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Here are the takeaways from the 2023-24 season

Hemant Brar and Shashank Kishore16-Mar-2024

Need for a better schedule

Earlier this month, Shardul Thakur highlighted the hectic Ranji Trophy schedule with just a three-day gap between matches. The schedule is harsh, in particular, on fast bowlers who get little time for recovery.Can the BCCI make it a four-day gap in the second half? Yes, but it will make the season even longer. The 2023-24 season started in late June and ended in mid-March. Rahul Dravid proposed a solution: “Maybe we need to re-look and see whether some of the tournaments that we are conducting are necessary.” Dravid did not specify which tournaments he was talking about, but he might have had the Deodhar Trophy, the 50-over zonal tournament, in mind. The BCCI had reintroduced it this season for the first time since 2019-20.The Deodhar Trophy’s red-ball counterpart is the Duleep Trophy. The players are of the view that the Duleep Trophy is an important tournament as it acted as a pathway for India A and the Test team.Related

• Gavaskar to BCCI: 'Double or triple' Ranji fees to 'look after the feeder system'

• Indian players stand to earn INR 45-60 lakhs per Test

• Shardul Thakur: 'Extremely tough to play ten games with three-day gaps'

• BCCI warns players: Don't prioritise IPL over domestic cricket

Another issue was scheduling matches in north India in January and early February. The fog over there at that time of the year resulted in so little play that nine games had to be called off even before a team achieved a first-innings lead.In Gujarat’s match against Chandigarh in Chandigarh, only 26 overs were possible across four days. Despite being the favourites, Gujarat had to be satisfied with one point. Eventually, it cost them a knockout spot.The solution, as Uttar Pradesh head coach Sunil Joshi also suggested, is simple: don’t schedule games in the north in the first half of the tournament.Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat gave another suggestion. “What we can look to do is advance the Ranji Trophy so that it does not spill over into January, which is when a lot of games get fogged out,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “Try to advance the season sometime in August, start with T20s, followed by the Ranji Trophy, and then finish with the Vijay Hazare Trophy.”In any case, the Vijay Hazare is held at five venues (one for each group). Those venues can be picked based on the weather.”There was one good thing about the Ranji schedule and Harsh Dubey benefited from it•PTI

In sync with CK Nayudu Trophy

It is not that all was doom and gloom when it came to the schedule. This season, the Ranji Trophy games started two days before the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy games; it was the other way around last time. This meant those who did not make it to the XI for their Ranji side could be released for the CK Nayudu Trophy game. Last season, they had no option other than to carry drinks.This also meant when the teams needed those players, they were not coming in cold. For example, someone like Vidarbha’s Harsh Dubey, who didn’t feature in every Ranji Trophy match, played five games in the CK Nayudu Trophy where he picked up 32 wickets at an average of 17.50.

Review the DRS

In 2019-20, the BCCI had implemented “limited DRS” for the semi-final and the final of the Ranji Trophy. It did not have ball-tracking and UltraEdge, which meant only half the problem was solved. The board went one step ahead in 2022-23 with the full version for the final.This time, the full DRS was once again available for the final, but for only one semi-final, Mumbai vs Tamil Nadu, which was broadcast on TV. In the other semi-final, Madhya Pradesh were on the receiving end of a couple of wrong decisions against Vidarbha, which led their coach Chandrakant Pandit to say that the BCCI should implement it uniformly.In the final, as many as ten decisions were overturned on review. The board should look into having full DRS for all the knockout games, as a wrong decision can not only impact the result but also hamper a player’s career.DRS is only sporadically used in the Ranji Trophy•Childish Things / KISS ltd

Plate League performances

“The only way we can attract attention, if at all that is possible at this level, is by doing things differently.” This was Hyderabad captain Rahul Singh, talking about his team being relegated to Plate League for this season.He was not wrong. Hyderabad were always going to be a cut above the rest of the Plate League teams, which meant it was impossible to evaluate their performances. So they needed to do something extraordinary. Rahul finished the tournament with 694 runs at an average of 86.75 and a strike rate of – wait for it – 134.49.Similarly, Tilak Varma scored three hundreds and a fifty in five innings, and averaged 137.33. Tanmay Agarwal scored the fastest triple-century in first-class cricket en route to his 366 against Arunachal Pradesh. In that match, Hyderabad were 529 for 1 in 48 overs at one point. The players would be the first ones to accept that things would not have been the same in Elite Group.This has been an issue since 2018-19, when the BCCI introduced nine new teams in domestic cricket. One solution is that the five north-east zone teams – Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim – play among themselves in June and then send a combined team for the Ranji Trophy. Else the BCCI will have to wait for them to level up with older teams.

Neutral curators

This season, every pitch was signed off by a neutral curator, which meant there were fewer extreme surfaces.”Some of the pitches were flat, which I suppose is fine,” Unadkat said. “But in terms of the balance between bat and ball, I think plenty of it was restored. There were one or two problematic pitches, but the neutral curators ensured wickets were largely good.”

The 16 teams will be split into two separate eight-team tournaments in Al Amerat

Peter Della Penna17-Feb-2022Shorter tournament lengthAt one time, the ICC was contemplating scrapping the global qualifier altogether partly for cost-cutting reasons. After getting some pushback from some leading Associates, the global qualifier has remained. But whereas in the past it ran for anywhere from two and a half to three weeks, the new edition of the event will run for one week. Despite having expanded this stage of the qualifier from 14 to 16 teams, splitting it into two sites with just eight teams at each site and rejigging the format to reduce the event length to seven days means saving at least USD 250,000 just on hotel room nights alone, not to mention a host of other daily operational expenses.From a competitive standpoint, the shorter format has a two-fold effect. Some teams in the past struggled to field their best 14-man squad because certain teams ran into situations where their players could not take three weeks off of work for an entire year, let alone in one chunk for an ICC tournament. This was especially true for some of the busier Associates who may not have enough games to justify full-time contracts, but still too many during a calendar year to breach the threshold of exhausting annual leave from the day jobs of their amateur playing squad.The other issue was that teams featuring players who are not full-time professionals (and even some of the teams who were full professional) often racked up plenty of injuries when their bodies were pushed to the max by a format that tried to squeeze as many games as possible into a relatively tight window. One edition of the qualifier, in 2012, saw teams play seven group matches in eight days. Eventual champions Ireland played 11 matches in 12 days, including a double-header on the day of the tournament final.All of that is a thing of the past. Teams will play a maximum of five matches in seven days, with two off days scheduled. Whereas the tournament lasted anywhere from 51 to 72 matches in the past, each eight-team split qualifier will contain 20 total matches. It means the players won’t have to wipe out their annual leave from work, and they also won’t be leaving the event with their bodies wiped out from exhaustion.Fewer games means less margin for errorNamibia was a team that benefitted from the lengthy group stage in the 2019 global qualifier. After getting thrashed by Netherlands and Papua New Guinea to open up a group stage that included six matches, they then went on a roll winning four straight and taking that into the knockouts where they defeated Oman to clinch a spot in the T20 World Cup.Oman similarly benefitted from the knockout stage format that was in place in 2019 which offered a second chance to teams who finished second or third in their group by having a repechage elimination playoff against a fourth-place group finisher, which in 2019 was Hong Kong. That second-chance match became a winner take all contest to claim the last remaining berth for the T20 World Cup. Meanwhile, the winners of each seven-team group – Ireland and Papua New Guinea – clinched automatic berths in the T20 World Cup.Netherland won the 2019-20 global qualifiers•Peter Della PennaAll of those incentives for finishing high in the round-robin stage are now completely gone. Each of the two eight-team global qualifiers – one will also take place in Zimbabwe in July – are now divided into two groups of four. Each team will play three group games, compared to six group matches from 2019, and the top two teams in each group advance to the semi-finals.There is no longer an automatic berth in the T20 World Cup for finishing first in your group. Instead, the two group leaders will play the second-place team in the opposite group in a straight shootout, which means no repechage second-chance playoff match. The winner of each semi-final clinches a spot in the T20 World Cup. It means there could be a scenario where a team goes 3-0 in group play but loses their semi-final and misses out on the T20 World Cup. All teams will still play a final playoff match which will be for seeding and ranking purposes only as the two semi-final winners will face off in the tournament final and the two losing semi-finalists will play a consolation third-place playoff.How they got here? In the case of Ireland and Oman, they have arrived at the global qualifier by virtue of having been at the opening round of the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup but fall back into the qualifier after failing to progress to the Super 12s.Nepal, who missed out on the global qualifier in 2019 after failing to make it out of Asia Regional qualifying, have been granted a spot this time around based on the ICC’s T20I rankings, as have UAE, who were part of the global qualifier in 2019.Canada advanced as the runner-up in the Americas regional qualifier (behind USA) which took place last November in Antigua. Bahrain advanced as the winner of the Asia regional qualifier held last October in Qatar. Germany advanced as the runner-up at the Europe regional qualifier (behind Jersey) which was also held in October. Ironically all three of those regional qualifiers were held at the same time that the 2021 men’s T20 World Cup was being played in the UAE.Philippines’ presence in Oman, hailing from the East Asia-Pacific region, came about in slightly unusual circumstances. The EAP regional events have traditionally been dominated throughout the last two decades by Papua New Guinea, but PNG’s maiden appearance at the T20 World Cup last year meant that they would not have to return to take part in the first steps of regional qualifying for the 2022 T20 World Cup. That opened the door for a second team from the EAP region to advance to one of the two eight-team global qualifiers (PNG will be competing at the eight-team Zimbabwe qualifier in July).An eight-team EAP Regional Qualifier was scheduled to take place last October but wound up being canceled due to Covid-19 logistical problems. As a result, Philippines advanced as the highest-ranked team from the region, a ranking which was primarily based on their performance from the 2019 EAP qualifier in which they finished second behind PNG thanks to a 10-run win over Vanuatu in a rain-reduced five-over shootout, as well as securing a point from a match against PNG which was washed out that crucially put them one point above Vanuatu instead of level on points. Philippines enter the tournament as the lowest-ranked side (46th) to have ever reached this stage of the T20 World Cup qualifying process.

MatériaMais Notícias

Substituto de Pedro Martins no Cruzeiro, Paulo André afirmou que o diretor receberá “salário de atacante” no Vasco. Interino no Raposa após a saída do companheiro, o ex-zagueiro detalhou a situação e revelou que a questão financeira foi determinante.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

– Brinquei com ele, ele foi receber salário de atacante no Vasco. Para a carreira dele, aspecto pessoal, isso faça diferença. Por isso, ele tomou a decisão. O Pedro nos comunicou há uns três dias mais ou menos que tinha aberto uma conversa com o Vasco. E que nos daria posição definitiva na quarta-feira – afirmou Paulo André sobre o ex-companheiro.

A informação de que Pedro Martins trocará o Cruzeiro pelo Vasco da Gama foi divulgada primeiramente pelo “ge” e confirmada pelo Lance! na quinta-feira (25). Ele chega para ocupar o cargo deixado por Alexandre Mattos, desligado do Cruz-Maltino há pouco mais de um mês.

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Pedro Martins foi responsável pelo desenvolvimento do projeto esportivo do Athletico-PR. O novo diretor do Vasco também remodelou as competições da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF), além do Cruzeiro. Sua carreira foi pautada em conduzir projetos esportivos sustentáveis e integrados.

➡️ A boa do Lance! Betting: vamos dobrar seu primeiro depósito, até R$200! Basta abrir sua conta e tá na mão!

Tudo sobre

CruzeiroPedro MartinsVasco

MatériaMais Notícias

Pedro Martins está no Vasco há mais de um mês e foi apresentado junto ao técnico Álvaro Pacheco, na véspera do clássico contra o Flamengo. O diretor executivo de futebol contou sobre a sua linha de trabalho e deu uma forte declaração afirmando que “não vai vender sonhos, mas sim ajudar a construí-los”. Confira abaixo.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Gigante agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Vasco

Eu estou aqui para desenvolver o projeto de futebol do clube. Não quero a chave do clube, não quero ser o dono do Vasco. Fui contratado por um clube que tinha dono e que tinha uma diretriz esportiva. Hoje o clube tem um presidente, que também tem uma diretriz. Vamos trabalhar dentro disso. O que é importante: não vamos ao mercado fazer algo que o Vasco não pode executar. Se isso é autonomia, eu não sei. Mas só vamos fazer o que o clube puder pagar. Temos que parar tudo e pensar no futuro dessa instituição

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afirmou Pedro Martins

– Desde o início, falando com o Lúcio e com a 777, eles queriam um diretor que ajudasse a construir saídas para o projeto de futebol. O que significa isso na prática? É desenvolver uma linha orientadora para a formação do elenco, contribuir no desenvolvimento do perfil do jogador que o Vasco vai formar, qual vai ser a estratégia que o Vasco vai adotar no mercado. Quando a gente fala de diretor de futebol, é isso. É uma visão muito mais ampla para ajudar na construção de um norte para o projeto de futebol do clube, não só pensando na janela, mas no futuro do Vasco. Um dos pontos que foi passado é que o Vasco pensou muito no imediato e deixou de pensar no seu futuro. Com relação a isso, acho que a gente estava bem alinhado. A minha felicidade é que o Pedrinho pensa da mesma maneira, a gente está 100% alinhado. Que não seja só vender o almoço para pagar a janta. Temos que começar a pensar num futuro para colocar o Vasco de novo entre os protagonistas.

– Para fazer isso, não é só dinheiro. Se não tiver uma lógica bem estabelecida, você pode ter um caminhão de dinheiro que vai gastar errado. A torcida normalmente está interessada num grande nome. Mas se a gente começar a tomar uma decisão popular sem respeitar a sustentabilidade financeira do clube, o clube quebra. Eu não estou aqui para dar notícia boa, estou para dar a notícia que é possível. Não estou aqui para vender sonho, estou aqui para ajudar a construir o sonho. Alguém precisa plantar, estou aqui para isso.

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Como as decisões no futebol do Vascao Vasco são tomadas hoje? Pedro Martins disse:

– Hoje é sentar numa mesa Pedro Martins, Álvaro Pacheco, Pedrinho e Lúcio e tomar a melhor decisão para o Vasco.

🎙️ MAIS RESPOSTAS DE PEDRO MARTINS:

PHILIPPE COUTINHO
– Falando em transferências, parte desse diagnóstico do que era o Vasco foi na análise financeira, para sabermos o que fazer na janela. Uma das grandes compreensões que temos é que o Vasco tem um orçamento limitado, o clube não está com cofres cheios. Isso leva diretamente ao fato de o Coutinho querer estar aqui. A briga do Coutinho não é financeira, não vamos ao mercado para oferecer mais dinheiro pelo Coutinho. Estamos fazendo uma conversa com alguém que quer estar no Vasco, que optou por isso. A opção dele não está atrelada de investimento, mas, sim à capacidade de entendimento do que é o projeto do Vasco hoje e a importância que ele tem nesse cenário. É por aí que as conversas caminham.

GARY MEDEL
– Até o momento o clube não recebeu nenhuma proposta de saída de jogadores, até porque tem uma distância para a janela. Quando acontecer, vamos avaliar caso a caso, sentar com os jogadores, com o Álvaro e entender se essa saída pode fazer sentido, se pode fazer bem para o jogador. Isso vai ser uma construção com toda equipe técnica e com os próprios jogadores.

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RELAÇÃO COM PEDRINHO
– Desde a decisão judicial, o Pedrinho foi muito cuidadoso para fazer algumas ligações importantes. Ele fez uma ligação com o Lúcio para alinhar os detalhes e construir essa entrada dele no aspecto operacional. E ele me liga para uma conversa no mesmo nível, para entender o planejamento, o que a gente estava pensando, quais os movimentos. Ele está muito preocupado com o ambiente no CT, como o CT está sendo impactado com isso. E todas as conversas foram muito positivas, está todo mundo pensando no bem do Vasco. Eu tenho visto com muito otimismo a entrada dele. Não foi uma entrada abrupta, muito pelo contrário. Foi muito suave, tranquila e pacífica.

– Todas as conversas não foram de mudança de planejamento, mas de continuidade e de fortalecimento de tudo que está sendo feito. Hoje teve conversa com os atletas. Desde então a gente tem trocado muita ideia, eu tenho visto muita sinergia tanto no pensamento dele, no pensamento do Lúcio… Se dá para resumir em uma frase, acho que a gente está muito unido e trabalhando em prol do Vasco.

Tudo sobre

Futebol NacionalPedro MartinsVasco

Any Glasgow Rangers fan who uses social media every day will likely have seen the clip going around of Hamza Igamane’s goal for Lille at the weekend.

The Morocco international, not for the first time this season, provided the Gers with a reminder of what they are missing with a brilliantly worked goal for the French side.

Igamane was sold to Lille for a fee of £10.4m in the summer transfer window, due to a release clause in his contract that existed before Kevin Thelwell’s arrival at Ibrox.

Ranking Rangers’ attempts to replace Hamza Igamane

It is fair to say that, on current evidence, have failed to replace the Moroccan star with the work that they did for Russell Martin heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Igamane, as shown in the graphic above, provided a big goalscoring presence as a maverick playmaker, who could play out wide on the left or through the middle as a centre-forward, in his one season with the club.

Rangers signed six wingers and strikers in an attempt to replace the mercurial talent in the summer, and Djeidi Gassama, with six goals, is the only one of them to have scored more than two goals so far this season, per Transfermarkt.

1

Djeidi Gassama

2

Mikey Moore

3

Thelo Aasgaard

4

Youssef Chermiti

5

Oliver Antman

6

Bojan Miovski

Thelo Aasgaard, in theory, should have been the Igamane replacement as he is a number ten with good technical ability and flair, as evidenced by his wonder goal against Dundee United at Ibrox, but he has only scored one goal all season.

In terms of the strikers, Bojan Miovski has scored two, and Youssef Chermiti has scored one, per Sofascore, but the latter is five years younger and could develop into a star in the future.

Meanwhile, we have ranked Mikey Moore in second place for now, but he could rise up to first if Danny Rohl unleashes him in a central position when he is back fit.

The new position Mikey Moore should be unleashed in

The 18-year-old starlet is currently out with a muscle injury, which he is set to return from later this month, so he will not be available for selection against Dundee United on Wednesday night.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, when he is back and available for selection, Rohl should unleash Moore as a number ten in the 4-2-3-1 system, which is the role that Thelo Aasgaard has played, as he has not had an opportunity in that position yet.

Per Transfermarkt, the only two matches that the Englishman has played as an attacking midfielder came against Hibernian and Roma as one of two 10s in a 3-4-2-1 system, which meant that he drifted wide more than being the central pivot of the attack.

Moore, as shown in the clip above, produced his best moment in a Rangers shirt against Dundee when he drifted into a central area from the right wing to spark an attack and score a brilliant goal, in Igamane-esque fashion.

Like the former Rangers playmaker, the teenage whiz has the technical quality, explosive burst of pace, and finishing potential to emerge as a real star for Rohl as a number ten or second striker.

The Spurs loanee, who was described as an “outrageous” talent by U23 scout Antonio Mango, scored 19 goals and provided 13 assists in 24 matches for Tottenham’s U19s, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the potential is there for him to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.

However, the vast majority of his appearances for Rangers have come out wide, on the left or the right, and he has only scored one goal and registered two assists in 17 games, which is why Rohl should look to unleash him in a new position.

If Moore thrives in a central role and starts to display the kind of form that he did at U19 level for Spurs, Rangers will have a super talent on their hands and could finally say that they have replaced Igamane’s mercurical quality at the top end of the pitch.

A "spell on the sidelines" is needed for the "best player" at Rangers

This Glasgow Rangers star who was called the team’s best player should be dropped from the starting line-up.

ByDan Emery Dec 2, 2025

Julio Rodriguez showed off some incredible baserunning awareness during the Seattle Mariners' clash against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday.

The Mariners outfielder was attempting to get a head start by taking off from second base on a hit-and-run with J.P. Crawford at the plate. Crawford proceeded to lace a ground ball directly at Rodriguez, who had no choice but to dive headfirst underneath the ball in order to get out of its path.

He nimbly avoided the ball, and despite having entered a full slide, was able to get back to his feet, round third base and score a run to extend Seattle's lead to 7–3.

Have a look at the shifty baserunning from Rodriguez:

Had the ball hit Rodriguez, he would've been ruled out to due interference. Fortunately, he avoided such a situation by hitting the deck and deftly maneuvering out of the way of the ball. By the time the ball trickled into left field, Rodriguez was already back on his feet and heading toward home plate.

يستعد منتخب ألمانيا لخوض مباراة مصيرية، مساء يوم الإثنين، في إطار التصفيات المؤهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، نسخة 2026، وذلك ضد نظيره سلوفاكيا.

ويستضيف ملعب “ريد بول” مباراة ألمانيا وسلوفاكيا في الجولة الأخيرة من تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم، المجموعة الأولى.

ويتصدر منتخب ألمانيا المجموعة الأولى برصيد 12 نقطة، بفارق الأهداف عن منتخب سلوفاكيا صاحب المركز الثاني.

ويكفي التعادل منتخب ألمانيا من أجل التأهل المباشر إلى كأس العالم، في حين لا بديل سوى الفوز بالنسبة لـ سلوفاكيا من أجل الهدف نفسه. موعد مباراة ألمانيا وسلوفاكيا اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم 

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 10:45 بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة ألمانيا وسلوفاكيا اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة bein sports hd 1. معلق مباراة ألمانيا وسلوفاكيا اليوم في تصفيات كأس العالم 

سيعلق علي محمد علي، على أحداث مباراة اليوم.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Tribunal says RCB went ahead with the IPL victory celebrations without seeking or getting necessary regulatory permissions

Nagraj Gollapudi01-Jul-2025A two-person bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has observed that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise was “responsible” for the gathering of about “three to five lakh people” outside the M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, a day after RCB had won their maiden IPL title.Eleven people died and over 50 were injured as a result of the stampede caused outside Chinnaswamy stadium, after the police did not have any means to control the swelling crowd.The two-person bench of CAT comprising Justice BK Shrivastava and Santosh Mehra said RCB, which is owned by Diageo, had “created nuisance” by going ahead with the IPL victory celebrations without seeking or getting necessary regulatory permissions. The remarks were part of the 29-page order issued on Tuesday by CAT, which was hearing a case filed by Vikash Kumar, Inspector General and Additional Commissioner of Police, Bengaluru (West).Related

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Karnataka High Court orders state government to disclose RCB stampede report

BCCI forms committee to prevent incidents like Bengaluru stampede

Gambhir: No need for roadshows, lives more important

RCB senior official granted interim bail by Karnataka High Court

Vikash, along with four other cops, were suspended by the Karnataka government which alleged “substantial dereliction of duty” and not seeking “guidance” which led to the situation going “out of control, meant a lot of misery, loss of precious life and embarrassment” to the state government. Vikash challenged his suspension, and the CAT quashed the government order saying the top cop should be reinstated.The CAT order stated that neither RCB nor M/S DNA Entertainment Network Private Limited, the franchise’s event management firm, had sought any permission formally to conduct the victory parade at Chinnaswamy stadium, which has been the home base for the team since beginning of the IPL in 2008. To organise any event like that, the CAT pointed out that under the Licensing and Controlling of Assemblies and Public Procession (Bengaluru city) order, 2009, an application has to be made seven days prior (excluding the date of submission and the event). No such application was filed by RCB or DNA. ‘Gathering of immense proportion’The order said that on June 3, the day of the IPL final, Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) chief executive officer Shubhendu Ghosh wrote a letter, on behalf of DNA Network, to the Inspector at Cubbon Park Police Station (adjacent to Chinnaswamy stadium) that in case RCB won the IPL, there would be “potential victory parades” around the ground which would “end with victory celebrations” inside the stadium. The victory parade route was submitted in the same, but no permission was sought.The CAT order said that when the letter was submitted, it was “not certain” RCB would win the final and importantly it did not contain “any request for granting the permission” to organise the victory parade and celebrations.”The organiser did not wait for the response of the Police,” the order said. “At the eleventh hour, they submitted a letter and started the scheduled programme.”The order also put out the sequence of announcements made by RCB on June 4 on the franchise’s various social media handles starting with the “victory parade is scheduled in Bengaluru” post.The first post was put out at 7.01 am, the order said, and at 8 am RCB “posted a link” on their Instagram: “Army, We can’t wait to be back to the Home of Champions and celebrate with all of you today. Details out soon.” At 8.55 am, the same post was issued again, this time accompanied with a statement from Virat Kohli, RCB’s most senior player.The order said at 3.14 pm on June 4, RCB issued another post on all three social media handles saying the victory parade was being held at 5 pm IST the same day and would be followed by celebrations at Chinnaswamy stadium. The CAT pulled up RCB for “unilaterally” putting up information on celebrations without “obtaining the permission” or without the “consent” of the police.While the RCB post advised fans to “follow guidelines set by police and other authorities” so the roadshow would be enjoyed peacefully, it also said there were free passes being issued on the franchise website with a “limited entry” disclaimer. The order said since the post had no information about “disbursement of passes” it “implied” the event was “open to all”.According to the order, the first post (7.01 am) received 16 lakh views, second (8 am) 4.26 lakh views, the third (8.55 am) 7.6 lakhs views while the fourth (3.14 pm) 17 lakh views.The order said all that resulted in the “gathering of immense proportion” with nearly three lakh people gathered around Chinnaswamy Stadium, whose official capacity is 35,000. The order also stated the police machinery was already stretched having had to regulate in the night immediately after RCB’s victory in the IPL final against Punjab Kings in Ahmedabad on June 3.It was hard for the police to control the large number of people who turned up to catch a glimpse of RCB•Associated Press’Police are not God or have magic powers’The burden on the cops increased further with the Karnataka government organising a felicitation programme. “Therefore, prima facie it appears that RCB is responsible for the gathering of about three to five lakh people,” the order said. “RCB did not take the appropriate permission or consent from the Police. Suddenly, they posted on social media platforms and as a result of aforesaid information the public were gathered. Because of the shortage of time on 04.06.2025, the Police was unable to do the appropriate arrangements. Sufficient time was not given to the Police. Suddenly, RCB created the aforesaid type of nuisance without any prior permission.”The order defended the police saying cops are also “human beings” and they are “neither God (Bhagwan) nor Magician and also not having the magic powers like “” which was able to fulfil any wish only by rubbing a finger.”CAT is a quasi-judicial body which deals with issues related to government and public servants. RCB itself is not part of the proceedings. The tribunal’s observations will have no bearing on the inquiry set up by the Karnataka government to probe the stampede. The inquiry is being conducted by former High Court Justice Michael da Cunha.

Harry Kane might not be plying his trade for Tottenham Hotspur anymore, but he’s a player who will forever remain in their history for his efforts in North London.

The England international was a product of the Lilywhites’ academy setup, subsequently bursting through the ranks before securing his place in the first-team back in 2014.

He would make 435 appearances for the club during his decade in the first-team, even breaking the record for the most goals scored by a player in their history.

His tally of 280 goals surpassed the record set by the late Jimmy Greaves, but his talents within the final third have also been reflected in his international career.

Kane has scored 74 goals for his country, which has also allowed him to break the record set by former Manchester United talisman Wayne Rooney.

However, in 2025, the Lilywhites have a crop of fellow English talents, with many hoping to follow in the striker’s footsteps in being a mainstay on the international stage.

Spurs’ star performers for England in recent years

Alongside Kane, Spurs have had numerous players who have represented England at international level, many of whom have starred and made themselves key members of the squad.

Dominic Solanke and James Maddison have both previously been named in the Three Lions’ squad, but have been unable to make any appearances in recent months due to their respective injury issues.

However, Djed Spence is the latest player to break into Thomas Tuchel’s squad, even starting the friendly against Wales at Wembley on Thursday night.

The full-back featured for 90 minutes in the triumph over Craig Bellamy’s side, subsequently pocketing teammate Brennan Johnson and firing shade at the winger on social media.

His underlying stats were just as impressive, with the defender completing 98% of the passes he attempted, whilst also winning 100% of the tackles he entered.

With the 25-year-old the latest player to make his mark for England, there will be hope that another youngster in the Lilywhites ranks can follow in his footsteps in the years ahead.

The Spurs star who could be England’s next superstar

After making 19 appearances for Spurs last season, 18-year-old winger Mikey Moore is a player with a huge future ahead of him in North London.

He’s spent the majority of his life on the books of the Lilywhites, but was catapulted into the limelight last season as a result of the injury crisis under Ange Postecoglou.

Such a situation even led to the teenager scoring his first professional goal in the meeting with Elfsborg in the Europa League – a moment that will undoubtedly stick with him forever.

However, he was loaned out by Thomas Frank this summer, subsequently joining Rangers until the end of the 2025/26 campaign to gain valuable minutes to continue his progression.

He’s not the only talented Englishman within their ranks, with 16-year-old star Luca Williams-Barnett another player who is set for a bright future in North London.

The attacking midfielder has been starring way above his age group over the last few seasons, with the youngster featuring in the U18s for the majority of 2024/25.

He ended the year with a staggering 23 goals and nine assists in his 24 outings for the Lilywhites, resulting in a jump up once again – now becoming a key member of the U21 side.

Such form has led to the teenager being handed his first senior appearance against Doncaster Rovers last month – with analyst Ben Mattinson labelling him “one of England’s best talents”.

Williams-Barnett’s first-team outing is one thing, but he’s also managed to thrive in the youth ranks once again, now registering eight goals and five assists in his nine outings in all competitions.

Luca Williams-Barnett

9

Rio Kyerematen

5

Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny

4

Oliver Irow

3

Yusuf Akhamrich

3

Tynan Thompson

3

Dane Scarlett

2

Dante Cassanova

2

His numbers for the U21s are nothing short of sensational, with the teenager now boasting the best record of any player in the squad – an unthinkable feat for someone playing five years above their age category.

Williams-Barnett has also cemented his place in the England U18 setup, making three appearances already this campaign and scoring on two occasions – further showcasing his incredible talents.

Given his tender age, there’s no denying that the attacker needs more time in the academy system to develop before being able to make the jump into the first-team squad.

However, if he continues on his current trajectory, there’s no reason why he can’t emulate Kane’s success, whether that be in North London for Spurs or even on the international stage for England.

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Amazingly, Leeds United’s record at this early stage in the Premier League season lines up well to their positive start out of the blocks under Marcelo Bielsa during the 2020/21 season.

Directly after sealing promotion up to the big-time, the much-loved South American would steer the Whites to an unbelievable ninth final position, having initially picked up two wins from his side’s opening five clashes in the league.

Daniel Farke already has two victories under his belt, too, with the 3-1 success away at Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out further mirroring Leeds sides of old when it came to the clinical nature of their first-half display.

Of course, there is still a long way to go, but the German will be hoping he can pull off a similarly high finish down the line.

Leeds will no doubt feel a boost knowing Ao Tanaka is also slowly but surely returning to full fitness, with the Japanese midfielder going down as an instant revelation in the Championship.

The shrewd capture of Tanaka

The Whites really did win in the summer transfer market before embarking on their promotion adventure, as the likes of Jayden Bogle and Joe Rodon joined to enhance the defence, while Manor Solomon added more quality up top on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

Yet, snapping up the services of Tanaka for just £2.9m from Fortuna Düsseldorf managed to slip under the initial radar.

However, it’s safe to say that Tanaka is now a well-known and much-loved presence at Elland Road, with the silky 27-year-old going on to collect five goals and two assists last campaign on the way to Farke and Co. returning to the Premier League.

He made such a blistering impact to proceedings that Farke would even label him as “unbelievable” for what he can offer, with those glowing words backed up by his well-rounded game when averaging both a 90% pass accuracy last season, while also getting stuck in with 4.3 duels per second-tier clash, as per Sofascore.

Further noted as being “difficult to dislodge” from the starting XI by Paul Robinson last season, it is testament to Leeds’ collective strengths so far this campaign that they haven’t been derailed by Tanaka’s injury issues.

While Tanaka has been sidelined, another astute capture achieved this summer has stood out, with the cost-effective buy perhaps going down as Leeds’ best foray in the market since the £2.9m deal to bring the number 22 to English shores.

Leeds have made their best signing since Tanaka

After all, Leeds have managed to bolster their midfield positions this summer, away from solely relying on more of Tanaka’s magic up a division.

Indeed, Anton Stach is also in the running to be considered Leeds’ smartest purchase since landing the Japan international last year, with the versatile 26-year-old costing £20m and proving to be worth all that cash alone just based on this fierce free-kick being hammered home at Molineux.

Wth an assist also next to his name, it’s clear that Leeds have struck gold already with another standout buy from the Bundesliga.

Yet, it could well be argued that Gabriel Gudmundsson is actually a better buy than Stach, despite his electric start to life in West Yorkshire, with the arrival of the Swede making the Whites feel far more assured about their problematic left-back spot.

While Leeds did recruit well when making the step-up, it was a clear body blow when Junior Firpo exited the building this summer, with the former Whites hero amassing ten assists last season from the left-back position.

This left Farke and Co. in a considerable spot of bother as Sam Byram was now the only recognised option on the left. Thankfully, Leeds would seal a deal to bring Gudmundsson for just £10m to fill the Firpo-shaped hole, with this looking to be a worthwhile bargain already.

Games played

5

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches*

63.2

Accurate passes*

31.6 (81%)

Ball recoveries*

3.6

Clearances*

3.8

Total duels won*

4.2

Minus his own-goal horror show away at Fulham, Gudmundsson has been a solid addition, with his calming influence on the ball different to that of a gung-ho Firpo, but more effective in the Premier League.

Moreover, with 4.2 duels won on average, he has more than helped Leeds to pick up those two invaluable victories, with three duels successfully won on the road at the Old Gold. He was arguably the club’s “best player” in that latest victory.

Heralded as a “fantastic” addition to the camp already by ex-Leeds defender Tony Dorigo, it could well be that the Malmo-born star goes on to be viewed as another Tanaka-like bargain, particularly if his efforts steer the Whites to immediate survival and, potentially, even more.

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