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In almost exactly one month, Arsenal will travel to Wembley for the 10th time in the last five years. In those games, they’ve won nine times.

The Gunners have won three of the last four FA Cups, and if they’re out of the title race, well, so is everyone else.

It’s stats like these which do Arsenal no favours because despite all of that it’s still hard to make any argument that the north London club is in anything other than a state of stagnation at best and decline at worst.

But it makes you wonder what ‘success’ means, and not just for Arsenal, but for any of the Premier League’s top six clubs.

There are four trophies up for grabs at the start of the season. If you’re lucky enough to be in a super cup of some kind, counting it as anything other than a pre-season frolic in a nice stadium is universally considered embarrassing.

But of the four which can be won, only two are now available to the Gunners.

Perhaps it’s disappointing to be out of the title race in January, but Arsene Wenger’s side are hardly the only ones. The only real disappointment so far is the FA Cup, and even then Arsenal’s record in that competition – which is second to none – has still not been enough to stave off critics.

That is, of course, because Arsenal deserve to be criticised. But the anger directed towards the club and its decision makers is presumably aimed more at the general state of the club than the failure to win silverware. Especially this season: already the Gunners are in one final and there’s still another to play for. And so being out of the running in two of the four competitions isn’t, by itself, a disaster.

It’s tempting to compare the successes of Manchester United last season to Arsenal’s current situation. But whilst it’s strikingly similar, there is a fundamental difference.

Jose Mourinho’s side finished the season with two trophies, but the only reason they can qualify their year as a success is because, by winning the Europa League, they qualified for the Champions League.

There is little doubt that, for Arsenal, two trophies – not to mention two cups that Arsene Wenger has never won as a manager, and thus Arsenal haven’t won for decades – would represent some sort of progress. But it’s that very word which separates the United of last season and the Arsenal of this one.

When Jose Mourinho blew off the Premier League in order to win the second tier European competition, he did so because the prize he won was something which could be cashed the next season. The Champions League group stage spot and the momentum his side gained from the victories was almost like a training regime before the big fight. United’s players were back in the big time and could still taste the blood in their mouths before the former Chelsea boss’s second season in charge.

This year, City may have won by knockout in the second round, all but wrapping up the title by Christmas, but that was the idea. When the world decided to cautiously qualify Mourinho’s first season at Old Trafford as a success, it was well before this season has kicked off.

Besides, United still have FA Cup and Champions League to play for, and after a rocky festive period, they are at least back in the hunt.

For Arsenal, the question is not about whether they can emulate United’s material success of last season, but the sense of momentum they built.

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In terms of silverware, Arsenal are in the same position now as United were last year. But there’s little evidence of a change in momentum just yet. If the Gunners can overhaul their squad, and if they can win a few trophies to build that sense of momentum, the feeling that this is a running start at something bigger, then and only then will the comparison apply. A decent January transfer window would be a start.

But if Arsenal are hoping to repeat the success of Manchester United one year later, it’s worth remembering that Mourinho’s success wasn’t in winning two competitions that most top clubs see as second tier competitions when taken in isolation. Instead, it was about what it meant for the next year, and a sense that victories in the Champions League and Premier League could be achieved because of the momentum which had been built.

This season, success for Arsenal won’t be about how many trophies they can put in their cabinet at the end of the season: it’ll be about the feeling we’re of change, hope and optimism we’re left with afterwards.

Newcastle are ready to up their interest in Borussia Monchengladbach striker Luuk De Jong, according to reports from Sky Sports.

The Magpies were linked with the Dutchman over the summer, and are now ready to push for a move as they plot several additions before the deadline at the end of the month.

Despite the form of Loic Remy – on loan from QPR – Alan Pardew is still keen to bolster his attacking options, and sees De Jong as an ideal partner for the French ace.

Monchengladbach paid £12m for the hit-man’s signature in 2012, yet it is understood that they are ready to cut him loose after a disappointing spell in the Bundesliga.

Newcastle are eager to make an initial loan move, which is likely to have an option for a permanent transfer in six months’ time.

‘Toon’ owner Mike Ashley is said to be willing to back his manager significantly over the course of January, which could allow them to push trough a deal.

As well as De Jong, Montpellier ace Remy Cabella is also on their radar.

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The French playmaker has been linked with Manchester United, but the North East side are confident of reaching an agreement with the cash-strapped Ligue 1 giants.

[cat_link cat=”newcastle-united” type=”grid”]

It’s no secret that contracts in the world of football aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. The modern game is built on fairytale riches, the quest for silverware and turning the concept of loyalty into a fallacy. As an increasing number of financial restrictions begin to take effect, keeping hold of your prize assets is an essential priority, which is why so many clubs are willing to hand out new deals like they’re going out of fashion.

At Arsenal, the harsh reality of failing to secure long-term agreements is painfully evident. During the past two seasons both Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie have used their looming expiry dates to engineer a move away from the club. Many will argue that Arsene Wenger deserves praise for extracting substantial funds from the Manchester duo but money in the bank does not win you football matches.

Even players still basking in the infancy of a newly signed contract can still instigate problems if they kick up enough fuss. Wayne Rooney successfully earned himself a significant pay rise after questioning the ambitions of the club while the likes of Luka Modric have thrown impressive tantrums as they become aware of interest elsewhere.

Only last year Marouane Fellaini signed a five year-deal at Everton but can anyone see him remaining at the club beyond next summer? If the Toffees repel the inevitable offers that come his way, which they have every right to do so, they risk angering their new talisman and jeopardising their impressive squad harmony.

Alan Pardew echoed the sentiments of an entire nation when he spoke of his “astonishment” at being handed his distinctive eight-year contract on Tyneside. The influential figures at Newcastle will declare this a statement of intent as they build for the future, but I believe the priority is to stop envious eyes from flirting with ‘Pardiola’ should he continue to work wonders with the Toon Army. It would appear the financial rewards on offer in football break through the barriers of realism and far exceed any other industry in the world.

Of course agents have been pivotal in creating a climate of hysteria and agitation when it comes to contract negotiations. However, this is by no means a criticism, after all who can begrudge them when they are simply trying to acquire the best financial package for their client. The temperamental nature of football’s elite is at such a surreal level that agents are constantly sourcing interest from potential suitors and planting stories in the media, just in case a player suddenly decides he wants to leave.

There is a real worry that these increasing financial demands are heaping unnecessary pressure on the bank accounts of football clubs. The mind boggles when you consider the number of outgoing payments involved in drafting up a new contract. Players and indeed managers will warrant signing-on fees, image right payments, win bonuses plus a ‘loyalty fee’, which concerns the money a player is entitled to if they don’t hand in a transfer request throughout the duration of their contract.

All of these elements are on top of their basic page and doesn’t take into account the compensation packages, which will increase as the length of contract skyrockets that have to be paid out if it all goes the shape of the pear. There is an incredible level of risk for what is a very unrealistic likelihood of reward. What happens if Newcastle go 5, 10 or even 15 games without a win? Mike Ashley has essentially backed himself into a very tight corner that only an extortionate amount of money can free him from.

If clubs manage to tie down their best players then they can at least drive their asking price upwards should relations suffer a monumental breakdown. That is perhaps the only advantage, as more and more players appear confident enough to throw their weight around. The growing consensus is that football is entering into an age of sensible financial practise but the recent philosophy towards contract negotiations would suggest clubs are being more reckless then ever before.

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Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where Udinese’s performance at Anfield last night reignited my affection for Antonio Di Natale.

As reported by the BBC, former Rangers striker Kenny Miller has revealed that a recent meeting with Aberdeen boss Derek McInnes was just a chance encounter on holiday, cooling speculation he is set for a move to Pittodrie.

What’s the story?

The Scottish Sun had reported last week that Miller had met with the Dons manager in Florida ahead of a potential switch, but the former Scotland international has revealed there was less to it than meets the eye.

As quoted by the BBC, Miller said of the meeting:

It was just a chance encounter, but I have spoken to various people regarding options for next year. I don’t think it is right to start throwing names out there just yet.

I still want to win and I still want to play for a team that can be successful. Speaking to managers and seeing what they see my role being is important as well.

Everybody is back training in that period between 15 and 23 June, so decisions have to be made pretty quickly if I’m going to stay in Scotland.

Miller’s career at Ibrox is over after an acrimonious spat involving Graeme Murty and the side’s defeat to Celtic at Hampden in the Scottish Cup semi-final. His contract expired at the end of the season and he was not offered a new deal.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”252976″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch 21 things that will definitely happen at the World Cup”]

Does he still have enough to quality to shine at Aberdeen?

Miller may not be the player he once was, but he has still scored 40 goals in all competitions over the last three seasons and his trophy winning history could be a great benefit to the ambitious Dons.

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A difficult 2017/18 season is now behind him and if he made the move to Pittodrie, he would be very motivated to prove that Rangers were wrong to let him go so easily in such dramatic circumstances.

He will be turning 39 halfway through the season and there is no doubt that he will likely soon make the transition into coaching or management. For one more season though he has a lot to offer most Scottish Premiership teams, including Aberdeen.

To say Tottenham are on fire would be something of an understatement. 18 goals in their last six games gives them an average of three goals per game, and in that time they’ve conceded only three times.

Two of those goals, however, came in a home game against this weekend’s opponents Southampton on Boxing Day – though even then they were only consolation goals.

Interestingly, though, whilst the absence of number one goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is clearly a blow for Spurs, you might have said it was he who was at fault for those Saints strikes in December. His absence might negate that, but then again form is only temporary and the France captain is still one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League.

Biggest goal threat

At the other end, though, the big goal threat for Tottenham is obvious. Harry Kane is a man with a decidedly anti-Newtonian effect on the gravitational pull of any set of goalposts he’s in front of. Somehow, he can’t stop scoring – when he finds the net in a game, he does it more than once.

The last time he scored just a single goal in a game was in November, against Leicester City. Ten goals in his last five starts is testament to the prolificacy of one of Europe’s top strikers, and a man who is hunting down Alan Shearer’s all-time goalscoring record with all the relentless rage of Liam Neeson pursuing baddies.

On the other hand, Dele Alli’s record of five goals and four assists against Southampton in his short Spurs career might suggest that it’s not only Kane Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have to worry about.

Biggest fear

Spurs are a streaky kind of team in that, when they build up a head of steam it’s very difficult to stop them. We’ve seen over the last two years that when we get to the second half of the season, Tottenham are usually on the best form in the country.

That said, Mauricio Pochettino’s return to the south coast to face his former club is never an easy test, and it’s one with an added emotion. In football that often counts for more than you might originally think.

Without defeat in six games in all competitions, you’d expect Spurs to keep that up. But with Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Juventus coming up in successive games after the FA Cup fourth round next weekend, a blip here could send Pochettino’s side scrambling for form when they need it most.

Most likely formation

Ever since that thumping at the Etihad Stadium at the hands of Manchester City in mid-December – when Pochettino tried to add an extra central midfielder by playing Harry Winks and Christian Eriksen either side of Mousa Dembele. And the back three of the start of the season was seemingly ditched a long time ago, after a defeat to Leicester City in November.

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Toby Alderweireld is still injured – he could be back for this fixture, but perhaps with big games on the horizon rushing him back would be ill-advised – and that might mean a back four with two midfielders, a number ten and Harry Kane up front is still the most likely outcome in this game, too.

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Amongst the most decorated of players, dutch legend Patrick Kluivert has made his mark on the football world.

Representing seven clubs and scoring 149 goals in his storied career, Kluivert’s presence on the world stage rivals that of any.

Ahead of his Champions League twitter takeover tonight, we take a look at Kluivert’s five best Newcastle goals.

5. vs Fulham (May 4, 2005)

Kluivert’s goal in the the 62nd minute helped wrap up the 3-1 result for Newcastle. After Darren Ambrose opened the scoring, Kluivert doubled Newcastle’s lead when he latched on to Charles N’Zogbia’s corner kick, striking a low volley with his left foot into the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

4. vs Liverpool (December 19,2004)

Although he couldn’t prevent Newcastle from losing 3-1, Kluivert did restore some pride by taking his goal with a plumb after Lee Bowyer find him with a terrific pass. Kluivert made no mistake with his finish, stroking it past Pepe Reina.

3. vs Tottenham (March 13, 2005)

Having knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup a month earlier, Kluivert and Newcastle continued their run when they met Tottenham in the quarterfinals. After a mistake by Ledley King, Keiron Dyer’s ball fround Allan Shearer down the flank who cut back to an unmarked Kluivert to sweep home. The goal would serve to be the only goal in a pulsating match.

2. vs Chelsea (February 20, 2005)

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After just four minutes, underdogs Newcastle stunned Chelsea when Kluivert towered over Willam Gallas to meet Laurent Robert’s cross. It was only the second goal Chelsea had conceded in 12 games, and left the Blues stunned. It was the only goal in a match that Chelsea would finish the match with 9 men after a wild finish and Newcastle would advance to the quarterfinals.

1. vs Crystal Palace (November 20, 2004)

One of the coolest finishes you will ever see, as Kluivert’s delightful backheel helped Newcastle to a 2-0 victory over a resilient Crystal Palace. After a cagey affair, Kluivert broke the deadlock with just 11 minutes to play when he brilliantly met Craig Bellamy’s low cross with a back heel that slithered in the far post.

West Bromwich Albion striker Shane Long believes Steve Clarke has added a passing style to the resilience already at the club.

The Baggies became very difficult to beat under Roy Hodgson and questions were raised about how they would fare following Clarke’s arrival during the summer, but so far this season they have been in impressive form. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Midlands rivals Aston Villa kept West Brom flying high in sixth place, and Long believes Clarke deserves a great deal of credit. The Republic of Ireland international told Sky Sports:

“He has brought his own stamp on our football. Straight from the start it was all about passing football, and how he wants us to play. When he has an idea, he is able to put it across really well to the players. He has installed a bit of confidence in the lads to receive the ball in any situation and we are dealing with it pretty well. It is nice what you do in training every day comes onto the pitch on a Saturday and that has been the case so far this season. It’s enjoyable times at West Brom – good football to watch, good to play in and we are getting results at the end of it as well.”

Long believes there were further signs of progress at the weekend as Darren Bent’s equaliser denied West Brom all three points in a closely-fought derby. He added:

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“”It shows how far we have come as a team, to come to Villa Park in a big derby and leave disappointed with one point. It’s good for us a team to expect more from ourselves. If we put in performances like that for the rest of the season, we will go very far.”

Ajaz and Phillips combined for nine wickets to defend 146 despite Pant’s 64 off 57

Sidharth Monga03-Nov-20241:40

Is this the greatest Test upset of the 21st century?

New Zealand withstood the sublime genius of Rishabh Pant to enter uncharted territory: a whitewash of India in India in a series of three Tests or more. Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips combined for nine wickets to defend 146 despite Pant’s 64 off 57 that took them from 29 for 5 to 106 for 6. Ajaz ended up with an 11-wicket haul, becoming the most successful visiting bowler at a single Indian ground.Apart from poor batting, of course, India were also left looking at a contentious DRS call from the third umpire Paul Reiffel. Pant had all the momentum with India taking six singles and two boundaries in the first two overs after lunch, but New Zealand managed to get a decision overturned in what appeared a desperate review. Pant had padded up to Ajaz after being beaten in the air, was given not-out on a bat-pad catch, the third umpire on first viewing seemed to be ruling that the murmur of UltraEdge came from the bat on the pad. Eventually, though, a possible deflection after the sound signature convinced the third umpire to overrule the on-field call.Related

• Mitchell: 'We're just a bunch of Kiwis taking on the world'

• Rohit: I was not at my best as captain, and with the bat

Take nothing away from Ajaz, though. Born in Mumbai, representing New Zealand, having taken an all-10 on his previous trip, Ajaz was having an ordinary series when he came into the final Test. Even though he found his groove post lunch on day two, taking five wickets in the first innings, even though he had taken three early wickets in the second innings, he was playing a different Test against Pant.At the moment of the Pant wicket, Ajaz had bowled 167 balls to rest of India for 112 runs and nine wickets, but 41 balls to Pant had gone for 75 runs. Pant was in the middle of an audacious effort that defied the treacherous conditions, asked for by the team management and duly delivered to them.The problem with batting on such tracks is the vast margin for errors bowlers have. Even if you bowl a rank long hop, you can protect the boundaries with in-out fields because the ball comes off the pitch at varying pace. Pant’s genius lay in still managing to manipulate shots enough to beat the deep fielders. A swivel almost onto the stumps to hit squarer. A collapse onto the knee to sweep finer. Almost always sweeping himself off his feet to impart that extra bit of power. All this while maintaining an 84% control rate at lunch.When Pant was not on strike, though, Ajaz was unplayable. Ever since lunch on day two, he bowled perfect lengths and carried it into the second innings. He bowled on a good length, drawing forward-defence from the batters without letting them reach the pitch of the ball.Rishabh Pant wasn’t happy with the review that sent him back•BCCI

Shubman Gill left one alone without covering the line of off, leaving himself open to the vagaries of the pitch. The ball didn’t turn, and took the off stump out. Virat Kohli was a sitting duck as he defended and edged into the big mitts of Dary Mitchell at slip. Ravindra Jadeja, who earlier completed his third career 10-wicket match haul and added 42 with Pant, finally got one that turned too much and was caught at bat-pad. Only Sarfaraz Khan’s wicket was a gift because of the gremlins in the minds. His two-ball innings consisted of two premeditated sweeps to what were otherwise boundary balls. One a single, and the other a full toss helped straight into deep midwicket’s welcoming hands.The openers fell to Matt Henry and Phillips. Rohit Sharma seemed like he wanted to get ahead of New Zealand while the roller’s effect was still fresh after New Zealand refused to get the pitch rolled as their last wicket added three runs to the overnight lead of 143. Two boundaries came, but the third attempt was to a ball not short enough, and Phillips caught the top-edged pull at midwicket.Phillips, who has far exceeded expectations as the second spinner of the side, continued the good work by not bowling any bad balls, and was duly rewarded by trapping Yashasvi Jaiswal lbw on the forward-defence.Pant, though, was playing a different game. His first thought was a boundary, then running, and then defence. He opened his account with a flat six back over Ajaz’s head. That forced Ajaz to bowl quicker and shorter to him, getting India a set of two bye boundaries. His reverse-sweeping got rid of short fine leg, and benefitted him when he top-edged a sweep precisely there.After losing Jadeja, he found the boundary two times in the last two overs before lunch to bring up his fifty and leave India hopeful of a miracle. Post lunch, New Zealand sat back. Six singles in the first over. Two fours in the second. Then came the desperate review, which turned it around for New Zealand again.Tom Blundell found something to celebrate with a superb catch off the R Ashwin glove on the reverse-sweep. Phillips found a moment to celebrate all the hard work when he bowled Akash Deep through the gate. Fittingly, Ajaz ended it all as Washington Sundar tried to slog him with not many options left.

On the other hand, Pakistan have been super sharp with their catching and Agha Salman points out they’ve made fielding a priority

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jul-2023If not for Sri Lanka’s shoddy fielding, made to look even worse by Pakistan’s outstanding catching performance, the hosts might be on top in this match. This is how Sri Lanka’s assistant coach Naveed Nawaz felt at the end of day four, by which time Pakistan required only 83 more runs to win with seven wickets in hand.Sri Lanka still have an exceedingly slim chance of winning the game, thanks to a surface that seems likely to take significant turn on Thursday morning. But Pakistan’s excellent catching has meant that Sri Lanka have only 130 to defend.”I think fielding is the reason why we’re in this situation in this Test,” Nawaz said. “We dropped too many catches. We would have got them out for 300 in the first innings if we’d held our catches.”In the second innings a couple of half-chances went Pakistan’s way and they held on to it. That also had an impact on us. Fielding’s crucial and has always been crucial. It’s been disappointing, the standard of fielding we’ve displayed.”Related

• Pakistan end 365-day winless streak where they last won

• Dhananjaya and Jayasuriya give Sri Lanka a fighting chance

The most spectacular of Pakistan’s grabs was Abdullah Shafique’s one-handed take at short leg, to dismiss Sadeera Samarawickrama, in the second innings. As the batter had advanced down the track, Shafique also shuffled to his left – towards the bowler. But the chance came quickly off Samarawickrama’s bat, essentially wrong-footing him. Shafique reacted quickly, stayed low to the ground, and reeled in a ball that seemed to have passed him, only the tips of his right fingers making the initial contact.Beyond this, just on day four, Babar Azam took a sharp catch at slip, going quickly to his left to grab an edge off the bat of Angelo Mathews, which was also travelling fast. Later Imam-ul-Haq dived low to his left at short midwicket to get his fingertips under a chance from Dinesh Chandimal – the replays showing he’d plucked it centimetres from the turf.Imam had magicked up a wicket in the first innings as well, Samarawickrama the victim, again caught at short leg. This time the chance had gone high above Imam’s head, but he leapt up to snaffle it in the dying stages of the first day.After play on day four, Agha Salman said Pakistan had recently made fielding a priority.”We had camps before we came here, and our main focus was our fielding,” he said. “We prepared really well for it, and that’s paying off now. Catches win matches is something we’ve heard since I was a child. When you take these kinds of catches, it make a difference in the game.”Sri Lanka, meanwhile, had dropped Saud Shakeel twice during his 208 not out – both pretty straightforward chances. Nishan Madushka had grassed one at leg slip to reprieve Shakeel on 93. When Shakeel top-edged a slog sweep on 139, Mathews made good ground to get to it on the deep-midwicket boundary but shelled that catch as well.There was, in addition, the missed stumping of Naseem Shah in the first innings – Samarawickrama the culprit on that occasion. Shakeel and Shah would add another crucial 26 to their outstanding ninth-wicket stand before he was dismissed.

One win will put Super Giants within touching distance of the playoffs, while a defeat for KKR will all but eliminate them

Hemant Brar06-May-20222:50

Do Lucknow Super Giants have the most balanced XI in IPL 2022?

Big picture

Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders are two teams on opposite ends of the points table. Super Giants are currently second with 14 points from ten games. One more win and they will be within touching distance of the playoffs.Knight Riders are placed eighth with four wins from ten games. If they lose on Saturday, they will be all but out of the race.

Watch live in the USA

You can watch the match on ESPN+ in English and in Hindi.

In Super Giants’ last two games, they replaced a struggling Manish Pandey with a bowler. That gave Deepak Hooda a chance to bat at No. 3, where he notched up scores of 34 off 28 and 52 off 34.But with their middle order still underperforming, playing one batter fewer could also backfire, as it almost did against Punjab Kings before Dushmantha Chameera and Mohsin Khan rescued them with some lusty blows towards the end.Their bowling attack, though, is without any holes. They have the pace of Chameera, the left-arm angle of Mohsin, and the death-bowling skills of Avesh Khan and Jason Holder. When it comes to spin, Ravi Bishnoi’s fast legbreaks, sliders and googlies are there, as is an upgraded version of Krunal Pandya’s left-arm spin. While their batting has largely revolved around KL Rahul, six of their bowlers have picked up eight or more wickets in the tournament.Knight Riders put an end to their five-match losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals, but there is no end to their problems. Their openers haven’t fired. Their bowlers, with the exception of Sunil Narine, have had mixed returns. They have even dropped two of their retained players, Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy.However, if their bowlers can dismiss Rahul and Quinton de Kock early, they can surprise Super Giants, as a lot of other match-ups are in their favour.

In the news

Avesh didn’t play Super Giants’ last match as he had just recovered from a “small injury” and the franchise didn’t want him to play back-to-back games. But after a further gap of six days, he should be back in the XI on Saturday. If so, K Gowtham will have to miss out.Deepak Hooda and KL Rahul have given Lucknow Super Giants stability at the top•BCCI

Likely XIs

Lucknow Super Giants: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 KL Rahul (capt), 3 Deepak Hooda, 4 Marcus Stoinis, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Ayush Badoni, 7 Jason Holder, 8 Avesh Khan/K Gowtham, 9 Mohsin Khan, 10 Dushmantha Chameera, 11 Ravi BishnoiKolkata Knight Riders: 1 B Indrajith (wk), 2 Aaron Finch, 3 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 4 Nitish Rana, 5 Rinku Singh, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Anukul Roy, 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Tim Southee, 10 Umesh Yadav, 11 Shivam Mavi

Strategy punts

• Knight Riders can bowl Narine and Andre Russell in tandem against Super Giants’ middle order. Narine has dismissed Hooda twice in 20 balls while giving away only 19 runs. He has also troubled Marcus Stoinis (23 balls, 21 runs, one dismissal) and Pandya (24 balls, 25 runs, two dismissals). All combined, it’s 65 runs off 67 balls for five dismissals against those three batters.The real bogeyman for Stoinis, though, has been Russell. He has got Stoinis out three times in 19 balls while conceding only 12 runs. Jason Holder too has struggled against him, getting out four times in 18 balls for 21 runs. For Hooda, it’s one dismissal in ten balls for just four runs. The only Super Giants middle-order batter with a favourable match-up against Russell is Pandya, who has hit him for 32 runs off 22 balls for one dismissal.
• So far in IPL 2022, Holder has bowled across all three phases of the innings but against Knight Riders, Super Giants should avoid bowling him when Russell is out in the middle, as Russell has taken him for 42 runs off 24 balls for just one dismissal.

Stats that matter

• In each of the ten games in Pune, captains have opted to bowl after winning the toss. However, their teams won only three of those games.
• Among those who have bowled at least ten overs in the middle phase this season, Narine (5.00) has the best economy rate. Pandya is second on that list with 5.95.
• Rahul has taken Narine for 131 runs off 72 balls (strike rate 181.94) for two dismissals.
• So far, Knight Riders have tried five opening pairs, the most by any team in the competition, and their average opening stand of 14.40 is the worst in the tournament.