He has played just 12 Tests for South Africa in all these years, but away from the limelight, Simon Harmer has put together a truly remarkable body of work

Sampath Bandarupalli23-Oct-20254 – Harmer is only the fourth South Africa player to claim 1000 wickets in first-class cricket. Charlie Llewellyn (1013), Mike Procter (1417) and Allan Donald (1216) were the ones to get there before him.2 – Only two players who made their first-class debuts in the 21st century have taken 1000 wickets in the format. Harmer, whose first-class debut was in November 2009, and James Anderson, who had made his debut in May 2002. His milestone 1000th wicket came in July 2021. Anderson was also the last of the 216 bowlers to reach 1000 first-class wickets before Harmer.Related

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Harmer is the only bowler in the world with over 900 wickets since his first-class debut, with Malinda Pushpakumara’s 874 being the next best.514 – Wickets for Harmer in first-class cricket in England. Of those, 513 have come for Essex, all since 2017, and one for South Africa in a Test in 2022. Harmer is the only bowler with 500-plus first-class wickets in England since 2017, with Kyle Abbott’s 442 being the next highest.Harmer’s 35 five-fors and ten ten-wicket match hauls are also the most by any bowler in England in this period.Not to forget, Harmer has 453 wickets at home in South Africa, the second-highest since his first-class debut, behind only Shaun von Berg (522).Simon Harmer is an Essex legend, with 513 wickets for them in first-class cricket•Getty Images58 – Five-wicket hauls for Harmer in first-class cricket. Only Pushpakumara (80) and Gayan Sirisoma (61) have more five-fors than Harmer since his first-class debut in November 2009. R Ashwin (51) is the only other bowler with 50-plus five-fors in this period.Harmer’s effort in the Rawalpindi Test was his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket outside of England and South Africa, where he has 35 and 22 respectively. Harmer, however, has played only 11 first-class matches outside those two countries.331 – Wickets for Harmer in Chelmsford, the home ground of his county team, Essex. Only one bowler has taken more first-class wickets at a ground in the last 20 years – 374 by Tim Murtagh at Lord’s.Harmer has 27 five-wicket hauls across the 58 matches he played in Chelmsford, the most by a bowler at a venue in the last 20 years. Harmer has taken ten-plus wickets in a game on ten occasions at the venue, which is also the most.20 – Right-arm offspinners with 1000-plus wickets in first-class cricket before Harmer. Robert Croft was the last offspinner to reach 1000 wickets, having got there in 2007. (Twenty other players with 1000 FC wickets had multiple bowling styles throughout their careers, with right-arm off-break being one of them)55,618 – Balls that Harmer has bowled in his first-class career so far. Only one other player has bowled over 50,000 balls in the format since his debut – Nathan Lyon (55,790).

Who have the teams retained? Who have they released? And what do they need at the auction?

Hemant Brar, Shashank Kishore, S Sudarshanan15-Nov-2025 • Updated on 09-Dec-20256:53

Samson-Mhatre CSK’s new opening pair?

Chennai Super Kings

Players released: Ravindra Jadeja (traded to RR), Andre Siddarth, Deepak Hooda, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra, Matheesha Pathirana, Sam Curran (traded to RR), Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Rahul Tripathi, Shaikh Rasheed, Vansh Bedi, Vijay ShankarPlayers retained: MS Dhoni, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sanju Samson (traded in from RR), Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brewis, Shivam Dube, Urvil Patel, Noor Ahmad, Nathan Ellis, Shreyas Gopal, Khaleel Ahmed, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Mukesh Choudhary, Jamie Overton, Gurjapneet Singh, Anshul KambojPurse remaining: INR 43.40 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 9 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: A gun overseas allrounder to replace Curran. They have the purse to go hammer and tongs for Livingstone or Green. They will also look to sign a seam-bowling back-up for Ellis.

Delhi Capitals

Players released/traded out: Donovan Ferreira (traded to RR), Darshan Nalkande, Faf du Plessis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Manvanth Kumar, Mohit Sharma, Sediqullah AtalPlayers retained/traded in: Nitish Rana (traded in from RR), Abishek Porel, Ajay Mandal, Ashutosh Sharma, Axar Patel, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun Nair, KL Rahul, Kuldeep Yadav, Madhav Tiwari, Mitchell Starc, Sameer Rizvi, T Natarajan, Tripurana Vijay, Tristan Stubbs, Vipraj Nigam, Mukesh KumarPurse remaining: INR 21.80 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 8 (5 overseas)What they need at the auction: DC need top-order options after they let go of Fraser-McGurk and du Plessis. Plus more overseas players since they are left with only three.Gujarat Titans traded Sherfane Rutherford to Mumbai Indians•Associated Press

Gujarat Titans

Players released/traded out: Sherfane Rutherford (traded to MI), Dasun Shanaka, Gerald Coetzee, Karim Janat, Kulwant Khejroliya, Mahipal LomrorPlayers retained/traded in: Anuj Rawat, Glenn Phillips, Gurnoor Brar, Ishant Sharma, Jayant Yadav, Jos Buttler, Kagiso Rabada, Kumar Kushagra, Manav Suthar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshad Khan, Nishant Sindhu, Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, B Sai Sudharsan, M Shahrukh Khan, Shubman Gill, Washington SundarPurse remaining: INR 12.90 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 5 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: A finisher, now that they are without Rutherford. They could also look at adding at least one allrounder to the mix.

Kolkata Knight Riders

Players released/traded out: Andre Russell, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Quinton de Kock, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Spencer Johnson, Venkatesh IyerPlayers retained/traded in: Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Anukul Roy, Harshit Rana, Manish Pandey, Ramandeep Singh, Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Sunil Narine, Umran Malik, Vaibhav Arora, Varun ChakravarthyPurse remaining: INR 64.30 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 13 (6 overseas)What they need at the auction: KKR could go in search of a wicketkeeper as well as an opening batter, since they have left out de Kock and Gurbaz. Them leaving out Iyer and Russell means they could well do with an allrounder. And their huge purse will allow them to do that.8:52

Who saw the Russell release coming?

Lucknow Super Giants

Players released/traded out: Aryan Juyal, David Miller, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Ravi Bishnoi, Rajvardhan Hangargekar, Shardul Thakur (traded to MI), Akash Deep, Shamar JosephPlayers retained/traded in: Abdul Samad, Aiden Markram, Akash Singh, Arjun Tendulkar (traded in from MI), Arshin Kulkarni, Avesh Khan, Ayush Badoni, Digvesh Rathi, Himmat Singh, Manimaran Siddharth, Matthew Breetzke, Mayank Yadav, Mohammed Shami (traded in from SRH), Mitchell Marsh, Mohsin Khan, Nicholas Pooran, Prince Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Shahbaz AhmedPurse remaining: INR 22.95 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 6 (4 overseas)What they need at the auction: They need replacements for Miller and Bishnoi. Apart from that, they will be keen to have an allrounder.

Mumbai Indians

Players released/traded out: Arjun Tendulkar (traded to LSG), Bevon Jacobs, Karn Sharma, Lizaad Williams, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Reece Topley, Krishnan Shrijith, Satyanarayana Raju, Vignesh PuthurPlayers retained/traded in: Shardul Thakur (traded in from LSG), Sherfane Rutherford (traded in from GT), Mayank Markande (traded in from KKR), AM Ghazanfar, Ashwani Kumar, Corbin Bosch, Deepak Chahar, Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Mitchell Santner, Naman Dhir, Raghu Sharma, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Trent Boult, Will JacksPurse remaining: INR 2.75 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 5 (1 overseas)What they need at the auction: They seem to have all bases covered with the current squad. Given they have just INR 2.75 crore left, don’t expect any big buys either.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Punjab Kings

Players released/traded out: Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis, Aaron Hardie, Kyle Jamieson, Kuldeep Sen, Praveen DubeyPlayers retained/traded in: Arshdeep Singh, Azmatullah Omarzai, Harnoor Pannu, Harpreet Brar, Lockie Ferguson, Marco Jansen, Marcus Stoinis, Mitch Owen, Musheer Khan, Nehal Wadhera, Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Pyla Avinash, Shashank Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Suryansh Shedge, Vishnu Vinod, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Xavier Bartlett, Yash Thakur, Yuzvendra ChahalPurse remaining: INR 11.50 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 4 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: Given their first XII looks quite settled and they have only 11.5 crore left, expect a quiet auction for them as well.

Rajasthan Royals

Players released/traded out: Sanju Samson (traded to CSK), Nitish Rana (traded to DC), Akash Madhwal, Ashok Sharma, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kumar Kartikeya, Kunal Singh Rathore, Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu HasarangaPlayers retained/traded in: Donovan Ferreira (traded in from DC), Ravindra Jadeja (traded in from CSK), Sam Curran (traded in from CSK), Dhruv Jurel, Jofra Archer, Kwena Maphaka, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Nandre Burger, Riyan Parag, Sandeep Sharma, Shimron Hetmyer, Shubham Dubey, Tushar Deshpande, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yudhvir SinghPurse remaining: INR 16.05 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 9 (1 overseas)What they need at the auction: Spin-bowling options since they have left out all of Theekshana, Hasaranga and Kartikeya and only have Jadeja on that front. They can also look towards an experienced fast bowler.8:23

Do SRH see themselves as a settled XI?

Royal Challengers Bengaluru

Players released: Liam Livingstone, Lungi Ngidi, Mayank Agarwal, Manoj Bhandage, Swastik Chikara, Mohit RatheePlayers retained: Virat Kohli, Phil Salt, Devdutt Padikkal, Rajat Patidar, Tim David, Krunal Pandya, Romario Shepherd, Jitesh Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yash Dayal, Josh Hazlewood, Suyash Sharma, Abhinandan Singh, Jacob Bethell, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Dar, Swapnil SinghPurse remaining: INR 16.40 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 8 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: An overseas fast bowling back-up for Hazlewood, especially with his workload likely to be stretched if he features in both the Ashes and T20 World Cup back-to-back. They may also need a back-up for Dayal, who has not played any cricket since the IPL 2025 final.

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Players released/traded out: Mohammed Shami (traded to LSG), Atharva Taide, Sachin Baby, Abhinav Manohar, Wiaan Mulder, Adam Zampa, Simarjeet Singh, Rahul ChaharPlayers retained/traded in: Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, Brydon Carse, Eshan Malinga, Harsh Dubey, Harshal Patel, Heinrich Klaasen, Ishan Kishan, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Pat Cummins, R Smaran, Travis Head, Zeeshan AnsariPurse remaining: INR 25.50 crore out of INR 125 croreSlots remaining: 10 (2 overseas)What they need at the auction: Having released Zampa and Chahar, they need a couple of spinners. They also need an allrounder and probably an Indian fast bowler.

Their warring fans have united and are now railing together against the team management, while we wait, series on series, to see if they can make it to the 2027 ODI World Cup

Sidharth Monga17-Oct-20252:16

What to expect from Rohit, Kohli in this phase of their careers?

If you are the type that follows cricket for cricket’s sake, you have surely missed them. If, on the other hand, you fiendishly go looking for cricketers’ holiday photos or training photos or reassurance that they matter, you have had your fix.Actually, for once, forget social media, forget the smattering of promotional “content” reminding you how they are getting ready for the “2027 World Cup”. Forget anything that makes you cynical. This is bigger than all the cynicism and PR and pettiness and fan wars.Seven months after they last played international cricket, nearly five months after they were seen playing in the IPL, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are coming back to do what we love them for, in their best format, now their only format for India, against a team that provided the highest purpose in their working lives, in a country that proved to be the scene of their last Tests. It is hard not to be emotional.Related

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There will be so much going through our minds and hearts during these three ODIs against Australia in Perth, Adelaide and Sydney. It is a chance to watch again two of the greatest ODI batters of all time. The effortless, almost risk-free accumulation of Kohli, and the joyful explosiveness of Rohit in the back half. Okay, let’s not give in to nostalgia too much. For about three years now, Kohli has been taking risks but with the same efficiency, and Rohit has taken on such high-risk starts that he rarely ever bats into the back half.We will be looking for changes in their appearance, in their fitness, in their games to imagine what they have been up to all this time. For more than a decade, they never went away for this long except during Covid. For more than a decade, our times have been shared. We have given them our hours, they have given us theirs.Now time is what they are running out of. Not just we, but the selectors and the team management will be looking for signs to see if they can last till the 2027 ODI World Cup.Not long ago, these two were making such decisions for others.Neither, arguably, had to make such big calls.Just imagine, Kohli tweets something that is not an ad and news channels end up doing shows deciphering the meaning and significance of the tweet only for him to reveal that it was a teaser for an ad. This happened on Thursday.5:49

Agarkar on Kohli-Rohit: ‘Too early to think about 2027 ODI World Cup’

These are huge names. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Ro-Ko is how this series is being sold everywhere. At some point, without us noticing, these two supposedly bitter rivals became hyphenated. At first, it was just a media creation, but look at them now. One gets selected for the T20 World Cup because the other is the captain and you can’t drop just one of them. They end up winning the title, and retiring together. Their Test career ends in the same series. Now their “fan armies” are united in their hatred for the team management.A part of that team management is a young man, who has already benefitted immensely from these two. Kohli has always been a barometer for Shubman Gill, somebody whose scores at the same age the kid Shubman used to check to measure up to. Rohit’s new incarnation of a fiery opener has allowed Gill the ODI opener the time to be able to play a more sedate role and accumulate relatively risk-free runs.Now Gill has to be part of the decision on whether his trusted Test opener Yashasvi Jaiswal will serve him better than Rohit. Not just in this series and the next, but two years down the line. He has to decide whether the hyphen is fair on Kohli, who might have arguably benefitted from it in T20Is.We will watch not knowing if any given series could be the last for one or both of them. We will wait for every ODI series selection. For now, though, we will savour the three full ODIs. For we have missed them. And there the hyphen is okay.

Playing international cricket after two months, Hardik batted as if he had never been away and also chipped in with the ball

Deivarayan Muthu10-Dec-20251:28

Why did it feel like Hardik batted on a different pitch?

Abhishek Sharma crumpled to the floor after an inducker from Marco Jansen stopped on him and smacked him on his midriff. Tilak Varma swished and missed. Both Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav popped up catches to infielders without any timing.The dampness and slowness in the Cuttack surface made every India batter look silly except Hardik Pandya. On a difficult pitch where even South Africa’s batters struggled later in the evening, Hardik conquered the conditions and proved to be the difference-maker, clattering an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls, with four sixes. The entire South African batting line-up failed to top his tally of sixes, though the conditions seemingly turned friendlier for batting in the chase.Hardik had been away from international cricket for over two months with a quadricep injury. However, he batted as if he had never been away. He started with two no-look sixes in his first four balls and never looked back.Related

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Hardik has turned six-hitting into an art where he hardly ever mis-hits, and times the ball beautifully with the stillest of heads and smoothest of bat-swings. Even on this damp pitch. Against both spin and pace. Dale Steyn, who was doing commentary, said he was “frightened for his life.”Anrich Nortje may have experienced a similar feeling when Hardik charged at him and brutally belted a 149kph delivery straight past him. Then when Nortje banged one into the deck at a similar rapid pace, Hardik coolly ramped it over deep third for six more. It was his 100th T20I six – he became the fourth Indian to the landmark in men’s T20Is after Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar and Virat Kohli.”I mean, I had to back my shots,” Hardik said after winning the Player-of-the-Match award. “At the same point of time, I realised that the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a little bit gutsy and it was more about timing the ball and not trying to break the ball. Yeah, I was very satisfied with the way I was batting.”Hardik Pandya celebrates his fifty•Getty ImagesWhen Hardik had walked out to bat at 78 for 4 in the 12th over, India were staring at a below-par total. He somehow made a bad situation better for India by carrying them to 175 for 6. Then, with the ball, he turned a great situation even greater by having David Miller nicking behind off the inside edge for 1. South Africa eventually folded for 74, their lowest T20I total.The presence of a fit Hardik opens up endless possibilities for India. He could slot in anywhere in the middle order and ensure batting depth all the way down to No. 8. With the ball, he allows India to have six genuine bowling options, including three attacking ones – on Tuesday, it was Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy. On drier pitches, Kuldeep could come in place of Arshdeep and Hardik could take the new ball. Since the start of 2024, India have won 26 of their 29 T20Is outright with Hardik in the side. Without him, India have nine wins, two losses and two ties.”As a cricketer, I don’t think I have ever been fussy about what roles I have in the game,” he said. “I’ve always been very motivated all the time to make sure that it does not matter what Hardik Pandya wants; it matters what India wants. And whenever I get opportunities, I come and try to do my best.

“I realised that the wicket had a bit of spice. I had to be a little bit gutsy and it was more about timing the ball and not trying to break the ball”

“Some days are good, some days are not. But at the same point of time, it’s the mindset which helps me. And I think it’s been [the same way] throughout my cricketing career. I’ve always tried to put my team first, the nation first and whichever team I have played for. I think that’s my biggest USP and that’s what has always helped me.”Hardik’s absence leaves India scrambling for balance, though there’s no dearth of white-ball talent in the country. For example, in the 2023 ODI World Cup, an ankle injury to Hardik messed with India’s combination. They had to make two changes with Suryakumar coming in as a batter and Mohammed Shami replacing Shardul Thakur. India were forced to compromise on batting depth, with Shami slotting in at No. 8. It didn’t work out for them in the end.It didn’t work out for India more recently this October when they were shot out for 125 in Hardik’s absence in the Melbourne T20I.Tuesday’s game in Cuttack reminded everyone that everything works out for India when Hardik is fit and that they are unbeatable when he is both fit and firing.

Barbados Royals 172 for 3 (de Kock 55, Alleyne 36, Rutherford 32*) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 166 for 8 (Pooran 45, Pollard 36, Green 3-9) by seven wicketsAn all-round show from bottom-placed Barbados Royals spoiled Trinbago Knight Riders’ plans of finishing on top of the points table – for now – with their third loss in a row at the end of their league stage. TKR are still second and on the same points as table-toppers St Lucia Kings, who have one game in hand.The victory for Royals, who are out of the playoffs race, was scripted by Chris Green’s frugal figures of 3 for 9 along with two wickets apiece from Ramon Simmonds and Daniel Sams before Quinton de Kock, Kadeem Alleyne, Sherfane Rutherford and Rovman Powell helped finish the chase of 167 with an over to spare. It’s the first time TKR have lost three in a row since 2022, and it comes straight after their five wins on the bounce.After a delayed start because of rain, Royals reduced TKR to 34 for 3 in the powerplay as Green sent the openers back and Sams took a return catch to dismiss Joshua Da Silva. Green soon had Keacy Carty caught behind, which brought together captain Nicholas Pooran and Kieron Pollard and the duo started with three sixes in an over off Zishan Motara to lift TKR past 50. A boundary drought of 22 balls followed before Pooran broke the shackles and Pollard belted two more sixes before holing out for 36 off 25. Pooran ambled along to fall for 45 off 43 and TKR were 142 for 7 at the start of the last over before Pooran also holed out, and Akeal Hosein lifted the score and their spirits by ending the innings with 4, 6, 6 and 6 off Sherfane Rutherford.De Kock gave the chase a flying start with his usual swipes on the leg side which resulted in three sixes and a 31-ball fifty. De Kock had a new opening partner in Kadeem Alleyne, who picked up pace later in a rapid fifty stand and powerplay of 62 for 0. Hosein broke the stand in ninth over but Royals were well on top, needing just 70 off the last 60. Pollard, Sunil Narine and Usman Tariq then put the brakes that led to a soft dismissal of de Kock and Rassie van der Dussen holing out when he tried to end the spell of 20 boundary-less balls.TKR would have hoped for a turnaround after bringing the equation to 45 off 24 but Powell took 18 off an Andre Russell over before Rutherford finished things off with four sixes in the space of five balls from Pollard.

The fast bowler opens up about his evolution over the last two years, his struggles, and the attitude that has shaped his success so far

Nagraj Gollapudi10-Sep-2025In the last year, Delhi fast bowler Harshit Rana has debuted for India in all three formats. Rana, who is 23, and plays for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL, was picked for the Asia Cup, where he could audition for the crucial No. 8 role. In this interview he talks about his growth over the last two years, and how he hopes to fulfill his dream of becoming a regular all-format bowling allrounder.In Kolkata Knight Riders’ first match of the 2024 IPL, Sunrisers Hyderabad brought the target of 209 down to 13 runs from the final over. Heinrich Klaasen had made 50 off 25 balls. You had only played 12 T20s till then, and you were bowling the last over for only the second time in your career. Can you reconstruct that over for us?
It was a very important over for me [in my career]. Shreyas [Shreyas Iyer, the KKR captain], while giving me the ball to bowl the final over, told me: ” time hero defend problem . [This is your time to be a hero, but even if you are not able to defend those runs, it’s not a problem.] The first ball, Klaasen hit me for a six. It was now seven runs from five balls. Shreyas told me to “chill” and bowl what I wanted to bowl.The idea to bowl the slower ball was playing in my mind already. I would like to credit Nayar ‘s [Abhishek Nayar, KKR assistant coach], role here. He passed the same message from the dugout, saying bowling slower would benefit me, because the slower ball sometimes grips at Eden [Gardens]. And I had practised and developed the slower ball while recovering from the injury that year at the NCA [National Cricket Academy in Bangalore]. I had not bowled the slower ball before that IPL, so it was a moment where I needed to deliver perfectly because otherwise it would be a six and the game would have ended.Related

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But with them [Iyer and Nayar] giving me the confidence and telling me to bowl the slower ball [bravely], I bowled the next ball and it was a good slower one. Just one run came off it. So I decided I would only deliver slower balls for the rest of the over, because the batters would be waiting and guessing if it was the quicker delivery or the slower one. Even the [fifth] ball, when they needed [five runs off two balls], I thought whether I should go for the yorker, but Shreyas told me to stick to the slower ball and not be bothered even if it got hit. In fact, I was telling him that he – Klaasen – would swing the bat against the slower ball and even if he mistimed it, it could go for a six if I faltered. But it went my way.Since you bowled the slower ball the previous four deliveries, Klaasen might have predicted you were going to bowl the same again and might have planned for it, right?
Our plan for Klassen was to bowl wide outside off stump because he didn’t use his feet that much and used his hands more to hit those sixes. So the plan was to keep the ball far from his arc and that is exactly what happened, and he was caught at third.The execution sounds simple in hindsight. But what kind of preparation goes into delivering such balls?
You have to repeatedly do the things in the practice that you want to deliver in the match. So I bowled – and continue to bowl a lot – against a single stump, on the same spot. I specifically trained a lot for getting the slower ball close to the wide tramline or the wide yorker.Rana nervelessly defended 12 runs in the final over of KKR’s first game of the 2024 IPL season, with the full backing of his captain Shreyas Iyer•BCCICutters, like the one you used to dismiss Klaasen in that match, are not easy. Do you worry about the ball slipping out of your hand?
Yes, it happens at times. Because when the ball is wet, it becomes difficult to bowl the offcutter. Because a cutter is such a delivery that if it is [full/short] then it usually goes for a six. If it is full then it comes in the arc, and if it is short then the batsman gets extra time to hit it. So the five- to six-metre length becomes essential for a cutter for a fast bowler. In death overs the ball becomes wet usually due to dew, so we train using a wet ball for such a scenario. During training I place the cones at the five- to six-metre-length area with the aim of hitting that length at least ten of the 12 balls.Shah Rukh Khan [KKR co-owner] was watching that match. But there were two more special people watching. Can you talk about them?
It was the first game for Mumma and Papa when they had come to watch me live at a stadium. I had called them [insisted they come]. Papa would always tell me that he doesn’t want to see me live at a ground because he gets nervous easily. Even on that day after Klassen hit me for a six, Papa told me after our victory that he had quickly gone inside towards the washroom, as he couldn’t bear to watch it. Later when he started hearing the and ecstatic noises from KKR fans, he walked out. I was very happy in that moment for all of us.Tell us a bit about your childhood and how you came to cricket.
My dad is a property dealer and Mummy is a housewife. I was born and brought up in Ghevra, which is the last village on the border of Delhi and Haryana. My parents still live there. When I was young, there was no ground in Ghevra and we had to travel some distance towards the neighbouring village to play. But when I was there recently, I noticed every second corner had a big ground full of turf pitches and good enough facilities.Cricket would allow me to get [time] off from tuition. I have studied [for the] BA [degree], the simplest for cricketers. My sister, who is six years older, insisted I do my graduation and she ensured I completed it.In IPL 2024, there was another key match at Eden Gardens. Mumbai Indians needed 22 runs from the final over in a rain-shortened match. A win would make KKR become the first team to qualify for the playoffs. You had been hit for runs in the powerplay by Ishan Kishan, but you gave away just three runs in that last over, and picked up two wickets. What was the planning there?
My first three [wicketless] overs were nothing special prior to that. It was between me and [Mitchell] Starc for the final over. Shreyas handed the ball to me. The planning for that over was a little bit different because on that day there was no hold [grip] on the surface.The day before the match we were chatting to Gautam [Gautam Gambhir, KKR mentor in 2024 IPL], on what we could do differently in the death overs, because you can get predictable for batters who know you might only bowl the slower ball or you might only bowl yorkers. He told me that batters usually will predict I could bowl a slower bouncer or a yorker or a slower ball, but they don’t normally expect a fast ball on a hard length. In my previous over I had delivered a few slower balls, but against one of them Tilak [Varma] swept a four and a top edge had flown over the third man. So I realised I had to change something and not get predictable.”I love to bat. In domestic cricket for Delhi, I have felt that we have won due to my batting, and that gave me that inner confidence that, yes, I can bat”•BCCIThe first ball of that final over I bowled quick, pitched on hard length, and Naman Dhir was caught skying towards deep midwicket. Next ball, against Anshul [Kamboj], I decided to go slower because I did not want him to mistime a faster delivery that he could edge and sneak a four. They took a single and that brought Tilak on strike. I decided to go for the hard-length plan but set a field for the slower ball. He was caught behind.Gambhir who rarely smiles, was happily smiling after that KKR win. How has he helped you?
He has changed my mindset. I had never met Gautam before he joined KKR. In our first conversation, which was before the start of IPL 2024, he said: “You will play the 14 matches in the season regardless of how many runs you give. I just want you to continue playing cricket with the same aggressive nature as you have always – with your head up. Whether you get hit for 70 or 80 runs in four overs, your head should not be down. And if you are able to do that, I am telling you, 100% you will do something.”To be told as a player, just go out and play openly, don’t think too much, that, I feel, was the turning point. My confidence shot up and I could express myself fully, including in my celebrations, which you might have seen, where I was aggressive at times.Gambhir is a straight talker. Has there been an incident where he scolded you?
Whenever I am around GG , I am always on my toes (). I hope I don’t do anything [that leads to] scolding me. Because he always tells me that things have just started in my career and if I can devote as much time and energy towards cricket, I will grow in the game that much.How do you deal with bowling in pressure situations? What are your strengths?
More than skills it is my mindset. When I stand at the start of my run-up I think, , I will do it. I will save [the situation]. I’ve had this mindset from the beginning. And it’s because of my father. In the first decade when I started playing cricket, I never achieved any success. I never played anywhere. I played nothing. I only got rejection from every place I went. I only heard no, no, no. I used to cry, wondering what I would do in life. Papa used to always say: , do the hard work and do the things that are in your hand [control], you will get something in life.He never allowed me to doubt myself. I used to cry in front of him, saying, my name is not coming anywhere, nobody is playing me, I won’t be able to do anything in life, what will happen if I don’t succeed in cricket? He would always motivate me and say, “[As long as] I am around why are you taking the tension? You just play with a free mind.” Whenever I went to play a match, he would always say, “As a bowler, think how you can be one step ahead of the batsman.” I feel it is a mind game. If your mind is working quicker than the batsman and you are more proactive, then you are better.Rana had Harry Brook caught out for a duck on the third-ball Brook faced in the Nagpur ODI, discombobulating him with a head-high bouncer•AFP/Getty ImagesWhen was this rejection phase?
I did not play Under-14, did not play Under-16, played just three matches, and that too for a year, for Under-19 for Delhi. Then, again, I got rejected in Under-25, which was before I started to play IPL. I would go for all the trials but never got my name shortlisted. I could never get a reason why I was not being selected.Let’s talk about your white-ball debuts during the England series earlier this year. On ODI debut, in Nagpur, you picked up three wickets. You must have fond memories?
The debut was amusing, to say the least. [Phil] Salt had hit me for 26 runs in an over. I had leaked a good amount of runs [0 for 37] after my first three overs. Soon after, Shreyas brilliantly ran-out Salt. As everyone gathered to celebrate in the huddle, I stood there quietly. Rohit [Rohit Sharma, India captain] then told me, “” [Bowl from the other end].[Ben] Duckett got out immediately, caught by [Yashasvi] Jaiswal. Gautam always says, your strength is high pace, you should focus on doing that. So when [Harry] Brook walked in, I thought a new bat has walked in, why not bowl a head-high bouncer. I asked Rohit “?” [Shall I bowl a head-high bouncer?] He said, “” [Bowl it.] So I bowled the short-pitched delivery. Brook tried to fend it away and KL [KL Rahul] took a very good catch behind the wicket.You also got rid of Liam Livingstone, taking advantage of his aggressive intent.
Livingstone was trying to swing his bat at each and every ball of mine. He swung at it jumping out of the crease, he swung at it standing in the crease. I was thinking to myself, , you are swinging at the ball despite being new to the crease. Why don’t you wait for a bit, since there are so many overs still left in the innings? So when he attempted to go big while jumping out of his crease again, I bowled the short delivery, which he edged.You made your T20I debut in Pune under interesting circumstances. Morne Morkel, India’s bowling coach, said you were eating your dinner, mid-innings, when you were told.
() After the first innings, we reserve bowlers did some bowling against a single stump, and we went upstairs to have our dinner. As I came down after dinner, Gautam told me, “Be ready, you can [might] go in.” Initially, I couldn’t understand how that was possible. Then I was told [Shivam] Dube had been hit in the head and he was feeling dizzy and I would be the concussion substitute. So I walked in without doing any warm-up. I was standing at third and immediately I had a catch off [Ravi] Bishnoi’s bowling come towards me. I took it cleanly, thankfully. But what I remember is that it was that day I logged my fastest ball in T20 – 151 kph. I had walked in without any warm-up, but I loosened up as it started sinking in that I was making my T20I debut.Rana’s substitution for Dube in the Pune T20I was not without controversy, with England saying it was not a like-for-like replacement•Associated PressYou turned in a match-winning performance of 3 for 33. Did you joke with Dube on the like-for-like substitution?
pace like-for-like batting [Since I am a like-for-like sub for you, I will need to improve my batting.]You have been picked for the Asia Cup where you could end up playing at No. 8. What gives you the confidence that you can deliver if you get the opportunity?
I love to bat. I don’t feel like I can’t bat. In domestic cricket for Delhi, I have felt that we have won due to my batting and that gave me that inner confidence that, yes, I can bat.Did Rohit give you any suggestions on how you can improve as a batter?
During one of the training sessions for the 2025 Champions Trophy, I had just walked out after hitting in the nets. While I was removing my gear, he walked to me and said: “” [We all know you can hit sixes, but you first play safely to begin with.] He impressed upon me the important role the lower-order batters play and that the runs I make will eventually be helpful for the team.In terms of your fitness, do you feel anything needs to change?
There are many things I need to continue to work on. To play cricket for long, very long, for years, I need to work more on my strength.There is this interesting incident with Starc during the 2024 IPL when you were KKR team-mates. Tell us about that.
We were in Mumbai. We both started running around the ground. But he is very tall and he would stride ahead. After one of the runs, I said, “Starcy, I’ll beat you in the next one.” I knew I would not be able to and he would win easily. He said, “Don’t beat me, you just run with me.” He was telling me to run at his pace and run the distance he ran. At the end of it, I was lying flat on the turf. Then I heard Starcy say, “Eh, come on, one more.”What did you learn from him in terms of bowling?
Mindset and calmness. He is at the next level. If you remember, Starcy did not have a good start to the 2024 IPL, but I never saw that guy worried about anything. He was always smiling, though he might have gone for 80 runs in four overs. He did not get many wickets for the first four or five matches and people were talking, but he was still smiling. I liked that thing so very much, because if he is the world’s No. 1 bowler and if he is going through a rough time and he is still like this, then I thought, we younger lot, who have just started, what do we have to be tense about? The things we want, we are getting, so let’s enjoy our time playing the game.Starc and Rana’s KKR camaraderie spilled into a bit of sledging during the 2024 Border-Gavaskar trophy•AFP/Getty ImagesYou have been lucky to work with another bowling legend, Dwayne Bravo, who joined KKR as mentor last IPL. Has he helped you make any tweaks to your game?
Bravo told me, “Do whatever you feel like, I’m not going to teach you the mechanics, I’m going to focus on the mindset.” He always says that even if you are bowling your first over and if you feel like everybody is getting hit or if the wicket is really good, then straightaway you can go for a death-overs field. Since I bowl in the powerplay, I applied that plan a few times, like straightaway bowling a slower ball wide outside off stump, or a wide yorker or a yorker.Your body language is always positive whenever you play. After KKR’s victory in the 2024 IPL opening match, your senior team-mate Andre Russell said how your body language “was on point” in the last over. He said, “With the first ball gone for six, still there was some doubt there, but he came back strong and he got the job done.” Do you agree it is a strength?
When you are on the cricket field, the way you portray yourself can define you. Say, my day is not going well and I am getting hit, then if I am thinking about that with my head down in the field, I will not enjoy that. I play cricket for my feel and my enjoyment. I like being on the cricket ground and if even there I am not happy and have a weak body language and allow doubts to creep in, then I will not enjoy playing cricket. So if my bowling is not going well, I tell myself I will do well in fielding, or dive, or whatever to make an impact.Does your feisty attitude help you with the mindset?
Yes, it does. Others might doubt you, but if you doubt yourself then I don’t think you can do much. So I tell myself not to doubt myself.Having played for India across the three formats, what is the immediate next step in your plans as you evolve?
I need to work more on my batting to become a three-format player. Because if I can make more runs it will be beneficial for both me and my team.What is the best thing someone told you recently?
Last year after I got picked for the Zimbabwe series immediately after the IPL, I told my father about the selection. He said, “You have fulfilled my 35-year-old dream. Thank you so much.” Those words were bigger than anything else for me. We both cried.

Essex 350 for 4 (Westley 124*, Walter 86) vs Warwickshire Tom Westley’s rich vein of form in the Rothesay County Championship continued as he notched his third century in five innings to frustrate Warwickshire at Chelmsford.In addition to hitting his 32nd first-class hundred in an innings of sublime stroke-play, the Essex captain also passed 14,000 career runs in red-ball cricket. With Paul Walter, who hit 86 from 160 balls, Westley put on 132 for the second wicket and 81 for the third with Jordan Cox. At stumps, Westley was unbeaten on 124 from 234 balls with Essex 350 for 4.Walter, posting his fifth score above fifty this season, two of them centuries, launched two sixes and nine fours. It enabled Essex to build on the euphoria of only their second Championship win of the season last week at Hove, a win that lifted them out of the relegation places.The only redeeming feature for Warwickshire on a gloomy day that matched their deteriorating mood, was arguably the first career wicket for part-time legspinner Zen Malik. Brought on to eat up an over before the arrival of the second new-ball, Malik had Cox attempting to hit his fifth delivery out of the park, but instead the batter ended up on his backside with his stumps akimbo.Before the start of the play, Essex’s own bowling plans had twice been thrown into disarray in the space of 24 hours. They had already lost one member of their attack when Indian international pace bowler Khaleel Ahmed pulled out of a contract due to run to the end of the season, citing “personal reasons”. Then, less than quarter-of-an-hour before the start of the match, offspinner Simon Harmer, who had taken part in all the warm-up routines, withdrew also offering “personal reasons” for his absence.Those problems were shelved for the time being as Essex were put into bat on a hybrid pitch with plenty of grass left on to help encourage greater carry for the bowlers. In fact, it encouraged the batters and a flurry of straight-driven fours enabled the Essex openers to compile 68 runs without undue alarm in 19 overs.Dean Elgar, overcoming a torrid first over from Oliver Hannon-Dalby, brought up the fifty partnership with an uncharacteristic slash at Beau Webster that cleared the slip cordon. However, he departed soon after to his second rash shot of the innings, pulling the Australian low to midwicket.On one occasion Walter, so strong off the back foot, came down the wicket to waft Corey Rocchiccioli for six over extra cover and post Essex’s first hundred. He reached his half-century from 79 balls with a well-placed push into the off-side for two. Walter took a liking to the Australian offspinner with another six, this time over long-on.At the other end, some of Westley’s strokes were exquisite. He produced a classically-executed cover drive for four off Ethan Bamber and later essayed a textbook straight-drive off Webster. Another off-drive for four by Westley off Webster took the stand with Walter to three-figures, of which both batsmen contributed 49. Three balls later Westley reached a 107-ball fifty.Westley had just taken Essex past 200 with only one wicket down when, next ball, Walter’s four-hour innings came to an end. He got an outside edge to a delivery from Rocchiccioli, the ball ricocheting off wicketkeeper Kai Smith’s thigh and ballooning up for a diving Alex Davies to claim at slip.Bamber switched ends straight after tea and immediately extracted some rare bounce and lift that had Westley groping at thin air. Normal service was quickly resumed, though, and soon Westley was angling Ed Barnard to third man for the boundary that took him to his century from 185 balls.Bamber finally gained some reward late on when he had Matt Critchley swinging and bottom-edging through to the wicketkeeper.

Splashing the cash in the transfer market hasn’t been alien to Manchester United over the last couple of years, with INEOS massively backing various managers at Old Trafford.

Since the summer of 2022 alone, the hierarchy have spent upwards of £800m on new additions, but it’s safe to say they’ve failed to have the desired effect in the Premier League.

Ruben Amorim could only direct the side to 15th place last time around, with the 40-year-old’s men now sat in eighth in 2025/26, but it could be about to get tricky for the manager.

Many of his key starters are set to go away with their respective nations for AFCON at the end of December, which could leave the squad bare in numerous areas.

As a result, the board have drawn up a plan, which could see numerous big-money talents make their own move to Old Trafford during the January transfer window.

United’s hunt for new signings in January

Over the last couple of days, Real Madrid star Rodrygo has once again appeared on United’s radar, but it seems a deal for the forward’s signature could prove to be a tricky one.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are all said to be monitoring the progress of the Brazilian international, which could lead to a bidding war in the winter window.

He’s fallen down the pecking order of Xabi Alonso over the last couple of months, which could see him depart the Bernabeu in a deal worth around the £70m mark.

However, he’s not the only player mentioned with a potential switch to Old Trafford, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo another player seemingly on their radar.

According to Football Insider, INEOS have identified the 25-year-old as the perfect player to come into the club in January to bolster the frontline during AFCON.

The report also states that the player has a £65m release clause that becomes active in the new year, with such a fee one the board are looking to activate and fast-track a deal for.

Why United’s £65m target would be Cunha 2.0

Investing big on Premier League players who have caught the eye in recent times is another thing United have done, as seen by the deal to land Matheus Cunha from Wolves during the summer.

The Brazilian scored 15 times in England’s top-flight last season, which massively attracted the interest of the Red Devils and Amorim during the recent summer window.

As a result, the board forked out a reported £62.5m for the attacker’s signature, with Cunha just one of three forwards signed to make a difference in the final third.

During the opening months of his career in Manchester, the 26-year-old has struggled to replicate his best form, as seen by his tally of one goal in his first 11 outings.

However, there’s still bags of time for the big-money addition to resurrect his career at Old Trafford, especially if Semenyo makes the move in the coming months.

They could star together, or the Ghanaian international could overtake him in the pecking order – something which could come to fruition when comparing their figures.

In 2025/26, Semenyo has massively outperformed Cunha in numerous key areas, with the Cherries star the perfect man to improve the frontline in 2026 and beyond.

The 25-year-old, who’s been dubbed the “best winger in the country” by Chris Waddle, has already posted more combined goals and assists this season – showcasing his incredible ability in front of goal.

Semenyo has also completed more carries into the final third, whilst achieving a higher take-on success rate, with such numbers making him a much better ball-carrier than the Brazilian.

Games played

13

11

Goals & assists

9

1

Shot on target accuracy

52%

40%

Progressive carries

3.5

2.8

Progressive passes

3.7

3.6

Take-ons completed

1.9

1.7

Take-on success

53%

52%

Crosses completed

1.7

1.6

Aerials won

2.3

0.8

His dominance over the United star is further reflected in his higher tally of crosses completed per 90, with such a tally showcasing his ability to add an end product to his mazy runs.

Other numbers, such as a higher shot on target accuracy rate and a better pass accuracy rate, highlight his all-round dominance in attacking areas.

£65m for a player of Semenyo’s quality would be an excellent piece of business, with such a move softening the blow of Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo’s absence at AFCON.

However, given the money spent during the summer, it would be another huge investment, with the backing certainly there – but it’s down to Amorim to get a tune out of the current crop of players at his disposal.

Fewer touches than Lammens & 100% duels lost: Man Utd flop must be dropped

Ruben Amorim has multiple changes to make after his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham United.

ByEthan Lamb 7 days ago

The India allrounder said working on his mindset and fitness had helped him maintain his superb form in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Oct-20255:13

Jadeja on vice-captaincy, batting higher and playing without Ashwin

It was his 50th home Test, but the first one Ravindra Jadeja was playing without his long-time spin partner R Ashwin, who retired from international cricket last December. It was an unusual experience, but it made no difference as far as the impact Jadeja was able to make on the match. He scored an unbeaten 104, his sixth Test hundred, and took four second-innings wickets as India wrapped up victory over West Indies by an innings and 140 runs inside eight sessions in Ahmedabad.Among the factors behind India winning so commandingly was the strength of their spin attack even without Ashwin, with Jadeja bowling alongside Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar, and with Axar Patel on the bench.”Obviously we do miss him,” Jadeja said after the Test, when asked how Ashwin’s absence felt. “Ash has contributed so much to Indian cricket, been a match-winner for so many years.”I was playing a [Test] match in India without Ash for the first time, so sometimes I did find myself thinking, yeah, Ash will come on and bowl, and then realising he isn’t there. But Kuldeep and Washy have already played so many matches, and we can’t call them youngsters, but it was a different combination.”In the future you will ask, Jaddu isn’t here, and someone else will be there. This is inevitable, and it will keep happening, but it feels good to contribute to the team.”Related

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Jadeja’s performance in Ahmedabad left him tantalisingly close to the double of 4000 runs and 300 wickets in Test cricket. He needs only 10 runs to become the fourth member of that particular club, and membership to an even more exclusive club — 5000 runs and 400 wickets, which presently only includes Kapil Dev — could also be within reach.”You’re putting pressure on me now,” Jadeja joked when asked about this. “I’ll have to start thinking about how to score 1000 more runs and take 60-70 more wickets.”At this stage I’m enjoying my cricket. I’m not thinking about records or milestones. I’m just working on my fitness and enjoying my cricket. Whenever I’m at home I always work on my fitness so that I just continue doing what I’ve been doing [for] so many years, so that’s about it.”At 36, Ravindra Jadeja is still sprightly on the field•Associated PressThe century in Ahmedabad extended a sensational 2025 with the bat for Jadeja. So far this year, he has scored 659 runs in seven Tests at an average of 82.37, with two hundreds and five fifties, with 516 of those runs coming in a series of remarkable consistency in England, which included a stretch of eight innings with six 50-plus scores.”I’ve worked on my batting — I’ve made some changes both mentally and skill-wise,” Jadeja said. “I used to have a different mindset before, in my batting, but I’ve made a few changes now.”Part of this, he said, came from regularly batting up the order. Since the start of 2023, he has batted 22 times at Nos. 5 and 6 in 40 innings.”If you get the chance to bat up the order, you definitely bat with a different mindset,” he said. “I’ve batted at No. 8 and 9 in Test matches before, and that comes with a different mindset, and if you bat with that mindset you can end up playing a loose shot and getting out.”I’ve also batted at No. 5 and 6, and that comes with a different mindset. You are aware of the responsibility you have to build partnerships with whichever batsman you are batting with. That has definitely made a difference.At 36, Jadeja is showing no perceptible signs of slowing down; he prowls the outfield as athletically as ever, and he has been largely injury-free since getting through a frustrating period in 2021-23 when injuries repeatedly kept him away from action.”Injuries can happen anytime,” he said. “There is no guarantee, and no precautions you can take [against them]. If you’re giving your 100% on the ground, you could have to dive anytime or put in an effort for a catch or a run-out.”Luckily, by god’s grace, I haven’t been injured that much and I work a lot on my fitness. I don’t put up a lot of videos of what all I do on social media, but I do it. And it has been making a difference on the ground, and it feels good that I’m able to give my 100% at this age, and it doesn’t feel like my fitness level is going down, so it puts me in a good frame of mind.”On being asked to expand on his fitness routines and whether that included monitoring his sleep cycles, Jadeja burst into laughter. “I keep it simple,” he said. “Not 8-9 hours, sometimes I sleep for longer too, and if I’m [enjoying my evening] I might sleep less too. But on a serious note, when matches are approaching, I know when to start my training, when to change my food intake. I have a very good idea of my body and what it needs and in what state it is in at any time.”

It wasn’t easy, but Chelsea managed to get over the line against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Wednesday night.

Enzo Maresca’s side managed to get themselves ahead of the Old Gold just five minutes into the game, and looked completely out of sight by half-time.

However, the West Londoners found themselves in a real scrap halfway through the second 45, and were it not for a wonder goal from Jamie Gittens, they might not still be in the League Cup.

However, while there were a few players who let themselves down in the second period, the biggest disappointment for the Blues was Liam Delap, and if he’s not careful, the Englishman could see himself replaced next season.

Delap's diabolical night

After spending the last two months out with a hamstring injury, Delap finally made his return to first-team action against Wolves.

Chalkboard

The former Ipswich Town star came on for Estevao in the 61st minute, and it would be fair to say he more than made his mark, just not in the way he would have wanted.

In the 79th minute, he received a yellow card for pushing a Wolves player and arguing with the referee, which at the time was a foolish thing to do.

However, just seven minutes later, the Englishman did something even stupider and elbowed Emmanuel Agbadou in the head, which unsurprisingly saw him receive a second yellow and get sent off.

It was a true horror show from the striker, as he wasn’t even able to have a single shot before being sent off.

Speaking after the match, Maresca didn’t hold back, describing the incident as “embarrassing” and “very stupid.”

Such a response might sound harsh, but given the state of the game and the nature of the cards, it is hard to disagree with the Italian.

Delap will surely be desperate to make amends when he returns, although he might have to do more than that, as come next season, Maresca will have another forward in the squad who could be a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea's future Delap upgrade

With Nicolas Jackson at Bayern Munich and Joao Pedro playing better behind a striker, there aren’t too many options for replacing Delap this season.

However, that will not be the case next year, as Strasbourg star Emanuel Emegha will be making his way to Chelsea in the summer.

The Dutchman might not be a particularly well-known name in England at the moment, but he’s been playing well in France for a couple of years now and looks like he could make a real impact at Stamford Bridge.

For example, in his first season with the Ligue 1 outfit, the 22-year-old managed to rack up a tally of nine goals and two assists in 31 appearances, totalling 2226 minutes.

However, last season he did even better, ending the campaign with an impressive haul of 14 goals and three assists in 29 appearances, totalling just 2408 minutes.

In comparison, Delap managed to score 12 goals and provide two assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2670 minutes, for the Tractor Boys.

Unfortunately, the “simply phenomenal” centre-forward, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is currently injured. However, before his injury, he looked set for his best season to date, scoring four goals and providing two assists in just six appearances, totalling 384 minutes.

Appearances

66

Starts

56

Minutes

5018′

Goals

27

Assists

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

Minutes per Goal Involvement

147.58′

Ultimately, not only does Emegha have a better record than Delap, but he has also never received a red card; therefore, he could be a real upgrade for Chelsea next year.

Not Estevao: Chelsea star looks like Palmer 2.0 after Wolves "masterclass"

The exciting ace made all the difference for Maresca and Chelsea vs Wolves.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 30, 2025