The incessant rain couldn’t quite spoil the occasion, sparked by a social-media call to action, and the fans will have one more go at their white-shirt tribute to Virat Kohli on May 23

Ashish Pant18-May-2025The periphery of the M Chinnaswamy Stadium on IPL match days is a hive of activity. The hawkers selling Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) jerseys and caps and flags, fans looking for any last-minute tickets, those with tickets searching for their gates, and most wearing the RCB red and gold, invariably with “Virat 18” on the back.The vibe was pretty much the same when IPL 2025 resumed after a week-long break in Bengaluru, with RCB taking on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). But there was one visible change. Yes, there were plenty of red jerseys, but amid those were white shirts… a lot of them.It started with a simple social media post, which called on RCB fans to pay tribute to Virat Kohli’s Test legacy by wearing a white Kohli shirt to the RCB-KKR game after he had announced his retirement from the format last week. The posts multiplied and soon went viral. But would people actually turn up in whites? The answer was a resounding yes.Related

• Kohli and Test cricket gave each other their best

• Kohli has been Indian cricket's most influential figure

• IPL 2025 playoff scenarios – RCB need one point, KKR eliminated

The signs were there on the eve of the game when some hawkers outside the venue were spotted selling white India jerseys with “Virat 18” on the back, and they had plenty of takers. On match day, it became even bigger. The usual RCB jerseys were available in huge numbers, but the white ones quickly became the crowd favourite. They were everywhere and everyone wanted to have a piece of it. Women, men, children – Bengaluru had turned white for their “King”.The IPL is a lot about the glitz, the loud music, the colour, the buzz, the vibrancy. The red RCB flags and the red and gold jerseys are as much a part of the Chinnaswamy feel as are the “Aaar-ceee-beee” chants. But Saturday wasn’t usual. This was Kohli’s first game after his retirement from Test cricket. So it didn’t matter that the forecast was for incessant rain in the evening, which ended up washing the game out. The fans wanted to be there and white was their colour of choice.”I got to know about this through Instagram. I didn’t even have a ticket for this game, I somehow scrambled for it today and got it,” Naman, an RCB fan, said when we caught up with him. “Virat Kohli is the best cricketer I have ever seen, and it was my duty to give him a tribute. He shouldn’t have retired.”

Chinnaswamy stadium is a proper vibe today. A sea of white amidst the usual red #RCBvKKR #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/lQqNLaawhN

— Ashish Pant (@ashishpant43) May 17, 2025

Some of the most expensive players in European football just so happen to be some of the youngest. The next generation is officially breaking through, scrambling to take football’s crown in the Premier League, La Liga and across Europe.

CIES have ranked the most valuable teenagers in world football, and some of them also feature in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, with Lamine Yamal next in line to become football royalty. The Barcelona winger finished second behind Ousmane Dembele in the last edition and is highly-tipped to take his crown in 2026.

But he’s not entirely alone in that battle. CIES’ list also includes four Premier League talents, and as English football continues to attract some of the world’s best players, there’s no denying that it could produce its best generation yet.

Player

Club

Value

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona

€349.6m

Estevao Willian

Chelsea

€118.1m

Pau Cubarsi

Barcelona

€112.7m

Franco Mastantuono

Real Madrid

€102.4m

Warren Zaire-Emery

PSG

€92.3m

Ethan Nwaneri

Arsenal

€88.1m

Myles Lewis-Skelly

Arsenal

€84.8m

Geovany Quenda

Sporting CP

€80.2m

Endrick Felipe

Real Madrid

€73.2m

Lucas Bergvall

Tottenham

€68m

10 Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham): €68m

At just 19 years old, Lucas Bergvall is already an important member of Thomas Frank’s squad at Tottenham Hotspur. One of four Premier League players in the top 10, the Swede is valued at as much as €68m. The only way is up for the midfielder and that value, too. Whether that development ends in North London is the big question.

Bergvall has the talent to reach the highest heights in the Premier League – something that has not historically arrived at Spurs. Having already had a taste of trophies when winning the Europa League last season, the teenager will be one to watch in the coming years.

9 Endrick Felipe (Real Madrid): €73.2m

Although Endrick has endured a tough time under Xabi Alonso and is likely to head out on loan in the January transfer window, he remains one of the most impressive teenagers in European football. The Brazilian arrived in Spain for as much as €72m in 2022 and has since maintained that value in the last two years.

Now 19 years old, he simply needs the game time that he won’t be getting any time soon at Real Madrid. Whether that means a move to the Premier League or elsewhere remains to be seen. The likes of West Ham United and Manchester United have already been mentioned as reported suitors in what would be quite the move this winter.

8 Geovany Quenda (Sporting CP): €80.2m

Geovany Quenda’s place on this list comes as no surprise. The impressive winger is already reportedly on his way to Chelsea next summer after the Blues agreed a deal worth a combined £62.4m (€71m) to sign both him and teammate Dario Essugo in advance. Those at Stamford Bridge have made a reputation for sweeping up young players in recent years and Quenda will be next to arrive.

Chelsea should be glad that they got in when they did. According to CIES, the 18-year-old is now valued at as much as €80.2m on his own, let alone with Essugo. Set to combine with the likes of Cole Palmer and others next season, Enzo Maresca will be hoping to see a teenage star realise his potential in full at Stamford Bridge.

7 Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal): €84.2m

An England international and mainstay in the Arsenal squad, it feels absurd that Myles Lewis-Skelly is still just 19 years old. The Gunners’ famous Hale End academy has produced yet another gem and one of the most valued teenagers in European football. Although, it’s difficult to imagine the left-back being anywhere but in North London.

It’s a scary thought that the best is yet to come from Lewis-Skelly, who is already valued at as much as €84.2m by CIES and is set to play a crucial part in Arsenal’s Premier League title ambitions.

6 Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal): €88.1m

Speaking of Hale End graduates, Ethan Nwaneri has been valued at a staggering €88.1m by CIES – making him the sixth most-valued teenager in European football.

Like Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old’s inclusion is no real surprise. The impressive attacker hasn’t been without his injury issues at times, but if any onlooker wants to discover his talent in full, then it’s worth watching his stunning goal against Manchester City last season.

That fact that Nwaneri burst onto the scene just a few years after Bukayo Saka emerged proves just how stacked Arsenal’s academy is with the next generation of stars.

5 Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG): €92.1m

Breaking into a side as dominant as PSG’s is no easy task, but Warren Zaire-Emery featured in 13 of their 15 Champions League games last season as they secured European glory as part of a historic treble.

At 19 years old, the Frenchman is only likely to play a larger part as the years tick by, taking his place alongside the likes of Joao Neves in Luis Enrique’s midfield.

Meanwhile, if anyone wants to take the midfielder off PSG’s hands, then it could cost them as much as €92.1m. Having graduated from the French side’s academy to become one of their most promising stars, his future looks almost certain to lie at the home of the European champions.

4 Franco Mastantuono (Real Madrid): €102.4m

Into three figures, Real Madrid’s Franco Mastuono is worth as much as €102.4m, according to CIES. The talented 18-year-old only arrived at Madrid in the summer in a deal worth around €45m, but is already looking like an excellent signing for the future. Unlike Endrick, he’s been thrown straight into Alonso’s plans and has even earned a number of starts at his new club.

One of the best teenagers that European football has to offer, Real Madrid have undeniably landed another gem at what should prove to be a bargain price in years to come.

3 Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona): €112.7m

The first and only defender on this list, Pau Cubarsi already plays a crucial part in Hansi Flick’s Barcelona side. It speaks volumes that the 18-year-old is often selected over the more experienced Ronald Araujo and that’s reflected in CIES’ €112.7m valuation.

Whilst the La Masia academy has produced some great attacking talents over the years, they’ll be relieved to have unearthed such an impressive defensive gem and someone who should be at the heart of their backline for years to come.

2 Estevao Willian (Chelsea): €118.1m

In years to come, many supporters around European football are going to be wondering how exactly Chelsea won the race for Estevao Willian. Whilst the likes of Florian Wirtz and Xavi Simons have struggled to adjust to life in the Premier League, the Blues’ 18-year-old Brazilian has thrived in the face of endless opportunities at Stamford Bridge.

Although those in West London have missed with a number of young signings, they’ve undoubtedly hit the mark by signing Estevao. Their teenager is destined for greatness and is already valued at €118.1m.

1 Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): €349.6m

It was always going to be him, wasn’t it? Yamal isn’t just the most valued teenager in European football, but he’s one of the most valued players in the world. He is next in line for football’s throne. This generation’s answer to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – that’s the level that Barcelona have produced once again.

Even with that pressure on his shoulders, the Spaniard has continued to thrive – becoming the main man at Barcelona in just a couple of years. Still just 18 years old but already outrageously talented, CIES value Yamal at as much as €349.6m – more than double the amount they valued second-place Estevao.

A renovated Santiago Bernabeu has played host to the first-ever NFL match played at the stadium, helping to elevate its status to a multi-purpose stadium and, Impressed with the revamped stadium, UEFA are reportedly planning to host a Champions League final at the Bernabeu in the near future.

• First NFL game in Spain

  A revamped Santiago Bernabeu hosted an NFL game between the Miami Dolphins and the Washington Commanders on Sunday. The game, which the Dolphins won 16-13, saw a huge turnout from locals as well as from fans abroad. As per a report from Defensa Central, the governing body of European football, UEFA, were surprised by the stadium's transformation. Despite having a not-so-healthy relationship with the club in recent times, UEFA did not shy away from admiring Real Madrid's innovative new-look stadium. They have also indicated a potential Champions League final taking place at the iconic stadium; however, nothing has been made official yet. 

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  Perez's plan is successful

  Back in 2023, Florentino Perez had pointed out how the renovation would pan out, explaining: "The investment in technology has been increased in all the areas of the Bernabéu Tour. The Museum will be much bigger and the spaces have been modified to make them more attractive. The traditional Tour has been extended with 2 new routes. The turf maintenance lighting has also been changed from fixed to variable spectrum, which allows the full range of natural light colours to be used, and this is the first time it has been used anywhere in the world with spectacular results. The increase in investment has also been allocated to improving the gastronomic services of the bars, which will represent a qualitative leap in the offer to members and fans. All this involves an enormous effort in the development of infrastructures, which, in addition to providing a better gastronomic experience, will serve to optimise the generation of income through this activity. In order to address all these additional investments and expenses, we have decided to finance ourselves on a long-term basis to avoid having to impact the activity and the club's outstanding balance sheet in the short term. The budget for these new investments is €370 million. Thanks to the financial solvency that Real Madrid enjoys, this will allow us to obtain financing under very favourable conditions, as we have obtained an A-rating, equivalent to that of the Kingdom of Spain."

• Barriers which can prevent a Champions League final at the stadium

  There is only one barrier that might prevent the stadium from hosting a Champions League final, and that is the club's will. In order to get hosting rights, the club will need to submit a bid, and as per the report, Los Blancos are in no mood to do so. Moreover, they are looking at this project to be one that generates a huge revenue. As per Defensa Central, this NFL game generated more than €80 million once ticket sales apart from other commercial activities and hospitality in the city. 

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  When do Real Madrid again play at the Bernabeu?

  Real Madrid have taken a major step in the reformation of the stadium, and that is to remove the name of Santiago from it. From now on, the iconic venue will be known as only Bernabeu and necessary changes will also be made to the logo, as per Diario AS. The stadium was named after legendary Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid player Santiago Bernabeu de Yeste in 1955. Notably, Bernabeu also performed the duties of a club president for Los Blancos. With the change in name, the legacy is not expected to diminish. But Madrid are currently not playing any home fixtures, with a return scheduled for December 7, when they take on Celta Vigo in the Spanish top flight. 

It is not just professional football that Harry Kane is dedicated to, with the Bayern Munich striker "braving the cold" in order to "get 18 holes in" during a winter round of golf. The England captain can often be found on the fairways and is not ready to put his clubs away just yet, despite freezing weather descending on Europe. He is wrapping up against testing conditions.

World Cup-bound: Kane fired England to another tournament

Kane has been making the most of time off towards the end of the latest international break. He has been away with England, helping to complete a faultless qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

He figured in meetings with Serbia and Albania, bagging a brace against the latter to seal a 2-0 win on the road. The Three Lions have reached another major tournament without dropping a point or conceding a goal.

Kane will captain them – fitness permitting – at next summer’s finals in the United States, Canada and Mexico. He will get more time in the Americas to work on his golf game, with it likely that a bag of woods and irons will make the journey with him over the Atlantic.

AdvertisementHitting the greens: Kane braves the cold

The 32-year-old never passes up the chance to hit the greens, with golf becoming his favourite pastime. Said game presents him with an opportunity to escape the stresses of his day job.

He has made a point of getting a few more rounds in before chilly conditions making playing impossible. Kane donned a woolly hat when breaking out his driver again. He posted on Instagram: "Winter golf. Anybody else been braving the cold to get 18 holes in?"

NFL or PGA Tour: Kane has not ruled out crossover

There will be a fair few joining Kane in getting more golf in before 2025 comes to a close. Some of those may fancy their chances of taking on the England skipper, with the prolific frontman revealing that he plays off a single-figure handicap of three.

He has not ruled out exploring a future on the PGA Tour once his playing days on the football field are over. Kane has told : "I’d still say ‘never say never’, because I don’t like to rule anything out. It takes such a lot of time and dedication, it would be really, really, really tough. I think sometimes people don’t appreciate how much work goes into it. You watch it on the TV and you see them doing it so effortlessly and you think ‘I could have a go at that’, but it’s really tough. I’d never say never, but I think it’s really unlikely that will happen."

While being more than competent with a club in hand, Kane has never achieved the ultimate goal in golf. He does, however, intend to right that wrong at some point in the not too distant future. He told his channel back in May: "I’ve never got a hole in one. One of my lifetime goals is to join the hole in one club!"

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GettyKane record: Goal tallies for Bayern and England

Kane has made a habit of hitting his targets down the years, with there seemingly nothing that he cannot do. He is able to drive the ball over 300 yards in golf, which will put him in position to grab the odd hole in one at some point.

With his clean striking of a ball with his foot also being taken into account, it has been suggested that Kane could move into American football once his soccer career is over. He is a big fan of NFL and has admitted to being keen on moving into place kicking.

For now, Kane is focused on scoring goals for Bayern and England. He has reached 108 through 113 appearances for the former, while taking his record-setting haul for the latter to 78 from 112 caps.

Bundesliga champions Bayern, who have dropped just two points through 10 fixtures in the German top-flight this season, will be back in action on Saturday when playing host to Freiburg.

West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo is planning to hand an exciting young player his first team debut at the London Stadium this season, according to a new report.

This comes in the aftermath of their 3-2 comeback win over Burnley at the London Stadium last Saturday – a clash which gifted Nuno two straight wins and the perfect sign-off before this November international break.

The Hammers have now won consecutive Premier League games despite conceding the first goal each time, having also beaten Newcastle 3-1 the weekend prior. It also marks West Ham’s first back-to-back home wins since October 2024, suggesting the dark clouds could be starting to lift after a torrid opening to the campaign.

With six goals in their last two games – having scored just seven in their previous nine – West Ham’s attack is finally clicking into gear. Crucially, Nuno has settled on a midfield he can trust, naming an unchanged lineup in his last two after criticism for questionable tinkering during his opening four matches.

West Ham’s results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
West Ham 3-2 Burnley

Academy graduate Freddie Potts has become a fan favourite, if he wasn’t already, and could be working his way into becoming an undroppable after convincing performances alongside Lucas Paqueta in the engine room.

The partnership is providing much-needed stability, with striker Callum Wilson also repaying Nuno’s faith after two straight starts, despite credible reports the Englishman wasn’t fancied by Nuno at first (ExWHUemployee).

Nuno reserved special praise for Tomas Soucek as well, who scored West Ham’s third and ultimately decisive goal of the game on his 250th appearance for the east Londoners.

The 30-year-old won’t be around forever, though, and with his contract expiring in 2027, West Ham could already have an heir apparent in the form of youngster Mohamadou Kante.

Nuno plans senior debut for Mohamadou Kante at West Ham

West Ham agreed a deal to sign Kante from Paris FC last year and the 20-year-old gem spent the rest of 2024/2025 back out on loan in the French capital, with Kante since returning to Rush Green and plying his trade in the club’s academy for the Under-21s.

Kante is yet to make his first-team debut for West Ham, but according to journalist Pete O’Rourke, this is about to change.

The French ‘rising star’ is wanted by multiple sides in January, with numerous Championship clubs already enquiring about Kante and prepared to sign him either on loan or permanently.

Writing for Football Insider, O’Rourke states that Kante is “expected” to get minutes in the West Ham senior team soon and is “close to a first-team breakthrough” after impressing in the academy lately — so it remains to be seen whether the club will green-light a mid-season exit for him.

The midfielder, who’s notched three goals and two assists in 10 academy appearances this term, scored a cracker most recently against Liverpool’s Under-21s — rounding off a superb 3-0 win for West Ham as Kante looks to turn Nuno’s head.

West Ham could have yet another Potts situation on their hands with Kante, and he’s been given chances to impress in first-team training by Nuno lately.

Spinner’s five-for sees Kent follow on, before hosts stumble to close five down

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 136 for 5 (Compton 55*, Evison 53, Reece 4-33) trail Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec by 291 runsDerbyshire were closing in on a huge victory against Kent when bad light forced a premature end to day three of their Rothesay County Championship match at Canterbury.Kent were 135 for 5 in their seconds innings, still 291 behind, after Luis Reece ripped out their top order with 4 for 33.That came after Jack Morley took 5 for 99 as the visitors dismissed Kent for 271 in the first innings, a lead of 427. Ekansh Singh and Ben Dawkins both hit career-best scores of 71 and 61 respectively, but when the former was out Kent’s last four wickets went for just nine runs.Derbyshire enforced the follow on and Reece reduced them to 20 for 3 before Joey Evison and Ben Compton offered some resistance. Reece eventually got Evison for 53, but Compton was unbeaten on 55 when the light failed.The lights were on but very few people were at home when play began on time, with Kent on 117 for 2. Morley, who removed nightwatcher Michael Cohen with the final ball on day two, struck again in his first full over of the morning, getting Jaydn Denly lbw for a five-ball duck.Ekansh was given a life when Wayne Madsen couldn’t cling on to a slip catch after he flashed at Ben Aitchison, but Dawkins was strangled as soon as Zak Chappell returned from the Nackington Road End.Ollie Curtiss got his first first-class runs, but Morley had him brilliantly caught by Martin Andersson at midwicket for 14, leaving Kent on 217 for 5 at lunch.Morley claimed his fifth in style by clinging on to a violent return catch from Ekansh at the second attempt and in doing so he became the first Derbyshire spinner to claim five wickets at Canterbury since Les Townsend in 1931.There was raucous applause from the Nackington Road End when Evison hit Harry Came for successive boundaries to earn Kent a solitary bonus point, but he then slashed Reece to Aneurin Donald at first slip, before Aitchison got his second strangle of the day when Harry Finch flicked him behind for 14.Corey Flintoff went for a second-ball duck, hitting Aitchison straight to the sub fielder Nick Potts at square leg and Matt Parkinson lasted four balls before he edged Reece to Wayne Madsen, who took an outstanding one-handed grab at second slip.If that was bad, there was worse to come as Reece bowled Dawkins for nought with the second ball of the second innings and then had Denly caught behind for four in his next over. Reece got his third of the innings when Ekansh was caught behind for 4, but Compton and Evison steadied things.The latter was dropped by Amrit Basra off Chappell when he was on 28 in the final over before tea, at which point Kent were 61 for 3. He was dropped again on 52 when he drove Dal to midwicket, but Donald put him down, apparently while celebrating a catch he hadn’t actually taken.Donald’s embarrassment was fleeting as Evison chipped Reece to Andersson in the next over and Dal then bowled Curtiss for 4 but Compton swept Morley for four to pass 50 and bad light stopped play at 5.39pm, with eight overs remaining.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav has said there has been no instruction to tone down aggression or keep emotions in check, even when they play Pakistan in the Asia Cup on September 14 in Dubai. The question was asked in the context of the prevailing geopolitical tensions between the two countries.”Temper? Aggression is always there when we take the field,” Suryakumar said. “And without aggression, I don’t think you can play this sport. I’m very excited to take the field.”Pakistan captain Salman Agha echoed the sentiment, saying there was no need for special instructions to his players either.Related

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• 'No agenda, just honesty' – Hesson defends assesment of senior players

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• Back-to-back games plus travel 'not ideal' – Asalanka, Rashid on gruelling schedules

“You don’t need to say anything to any player,” Agha said. “Everyone is different individually. If someone wants to be aggressive on the field, they are more than welcome to do that. When it comes to fast bowlers, they are always aggressive and you can’t stop them because that’s what keeps them going.”From my side, there is no instruction to anyone, as long as it stays on the field.”The other aspect of the India-Pakistan clash – their first in T20Is since last year’s World Cup fixture in New York – is that both teams have moved on from their superstars. India are without the retired Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, while Pakistan have chosen to move on, for now, from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan.Unlike Pakistan, coming off a steady diet of T20I cricket over the past three months, reigning champions India will be playing their first T20I since the England series in January. Despite looking strong on paper, Suryakumar brushed off suggestions that India were runaway favourites.Both teams have moved on from their superstars, with Virat Kohli now retired from T20Is and Babar Azam out of the side•AFP/Getty Images

“? (Who said?),” he asked with a laugh.When told that was the [discussion] on social media, Suryakumar responded: “I haven’t heard of it. But you have played in this format and you know how your preparations are. If your preparations are good, then you will be very confident when you take the field.”We are playing T20 as a team after a long time. But we were here three-four days back, had some good time together as a team, and we are really looking forward to this tournament.”In the lead-up to the Asia Cup, Agha led Pakistan to a tri-series win over Afghanistan and UAE just two days ago. Prior to that, they had mixed outings – beating West Indies 2-1 in the USA and losing 1-2 to Bangladesh in Bangladesh. Agha felt the format was far too fickle to have clear favourites.”In T20, I don’t think anyone is favourite,” he said. “On a particular day, you just have to play good cricket. T20 is a very fast game. In one or two overs, the game can completely change.”The tri-series was always preparation for the Asia Cup. If we won it, that’s very good, but the focus was always on this tournament. We still have to come here, play good cricket, and win the Asia Cup. That’s all that matters.”We are playing very good cricket. I think for almost four months, we have won three series out of four. So we are doing very well as a team and at the same time, we are very excited. A lot of the boys will play in the Asia Cup for the first time but they are ready for the challenge.”

India’s complaint over gestures made by Farhan and Rauf will be heard on Friday

Shashank Kishore25-Sep-2025

ESPNcricinfo understands Suryakumar’s use of the term “Operation Sindoor” was one of Pakistan’s points of objection•AFP/Getty Images

Suryakumar Yadav, India’s T20I captain, has been told to refrain from making comments that could be construed as political following an ICC hearing conducted by match referee Richie Richardson on Thursday in Dubai. It’s not yet clear if Suryakumar faces any other sanctions.An official hearing was necessary because the Pakistan team management had filed a complaint alleging that Suryakumar made political remarks following India’s Asia Cup group-stage win over Pakistan on September 14, which the PCB’s top brass had pointed out at a press conference in Lahore last week.Related

Suryakumar found guilty of breaching code of conduct; verdict on Rauf and Farhan awaited

The Pakcroft drama: everything, everywhere, all at once

BCCI lodges complaint with ICC against Farhan and Rauf

ESPNcricinfo understands Suryakumar’s use of the term “Operation Sindoor” – a term coined by the Indian government during the military skirmish between the two countries that followed the Pahalgam terror attacks in April – was one of the PCB’s points of objection.Suryakumar had used the term at the post-match press conference following that September 14 match, while dedicating the win to the victims of the terror attacks as well as India’s armed forces.That match also caused another controversy, with Pakistan lodging a “formal protest” against match referee Andy Pycroft because he had “requested the captains not to shake hands during the toss”. At the time, the PCB had demanded Pycroft to be taken off the roster for their matches, which the ICC rejected.That incident threatened to snowball into something bigger when Pakistan didn’t arrive on time for their match against UAE. They eventually relented after Pycroft apologised for the “miscommunication” over the handshake incident.Meanwhile, India’s complaint to the ICC over gestures made by Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf during their Super Fours clash will be heard on Friday since Pakistan were involved in a match on Thursday evening against Bangladesh.The gestures were made on the field during a tense game where the two sets of players exchanged words multiple times.At a press conference ahead of Pakistan’s match against Sri Lanka on Tuesday, Farhan had been asked about his machine-gun celebration after reaching his half-century against India. “That celebration was just a moment at that time,” he had said. “I do not do a lot of celebrations after scoring fifty. But, it suddenly came to my mind that let’s do a celebration today. I did that. I don’t know how people will take it. I don’t care about that.”

كشف إبراهيم حسن، مدير منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم، موعد انطلاق معسكر الفراعنة الأخير استعدادًا لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب.

ويستعد منتخب مصر في الفترة الحالية، لخوض المعسكر الختامي قبل المشاركة في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 بالمغرب والمقرر أن تنطلق 21 ديسمبر الجاري.

طالع | قائمة منتخب مصر استعدادًا لـ كأس أمم إفريقيا 2025 .. موقف إمام عاشور

وقال حسن خلال تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لاتحاد الكرة المصري: “معسكر منتخب مصر سينطلق غدًا الأربعاء 3 ديسمبر، وسيكون التدريب في الواحدة ظهرًا، بمشروع الهدف بالسادس من أكتوبر”.

وأضاف: “سنخوض مباراة ودية ضد نيجيريا يوم 14 ديسمبر، ثم السفر إلى المغرب يوم 17 ديسمبر للمشاركة في كأس أمم إفريقيا”.

وأتم: “معسكر منتخب مصر، سيكون مفتوح حتى يوم 6 ديسمبر على أن يدخل الفريق بعدها معسكر مغلق، حتي موعد السفر إلى المغرب”.

و⁠يبدأ منتخب مصر مبارياته ببطولة أمم إفريقيا يوم 22 ديسمبر بمواجهة زيمبابوي ثم جنوب إفريقيا يوم 26 وأنجولا يوم 29 ديسمبر في دور المجموعات.