Teenager Cooper Connolly had only faced 11 balls in his fledgling BBL career, but captain Ashton Turner remained confident that he could help power Perth Scorchers to a fifth title under immense pressure.Turner’s faith was justified when 19-year-old Connolly became an instant hero at a heaving Optus Stadium after combining with unheralded Nick Hobson to lift Scorchers past Brisbane Heat in an absorbing final.”We pick guys for a reason, we trust their skill. We don’t need to tell Cooper how to bat, how to play the situation,” Turner said after Scorchers chased down 176 runs to win by five wickets.Related

• Turner fifty, Connolly cameo help Scorchers defend BBL crown

• 'Mate, we can do it. I have full faith in ourselves'

• Peirson 'immensely proud' of Heat's late season revival despite falling short of title

“He’s a smart kid, he’s played enough cricket and he’s prepared himself for these moments.”If anything, if I tell him where he should be hitting the ball then he probably doesn’t play the shots we see tonight. That’s the beauty and the freedom of a young kid who’s just come onto the scene.”Scorchers’ latest BBL triumph was particularly satisfying because it reinforced their long-held core principles of building a reservoir of depth and sticking with homegrown talent.They had to lean on that after an injury-ravaged campaign, including losing star allrounder Mitchell Marsh for the entire season while spearhead Jhye Richardson didn’t return after suffering a hamstring strain mid-season.Cooper Connolly came out all guns blazing with a 11-ball cameo•Getty Images

It provided opportunities for Hobson, an accountant in his day job who played every match this season, and Connolly, Australia’s captain at last year’s Under-19 World Cup, who both have never played first-class cricket before.”We want players who are battle-hardened and ready for the international stage,” Turner said. “We have a lot of confidence in the guys we pick.”To get picked in our final XI, you’ve got to be a good player and we trust our selection processes and we trust what we’ve seen from these guys. The question is can they translate and perform in big moments?”Both Nick and Cooper have answered that question comprehensively.”Overshadowed by the dramatic finale, Turner had initially rescued Scorchers with a composed 53 off 32 balls on the back of a half-century under pressure in last year’s final against Sydney SixersThe Player-of-the-match performance capped a stunning season for the unassuming Turner, who has vaulted back into calculations for Australia’s T20 team strengthened by his impressive captaincy credentials.Turner played nine ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia from 2017-21, but a form slump removed him from the selection frame.”It’s not so much a rescue mission as it may look from the outside – I’m doing my job,” Turner said about his ability to continually dig Scorchers out of trouble this season.”I said pre-game that great teams win big games and that was our responsibility tonight. We’ve been overwhelming favourites probably for the last few games we’ve entered.”It’s our responsibility to back that up and perform well. Fortunately we were able to do that.”While they bask in another triumph, planning will eventually start for Scorchers’ bid for a historic hat-trick of titles – a feat that has never been achieved in BBL history.”When BBL 13 comes along we will be well-planned, prepared and excited,” Turner said. “There will be more competition, we know that having been at the pinnacle of this competition for a couple of years that we will be the hunted and that’s okay. We’ll embrace that tag and we’ve got a lot of confidence in the depth of our squad.”

Fazalhaq Farooqi moves up to No. 3, to have two Afghanistan bowlers on the podium

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023

Rashid Khan is the new No. 1 T20I bowler in the world. He has displaced Sri Lanka’s Wanindu Hasaranga at the top following his three wickets at less than a run a ball in Afghanistan’s historic 2-1 series win over Pakistan in Sharjah.Rashid has team-mate Fazalhaq Farooqi for company on the podium, with the young pacer slotting at No. 3 on the T20I bowlers’ rankings after finishing as top wicket-taker for Afghanistan in the Pakistan series. Farooqi claimed five wickets and conceded just 4.75 runs to the over across the three matches to climb 12 places in the rankings.Rashid was No. 1 as recently as November last year, having consistently been one of the format’s best since first rising to the summit in February 2018.Full rankings

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The 2-1 result was Afghanistan’s first T20I series win over Pakistan, and another bowler to make strides as a result was Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who moved from No. 10 to No. 8 after taking two-fors in the first and third games.For Pakistan, stand-in captain Shadab Khan (who led in place of the rested Babar Azam) moved up eight spots to No. 4 on the T20I allrounder rankings, having finished as the series’ third-highest run-scorer and joint-fourth-highest wicket-taker.In the T20I batting rankings, South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw moved up two places to No. 6 courtesy his 42 off 21, albeit in a losing cause against West Indies in the series-deciding third T20I in Johannesburg.Rohit Sharma, Adam Zampa move up in ODI rankingsFollowing Australia’s ODI series winning victory against India in Chennai, legspinner Adam Zampa has moved to a career-best sixth in the one-day bowling rankings, while India captain Rohit Sharma is up one spot to eighth in the batting rankings. Zampa had produced figures of 10-0-45-4 in that game which Australia won by 21 runs to clinch the series 2-1, while Rohit had slammed 30 off 17, sparking his gains.Zimbabwe’s Sikandar Raza inched his way up the allrounder rankings too this week, going up one spot to fifth after Zimbabwe’s hard-fought series win against Netherlands where he scored 40 and topped the bowling charts for his side with five scalps.

Depending on Mumbai Indians’ result in their last game, a win for Capitals can push them straight into the final

Shashank Kishore21-Mar-2023Big PictureUP Warriorz have Sophie Ecclestone to thank for bailing them out of troubled waters for two games in a row now. Wins that seemed tough – first in a low-scorer against Mumbai Indians, and then in a tall chase against Gujarat Giants – have catapulted them into the top three.Even if third-placed Warriorz lose against Delhi Capitals on Wednesday, they are certain to play the Eliminator, thus giving them a shot at the final; but if they beat Capitals, it will force a three-way race for the top spot if Mumbai happen to lose their final match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, Warriorz are so far behind both Mumbai and Capitals on net run rate that it is near impossible to catch up in just one game.That said, they would have probably settled for third if you had asked them last week, which saw them suffer their third loss in four games despite starting the season with a win.Over to their opponents. Capitals have come storming back to steal the top spot that seemed destined to be Mumbai’s when they had raced to five straight wins. But two losses in a row for Mumbai have opened the door ajar. In sending Mumbai on a tailspin by chasing down 110 in just nine overs last night, Capitals are in a position where a win in their final group game could vault them straight into the final provided Mumbai either lose their final match, or win it but don’t cross Capitals on net run rate.But Capitals could finish atop with a loss too, though they wouldn’t want to enter the playoffs devoid of momentum. Capitals further stand to gain if Royal Challengers bring their A game to beat Mumbai.Warriorz would dearly love for their Indian batters to turn up and strike form. Devika Vaidya, Kiran Navgire and Deepti Sharma have all struggled lately, but their lack of runs have been compensated by contributions from Grace Harris and Tahlia McGrath.Capitals, though, have no such worries. Meg Lanning is the highest run-getter of the tournament so far, while Shafali Verma’s destructive game that seemed to have deserted her during the T20 World Cup has given them the turbocharge up top; her strike rate of 189 is clearly the best for any batter with at least 200 runs in the tournament. To add to that, Marizanne Kapp has been scoring runs and picking wickets for fun, Alice Capsey has lent batting muscle in the powerplay, and Jemimah Rodrigues has provided a calming influence in the middle order.Then there has been the ever-reliable Jess Jonassen who has been around to play a role similar to what Michael Bevan did for Australia all those years ago – bail the team out of trouble time and again. This is a well-rounded batting unit high on confidence.Arundhati Reddy’s bowling was applauded after the win against Mumbai Indians•BCCIPlayers to WatchWith scores of 12, 8 and 1 in her last three innings, Warriorz captain Alyssa Healy has hit a rough patch. But she has the reputation of being a big-match player. As the Eliminator nears, there couldn’t have been a better chance than this to roar back into form and carry the confidence of doing so against a gun bowling attack.Don’t let the raw numbers fool you. She may have just two wickets in five games, but Arundhati Reddy had a rhythm to her bowling that Lanning applauded unprompted after the win against Mumbai. Reddy also appears to have cranked up her pace, and seemed menacing with her nip-backers during her spell of 1 for 10 in three overs in that match.Possible XIsDelhi Capitals: 1 Meg Lanning (capt), 2 Shafali Verma, 3 Alice Capsey, 4 Jemimah Rodrigues, 5 Marizanne Kapp, 6 Jess Jonassen, 7 Taniya Bhatia (wk), 8 Shikha Pandey, 9 Arundhati Reddy, 10 Radha Yadav, 11 Tara NorrisUP Warriorz: 1 Alyssa Healy (capt, wk), 2 Devika Vaidya, 3 Tahlia McGrath, 4 Kiran Navgire, 5 Grace Harris, 6 Deepti Sharma, 7 Sophie Ecclestone, 8 Simran Shaikh, 9 Anjali Sarvani, 10 Parshavi Chopra, 11 Rajeshwari GayakwadStats and Trivia Among teams that have finished in the top three, Capitals’ pace bowler Shikha Pandey’s ten wickets is the most among seamers in the competition. Harris’ strike rate of 170.07 is third best in the competition among batters who have made at least 200 runs, with Sophie Devine second with a strike rate of 175. Ecclestone’s economy of 6.21 is the best among those who have picked up at least ten wickets this season

Manchester United keeper Altay Bayindir has been accused of celebrating a West Ham goal during their 2-0 defeat to the Hammers on Sunday.

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• Man Utd lost 2-0 to West Ham
• Bowen scored second
• Fans believe Bayindir celebrated goal

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The incident that triggered the outrage came during West Ham’s second goal, which was netted by Bowen, following an assist from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, ironically, a former Manchester United player. While the Hammers wheeled away in jubilation, cameras caught Bayindir reacting in a way that has only now drawn suspicion.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Footage posted on West Ham’s official TikTok account showed Bayindir turning toward the stands behind him, clenching both fists and letting out a roar, behaviour that many interpreted as celebratory rather than dejected. Given the context, fans were quick to question his motives, sparking a wave of backlash online.

  The viral TikTok clip was captioned provocatively: "Did the goalkeeper celebrate?" and in the comment section, supporters of both clubs weighed in, some demanding answers from the Turkish goalkeeper.

• WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  The clip then reached X, formerly Twitter, where more fans reacted to Bayindir's actions.

  One fans, @FPLOlympian, suggested: "Bayindir definitely captained Bowen in his FPL team."

  While @Summerville_fan seconded and wrote: "I’m trying to think of an excuse for him but can’t. He actually celebrated. 🤣😭😂."

  Meanwhile, @TabloideGunner said: "Bayindir bet his entire salary on Bowen to a goal. MASTERCLASS."

  Whereas @UtdPrince0_0 wrote: "I can't even fathom an excuse for Bayindir here wtf😂😂."

  And a West Ham fan @WhufcSloth wrote: "Celebrated more than Kudus… 😂."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ruben Amorim's men now face a daunting run of fixtures. Next up is a clash with Chelsea, who are fighting for a Champions League place. Following that, United head to Bilbao to face Tottenham in the Europa League final, a match that could determine whether the club salvages silverware from an otherwise dismal campaign. The Red Devils will conclude their season at home against a resurgent Aston Villa side.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham will reportedly miss the start of the 2025-26 campaign after being pencilled in for surgery on a shoulder problem.

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Bellingham to miss start of 2025-26 seasonWill undergo shoulder surgeryDislocated left shoulder in November 2023Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Madrid have decided that Bellingham will go under the knife after the Club World Cup to fix a persistent shoulder problem that has existed since 2023. Following the surgery, it will take at least 12 weeks for the England international to fully recover, which means he will miss the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

Watch every game of the FIFA Club World Cup live on DAZNStream nowAdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Bellingham dislocated his left shoulder during a clash against Rayo Vallecano in November 2023 and subsequently missed the next four matches for club and country. The busy calendar since then has prevented Bellingham from undergoing surgery, however, the medical team at Real feel that he must now undergo the procedure to avoid further damage to his shoulder.

DID YOU KNOW?

have reported that Madrid are concerned about the English star's sudden dip in form and have conducted several meetings to uncover the reason behind it. After an incredible debut campaign in Spain, Bellingham has posted more modest numbers of 13 goals and 14 assists in all competitions this season.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Carlo Ancelotti will manage Real Madrid one last time this Saturday as his side face Real Sociedad in their final La Liga clash at home, with Bellingham likely to feature.

Virat Kohli, meanwhile, heaped praise on RCB legspinner Karn Sharma and tagged his stand with Faf du Plessis “the perfect start”

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-20232:22

Moody: ‘There are too many holes in the Mumbai team’

On a night when Mumbai Indians were in danger for a long time of being brushed aside with all of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s wickets intact, Rohit Sharma had to field the inevitable question around the hole losing Jasprit Bumrah leaves in his side.Mumbai can’t dwell on that, Rohit insisted. “For the past six to eight months, I am used to playing without Jasprit Bumrah [for India too],” he said after the loss. “Of course, this is a different set-up. Someone needs to put their hand up and come in to fill that place. We can’t keep dwelling on it. You can try and control the things that are in your control and those that are not in your control, you can’t do that. Injuries are not in your control.”The other guys that we have are talented. It’s just that they haven’t played a lot of IPL. We need to give them the support.”Defending 171, each of Mumbai’s bowlers – save for experienced legspinner Piyush Chawla whose four overs went for only 26 – had an economy rate in excess of eight. Their 11.2 overs of fast bowling – which included the likes of Jofra Archer, Cameron Green and Jason Behrendorff – went at a rate of 11.29 runs per over and that more than nullified the control Chawla had. It meant Mumbai lost their opening match by eight wickets with a whopping 22 balls remaining.On the night, it was not just their bowling that let five-time champions Mumbai down. They had crumbled to 48 for 4 in the ninth over after being asked to bat and could get past 170 only because of rookie Tilak Varma’s partnerships with Nehal Wadhera and Arshad Khan – both of whom were on T20 debuts. Varma added 50 with Wadhera for the fifth wicket before combining with Arshad to add an unbroken 48 in 17 balls, and in the process he stayed unbeaten on 84 off 46 balls. Rohit heaped praise on the youngster for “showing courage and being brave” in the middle.Related

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Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis help RCB brush aside Mumbai Indians

“He is a very positive person, quite talented as well,” Rohit said. “Some of the shots he played, in the first game of the season, he showed a lot of courage. That is something we spoke of – we want to be brave and courageous in the middle. We didn’t start well, and it was always a catching up game. Hats off to Tilak to get us to a competitive total.”It was a good pitch to bat on. We didn’t bat to even half of our potential and yet got to 170. Probably 30-40 runs more would have been ideal. We were struggling to play the catch-up game but Tilak was magnificent.”Kohli: ‘Me and Faf got off to the perfect start’Mumbai had the momentum after a strong finish with the bat and would have been hopeful of ending their streak of starting an IPL season with a loss, one that has been going on since 2013. But Virat Kohli and Faf du Plessis added 148 for the opening wicket to quash any hope Mumbai had of disappointing a sold-out Chinnaswamy Stadium. Later, Kohli said that the “phenomenal win” capped off a near-perfect homecoming for them.”I thought with the new ball it [the pitch] was a bit tricky [to bat on],” Kohli said. “But because we took them [their bowlers] down with the new ball, that’s where we shifted the momentum completely towards us. How they batted in the last two overs, it could have been tricky to walk out without intent. The way we both started nullified the intensity that they were going to bring onto the field.Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli started strongly for Royal Challengers Bangalore•BCCI

“Me and Faf got off to the perfect start. We kept going, kept backing ourselves. Faf went first and then I joined later. So, it was a very comprehensive win and we wanted to win with balls to spare so that it could benefit our net run rate a little bit.”Despite being part of the Royal Challengers squad, legspinner Karn Sharma did not get a game last season. On Sunday, though, he picked up a couple of crucial middle-order wickets to puncture Mumbai’s recovery. After being hit for two sixes by Wadhera, Karn tossed another one up to have him hole out before getting one past hard-hitter Tim David to bowl him.”When he got the left-hander out after getting hit for two sixes, that’s brave bowling,” Kohli said of Karn. “That comes from a lot of repetition of bowling in the right spot. He’s had a good domestic season. He was bowling so well for us last year, unfortunately he couldn’t get a game. He was ready to play, even in the nets here he wasn’t getting hit for sixes in the nets easily.”[He is] very confident with the skillsets and his spell in the middle was very crucial. He got a couple of big wickets and put us on the front foot in the middle phase.”

There’s passion in everything Marizanne Kapp does on the cricket field. When she bats, you simply cannot breathe easy until the moment she is out. And when she bowls, she runs in with a fierce look on her face, eyebrows in a slight furrow, and gives it her all, ball after ball. She is always in the ears of the captain or has a hand around a youngster’s shoulder. She has put South Africa at the right end of a result many times, not least in the Women’s World Cup last year and the T20 World Cup last month.But it took a while for Kapp to get up to this level in the Women’s Premier League. It wasn’t until her fourth game for Delhi Capitals that she showed she had truly arrived, picking up the first five-for of her T20 career to demolish Gujarat Giants.Kapp has an economy rate of 5.29 in the powerplay in the WPL. It is the second best after Nat Sciver-Brunt among bowlers who have bowled at least 50 balls in the first six overs. She has picked up eight wickets in this phase, which are the most by any bowler. Her overall tally of nine is the third-best by a seamer in the WPL behind Capitals team-mate Shikha Pandey and Giants’ Kim Garth.On Monday, another two-wicket burst in the powerplay from Kapp, who was as disciplined and penetrative as ever, punctured Mumbai Indians and helped Capitals top the table with two games left in the league stage. It was Mumbai’s second successive loss in the WPL after five straight wins.In front of a DY Patil stadium crowd that was decked out in blue, Kapp began with three successive dots to Yastika Bhatia. On the third delivery, after the ball was pushed back to her, she passed the ball to mid-on and ran towards captain Meg Lanning at slip to have a quiet word.Marizanne Kapp picked up 2 for 13 to restrict Mumbai Indians to 109 for 8•BCCI

What the talk was about is anybody’s guess, because no immediate field changes followed. But when she began her second over, a deep backward square leg was in place for Bhatia, instead of the fine leg in the opening over. The short one was coming. Or at least that’s what she wanted the batter to think. And it worked.Bhatia was caught on the back foot to a ball that was pitched up and moving across her. It took her outside edge and landed safely in the mitts of the wicketkeeper.Kapp was delighted. Lanning was delighted. Bhatia knew she had been outsmarted.Kapp then used the nip-backer off a length to get the better of Nat Sciver-Brunt. She bowled it around off and got it to move in past Sciver-Brunt’s mow across the line to castle her. A first-ball duck for the Mumbai allrounder. Capitals had managed to rock the ‘home side’ early.Bhatia and Sciver-Brunt had combined for almost 39 percent of the runs Mumbai had scored in the competition in the first six games. In fact, about 84 per cent of all Mumbai’s runs before Monday were scored by their top four batters. And in eight balls, Kapp had managed to see the back of two of them. In doing that, she had figures of 3-0-10-2 in the first six overs.The past couple of years have really tested Kapp and her partner Dane van Niekerk. While Kapp reached the heights of success, winning the women’s Hundred, twice, the Women’s Big Bash League, once, and being part of the first senior South African cricket team to ever play a World Cup final, her partner van Niekerk was snubbed by not one but two teams who had initially appointed her as captain. The Oval Invincibles left her out in 2022 and South Africa left her out in 2023. All of it led to her retiring from international cricket at age 29.Kapp admitted it was “a struggle” to keep her focus through all this but she still managed to churn out match-turning performances one after the other.”The day that I actually took my fiver [five-wicket haul] here, I was crying in the bus on my way here [DY Patil Stadium] because I knew Dane was retiring,” she said in the presser after her second Player-of-the-match award in the WPL. “It’s been tough but again, I think it’s my religion. Jesus Christ has been so good to me especially through those hard patches. I have to mention my team as well. They make it so easy for me to be here.”I have always been a very shy person but I felt like I am so comfortable with these girls and management. I’ve just fitted in and they make me feel at home.”On the same pitch she picked up the five-wicket haul, Kapp might not have the volume of wickets to show. But the impact of the two wickets she picked up upfront were on level with, if not more than, those five against Giants. But as has been her nature – of deflecting praise directed at her towards others – she spoke highly of Shikha Pandey’s penultimate over that went for just four with hard-hitting Issy Wong and Amanjot Kaur in the middle.”Always nice to contribute, especially with the new ball. That’s my job,” Kapp told the broadcaster during the innings break. “I told Shikha [Pandey] that was one of the best death overs I have seen in a long time. So credit to the bowling attack.”While each of Kapp, Pandey and Jess Jonassen picked up two wickets to keep Mumbai to a paltry 109 for 8, it was clearly the Kapp show at the start that set the tone for Capitals’ nine-wicket win.

FIFA has announced the list of 34 training facilities that will host the 32 clubs throughout the group stage of the Club World Cup

Florida leads with nine training sites selected by clubsMLS facilities will host international teams in six locations32 clubs representing 20 nations will train across 14 statesWatch every FIFA Club World Cup game free on DAZNStream nowGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström confirmed the comprehensive list of Team Base Camp Training Sites that will serve the 32 qualified clubs during the group stage of the first 32-team FIFA Club World Cup.

The training sites span 14 states across America, with Florida (9), California (5), New Jersey (4), North Carolina (3), Virginia (2), Tennessee (2), and Washington (2) hosting multiple teams. European giants, including Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Chelsea, have selected Florida-based facilities, while Inter Milan will train at UCLA in California, and River Plate will utilize the Seattle Sounders training facility in Washington.

“We’re pleased to confirm the Team Base Camp Training Sites that will host qualified clubs throughout the group stage of the first-ever FIFA Club World Cup,” FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said in a statement. “These sites and more significantly the people and communities that surround them will welcome the world’s best, providing first-class environments and hospitality in support of the teams.

“The clubs, their players, coaches, management, staff and fans will build incredible connections with the local people that support them throughout the tournament. This is a consistently important part of any World Cup, and I can’t wait to learn about the bonds forged throughout this historic event.”

AdvertisementTHE FULL LIST OF TRAINING SITESAl Ahly FC: Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Fla., and The Pingry School, Basking Ridge, N.J.Al Ain FC: Episcopal High School, Alexandria, Va.Al Hilal: D.C. United Training Center, Leesburg, Va., and Nashville SC Training Facility, Nashville, Tenn.Atlético de Madrid: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, Calif.Auckland City FC: Baylor School, Chattanooga, Tenn.Borussia Dortmund: Inter Miami CF Training Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Botafogo: Westmont College, Santa Barbar,a Calif.CA Boca Juniors: Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla.CA River Plate: Sounders FC Clubhouse and Training Facility, Renton, Wash.CF Monterrey: Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, Calif.CF Pachuca: UNC Charlotte, Charlotte, N.C.Chelsea FC: Philadelphia Union Training Facility, Chester, Pa., and Nova Southeastern University, Davie, Fla.CR Flamengo: Stockton University, Galloway, N.J., and Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla.Espérance de Tunis: Oakland University, Oakland County, Mich.FC Bayern München: Wide World of Sports Complex, Orlando, Fla.FC Internazionale Milano: UCLA, Los Angeles, Calif., and Seattle Seahawks Training Center, Rento,n Wash.FC Porto: Rutgers University, Piscataway, N.J.FC Salzburg: Melanie Lane Training Ground, Whippany, N.J.Fluminense FC: University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.Inter Miami CF: Inter Miami CF Training Center, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.Juventus FC: The Greenbrier Sports Training Center, Greenbrier County, W.Va., and ChampionsGate, Orlando, Fla.Los Angeles FC: Mercer University, Macon, Ga.Mamelodi Sundowns FC: IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla.Manchester City: Lynn University, Boca Raton, Fla.Paris Saint-Germain: University of California Irvine, Irvine, Calif.Real Madrid C.F.: Gardens North County District Park, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.Palmeiras: UNC Greensboro, Greensboro, N.C.Seattle Sounders FC: Sounders FC Clubhouse and Training Facility, Renton, Wash.SL Benfica: Waters Sportsplex, Tampa, Fla.Ulsan HD: Charlotte FC, Charlotte, N.C.Urawa Red Diamonds: University of Portland, Portland, Ore.Wydad AC: Landon School, Bethesda, Md.THE BIGGER PICTURE

This tournament marks the transformation of the FIFA Club World Cup from a seven-team competition into 32-club field representing 20 nations. The selection of diverse training sites across the United States underscores FIFA's strategy to maximize the tournament's national footprint and build connections between international clubs and American communities.

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Getty Images SportWHAT’S NEXT?

The inaugural 32-team FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on June 14 with matches played across 12 stadiums in 11 host cities in the United States, with the first game of the tournament pitting Al Ahly against MLS side Inter Miami on the same date.

“The resources that you had two or three years ago [at Mumbai Indians] isn’t quite the same – the challenges as a captain might have doubled for him”

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-20232:17

Shastri: Rohit’s work as a captain has doubled since two years ago

Ravi Shastri believes Rohit Sharma’s challenges as captain of Mumbai Indians “have doubled” in the past two years, leading to poor returns as a team.”The resources that you had two or three years ago isn’t quite the same. The challenges as a captain might have doubled for him. The work as a captain would have doubled as opposed to two years ago when everything was nice, set – go out there and do the job,” Shastri said about Rohit’s captaincy on ESPNcricinfo’s Ravi & Raunak programme.”And then comes the challenge of how do you get them [the team] going, how do you motivate that bunch, how do you create a combination, how do you see who is the best in that lot to fit in and deliver at a certain stage of the game.”Related

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Rohit 'needs a little bit of a break' from the IPL, says Gavaskar

It’s a period in which they have lost players who formed their core in the glory years, there have been retirements, and injuries to key players.With two new teams coming in as the IPL became a ten-team tournament from 2022, Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya went to Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants, respectively. Lasith Malinga retired from all formats of the game before that, in 2021, while Kieron Pollard also called time on his international and IPL career last year. They did get Jofra Archer at the mega auction but he couldn’t play last year because of injury, and is still finding his feet in IPL 2023. Jasprit Bumrah was then ruled out of IPL 2023, throwing a spanner in Mumbai’s plans of unleashing the pace duo together. They do have Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav from the old core in the mix, but the rest of the line-up is a new one from MI’s point of view.Rohit is the most successful captain in the history of the IPL, having led MI to five titles – the highest in the IPL – in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2020. However, they had their worst seasons last year, when they finished last on the table with just four wins in 14 games. They lost their first two games this season as well before stringing a few wins, and currently sit sixth on the table.The dip in results has coincided with Rohit losing form. He scored 268 runs in IPL 2022 without a single half-century, with an average of 19.14 and strike rate of 120.17. Rohit’s 2023 is going no better: in ten innings, he has scored 184 runs at 18.39 and a strike rate of 126.89. This includes two ducks.2:36

Moody: Rohit looks mentally fatigued

There have been calls for Rohit to take a step back.Sunil Gavaskar recently suggested that Rohit “needs a little break” and should return refreshed for the last stage of the IPL’s league phase and the World Test Championship final. Tom Moody, speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out recently, noted that Rohit has looked a bit “mentally fatigued”.Shastri agreed that not being in form with the bat has affected Rohit’s captaincy as well.”If you start getting on a purple patch where you are scoring runs, the job as a captain becomes much easier, the body language on the field changes, that energy on the field is different as opposed to when you are not getting runs. You can go flat no matter who you are,” Shastri said. “That’s where, as a captain, it is more important that your performances come into play. It is harder now because of the stage of his career, the kind of team that they have.”The same team could be a terrific team in a year’s time or two years’ time, once they start gelling together. But to get that right mix, that’s the job of the captain.”

Northamptonshire 255 (Vasconcelos 70, Sales 57, Leach 3-15) and 311 for 8 (Whiteman 130*, Taylor 53) drew with Somerset 412 (Kohler-Cadmore 130, Rew 89, White 5-103)Skipper Sam Whiteman’s first Northamptonshire century batted them to safety on the final day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton. The visitors managed to extend their second innings from an overnight 66 for 1 to 311 for 8, the rock-solid Whiteman leading from the front with an unbeaten 130, off 269 balls, with 14 fours and a six.Whiteman, in his first season as a Championship player, batted throughout the day, receiving excellent support from Tom Taylor, who contributed 53 to an eighth-wicket stand of 79 that finally frustrated a Somerset attack, who gave their all on an unhelpful pitch. Jack Leach finished with 3 for 77 and match figures of 6 for 92.By the time the players shook hands at 5.40pm, Northamptonshire had a lead of 154, with a possible 11 overs remaining. They took nine points from the rain-affected contest, while Somerset, yet to win this season, claimed 12.The home bowlers expected to have to toil for every wicket as Northamptonshire began the day needing 91 to avoid an innings defeat, with nine wickets in hand. So it proved, on a pitch, which had offered little in the way of seam movement or turn on day three. The opening attack of Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory went past the bat several times early on, but Whiteman and nightwatchman Jordan Buckingham survived and started to look increasingly comfortable.Buckingham marked his Northamptonshire debut with an invaluable contribution, sharing a half-century stand with his skipper and facing 66 balls for his before being bowled advancing down the pitch to Leach.By then Whiteman had reached a 104-ball fifty, with five fours and a six over midwicket off Leach. More importantly, 20 overs of the day had elapsed before Somerset made the breakthrough.There was no shortage of effort or accuracy from the bowlers. Leach struck another blow when Hassan Azad, who had retired hurt with a hand injury the previous evening, offered a low return catch, having made only 4. It was 147 for 3 at lunch, with Northamptonshire still ten runs behind. A Saif Zaib reverse sweep off Leach early in the afternoon session levelled the scores.A draw was looking increasingly likely. But, having moved confidently to 33, Zaib carelessly lifted a ball from Overton to fine leg where Leach held a testing catch. At 174 for 4, Northants were only 17 in front. But Whiteman was well set and a pulled boundary off Gregory brought up the 200.With a further ten added, Rob Keogh, on 14, failed to keep down a leg glance off Kasey Aldridge and Gregory held a sharp catch at backward short leg. It was 211 for 6 when a thinner glance saw James Sales depart for 1 to Gregory, wicketkeeper James Rew diving full length to his left to hold a one-handed catch inches off the ground.Harry Gouldstone quickly followed for a duck to another fine catch, this time by Tom Kohler-Cadmore at first slip, his task made more difficult by Overton diving in front of him to try and take the ball at second slip.The lead was only 62. But Whiteman had just completed his hundred, a study in concentration occupying 179 balls, and found a more reliable partner in Taylor, who helped take the score to 254 for 7 at tea.Somerset’s last hope was the second new ball, available one over after the interval. A chance slipped by with three runs added as Cameron Bancroft failed to hold a low catch offered to his left at second slip by Taylor, on 30, off Gregory.It was an error the hosts could not afford. Taylor progressed to a 96-ball half-century, with 8 fours and a six, and by the time he was well caught by Rew down the leg-side to give the tireless Peter Siddle his first wicket, the lead was 141. But it was Whiteman’s day. Unbeaten on 29 at the start of play, by the close he had occupied the crease for more than six and three-quarter hours, offering just one difficult chance to slip off Leach with the draw all but secured.