Nepal board took action after legspinner withdrew from the first match at the last minute

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Oct-2025Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane was suspended from his team’s second and third T20 internationals against West Indies in Sharjah, after he withdrew from the first match “45 minutes before the start.”A statement from the Cricket Association of Nepal said Lamichhane’s late withdrawal – 15 minutes before the toss – from the first T20I on September 27 had “a serious impact” on the team and Nepal cricket at large. The board said the team management had recommended that Lamichhane be benched from the remaining two games in the series.It is understood that when the team management spoke to Lamichhane later, his reason for withdrawing from the first game was that he was mentally not in a good space to play the match.Nepal beat the West Indies in the first T20I by 19 runs to record their first victory against a Full Member nation; they then won the second T20I by 90 runs to complete their first series win against a Full Member nation. They lost the third match – a dead rubber – by ten wickets.Nepal’s next assignment is the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Final in Oman, where they will be competing with Malaysia, Qatar, UAE, Japan, Kuwait, Oman, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea for two places in the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in February and March. Lamichhane has been retained in the Nepal squad for the tournament.The nine teams are divided into three groups of three each. Nepal are in Group B along with Japan and Kuwait, whom they play on October 8 and 10. The top two teams from each group proceed to the Super Six round, and the teams that finish first, second and third there qualify for the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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Sousa e Cruzeiro se enfrentam nesta quarta-feira (21), às 19h15 (de Brasília), no Estádio Antônio Mariz, em Sousa, na Paraíba, pela primeira fase da Copa do Brasil. O jogo terá transmissão do SporTV e Premiere (pay-per-view). O Dino bateu o Campinense por 3 a 0 no sábado (17), pelo Campeonato Paraibano; já a Raposa vem de vitória por 3 a 1 sobre o Democrata, pelo Mineiro.

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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
Sousa x Cruzeiro
Copa do Brasil – Primeira Fase

Data e horário: quarta-feira, 21 de fevereiro de 2024, às 19h15 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio Antônio Mariz, em Sousa (PB)
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
Árbitro: Rafael Rodrigo Klein (Fifa-RS)
Assistentes: Maira Mastella Moreira (Fifa-RS) e Fabricio Lima Baseggio (RS)

⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
SOUSA (Técnico: Paulo Schardong)
Bruno Fuso; Iranilson, Adriano, Marcelo e Jackson; Leozinho, Michel Potiguar e Hebert Cristian; Aruá, Diego Ceará e Charles.

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CRUZEIRO (Técnico: Nicolás Larcamón)
Rafael Cabral; William, Zé Ivaldo, João Marcelo, e Marlon; Lucas Romero e Lucas Silva; Robert (João Pedro), Matheus Pereira e Arthur; Juan Dinenno.

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Alejandro Zendejas’ standout form with Club América has put him on the radar of several MLS clubs. Fresh off a strong Apertura 2025, the USMNT winger is drawing interest from LA Galaxy, Atlanta United, and the Portland Timbers, who see an opening to lure América’s top star back to the league where he began his career. The 27-year-old has five goals and three assists in 10 appearances this season.

Getty Images SportMLS clubs circle América’s standout winger

The three teams are reportedly closely scouting Zendejas and evaluating whether to move for him in the upcoming transfer window, according to journalist Ekrem Konu.  His consistency with América this season has elevated his value and renewed MLS interest.

AdvertisementAFPFamiliar territory for Zendejas

Before becoming a key figure in Liga MX, Zendejas came up through FC Dallas’ academy and debuted professionally in MLS. Though he previously declined opportunities to return, the door has never been fully shut. During MLS All-Star week in July, he acknowledged the possibility, but stressed he was happy with. 

“Obviously, I miss home… [MLS] is a goal for me, but I'm happy where I'm at right now,” he said. “They treat me good… I’m in a very good spot, and hopefully I’ll look to MLS down the road.”

Getty Images SportHis current form with América

Zendejas, 27, is delivering one of his most complete seasons in Mexico and remains a core piece in André Jardine’s system. His one-on-one ability, versatility on the wings, and steady production have made him the face of América’s attack this season.

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Getty Images SportPlayoffs ahead

America kick off a highly anticipated Liga MX quarterfinal on Nov. 26 against Monterrey. 

Manchester United continue to eye a move for Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba, with the Seagulls star’s thoughts of joining the Red Devils clear.

Baleba was a strong target for the Red Devils during the summer transfer window, with Ruben Amorim eyeing a move for a natural Casemiro replacement, ahead of his contract expiring next summer.

But in the end, the 21-year-old decided to remain at Brighton for the time being, where he was compared to Leicester City legend N’Golo Kante by Adam Virgo when he joined in 2023.

“For me, he’s not a Caicedo, he’s not like that at all. For me he’s more like an N’Golo Kante, in terms of his power and his pace to get around, he covers so much ground. He can certainly be slightly better on the ball, so he’ll have to adjust his game in that way but Brighton always do their due dillegence in terms of finding players of this age. He’s a typical Brighton signing.”

There is every chance that Baleba leaves Brighton sooner rather than later, though, potentially even in 2026, and a new update has dropped regarding United snapping him up.

Baleba "clearly" wants to join Man Utd

Speaking to TEAMtalk, transfer insider Dean Jones claimed that Baleba “clearly wants” to seal a move to Man Utd, but they won’t pay £100m for his services.

“It is being talked about again that Baleba is a priority target, but it has to be stressed that they [United] are not paying £100million for him any time soon. The player clearly wants the move, and their attempt to turn his head in the summer has worked, but his form has actually been worse since then, and so I do not see United going close to the level Brighton value him at.

“The message remains clear that United want a midfielder in January and also a midfielder in summer. So they are working on targets that are attainable in each of those, and the ones from the Premier League seem unattainable in January. That’s how the picture is for now.

“Obviously, these things can change, but Baleba is going to have to be very patient here because a lot is going on. United do still like him; they do still think he would suit the role, but his form and valuation do not match up at the moment. And on top of that, Brighton don’t want to sell him in January.”

Carlos Baleba’s 2025/26 Premier League stats

Total

Appearances

11

Starts

10

Minutes played

653

Goals

0

Assists

0

Tackles per game

1.1

Interceptions per game

0.9

Pass completion rate

85.3%

Baleba may not have necessarily found top form this season, possibly because of his head being turned by a move to United, and he should continue to be looked at as a leading option to be Casemiro’s successor.

Related Forget Bruno and De Ligt: Man Utd "monster" is looking like a new captain

This Manchester United star is now looking like captain material for Ruben Amorim this season.

Posts ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

The Cameroonian has been hailed as “wonderful” by Alan Shearer, and his box-to-box midfield brilliance could add so much to the Red Devils’ side, coming in as a long-term signing with world-class potential.

No Casemiro; Guehi & £100m "monster" sign: Man Utd's dream XI after January

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele picked up the 2025 Ballon d’Or, but who will lift the famous individual honour in 2026?

With the 2025/26 season well and truly underway, players are beginning to make their case to land the historic award, and in a World Cup year, there could be many twists and turns.

Here are the 20 players who are best placed to win the 2026 Ballon d’Or right now, based on current form and their respective team’s chances of silverware.

Ranking factors: To help rank the players in order, we have considered the following criteria:

• Current form – how well a player has performed in the past few months
• Importance to their teams – how influential they are to their teams’ performances
• Reputation – what others say about them

10

Gabriel Magalhaes

Arsenal and Brazil

An injury halted the Brazilian’s progress but he is currently the most in-form defender on the planet, scoring goals, dominating in both boxes and leading Arsenal’s incredible defensive record.

While the spotlight often went to William Saliba in recent seasons, Gabriel has emerged as the true rock at the heart of the best defence in world football.

9

Ousmane Dembele

PSG and France

Could he go back to back? Well, if PSG continue their dominance in France and in Europe, and if Ousmane Dembele helps his country to a World Cup win, there is every chance.

The forward netted his first goals of the season at the end of August before a hamstring injury halted his progress. Still, the 28-year-old has plenty of time to return to full fitness and make his claim of another Ballon d’Or.

8

Michael Olise

Bayern Munich and France

Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise has continued his fine form at the Allianz Arena into his second season.

A regular on the right wing under Vincent Kompany, Olise is already into double figures for goal contributions with Munich. Meanwhile, his national manager, Didier Deschamps, has said Olise “has everything”, with France and Bayern teammate Dayot Upamecano calling the attacker a “magician”.

7

Pedri

Barcelona and Spain

Pulling the strings in Barcelona’s midfield, Pedri is seen as one of the greatest midfielders in football and will be looking to improve on his 11th place finish last time out.

The Spaniard has even caught the eye of iconic midfielder Paul Scholes, with the Man Utd legend calling Pedri his “new favourite footballer”.

Hansi Flick has also called Pedri a “special” player, adding that he “is also becoming a better leader” for his side.

6

Vitinha

PSG and Portugal

Vitinha’s stunning hat-trick against Tottenham in the Champions League vaulted him up the rankings, with the all-action midfielder providing a mixture of end product, tenacity and control in Paris, averaging over 100 passes per game this season.

The Portugal star has gone from strength to strength in recent seasons having won the quadruple with PSG in the 2024/25 campaign, and will look to cement himself as one of the best in world football at next summer’s World Cup.

5

Erling Haaland

Man City and Norway

Jamie Carragher has recently called Erling Haaland the “greatest goalscorer to ever play in English football”, with his ridiculous start to the season leading to the forward himself saying he’s in his best form ever.

Scoring goals for fun with Man City and Norway, Haaland will now play at his first World Cup in 2026, which will be his country’s first since 1998. A strong performance to take them on a knockout run would cement his status as a legend of Norwegian football.

4

Harry Kane

Bayern Munich and England

Harry Kane is continuing to do what he does best – score goals on a regular basis. With Bayern Munich, Kane scored a remarkable 17 goals in the first nine games for the German champions, becoming the fastest player this century to reach 100 goals for a side playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The England captain will also have his eyes on the 2026 World Cup, which could be his last at the age of 32. Delight for club and country in 2026 will put him in a strong position.

3

Lamine Yamal

Barcelona and Spain

Lamine Yamal has won the Kopa Trophy at the Ballon d’Or awards for the last two years, so it feels as if it is just a matter of time until the Barcelona star takes home the major individual honour.

However, Barca currently trail Real Madrid in La Liga and have already dropped points in the Champions League group stage.

Still, if Yamal carries the Catalan giants to silverware and stars in his first World Cup, 2026 could be his year.

2

Declan Rice

Arsenal and England

Now a vital member for club and country, Declan Rice is arguably the best midfielder in the world right now, shining in a slightly further forward role at the Emirates under Mikel Arteta.

After his two stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season, Rice has continued to add end product to his game and has been praised by England legends David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

1

Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid and France

Leading the way as the current 2026 Ballon d’Or favourite is Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman has begun the 2025/26 campaign in red-hot form in front of goal, registering the second fastest Champions League hat-trick of all time in a win over Olympiacos, even scoring a fourth for good measure.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has even called Mbappe the “best in the world”, and on current form, it’s hard to argue against the Madrid fan.

The Asia Cup final went down to the wire as Tilak calmly helped India chase down 147

Alagappan Muthu28-Sep-20253:17

Which Indian spinner had the biggest impact?

India blinked. They were 20 for 3 chasing 147. Their world-beating batting line-up was panicking as Pakistan came at them – this time for every reason because there was a title on the line.A collapse of 9 for 33 had left Salman Agha’s men with no room for error and for the most part they coped with it. They got rid of Abhishek Sharma early. That sent jitters through a middle-order that was upended to accommodate Shubman Gill.A straightforward chase was going pear-shaped. And Tilak Varma felt all of this out in the middle. The quiet of the stands. The belief among the Pakistan players. The doubts of a billion people back home. Somehow he absorbed it all and produced a really special half-century.Concentrating as hard as he had to, there wasn’t a single moment through the innings where Tilak showed emotion. But once it was done, he yelled, he punched, he made little heart signs with his hands and basked in the glory of winning India their ninth Asia Cup title.Farhan’s opening salvoThis entire Asia Cup has been a referendum on Pakistan’s decision to move on from Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan. There is credence to the theory that they do not push hard enough when they bat up the order, and the powerplay is not a time to be shy.Sahibzada Farhan went for his shots early•Getty Images

Sahibzada Farhan took that to heart and although he didn’t always come up with the goods, he never stopped swinging. A series of slogs took him to 26 off 21. And those same series of slogs – when they started connecting – brought him 50 off 35.The Pakistan collapseFarhan and Fakhar Zaman were able to put one of India’s bankers – Kuldeep Yadav – under pressure. The left-arm wristspinner’s first two overs went for 23. That prompted Suryakumar Yadav to turn to Varun Chakravarthy, whose mystery Pakistan have just not been able to solve. As if on cue, he took down both of Pakistan’s top scorers. Farhan and Fakhar were the only two to cross 15.On the back of Varun’s incisions, his team-mates came into their own. Axar Patel took two wickets in back-to-back overs. Kuldeep took three in one single over. Pakistan were 107 for 1 with 44 balls to play. They were bowled out with five balls remaining. A large part of their innings involved the batters going for slogs. In the front 10, they either made good contact or just plain missed. So just one wicket fell. In the back 10, the big hits were all mis-hits. So nine wickets fell.Tilak’s methodWhere all his team-mates tried to force the issue, Tilak found ways to trust himself. He was 24 off 26. But he didn’t seem to care. Early in his innings, he hit a back foot punch though extra cover for four off Ashraf. There was no pace on that ball. The only way he could find the boundary was if he timed the ball perfectly. And for that to happen, he had to have the measure of this pitch down pat. He did.Tilak Varma and Shivam Dube’s brisk stand lifted India•Getty Images

That confidence fuelled the rest of his innings, reminding him that he needn’t over-exert himself. India had to settle for either singles or dots through the eighth and ninth overs of the chase as Abrar Ahmed and Saim Ayub stuck to the basics – keeping the stumps in play and asking India to take risks if they wanted to score quickly. Tilak rose to that challenge but even then, he was careful to go after the full one, the one that he could get to the pitch of and negate the turn. All that good work meant even with long-on in play, the ball went for six.In the 15th over, Tilak did another cool thing. With wickets falling around him, he had shown he was ready for a fight. In rebuilding India’s innings with barely a false shot, he showed he was in the zone. Now, seeing Haris Rauf running in, he showed a mind for problem-solving. He had seen how hard it was to hit with pace off the ball. Now that Pakistan were offering pace, he took full toll. Seventeen runs came from that 15th over and changed the complexion of the game. From needing 64 off 36, India needed 47 off 30.Dube cameoIndia were without their first-choice seam-bowling allrounder. Hardik Pandya was nursing a quad niggle and couldn’t make the XI. Shivam Dube did, after resting the last game. He was responsible for two absolutely vital sixes. The first of those showcased his spin-hitting ability as he tonked Abrar down the ground. The second exemplified how well he reads the game. He had faced, and watched from the other end, as Ashraf in the 19th over, tried to hide the ball outside off stump. So when he got back on strike, he indulged in an exaggerated trigger movement across his stumps to get closer to the ball and launch it over wide long-on. Dube contributed 33 off 22 to a momentum-shifting, match-winning, fifth-wicket partnership that yielded 60 runs off 40 balls. He also had to open the bowling for the first time in any format of cricket, finishing with 3-0-23-0. It was a splendid day’s work.The finishThese three India-Pakistan games have taken place under the shadow of far greater events. The two countries were in military conflict earlier this year. The two teams have not shaken hands. The two captains have even been avoiding eye contact. Rauf was fined for making gestures that seemed to point to those cross-border tensions. Jasprit Bumrah used the same gesture – hand pointed down, arcing to the floor – to give it back to Rauf after bringing down his stumps with a yorker.Tilak Varma celebrates a tense victory•AFP/Getty Images

The highly charged atmosphere that has been taking focus away from the cricket now added to it. The two coaches – Mike Hesson and Gautam Gambhir – would not accept being left on the sidelines, sending out messages to help the teams as the equation grew tighter. 30 off 18. 17 off 12. 10 off 6.With eight to get off five, Tilak launched a six over square leg – once more showcasing just how well he had grown accustomed to tough batting conditions and Rauf once again falling short by putting pace on the ball. Everything that happened after that will be turned into a meme. Tilak making the heart sign. Rinku Singh haring off into the distance. Gambhir banging a desk. This was an India-Pakistan classic worth the 41-year wait both teams needed to make the final of the Asia Cup.

Southampton continue their search for a new manager after the sacking of Will Still, with the Saints’ top manager target open to St Mary’s talks.

Despite only arriving in the summer, Still has been relieved of his duties at St Mary’s Stadium, with last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at home to Preston North End leaving them 21st in the Championship table. Southampton Group Technical Director, Johannes Spors, discussed the exit of the 33-year-old, thanking him for his efforts in recent months.

“Will is a great person who gave everything to try and improve performances and results. Ultimately that process has taken longer than any of us would have liked.

“By making a change now we believe it gives us the best chance of turning things around this season and climbing back up the league table. I would like to thank Will, Ruben, Clement and Carl for their efforts and wish them well for the future.”

It’s now a case of Southampton nailing Still’s successor at the club, with former manager Russell Martin linked with a return to the club, following a disappointing time in charge of Rangers, recently being sacked.

Southampton eyeing Martin to replace Still with Championship rivals also keen Martin keen on sealing Southampton return

According to TEAMtalk, Martin is now Southampton’s top target to take over from Still, making a quick fire return to St Mary’s in the process.

The report states that the 39-year-old is “open to a conversation about returning” to the club, but he is “not the only name in the frame” currently. Michael Carrick and Brendan Rodgers are also mentioned as options, with the pair both out of work after recent stints at Middlesbrough and Celtic, respectively.

Southampton fans are sure to be split over who they want the next manager to be, especially when it comes to Martin, whose tactics divided opinion during his time in charge first time around.

His risk-taking style of play from the back isn’t for everyone, but that said, Pep Guardiola spoke glowingly about his approach and Saints team after his Manchester City side faced them last year.

“When I see the opponent do the things I like to do with my team and they do it really well, I make a compliment. I’m sure I will learn, there were some movements, the reasons why they do things, the movements they make to link to the striker. It’s not easy.”

Martin guided Southampton into the Premier League from the Championship in the past, showing that he knows how to thrive in the division, and there is some sense in sealing a return, in terms of how well he knows the club.

Southampton eyeing Martin to replace Still with Championship rivals also keen

The Saints are searching for a new manager, having dismissed Will Still on Sunday night.

ByDominic Lund Nov 3, 2025

Then again, going with a different option would represent a fresh approach, with both Carrick and Rodgers talented managers who could also shine.

Juan Soto went 0-for-5 on Wednesday night as the New York Mets lost to the Minnesota Twins. Considering Soto signed the biggest deal in the history of baseball to come to play for the Mets, the team and fans expected more and at least one fan—Sal Licata of New York's WFAN—is already furious with the lack of results.

Licata went off on Soto on his radio show on Thursday, saying he has failed in every "big spot" that the month of April has produced. Then WFAN put together a social media clip with a graphic showing Soto at the bottom with FAILURE in blue and orange all-caps between him and Licata.

"Juan Soto has stunk to start his Mets career," Licata said. "I never thought I would be at this point with Juan Soto. A guy who I begged and pleaded the Mets to go get. A guy I wanted more than any player ever in my fandom. I wanted Juan Soto. The Mets delivered and every single time this guy has come up in a big spot this year—and there have been plenty—He. Has. Failed. And yesterday a despicable oh for five with three strikeouts, leaving a small village on the base paths as the Mets lose a series.

"You don't pay $765 million to a guy who gets on base 40% of the time," Licata continued. "Bullcrap! Every single time he has come up in a big spot he has failed this year. He did not do that with the Yankees! I don't want to hear the excuses from Soto. I don't want to hear people tell me that the walks are good. I want to start seeing some production. Now!"

Keep in mind Soto is less than one whole month into a 15- deal. The big spots that Licata is upset about are in April games and despite Soto's struggles, the Mets are still fighting with the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the NL East.

Following Licata's rant, Soto went 0 for 3 with a walk in a Mets win over the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday.

Justin Verlander's immediate response to getting pulled from his start against the Colorado Rockies on Thursday was to make a joke about his age.

The Colorado Rockies beat the San Francisco Giants 4-3 to win their second straight game after one of the worst starts in MLB history. Verlander gave up five hits and two runs in 6.1 innings, but did not take the loss on his personal record. The veteran took the mound in the top of the 7th with San Francisco leading 3-1 and gave up a home run on his third pitch to Ryan McMahon.

Verlander retired the next batter, but was then taken out by manager Bob Melvin. When Melvin got the mound, Verlander was waiting with a joke.

"I just asked him if he took me out because I was old," joked Verlander.

Verlander, now 42, is the oldest active player in baseball, but he has a long way to go if he wants to be one of the oldest players in MLB history. Ichiro played until he was 45. Jamie Moyer started 10 games when he was 49. There were even a few guys born before World War 2 who played in their 50's.

Still, considering the age of most of his peers, Verlander has every right to make jokes about being old.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Sport venceu o Santa Cruz, neste sábado (20), em partida válida pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Pernambucano, pelo placar de 2 a 1. Os gols foram marcados por Gustavo Coutinho e Fábio Matheus para o Leão e Thiaguinho para o Tricolor.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBotafogoArtilheiro do Botafogo no ano, Jeffinho agradece apoio da torcida após vitória contra o BanguBotafogo20/01/2024Futebol NacionalCriciúma goleia o Figueirense na estreia do Campeonato CatarinenseFutebol Nacional20/01/2024GrêmioGrêmio estreia Soteldo, sai na frente, mas sofre a virada do Caxias e é derrotado na abertura do Campeonato GaúchoGrêmio20/01/2024

Com o resultado, o Sport alcança os seis pontos e chega na 5ª colocação, encostando no Santa Cruz, que mantém a mesma quantidade de pontos, mas com um saldo de mais dois.

⚽ COMO FOI O JOGO?

O Sport abriu o placar aos 39 do primeiro tempo, quando após cobrança de escanteio de Alan Ruiz, Gustavo Coutinho marcou de cabeça.

No início do segundo tempo, Pedro Bortoluzo bateu de fora da área, Caíque França deu rebote e Thiaguinho aproveitou, empatando o jogo para o Santa Cruz, aos 10 minutos da etapa.

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No final da segunda etapa, aos 35 minutos, após erro na saída de bola do Santa Cruz, Fabrício Dominguez roubou, entrou na área e bateu. André Luiz fez a defesa e, no rebote, Fábio Matheus mandou para o gol.

✅ PRÓXIMO PASSO:

O Sport vai enfrentar o Maguari, pela 4ª rodada do Campeonato Pernambucano, na quinta-feira (25), às 20h, no estádio dos Aflitos. Já o Santa Cruz vai encarar o Retrô, na quarta-feira (24), às 21h, no Arruda.

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Campeonato PernambucanoSanta CruzSport