London, Aug 22: The new Premier League season is only days old, yet the weekend fixtures already promise drama, emotion, and intrigue. From historic milestones to tactical dilemmas, here are the talking points that could define the second round of action.

Everton step into a new era

For Everton, Sunday will mark a historic moment as the £800m Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts its first competitive fixture. More than 52,000 fans will take their seats inside the state-of-the-art arena, with pre-match events and a commemorative programme setting the tone for a landmark day in the club’s history.
Yet, amid the celebrations, David Moyes’s side face the task of finding focus on the pitch after a sobering defeat at Leeds in their opener. Everton struggled to build momentum early last season too, losing heavily at home to Brighton, and Moyes has warned repeatedly that his squad still requires strengthening.
A fresh start is needed, and the perfect way to christen their new home would be with a result that restores optimism.

Glasner stretched at Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner has not been afforded a smooth start to his first full campaign at Crystal Palace. The manager is already battling with limited squad depth, compounded by the looming exit of playmaker Eberechi Eze.
With Daichi Kamada sidelined by a knee injury, Palace may be forced to turn to 21-year-old Justin Devenny against Nottingham Forest. The Northern Irish midfielder, who earned recognition as a Community Shield shootout hero, made only four league starts last season and now faces the challenge of stepping into Eze’s considerable shoes. Palace are exploring options in the transfer market, but Glasner needs immediate solutions.

Amorim’s attacking dilemma at United

Manchester United’s new era under Ruben Amorim remains a work in progress. Despite patches of positivity in last week’s defeat to Arsenal, the shortcomings at both ends of the pitch remain clear.
A key decision looms for Amorim: persist with Mason Mount as a false nine, or unleash summer signing Benjamin Sesko from the start against their next opponents. Mount has endured a difficult few years but is admired by Amorim for his work rate and ability to create space for others. Yet Sesko, a towering Slovenian striker, was not bought to sit on the bench. With United short on goals, the manager may be tempted to hand him the responsibility of leading the line.

Isak saga overshadows Newcastle-Liverpool clash

St James’ Park is never short on atmosphere, but Sunday’s clash between Newcastle and Liverpool could be especially charged.
The fixture, already carrying edge after last season’s Carabao Cup final, comes against the backdrop of Alexander Isak’s transfer standoff. The Sweden striker, who played a starring role in that final, is training alone as he attempts to force through a move to Anfield. His absence is likely to stoke tensions on Tyneside, where fans are furious at Liverpool’s pursuit of their talisman.
Eddie Howe is expected to deploy Anthony Gordon as a makeshift centre-forward, with the former Everton winger facing the club he supported as a boy.
Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, remains Liverpool’s biggest threat. His duel with Newcastle’s likely left-back Tino Livramento could decide the contest.As the second weekend of the Premier League season unfolds, narratives are already beginning to take shape – of new homes and fresh beginnings, of managers wrestling with tactical puzzles, and of simmering transfer sagas threatening to spill into the spotlight. Everton will hope the glow of a historic day at their new stadium is not dimmed by familiar frailties, Palace must find resilience amid thinning resources, United face a crucial call that could define their early rhythm under Amorim, while Newcastle and Liverpool look set to deliver another fiery chapter in a rivalry rich with tension.
It is still early days, but in a league where momentum is priceless and margins are unforgiving, these opening exchanges may well foreshadow the fortunes of the season ahead. (Agencies)

New Delhi, Aug 22: For nearly two years, India’s T20I side has carried the air of invincibility. The team’s rise to world champions was not a result of individual brilliance alone, but of a carefully crafted strategy – a combination that gave them both batting depth and bowling variety.
Yet, in naming their squad for the 2025 Asia Cup, India’s selectors appear to have veered away from the very formula that delivered them success at the highest stage.
The team management, now under Gautam Gambhir’s stewardship, has chosen to back Rinku Singh and Shivam Dube. With that decision locked, the selectors had the option of picking one between Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Shreyas Iyer. They went with Gill, perhaps with an eye on grooming him as an all-format leader in the future. While that decision has merit, the broader concern lies elsewhere – in how India has chosen to assemble its squad for the continental event.

Lessons from the past

Rewind to the 2023 ODI World Cup final in Ahmedabad, where India’s campaign faltered on the biggest night. The injuries to Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya had left India short of their preferred all-round options. Axar’s absence forced compromises with R Ashwin and Shardul Thakur, while Pandya’s injury meant Ravindra Jadeja was left carrying the all-rounder’s burden alone. Mohammed Shami’s devastating wicket-taking spree helped mask the imbalance for most of the tournament, but against Australia in the final, India’s lack of batting depth was brutally exposed after three early wickets. With no insurance policy at No.8, the middle order froze, unable to take risks, and the dream unravelled.
India learned from that heartbreak. By the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Pandya and Axar back, they returned to their formula: five frontline batters including the wicketkeeper, three all-rounders, and three specialist bowlers. It worked like a charm. Jadeja’s mere presence as an “insurance cricketer” allowed the top order freedom to attack while ensuring the side had a sixth bowling option. He bowled only 14 overs and faced 22 balls in the entire tournament, but his role was invaluable. India stormed through eight matches unbeaten, lifting the World Cup.
That winning model was not restricted to T20Is. The same structure, adapted smartly, guided India through the 2025 Champions Trophy as well. With Pandya, Axar, and Jadeja all available, the team did not lose a single game on their way to the title. But Jadeja has since stepped away from T20Is. And with Rahul Dravid passing the baton to Gambhir, there has been a noticeable shift in approach.

Gambhir’s new path

Known from his IPL stints with Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders for backing batting depth above all else, Gambhir has brought that same philosophy to the national side. Under him, India rarely compromised on batting numbers. In Sri Lanka, the balance shifted from the tried-and-tested 5+3+3 model to a 7+1+3 structure – essentially seven batters, one all-rounder, and three bowlers – with part-timers filling in overs.
The risks of this strategy were exposed late in 2024 during a tour of South Africa. Twice, India’s top order collapsed – 15/3 in Gqeberha and 45/4 in Durban. With little depth behind them, Axar and Pandya were forced into defensive roles, resulting in modest totals that proved insufficient. The selectors responded by dropping a bowler to bring in Ramandeep Singh, again underlining the priority on batting cover.
Against England earlier this year, India briefly reverted to their old shape, playing Axar at No.8 or occasionally using Dhruv Jurel to balance the side. The results were impressive: 37 wins from their last 42 T20Is, including two via Super Over. The blueprint seemed locked.

A fresh gamble

Now, as the Asia Cup beckons, India appear to have broken away from that model once again. On paper, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakravarthy form a dream attack. But fitting all four into the XI comes at a cost. None of them is a capable No.8, the role previously earmarked for an all-rounder who could give batting insurance.
That means at least one of the quartet will be benched. Given India’s recent tendency to load up on spinners, Arshdeep – their leading wicket-taker in the format – could find himself sidelined. Alternatively, one of the spinners may sit out. Either way, the side risks upsetting its balance.
India’s solution in the past has been to slot in a third all-rounder alongside Pandya and Axar. But the current squad lacks a convincing candidate for that job. Harshit Rana, the closest option, has shown glimpses of hitting ability but lacks the consistency to be trusted as a lower-order bat. His record – 59 runs from 10 T20 innings – does not inspire confidence. He is no Washington Sundar, who might have been groomed into that role.
One way forward would be to sacrifice bowling depth for batting cushion, playing both Abhishek Sharma and Dube to support a core of Bumrah, Kuldeep, Varun, Pandya, and Axar. On paper, that shores up the batting but leaves the team with just five bowling options – two of them part-time – for eight overs. Against batting-heavy opposition on flat Asian tracks, such a gamble could swing matches away from India. (Agencies)

London, Aug 22: Manchester United have a group of players who want to leave, but the club will not wait for their departure to bring in their replacements, coach Ruben Amorim said on Friday.
United said in July that five players were seeking to leave the club, including Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho. While Rashford has joined Barcelona on loan, the others are yet to depart.
Amorim left all four players out of the squad when United began their Premier League campaign with a 1-0 home loss to Arsenal last weekend.
“I know it’s not a good thing to have players in this situation, but it’s clear that they want to play in a different club,” Amorim told reporters ahead of Sunday’s visit to Fulham.
“It’s not an idea that these players are going to leave and then we’ll receive another player. We don’t know what is going to happen but we are not waiting to take out someone to bring another player. One thing is not responsible for the other.”
United have spent around 200 million pounds on transfers already this summer, strengthening their attack with the arrival of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Amorim said United did well against Arsenal despite the narrow loss, and needed to maintain their consistency against Fulham, who drew at Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend.
“They have a clear identity, Marco Silva is really experienced, really smart. He can change several things, cover several spaces and you can see game by game, he’s tried to do that,” Amorim said.
“They are comfortable because they have experience, they understand the league… it’s going to be a tough match.”
A hamstring injury had sidelined United’s first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana against Arsenal, and an error by replacement keeper Altay Bayindir led to the visitors scoring an early winner.
“Onana is ready to play like last week… so we will see who is going to be the goalkeeper,” Amorim said, adding that every player other than Lisandro Martinez and Noussair Mazraoui was fit. (Reuters)

Dhaka, Aug 22: The Bangladesh selectors on Friday recalled wicketkeeper-batter Nurul Hasan to their 16-member squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in which Litton Das will lead the side.
The 31-year-old Hasan last played a T20I three years ago, during the 2022 edition of the ICC T20 World Cup in Australia.The squad announced by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) will also feature against the Netherlands in a three-game T20I series preceding the Asia Cup.Besides Hasan, who returned on the back of his impressive performance in domestic cricket, the team also sees Saif Hasan coming back to the national T20I set-up after a gap of one and a half year, having last played for Bangladesh in the 2023 Asian Games.The upcoming eight-team tournament, which will be held in the UAE from September 9-28, will be a crucial step in Bangladesh’s journey towards next year’s T20 World Cup.Bangladesh are placed in Group B along with Afghanistan, Hong Kong, and Sri Lanka, while Group A comprises India, Pakistan, Oman and hosts UAE.
Das, who led Bangladesh to their maiden T20I series win against Sri Lanka followed by a series victory over Pakistan at home in July, will now look to continue in same vein in the multi-lateral tournament.
He is expected to be ably supported by experienced campaigners such as Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.Mehidy Hassan Miraz, who was part of the last T20I squad, did not find a place in the main team, while Soumya Sarkar along Tanvir Islam and Hasan Mahmud were picked as stand-by.There was also no place for former T20I skipper Najmul Hossain.Meanwhile, Bangladesh will take on the Netherlands in the first of three T20Is on August 30 in Sylhet.
Squad: Litton Das (c), Tanzid Hasan, Parvez Hossain Emon, Saif Hassan, Tawhid Hridoy, Jaker Ali Anik, Shamim Hossain, Quazi Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shak Mahedi Hasan, Rishad Hossain, Nasum Ahmed, Mustafizur Rahman, Tanzim Hasan Sakib, Taskin Ahmed, Shoriful Islam, Shaif Uddin. (PTI)

Rome, Aug 22: Serie A champions Napoli begin their title defence without their top scorer from last season after Romelu Lukaku’s injury, but manager Antonio Conte said on Friday that his players could handle anything and would not be looking for excuses.
Lukaku suffered a serious thigh injury in a pre-season friendly, and Napoli could be without the Belgian striker for several weeks, if not months, but Conte is used to overcoming adversity.Last season, having seen Victor Osimhen leave at the beginning of the campaign, Napoli then sold Georgian playmaker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris St Germain in January. Conte carried on regardless, and landed the Scudetto.“It’s an important injury for a player who had a specific value. He had it last year in the Scudetto win, but we know very well that these situations can happen during the year,” Conte told reporters ahead of Saturday’s game at Sassuolo.“Something important happened last year too, not only in terms of injuries, but it can also happen in the transfer market, something that seems to make everything collapse.
“But these guys have shown last year that they can cope with everything, what we have to do is not go after recriminations, to find alibis, what we have to do is find the solution. We did it last year at every difficulty, we never cried, but we found solutions.”Conte now faces the difficult task of repeating what he achieved at Napoli last season, at a club which has never managed to retain a league title, failing most recently two seasons ago, before Conte took charge.“When Napoli started as favourites after the last Scudetto win, with Osimhen, Kvaratskhelia, Piotr Zielinski, we finished 10th,” Conte said.“It needs to be imposed well in everyone’s mind, even the fans and the city, because everyone wins, everyone celebrates, and in the event, everyone loses.”While it is clear that Napoli are on the hunt for another striker, Conte refused to speak about the transfer market, focusing instead on the task ahead.“It will be a difficult championship, with many teams strengthened,” Conte said.“We have the Scudetto on the shirt and by definition you are among the favourites even if you lose all the players, you always have that, which counts you among the favourites. But as I said that’s not enough.“With what is made available to me, we have to try to do our best, we have always reasoned like this and last year we arrived at something extraordinary.” (Reuters)

New Delhi, Aug 22: The debate over India’s next ODI captain after Rohit Sharma has taken a new twist. A day after reports suggested Shreyas Iyer was being considered as Rohit’s successor, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has categorically denied the claims, putting an end to the swirling speculation.
The development comes as a surprise, particularly because Iyer has not even found a place in India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad. His omission has raised eyebrows, given his strong recent form in ODIs.
The 30-year-old was India’s leading run-scorer in the Champions Trophy earlier this year, amassing 243 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 48.60, playing a crucial role in the team’s title-winning campaign.
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, in a statement to Hindustan Times, dismissed any links between Iyer and future captaincy discussions.
“That’s news to me. There have been no such discussions,” Saikia clarified, distancing the board from the media reports. Instead, insiders indicate that the succession plan is firmly tilted towards Shubman Gill. The 25-year-old has already been entrusted with leadership responsibilities across formats, having been appointed vice-captain of the T20I side and recently taking over as India’s Test captain. With a stellar ODI average of 59, age on his side, and leadership experience steadily growing, Gill is seen as the natural heir to Rohit Sharma.
“There is no way someone who has recently been appointed Test captain, shown promise, and has form and youth in his favour will be overlooked for ODI captaincy when the time comes,” a senior BCCI source said. (Agencies)

New Delhi, Aug 22: Former Bangladesh cricketer and veteran commentator Athar Ali Khan has expressed optimism about Bangladesh’s chances in the upcoming Asia Cup, calling the tournament a potential milestone for the Tigers if they can maintain momentum and belief.
Speaking to the media, Athar underlined consistency and confidence as the two most crucial elements for success in big tournaments. “If a team continues to build on its recent wins and carries that confidence forward, it naturally performs better on the bigger stage. I truly believe Bangladesh can achieve something remarkable in this Asia Cup,” he said.
Bangladesh head into the continental event buoyed by back-to-back series victories against Sri Lanka and Pakistan, both secured 2-1. With a home series against the Netherlands around the corner, Athar believes the side has built valuable momentum at just the right time. “Winning those series was important, and if we can carry this momentum forward, I’m hopeful that Bangladesh will shine in the Asia Cup,” he added.
The former opener also offered advice to skipper Litton Das, stressing the importance of composure and bold leadership. “When Litton was made captain, it was a considered decision by the selectors and the board. My advice to him is simple: play your best cricket, make the right calls, and lead from the front,” Athar remarked.
Highlighting the psychological demands of high-profile tournaments, he insisted that mental toughness will be as vital as skill. “This Asia Cup has the potential to be special for Bangladesh, but the key will be maintaining belief and playing fearless cricket,” Athar concluded. (Agencies)

Asian Shooting Championships

Shymkent (Kazakhstan), Aug 22: Indian shooter Elavenil Valarivan clinched the gold medal in the women’s 10m air rifle competition of the 16th Asian Championships here on Friday with a characteristically composed performance in the final.
The 26-year-old from Tamil Nadu, who has won multiple gold medals in World Cups, shot a score of 253.6 to finish on top in the final and claim her second gold in the continental showpiece, the first coming way back in 2019 when she was honing her skills under the tutelage of Olympic medallist shooter Gagan Narang at his Gun for Glory Academy.
The silver went to China’s Xinlu Peng with a score of 253, while Korea’s Eunji Kwon (231.2) took home the bronze.
In the skeet mixed team, Abhay Singh Sekhon (65) and Ganemat Sekhon (73) shot 138 in qualification to make the second bronze medal match against Kuwait’s Abdullah Alrashidi, a 62-year-old legend of the sport and a double Olympic bronze medallist, partnering Afrah Almohammad.
The Indians prevailed 39-37 in the 48-shot team contest, going into the final station just a point ahead. However, Afrah missed a couple while the other three missed just one of the last four, to give India another senior medal.
Coming back to the women’s rifle final, this was Valarivan’s first individual podium finish in the ongoing event having won a silver and bronze in the team events previously.
Another Indian in the fray, Mehuli Ghosh, signed off in fourth position after scoring 208.9 in the eight-shooter final.
Valarivan had qualified eighth for the final with a score of 630.7. Ghosh had originally finished 10th in the event with a score of 630.3 but made the final as two other higher-placed Indians – Arya Borse (633.2) and Sonam Maskar (630.5) – stepped aside since they were competing only for ranking points.
Meanwhile, Valarivan and Mehuli combined with Ananya Naidu (630.0) to win the team bronze in the women’s 10m air rifle event with a total score of 1891. China won gold while Korea took silver.
Valarivan’s medal was only the second senior individual gold for India in the continental showpiece, where the country is topping the charts thanks to a strong showing by its junior shooters.
Anantjeet Singh Naruka had claimed India’s first senior gold in the men’s skeet event. Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker had won the bronze medal in the women’s 10m air pistol competition.

Juniors continue to dominate

Harmehar Singh Lally combined with Yashasvi Rathore to win the gold medal in the junior skeet mixed team competition, defeating Kazakhstan’s Maxim Pochivalov and Lidiya Basharova 39-36 in the contest for the top prize.
The trio of Shambhavi Shravan, Hrudya Shri Kondur and Isha Anil won the gold medal in the team gold in the women’s junior 10m air rifle competition with a combined total of 1896.2, which is a junior world and Asian record.
The teams from China and South Korea bagged the silver and bronze respectively.
In the individual final, however, Shambhavi finished fifth with 186.3, Isha was sixth with 165.2 and Hrudya seventh with a score of 143.2.
In the bronze medal match in junior skeet mixed team competition, Ishaan Singh and Agrima Kanwar lost to Kazakhstan’s Artyom Sedelinov and Angelina Sorokina 36-40..

Consistent Valarivan

One of India’s most consistent woman rifle shooters for some years now, Valarivan has time and again proven her mettle against the best in the world be it in the World Cup, the season-ending World Cup Finals, or the Asian Championship.
Currently ranked 11th, she is now set to storm into the top-10 which is not an uncharted territory for the Indian ace, having once achieved the world number one ranking in her category.
Known for her unwavering focus and mental fortitude under pressure, Valarivan is now aiming for glory at next year’s Asian Games but before that, she will want to do well at the ISSF World Championships, where she has a team bronze but no individual honours.
Besides the Olympics, the Worlds and Asian Games are some of the events in which Valarivan is yet to taste success in the individual events. (PTI)

Srinagar, Aug 22: The selection process for the Indian wushu team for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan began here on Friday, with nearly 200 athletes from across the country taking part in the three-day Sanda (combat) event trials.
As per the selection policy, the technical committee of Wushu Association of India (WAI) will shortlist eight athletes across seven categories (5 men + 2 women).
Ranking tournaments will then be conducted every two months until June 2026, the deadline for final entries. The final Asian Games squad will be decided on the basis of performance in the ranking tournaments and other competitions.
The three-day wushu selection trials for the Asian Games commenced at the Sher-e-Kashmir Indoor Sports Complex, with Minister of State for Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse inaugurating it.
Nearly 200 athletes from across the country are participating in the Sanda (combat) event trials. The Taolu (routine) selection trials will be held in Imphal from August 25 to 27.
Khadse congratulated the Wushu Association of J&K for successfully hosting the trials. She emphasised that J&K is an ideal hub for martial arts training, particularly wushu, and stressed the need to establish a High-Performance Centre for the sport in the region, according a release from WAI.
The weigh-in ceremony and draw of lots were completed this morning, while the bouts will begin on Saturday and continue for the next two days.
The selection committee for the trials comprises national chief coach Kuldeep Handoo, international judges Sopan Shankar Katke and Sandeep Goswami, coach Amit Pal, along with other officials from the WAI. (PTI)

St. Louis (USA), Aug 22: Indian grandmaster R Praggnanadhaa was held to an easy draw by Samuel Sevian of the United States while World Champion D Gukesh signed peace with Maxime Vachier-Lagrave of France in the fourth round of the Sinquefield Cup, here.
Fabiano Caruana of the United States scored his second victory in as many days, defeating Nodirbek Abdusattorov of Uzbekistan in the lone decisive game of the day.
In the other games, Levon Aronian of the United States drew with Duda Jan-Krzysztof of Poland and French Alireza Firouzja split the point with Wesley So.
With five rounds still to come, Caruana shot into sole lead on three points from four games and is followed by Praggnanandhaa and Aronian on 2.5 each.
A pack of five players – Wesley, Firouzja, Vachier-Lagrave, Sevian and Gukesh share the fourth spot on two points apiece.
A half point behind is Duda while Abdusattorov is on the bottom of the tables on just a half point.
Praggnanandhaa faced the Queen’s gambit declined as white and could not pose any real problems in the way of Sevian. The middle game saw a lot of pieces change hands and it was a soon a drawn endgame on the board.
Gukesh also could not make much use of his white piece as Vachier-Lagrave put up stiff resistance in another Queen pawn game of the day.
The Queens got traded early in the game and though it was a bit complicated both players held on to their own. The resulting rook endgame offered little hopes with both players having a pawn each and the draw was a just result.
Nodirbek’s hunt for an elusive victory continued as Caruana gave a cold-water treatment to an unwarranted King side attack. Abdusattorov sacrificed a piece but did not get the desired compensation and threw in the towel in a mere 30 moves.
The event, to be played over nine rounds among 10 players has a total prize pool of USD 350000. (PTI)