The allrounder will be available for selection for their first Super Four match against Bangladesh on Saturday

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Sep-2025

Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage rejoined* the squad at the Asia Cup on Saturday morning after having returned home following the death of his father Suranga Wellalage on Thursday. Sri Lanka Cricket said he will be available for selection for Sri Lanka’s first match in the Super Four round on Saturday evening, against Bangladesh in Dubai.He was accompanied on his journey from the UAE to Sri Lanka and back by team manager Mahinda Halangode.Suranga Wellalage died on September 18, the same day that his son Dunith played in the Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi. Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father’s death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.The match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage’s fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He took figures of 1 for 49 and did not bat. Wellalage has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.After Saturday’s fixture against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka’s next two Super Four games are against Pakistan on September 23 and India on September 26.

Leeds United boss Daniel Farke is coming under increasing pressure after his side moved closer to the relegation zone, and Brendan Rodgers is now a contender to take over at Elland Road.

Despite a decent start to the Premier League campaign, the Whites have begun to feel the reality of how difficult it is to claim a regular stream of results in the top-flight as other clubs begin to get their act together after indifferent performances.

Nottingham Forest fit that bracket and took Leeds apart last weekend at the City Ground, leaving the Yorkshire outfit one point above West Ham United and two above the Tricky Trees, who are beginning to show signs of life under Sean Dyche.

With pressure mounting on Farke to deliver results, he responded post-match by indicating that his side have to be better when it comes to fine margins, something that can so often determine whether newly-promoted sides are able to stay in the top division.

He told BBC Sport: “Football games on this level are decided with small details. We have to make sure we are more switched on. We concentrate on the things we can influence and should have defended the cross situation. It was crucial.

“We didn’t follow their full-back and that can happen, but not after we’ve just celebrated. We lost two 50/50 duels, and then the cross comes in. We could have defended the situation more competitively.”

Journalist Graham Smyth labelled the Whites’ performance “desperately poor” and some supporters are now at the point of demanding change at Elland Road.

In that case, who could come in to replace Farke at Leeds? Ian Ladyman has let slip one potential contender that could come to the forefront if that scenario were to take place.

Leeds could replace Daniel Farke with Brendan Rodgers

According to Daily Mail football editor Ladyman, Leeds could replace Farke with former Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers after he left the Scottish champions following a public fallout with Dermot Desmond last month.

Suggesting that the Irishman may well be a candidate to take over at Elland Road, he explained: “Now we are eleven games in and Leeds are on a bit of a sticky run with only win in six and games against Aston Villa, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool to come the other side of the international break.

How has Brendan Rodgers fared in the Premier League?

Matches

302

Wins

139

Draws

71

Losses

102

Points claimed

488

“Farke doesn’t deserve the sack, far from it. But that doesn’t mean he won’t get it. And the moment Brendan Rodgers left Celtic a couple of weeks ago, every manager in the lower half of the Premier League became a little more vulnerable.”

Intriguingly, he averaged over two points per game in his second spell at Celtic, adding another two Scottish Premiership titles, a Scottish Cup and a Premier Sports Cup to his haul of 11 trophies while in Glasgow.

Leeds could sign a talented Championship star in January

Of course, his time at Liverpool and Leicester City is still fresh in the memory, and the Carnlough native may be the sensible choice to replace Farke at Leeds due to his ability to turn the tide via his man-management skills.

In a high-pressure situation, with every chance that the execution could go awry, Avesh Khan backed himself to nail yorker after inch-perfect yorker to win LSG the game

Sidharth Monga19-Apr-20251:57

Boucher: It was a fantastic last over from Avesh

In a twist of fate, the protagonists of the only tied match in IPL 2025 found themselves in near-identical situations against two other teams on the same day, only two days removed from the thriller they played out.On Wednesday night, when Mitchell Starc started the final over, Rajasthan Royals (RR) needed nine runs to win. Two specialist batters, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel, were at the wicket. With the ball reversing a touch, Starc went on to nail his yorkers, forced a tie, and then won the Super Over, thanks in part to some helter-skelter running between the wickets featuring Hetmyer and Jurel both in regulation and in extra time.Late Sunday evening, Starc again found himself bowling the last over with Gujarat Titans (GT) needing ten runs to win. He missed the first yorker narrowly, and Rahul Tewatia flicked him over midwicket for a six. The next yorker was accurate, but it took the inside edge past short fine to end the game in two balls. Starc doesn’t need reminding, but within three days, cricket made apparent its fickle nature.Related

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14-year old Vaibhav Suryavanshi kicks off IPL career with first-ball six

Jurel and Hetmyer would have hoped for a change in fortunes of equal proportions when confronted with the eerie requirement of nine runs in the last over for a second straight match. Yet again, they came up against a bowler who likes going for the yorker. You can hardly ever nail them all, but Avesh Khan did just enough to leave RR heartbroken once again. When Hetmyer did manufacture a powerful flick to a near yorker, he found to perfection the one fielder at short fine. This was a bluff ball on the stumps; the field was set deep on the off side, and this would certainly have been four had Hetmyer hit it even six feet either side.Avesh continued to only try the yorker, and managed to prevail in the end. Even for him, it was a twist of fate on the same night. His night began with getting smacked for a six by a 14-year-old kid the first time he bowled to him. His first over went for 13. Then they kept his three overs for the last five. With only 46 required off these five overs, it was largely on Avesh to make sure he got to bowl all three of his remaining overs.To those who bemoan the low number of yorkers attempted by bowlers, the 16th over is a great explanation. Avesh tried six yorkers, nailed two, missed two narrowly, and missed two others a little more than narrowly. He went for 13. When he began the 18th over, RR needed just 25 with eight wickets in hand.3:09

Rayudu: RR panicked under pressure

It should not come as a surprise that Avesh stuck with the yorker. Since 2021, only Jasprit Bumrah, with 137, has nailed more yorkers than Avesh’s 126 in the IPL. Even Bumrah tends to trust the yorker less at the death. Avesh has executed 88 yorkers at the death in the same period, Bumrah only 76.Here’s why bowlers don’t try yorkers as often as some of the followers of the game would like them to. Assuming nobody means to bowl a half-volley or a full toss, and that those lengths are attempted yorkers, Avesh gets only one in four right overall, and 30% of his attempts at the death. For Bumrah, these numbers are 30% overall and 33% at the death. And when you miss the yorker, you end up bowling the two most hittable lengths.Then again, there are yorkers, and there are . The quality of hitting and the fielding restrictions that allow only four fielders on the boundary make the line of the yorker crucial too. Famously, in the final of IPL 2023, Mohit Sharma got almost every yorker right with the wet ball, brought it down to ten off two, missed the first and then went too straight with the last one.Avesh Khan is pumped after flattening Yashasvi Jaiswal’s poles•BCCITo Avesh, it is simple. He said after the match that he is clear about the line he wants to bowl, one that corresponds with his field. But if the batter started moving around, he looked to go to the base of the middle stump. That’s exactly what happened, and brought him the three wickets of the three best batters in the RR line-up. Yashasvi Jaiswal backed away, and was bowled. Riyan Parag looked to ramp, and was lbw. Hetmyer saw the field for the wide yorker, shuffled across, still managed to time the flick, but Avesh had luck on his side on the day.”I only focus on the execution at the time,” Avesh said. “When we watch from the outside, even us, we feel the tension; but when I am playing, I never feel that tension that I will go for a six or a four. I just focus on the execution: just back 100% whatever ball I have decided to bowl. Mostly it is the yorker, even if it is 15 required or 20 required. I back myself on the yorker, and that is very important in the IPL.”When you focus completely on the match, you focus only where you want to bowl. Not that you want to get the wicket this ball or you want to make the batter defend or you want to bowl a dot ball. The moment I saw him [Hetmyer] shuffle to off, I bowled the stump line, and luckily it went to hand because he was the only fielder there.”This is valuable wisdom that can only come from someone who has done this job regularly in high-pressure situations for long enough to understand that you can’t let the results define you because they don’t always correspond to your planning and execution in this format.

Harvey Barnes is open to switching his international allegiance from England to Scotland. The Newcastle United winger was capped for the Three Lions in 2020, however, he remains eligible for Steve Clarke's World Cup qualifiers through his Scottish grandparents. Barnes sole England appearance came in a friendly against Wales, meaning he can represent the Tartan Army under FIFA rules.

• Barnes' on-and-off flirtation with Scotland

  The 27-year-old has flirted with Scottish football for the past few years, prompting Clark to pursue talks with the winger in the early days of his tenure. 

  While the former Leicester City winger has enjoyed successful spells since his international debut, he has been unable to carve out a place in Gareth Southgate or Thomas Tuchel's squad. Barnes represented England 14 times at youth level; his sole senior cap came in a 14-minute cameo against Wales in October 2020. 

  With Scotland qualifying for their first World Cup in 28 years, the idea of Barnes switching allegiances was put to him once again. While he admitted he hasn't given it much thought, Barnes refused to close the door on playing in front of the Tartan Army.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Scotland switch is 'not off the table'

  Barnes was speaking to earlier this week. When asked if he had ruled out changing his international allegiance, Barnes said: "No, no, of course it's not [off the table].

  "I've obviously played for England and I know the eligibility side's still there. So, it's hard to say either way but there's been no real chats or any sort of progression in that sense."

  That non-committal answer will do little to prompt Scotland boss Clarke to go banging down Barnes' door. The former West Brom and Reading manager last spoke on Barnes eligibility in 2023, where he revealed he had made comment with the player to discuss his international future. 

  He said: "I am not going to say I haven't spoken to Harvey, because I have. But that was a long time ago. I haven't heard from him since. The next phone call won't be from me."

• Barnes could become first man to switch allegiance from England to Scotland

  If Barnes does decide to switch his allegiance from Wembley to Hampden, he would be the first men's player to appear for Scotland after earning a senior England cap. 

  Former Everton and Manchester City goalkeeper Sandy MacIver chose to represent Scotland after appearing in a friendly for the Lionesses in 2021. Now turning out in the NWSL for the Washington Spirit, MacIver has made five appearances for Scotland since making her debut in 2023.

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• What would Barnes bring to Scotland?

  Scottish football is riding an unbelievable high in the aftermath of their scintillating 4-2 win over Denmark earlier this week. That famous win secured Clarke's side a spot in next summer's World Cup; competition for spots in his final squad will be fierce as proud Scottish players fight for the rare opportunity to represent their country on the biggest stage.

  The wide men were highly influential in the crucial qualifying victory, with Ben Gannon-Doak setting up Scott McTominay's overhead kick, and Kyle McClean sending Hampden Park into raptures with his last minute effort from the halfway line. Captain John McGinn typically operates from the left flank for Clarke's side, meaning starting options for Barnes could be be limited; especially when you consider the manager's loyalty to his squad. The starting XI against Denmark held more than 600 caps between them. Would those battle-hardened veterans of this side be happy to lose their spot to a player that has flirted with the idea of joining them for the best part of five years? 

  However, the Newcastle winger could be an attractive squad option. The 27-year-old has been a consistent Premier League operator since making his debut for Leicester City back in the 2017-18 season. With four goals and two assists in limited game time for the Magpies this season, the Scottish FA may well pursue Barnes one last time, to help their heroic side fire on all cylinders in North America next summer. 

Manchester United have kept their unbeaten run going by the skin of their teeth. The Red Devils drew 2-2 away to Tottenham Hotspur, and it took a late goal from Matthijs de Ligt to secure the point and extend the unbeaten run to five games.

Indeed, the Dutchman’s strike in the 96th minute was enough to bail his side out of yet another defeat under Ruben Amorim, although they had previously led in the game.

Bryan Mbeumo scored a header which put United 1-0 up at halftime.

However, Spurs struck back after lots of pressure in the second half. First, Mathys Tel fired home, with his effort flicking off De Ligt’s foot and into the back of Senne Lammens’ goal.

Richarlison thought he had won it in the 91st minute with a clever header, before United’s number four cancelled his goal out moments later.

It was a largely uninspiring performance from United. They played an incredibly passive game, happy to let Spurs dominate the ball. In total, Amorim’s side had just five shots, with the only two that were on target ending up in the back of the net.

Their first goalscorer, Mbeumo, continued his fine form in front of goal.

Bryan Mbeumo’s stats vs. Spurs

October’s Premier League player of the month is off the mark in November. Mbeumo has been one of the signings of the season, and now has seven goals and assists in just 12 games for the Red Devils.

His strike on Saturday lunchtime away to Spurs was one of good centre-forward play and a deft touch.

The United number 19 got in between two Lilywhites defenders, before glancing his header home into the back of the net.

That was not Mbeumo’s only positive contribution against Spurs, though. He was a constant problem for the opposition defence, having 44 touches and making three passes into the final third.

The attacker was excellent off the ball, too, and made four recoveries.

As well as the 26-year-old played against Spurs, however, there was a United player who arguably outshone him.

United’s standout player vs. Spurs

United’s draw away to Spurs was certainly frustrating. Amorim was critical of his side post-match, explaining that “we should do better, be more aggressive, feel the environment in the stadium, the three points were there.”

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However, one player, like Mbeumo, who stood out, was Amad. It was a different role for the Ivorian from the start today, operating as the right number 10 rather than at wing-back.

However, he was his usual energetic self, posing a threat going forward and worked hard defensively.

In fact, it was the attacker’s cross from which Mbeumo scored. What a delightful ball it was, too. Amad picked the ball up just inside the Spurs’ penalty area, lifting his cross from a standing position to the back post for his teammate to guide home.

That was one of two chances he created, on an afternoon where he also played four passes into Spurs’ third.

Amad stats vs. Spurs

Stat

Number

Touches

48

Passes completed

23/32

Duels won

7

Ball recoveries

5

Passes into final third

4

Chances created

2

Assists

1

Stats from Fotmob

Amad’s excellent performance certainly stood out, with journalist Liam Canning saying it was an “unbelievable” showing from the Ivorian attacker, while lauding him as the actual man of the match.

There is certainly a case to be made that Amad is becoming Amorim’s new version of Bruno Fernandes. Often, it is the Portuguese attacker who has shouldered the creative burden at United. Yet, it has been different this season, with the captain’s three assists matched by Amad.

A reason for that could be the role United’s manager uses his skipper in. A number 10 by trade, Fernandes now plays deeper in the pivot, and with their number 16 operating high and wide at wing-back or in the pockets as a number 10. He is certainly far more involved in the final third.

This is not a bad thing for United, who have relied solely on Fernandes for too many years. But, Amad is certainly taking up more creative responsibility, and is slowly becoming their new version of Fernandes.

Related Forget Cunha & Mbeumo: "Explosive" Man Utd star is coded for the Fergie era

This Man Utd ace could have thrived under Sir Alex Ferguson

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Nov 6, 2025

Former Real Madrid striker Mariano Diaz believes a move to Lyon could be the best step for Endrick if the Brazilian leaves the club in January, saying regular minutes matter more than staying on the bench at the Bernabeu. Mariano, who made the same move in 2017 after struggling for game time, says there is "life beyond" Madrid.

Endrick’s season stalled at Real Madrid

Los Blancos signed Endrick from Palmeiras in 2022 in a deal worth up to €60 million. His first year under Carlo Ancelotti showed promise, with seven goals in 37 appearances, but injuries halted his progress heading into this season. A hamstring injury kept him out of the Club World Cup and the start of the new campaign. By the time he returned, new manager Xabi Alonso had settled on other attacking options, leaving Endrick with just one brief appearance against Valencia earlier this month, where he played just 11 minutes. The lack of consistent minutes has raised concerns about his development, especially with the World Cup coming next year.

AdvertisementAFPMariano advises Endrick to embrace a move abroad

Speaking to , Mariano sees parallels between their situations and says leaving Madrid does not mean giving up on a future at the club.

“If Endrick ends up leaving, or a player who isn’t getting much playing time has to go abroad to play, I would tell him to enjoy it a lot, to appreciate that if he’s going to be a starter on the team, that’s the best thing that can happen to him,” Diaz said.

He stressed that regular starts give players a real chance to prove their ability. 

"You have to try to prove yourself when they give you that confidence, because it’s not the same when you play a few minutes every three games. You can’t prove your worth in a few minutes. But if they trust you and you’re a starter, that’s when you can prove a lot of things. In this case, if he [Endrick] leaves, he could also return to Madrid," the 32-year-old added.

Endrick stands at same career crossroads Mariano faced

The Dominican Republic international knows what it feels like to wait for chances at Madrid. The forward broke into the senior team during the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 14 appearances, but spent most of his time behind the famous 'BBC' trio of Karim Benzema, Gareth Bale, and Cristiano Ronaldo. The Los Blancos went on to win the Champions League and enjoy their most successful campaign in decades, but Mariano’s role was limited.

"It was one of the best teams I’ve ever played for because it wasn’t just the starters, but also what the press called ‘Plan B’. It was a bit curious, but the truth is that Plan B was like Plan A."

At the end of that season, Diaz moved to Lyon to play regularly, a decision he now sees as crucial in his development. However, he returned a year later after Cristiano Ronaldo's shocking move to Juventus. 

"As it was Madrid, I wasn’t going to say no,” Mariano recalled. "But they told me that this time it would be different, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to return."

Injuries derailed his progress, and he was again playing a bench role until his exit in 2023.

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Getty Images SportBrazilian forward sees Lyon as the right move for development

Several clubs have shown interest in Endrick, including Manchester United, who saw him as a replacement option after Benjamin Sesko’s injury. But the 19-year-old prefers Lyon, viewing the French club as a place where he can earn minutes, regain confidence and stay in contention for the 2026 World Cup with Brazil. Madrid had initially wanted to loan him within La Liga to help him adapt more smoothly and keep him close to home as he approaches Spanish citizenship in six months. However, Endrick pushed for a move abroad, prioritising consistent game time over location.

Ancelotti, now the Brazil national team coach, is yet to call up the young forward in any of the international breaks. However, the former Madrid coach has also urged him to play regularly if he wants to remain in the national-team picture.

"He has to think with his entourage about what’s best. Talk to the club, to see what’s best for him. Endrick is very young, this won’t be his last World Cup," he said. "He could play in the 2026 World Cup, because he has the quality for it, but he could also be in the 2030 World Cup, or the 2034 World Cup, and maybe even the 2038 World Cup (laughs). I believe it’s important for him to get back to playing and show his qualities.”

On a day KKR batters were trying to manufacture shots to coast home, Chahal’s advantage was amplified and he returned to form in grand style

Ekanth15-Apr-20252:07

Rayudu: ‘Chahal bowled to get a wicket, not to defend’

Yuzvendra Chahal just couldn’t catch a break. After being bought for INR 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction, he hadn’t completed his quota in three of his first five games for Punjab Kings (PBKS). In the last of those, he hurt his shoulder but recovered in time to face Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). His team had been struggling to get him into the game and that threatened to be the case again in Mullanpur on Tuesday.KKR had rolled PBKS over for 111 and were in control of the chase in the seventh over. They needed 52 from 13 overs with eight wickets in hand. That’s when Chahal was introduced.The pitch was far from a minefield. Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy had picked up two wickets each, but they were getting turn in a way mystery spinners do – with quicker speeds and shorter lengths while keeping the stumps in play.Related

• Unstoppable and unsatisfied: how Punjab Kings marched into their first IPL playoffs in 11 years

• RCB return home aiming to avoid a hat-trick of defeats

• 'Composure as a person' makes Shreyas Iyer the captain he is

• Chahal four-for stuns KKR as PBKS defend 111

• Rahane: 'I take the blame for the loss; I played the wrong shot'

Chahal didn’t have that luxury. He is more old-school who looks to deceive batters in the air and off the pitch. That hadn’t worked for him so far this tournament. He started his spell with a legbreak to Ajinkya Rahane that got a bit of turn, which signaled to both the bowler and his captain Shreyas Iyer that they were in the game.”Shreyas said we needed a slip because we couldn’t let go of even a single chance – there was no point bringing in a slip after a ball goes for four through there,” Chahal said after the game. “We had to attack, because we had few runs to work with, and we knew that we could win only by picking up wickets.”The first googly he bowled beat Rahane on the sweep and trapped him lbw. Chahal was lucky to have that wicket as ball-tracking showed that the impact was outside off stump and KKR didn’t review. More importantly, it was clear that Chahal’s methods suited not only the conditions but also the situation.He didn’t need to bowl magic balls. Instead, he had to make the batters generate their own pace, especially if they were looking for boundaries. On a day where a lot of the wickets fell not because of good balls but batters trying to manufacture shots as a marker of initiative and, in KKR’s case, to coast home, Chahal’s advantage was amplified.Yuzvendra Chahal returned to form in grand style•Getty ImagesAngkrish Raghuvanshi, who was well set at 37 off 27 balls, made room and tried to go inside out over cover but the ball dipped on him and landed slightly shorter than what he would have hoped for. It meant that he had to reach further away and couldn’t open the face of the bat to control the direction in which the ball went.”I was varying my pace,” Chahal said. “If the opposition’s batters wanted to hit sixes, they had to put in effort to do it.”In the games against Rajasthan Royals (RR), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), he bowled short in his first over and went for boundaries. That did not allow him to settle into his spells. The same thing could have happened against Raghuvanshi. Instead, Chahal had two wickets in seven balls.

The moment where Yuzvendra Chahal turned the game #TATAIPL | #PBKSvKKR | @PunjabKingsIPL pic.twitter.com/D2O5ImOSf4

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 15, 2025