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About three months removed from surgery to repair a labrum tear in his left shoulder, an injury he suffered after a dislocation during Game 2 of the World Series, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani said Wednesday that he's still experiencing "discomfort" but that it's "not really debilitating."

"I do feel like there’s some discomfort that I have to still overcome, [but] it’s not really debilitating," Ohtani said through an interpreter, via . "Just a limited range of motion. I’ve gone through it with the elbow before. With the shoulder, it’s a little bit more complicated. I do believe that’s the part that I have to be patient with."

Ohtani's shoulder may not be 100 percent yet, but he certainly looked to be in MVP form while taking batting practice at the Dodgers' spring training site at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.

While Ohtani continues to recover from shoulder surgery, he's also gearing up for a return to the mound, as he hasn't pitched in a regular season game since August of 2023, after he underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear that September.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts on Wednesday said that Ohtani won't pitch when the club begins Cactus League play, but that he will see game action as the designated hitter. The plan is for Ohtani to begin pitching in regular season action come summertime.

Roberts added that, given that Ohtani will be returning to his two-way duties in '25, that the Dodgers may see fit to encourage him to steal fewer bases than the 59 he swiped this past season. Los Angeles's skipper also said he could look to give the reigning National League MVP some extra days off as well, via the .

Ohtani, for his part, said he'd like to play as much as possible but added that he'd heed the team's wishes.

"But if the team feels like I should get a break," Ohtani added through an interpreter, "I'll follow that."

Ohtani, in his first season in Los Angeles after signing a $700 million contract in December of '23, authored a campaign for the ages as a full-time hitter, becoming the first member of the 50-home run, 50-stolen base club while posting a robust .310/.390/.646 slash line in 159 games played. He then helped the Dodgers win the World Series against the New York Yankees.

He and the Dodgers will begin Cactus League play on Feb. 20. The club opens the '25 season in Tokyo, Japan against the Chicago Cubs on March 18.

Despite securing their first league win of the season last time out, Glasgow Rangers are still reportedly set to look at one particular candidate to replace Russell Martin.

Martin responds to Rangers fan backlash

Even after Max Aarons netted a last-gasp winner against Livingston, the travelling Rangers fans chanted against Martin. In their eyes, one win changes nothing. There’s still plenty of work for the Southampton manager to do before he gets his own supporters back onside. Whether he’ll earn the results or the time to do that is the big question.

After a disastrous start, the Gers have picked up two wins in their last three games and have the chance to secure back-to-back victories against SK Sturm Graz in the Europa League this Thursday.

The focus will then move straight back to the Scottish Premiership, when Rangers will play host to a struggling Falkirk in what is another must-win game.

For now, despite what the fans think, Martin believes he still has the faith of the players, having told reporters following Sunday’s win: “All I can say to that is… Hibs, and today in the first half is the best we’ve been. So it suggests to me that the players are desperate to do it and improve.”

Rangers star was "like the best of Zidane", now he's worse than Barron

This Rangers star who was once compared to Zinedine Zidane is now even worse than Connor Barron.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 30, 2025

That may not stop the 49ers from considering all their options, however. So far, their first managerial appointment in Scotland hasn’t exactly gone to plan and the likes of Kevin Thelwell are already reportedly set to look at one candidate who could arrive to replace Martin.

Rangers to "look at" Steven Gerrard

As the pressure persists on Martin, the 49ers and Rangers are set to “look at” Steven Gerrard, according to former scout Mick Brown. The former Liverpool midfielder endured an impressive spell as Gers boss from 2018 to 2021 and could now make an incredible return to replace Martin.

Brown told Football Insider: “Gerrard is always going to be one Rangers look at. He knows the club well, knows a lot of the staff and people around the place, and he was very well-liked by the fans when he was there as well, I’m sure the fans would love it if he came back.

“He did a good job during his time there, obviously won them the league and then got a move elsewhere which didn’t quite work out.

“I think he’s exactly the type of manager they need, because he’s somebody who the fans and the players can get behind and somebody who is going to push them forward.”

Gerrard is, of course, the last manager to win the Scottish Premiership at Rangers and dethrone Celtic, so a return wouldn’t be a bad idea for the 49ers. As for the 45-year-old, himself, he could certainly do with some managerial redemption after failed spells at Aston Villa and Al-Ettifaq.

Over the years, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side have not been short of superstars. Whether they are homegrown players, like Phil Foden, or brought in from other clubs, both in the Premier League and abroad, the Spaniard has certainly coached some big names.

Foden is certainly one of the players who could fit into that category, and fellow England international Raheem Sterling became one of the best players in the league under Guardiola. Of course, you have the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Ballon d’Or winner Rodri who joined from clubs across Europe, and helped bring success to East Manchester.

One of the latest players who falls into this category is certainly Erling Haaland.

Erling Haaland's current market value

The start that Haaland has made to the 2025/26 campaign has been astronomical. There has only been one game in the top flight in which he has not scored. He has completely dominated the Premier League this season.

Let’s look at that from a numerical point of view. The Norwegian forward has played nine games for City across all competitions, and already has 12 goals.

He’s found the back of the net nine times in seven Premier League appearances, with the other three coming in two Champions League games.

The City number nine has carried his imperious form over to the international arena, too. He’s scored nine goals for Norway this season, including back-to-back hat-tricks and five goals in a World Cup qualifier against Moldova.

Guardiola says Haaland’s form is “better than ever” this season, and it is easy to see why. His unstoppable run is also reflected in his current market value, with CIES Football Observatory deeming him to be worth as much as £208m.

However, the 25-year-old is not the only player in the Citizens squad who looks like a £100m talent in the making, reinforcing the fact that Guardiola’s side is still filled with superstars.

Man City star is looking like a £100m player

Haaland is, without doubt, City’s most important player this season. He’s scored nine of their 15 Premier League goals so far, so they would certainly be a lot lower in the table without him leading the line.

At the other end of the pitch, summer signing Gianluigi Donnarumma has made some extremely important contributions.

The Italian goalkeeper joined from Paris Saint-Germain at the back end of the window and has been crucial for Guardiola.

The shot-stopper, who lifted the Champions League with the Parisian side last season, has slotted seamlessly into his new club. Having played six games across all competitions, he’s kept three clean sheets and conceded just four goals.

Saves such as this one from Bryan Mbeumo’s effort show why he will be so important for City. Making his debut in a Manchester derby, the Italian was able to tip wide the Manchester United winger’s strike, which seemed destined for the bottom left corner.

His singing has been a big coup for City. Donnarumma’s consistency for PSG was clear to see with some of his numbers.

He regularly had a save rate in the 70s, with his highest coming in 2023/24, where it stood at 79.1%. In a City shirt, it’s currently at 66.7%.

2021/22 (PSG)

2.9

75.3%

2022/23 (PSG)

3.3

75.2%

2023/24 (PSG)

3.5

79.1%

2024/25 (PSG)

2.3

70.2%

2025/26 (Man City)

1.3

66.7%

One City page over on X, City Chief, said the Citizens have “got a £100m goalkeeper for £25m,” and it certainly feels that way based on Donnarumma’s start to the season.

He has been imperious between the posts for his new side, with his size, reflexes and the way he commands his box making it hard to score past him.

Football scout Antonio Mango once said the former AC Milan star was a “generational” talent. Well, all the evidence this season certainly makes it clear why that is the case. Just like Haaland, Donnarumma has been key to Guardiola in the early parts of the season.

Man City have signed the "best in the world" & he's a new Rodri-type player

Manchester City have a new Rodri-type player in their glittering ranks who is one of the world’s best.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 16, 2025

The search for Rangers’ next manager is heating up and, as such, a new name has reportedly emerged as the “favourite” to take the vacant role at Ibrox.

Rangers manager update

Some may still be in shock at Rangers that it’s not set to be Steven Gerrard in the dugout when domestic football returns. The Liverpool legend looked destined to return to Ibrox, before dealing the 49ers their latest blow. Forced back to the drawing board after their top candidate cited bad timing for rejecting the job, the new owners have quite the task on their hands.

Given that the Gers already sit as many as nine points behind Celtic and 11 behind unexpected leaders Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, to say that they can’t afford to get things wrong with their next appointment would be an understatement.

So far, similar names to the summer as well as some new faces have emerged as candidates. Danny Rohl, for example, has reportedly been discussed once again, whilst the likes of Graham Potter and Raphael Wicky have been mentioned for the first time.

It’s a case of choosing experience or youthful exuberance for those at Ibrox. Rohl would be an exciting choice, but not the safest option in current circumstances amid his inexperience. Potter, meanwhile, has the experience but would also be coming in off the back of failing at both West Ham United and Chelsea.

Other options include Hearts boss Derek McInnes. For Rangers, if they can’t match the league leaders, then hiring their manager may be their next best option. Former Ibrox star Kris Boyd believes the ship has sailed on that front, however.

It may also be none of those aforementioned options, with fresh reports now indicating that another name has emerged as the “favourite” to take the Rangers job.

Kevin Muscat now "favourite" for Rangers job

As reported by talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, Kevin Muscat is now emerging as the “favourite” for the Rangers job, overtaking Rohl in the process. The 52-year-old is currently in charge of Shanghai Port, but may yet be on his way to Scotland.

Whether the Gers wait until the Chinese Super League season concludes on November 22 or target the manager right away is the big question. After such a poor start to the campaign, the Gers could certainly do with an immediate boost, but the ball may be in Muscat’s court on that front.

It’s also not the first time that Muscat has been linked with a move to Rangers. In previous years, the likes of Philippe Clement have beaten him to the job, but this time could finally be different.

Having won the Australian league twice and the Australian cup with Melbourne Victory, the Japanese league and Japanese Super Cup with Yokohama Marinos, and the Chinese league and cup with Shanghai Port, Muscat has won everywhere he has been. Now, Rangers could be next.

Ibrox should love him: Rangers hold talks to hire "insanely talented boss"

Rangers have held talks with a manager who could get Ibrox rocking once again.

ByDan Emery Oct 14, 2025

The favourite for the job has also worked as Ange Postecoglou’s assistant with Australia in the past and may yet hand the Gers similar success that his compatriot gave the Bhoys.

Tottenham Hotspur travel to face Brighton & Hove Albion this afternoon, looking to continue their excellent start to life under new manager Thomas Frank.

The Dane has already won four of his first five games in charge of the Lilywhites, with the most recent victory coming against Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Other wins have come in the Premier League against Burnley, Manchester City and West Ham United – allowing the side to occupy a place in the top four after the first handful of outings.

However, this afternoon they will be coming up against Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who have yet to taste defeat on home soil, subsequently picking up four points out of a potential six.

If Frank’s men are to have any chance of securing another victory, he may have to unleash one talent who’s already demonstrated glimpses of his quality in the current campaign.

Why Frank must unleash Johnson v Brighton

Brennan Johnson has certainly had his doubters during his time at Spurs, but it’s safe to say that he’s produced the goods on a consistent basis over the past 12 months.

The Welshman, who joined in a £47.5m deal from Nottingham Forest, registered 18 goals across all competitions last season – including the winner in the Europa League final against Manchester United.

He also made an excellent start to 2025/26, scoring in each of his first two Premier League starts, before being dropped in the last two matches across all competitions.

Johnson has demonstrated that he has the goal-scoring prowess needed to win a game of football, something which will be vital against a solid Seagulls outfit.

However, he should be the only player recalled to the starting eleven, with one other Lilywhites talent deserving of a start after dropping to the bench in the Champions League.

The Spurs player who loves playing against Brighton

Over the last couple of years, Spurs have had somewhat of a torrid time facing Brighton, often being on the wrong end of numerous high-scoring encounters.

The two sides last met on the final day of last season, with the Lilywhites falling to a 4-1 defeat in North London just days after claiming Europa League glory in Bilbao.

Their last visit to the AMEX saw Ange Postecoglou’s side lose 3-2, that’s despite being two goals ahead at the break, thanks to goals from Johnson and James Maddison.

However, another defeat could be avoided by Frank if he unleashes loanee Joao Palhinha at the heart of the midfield on the South Coast once again this afternoon.

The Portuguese international joined the Lilywhites on a loan deal from Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window, offering a needed ball-winning presence in the middle of the park.

He’s started three league games to date, even scoring in the victory against Manchester City at the Etihad back at the end of October – in what was just the second league game of Frank’s tenure.

Out of possession, the 30-year-old has been just as impressive, winning 2.2 tackles per 90 and 7.8 duels per 90, often being the main player to regain the ball for the Lilywhites.

However, it’s his previous record against the Seagulls that could be another reason to start Palhinha, with the former Fulham star previously impressing against the Albion.

In his three matches against today’s opposition, the Portuguese international, who’s been labelled “incredible” by one analyst, he’s won two and drawn one, subsequently never losing a game against them.

He’s also previously netted a goal against the Seagulls, hopefully replicating such a record if he gets the nod and is recalled to Frank’s starting eleven this afternoon.

Palhinha’s early form in North London has showcased that he’s already been an excellent addition to the squad – potentially playing a vital role in any success in 2025/26.

He and Johnson are both deserving of a starting role once more, potentially able to help the side extend their phenomenal start to life under new boss, Frank.

Forget Simons: Spurs must rue selling their answer to Odegaard for only £8m

Tottenham Hotspur made a huge mistake in selling one player who has starred massively in recent years.

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Ethan Lamb

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Despite a rare failure, Sai Sudarshan remains second on the batters’ list

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-2025

Orange Cap leaderboardLucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) Nicholas Pooran stays on top of the run-scorers’ table, with 201 runs from four innings. He scored only 12 in his latest knock, against Mumbai Indians (MI). But before that, he got 75 from 30 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC), 70 from 26 against SRH, and 44 from 30 against Punjab Kings (PBKS).GT opener Sai Sudharsan is in second position after a rare failure against SRH – he scored 5 off nine balls. Before this, he had scored 49, 63 and 74. All up, he has 191 runs in four innings.Mitchell Marsh is at No. 3. He has 184 runs from four innings. There was a duck against PBKS, but Marsh scored a half-century every other time he walked out.1:31

Rayudu: Siraj’s comeback since India omission has been amazing

Purple Cap leaderboardNoor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner, continues to head the Purple Cap table with ten wickets from four games. His spell of 4 for 18 in CSK’s first game, agains MI, remains his best so far.DC’s Mitchell Starc, who picked up his maiden five-for in T20s, against SRH, remains second on the list with nine wickets in three games.GT’s Mohammed Siraj equalled Starc’s tally on Sunday night with his own IPL best, albeit he has played four games to Starc’s three. Siraj picked up 4 for 17 against SRH to hand them their four successive loss, and was named the Player of the Match.

England quick suffers another injury setback after Champions Trophy exertions

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Mar-2025

Mark Wood will miss four months of cricket following an operation on his left knee, effectively ruling the fast bowler out of England’s Test series against India this summer, while keeping him in the hunt for the Ashes this winter.The 35-year old underwent surgery on Wednesday morning in London after scans confirmed medial ligament damage, which came to the fore during England’s Champions Trophy group stage defeat to Afghanistan in Lahore at the end of last month.Wood was forced to leave the field after pulling up midway through his fourth over after experiencing “locking” in his knee. He returned 38 minutes later but could only bowl four of his remaining six before leaving the field for good. The Durham quick’s left knee was heavily strapped throughout the tournament, as it had been since the start of 2024.The timeframe for Wood’s recovery means it is highly unlikely he features in the five-match series against India, which begins at Headingley on June 20. A seamless rehabilitation could see him available for the final Test at the Kia Oval (starting July 31), with Durham’s County Championship fixture against Somerset (July 22) a potential return to competitive action. That round begins a day before the fourth Test at Emirates Old Trafford.At this juncture, the ECB believe Wood will be fully fit to tour Australia this winter. Speaking at Lord’s last week, men’s managing director Rob Key stated England will “work back from the Ashes” regarding decisions around the fast bowler’s fitness.”I’m gutted to be out for so long after representing England across all formats since the start of last year,” said Wood in a statement released on Thursday. “But I’ve got every confidence that I’ll be back firing on all cylinders now that I’ve been able to sort my knee out.”I want to thank the surgeon, the doctors, staff, my England teammates and coaches for their support – and, of course, our fans. I can’t wait to get back and contribute to what is going to be a huge 2025 for us as a team.”This latest setback joins a litany of previous injuries suffered by Wood since debuting for England in 2015. It is the eighth operation of his career, and his second in the last eight months alone, after an elbow stress fracture discovered last August kept him out of action for the rest of 2024.Though there is ample time ahead of this winter’s tour of Australia, England will be sweating on this latest hitch as far as their fast bowling stocks are concerned. Brydon Carse’s impressive winter was curtailed by a left toe injury, while there remains a degree of trepidation around Jofra Archer’s impending return to Test cricket despite strong showings off the back of his own series of injuries given he has not played a first-class match since May 2021. Josh Tongue’s appearance for England Lions against Australia A at the end of January was his first competitive outing since August 2023.Wood remains the standout of those quicks, and his recent record against Australia underlines how vital he is to Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in their pace-focussed quest to reclaim the urn for the first time since 2015.Wood was the sole bright spot during England last Ashes tour Down Under in 2021-22, with 17 wickets at 26.64 in a 4-0 loss, and took 14 at 20.21 in the drawn 2023 series having arrived with Australia 2-0 up. It was also against Australia in the recent Champions Trophy that Wood bowled England’s quickest ever ODI opening spell.McCullum leant on Wood after assuming control of the white-ball teams at the start of year, picking him for nine of his first 10 matches in charge before injury struck. Having blocked Wood from entering the IPL auction for the upcoming edition with a view to preserving him for the high-profile engagements of an India Test series and the Ashes, the ECB are likely to impose further restrictions on his workload moving forward.Though Wood’s central contract, which expires in October 2026, includes limited-overs cricket and has so far covered three tournaments (including the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2024 T20 World Cup), it seems unlikely he will feature in white-ball cricket for the remainder of this year.

New Liverpool signing Alexander Isak’s Anfield wage has already been shared as he jets off on international duty before his debut for the Reds.

Liverpool agree £130m deal to sign Alexander Isak

FSG have splashed the cash in the summer of 2025, breaking the club transfer record on two occasions. The first saw Florian Wirtz arrive from Bayer Leverkusen for a whopping £116m, but that has now been topped by a deal for Isak.

Liverpool signings

From

Fee

Alexander Isak

Newcastle United

£130m

Florian Wirtz

Bayer Leverkusen

£116m

Hugo Ekitike

Eintracht Frankfurt

£69m

Milos Kerkez

AFC Bournemouth

£40m

Jeremie Frimpong

Bayer Leverkusen

£29.5m

Giovanni Leoni

Parma

£26m

Armin Pecsi

Puskas Akademia

£1.5m

Freddie Woodman

Preston North End

Free

Will Wright

Salford City

£200k

In what has been the transfer saga of the summer, Isak, who has been on strike at Newcastle, will return to Anfield after his matches with Sweden in a deal worth a British record £130m.

The striker has signed a six-year deal on Merseyside until 2031, looking to fire Arne Slot’s side to constant glory.

Isak’s Liverpool salary has already been revealed

According to reports in August relayed by Give Me Sport, Isak’s Anfield salary has already been set in stone for some time. Picking up £120,000-a-week during his time at St James’ Park, the marquee signing, as to be expected, is on course for a bumper pay rise.

It is believed that Isak will collect £250,000-a-week with the Reds, taking his annual salary to £13m-a-year. Therefore, over his six-year contract, Isak is on course to earn a whopping £78m.

That will see him become Liverpool’s third-highest earner behind Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, with the Reds legends both penning extensions in 2025. Salah’s recent deal sees him collect £400,000-a-week, whereas star centre-back and club captain Van Dijk picks up £350,000-a-week.

Liverpool’s top 5 earners with expected Isak salary

Wage

Mohamed Salah

£400,000-a-week

Virgil van Dijk

£350,000-a-week

Alexander Isak

£250,000-a-week

Hugo Ekitike

£200,000-a-week

Florian Wirtz

£195,000-a-week

In terms of Isak’s Premier League striker rivals, he will collect more than Arsenal signing Viktor Gyokeres, on £200,000-a-week, but nowhere near as much as Erling Haaland, who is on £525,000-a-week with Manchester City.

Related All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)

How much each Premier League gaffer earns.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025

Liverpool will be hoping Isak can continue his free-scoring form in the Premier League at Anfield and end up proving to show everyone why they have spent a record sum on his services.

MatériaMais Notícias

Danilo será o responsável por comandar o Corinthians no clássico contra o Palmeiras, neste sábado (29), no Allianz Parque, pela terceira rodada do Campeonato Paulista. Técnico do sub-20 corintiano, ele foi o escolhido para ser o interino após o pedido de demissão de Cuca, na última quinta-feira (26).

O Dérbi, no entanto, deve ser o único jogo no qual o ex-meio-campista comandará a equipe profissional neste momento. O Timão quer anunciar o novo treinador o mais rápido possível e que ele dirija o time já nesta terça-feira (2), quando a equipe alvinegra enfrenta o Independiente del Valle, do Equador, pela fase de grupos da Libertadores. A direção corintiana tem negociação avançada com Mano Menezes, que atualmente está à frente do Internacional.

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Até o início desta tarde, Danilo não tinha sido informado que dirigiria a equipe principal. Ele, inclusive, comandou o treinamento da equipe sub-20. A informação chegou ao técnico poucas horas antes dele comandar a atividade dos profissionais no período da tarde. O observador técnico Mauro da Silva é quem o auxiliará. Remanejado para a função de auxiliar técnico permanente, Fernando Lázaro, que até a semana passada era o treinador efetivo do Corinthians, foi preservado pelo departamento de futebol.

No treinamento realizado na véspera do duelo diante do Palmeiras, Danilo realizou um trabalho tático e de bolas paradas, seguido de uma atividade de finalizações.

O Dérbi deste fim de semana será disputado no Allianz Parque. E na primeira vez que as duas equipes se enfrentaram na nova arena palmeirense, em 2015, o Timão levou a melhor, por 1 a 0, sendo o gol da vitória marcado justamente por Danilo.

Test cricket isn’t what it used to be, and India have kept pace with the times – think of the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh just recently. But while run rates have soared and batters are looking for more boundary-scoring opportunities, India head coach Gautam Gambhir believes adaptability is still the most crucial element.”We want to be that team which can score 400 in a day bat for two days to salvage a draw,” Gambhir said ahead of India’s first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru. “And you call that growth, you call that adaptability, you call that Test cricket. If you play only one way, then there is no growth.”I can’t talk about world cricket. Every team has their ideologies, their methods to play Test cricket. I can only talk about my team. If we are ever in such a situation where we have to bat for two days to draw a Test, we have players in the dressing room who can bat for two days. Ultimately, our first motive is to win a match and then if there is a situation where the team has to play for a draw, we have to keep those options open as well. That is the kind of Test cricket that we want to play.”Related

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As for the “high-risk, high-reward” approach, Gambhir was on board, and even doesn’t mind India getting bundled for 100 in the process as long as the batters play their natural games and take the game head-on – even in Test cricket.”Yeah, we want people to be aggressive, we want people to go out there and play their natural game. If they can play the natural game, if they can get 400-500 runs in a day, why not? We will play it that way – high-risk, high-reward; high-risk, high-failure,” Gambhir said. “There will be days when we’ll get bundled up for 100 but we’ll continue to back our players.”That’s how we want to play and that’s how we want to entertain the people of this country and, even in Test cricket, we want to keep the game going forward and get the results in whatever situation we are in.”India head into the three-match series against New Zealand high on confidence. They are on a six-game winning streak at home that dates back to February this year and are perched at the top of the World Test Championship (WTC) table.New Zealand, on the other hand, haven’t had the best of starts to their subcontinent trip. Their (non-WTC) Test against Afghanistan in Greater Noida was washed out before they were mowed down 2-0 in Sri Lanka. Add to that, New Zealand don’t have the greatest of records against spin in recent times and are currently placed sixth on the WTC table.”I think New Zealand is a completely different challenge,” Gambhir said. “We know that they’re a very, very good team. They’ve got some really high-quality players. They’ve got players who can hurt us. They’ve got players who can do the job for them as well. They keep fighting and we expect them to fight as well. So we respect them, but we don’t fear anyone.1:46

Can India prep for Australia tour in home Tests against New Zealand?

“I’ve said it many times that we will always respect every opposition. We want to be selfless. We want to try and play the game as hard as possible on the cricket field. Once the game is done, we want to be as humble as possible.”With 74.24% points, India are well placed for a third consecutive WTC final appearance, and while a series win here will not guarantee them a spot in the final, it will make things easier for them especially considering that they next take on Australia in a five-match series in Australia.”See, the first thing is that the World Test Championship is in June [2025]. And the second thing is that the Test match in Australia is on November 22. Right now, only New Zealand is on our mind and nothing else,” Gambhir said. “When you play international cricket, you don’t think about how to prepare for the five Test matches in the Australia series or how to prepare for the World Test Championship final. Right now, the most important thing is how to be ready on October 16 at 9.30am. That is more important because you don’t see ahead that far.”Whatever match you play for your country, you try to win it irrespective of who is the opposition and where that series will take place. Whether it is New Zealand or Australia, we will try to win our country in every match.”