Sharjah Warriorz have signed former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik for the upcoming season of the ILT20 in the UAE. Warriorz unveiled Karthik as a replacement for Sri Lanka wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis, ahead of the league’s first player auction on October 1.At Warriorz, Karthik, 40, will reunite with the big-hitting Tim David with whom he had won IPL 2025 though as a batting coach and mentor at Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).”I am very excited to be joining the Sharjah Warriorz team for the DP World ILT20 tournament,” Karthik said in a statement. “I know they are a young team, aspiring to do some special things, and I am happy to be here. Sharjah is also one of those iconic stadiums one always wants to play at. And to be a part of the franchise Sharjah Warriorz, makes a dream come true.”Related

• R Ashwin goes unsold in inaugural ILT20 player auction

• ILT20 games in future seasons could be held in Saudi Arabia

• Will Ashwin be the most expensive buy at inaugural ILT20 auction?

• ILT20: Powell, Ghazanfar retained; Hales, Livingstone among new signings

Warriorz head coach JP Duminy welcomed Karthik into their set-up. “Dinesh Karthik is one of the most experienced hands and an incredibly innovative mind when it comes to T20 cricket, and I am chuffed to have him in our corner,” Duminy said. “The whole world has seen what he is capable of with the bat, and his explosive batting, dynamic personality, and immense experience will surely benefit the younger players significantly during the course of the tournament. I look forward to working with him closely.”This will be Karthik’s fourth stint as a player in franchise cricket outside of the IPL after being part of Bangla Tigers in the 2024 Abu Dhabi T10, Southern Superstars in the 2024 Legends League, and Paarl Royals in the 2025 SA20. Karthik forayed into the global franchise circuit after retiring from Indian and international cricket in June 2024.Dinesh Karthik represented Paarl Royals in the 2025 SA20•SA20

Karthik brings with him a wealth of T20 experience: he has played 412 matches so far, scoring 7537 runs at an average of 27.01 and strike rate of 136.66. In the IPL, he played for six teams, which included leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). He also was among the fittest players in the IPL, having missed just two matches across 17 seasons.In the upcoming season of the ILT20, Karthik could play with or against R Ashwin, his former India and Tamil Nadu team-mate. Ashwin has entered the ILT20 auction with the highest base price – the only player at the auction with a base price in six figures.With LPL 2025 set to clash with the ILT20, Mendis has pulled out along with allrounder Dasun Shanaka, who was earlier retained by defending champions Dubai Capitals.

Eddie Howe is now set to be without one of his Newcastle United mainstays following another injury blow, according to recent reports.

Howe admits he needs "to think" about Pope decision

Defeat against Marseille in midweek was a setback, but Newcastle have the chance to at least make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League against Everton this weekend. The Magpies were excellent against Manchester City last week and will be desperate to commence a domestic resurgence.

If they are to do that, however, then Howe may have a big decision to make regarding his starting goalkeeper. Following yet another mistake from Nick Pope in midweek, many have been calling for the Newcastle boss to turn to Aaron Ramsdale and the Newcastle boss has now had his say.

Since signing Ramsdale from Southampton in a deal worth £27m in the summer, the Magpies have handed the shot-stopper just one appearance in the Premier League, which came from the bench following Pope’s injury against Brentford.

Now, however, the England international could finally get the chance he’s been waiting for following one mistake too many from Newcastle’s No.1.

He won’t be the only defensive change if he comes in, either. Newcastle will be without Kieran Trippier against Everton this weekend after he picked up an untimely injury.

Kieran Trippier set for spell on Newcastle sidelines

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Trippier will now miss the next four weeks of action after suffering a hamstring injury. The Newcastle mainstay has started eight of 12 Premier League games this season, but will now miss his side’s next seven fixtures in all competitions as the chaos of festive football arrives.

Everton vs Newcastle

29/11/2025

Premier League

Newcastle vs Tottenham

02/12/2025

Premier League

Newcastle vs Burnley

06/12/2025

Premier League

Bayer Leverkusen vs Newcastle

10/12/2025

UCL

Sunderland vs Newcastle

14/12/2025

Premier League

Newcastle vs Fulham

17/12/2025

EFL Cup

Newcastle vs Chelsea

20/12/2025

Premier League

The biggest of those seven games will undoubtedly be the Tyne-Wear derby in December. It’s the first time that Newcastle and Sunderland will meet in the Premier League since 2017, but the Magpies will be without one of their most experienced men.

Howe tells Newcastle chiefs to sign "composed" Serie A star after scouting mission

The Newcastle boss has set his sights on a midfield target.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 27, 2025

Dubbed “incredible” by Howe last season, Trippier is still one of the leaders in the Newcastle dressing room and has done well to keep hold of his place at times, but will now ultimately miss a crucial stage of the campaign.

Bigger liability than Pope: Howe must finally bin Newcastle "legend"

South Africa could have been in a better position had they not dropped four clear chances

Firdose Moonda20-Oct-2025The calendar has moved forward a week from the Lahore Test, but you’d be forgiven for thinking the clock has stopped. In an almost exact replica of day one at Gaddafi Stadium, Pakistan established a position of control in Pindi, moving to 259 for 5, after choosing to bat on a surface that is already tough, and will get tougher.The major difficulty, at this stage, is the lifelessness of the track, which is not offering significant spin (yet) but there have been signs of deliveries keeping low. South Africa also benefited from reverse swing with the older ball. Pakistan’s top and middle order navigated the challenges well, albeit not quickly. Their scoring rate remained under three an over as they batted conservatively and will be happy to have only lost five wickets on a day where many more could have gone down.South Africa put down four clear chances: Abdullah Shafique on 0, 15 and 41, on his way to a sixth Test half-century, and Shan Masood on 71 but also created several others. They found the edge several times with balls falling short of the slips or short leg on at least seven other occasions and will know they could have Pakistan in a much tighter spot.Their innings was built largely on the 111-run second-wicket stand between Shafique and Masood, and Masood went on to top score on 87. Saud Shakeel added a handy 42 and remained unbeaten overnight.Keshav Maharaj was South Africa’s most effective bowler•AFP/Getty Images

South Africa should have had a wicket in the first over when Kagiso Rabada found Shafique’s outside edge, but Tristan Stubbs at third slip dropped the chance. Shafique immediately got his revenge as he pushed the ball past point for the innings’ first boundary. Rabada then also found Imam-ul-Haq’s edge twice, but both fell short of the cordon.Left-armer Marco Jansen shared the new ball and beat Shafique’s inside edge as the ball touched the stumps but did not dislodge the bails. Another early opportunity went down when Shafique got a leading edge back to Keshav Maharaj, but he could not hold on to the return catch. In his next over, Maharaj spun the ball away from Shafique and found the edge, but the chance did not carry.Just as South Africa may have wondered if anything was going to go their way, Simon Harmer’s third delivery turned past Imam’s outside edge and bowled him. Harmer then almost had Masood caught at short-leg but the ball didn’t carry to Tony de Zorzi.With all that was happening, Pakistan’s progress was sedate for the first 16 overs, in which they only managed a scoring rate a shave about 2.5 runs an over. By the start of the 17th, Masood had enough – he charged down the track to hit Harmer for six at the start of his next two overs, and then meted out similar treatment to Senuran Muthusamy.Abdullah Shafique scored a half-century as well•AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan went to lunch on 95 for 1 and progressed slowly but steadily in the afternoon. Shafique continued to provide chances when he came forward to defend against Maharaj, and got an edge which deflected off Kyle Verreynne’s gloves to Aiden Markram at slip. Markram went left instead of right. By the time he readjusted, he was not able to hold on. Riding his luck, Shafique got to a patient fifty off 120 balls, but would only add seven more runs before he followed Harmer down leg and got a fine edge through to Verreynne.Babar Azam announced himself when he smashed Harmer through the covers but almost lost Masood the over later. The Pakistan captain was on 71 when he swept Maharaj to Muthusamy at short fine. He had to make some ground to his right and was in an awkward position trying to take a two-handed catch and put it down. With Babar spanking another two poor balls for fours, South Africa’s desperation grew and they decided to review a Maharaj lbw shout against him. Babar had come forward to defend and the ball seemed close to the bat, which was confirmed on UltraEdge.After four drops and four more that didn’t carry, South Africa’s moment of magic came. Babar lunged forward to defend the last ball of Maharaj’s over and the ball lobbed up in the air. De Zorzi, at silly mid-off, dived one-handed to his right and took the catch inches off the turf. Pakistan were 177 for 3 at tea.Markam bowled himself for an over before the break and three after, raising questions over why Muthusamy was being so sparingly used before Maharaj took over. The first ten overs after tea brought 31, largely untroubled runs, before Jansen was given a 72-over old ball and a license to see what it could do. He found reverse swing and beat Saud Shakeel several times and there was growing anxiousness among the batters. Masood, in search of his century, tried to sweep Maharaj over square leg but top-edged to Jansen.Jansen could have had Mohammad Rizwan three overs before the second new ball was due, but the edge fell short of Harmer at wide slip. Muthusamy finally returned in the 80th over and South Africa did not take the second new ball until the 85th, when it worked for them. Rabada, with his fifth ball, jagged one back in and hit Rizwan on the knee roll. Shakeel and Salman Agha took Pakistan to the close on a day when 91 overs were bowled in the scheduled time.

The word coming from FSG’s camp is that Arne Slot’s position as Liverpool’s head coach is not immediately under threat.

However, the owners who watched as Liverpool dominantly conquered the Premier League last season are now staring down the barrel of a gun regarding the Dutchman’s future at the helm, with nine losses from 12 matches in all competitions an inexplicable slide in form.

Liverpool’s crisis of confidence has left their title defence in tatters, and Slot is now facing a fight to save his position at Anfield, with the upcoming run of league fixtures – West Ham United, Sunderland, Leeds United – over the next week sure to shape the narrative and whether this rut deepens.

FSG might feel that Liverpool’s title-winning boss still has some credit in the bank, but that will change if things don’t improve, and sporting director Richard Hughes has already compiled a list of potential replacements.

Hughes begins search for Slot successor

While Liverpool are not ready to pull the trigger, they would be remiss not to sound out a few options in the event that things continue to deteriorate on Merseyside.

Earlier this week, Spanish sources suggested Jurgen Klopp is back in the mix as Hughes looks for solutions, but this would not be the right path to travel back down. The legendary German departed Liverpool in 2024 after admitting he was tired from so many taxing years at the top.

However, the Reds might choose to move for another manager who is established as one of the best in the business, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique emerging as a contender.

Enrique, 55, was the man behind PSG’s incredible quadruple-winning 2024/25 season, previously reaping riches with Barcelona, and reports – via The Mirror – believe Liverpool have made him their long-term priority in the event of Slot’s dismissal.

The suggestion is that conversations have been held at boardroom level at Anfield, amid fears over whether Slot has lost the dressing room, hence why Enrique could be lined up as a potential successor.

Why Enrique could be perfect for Liverpool

Some critical observers would suggest that Liverpool started foundering after PSG knocked Slot out of the Champions League in the last 16. Certainly, the English side petered out as the season entered the business stretch.

An experienced and decorated manager, Enrique has been hailed as “the best manager in the world” by French journalist Julien Laurens for reaching unprecedented heights with PSG, creating a stable and multi-faceted attacking outfit that was practically invincible last season.

His fluid philosophy could be attracting Hughes’ interest. Enrique employs a 4-3-3 formation, but he’s experimental with his ideas, utilising full-back width and clever passing patterns in the build-up.

This could give rise to the qualities of Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz, but Alexander Isak might benefit most from this potential managerial switch.

Enrique’s teams score goals. Moreover, they do so with style. Ousmane Dembele would certainly attest to that.

The current crisis makes it easy to forget that Isak is one of the deadliest strikers of his generation, and Enrique’s acumen would surely see a system wrought to accommodate the 26-year-old’s qualities.

Isak looks a world away from that world-class striker who tore English football apart at St. James’ Park, but, as with several other summer recruits, he has struggled to adapt in a dysfunctional team.

Liverpool are hardly a hothouse for player growth at the moment, but that is why Enrique could be such an interesting pick.

They are hardly carbon copies, but Isak and Dembele share a likeness, and, considering this, Enrique could reshape the Swedish striker into a free-scoring superstar.

Goals scored

1.08

0.72

Assists

0.32

0.19

Shots taken

4.69

2.91

Touches (att pen)

7.94

5.93

Shot-creating actions

6.02

2.91

Pass completion

80.2

74.7

Progressive passes

7.46

3.25

Progressive carries

5.94

2.72

Successful take-ons

1.80

1.44

Ball recoveries

1.36

1.81

Tackles + interceptions

0.68

0.57

While it might look like Isak pales in comparison to the 2025 Ballon d’Or recipient, different factors need to be considered. Isak plays in an ostensibly tougher league and was considered to be “the best striker” in England last season, as was said by pundit Jamie Carragher.

If anything, this bears testament to Enrique’s tactical prowess, and given the natural stylistic similarities, it could be the perfect move to finally unlock the latent qualities of Liverpool’s star striker.

He's like Semenyo: Liverpool to bid £105m for "world-class" Gakpo upgrade

Liverpool are gearing up to sign a left-sided forward in the transfer market this winter.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 28, 2025

Eight matches into his Rangers tenure, is Danny Röhl any closer to figuring out which players he can trust and who he cannot?

On Thursday night, the Gers were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man Braga at Ibrox, despite taking the lead through James Tavernier’s spot-kick in first half stoppage time; the fact that only 38,014 spectators were in attendance encapsulates the mood.

So, with just one point on the board after five games, a frankly pitiful effort, unless they somehow manage to beat Ferencváros, Ludogorets Razgrad and then Porto, which seems unlikely if we’re being honest, the Gers’ Europa League adventure will be coming to a premature end in January, having got all the way to last season’s quarter-finals.

This will allow them to concentrate on domestic matters, which may be a good thing, given that they’ve slipped down to fifth in the Premiership table, despite having won all four league matches since Röhl’s arrival in Glasgow.

So, ahead of a visit from Falkirk, who would actually leapfrog their hosts with a shock victory at Ibrox on Sunday, what changes should the German head coach make?

Youssef Chermiti's uninspiring form

Back on Monday, it was announced that both chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell had been sacked, after overseeing a chaotic summer of recruitment, with the £8m, potentially rising to £10m, paid to sign Youssef Chermiti among the more egregious and baffling of their decisions.

So far, he has scored just one goal for the club, on target against Kilmarnock last month, already surpassing his tally of zero goals during two seasons at Everton, also brought to Merseyside by Thelwell for £14m when he was working at Goodison.

Aside from his lack of goals, the striker simply isn’t offering enough, often allowing matches to pass him by and putting in anonymous performances.

Following this week’s draw with Braga, Mark Atkinson of the Scotsman asserted that he is driving supporters ‘demented’, adding that he ‘spurned a couple of presentable’ opportunities and is so far proving to be a mere baffling expensive purchase.

So, ahead of a sequence of three Premiership matches in seven days, facing Falkirk, Dundee United and then Kilmarnock, Chermiti should be stood down and Röhl must instead deploy the “best player in the league” up front.

Rangers' superior Chermiti alternative

Of the 13 players Rangers signed in the summer, many are young and inexperienced, hoping to grow and improve in the coming years, but Bojan Miovski was supposed to be a ready-made starter, brought in to produce right away.

The 26-year-old, returning to Scottish football after a season at Girona, is a proven goalscorer at both club and international level, bagging his ninth goal for North Macedonia against Wales at the Cardiff City Stadium earlier this month.

Meantime, at club level, prior to his season in Catalonia, he had been outstanding during two years at Aberdeen, as the table below documents.

Appearances

98

Goals

44

European goals

4

Goals vs Rangers

4

Goals vs Celtic

3

Shots on target per 90

1.1

Big chances missed

31

Average rating

6.9

As the table makes clear, Miovski was an elite-level finisher during his time at Pittodrie, scoring 32 Premiership goals, while his strike rate in Europe as well as against the two Glasgow giants underlines his quality.

Then-teammate Nicky Devlin asserted that Miovski was “the best player in the league in his position”, firing the Dons to a third place finish in 2022/23, before being sold for £6.8m, the Dons’ record outgoing transfer.

However, we are yet to see very much of that from Miovski in a Rangers jersey, scoring his first goal for the club against Hibs in the League Cup, while his only Premiership goal came at Falkirk Stadium in October, the day Russell Martin was sacked.

Since the appointment of Röhl, the North Macedonian has featured in all eight matches but has started just once, this coming at Dens Park before the international break, substituted at half time with the Light Blues leading Dundee 2-0.

So, for whatever reason, the German head coach appears to favour Chermiti and Danilo, despite the fact that Miovski is a proven goalscorer at both Premiership and European level, something this team desperately needs given that, 26 matches into this campaign, Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama are the only squad members who have four or more goals to their name.

Thus, when Falkirk visit Ibrox this weekend, surely Röhl has to bring Miovski back into his XI, ditching the ineffective Chermiti, with the former looking to net as he did against the Bairns once again, just as he did in Stirlingshire just last month.

Not just Djiga: Thelwell flop who lost ball 17x looks finished at Rangers

Rangers’ wait for a first Europa League victory goes on, held to a 1-1 draw by Braga at Ibrox, and a summer signing was just as bad as Nasser Djiga.

ByBen Gray Nov 28, 2025

The format of the WTC discourages defensive cricket, and that has made Test matches look and feel very different to what they were – the story in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli07-Jun-2025In November 2015, South Africa lost an away Test series for the first time in nearly a decade when they went 2-0 down after three of the four Tests in India.In the final Test, a dead rubber in Delhi, South Africa focused solely on playing for a draw instead of trying to get a consolation win when set a target of 481 in five full sessions. To achieve that, they scored 143 runs in 143.1 overs. They were on track for the longest time, but then lost their last five wickets in just 31 balls after tea on the final day. Morne Morkel was the fastest scorer with a strike rate of 33.33.No team in the 152-year history of Test cricket has gone that long while scoring as slowly.Fast forward ten years, and teams have a solid reason to do what South Africa tried to do in Delhi. You get four crucial points to help your cause on the World Test Championship (WTC) table, after all, and prevent the opposition from claiming the full 12 points.Except, no one seems to be thinking that. There were only four draws in the WTC cycle which will have it’s winner at Lord’s in just over a week’s time.