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A look ahead to the auction, highlighting a few significant trends that could be in play at the event

Nagraj Gollapudi23-Nov-202412:15

Pant? Rahul? Which Indian player will get the big bucks at the auction?

Will there be a 25-crore buy?

Following the record bids at the IPL 2024 mini auction by KKR and SRH to buy the Australian pair of Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins respectively, there is an anticipation that the INR 25-crore ceiling might be broken this time.There are two likely reasons this could happen. Firstly, Rishabh Pant. Pant is listed in the first set of marquee players that will ring in the auction on Sunday. He will be among the most sought-after players because several teams are on the lookout for an Indian captain-cum-wicketkeeper. Pant is the first big-name India player to come up in an auction in a long time, and the expectation is that the teams with the biggest purses – PBKS (INR 110.5 crore), RCB (INR 83 crore) and LSG (INR 69 crore) – will bid for him.Then there is DC (INR 73 crore), the franchise Pant played for since 2016 and led since 2021 until last season. Pant opted to head to the auction after retention talks with DC failed, which he recently clarified had nothing to do with money. DC still have the option to buy him back as they have two right-to-match (RTM) options available. And it is the modified RTM rule that might just escalate the bids.

How will the modified RTM rule impact the bidding?

When it has been used in the past, the RTM option allowed franchises to buy back a player by simply matching the price at which that player was sold at the auction. But in the modified RTM rule, which will be in play at this mega auction, if the previous franchise wants to use the RTM card, the franchise that makes the final bid will be given an additional opportunity to raise their bid. In case that happens, the original franchise will need to match that bid using the RTM card to secure the player.Related

• Iyer, Pant, Rahul among marquee players to kick off auction

• IPL retention FAQs: What is the modified RTM rule?

• Pant, Starc, Rahul and others in line to earn big

• England players in the auction: Five things to look out for

For example, say any franchise apart from DC has made a final bid of INR 18 crore for Pant. DC decide to use the RTM. The other franchise then decides to hike their final bid to INR 25 crore. DC, to buy back Pant, will need to match that price or lose out.Officials at franchises have pointed out that the new RTM rule gives no assurance that a team can get back a player at a fair price. Consequently, several franchises have retained at least five, or in the case of KKR and RR, the maximum of six players.ESPNcricinfo has learnt that a few franchises suspect the RTM rule is also responsible for some big-name players opting to head to the auction after receiving an assurance from another franchise that they would be paid a bigger price.

Impact Player – a hot buy

The Impact Player rule was a significant factor in record totals being smashed in IPL 2024. Most Impact Players were predominantly Indian. Many of those were also uncapped. In 2023, Dhruv Jurel announced himself initially as an Impact Player at RR. In 2024, the success of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma at PBKS, or the massive INR 8.4 crore CSK paid acquire power-hitter Sameer Rizvi, were examples of how seriously franchises were paying attention to having a player who can be earmarked as the Impact Player.Sameer Rizvi could get a lot of attention at the mega auction•BCCIThis time around, too, franchises will be on the lookout for uncapped Indian names for the role. A few players that could potentially attract a significant bid include Ashutosh and Rizvi, who are back at the auction, Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz, and Karnataka batter Abhinav Manohar.

Uncapped players that could attract strong bids

The quality and importance of uncapped Indian players have grown as franchises have been investing in scouting and in helping these players grow. Importantly, the players are now looked at from a long-term perspective. The success stories of Rinku Singh (KKR) and Tilak Varma (MI) are the two recent examples of uncapped players graduating into top performers, who now play for India.In addition to the names listed for Impact Player role, here’s a short list of uncapped players who are likely to fetch strong bids at this auction: Harpreet Brar, Nehal Wadhera, Anshul Kamboj, Rasikh Salam, Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Gurjapneet Singh.

Davey Johnson, former Major League Baseball player and manager, died on Friday. He was 82.

Johnson played 13 seasons in the majors, spending the majority of his career with the Orioles, where he was a stalwart at second base. He was a part of two World Series championship teams in Baltimore, in 1966 and ‘70, and was named an All Star four times.

After leaving the Orioles, Johnson spent a few seasons with the Braves, hitting alongside Hank Aaron, before stints with the Phillies and Cubs, as well as a brief stay with the Yomiuri Giants of NPB.

Just six years after his playing career, Johnson got his first shot as a manager, taking over the top job for the Mets in 1984. He found notable success in Queens, including a World Series championship in 1986. He also became the first NL manager in history to lead his team to at least 90 wins in his first five seasons at the helm.

After his time with the Mets came to a close, Johnson briefly led the Reds, Orioles and Dodgers before leaving the game in 2000. He would return in 2011 to lead the Nationals.

The Orioles celebrated the life of Johnson with a statement.

West Ham United have now submitted an offer of around £20m for a “natural goalscorer”, with Nuno personally a big fan.

West Ham targeting new striker with Fullkrug heading for exit

It has recently been revealed that Niclas Fullkrug is heading for the exit door this winter, having struggled to find the back of the net consistently since arriving from Borussia Dortmund, scoring just three goals in 28 appearances for West Ham.

Callum Wilson has been the man leading the line as of late, and the Englishman has impressed, bagging a brace in the 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth, but there are also question marks over his long-term future at the London Stadium.

Given that Wilson is set to turn 34 in February, and his contract expires at the end of the season, it would be a shrewd move to bring in a younger striker, and the Hammers are desperate to sign at least one new centre-forward in the upcoming window.

That is according to a report from Hammers News, which states West Ham have failed with an opening bid of £20m for Al-Hilal striker Marcos Leonardo, with the Saudi Pro League side adamant they won’t sanction a departure.

However, the Irons may return to the negotiating table with another offer, such is their determination to get a deal done, with Nuno personally a big fan of the Brazilian, who was linked with a move to Nottingham Forest during the manager’s time in charge there.

Nuno has made bringing in a new striker the number one priority for the January transfer window, and if the Hammers were able to get a deal for the 22-year-old done, they would be signing a player in red-hot form.

West Ham and Tottenham get Ivan Toney response after holding discussions

The Al-Ahli striker is fielding enquiries ahead of January.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 29, 2025 "Natural goalscorer" Leonardo on fire in Saudi Arabia

Indeed, the Al-Hilal star has been fantastic since the Club World Cup in the summer, scoring four goals in five matches in the new-look competition, and he has since impressed considerably domestically too.

Marcos Leonardo’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Saudi Pro League

6

6

AFC Champions League

5

3

King’s Cup

3

2

The former Santos man also earned high praise from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of very impressive attacking numbers during his time in Brazil.

With Fullkrug heading for the exit door, West Ham undoubtedly need to bring in a new striker this winter, and Leonardo could be capable of leading the line for Nuno’s side for years to come.

Three World Cup semifinals, breaking a streak, a famous farewell and more

Omkar Mankame31-Oct-2025

India won the semi-final after completing the highest chase in Women’s ODI history•Getty Images

India beat New Zealand by 40 runs2nd semi-final, Potchefstroom, World Cup 2005India stormed into their maiden World Cup final with a convincing 40-run win, knocking out defending champions New Zealand. Asked to bat first, India were rocked by two early wickets before Anjum Chopra and captain Mithali Raj steadied the innings through a 66-run stand. After Chopra’s fall, Raj continued undaunted and led India to 204 for 6 with an unbeaten 91.Mithali Raj’s knock took India into their maiden World Cup final•Getty ImagesNew Zealand’s chase unravelled swiftly. They lost two wickets for just 13 runs before Nooshin Al Khader struck twice in her very first over to deepen the crisis. Despite Maria Fahey’s fighting 73, India’s bowlers kept their discipline to script a historic entry into the final.India beat Australia by 36 runs2nd semi-final, Derby, World Cup 2017A rain-reduced semi-final. A Harmanpreet Kaur hurricane. A performance that transformed women’s cricket in India. In a 42-over contest, Harmanpreet’s unbeaten 171 off 115 balls was pure theatre – measured at first, monstrous later. She walked in at 35 for 2 and walked out with Australia shell-shocked. Her first fifty took 64 balls, the next two came in just 43 combined. India ended at 281 for 4; Harmanpreet had single-handedly redrawn the boundaries of what was possible.Harmanpreet’s epic 171 not out was studded with 20 four and seven sixes•Getty ImagesAustralia’s response was spirited. Elyse Villani’s fluent 75 gave them hope before a collapse saw them lose 6 for 43. Alex Blackwell’s late charge threatened a miracle, but Deepti Sharma bowled her for 90 off 56. The win sent India into the final at Lord’s and inspired a generation back home.India beat England by 1 wicket1st ODI, Nagpur, 2018The first meeting between India and England since their thrilling 2017 World Cup final ended in another nail-biter. England, batting first, slipped from 71 for 0 to 124 for 6 before Fran Wilson (45) and Danielle Hazell (33) took them to 207. Smriti Mandhana’s 86 set up India’s chase beautifully at 166 for 3, but a middle-order collapse left them teetering at 190 for 9.It took an unbroken last-wicket stand of 18 between Ekta Bisht and Poonam Yadav to steer India home with five balls to spare, sealing a thrilling win for the World Cup runners-up over the reigning champions.Jhulan Goswami celebrates the winning hit•Getty ImagesIndia beat Australia by 2 wickets3rd ODI, MacKay, 2021Big runs, baffling drops, bold catches, missed run-outs, a collapse, a front-foot no-ball ruling out a wicket, and… a record chase. India had come agonisingly close to snapping Australia’s record winning streak in the previous match, but faltered at the finish. This time, they held their nerve.Batting first, Australia rode on half-centuries from Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney, plus a rapid 32-ball 47 from Tahlia McGrath, to post 264 for 9. In reply, Shafali Verma and Yastika Bhatia’s century stand powered India to 160 for 1 inside 30 overs. A fightback from Australia reduced India to 208 for 6, and the tension deepened when the equation came down to four runs off the final over with two wickets in hand. Jhulan Goswami’s lofted drive off Nicola Carey finally broke Australia’s 26-match streak – a moment to savour for the veteran.Deepti Sharma runs out Charlie Dean backing up at the non-striker’s end•Getty ImagesIndia beat England by 16 runs3rd ODI, Lord’s, 2022India’s first ODI series win in England since 1999 led to tears on both sides – the Indians over the end of Goswami’s exemplary two-decade career and Charlie Dean at the thought of taking her side so close only to be undone in this way. The anticlimactic finish occurred in the 44th over, when running in to bowl the fourth ball, Deepti noticed Dean backing up too far at the non-strikers’ end and ran her out to claim the final wicket.Earlier, fifties from Mandhana and Deepti had taken India to 169 after being reduced to 29 for 4 inside the first hour. In reply, England were four down inside 12 overs and writing was on the wall at 65 for 7. Dean stitched partnerships of 38, 15, and 35 with the remaining batters but she was caught short with England 16 adrift.Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur take a moment off during their big stand•BCCIIndia beat South Africa by 4 runs2nd ODI, Bengaluru, 2024Four centuries – a first in a women’s ODI – and 646 runs in total. The game had everything, and it ended with a last-ball finish that went India’s way. Asked to bat first, India piled up their third-highest ODI total – 325 for 3 – with Mandhana and Harmanpreet smashing 136 and 103 not out respectively. South Africa, reduced to 67 for 3, seemed out of the contest until Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp’s 184-run partnership took the game deep.It was down to ten required off the final over. Pooja Vastrakar conceded five off her first two balls and then struck twice in the next two. With five needed off the last delivery, Wolvaardt, finally back on strike, was deceived by a back-of-the-hand slower one.Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues kept India going•ICC/Getty ImagesIndia beat Australia by 5 wickets2nd semi-final, DY Patil, World Cup 2025India ended Australia’s latest World Cup juggernaut by producing the highest successful chase in women’s ODI history. Opting to bat, Australia were cruising towards 350, thanks to Phoebe Litchfield’s exuberant maiden World Cup hundred, and half-centuries from Ellyse Perry and Ashleigh Gardner. But India’s bowlers struck late, taking 8 for 118 to restrict them to 338.India were 60 for 2 after the powerplay when Jemimah Rodrigues and Harmanpreet began a yin-yang partnership that saw the team finding the fence regularly. Once the captain fell, Rodrigues carried on to an epic unbeaten 127, supported by quickfire cameos from Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh, and Amanjot Kaur, to help India book their place in another World Cup final.

The stands will be inaugurated ahead of India’s next World Cup game, against Australia on October 12

Edited PTI copy07-Oct-2025

Former India captain Mithali Raj and wicketkeeper-batter Ravi Kalpana will have stand named after them at the ACA-VDCA Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The stands will be unveiled on October 12 ahead of India’s women’s ODI World Cup match against Australia.The decision was taken after India opener Smriti Mandhana made the suggestion to Andhra Pradesh IT minister Nara Lokesh during the chat in August.”The ACA’s tribute to Mithali Raj and Ravi Kalpana reflects a deep commitment to honouring the trailblazers who have redefined women’s cricket in India while inspiring the next generation to dream bigger,” the ACA said in a statement.”Smriti Mandhana’s thoughtful suggestion captured a wider public sentiment,” minister Lokesh said. “Translating that idea into immediate action reflects our collective commitment to gender parity and to acknowledging the trailblazers of women’s cricket.”Raj, a former India captain and a stalwart of women’s cricket, holds the record for the most runs in women’s ODIs. She scored 7805 runs from 232 ODIs at an average of 50.68 with seven centuries.In 89 T20Is, she scored 2364 runs with 17 fifties at 37.52, while in 12 Tests, Raj scored 699 runs in 19 innings at 43.68 with a highest score of 214, the best for an India batter in the format. She retired from all formats of the game in 2022, bringing down the curtain on a career that spanned 23 years.Kalpana played seven ODIs between 2015 and 2016, and her rise to the India team has inspired several cricketers from the region, such as Arundhati Reddy, S Meghana and N Shree Charani.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot is continuing to build what he hopes will be a long-term dynasty at Anfield, though he may well need to plan for the future without Ryan Gravenberch.

The Reds are keen to push once again for the Premier League title. They will feel a renewed sense of optimism on that front with the international break to come, helped in no small part by Arsenal’s last-minute collapse at Sunderland on Saturday.

No matter what happens as the campaign continues to take shape, Liverpool know that their presence near the top of the pile has the potential to make other sides feel uneasy, even if a mixed start to the season has left supporters searching for more out of their side.

Florian Wirtz has failed to fully ignite at Anfield and there are still question marks over Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak’s form. Nevertheless, one man Slot has been able to hang his hat on over the course of his tenure is Ryan Gravenberch.

Strutting his stuff and getting on the scoresheet against Aston Villa last weekend, the Netherlands international followed that performance up with an excellent engine room display as the Reds edged past Real Madrid in the Champions League.

Enjoying life in midfield, Gravenberch has been in fine form since returning from an ankle injury sustained against Manchester United. Fundamentally, his availability is crucial to Liverpool’s title bid, and he is now firmly one of the first names on Slot’s teamsheet.

Either way, the Reds are constantly pitting themselves against the elite sides in world football, and they have witnessed first-hand that rival heavyweights aren’t daunted by the prospect of trying to steal players from under their nose.

Trent Alexander-Arnold is a key example of that practice. However, they could now face a battle on their hands to retain Gravenberch amid recent developments from Spain.

Barcelona want to seize opportunity to sign Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona want to capitalise on Ryan Gravenberch’s Liverpool situation and retain an element of confidence that they may be able to reach an agreement to sign the Netherlands international next summer.

Intriguingly, the former Ajax man values the opportunity to fulfil a career dream by signing for a top-level side such as the La Liga giants, though La Blaugrana will need to balance their finances before making an official approach.

Ryan Gravenberch’s 2025/26 season – Premier League

Shots

12

Successful dribbles

7

Chances created

5

Pass accuracy

87.7%

Duels won

42

Despite no exact price being named by the outlet, Liverpool’s valuation of their star midfielder has soared due to his recent performance and role in last term’s Premier League title triumph, making Gravenberch a hard player to attain for any elite side.

Liverpool may have their next Gini Wijnaldum in midfield

Like any potential move, selling the project on offer in Catalonia will be key to initiating movement. In contrast, the Reds will hope their upward trajectory as a club will convince the 23-year-old to stay put on Merseyside.

Stats highlights from Sri Lanka’s first innings in Durban where they were bundled out for 42

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Nov-202442 Sri Lanka’s total in Durban is their lowest in Test cricket. Their previous lowest was 71 all out against Pakistan in Kandy in 1994.It is also the second lowest by any team in the World Test Championship, behind India’s 36 all out against Australia in 2020.ESPNcricinfo Ltd13.5 Overs batted by Sri Lanka during their 42 all out. It is the second-shortest all-out innings in the history of Test cricket, behind the 12.3 overs by South Africa during their 30 all out against England in the 1924 Birmingham Test.41 Number of balls bowled by Marco Jansen for his seventh wicket against Sri Lanka, the joint-fewest bowled by any bowler for their seventh wicket in a men’s Test innings. Hugh Trumble also bowled 41 balls against England in the 1904 Melbourne Test, finishing with seven for 28 in the 6.5 overs bowled in the fourth innings.ESPNcricinfo Ltd1 Sri Lanka’s 42 all out is the lowest total by any team against South Africa in Tests. The previous lowest was 45 all out by New Zealand in the 2013 Cape Town Test.It is also the third-lowest total in Tests by any team in South Africa, behind the home team’s 30 all out in the 1896 Gqeberha Test and 35 all out in the 1899 Cape Town Test, both against England.13 Runs conceded by Jansen for his seven-wicket haul. Only three bowlers conceded fewer runs in a men’s Test innings while bagging seven or more wickets. The fewest is by George Lohmann, who took 8 for 7 against South Africa in 1896.7 Jansen dismissed all seven batters for single-digit scores. Only two other bowlers have dismissed seven or more batters for single-digit scores in a men’s Test innings since 1970 – Stuart Broad against New Zealand in the 2013 Lord’s Test and Mitchell Johnson against England in the 2013 Adelaide Test.