxena, 6 Salman Nizar, 7 Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), 8 Aditya Sarwate, 9 MD Nidheesh, 10 Basil Thampi, 11 Nedumankuzhy BasilPitch and conditionsNagpur is hot and dry already, with day temperatures touching the mid-30s (Celsius). The fresh surface in use for the final is believed to have a decent grass cover, to begin with, but the dryness will ensure cracks open up, allowing spin to come into the game from days three to five.Stats and trivia Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey is three short of the all-time Ranji record for most wickets in a season. Bihar’s Ashutosh Aman currently holds the record with the 68 wickets that he picked up in 2018-19. Nizar is Kerala’s highest run-getter this season, with 607. Nearly 60% of those runs have come in the last three games. Vidarbha won the only Ranji final in Jamtha, Nagpur previously, when they beat Saurashtra in 2018-19. Sarwate, Vidarbha’s highest wicket-taker during that winning campaign (55 at 19.57), will be looking to win his third Ranji title, this time with Kerala. Rathod is 105 runs away from eclipsing Wasim Jaffer’s record for most runs in a single Ranji season by a Vidarbha batter. Jaffer aggregated 1037 during their winning campaign in 2018-19, with four hundreds and two fifties. Rathod has already hit five hundreds and three fifties this season.Quotes”He’s a sound leader – a performer who has shown the tenacity to withstand pressure and lead from the front. The entire team has resonated his fighting spirit through the season”
.”In my first meeting with Amay [Khurasiya, head coach] sir in August, I told him we needed just two things: discipline and strengthening of our lower-order batting. I think so far we’ve delivered on both counts. Now, the talk within the group is we don’t have one game left, but two. Final and Irani Cup [between the Ranji winners and a rest of India team]. We are going in with that mindset”
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