As well as Chermiti: Rohl must drop 4/10 Rangers flop who lost 100% duels

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl lost for the second time in as many matches in charge of the club in the Europa League against Roma on Thursday night.

The Italian giants came to Ibrox and won 2-0 under the lights, thanks to two first-half strikes, to make it three defeats in five matches for the new Light Blues boss.

It is hard to blame the former Sheffield Wednesday tactician for that dismal start to his career at the club, though, as he has had a tough run of fixtures, including this clash with Roma and a League Cup semi-final against Celtic.

Rohl has inherited a team that struggled badly under former manager Russell Martin, who only won five matches in all competitions during his time in Glasgow.

However, the German boss does have a chance to make it three wins out of three in the Scottish Premiership when his side travel to play Dundee away from home on Sunday.

With that match in mind, the Ibrox head coach must ruthlessly ditch centre-forward Youssef Chermiti from the starting line-up after an underwhelming performance on Thursday night.

Why Youssef Chermiti should be dropped by Rangers

The £8m summer signing from Everton has now produced one goal and one assist in 12 appearances in all competitions for the Light Blues in the 2025/26 campaign.

His goal, as shown in the clip above, was aided by some fairly questionable goalkeeping, and his assist was a simple pass to Danilo, who took a brilliant touch and scored from the edge of the box.

The Portugal U21 international has not provided enough quality in the final third to justify his price tag, yet, and his performance against Roma did little to convince supporters that he has been a good addition to the squad.

Roma had Artem Dovbyk leading the line for them at Ibrox and the gulf in class between the Ukraine international and Chermiti in their respective displays was staggering.

Whilst the Serie A marksman, who scored 17 goals for Roma last season (Sofascore), provided the perfect foil for his team to build attacks from, Rangers could not rely on Chermiti to bring others into play.

Minutes

73

86

Big chances missed

1

0

Passes completed

8

19

Pass accuracy

67%

100%

Key passes

0

4

Assists

0

1

Possession lost

8x

5x

As you can see in the table above, Dovbyk was almost perfect in possession and created four chances for his team on the night, including one for the second goal, whilst the Gers striker did not create any chances for his side and was a bit loose with his passes.

The former Everton forward also struggled in the 3-1 loss to Celtic at Hampden Park on Sunday. Pundit Michael Stewart bemoaned his “poor” finishing after the attacker spurned two huge opportunities to find the back of the net in the first half.

Therefore, Rohl should drop him from the starting line-up to take on Dundee in the Premiership on Sunday and unleash Danilo, who has scored in each of his last two appearances in the Premiership under the German head coach.

Chermiti is not the only underperforming Rangers player who should lose his place in the starting XI for that trip to Dundee before the international break, though.

Chalkboard

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

The former Bayern Munich and Southampton assistant manager should also ruthlessly ditch left-sided defender Jayden Meghoma from the side, after another disappointing showing.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Jayden Meghoma for Rangers

Rohl should drop the defender from the team after he decided to withdraw him from the game at half-time in order to change formation and move Max Aarons to left-back.

The Rangers head coach opted to move away from a 3-4-2-1 formation to chase the game with a 4-3-3, which meant that Aarons moved from right wing-back to left-back and James Tavernier moved from right centre-back to right-back.

Rohl deciding to move Aarons, who is a right-footed right-back, over to left-back instead of moving Meghoma back into a left-back position in a back four suggests that he was less-than-pleased with the Brentford loanee’s contributions in the first half.

Minutes

45

Pass accuracy

79%

Key passes

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Ground duels won

0/2

Aerial duels won

0/0

As you can see in the table above, it is easy to understand why the manager may not have been too impressed by the wing-back’s first-half showing, as the 19-year-old flop failed to win a single duel.

Meghoma offered very little to the team in or out of possession in the opening 45 minutes, with no key passes, dribbles, tackles, interceptions, or duels won for the Scottish giants.

The Scotsman handed the youngster a player rating of 4/10 for his performance against Roma and wrote that he looked ‘out of his depth’ as an ‘untested’ youngster, which is hard to disagree with, given Rohl’s decision to withdraw him at half-time and his dismal statistics.

After the 3-1 loss to Celtic in the League Cup last weekend, Football FanCast suggested that the left-back may be on borrowed time in the starting XI because he was caught out defensively for the opening goal from Johnny Kenny, as shown in the clip below.

Meghoma was also caught out aerially from a set-piece in the 3-0 defeat to Brann in Rohl’s first match in charge, when he allowed Jacob Lungi Sorensen to get the run on him to score from a free-kick.

The teenage defender, who has won 25% of his aerial duels in the Premiership (Sofascore), has not proven that he can be a reliable option for the Light Blues at this moment in time, and the change at half-time on Thursday suggests that the manager trusts Aarons ahead of him in a back four.

Danny Rohl now orders Rangers to make three January signings, priority revealed

The new manager is looking to strengthen his squad considerably this winter.

ByDominic Lund Nov 5, 2025

Therefore, Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Meghoma and Chermiti in order to unleash Aarons at left-back in a back four and Danilo up front against Dundee on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappe is heading for court! Real Madrid star set for Paris return as striker continues to demand €55m in unpaid wages from PSG

Kylian Mbappe is heading to court as his protracted legal dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain continues. Despite severing ties with the Ligue 1 giants in the summer of 2024, the World Cup winner claims to be owed €55 million (£48m/$64m) in unpaid wages. That case is now heading to labour courts in the French capital, with a final ruling being sought.

  • Day in court: Mbappe to face PSG in legal dispute

    Said hearing is set to take place on November 17, 2025, with France international Mbappe heading back to his homeland. The two parties at the centre of a long-running saga are due to meet at 1pm local time.

    The dispute has been taken to the Parisian labour court despite that council being unaccustomed to dealing with such high-profile cases. Arguments will be heard “directly in the judgment chamber” as the preliminary “conciliation” stage has been bypassed due to Mbappe “requesting the reclassification of his fixed-term contract as a permanent one”.

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    What happens next? Parisian lawyer explains

    Elie Dottelonde, a lawyer at the Paris bar, has told of what happens next: “(Mbappe) is the plaintiff. He will present his arguments, namely the non-execution of his employment contract, more specifically the non-payment of the last three months' salary and unpaid bonuses. The defendant (PSG) will have to explain why, according to them, they do not have to pay these months' salary and unpaid bonuses. This would be a first in the history of the case law of the Industrial Tribunal.”

    While Mbappe has got his day in court, it is reported that a decision in the case will not be made for “several months”. Mbappe’s lawyer, Delphine Verheyden, stated in April 2025 that her client is “determined to assert his rights, for himself but also for all the other players” that have been wronged by their respective clubs.

  • How Mbappe's dispute with PSG started

    Mbappe’s battle with PSG has tarnished his reputation somewhat at Parc des Princes, despite being the club’s all-time leading scorer with 235 goals to his name. A falling out in the French capital began during the summer of 2023 when Mbappe made it clear that he would not be signing a contract extension and intended to leave as a free agent when his deal expired.

    He was dropped for the start of the 2023-24 campaign, only to be almost immediately reinstated after one round of fixtures. PSG maintain that Mbappe was drafted back into their plans after agreeing to forgo a portion of the funds owed to him. The Mbappe camp has billed such claims as “fantasy”.

    His entourage claim that no agreement was made to waive certain payments. PSG have branded that stance a “fanciful tale”, with meetings said to have taken place during the summer of 2023. Mbappe continues to demand payment of the €55m that he believes is rightfully his.

    A court order to freeze that amount in PSG’s accounts was overturned on May 26, 2025. Mbappe has withdrawn his criminal complaints of psychological harassment. An investigation there had, however, been opened and was still running in the summer of 2025. Mbappe and PSG engaged in a legal battle before the LFP and FFF sporting authorities, who ultimately declared that they were unable to enforce decisions in favour of the player due to an ongoing preliminary hearing requested by the club before the Paris Judicial Court. That hearing was due to take place last May, but has been postponed indefinitely.

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    Mbappe in 2025-26: How many goals has be scored & is the Real star injured?

    On the field, Mbappe has been starring for France and Real Madrid again in 2025-26. He has registered 23 goals through 20 appearances for club and country. After netting a brace for France against Ukraine, as they booked their place at the 2026 World Cup, he has moved to within two efforts of Olivier Giroud at the top of Les Bleus’ all-time list.

    Mbappe played no part in a 3-1 win over Azerbaijan after being released from Didier Deschamps’ squad. He was said to be nursing ankle inflammation, but RMC report that was a “diplomatic injury” that allowed the 26-year-old to head back to Spain without running the risk of suffering a more serious fitness setback in a game that had nothing riding on it.

£6m Rangers target Mujaid Sadick now "open" to Ibrox move after approach

An encouraging update has now emerged over Rangers’ pursuit of Genk centre-back Mujaid Sadick, following recent claims that an Ibrox enquiry has been made for him.

It has been a promising start to life under Danny Rohl for the Gers, with the 36-year-old steadying the ship significantly after the doomed reign of Russell Martin, winning three games in a row in the Scottish Premiership.

Rohl will know the importance of adding to his squad in the January and summer transfer windows, however, and Genk centre-back Sadick has been linked with a move to Rangers recently.

The 25-year-old has reportedly been the subject of an enquiry by the Gers, who have come against him in the Europa League already this season, as he helped Genk keep a clean sheet in their 1-0 win at Ibrox.

Rohl may see Rangers’ defence as a key area of focus, with goals too often leaked at will at certain points throughout the campaign, and now a fresh claim has dropped over their interest in Sadick.

Mujaid Sadick "open" to Rangers move

According to a new report from TEAMtalk, Sadick is “open” to the idea of sealing a move to Rangers in the January transfer window, being seen as a “realistic option” to come in for the Scottish giants.

It is added that he “caught the Ibrox scouts’ eye after a commanding display in Genk’s 1-0 Europa League victory over Rangers in September”, and he sees the Scottish Premiership as “a stepping stone to greater challenges” moving forward.

At this point, it does feel as though Sadick, valued at £6m, is a genuine option for Rangers, and he could be such a strong addition for Rohl midway through the season.

Gers supporters have seen close up what he has to offer, and he has a highly impressive 95.9% pass completion rate in the Europa League this season, highlighting his ability on the ball at the back. Not only that, but he has also averaged 6.5 clearances per game.

Sadick’s versatility is something that will likely appal to Rangers, too, with the former Spain Under-18 international also capable of doing a job at right-back, immediately enhancing the squad depth at Rohl’s disposal.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

This future superstar is Glasgow Rangers’ biggest talent since Malik Tillman was at Ibrox.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

At 25, he is at a prime age to come in and hit the ground running for the Gers, as they look to give themselves the best possible chance of closing the gap on both Hearts and Celtic in the Scottish Premiership title race, and the fact that he reportedly wants a move to Ibrox can only be a positive.

Not Gassama: Future "superstar" is Rangers' biggest talent since Tillman

Lionel Messi & Argentina were 'lucky' to win Qatar World Cup & Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal have 'stronger chance' of glory in 2026, claims Wesley Sneijder

Lionel Messi and Argentina have been told that they were “lucky” to savour World Cup glory at Qatar 2022. All-time great Messi completed his medal collection at that event, as he inspired the Albiceleste to a global title. Wesley Sneijder has suggested that the South Americans were fortunate to claim that crown, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal considered to have a better chance of landing the same prize in 2026.

Will Messi & Ronaldo grace the 2026 World Cup?

The countdown is on to another meeting of the best players on the planet. FIFA’s flagship event is preparing to head to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer – with 48 teams taking part in an expanded format.

The expectation is that Messi and Ronaldo will form part of that gathering. CR7 has stated that he expects his sixth World Cup to be his last, as he will be 41 by the time that the tournament gets underway, but has been showing no sign of slowing down with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr.

Messi is yet to confirm that he will form part of Argentina’s title defence, with the 38-year-old now plying his club trade in MLS for Inter Miami. Many are tipping him to make Lionel Scaloni’s squad, with a 200th international cap in the process of being chased down.

AdvertisementGettyGot lucky: Why Sneijder is backing Ronaldo over Messi

Messi has already reached the pinnacle of world football, having got his hands on the trophy that he coveted most in 2022, with the all-time great caring little what the likes of Sneijder think about his glorious achievement.

The ex-Netherlands and Real Madrid playmaker has, however, told when turning the clock backwards and forwards: “Portugal have a very strong team. For me, they are one of the favourites so then I would say Cristiano Ronaldo has the stronger chance of winning the next World Cup compared to Lionel Messi. It was a great World Cup for Argentina in Qatar but they were a bit lucky as well. I think overall Portugal is a better team.”

Should Messi have eight Ballons d'Or? Sneijder thinks not

This is not the first time that Sneijder has questioned Messi’s claims to the most prestigious of honours. The Dutchman helped Jose Mourinho’s legendary Inter side to a Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League treble in 2010 and believes those exploits should have earned him a Golden Ball.

Sneijder has previously said: “It was a little unfair that I was not crowned with the 2010 Ballon d'Or and Messi won it. Although I'm not the guy who cries about that: the Ballon d'Or is an individual award, and what I prefer is to win collective trophies. If I had to choose between the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or, I would choose the Champions League that I won. I am very happy with that title.”

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Getty/GOALGOAT targets: Messi & Ronaldo tipped to reach 1,000 goals

Sneijder has seen Messi move on to eight Ballons d’Or, while Ronaldo has five in his collection. They are both still going strong, with there individual targets for them to chase down.

Ronaldo has made no secret of the fact that he wants to reach 1,000 career goals, with Messi also being backed to hit four figures in that department before history-making boots are hung up for the final time.

Sneijder has said: “I think that's the next goal for both of them, 100%. Cristiano won’t stop before reaching the thousand goals. Messi has signed another two year deal. He will definitely reach one thousand goals as well.

“It's nice that we are still talking about this rivalry with one in MLS and the other in Saudi. They are two big stars and now they’re chasing a different goal of reaching 1,000 goals. Amazing. Maybe we see about counting their assists to find out who can get to 2,000 first.”

Ronaldo has committed to a contact at Al-Nassr that is set to keep him into the Middle East until the summer of 2027. Messi, meanwhile, has agreed fresh terms with Inter Miami through the 2028 MLS season.

Greatest Tests: The Chepauk epic from 2001 or the Chepauk epic from 2008?

Two epic finishes in Chennai, one against Australia and one against England. Which one do you remember more fondly?

ESPNcricinfo staff18-May-2025Update: This poll has ended. The IND-AUS 2001 Chennai Test moves into the quarter-finals.

Harbhajan too good for Australia – Chennai, 2001

It was fitting that a series that had kept everyone on the edge of their seats ended in a thrilling last-day finish.After Matthew Hayden’s 203 had taken Australia to 391, India responded by racking up 501. Like he had in the first innings, Harbhajan Singh ripped through the Australia middle order in the second innings, as they ended the fourth day on 241 for 7, a lead of 131.On the fifth morning, Harbhajan wasted little time in picking up the last three Australia wickets, bundling them for 264. He returned second-innings figures of 8 for 84 and match figures of 15 for 127, finishing with 32 wickets for the series.But he wasn’t done.Chasing 155, India lost Shiv Sunder Das early, but Sadagoppan Ramesh and VVS Laxman added 58 to give India the advantage. But a middle-order collapse followed, and it was game on. But keeper Sameer Dighe, on Test debut, held his cool as he took India closer. India lost Zaheer Khan just four runs shy of a win, but Harbhajan sliced a Glenn McGrath delivery past point to give India a famous Test and series win.India’s chase to remember vs England – Chennai, 2008It was not a match India were supposed to win. For three days and two sessions at Chepauk, England were on top. India were staring at a target close to 400, when nothing above 300 had ever been chased before in the country (and the highest target chased at the venue was 155).But then the England bowlers came across a belligerent Virender Sehwag, who laid the platform for India to push for the win on the fifth day. Gautam Gambhir put in the grind at the top. And then Yuvraj Singh, with his Test credentials under the scanner, joined Sachin Tendulkar at the crease to take India over the line on a pitch with awkward bounce.Tendulkar applied the icing on the cake, hitting the winning runs while also bringing up a fine fourth-innings century. Only six higher totals have been chased in Test history than the 387 by India in Chennai, only two of which have come in Asia, and none in India. It was a win, as ESPNcricinfo’s Editor-in-Chief Sambit Bal noted at the time, forged by unwavering belief to go for the jugular and not just settle for a draw.

Santos anuncia chegada de lateral que estava no Mirassol

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos anunciou a contratação do lateral-direito Rodrigo Ferreira, que vinha disputando o Paulistão pelo Mirassol. O atleta de 28 anos assinou contrato de duas temporadas com o Peixe, tendo opção de renovação para uma terceira temporada.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoFábio Santos revela ter aconselhado Gil e Renato Augusto a deixarem o Corinthians; entendaFora de Campo04/03/2024SantosSasha marca, Bragantino vence o Santos em casa e garante o primeiro lugar no grupoSantos03/03/2024NotíciasJogo duro! Santos venceu apenas dois dos últimos dez jogos contra o BragantinoNotícias03/03/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Com passagens por Cuiabá, Ituano e Brasil de Pelotas, Rodrigo Ferreira se destacou pelo Botafogo-SP em 2021 e acertou com o Mirassol no ano seguinte. Após um bom início de ano, o lateral foi emprestado ao Grêmio.

O lateral de 26 anos poderá ser inscrito pelo Santos no mata-mata do Paulistão caso o Peixe queira substituir algum atleta da lista. O atleta já anotou dois gols e distribuiu uma assistência em dez jogos nesta edição do estadual.

continua após a publicidade

Rodrigo Ferreira é o 15° reforço do Santos em 2024. O Peixe já havia anunciado o goleiro Gabriel Brazão, os laterais Aderlan, Hayner e Jorge, o zagueiro Gil, os volantes João Schmidt e diego Pituca, os meias Giuliano, Otero e Cazares, e os atacantes Willian Bigode, Marcelinho, Guilherme e Pedrinho.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

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Cubs' Pete Crow-Armstrong Stops by Local Lemonade Stand in Adorable New Video

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong made some local kids' day over the weekend when he surprised them by patronizing their small business—a good old-fashioned lemonade stand.

According to Cubs reporter Taylor McGregor, the kids were attempting to make enough money so that one of them could replicate PCA's hairstyle from spring training: bleached hair with blue stars.

Well, Crow-Armstrong caught wind of the valiant effort, and decided to invest in the Wrigleyville start-up. The kids were, of course, elated when he arrived, at which point they immediately asked the star to sign a paper towel and take pictures.

But to top it all off, PCA reportedly rounded out the visit by giving these entrepreneurs enough cash for the hairstyle of their dreams.

Watch an adorable video of that interaction below:

What a success.

Padres Land Two Pitchers in Blockbuster Deal With Athletics

The San Diego Padres and Athletics have engaged in a blockbuster MLB trade deadline deal with multiple significant moving pieces.

The Padres have now shored up their starting rotation and back end of the bullpen for the closing stretch of the season, as they are set to acquire Athletics closer Mason Miller and starting pitcher JP Sears, according to a report from ESPN's Jeff Passan.

In return, the the A's will receive the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball – shortstop Leodalis De Vries, as well as three pitchers – RHP Braden Nett, RHP Henry Baez and RHP Eduarniel Nunez – in exchange for Miller and Sears.

Miller, a 2024 All-Star, has posted a 3.76 ERA in 31.1 innings pitched this season, while accumulating 20 saves. While it's a bit of a step back from his All-Star form last season, he's tough to navigate when he's right.

Sears will provide depth to the starting rotation. He's 7-9 this season with a 4.95 ERA across 111.0 innings of work.

The Padres are 60-49 on the season, and sit three games out of first-place in the NL West.

"أهدافه لم تعد تخفي عيبه".. شبكة إنجليزية تطرح سؤالًا خطيرًا بشأن محمد صلاح

تحدثت شبكة إنجليزية عن تواجد النجم المصري محمد صلاح على دكة بدلاء فريق ليفربول، في مباراة يوم الأحد ضد نظيره وست هام، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

واستضاف ملعب “لندن الأولمبي” مباراة ليفربول ووست هام، في إطار منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

وعاد ليفربول إلى سكة الانتصارات، بعدما حقق فوزًا ثمينًا على وست هام بهدفين دون رد، في ظل غياب محمد صلاح الذي تواجد على دكة بدلاء الريدز طوال دقائق اللقاء.

وقالت شبكة “thisisanfield” الإنجليزية: “ربما حاول سلوت التقليل من أهمية إبقاء محمد صلاح على مقاعد البدلاء في مقابلته قبل المباراة، لكن لا شك أن هذا قرار حاسم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. جماهير ليفربول تختار أفضل لاعب في مباراة وست هام بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وأضافت: “لم تشعر في أي وقت خلال المواسم التسعة الماضية أن ليفربول سيكون فريقًا أفضل بدون اللاعب المصري، ولكن من الواضح أن هذا ما رآه المدرب في هذا الموسم”.

وواصلت: “من الصعب الجدال في هذا المنطق حيث إن المساهمات الدفاعية الضئيلة لـ صلاح لم تعد تُخفى بالأهداف والتمريرات الحاسمة التي يقدمها”.

وأردفت: “لن يُعزز موقف المهاجم من العودة السريعة كون ليفربول أظهر توازنًا وصلابةً أكبر مما كان عليه طوال الموسم، في الفوز هنا، وفي غيابه”.

واختتمت متسائلة: “مع اقتراب كأس أمم إفريقيا، هل من الممكن أن ينتهي الأمر بـ محمد صلاح بإيجاد صعوبة في العودة إلى الفريق خلال النصف الثاني من الموسم؟”.

Are SRH too reliant on Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma?

Coach Daniel Vettori doesn’t think so but there are some interesting statistics to consider

S Sudarshanan16-Apr-20251:54

Jaffer: Abhishek has given SRH a new lease of life

A few bowlers awaiting their turn at the Mumbai Indians (MI) nets on Wednesday peered over to their right. Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were into their training and two key batters were doing their thing. A mellow version of Travis Head went through several of his shots, just not with the free-flowing bat swing. In the adjacent net, Abhishek Sharma had a longish bowling stint with plenty of laughs – at one point he was adamant Abhinav Manohar was caught by one of the imaginary boundary riders.No team has been as reliant on their opening pair as SRH lately. Travishek has batted together 21 times since the start of last IPL, and in 11 matches that SRH have won, they have scored almost one-third of the team’s runs at an average of 80.1 and a run rate of 14.65. In the 10 matches that SRH have lost, those numbers dip to 14.5 and 8.78 respectively.In SRH’s first game of IPL 2025, against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Head and Abhishek added 45 in 19 balls, with Head scoring a 31-ball 67. That, followed by Ishan Kishan’s century meant SRH posted 286 for 6. But in the four games after that, SRH’s opening partnerships read 15, 11, 4 and 9 before the mammoth 171 stand that helped them achieve the second-highest successful chase in the IPL. While head coach Daniel Vettori agreed SRH’s success depended on the opening pair coming good, he dismissed talks that their batting has been “reckless”.Related

Explosive SRH's powerplay implosions

Fastest hundreds in the IPL – Abhishek Sharma joins the list

Abhishek Sharma takes T20 hitting out of this world

Where does Abhishek's 141 rank among the top IPL scores?

“When you look at what we’ve been successful at in the powerplay, I feel like that Abhi and Travis have just been able to play their shots and deal with any ball,” Vettori said. “Because it’s a reputation of aggressive play and all-out attack, when the dismissals do come, people surmise that it could be slightly reckless, but that’s not the way I view it. It’s like bowlers bowl well and you can’t succeed all the time.”I know how much thought Abhi and Trav put into their batting and how much they assess conditions, how much they assess bowlers. They know that when the ball’s there, they obviously want to hit it, but at no stage do I feel like they’re being reckless or anything like that, I think they’re just very good players who have all the shots.”This season, Travishek has scored over 40% of SRH’s runs in wins (at 13.93 rpo) and only 6.2% in defeats (at 9 rpo). No team in the last two IPLs has a higher variance in the average of its opening pair in wins (77.80) and losses (19.54) than SRH. The style of play Head and Abhishek adopt has a lot to do with it.Since IPL 2024, no team has been as reliant on their opening pair as SRH have been on Travishek•BCCITake Head’s dismissal against Gujarat Titans as an example. In a bid to score a boundary off a full ball on his pads, he flicked it aerially to midwicket. Or even in Abhishek’s case against Lucknow Super Giants in Hyderabad. He pulled a short ball from Shardul Thakur in the air, fully knowing there was a fielder at deep backward square leg. A safer option would have been to play it along the ground, but Travishek wouldn’t have had the success it did over the last year thinking like that.”People have done some good research around the amount of false shots they’ve had leading to wickets and it’s a very high rate,” Vettori said. “Normally batsmen get away with those sorts of things. I think there’s an element of luck. I mean Abhishek got run-out early on. There’s an element of teams scouting very well. There’s an element of understanding of how those two are going to go about it.”All that combines to a couple of performances where we didn’t get the runs that we used to get from them. And our opening partnership has been critical to our success and the two games that we won so far, they’ve been big contributors. So I think there’s two sides to it, obviously we want them to do well, but if they don’t, then there’s responsibilities on others to step up.”

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