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Chloe Kelly helped Arsenal beat Manchester United 4-3 to secure a second-placed finish on the final day of the the 2024-25 WSL campaign.

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Kelly starred with a goal and an assistArsenal beat Man Utd 4-3Secured a second-placed finish in WSLFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

It took the Gunners just two minutes to break the deadlock as Chloe Kelly capitalised on Phallon Tullis-Joyce's error and scored the opening goal. The hosts' celebrations, however, were short-lived as Kelly's England team-mate Ella Toone equalised for United with a clinical header.

After an evenly contested first 45 minutes, an Arsenal barrage early in the second period ultimately settled the game. First, Grace Clinton tripped Caitlin Foord inside the United box and Mariona Caldentey scored her team's second goal from the spot in the 50th minute.

Six minutes later, Frida Maanum followed a through ball from Katie McCabe and found the back of the net to increase her team's lead, and just a minute past the hour mark, Kelly turned provider with an assist for Kim Little.

Just when it seemed that the north London side had taken an unassailable lead, the visitors staged a strong comeback. Elisabeth Terland intercepted a poor short pass from McCabe on the edge of the Arsenal box and pulled one back for the Red Devils in the 70th minute. McCabe then committed yet another mistake as her poorly-timed challenge on Celin Bizet led to United winning a penalty and Maya Le Tissier further reducing the gap.

Arsenal eventually survived the late scare as they secured crucial three points and sealed a second-placed finish at the end of the 2024-25 Women's Super League campaign. The final standings mean the Gunners will have a longer summer break and shorter pathway in Champions League qualifying.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE MVP

With a goal and an assist, Kelly was Arsenal's star of the match as the Lioness vitally helped her side clinch second position in the league table. The winger bagged an early goal to hand her side the lead before providing an assist for Little for what was the deciding fourth.

Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

While the entire Red Devils backline crumbled at the start of the second half, leading to the Gunners scoring three goals in a spell of 15 minutes, with the goal arguably very avoidable. That capitulation could prove costly in Champions League qualifying, where WSL teams have struggled in the past.

Getty ImagesWHAT COMES NEXT?

Taking second will allow the Arsenal players to get some extra days off following a hectic summer that will see top European nations compete at the 2025 Women's Euros. Finishing runners-up means the Gunners will play their Women's Champions League third qualifying round on September 11, their first match of the new season. United, on the other hand, will play the first leg of their second qualifying round on August 27.

Gus Atkinson claims a maiden five-for to underline Surrey’s strength in depth

Alan Gardner04-May-2023No team had made 300 against Surrey this season, and that record threatened to stretch into a seventh consecutive innings at Chelmsford. Essex were coasting towards uncharted territory at tea on the first day, 204 for 3 and with Tom Westley, the captain, and Matt Critchley ensconced in an unbroken hundred stand, only for a clatter of wickets to leave the scoreboard reading 245 for 8, and cries of “C’mon the ‘rey” drifting across the county ground.In the end, the home side pocketed their second batting point fairly comfortably, thanks to an enterprising partnership of 62 in 12 overs between Simon Harmer and Sam Cook. Both benefited from misses in the field – Harmer put down by Rory Burns at slip on 5, while Kemar Roach at fine leg completely failed to pick up a top-edged hook when Cook had 8 – and Surrey were left to repent at leisure before Gus Atkinson returned to cap a fine display with his maiden first-class five-wicket haul.By then Essex had carved out a position from which they could hope to remain competitive. Alastair Cook has endured a lean start to the season but produced a first half-century, and his efforts were matched by Westley and Critchley; but after toiling through the afternoon Surrey girded themselves in the manner of champions. Their response, on what looks a dry surface, against Harmer, who had men crowding the bat in his one over before stumps, could determine whether they maintain their position at the top of Division One after the conclusion of this round.These two counties have won four of the last five Championship titles, and this fixture featured 13 players with international experience. There might not have the attendant fanfare of Steven Smith’s debut for Sussex at New Road, but Sean Abbott bowling to Dan Lawrence offered up a proto-Ashes duel (even if both are some way off being selected at this stage) while Ben Foakes produced a reminder of what England would miss were he overlooked behind the stumps – even as Jonny Bairstow was doing his best a few hundred miles to the north to state a convincing case for why the selectors should do just that.Surrey, whose motto might be “never knowingly under-resourced”, were able to leave out their leading wicket-taker, Dan Worrall, and still produce the sort of concerted bowling performance that eventually found a way through the cracks in Essex’s batting. And despite the presence of Abbott and Roach, their most-impressive performer was Atkinson, the 25-year-old playing his first match of the season.His best figures in any format for Surrey included the prize wicket of Cook, that venerable warhorse of Ashes summers past, as well as both Essex tail-end miscreants to finish with fine figures of 6 for 68. There was also an important contribution from the returning Will Jacks, whose flighted offbreak was responsible for ending Essex’s fourth-wicket stand at 114, Critchley’s outside edge snapped up one-handed by a flying Burns in one of the better moments of Surrey fielding. Foakes, immaculate as ever, claimed five catches behind the stumps.The morning began with Essex opting to bat, the home XI bolstered by returns for Lawrence and Sam Cook after injury. Surrey omitted Worrall as part of the planned rotation of their seamers, while Jacks made his first appearance since suffering a hip injury while on England duty that scuppered his chances of playing in a maiden IPL.Essex’s openers negotiated the early exchanges without too many alarms, although Cook did enjoy an early let off – Jamie Smith failing to latch on to a sliced drive off Abbott that looped tantalisingly towards backward point when he had made 13. Cook’s front foot was soon lunging forward, Hungry Hippos-style, to clump the ball through cover as he went past 50 for the 193rd time in this, his 21st season as a first-class cricketer. He was dropped again shortly after, Ollie Pope only able to get a hand on a diving chance at second slip.Atkinson had been the bowler to end a 62-run opening stand, finding lift and movement from back of a length with just his second ball to have Nick Browne taken at third slip, and he produced an even better one-two combination to see off Cook. Having switched to round the wicket, Atkinson jagged one past the outside edge, missing the top of off stump by a whisker, then brought his next ball back to graze the inside edge – Foakes completing the dismissal with an athletic leg-side take.A third wicket went down straight after lunch, Abbott curving one past Lawrence’s outside edge for another Foakes catch – although whether the ball came off bat or thigh pad was less clear. Essex’s fourth-wicket pair then settled into a steady rhythm as the pendulum swung back towards the hosts. There was even the chance for fans of the home side to enjoy the glovework of Foakes, an Essex boy who has gone on to greater things with Surrey, who acrobatically held on to an in-dipping Roach yorker that beat Westley all ends up only to miss leg stump.The grumbles began after Critchley and Westley departed in consecutive overs, and may have increased a notch when Michael Pepper was caught behind attempting to reverse-sweep Jacks, having made 6 off six balls with one scoring shot. A collapse of 5 for 27 undid some of the hard work but few teams will tangle with Surrey this season and emerge completely unscathed.

Left-arm spinner was reported by umpires during one-off appearance at Taunton in September

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2024Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, has been asked to undergo analysis of his bowling action by the England and Wales Cricket Board, after being reported by the umpires during his one-off appearance for Surrey in this season’s County Championship.Shakib, 37, claimed nine wickets for Surrey in a thrilling Championship clash with Somerset at Taunton in September, his first appearance in the competition since a brief stint with Worcestershire in 2010-11.As a left-arm spinner, he had agreed to a short-term deal to shore up Surrey’s resources for their title push, at a time when eight players were absent on England duty, including both of their frontline spinners, Will Jacks and Dan Lawrence.Related

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Despite his immediate impact, Shakib was not able to prevent Somerset from sealing a remarkable 111-run victory that briefly held up Surrey’s march towards their third Championship title in a row.He bowled more than 63 overs in the fixture, and though he was not no-balled at any stage for throwing, it has now emerged that the on-field umpires, Steve O’Shaughnessy and David Millns, subsequently deemed his bowling action to be suspect.He is not suspended from playing, but ESPNcricinfo understands that negotiations are ongoing for Shakib to undergo further tests in an approved location, with the expectation that this will occur within the next couple of weeks.It is thought to be the first time that Shakib’s bowling action has come under any scrutiny, in a career that has spanned two decades, and featured a total of 712 wickets across 447 international matches, including 246 in 71 Tests.Shakib’s international career is currently in limbo, following protests that accompanied his withdrawal, on security grounds, from Bangladesh’s Test squad to face South Africa at Mirpur last month. He had previously served as an MP for the longstanding Awami League-led government, which was toppled amid student protests in July.

The marked tendency to produce result pitches shows they may have underestimated the visiting side

Ian Chappell11-Mar-2023Once again the pre-match media hullabaloo was about Indian pitch preparation.Despite some outrageous predictions, Ahmedabad has provided the best batting surface of the series and opener Usman Khawaja determinedly took advantage to provide Australia with a big first-innings score.If India needed tough practice for the World Test Championship, they got exactly what they wanted. Now they have to rely on other favourable results to reach the final and play Australia at The Oval in June.The pitch furore has showed why it’s annoying when people other than the head curator or groundsman are allowed to have an input into the preparation.Related

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The head curator or groundsman is the best person to produce a presentable pitch. Like players, they are generally competitive and take great pride in their work. Good Test groundsmen all generally say they want to prepare a pitch that gives everybody a chance to display their skill and produces a result late on the last day.The operative words are “a result”. They don’t predict or barrack for a winner.This isn’t happening in India, where some dodgy pitches have been prepared, often at the behest of people other than the ground staff. A good head groundsman in Australia when asked about specifically prepared pitches used to questioner: “B***er off and mind your own business.”India are currently in the spotlight for specially prepared pitches but they are far from the worst offenders. This aspect of Indian culture may well have been developed under English colonisation.I was told in 1968 by ex-Australian cricketer and journalist Jack Fingleton, “Never trust the Poms.” I was sure he was referring to the administrators and not the players. His words were proved prophetic in 1972, following the diabolical Headingley “fusarium fiasco”, where a pitch was specially prepared to negate the effect of Dennis Lillee’s pace and Bob Massie’s swing. Not coincidentally, for the first time in the series, England included left-arm spinner Derek Underwood who was deadly on softer pitches. He claimed a ten-wicket haul in England’s thumping victory.England had previous “form” in special pitch preparation, which included the raging turner at Old Trafford in 1956. In that one-sided affair, offspinner Jim Laker took 19 Australian wickets for a meagre 90 runs in a resounding English victory.

If India needed tough practice for the World Test Championship, they got exactly what they wanted. Now they have to rely on other favourable results to reach the final and play Australia at The Oval in June.

Don’t let anyone tell you that England aren’t among the leaders in specially prepared pitches.Australia may be guilty of administrative failures but pitch-doctoring is not one of them. In general, the nature of an Australian first-class pitch is similar to its Test match equivalent.In the current environment it’s easy to wonder if India have forgotten how they won their last two Test series in Australia. They completed two magnificent upsets by playing good all-round cricket on true, bouncy pitches.India may have underestimated this Australian side. They are not the best Australian team to tour India but they are a good fighting unit, with some solid batters and a frontline spinner. Importantly, they’ve displayed a willingness to attack – albeit sometimes recklessly – at crucial times. They are worthy World Test championship finalists, but this vital competition may have brought to the fore a frailty in the system.There could be a series of bowler-friendly pitches that result in shorter games with results. Current India coach Rahul Dravid made a sensible observation: “It’s really about being realistic about what is a good performance on some of the challenging wickets we are playing on,” he said. “If you look at the last three-four years, all over the world I think wickets have got a lot more challenging,”Dravid’s wise words expose the vast difference between flat white-ball pitches that favour punishing batters and spicy Test surfaces that tend to make batting aggression difficult.There is a need to narrow the gap between the two extremes so that England’s laudable aggression in Test cricket doesn’t go to waste. Test cricket is an endangered species and any viable assistance is welcome.

Nottingham Forest may soon have to contemplate life without star winger Anthony Elanga, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side casting their eyes towards a Premier League star in search of a quality replacement.

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While nothing is signed or confirmed just yet, Elanga is gradually heading in the direction of Newcastle United – coming as a blow to Nuno as he prepares the club for their first campaign back in Europe for decades.

The versatile Sweden international was one of Forest’s most influential attackers last season in their chase for Champions League qualification, which went all the way to the final day, with Nuno’s side having to settle for a place in the Conference League through no fault of Elanga’s.

The 23-year-old bagged 12 assists and scored six goals in all competitions under Nuno last season, so much so that Newcastle are now attempting to agree a £55 million deal for Elanga with “positive” talks ongoing.

If Elanga does depart the City Ground, Forest were looking at PSV Eindhoven sensation Johan Bakayoko in January, and the Belgian is re-emerging as a rumoured target.

According to information from Nottingham Forest News, Liverpool forward Harvey Elliott is being considered as well, following his sublime performances with England at the Under-21 European Championship.

Elliott opened the scoring for England in their 3-2 final win over Germany late last month, helping Lee Carsley’s side with four other goals en route to the final, and the 22-year-old’s exceptional displays have placed him on the radar of numerous top-flight sides who could look to tempt him away from Anfield.

Liverpool will reportedly demand around £50 million to sell the former Fulham academy graduate, but this hasn’t deterred Forest.

Forest identify Harvey Elliott as potential Elanga replacement

According to Forest News, Elliott is on Nuno’s initial shortlist of potential replacements for Elanga, alongside Bakayoko.

The attacking midfielder struggled for Premier League minutes in an illustrious title-winning side last term, but contributed when called upon. Elliott was out for a large portion of the early-season with a broken foot, but began to find his own towards the latter stages of 2024/2025.

Elliott scored the winner in a 1-0 victory at PSG in the Champions League round of 16, after also scoring against both Lille and PSV in the league phase, so he’s a player capable of performing at the very highest level.

Clubs may well lure him with the promise of more consistent game time, and considering Elanga’s potentially imminent exit, we certainly cannot discount Forest.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he looks to leave Liverpool this summer,” said former scout Mick Brown to Football Insider recently.

“There are a number of clubs in the Premier League and abroad who want to sign him. He’s a better player than a lot of people give him credit for, and when he comes on as a sub he always produces quality moments.

“It’s difficult to understand why he hasn’t been playing at Liverpool. Maybe he doesn’t get on particularly well with the manager, maybe he’s just not the right fit for their system, but he’s a very talented player.

“I expect clubs will be queuing up for him if he does become available. He’s the type of player who would add something to most teams in the country.”

La Liga president Javier Tebas faces legal action over claims he revealed confidential Barcelona data and "belittled" them along with Real Madrid.

Tebas accused of revealing Barça’s confidential accountsComplaint claims "very serious violations"Galan says Tebas’ actions hurt both Barcelona and MadridFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Miguel Angel Galan, president of the Association for Transparency and Democracy in Sport, has filed a 50-page complaint against La Liga president Tebas. He accuses Tebas of committing five "very serious violations" by disclosing confidential details about Barcelona's finances without permission. The complaint has been submitted to the Higher Sports Council, which will decide whether to refer it to the Administrative Sports Tribunal, a move that could lead to Tebas’ disqualification.

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Tensions between Tebas and Barcelona have been high in recent years, with disputes over Financial Fair Play and public statements escalating. Galan’s accusations also extend to claims that Tebas has belittled both Barcelona and Madrid, which he calls “the two most important in the world”.

The allegations stem from April 2025, when La Liga publicly claimed Barcelona had failed to record €100 million (£85m/$109m) from VIP box sales on time. The Catalan giants accused Tebas of breaching confidentiality and La Liga later removed the statement. Galan also alleges Tebas shared private details about the club’s finances with Athletic Club during discussions about signing Nico Williams.

WHAT MIGUEL GALAN SAID

"In my capacity as president of the Association for Transparency and Democracy in Sport, I feel compelled to file a complaint in defence of the collective interests of the members of Futbol Club Barcelona and its fans," Galan told . 

"Unfortunately, the president of Barcelona, after issuing a statement condemning and denouncing the violation, has not taken any effective measures to address the situation. Therefore, I feel obliged to denounce the misconduct committed by the president of La Liga."

He added: “The president's attitude, which has belittled the two most important clubs in the world – FC Barcelona and Real Madrid – must cease immediately. Javier Tebas, who collaborated with us in the past on various lawsuits against Villar and Rubiales, now faces a new era. My complaints to the TAD led to the disqualification of Villar, Rubiales, and Rocha. Now, it is imperative that Tebas face similar consequences, as his behaviour resembles that of those we criticise.”

"Specifically, there is no record or evidence that FC Barcelona has previously disclosed this data, either through official communications, or in the media, or on any other public channel, so the disclosure made by La Liga and in particular in the communication under analysis is presented as a revelation of confidential information that lacks authorisation and that violates the secrecy obligations that govern the area of economic management and auditing of the club."

Getty Images NewsWHAT NEXT?

The Higher Sports Council must now decide whether to send the case to the Administrative Sports Tribunal. If it proceeds and Tebas is found guilty, possible punishments include disqualification from his role as La Liga president.

Mumbai play three of their four remaining games at home, while RCB only play one at home

S Rajesh08-May-2023Mumbai Indians

Royal Challengers Bangalore
With only 17 games left in the league stage, it’s still impossible to separate most of the teams on the IPL points table. Five are locked on 10 points eac, and two on eight each. The overall points distribution makes this one of the closest IPLs ever. The standard deviation, which is a measure of how dispersed or clustered a set of data is around the mean, for the points table this season is 2.366; only once in the previous 15 seasons has it been smaller after 53 games: 1.984 in 2020.With five teams on 10 points, every match that pits two of them against each other will have a huge bearing on the fortunes of the teams and the table. Tuesday’s match is one such, with Mumbai Indians locking horns with Royal Challengers Bangalore. Both teams are on 10 from 10 games, with net run rates that are quite close as well. Both teams also have games to come against Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad.One crucial difference, though, is that Mumbai have three home games to come, compared to just one for Royal Challengers. Both teams have 50-50 win-loss records at home this season, with Mumbai winning two and losing two and RCB winning three and losing three. Towards the business end of the tournament, however, more home games might yet prove to be a crucial advantage for Mumbai Indians.Sixteen points is said to be the magic number for qualification, but as things stand, as many as six teams can finish on 16 or more points. That means the winner on Tuesday will still have plenty of work to do, though it will still be a significant step towards qualification.On the other hand, if a couple of teams – Gujarat Titans and Chennai Super Kings – break away from the pack with wins in their remaining games, then even 14 might be enough for qualification for two of the remaining teams. For instance, the loser of Tuesday’s game can finish on 14 and still qualify even without net run rates coming into play.

Diogo Jota's family will be in attendance for Liverpool's clash with Bournemouth in their first competitive game following the Portuguese's death.

Jota and brother killed in car crashLiverpool face Bournemouth in PL openerFamily to attend Anfield gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ever since Jota and his brother Andre Silva died in a car crash in early July, tributes have flooded in for the former Liverpool forward, with the club repeatedly honouring the 28-year-old. Now, according to Reds boss Arne Slot, Jota's wife, Rute Cardoso, their kids, and family will be at Anfield on Friday night for the Bournemouth game.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT SLOT SAID

In Slot's programme notes, he said: "As I have said previously, the tributes that have been paid throughout the world, and especially within the LFC community, have been truly special and I know that tonight (Friday) we will come together to honour them once more. I believe that Diogo's wife, his children, and his family will be in attendance, and it is important that, as a club, we show that they will always have our love and support as they deal with this most tragic of situations. We are there for them always."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Jota's death has rocked Liverpool and much of the footballing world. For his family, this will have been an unutterably difficult time but the way in which the ex-Wolves man has been honoured may bring them some solace. It will be an emotionally charged game at Anfield as the Reds try to win this match for Jota.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

More tributes are likely to take place before and during the game for Jota, who had his No.20 shirt retired by the club earlier this summer, as defending Premier League champions Liverpool host Bournemouth at 8pm (BST) at Anfield.

Chelsea are through to the quarter-final of the Club World Cup, but they have also been keeping up on the transfer front while progressing in the tournament.

Chelsea see off Benfica to reach Club World Cup quarter-final

While their Premier League rivals are preparing for pre-season, Chelsea are in action over in the States, and they progressed to the Club World Cup quarter-final in dramatic fashion against Benfica despite having to endure extra time and a two-hour delay due to thunderstorms.

Speaking after seeing off the Primeira Liga giants, Enzo Maresca hit out at the lengthy stoppages the Blues had to navigate in their 4-1 victory despite eventually claiming the outcome they wanted.

“It’s a joke. That’s why I said it. if they’re already suspended six games, probably there is something that is not working. I’m not here to decide the rule. I’m no one to decide the rule. I’m the last one. I’m talking as a manager. As a manager, it’s difficult to manage two hours suspended.

“There is some problem for me personally. But I’m not talking – I’m talking as a manager. Because when you are two hours inside and you try to keep them in the game, but for two hours, they are speaking with the family outside for safety reasons.”

Nevertheless, Chelsea could face Manchester City in the semi-final if both sides progress that far.

The Blues have also encountered some alternative good news off the pitch as Borussia Dortmund star Jamie Gittens has agreed a move to Stamford Bridge and they have also agreed a deal for Brighton star Joao Pedro. The Brazilian is said to be ready to pen a seven-year contract and join the Blues in a deal in excess of £50m.

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Imaginably, Chelsea are set for an exciting summer as they prepare to re-enter the Champions League for the first time since 2021/22, and they could now be set to ramp up their interest in their next target.

Phillips: Chelsea add Antonio Silva to defender shortlist

According to Simon Phillips on Substack, Chelsea have added Benfica defender Antonio Silva to their shortlist after scouting him for the duration of the season.

Of course, they got an additional opportunity to watch him up close in their 4-1 victory over the Portuguese giants in the Club World Cup last 16, while his teammate Tomas Araujo is another potential recruit now on their radar.

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Antonio Silva

Appearances – 46 Goals – 2 Assists – 3

Tomas Araujo

Appearances – 44 Goals – 1 Assists – 3

Araujo primarily features as a right-back, which has somewhat deterred the Blues from making a move in their pursuit of an ‘out-and-out central defender’ at Stamford Bridge.

Nevertheless, Silva, who has been labelled “incredible” by former Manchester City assistant coach Lillo, is said to have heavily impressed scouts while competing against Chelsea and is now under consideration by the club’s hierarchy.

With Maresca claiming Conference League glory alongside a top five finish last term, Silva could be the man to take Chelsea to the next level in their hunt for further silverware.

He was, for most of us, not just a cricketing idol but a member of our family – one we could turn to for hope and comfort

Alagappan Muthu24-Apr-2023There is an essential component to fake news. The consumer has to want to believe it. So it needs to be something seductive. Something evocative. Something that feeds into the popular belief.When Barack Obama was the US president, a quote was once ascribed to him, where he wanted to understand why his country’s GDP went down every time Sachin Tendulkar went out to bat. (Presumably because all the Indian Americans were too busy watching cricket to be productive at work.)There is nothing in the public record to substantiate a single word of this. Yet it caught on like a college nickname. Doesn’t matter if it doesn’t make sense, it’s out there now and everybody else likes it.Somewhere in the meme-ification of this story is the truth of what one man meant to more than a billion people. We didn’t stop at any of the red flags. We saw a world leader known for being thoughtful and genuine praising our childhood hero and we wanted it to be true because it made us feel good.Sachin just made us feel good.It’s his birthday today. His 50th. And there is a thing he used to do whenever he reached that milestone on the field. He’d tilt his head to one side, raise his bat but not all the way up, just sort of shoulder-height, with the face tilted down. And if the sun caught him at the right angle, the shadow from the visor of his helmet would hide his eyes, giving off major boss vibes.Related

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It has been ten years since he retired, but the biggest batting records continue to bear his name. Most runs. Most hundreds. Most fifties. Some of those records might stand all the way until the end of time. And some of them are only under threat because, a) his successor is also ridiculously prolific, and b) the white ball don’t reverse-swing no more.Statistics, though, are only tools. They can, at best, guide us when there is a choice to be made. The decision itself comes from a far more primal place.Look and feel.And Sachin offered up a ton of both. Straight drives with so little fuss it felt like the fulfilment of a pact. “Just be a good ball and go for four, okay?” Back-foot punches that combined the grace of a ballet dancer with the power of a heavyweight fighter. And those flicks. If they could talk, they’d be like, “Come on, man. Don’t make it this easy.” He was geometric perfection. But also a bit cheeky. Sometimes, when the required rate was getting to him, he would play a shot that didn’t make sense even as it happened right before our eyes. An inside-out drive for six over cover to a ball pitching outside leg stump. That stuff was freestyle. That stuff was gangsta.Plus, he went and did all this to the best of the best. Wasim Akram. Shane Warne. Courtney Walsh. Glenn McGrath. Muthiah Muralidaran. This five-foot nothing prodigy made world-beating his day job, and that at a time when Indians didn’t fancy themselves capable of such audacity. This is how he made people who had no connection to him want good things for him. By that definition alone, he became like family. He became the stranger we kept calling by first name.Legitimacy helped. Especially when it came from the greatest batter in history. “I’ve only seen Tendulkar on the television,” Sir Don Bradman said, “And I was very, very struck by his technique and I asked my wife to come and have a look at him because I said, ‘I never saw myself play but I feel that this fella is playing much the same as I used to play’.”

Suddenly Sachin’s greatness started to make sense. He got so good because he wanted to make everybody – including himself – happy

Legendary innings helped. Sharjah 1998. Chennai 1999. Centurion 2003. But really, the relationship between a player and a fan – more specifically between Sachin and his fans – was personal. Some 19-year-olds right now probably owe their very existence to that six he hit off Shoaib Akhtar.I went to a house party in college. My crush was there. I was worried I’d spend the whole thing gawking at her and being weird. Fortunately the TV was showing a rerun of the CB Series final of 2008, allowing me to gawk at that and be weird in a less embarrassing way.I have not seen peak Sachin first-hand. The Perth century. The Qadir takedown. The Desert Storm. My memories of him are all of the accumulator that he became later in his career. The artist who became a technician, culling all the risk out of his game in order to increase productivity. But there was still some magic left. Like Chennai 2008, where his only Test-match-winning century in a chase came just a few days after a terror attack on his city.It was one of his more bespoke innings. He left nothing to chance. Not even the fate of his non-striker. For 42 overs, he was the voice inside Yuvraj Singh’s head. And when it was done, he dedicated the win to the people of Mumbai and hoped it might in some small way ease their pain. Stone-cold precision born out of warmth, feeling and empathy. Suddenly Sachin’s greatness started to make sense. He got so good because he wanted to make everybody – including himself – happy.He has tried to do the same after the end of his career as well, but it has probably not had the same effect. Mindful of the way the Indian media functions, grabbing anything he says and turning it into a headline, he exercises an abundance of caution in all of his public appearances. He tries so hard not to say the wrong thing that he ends up barely saying anything.We are pushing it, of course, asking a private citizen to be more vocal just because at one point he used to carry all of our hopes and dreams. And it feels very on brand that even on his birthday, we’re the ones asking for presents. It was deeply unfair for us to burden him that way in the first place and it was remarkable that he was able to shoulder that weight for so long. Sachin doesn’t belong to us anymore. He belongs to Anjali, Arjun and Sara now. And he’s earned the break. Twenty-four years of being at our beck and call is enough. Probably.