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India’s 2025-26 season kicks off with a visit by West Indies in October

Abhijato Sensarma29-Sep-20253:28

What does the squad for the WI Tests tell us?

So West Indies are playing Test cricket in India?Yes, and the double-take is justified. Probably. It’s been exactly seven years since West Indies last toured the country for a Test series, way back in October 2018.The first Test starts in Ahmedabad on October 2 and the second one is in Delhi on October 10. The matches start at 9.30 am local time.Should I bother tuning in?Yes! With World Test Championship points in play, every game matters. India’s results in the home series against West Indies, followed by South Africa, will be crucial to their chances of making it to the final at Lord’s in two years’ time.Woah, slow down… remind me how the WTC works again?Ah, yes. The format has befuddled some of the best cricketing minds of our times.Now in its fourth edition, the format remains the same. Each team plays six series over a two-year cycle – three at home, three away. They get 12 points for a win, six for a draw, and none for a loss. Also, in case of over-rate offences, one point is deducted for each over they are deemed to be behind in the final match tally.The points they win are then converted to a percentage total, based on the overall points available to them, and this percentage-based ranking determines the top two teams, who play the final. All quite simple, really.Umm, sure… Remind me how India and West Indies are doing, again?India are third on the table, with 46.67 percentage points. Their first assignment was an all-timer of a Test series in England, which they drew 2-2. The draw still leaves them needing strong showings across the four home Tests this season to guarantee a good position on the table.West Indies are ranked sixth but that’s only because the three teams below them have not played any Tests in the new cycle. They lost 3-0 at home to Australia in what was an all-timer of a drubbing too. They were dismissed for 27 in the final Test, which led to an emergency meeting of the who’s who of Caribbean cricket.6:18

Aaron on Bumrah pick: India not taking any chances after NZ drubbing

What happened the last time these two teams met in India?The results were quite one-sided in the 2018 series – India won the first Test by an innings and 272 runs, the second one by ten wickets. In fact, the last time West Indies defeated India either home or away was in… 2002.The 2018 series also came when India were in the middle of a dominant home run. They didn’t lose a single series from 2013 to 2024.Something happened in 2024, didn’t it…Yes: the infamous 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home. That result re-contextualises this entire series. India will be looking to prove that it was an aberration, but their side is still recovering from the fallout of those events. Former captain Rohit Sharma, their long-term No. 4 Virat Kohli, as well as the first name on the team sheet at home, R Ashwin, have all retired.Right. Ashwin won’t be around for this oneYes – it is quite the loss, too. Since his debut in 2011, Ashwin did not miss a single one of the 65 Tests India played at home. His impact across all these games – 383 wickets at an average of 21.57 – will be tough to replace.But India have a promising spin trio lined up for the West Indies series. It might finally be time for Kuldeep Yadav to get an extended run in the side. He has 56 wickets at 22.16 but sat out all five Tests against England. Axar Patel wasn’t in that squad altogether but will play a prominent role with his proven all-round ability at home. Washington Sundar will look to match him, having already shown quality with the bat.Leading them all will be Ravindra Jadeja, nearing his 15th year in Test cricket and the vice-captain of the side in the absence of the injured Rishabh Pant.2:05

Is there a role for Nitish Kumar Reddy in home Tests?

How does the rest of India’s squad look?Despite gaining crucial experience in England, this is still quite a new-look side. Shubman Gill will lead India for the first time on home soil. He’s coming off a record-breaking run-spree in England, with four centuries, one of which he turned into a double. Pant is out, still recovering from the fractured left foot he sustained in Manchester. Dhruv Jurel is likely to take up the wicketkeeping duties, while N Jagadeesan slots into the squad after having flown to England as the back-up keeper for the final Test.Karun Nair finds himself outside the Test side after scoring just one fifty in eight innings in England. The selectors say that Devdutt Padikkal “offers more” at this stage.How about West Indies?They are looking for a reboot after the Australia defeat as well, reflected in how they have dropped their former captain and 100-Test veteran, Kraigg Brathwaite. Alick Athanaze and Tagenarine Chanderpaul have been recalled, with their ability to play spin being a crucial factor in the decision.Shai Hope made it back to the Test side for the first time since 2021 during the Australia series, but will be looking to improve on a performance where he scored 118 runs at 18.83 across six innings.That said, for West Indies to be competitive against India, they will need their own spinners to come good. Vice-captain Jomel Warrican and left-arm spinner Khary Pierre and captain Roston Chase have a big job ahead of them.A 2-0 clean sweep still seems like the most probable outcome, no?It is certainly a mismatch. However, West Indies will know that this is the most vulnerable India have been at home for a long time. They’ve lost their stalwarts. Their No. 3 – Sai Sudharsan – is still a work in progress. Jasprit Bumrah may be rested for the first Test given it starts just three days after the Asia Cup final. There are opportunities for an upset.ESPNcricinfo will be covering every moment of the series, so stay tuned.

Vote for the most exciting match of the ongoing edition of the ODI World Cup

Dustin Silgardo17-Nov-2023

They have a woeful record in this competition and a shaky batting order to contend with. But they also have a premier match-winner in Shakib Al Hasan

Mohammad Isam23-Oct-2021Big pictureBangladesh have been trying to nail a T20 World Cup for a long time. As far back as 2012, they decided that playing plenty of T20Is just before the tournament will give them a good chance. But like a student who tries to cram the night before the exam, things never really came together.Their record in T20Is is not very good, and it gets much worse in World Cups. Only one of their seven wins since 2007 has come against a traditional big team. They lost to Hong Kong in the 2014 edition at home, while in 2016, they missed the mother of all open nets against India.Related

Inexperienced Sri Lanka banking on pace attack to topple Bangladesh

Sharjah pitches could be similar to those in Dhaka, and Russell Domingo is banking on that

This time too Bangladesh come into the tournament with cracks, despite recently seeing off Australia and New Zealand at home. On tailor-made home pitches that helped the spinners, the visiting batters had very little clue what was happening – but so did the home batters, and it seems that has hurt Bangladesh. Their shock loss to Scotland in the first round showed signs of their batters’ lack of confidence. The top order was gone quickly, before Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan stalled for several overs, trying to rebuild. That didn’t work out and then captain Mahmudullah, the team’s best T20 batter, couldn’t time his big hits.Their subsequent wins over Oman and PNG ensured a spot in the Super 12s, but Bangladesh have to play a lot better and with more consistency in this round if they are to reach the tournament goal they have set for themselves: reach the semi-finals.Recent formBangladesh came into the tournament with three consecutive series wins over Zimbabwe, Australia and New Zealand. But they lost two out of three warm-up games earlier this month, before crashing against Scotland in the first round. They recovered against Oman and PNG.BattingMushfiqur, Mahmudullah and Shakib remain in charge of Bangladesh’s batting, despite the emergence of several talented batters in recent years. If these three fire together, expect a big score. If they have a combined bad day, the whole team seems to slow down.Mohammad Naim, Liton Das and Afif Hossain have shown signs of standing on their own, but don’t seem to be quite there yet. In Liton’s case, he has been around for six years, but consistency hasn’t been his companion.Nurul Hasan has emerged as a big-hitter down the order, as well as a skillful wicketkeeper. Soumya Sarkar and Shamim Hossain are the back-up batters in the squad.BowlingSpin usually dominates Bangladesh’s bowling plans, particularly with Shakib as the leader of the attack. The left-arm spinner’s varied pace and flight and subtle turn translate into the most bankable four overs. Offspinner Mahedi Hasan has started well in the tournament, and they also have Nasum Ahmed, Player-of-the-Series against New Zealand last month, waiting in the wings.Mustafizur Rahman is their best fast bowler, a proper T20 star who has excelled at the IPL. He has been around a long while, yet he still bamboozles the best of batters. Taskin Ahmed and Mohammad Saifuddin complement him with pace and variations, while the left-arm quick Shoriful Islam is waiting for his first opportunity.Player to watchThere are very few cricketers in the world currently who can bring as much to his side as Shakib Al Hasan does to Bangladesh. He is the team’s best player for sure, but he is also pushing for bigger honours. He had a great 2019 Word Cup – he was one of three batters to tally over 600 runs, to go with 11 wickets – but after that, he had the low of the ICC suspension to contend with.Since his return, he has worked his way back to his best, recently breaking the record for most T20I wickets. In the UAE, Shakib will bat at No. 3, and be expected to bowl in different situations with his new shorter run-up. He bowled superbly at the IPL and has brought his form with the ball over to the T20 World Cup. His batting will be all the more important to Bangladesh in the absence of Tamim Iqbal.Key questionDespite their fine recent form at home and their recovery in the first round in Muscat, question marks still hang over Bangladesh. Both Australia and New Zealand had fielded sides that were missing first-choice players, and the matches were played on Dhaka’s infamous raging turners. All the batters struggled and, as already mentioned, that sort of preparation in the lead-up to the global tournament has shown in Bangladesh’s batting so far. Can their batters break free and reach potential to help them make a mark in the Super 12s?Likely XI1 Mohammad Naim, 2 Liton Das, 3 Shakib Al Hasan, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim, 5 Mahmudullah (capt), 6 Afif Hossain, 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Venkatesh Prasad reiterates his commitment to bringing big-ticket cricket back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

Shashank Kishore08-Dec-2025

Venkatesh Prasad, the former India seamer, has been elected president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Sujith Somasunder, who played two ODIs in 1996 and was until recently head of education at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, is the vice-president.Prasad, who received unanimous backing from former colleagues Anil Kumble and Javagal Srinath among others, defeated his rival KN Shanth Kumar by a 749-558 margin. Flanked by his team members, Prasad reiterated his commitment to work with the state government to restore “Chinnaswamy’s lost glory”.”First and foremost, this is a victory for the sport of cricket,” Prasad said. “Secondly, this is a victory for all the members who wanted a change, all the people who wanted international cricket to come back to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.”Related

Probe panel deems Chinnaswamy 'unsafe' for large-scale events

The venue hasn’t hosted a big-ticket game since a stampede outside the premises claimed 11 lives during a Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) IPL victory party on June 4. Since then, the KSCA has been a no-go for cricket in Bengaluru, with the BCCI preferring to host the Duleep Trophy and ‘A’ series between India and South Africa at the Centre of Excellence.The M Chinnaswamy Stadium was scheduled to host five women’s ODI World Cup games, including the final. But they had to be moved out after the previous KSCA dispensation, which was operating without a treasurer and secretary, who had resigned on moral grounds after the stampede, failed to obtain the necessary clearances from the state government.KSCA subsequently ran into trouble with the state’s electricity suppliers over fire-safety compliances, which led to power supply to the venue being cut-off. Power has since been restored after a fire-safety audit that said KSCA was in compliance with regulations.Prasad has now instructed his team to study the other possible changes they can implement by studying the findings of the Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, appointed by the Karnataka government in the aftermath of the stampede.DK Shivakumar casts his vote at the KSCA elections•PTI

In its report in July, the commission had stated that the stadium’s “design and structure” were inherently “unsuitable and unsafe” for mass gatherings. It warned that continuing to hold high-attendance events at the venue would pose “unacceptable risks to public safety, urban mobility, and emergency preparedness”.On Sunday, Karnataka’s deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, a KSCA life-member and among the early voters, vowed to bring the IPL back to the Chinnaswamy.”I’m a cricket lover,” he said. We will ensure that the accident in Karnataka does not happen again and hold cricket events at Chinnaswamy Stadium in a manner that upholds the honour of Bengaluru. We will not shift the IPL elsewhere and will continue to hold it here at Chinnaswamy Stadium. This is the pride of Bengaluru and Karnataka, which we will retain.”Prasad joins a small group of former India players currently in cricket administration. Recently, Mithun Mahnas, the former Delhi captain and a cricket administrator in Jammu & Kashmir, was elected BCCI president, while Sourav Ganguly, Prasad’s former India colleague and captain, was unanimously elected as president of Cricket Association of Bengal. Saurabh Tiwary and Shahbaz Nadeem, who also had brief India careers along with a strong body of work in domestic cricket, have entered cricket administration in Jharkhand in positions of authority.

Xavi Vilajoana, who this week unveiled his campaign for Barcelona's upcoming presidential elections, was scathing in his criticism of current club president Joan Laporta. Vilajoana promised that, under his presidency, his team will focus on investing further in the club's famous youth academy, saying that it must be the source of their next world-class star, discouraging a big-money move for a star of Erling Haaland's stature.

Barcelona set to hold presidential elections next year

The next presidential elections at Barcelona are not too far away, with Laporta having already confirmed that he is planning to run for the re-election next year. More recently, a report from revealed that Laporta is being tipped to call the elections in April 2026, before the season ends. 

The current Barcelona president has been talking himself up and is looking to secure his position following his work during the second tenure. “We’ve made difficult decisions, we’ve worked under pressure. It’s been an important year in the club’s recovery, and I’d like to run in the next elections,” he told in May.

“I believe this project, which I have the honor of leading, deserves to continue. We made brave, courageous, and controversial decisions, and we’ve moved forward, both to stop this campaign of institutional discredit that has taken hold in some sectors, especially among rivals.

“The registration of players was an ordeal due to the violent reaction of those who didn’t want things to go well for us. All of this, and much more, gives me the strength to continue. It’s Barça’s best project because we love the club and we know what we’re doing and what’s in our best interest.”

AdvertisementAFPPresidential candidate tears Laporta apart

Victor Font, the primary presidential candidate who finished behind Laporta last time around, is expected to run for presidency once again. The likes of Joan Camprubi Montal, Marc Ciria and Xavi Vilajoana have also been reported to be in the running. 

On Thursday, Vilajoana unveiled his campaign for the Barcelona presidency under the slogan "Ready to recover our Barca". Speaking at the event, he criticised Laporta's methods and shared how he will improve the club. 

“I have been working for the club for 21 years, both as a football and futsal player and then as a board member under three presidents [Laporta, Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu]. I am optimistic and I will give it my all; the game has begun and it's going to be a long one,” he emphasised. “You can’t run the club behind the backs of its members, its owners. We have a captain who’s sailing without a plan; everything is mired in complete improvisation.

“If I am elected president, I will freeze season ticket prices until Camp Nou is finished. The members must come first. We can dedicate 40 million euros to this within a one billion euro budget. I have a plan to increase sponsorship revenue by 30%. We will promote La Masia, our greatest asset, whose budget Laporta has decided to cut by 37%. Our Haaland isn't at City, he's at La Masia. It pains me to see the state of the other sections. I was captain of one of them (futsal) and I know how important they are; they are part of our identity… Women's sports will be represented in all sections if I win.

“I want to do what's best for Barcelona. I don't know what will happen in the future, but I'm convinced that my project is very strong. What I am clear about is that the sums must be complementary. I'm not against anyone, I'm for Barca. Going against everything doesn't help. Being president of Barca isn't about handing out positions.

“Laporta’s management is insane. This isn’t about sweeping things under the rug, but about making sure those responsible pay the price. The auditor will determine if there have been any illegal actions. And if they have harmed the club, they must be reported.

“I try not to listen to this president because he doesn’t contribute anything to my life,” he said, adding that every time Laporta speaks he “disrespects the members,” lamenting “the current image of Barcelona; the club deserves much more.”

Messi could participate in Barcelona elections

In September, reported that Barcelona legend Lionel Messi could potentially play a part in the upcoming presidential elections. However, he would not be endorsing another term for Laporta, as it was revealed that he could showcase support for other candidates such as Font and Camprubi. 

Laporta has often held accountable for Messi's unceremonious exit from Barca in 2021, with the player and his family seeing Laporta pulling the plug on a renewal as 'betrayal'.

"The first person who should be talking about Messi is Laporta," Vilajoana added. "If he hasn't been with us for four years, it's his fault. Messi is an asset of the club. No one can appropriate the club's assets."

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AFPAccusations from Font have piled pressure on Laporta

Last month, Laporta's rival Font accused the Barcelona president of hiding €80m in losses, lambasting him for making an utter mess of the club's already fragile financial condition. "Last year's closing reflected losses of 90 million euros. We asked for a restatement because there were overvalued assets, and we were ignored," Font told in October. "This year's accounts hide 80 million euros more in losses that are restatements in last year's accounts, and this hasn't been mentioned; the Assembly isn't aware of it. There's a lack of transparency."

Font has also urged that "we need elections as soon as possible," adding that the "members will fight to ensure that the social model does not change and that the club is once again managed efficiently and responsibly."

Laporta is under tremendous pressure as things stand, and his case for another presidential term could further diminish if the Catalans fail to be in contention for major silverware by the time the elections take place next year.

In a match that will be remembered for years at BC Place, the Vancouver Whitecaps booked their spot in the Western Conference finals with a 2-2 (5-3 on penalties) win over Los Angeles FC. The back-and-forth clash featured a stunning Son Heung-Min equalizer, a nine-man fightback from the hosts, and, fittingly, a penalty shootout that sent the Canadian side through.

Getty Images SportWhat happened

The match looked fairly tight as halftime approached, with both sides appearing destined to head into the break level. Instead, the Whitecaps struck twice in the final five minutes of the first half – and both goals were preventable.

The opener came in the 40th minute, and it was as direct as it gets. Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka launched a long ball over the top to a streaking Emmanuel Sabbi, who raced in behind the LAFC back line and calmly slotted past Hugo Lloris to ignite the sold-out crowd at BC Place. Moments later, the home fans were celebrating again as Mathis Laborda poked home a loose ball from a corner in first-half stoppage time, giving Vancouver a sudden and stunning 2-0 lead.

The visitors weren't dead yet, though. Their star, Son, dragged them right back into it, netting in the 60th minute to set up a tense finish at BC Place. It suddenly became even more tense in the 93rd minute with Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon was sent off with a second yellow card. Two minutes later, Son played hero, smashing a shocking last-gasp free kick into the back of the net to send the game into extra time.

In extra time, the Whitecaps were suddenly the team on the back foot as they dealt with Blackmon's dismissal and LAFC's rising momentum. Making matters worse was an injury to Belal Halbouni just minutes after coming on, forcing the Whitecaps down to nine men. LAFC were so close to taking full advantage, too, pressing throughout extra time, including on a sequence that saw the visitors hit the post three times in a matter of seconds. It went to penalties, in the end, as LAFC were unable to find that game-winning goal.

Once there, though, the Whitecaps kept their nerve, taking advantage of missed spotkicks from Son and Marky Delgado to book their place in the Western Conference final against the winner of Monday's semifinal match between San Diego FC and Minnesota United.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportThe MVP

His game will be overshadowed by the goals and all of the chaos that followed, but it shouldn't. That's because Andres Cubas was that good.

The 29-year-old Paraguayan midfielder was monstrous throughout the match, absolutely running the show next to Sebastian Berhalter in the center of the field. He won 11 duels, amassed seven tackles, provided nine clearances, and moved the ball as well as anyone on the field. Cubas was, generally, the best player on that field, as he did a little bit of everything to ensure the Whitecaps continued their season with a statement win.

Getty Images SportThe big loser

Plenty of LAFC players will look at this defeat  as a missed chance. Denis Bouanga? He'll just be wondering how the hell this game didn't go his way.

When it gets to this point in the season, there's extra spotlight on superstars. Son stepped into it and, in a way, Bouanga did, too. He just lacked that little bit of luck, and that, ultimately, doomed LAFC. Bouanga fired eight shots, hit the post twice and saw a late effort slide right across the goal line. On any other day, he likely would have scored multiple goals. In this one, though, he scored none, and that's a big reason LAFC's season came to an end in heartbreaking fashion. It wasn't because Bouanga wasn't good; it's because he wasn't quite fortunate enough to get the bounce or two that he and LAFC were waiting for.

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Getty Images SportMatch rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Former India great set to become the first capped male Indian player to play in the BBL with Thunder, Hurricanes, Sixers and Strikers all chasing him

Alex Malcolm and Sidharth Monga23-Sep-2025

R Ashwin is set to become the first capped male India player to play in the BBL with four clubs vying for his services to play in the latter stages of the upcoming season.It is understood that Sydney Thunder, Hobart Hurricanes, Sydney Sixers and Adelaide Strikers are the four teams chasing Ashwin’s signature in what is set to be a major coup for the BBL. Thunder and Hurricanes appear to be the frontrunners for the India great with a deal likely to be finalised later this week.No internationally capped India male player has played in the BBL previously, but Ashwin’s retirement from the IPL earlier this year has opened the door for him to play franchise cricket overseas for the first time.Related

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Only retired Indian players are allowed by the BCCI to participate in overseas T20 leagues. Earlier this year, Dinesh Karthik played for Paarl Royals in the SA20. In 2023, Ambati Rayudu turned up to play for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL, and then in January 2024 with MI Emirates in the ILT20. Robin Uthappa and Yusuf Pathan featured for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20. Two years ago, Suresh Raina was part of Deccan Gladiators in the Abu Dhabi T10.Ashwin has already committed to the first-ever ILT20 auction in the UAE, which will take place next Tuesday. If bought, he will play out the ILT20, which has changed dates for the upcoming season and will now run from December 2 until January 4.The BBL begins on December 14, and the home-and-away part of the season runs until January 18. The finals will be held between January 20 and 25. It means Ashwin will be available for three-four games at the end of the season for one of those teams, plus finals should the team he signs with qualify. ESPNcricinfo understands that his deal will also include the BBL for the 2026-27 season.BBL clubs can only play three overseas players in their XI. Each of the clubs has already locked three players in via the league’s pre-signing rules and the June overseas draft. Clubs can sign an additional four overseas replacement players, meaning they can have up to seven on their list, but only three can play at any one time. Also, if any of the teams release an international player for SA20, Ashwin could fit in as a replacement for him.The league rules state that replacement overseas players have to nominate themselves for the draft, which Ashwin did not as he had not retired from IPL cricket at the time. But there is an exemption for overseas players to be allowed to play in the BBL if their circumstances have changed. Former New Zealand batter Martin Guptill was previously signed by Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 after retiring from international cricket despite missing the inaugural BBL overseas draft. England star Nat Sciver-Brunt was allowed to play for Perth Scorchers in the WBBL after being cleared by the ECB, having initially been ruled out of nominating for the draft due to injury.The club that signs Ashwin will still have to fit his salary inside their overall purse, much of which will already have been allocated for most squads, but there will likely be an additional marketing agreement with Cricket Australia that will not count towards the salary cap for the team that lands him.Teams can also go over the cap by 5% in a particular year with approval from the league’s technical committee, provided that it is offset over a three-year period.

Mitch Killeen bowls outstanding opening spell to take 3 for 15 from 10 overs and restrict Spitfires

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay10-Aug-2025

Emilio Gay hit a brilliant century as Durham coasted to a seven-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires in the Metro Bank One Day Cup at Beckenham.Gay carried his bat to finish on 119, from 110 balls, including a six and 12 fours, alongside Colin Ackermann who was unbeaten on 38 at the end.Earlier, Mitch Killeen bowled an outstanding opening spell to take 3 for 15 from 10 overs as Kent were held to 238 for 8. Ben Compton made 55 before Jack Leaning hit 68 from 50 to give the hosts something to defend, but it never looked like being enough and the visitors won with 10.4 to spare.Kent chose to bat on an oppressively hot day at the New County Ground, but struggled to cope with a stifling display in the field by Durham.Although Killeen missed a caught-and-bowled chance off Jaydn Denly off the seventh ball of the innings, he failed to cash in and was caught at mid-on by Scott Borthwick in Killen’s next over for six.Joey Evison was his next victim, caught by George Drissell at point for a duck and Chris Benjamin went in almost identical fashion in Killeen’s next over for 1.At 25 for 3 in the eighth over Kent had little choice other than to drop anchor for a while, but it might have been worse for the Spitfires, as the former Kent all-rounder Ollie Robinson fumbled the chance to run out Harry Finch when he and Compton were stranded in the middle.They put on 60 for the fourth before Finch, who took 71 balls to make 28, was out cutting Paul Coughlin straight to Borthwick, and Compton was then bowled by Will Rhodes.It took the hosts 41 overs to get to 150. As soon as they did Ekansh Singh hit Rhodes back over his head for six, but he tried to repeat the trick two balls later and was caught by Codi Yusuf for 45.Mohammed Rizvi made an enterprising 17 from 14 but was bowled middle stump by Luke Robinson and Durham were into the tail.Fred Klaassen hit Rhodes straight to Drissell for a duck but Leaning’s late pyrotechnics, including a six that was dropped onto the rope in the final over, and a single taken when Borthwick dropped him off the final ball, at least made the target seem challenging.Not for long, however. Durham got off to a rapid start, with Ollie Robinson racing to 26 before he chopped on to Fred Klaassen. Gay and Rhodes put on 98 for the second wicket before the latter was lbw to Parkinson for 32.David Bedingham went in the same fashion for 8 but Ackermann was on three when he skied Parkinson and Ekansh couldn’t take a simple catch.By the time Gay took two from Parkinson to reach three figures any tension had evaporated and he fittingly he the winning run when he scrambled a single of Evison.

The October international break hasn’t quite slammed shut, but Liverpool fans are already looking with anticipation toward the return of Premier League action.

Arne Slot’s Premier League champions have been well below their best for most of the campaign, demonstrating much tenacity to find late winners across the opening weeks of the campaign but lacking balance and control.

They could only ride this wave for so long, with the tide turning in recent weeks and the Reds falling in successive top-flight outings, defeat in the Champions League at Galatasaray sandwiched in between.

Many high-profile signings have been made, but Liverpool need to rediscover their swagger and style. With names like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak added to the fold, welcoming another forward seems ludicrous, but it might be the answer to the Anfield side’s troubles in the long run.

Liverpool need another forward

Sporting director Richard Hughes and the senior figures at Liverpool remain confident that it will all come together. For Liverpool not to return to top-class form at some stage seems ludicrous, given the existing squad’s pedigree, the money spent this summer, and the calibre of signings brought in.

But Mohamed Salah’s form has been one of the big negative talking points this term. The 33-year-old has less than two years remaining on his £400k-per-week deal, and it’s well-known that Liverpool must spend big to secure a replacement.

According to Caught Offside, Hughes has already compiled a list of names he’s eager to pursue as Salah enters the final stretch of his Premier League career, and though talks were held in recent months for Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Bournemouth sensation Antoine Semenyo is being considered, it is Bayern Munich star Michael Olise who must be signed.

The France international is very much on Liverpool’s shortlist, with previous reports this month claiming the Merseysiders are even preparing an offer for the £86m-rated winger.

The 23-year-old joined Bayern from Crystal Palace for £50m in 2024, but Liverpool feel a deal could be struck given their good relationship with the Bundesliga champions.

What Michael Olise would bring to Liverpool

Olise thrived at Crystal Palace, joining from Reading and helping lift them toward their modern peak. Under Oliver Glasner, the Eagles are flying, and the French winger was crucial in getting the system up and running.

But his move to Germany has placed his name on the world atlas.

Last season was one of great success for Olise and his outfit, and he’s carried that form into the new campaign and fashioned something even greater, having notched five goals and six assists from just ten matches in all competitions.

There’s a sense that the best is still to come, and it’s for this reason Liverpool must chase his signature over Semenyo’s, as talented and dangerous as the Bournemouth star may be.

Comparing the two, we can see that Olise is the more clinical player and also the more explosive – though if Semenyo maintains his 2025/26 form across the duration of the year, that one may edge considerably closer.

Semenyo is likely a bit more physical and active throughout the different phases of play, but Salah’s success over the past nine years would tell you that a pick-and-choose approach bears just as many dividends, if not more. And it’s not as if Olise isn’t one of the silkiest and most fleet-footed wingers in the game.

Disregarding the players’ clinical starts to the campaign, their underlying metrics are evidence of their elite athleticism, with Sofascore also showing Olise has created 1.8 chances and won 4.3 duels per game in the German top flight this season, completing 83% of his passes.

Liverpool did manage to bag all three points in a frenzied match against Bournemouth on the opening day of the season, but Semenyo was electric throughout, bagging two special goals.

Make no mistake, Liverpool would not fumble if they were to sign the Ghana international next summer, but Olise is simply a level higher, with podcaster Henry Swain even describing him as “one of the best wingers in the world”.

Moreover, he’s younger than Semenyo, almost two years his junior, and has not yet been modelled into the final shape that could place him in conversations not too dissimilar to those which have followed Salah throughout his Liverpool journey.

The Cherries star, 25, has been in inspired form at the start of the season, it must be said. He has scored six goals and assisted three more in the Premier League this season, and Salah has paled in comparison on Liverpool’s right flank.

Both Olise and Semenyo would fall into similar financial ballparks, and so Liverpool must simply pick which player they believe stands a better chance of replacing the Egyptian King effectively, across many years.

We know he can do it in the Premier League, and the rise in prolific quality since moving to the Allianz Arena has been exciting to witness. Olise is the real deal and would be the perfect profile to ease Salah’s departure when that fateful day comes.

For now, he will continue to develop and improve in the Bundesliga, but it’s hard to imagine Olise being anything other than a triumph if he returned to the Premier League and took a place on Liverpool’s right wing.

FSG sold "world-class" Liverpool star, now he's outperforming Salah & Isak

Liverpool have lacked balance and fluency in the final third this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 12, 2025

The competitive La Liga fixture, to be held in Miami, comes after years of conflict over a possible match outside of Europe

Welcome to the footballing apocalypse. This is the thing that Europe was so, so afraid of. As a continent, they gatekeep their sport so expertly. Soccer is for them, not for the world – at least, in person. Or many in the European game, anyway, would have you believe.

So much for that. 

What started in 2019 – and had been in gestation since far before then – has become reality. A European league will play a competitive soccer match in the United States. After years of flirtation, months of talks, and weeks of complaints, we have the details. The match will be played in Miami, between Barcelona and Villarreal, on Dec. 20. La Liga have signed off. Other parties have reluctantly agreed. 

The logistics, then, are fairly simple. Two football teams who routinely play matches overseas every summer will do so again. In one sense, this isn't particularly new. Except for one enormous caveat: this game actually matters. Three points are on the line. For Barcelona, it could be a crucial result as they look to retain the La Liga title. For Villarreal, it will surely be pivotal as they push for European football. The teams currently sit second and third in the table.

And that's where the tension lies here. The problem is not that a game between two Spanish teams is being played on American soil. The issue is that it will count. It should also be noted that La Liga isn't alone – Serie A confirmed that a fixture between AC Milan and Como will be played in Perth, Australia in early 2026, another groundbreaking moment in the sport’s globalization.

Specific to the Miami match, there are two camps: those for an American-based game, and those against. Their disagreements are fundamental and unlikely to be resolved no matter what argument either party puts forth. This raises larger questions about the soul of the game that simply cannot be answered in one fixture or even one season.

But what is clear – and perhaps far more pivotal – is what comes next. December's fixture, it would seem, could open the floodgates to something that simply cannot be stopped. The thirst for soccer in America is real. And now the game can be transplanted anywhere.

Getty ImagesThe Premier League flirts

The soccer world has been confronting this possibility for a while now. In 2008, the Premier League officially proposed playing a 39th fixture outside of England. The idea, then, was football as imperialism. Owners saw that there was a global appetite for the game, and suggested that 10 fixtures be played in a weekend in January, with staggered start times around the world. Proponents wanted individual cities to bid, and even earmarked the 2010-11 season as a potential start date. 

That notion was quickly dismissed at all levels. The managers of Liverpool and Manchester United showed a rare moment of solidarity – they joined in their opposition. Supporters' Groups were outraged, and fought back. Even Sepp Blatter, then FIFA president, looked like a good guy, earning favor with fans for suggesting that not only was the idea misguided, it could also be detrimental in England's hopes to host the 2018 World Cup (a bid they lost, anyway). 

Since then, it has simmered. The Premier League reportedly thought about it again in 2014, and chatter has remained constant about the possibility of a game being played in the U.S., especially given expanded American ownership in England's top flight.

AdvertisementAFPLa Liga gets serious

The Premier League, then, cooled its interest. The reasons are myriad. Fan pushback was serious. Owner power took over. And certainly a bumper TV deal that brings billions of dollars – and millions of eyes – onto the league every week, made an "away" game less necessary for their wallets.

But La Liga got serious. And that makes sense. This is, in many ways, a financial decision. It's supply and demand. The league and its teams know that foreign fans will pay a premium for tickets. Sell out a game at hiked-up prices in Miami, and a handsome payday will, in theory, be the result. La Liga's TV deal is tidy – every game is now carried on ESPN+ in the U.S. – but they are steps behind financially relative to the Premier League. 

This has long been a gripe of league president Javier Tebas. He has railed again and again over the Premier League's apparently unchecked financial power. And he has a point. English football's revenues massively eclipse those of Spanish sides. Transfer fees in England are massive. Mid-table clubs outspend most of La Liga's elite. 

No single game in Miami will amend that. But for La Liga, it seems a decent start. They originally tried to have a Barcelona-Girona game in Miami in 2019. Last year, they tried to play Barca-Atletico Madrid in the same city. Both of those attempts were brushed off. But the sentiment stayed alive. Tebas spoke often about wanting a game on foreign soil.  

"This is strategic for us. It is very important for us to make sure that people understand that we as La Liga are willing to be bold, are willing to be innovative, are willing to try things in a different way, and we're gonna try," Nicolas Garcia Hemme, La Liga North America Managing Director, told GOAL this week.

GettyThe lawsuit

But it all seemed a bit like flimsy attempts at manifestation. There were blockers. UEFA and FIFA's regulations around playing domestic competitions in foreign countries are pretty water-tight. And then there were the legal battles.

Relevent Sports, a match promoter that had helped organize preseason friendlies for La Liga teams, sued both FIFA and the United States Soccer Federation, claiming that the two bodies had violated antitrust laws by conspiring to bar domestic leagues from playing games abroad. What followed was a complicated legal case, with suits being dismissed and then appealed, back and forth.

But in April 2025, there was a significant breakthrough. Relevent Sports settled its antitrust lawsuit with the U.S. Soccer, a development that came a year after Relevent and FIFA reached their own settlement to drop FIFA as a co-defendant. The terms of that settlement were not disclosed, but FIFA said it would form a working group to analyze rules about how and where domestic fixtures could be played.

And you could have seen what was coming next. One-by-one, the appropriate governing bodies submitted. UEFA, FIFA, USSF, and CONCACAF all had to sign off on a U.S. match. With pressure mounting, they did so – despite some rather public reluctance. The door was open. 

Then, it was a simple question of logistics. Barca pulled out of the friendly in 2019, realizing where public sentiment was focused in the soccer hive mind. But with money on the table, and the Blaugrana still strapped for cash, they jumped in. Atletico and Real Madrid were both out. But Villarreal slotted in with glee.

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Getty ImagesMilan, Como, and Australia

And they're not alone in this effort. America isn't the only country eager to host competitive fixtures within its borders. Australia, admittedly, has been a less lucrative market for foreign clubs in preseason tours. East Asian tends to be targeted. But going down under isn't as common as it used to be. 

That hasn't stopped Serie A and Milan, though. They will face newly promoted Como in Perth in February, another fixture that UEFA admittedly reluctantly approved. Fans were admittedly furious, but Como outlined their reasoning: the league needs to do these things to stay alive: 

"Sometimes sacrifice is essential, not for individual benefit but for the greater good, for growth, and above all, for the survival of the league itself," they said in a statement. They went one further, insisting that they might lose some – if not all – of their best players if the league doesn't take advantage of their opportunities.

"We must ask ourselves honestly how we can retain our best players, build competitive teams, and attract the world's elite to Serie A if we do not adapt," the league said.