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The Los Angeles Dodgers are heavy favorites to win the NL West again after winning the division 10 of the last 11 seasons.

Los Angeles Dodgers -450
Arizona Diamondbacks +800
San Francisco Giants +1200
San Diego Padres +1200
Colorado Rockies +20000

The Dodgers spent more than $1 billion in free agency, which includes the addition of AL MVP Shohei Ohtani. The two-way superstar will not pitch this season due to offseason elbow surgery, but he is expected to be ready for Opening Day as the team’s DH. The Dodgers also inked Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year deal. Tyler Glasnow and James Paxton will also join the starting rotation.

Only the Braves scored more runs than the Dodgers in 2023, and the heart of the Los Angeles lineup returns with Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith rounding out the top of the order for L.A. Los Angeles racked triple-digit wins in 2023 and finished 16 games ahead of the Diamondbacks.

Despite winning the NL pennant via a wild card berth in 2023, the Diamondbacks are just 8-to-1 to win the division. With much of the team returning, it could be worth a sprinkle.

NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll is establishing himself as an elite power/speed threat in Arizona. With the addition of starter Eduardo Rodriguez in the offseason and one of the top closers in the game, the Diamondbacks should be competitive again. Those who backed Arizona last season did not make a profit for their divisional futures, but those who bet Arizona for the pennant were paid more than 125 times their investment.

The Giants and the Padres share +1200 odds.

San Francisco is the only team with a division title other than the Dodgers in the last 11 seasons. They last won the division in 2021 and did not finish with a winning record last season.

The Padres will be without NL Cy Young winner Blake Snell and superstar hitter Juan Soto, but they still have Fernando Tatis, Jr., arguably one of the most talented players in the game. Joe Musgrove will anchor the starting rotation.

Finally, the Rockies have the longest odds at +20000 after winning only 59 games in 2023 and finishing 41 games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers. 

The Braves Are Heavy Favorites to Repeat As NL East Champs

The Cubs Are NL Central Favorites After Re-Signing Cody Bellinger

The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious individual award in football and numerous legends of the game have picked up the honour since its creation in 1956.

Voted for by an international jury of journalists, Manchester City midfielder Rodri won the award in 2024 after a sensational season at the Etihad. But with the 30 nominees now ranked, here is the final 2025 Ballon d’Or standings.

Ballon d'Or final rankings in pictures Detailed look at the 2025 Ballon d'Or top 20 20 Lautaro Martinez Inter Milan and Argentina

Striker Lautaro Martinez came close to winning the Champions League in 2024/25, with the Inter Milan captain playing a key role in their run to the final, scoring nine goals in 14 European appearances.

In Serie A, the Argentine also hit double figures for goals for the sixth successive season, seeing him finish in 20th place.

19 Joao Neves PSG and Portugal

One of many PSG regulars who finished in the top 30 is midfielder Joao Neves, who is starting to show why the French giants splashed the cash on his services in 2024.

His first full season at the Parc des Princes couldn’t have gone better, playing regularly and lifting all there was to be won in Paris. Neves was called crucial to PSG’s Champions League success due to his “immense physical commitment”.

18 Scott McTominay Napoli and Scotland

After leaving Manchester United for Napoli in 2024, Scott McTominay enjoyed a brilliant first season in Italy, guiding them to a Serie A title.

In fact, the Scottish midfielder was named as the Serie A MVP for 2024/25 as he contributed to 18 goals in 34 league games. Finishing above the likes of Erling Haaland and Virgil van Dijk shows just how far McTominay has come.

17 Robert Lewandowski Barcelona and Poland

At the age of 37, Robert Lewandowski has continued to score goals at the highest level, finding the back of the net on 42 occasions in 2024/25.

The Poland international has had some incredible attacking players around him under Hansi Flick and has won the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and La Liga. However, Lewandowski missed most of Barcelona’s Champions League semi-final with Inter Milan through injury.

16 Vinicius Jr Real Madrid and Brazil

After finishing second in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings and not turning up to the event, Vinicius Jr was looking to win the prestigious award in 2025.

However, with Real Madrid missing out on the La Liga title and also being knocked out of the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, the Ballon d’Or wasn’t going to a Galactico.

Vinicius Jr has still contributed to 39 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, though, winning the UEFA Super Cup and Intercontinental Cup.

15 Viktor Gyokeres Arsenal and Sweden

One of Europe’s best strikers around at this moment in time is Viktor Gyokeres, who has now signed for Arsenal from Sporting CP. After an outstanding first season in Portugal, Gyokeres backed that up in 2024/25 with more than 50 goals in all competitions.

No player has scored more in Europe, and the Sweden international rounded off the campaign by winning both the Liga Portugal and Taca de Portugal and has already opened his account for the Gunners.

14 Desire Doue PSG and France

Desire Doue has proven to be a gem of a signing for PSG and impressed as a starter later in the season, despite sometimes being in the shadows of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele.

However, the 20-year-old starred in big moments, providing two assists in the Coupe de France final while scoring two goals and getting an assist in the Champions League final. Those displays saw him finish 14th, and he looks destined to pick up the Ballon d’Or at some point in his career.

13 Harry Kane Bayern Munich and England

Bayern Munich and England star Harry Kane continued to score goals for fun in Germany and finally won the first major piece of silverware of his career.

The striker lifted the Bundesliga title in 2024/25, scoring 41 goals and providing 14 assists in all competitions during the season.

12 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia PSG and Georgia

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia made the move to Paris Saint-Germain in January and went on to help the French giants win the Ligue 1 title, Coupe de France, and the Champions League, scoring in the final against Inter Milan.

The first half of the 2024/25 season saw Kvaratskhelia star for Napoli, who also won Serie A, before his big money move to France, so the Georgia icon’s two league winners medals helped him to a high ranking.

11 Pedri Barcelona and Spain

Running the midfield for Barcelona has been Pedri, who remained injury free under Hansi Flick to help them win the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de Espana and La Liga.

Called “the best midfielder in the world” by Thiago Alcantara recently, Pedri has controlled numerous games and has missed just one in all competitions in 2024/25, contributing to 14 goals along the way. He also helped Spain reach the Nations League final.

Find out who the leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in IPL 2025 after 12 games are

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Apr-20252:26

What has made Pooran such a T20 force since 2024?

The Orange Cap tableLucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran continues to be the highest run-scorer with 145 runs at an average of 72.50 and chart-topping strike rate of 258.92 following returns of 75 from 30 balls against Delhi Capitals and 70 from 26 against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) .B Sai Sudharsan hasn’t been among the fastest scorers in the tournament – though 167.07 is hardly shabby – but his 137 runs from two innings for Gujarat Titans (GT) has him up at No. 2 on the Orange Cap table.At No. 3 is Travis Head, whose 22 off 12 for SRH against DC took his tally to 136 in three games. After his 67 against Rajasthan Royals (RR), he scored 47 against LSG but was kept quiet by Mitchell Starc in the game against DC.2:35

Bishop explains what makes Noor special

The Purple Cap tableNoor Ahmad has been a revelation this season. Turning out for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), who also have R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in their starting line-up, Noor has been by far the most successful, his left-arm wristspin bringing him 4 for 18, 3 for 36 and 2 for 28 so far. That’s nine wickets, five more wickets than Ashwin and Jadeja combined.Mitchell Starc is just one wicket behind, and has got to eight wickets in just two games for D]C. He was expensive in his first game, against LSG, conceding 42 runs for his three wickets, but against SRH, he had his career-best T20 returns – 5 for 35. In his opening spell, Starc removed Travis Head, Ishan Kishan and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the powerplay, and he came back in the 18th over to remove Harshal Patel and Wiaan Mulder.There’s a tie in third place between LSG’s Shardul Thakur and CSK’s Khaleel Ahmed, who have picked up six wickets each at this stage, though Thakur has played two and Khaleel three. Thakur’s best was the 4 for 34 he picked up in LSG’s win over SRH, while Khaleel got 3 for 29 in his first game of the season, against MI, sending back Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton and Suryakumar Yadav.Highest batting strike ratesBest bowling economy ratesMost sixesBest bowling figures in a match

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has lifted the lid on his relationship with girlfriend Isabel Haugseng Johansen. The couple have been dating since Haaland was at former club Borussia Dortmund and welcomed their first child together at the end of 2024. Haaland has revealed the couple enjoy playing video games together and also share a passion for kebabs.

Haaland opens up on his private life

Haaland has offered some rare insight into his private life as part of an 'A-team' series for Norwegian broadcaster NRK. The Manchester City goal machine has been quizzed on his relationship with girlfriend Haugsung Johansen and has offered some glimpses of their life together. Haugsung Johansen is also a footballer, and played for Bryne in Norway, which helped bring the two together. The Manchester City goal machine admits it was Haugsung Johansen who made the first move which led to the two coupling up. He said: "She sent me a message. She played in the same club as me, Bryne. She was the one who checked me out. I wasn't the one who checked her out."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMan City ace reveals his perfect night in

Haaland also went on to speak about how the couple like to spend their time away from the football pitch. He added: "I cook. This will probably sound a bit embarrassing to her, but she likes to play [games]. So we play Minecraft together. We build houses and all that. Or we go home to Bryne and order kebabs."

The Manchester City has previously revealed he's an avid fan of Minecraft. He let slip he was playing the game on social media after previously being rather coy on his favourite video games. After breaking the Premier League record for most goals in a season, he told Sky Sports: "I will go home now and play some video games and then speak – I cannot say which games – it’s too embarrassing."

It's also not the first time that Haaland has revealed his weakness for kebabs. The Norway star has made no secure of his favourite foods but has admitted it's hard to indulge as an elite footballer. He told Sky Sports in 2022: "I absolutely love it, I have to say. It's one of the best things, but I can never eat it. Sometimes I sit at home and I'm like: 'Oh, that would be so good'. But then I go to the fridge and make something else."

Haaland growing up after becoming a dad

Haaland and Haugsung Johansen welcomed their first baby together in December, with the Manchester City goal machine admitting he is "starting to grow up now." News of the birth was inadvertently broken by Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola after seeing the striker score in a win over Leicester in the Premier League. Guardiola told reporters after the match: "Sometimes Erling has been judged badly but it's part of football. He's tired, he's played a lot of minutes. He's become a father for the first time in the last few days, a lot of emotions and an exciting few days for him."

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Couple enjoy time out in Italy

After becoming parents for the first time, Haaland and Haugsung Johansen were spotted enjoying some time out in Italy during the summer. The couple were spotted out together on a romantic break in Rome and also took in a Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda fashion show. The trip prompted Haaland to profess his love for Italy on social media: "Rome is without doubt one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been to! And the food? Omg. Incredible. I’m enjoying the summer! Thanks D&G and the city of Rome for making the time here smooth. I love Italy!"

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Italian fans were quick to respond to his post by urging the goal machine to leave Manchester City and try to secure a move to Serie A.

Glasgow Rangers are “among the admirers” to sign a highly-rated player this summer, according to an update from reliable journalist Alex Miller.

Rangers pushing for late-summer business

The Gers’ opening weekend 1-1 draw away to Motherwell was far from an ideal start to their Scottish Premiership season, with Russell Martin’s side immediately losing ground on rivals Celtic.

It is essential that more transfer business is done between now and the end of the window, in order for Martin to have a squad that is capable of both winning the title and holding its own in Europe, and players continue to be linked with moves to Ibrox.

One report has claimed that Rangers have joined the race to sign young Arsenal goalkeeper Karl Hein this summer, with a season-long loan move potentially on the cards. The 23-year-old is going to struggle for minutes at the Emirates in 2025/26, so a year in Scotland could be ideal for his development.

Elsewhere, the Gers are said to have held talks with Real Betis centre-back Nobel Mendy about a move to the club, and are happy to pay more than £1.7m for his signature. Now, a new update has dropped regarding another summer transfer target.

Rangers admire "excellent" Championship player; Chansiri to decide

According to Miller on X, Rangers are “among the admirers” in the battle to sign Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper Pierce Charles, with the decision left up to controversial Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri.

“Any decision on whether Sheffield Wednesday cash-in on Pierce Charles will ultimately be made by Dejphon Chansiri, Henrik Pedersen has admitted. West Ham and Rangers among the admirers.”

Charles has been linked with Rangers already this summer, with the 20-year-old’s future at Wednesday in doubt, amid their dire financial situation and doubts over whether Chansiri is genuinely working towards a sale.

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Northern Ireland

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It is easy to see why the Gers are eyeing him up as a top-quality young option between the sticks, with the stopper already an eight-cap Northern Ireland international, also racking up 15 appearances for the Owls. He has admirers everywhere, including his international manager, Michael O’Neill, who has lauded him in the recent past.

The lure of the Premier League is clear for any player, so West Ham will be a threat to Rangers’ chance of signing Charles this summer, but the Scottish giants can offer him European football, which the Hammers cannot.

Wednesday’s aforementioned financial situation also means they may be forced to sell one of the best young players, and he has the ability to mature into a key man for the Gers for years to come, should they strike a deal for him.

The German coach and his players put their mediocre recent displays against minnows behind them with a top-level performance in Belgrade

England finally located their mojo on Tuesday in Belgrade, and Serbia didn't know what had hit them. In case they were wondering, it was five goals, from five different scorers, and the sound they could hear was that of Thomas Tuchel's side finally taking to the skies after several false starts, heading right for the 2026 World Cup, their mission to go all the way in North America back on track.

The Three Lions' performance proved that England are not just a squad of incredibly talented and famous individuals, as you might have been forgiven for thinking after their dour win over Andorra and their previous four outings under Tuchel. They can also be remarkably effective when they work together, as they did for the slick second goal scored by Noni Madueke.

"Teamwork in its purest form" is how Tuchel described the performance, emphasising the achievement of limiting their hosts to zero shots on target and praising the intensity his players showed throughout. The German also had a pointed message to the doubters, both in the fanbase and in the media: "I’m just glad for the players that they could show to the fans and to you guys what they’re capable of."

England will face much tougher teams than Serbia on their path towards their ultimate aim of winning the World Cup next summer, and the manner of this victory, as satisfying as it was, should not lead to talk of Tuchel 'bringing it home' just yet. It was reassuring, though, to see England rise to the occasion and remind everyone, not least themselves, of how good they can be.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Rajko Mitic Stadium…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Thomas Tuchel

  Tuchel not only needed to win, he needed a big performance to quieten the volume of dissent against him after four lacklustre victories and a concerning defeat to Senegal in his games in charge thus far. He got both, with England delivering their biggest away win since crushing San Marino 10-0 in 2021 while showing they can play free-flowing football as well as make the most of set-pieces.

  There were many things to be pleased about from the coach's point of view. His side barely let Serbia create any danger, with Jordan Pickford not asked to make any saves all night. They dominated the ball and territory but were seldom ponderous, playing in a direct manner throughout.

  Tuchel also showed his flexibility, dropping players who had underperformed against Andorra such as Marcus Rashford and Myles Lewis-Skelly while rewarding Elliot Anderson with a second consecutive start. It was not exactly the spell-binding performance Spain had produced against Turkey a couple of days earlier, but it was an imposing display and a big stride in the right direction.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  LOSER: Dragan Stojkovic

  Serbia coach Dragan Stojkovic was roundly booed when his name was read out before kick-off, and the crowd's feeling towards him became ever more vociferous as his side were played off their own park. All the talk before about England being intimidated amid the noise and during the walk through the 73-metre, graffiti-soaked tunnel faded into nothing, and if anyone faced hostilities, it was the home side and their manager.

  Stojkovic was one of the best players of his generation but his star has faded as a coach and he is growing ever unpopular, despite leading Serbia to back-to-back major tournaments. Making it three out of three will be much harder after this bruising defeat, as they will almost certainly have to look to the play-offs to book their place in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

  There is another reason why Stojkovic is unpopular right now, too. He is a fervent supporter of the Serbian government, which has faced waves of protests in the last few weeks, and if his side cannot beat Albania in their next game and reclaim second spot in the group, his own regime might be about to topple.

• Getty Images
  

  WINNER: Noni Madueke

  Madueke had been among the players Tuchel had named and shamed for not taking their chances against Andorra, but he showed the mental resilience you need at international level on Tuesday. The forward has many critics, as was made clear by the furious reaction among Arsenal fans when he signed for the Gunners, and when he kept his place in the starting line-up for this one ahead of Jarrod Bowen, more groans were let out online.

  But Madueke offered the perfect response. The game was barely a few minutes old when he latched on to a pass from Morgan Rogers and nearly won a penalty. He later rolled the ball across the six-yard box for Harry Kane, who somehow missed the target, while when he got a chance of his own, he made sure he didn't waste it. 

  Madueke demonstrated his renowned pace and determination as he sprinted into the box after Rogers' flick-on, but he also showed an ice-cool mentality in front of goal which has been previously lacking.  With his club team-mate Bukayo Saka potentially still injured for the next round of England games against Wales and Albania, Madueke has given himself the best hope possible of keeping his place.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WINNER: Declan Rice

  Declan Rice already has his name on a seat on the plane to North America next summer, so he could feel entitled to rest on his laurels and coast a little bit through these qualifiers. He did no such thing on Tuesday, however, leading by example with a truly dominant performance.

  Rice's two assists, for Kane and Marc Guehi, added to his goal against Andorra and meant he had directly contributed to three of England's seven strikes during this camp. Tuchel had spoken of the importance of long balls and long throws before the game and it felt obvious that he had Arsenal in mind.

  Rice's pin-point deliveries have been a key element of the Gunners' growing threat from set plays (no Premier League team has scored more than them in the last two years) and it makes perfect sense for Tuchel to want to replicate that weapon, with the midfielder as his supplier-in-chief.

Sheffield United are now done with their summer schedule of pre-season fixtures as the main event of Championship action kicks off this coming weekend.

Bristol City arrive at Bramall Lane as the first test for Ruben Selles’ new-look Blades side, with the former Hull City manager hopeful that his team can relive their playoff magic and thump the Robins again – much like they did over two legs last season in the playoff semi-finals – before Wembley heartbreak ensued.

Fresh recruit Dijbril Soumare will be hoping he’s a part of a team this upcoming season that can dust itself down and bounce back from this agonizing promotion near-miss.

More new signings will surely be needed for Selles and Co. to be seen as promotion contenders to fear, as a new loan target now appears on the Blades’ shopping list, who could look to replicate Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s standout stint last season.

Rak-Sakyi's heroics at United

While Chris Wilder would ultimately lose his job as the Blades tripped up to Sunderland at Wembley, there were still plenty of entertaining performers who called Bramall Lane home last campaign.

Rak-Sakyi certainly fits into this bracket, as the Crystal Palace youngster took to his fresh EFL environment like a duck to water, with the tricky winger standing out as a useful impact player all season long.

In total, the England U21 international would fire home a hefty tally of seven goals across 34 second-tier contests, despite only being an out-and-out starter for 22 of those clashes.

Two assists would also come his way, as the “devastating” youngster – as he has been labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – now attempts to make a name for himself in the Eagles senior picture.

This potential new Blades signing will be hoping he can retreat to Bramall Lane and come out the other side far more confident in his own ability, too, with Selles able to land his very own Rak-Sakyi in the process.

United's "special" next Rak-Sakyi

Selles has already utilised the loan market well, with Louie Barry joining the building from Aston Villa on loan, having worked with the Spanish head coach at Hull.

Up next, Liverpool starlet Lewis Koumas could be thrown into the first-team mix in South Yorkshire, with the Mirror previously reporting this month that the promotion nearly-men are monitoring the 19-year-old’s situation at Anfield, amid further interest coming from second-tier big boys Birmingham City and Wrexham for his loan services.

Much like Rak-Sakyi, Koumas had been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, having made a perfect lasting impression on the Anfield masses when scoring this delightful effort last year on his first-ever senior start on Merseyside.

Former Reds boss Jurgen Klopp would even go as far as to declare the 19-year-old as “special” off the back of this dream moment, with Koumas also delivering the goods away from his boyhood club last season while cutting his teeth on loan at Stoke City.

Games played

49

Games started

31

Minutes played

2873

Goals scored

6

Assists

3

Playing with the same trickery and flair that the Palace attacker is known for, Koumas would go on to pick up a reasonable six goals and three assists in all competitions for the Potters, with his game potentially taken to that next level in a promotion-chasing camp, as opposed to a Stoke side languishing near the drop zone.

That hefty amount would still be collected despite the 19-year-old only starting 31 of his 49 contests, with Koumas perhaps ready to be the next blistering option United can depend on from the bench, much like Rak-Sakyi before him.

Further dubbed as being “fearless” by Welsh legend Craig Bellamy, there will be a hope that the promising Welshman takes to the pressures of Bramall Lane well, as Selles attempts to steer his side back up to the Premier League to rectify their playoff misery.

Once cost £20m: Sheffield United can land dream Moore replacement for free

Sheffield United could secure a dream replacement for Kieffer Moore by snapping up this free agent.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 4, 2025

كشف محمد حجاج، المدرب العام للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي بتروجيت، عن وضع حامد حمدان لاعب الوسط بعد أزمته الأخيرة.

وكان حامد حمدان قد دخل في صدام مع إدارة بتروجيت خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الماضية، بسبب رفض رحيله إلى الزمالك قبل الاعتذار للنادي البترولي.

طالع.. فيديو| الجونة يتعادل مع بتروجيت في الدوري المصري

وقال حجاج، عبر قناة “تن”: “لا توجد لدي معلومات عن حامد حمدان، هو منقطع عن التدريبات، والموضوع مع مجلس الإدارة، وحتى الآن غير متواجد مع الفريق نهائيًا، في البداية تدرب، وبعد ذلك انقطع عن التدريبات”.

وتابع: “حامد حمدان لاعب في الفريق، هل أي لاعب يتلقى عرضًا ينقطع عن التدريبات هل هذا يصح؟ إذا كان الأمر كذلك فكل لاعب يحصل على عرض سيبقى في المنزل”.

وأضاف: “في بداية انقطاعه عن التدريبات تواصل البعض مع حمدان بشكل رسمي، لكنه رفض، وهناك لوائح وقوانين نعمل بها”.

وأتم:” أزمة حامد حمدان مع إدارة بتروجيت وليست مع الجهاز الفني، لا يوجد تأثير للفريق بغياب حامد حمدان”.

He became the third member of India’s squad, behind Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, to bow out of the format after the Barbados final

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Jun-2024Ravindra Jadeja has become the third senior cricketer to retire from T20 internationals at the end of India’s triumphant run at the T20 World Cup 2024. Following the announcements from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, Jadeja “bid farewell” to the format through a post on his Instagram account.”With a heart full of gratitude, I bid farewell to T20 internationals,” Jadeja wrote a day after India’s win over South Africa in a thrilling World Cup final in Bridgetown. “Like a steadfast horse galloping with pride, I’ve always given my best for my country and will continue to do so in other formats.Related

Rohit Sharma joins Kohli in retiring from T20Is after World Cup triumph

Kohli retires from T20 internationals after winning World Cup title

“Winning the T20 World Cup was a dream come true, a pinnacle of my T20 international career. Thank you for the memories, the cheers, and the unwavering support.”Jadeja retires after 74 T20I appearances, including every match in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign. He didn’t have too big a role to play at the World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, though, facing just 22 balls in five innings, in which he scored 35 runs, and sending down 14 overs, picking up one wicket at an economy rate of 7.57. Overall, Jadeja has 54 wickets in the format at an economy of 7.13 and 515 runs at a strike rate of 127.16.ESPNcricinfo LtdJadeja, 35 is a much-decorated player in the IPL, where he has won four titles, three with Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and one, in the inaugural season in 2008, with Rajasthan Royals (RR), which was before he had made his international debut which came in 2009.One of a handful of cricketers who have been part of all three international sides for India for a while now, Jadeja will continue to be available for Tests and ODIs, where he has turned out 72 and 197 times respectively. In Tests, he has 3036 runs (average of 36.14) and 294 wickets (24.13), and in ODIs, he has 2756 runs (32.42) and 220 wickets (36.07), and is considered one of the finest all-round fielders in the world.

As this India leadership group starts its last two weeks at the helm, it is a good time to look back. Their biggest legacy will be dragging India towards modern limited-overs batting. Look at its biggest manifestation: Virat Kohli is a much better T20 batter while retaining qualities that made him an ODI great. In India, though, legacy is judged by ICC trophies. That unfortunately remains the yardstick for a team now used to staying among the best at other times.In what has been a bit of an irony, what seems like a last hurrah for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma at helm and will eventually decide how fondly they are remembered by the wider public, their real legacy of pushing the aggression envelope has had to take a back seat. Two of their biggest hitters, their modern T20 batters, Suryakumar Yadav and Shivam Dube, have had to play like they would in the middle overs of an ODI.”Like you rightly said, a lot of the impetus over the last few years – and I think we’ve done it in most parts – has been to push the needle forward,” Dravid said. “If you look at a lot of our stats and numbers, we have pushed the needle forward in terms of our batting.”There’s no question about it. Sometimes in certain conditions – you’ve just got to be mindful of conditions also. I think sometimes we just get carried away in T20 cricket and just talking about pushing the needle forward, pushing the needle forward. But then, it’s also, cricket is a very condition-specific game. It’s one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level. It’s one sport that we play where the surface makes a huge difference and it has to be brought into consideration at all times.Related

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• Hayden expects short-of-runs Kohli to 'work out what to do' in the Caribbean

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“I think we saw that in the US, and we saw that in New York, that had to be brought into consideration not only for us but for other teams as well. I think everyone had to do that. Actually, even in Australia [during the last T20 World Cup], there were times where you had to bring that into consideration. Not every wicket is Hyderabad or not every wicket can be the same. So, I think that’s something we pride ourselves in as well. I think we are trying to also get that ability to be smart in our decision making, to try and assess situations cleverly.”If India get the kind of pitches they had in New York, they are favourites. In the Super Eight, though, they, like most other teams, will have to deal with the unpredictability of new conditions in every match in the West Indies, and quickly decide how to approach their innings. In cricket’s other formats, batting is a reactive exercise: the bowlers start the action, and batters react to the merit of the delivery. In T20, the batters’ approach plays a bigger role. And it all depends on conditions.Rahul Dravid: Cricket is “one of the only sports left where the surface makes such an impact on the actual skill levels, the actual performance levels, what is an acceptable performance level.”•ICC/Getty Images

In a way, the previous two weeks of the T20 World Cup have been a bit of a lottery. You get put in, you take two extra overs to decide what a par score is, and you could be done for. That’s all it takes. That is likely what happened to Pakistan when they played USA. How do you mitigate the uncertainty, though? Dravid was asked exactly that a day before the start of India’s three Super Eight matches in five days in Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia.”We feel we’ve got the experience and the knowledge and also the ability to counteract different situations that may present themselves,” he said. “And then, of course, we are looking at things that the past games that have been played here, what have been the scores, what’s the level of swing that people are experiencing, amount of turn they’re getting, what’s the bounce. So, you look at all of these factors and you come up with some basic ideas.”But again, I think you’ve got to keep an open mind. I think that’s an important thing. You might have all the stats, you might have all the data, but on the day, sometimes conditions can be very different to what you think it is. Just because a particular ground has produced certain number of runs in the past or even 10 days prior, it can be very different because the preparation of a wicket, the weather, so much can change.”Even in the two or three days leading into a particular game, a lot can change that can force you to recalibrate and rethink. I think we will have to do that, be quick and smart and be able to do that and assess the conditions. I hope we will do that.”If New York was any indication, though, one change, though subtle, is clearly visible. India adjusted down instead of adjusting up. Err high rather than low. The top order, especially Kohli, showed enough faith in the batters to follow. It would have been easy for Kohli to play at a run a ball there but that is not his role. That seems to be the back-up option, and one for someone else to take. Nothing can guarantee success in T20 knockouts but that approach, provided they can manage to retain courage and indifference towards the end result, might just hold India in better stead than on previous attempts.