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Brendon McCullum begins his tenure in charge of England's white-ball teams with T20I and ODI series in India ahead of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. On the first pod of 2025, Alan Gardner was joined by Matt Roller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to discuss how McCullum might overhaul their fortunes. Topics include reinvigorating Jos Buttler, bringing back Joe Root and a focus on pace in the seam attack.
T20 heavyweights look to draw first blood ahead of five-round bout
Big picture: Teams in transition
Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum have many things in common. They were both stellar openers, they were both captain and coach of Kolkata Knight Riders at different times, they're both known for their "aggressive" mindsets when it comes to approaching the game from the dugout, and, now, they both find themselves trying to shepherd teams in transition.
India's has been easier, at least in this format, with three superstars calling time on their careers with T20 World Cup medals around their neck, and others fitting in smoothly over the course of wins against Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and South Africa. England's has been trickier, with one of the most exciting white-ball teams in world cricket struggling in ICC tournaments since their T20 World Cup win in 2022.
This has meant McCullum enters the India T20I series as England's white-ball coach for the first time, with ambitions of maximising the team's unfulfilled potential. And for Gambhir, the aim is to show that the T20I team remains unaffected by the poor Test results that have shaken the establishment.
Five potentially delectable T20 batting surfaces await the two sides across the next fortnight, and the first salvo in Kolkata will give a glimpse of what to expect.
Form guide
India WWLWW (Last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
England LWWWW
In the spotlight: Bethell and Shami
Team news: Archer, Wood combine, but what of Bishnoi?
England captain Jos Buttler said he was especially pleased at having every first-choice T20I player available for this series. They have named their XI already, with Phil Salt taking the gloves and Ben Duckett opening alongside him. Buttler himself will be at No. 3, with England also having the searing pace and fit bodies of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood to attack India. While Wood is the only one in the XI without a century in senior cricket, even he can crunch big shots, and that makes England one of the most dangerous batting outfits at the moment.
England: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Jos Buttler (capt), 4 Harry Brook, 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Jamie Overton, 8 Gus Atkinson, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood
India have two major decisions to make: how many spinners to play, and how deep their batting should look. Arshdeep Singh, Shami and Hardik Pandya should be be the seamers, while Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel could be the two spin options. That probably leaves India deciding between seam-bowling allrounder Nitish Kumar Reddy, spin-bowling allrounder Washington Sundar, and an outright wristspinner in Ravi Bishnoi. England are right-hander-heavy, and struggle against fingerspinners, two factors that could decide India's eventual choice.
India (probable): 1 Sanju Samson (wk), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Nitish Kumar Reddy/Washington Sundar/Ravi Bishnoi, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.
Pitch and conditions: Dew and runs aplenty
Kolkata is going to offer a hard deck with true bounce. The boundaries are small, and the ball in January will get wet very quickly. That means Eden Gardens should be a paradise for batting. Suryakumar and Buttler both felt conditions would be the same irrespective of the toss result, so expect a belter with dew around.
Stats and trivia: Arshdeep closes in on Chahal
- Among Full Members, England have the second-worst batting average against fingerspin since the start of 2024: 26.8. Against top sides like Australia, South Africa and India, it drops to 13.88 at a run rate of only 6.74.
- With 95 wickets in 60 T20Is, Arshdeep is only one wicket behind Yuzvendra Chahal, who leads the pack for India in the format. If Arshdeep gets to the landmark of 100 wickets in this five-match series, he'll become the fastest bowler to get there in T20Is. Currently, Haris Rauf is the quickest T20I bowler to the landmark of 100 wickets, having achieved it in 71 games. Also, since Arshdeep's T20I debut, no bowler has taken more wickets in the powerplay (40) or in the last five overs (46).
- India have not lost a bilateral T20I series at home in the last six years. Their last defeat was against Australia in February 2019. In the 16 series since, India have won 14 and drawn two.
- Since the T20 World Cup 2024, India have scored at 9.2 runs per over in the powerplay, an astonishing 10.3 from overs 7-15 and 10.9 in the last five overs. In this period, no team has had a better run rate between overs 7-15 or a better ball-per-boundary ratio (4.7).
- Archer has the wood over both Suryakumar and Hardik, with both batters striking at only 116 against him while averaging 14.5 and 19 runs, respectively.
Quotes
"It's a really exciting tour coming to India with what I'd say is a full line-up for us. Sometimes there's so much cricket that certain players have to be rested or managed. But that's certainly not the case for us at all in in this series."
Jos Buttler believes England have all bases covered
"Eden Gardens is a special feeling, because this is where I played when I started playing regularly."
Suryakumar Yadav, who first became an IPL regular at Kolkata Knight Riders, wants to make the most of the occasion on Wednesday
Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @sreshthx
Smith feared significant elbow injury after outfield throw
But after advice from a specialist Smith was cleared to join the training camp in Dubai where he arrived on Tuesday and is planning on resuming batting in the next couple of days. He is Australia's captain for the two Tests in Galle with Pat Cummins on paternity leave.
Smith's scare came to the same elbow he had ligament surgery on in 2019 - which required lengthy rehab - and it was memories of that which were at the forefront of his mind at the SCG last Friday.
Outlining how the problem occurred, Smith explained he had taken a catch off David Warner, flicked it back inside the rope and was then throwing the ball in when he felt the pain.
"Straight away I thought 'oh jeez, that hurt'," Smith said. "That was a similar sort of feeling to when I ruptured my ligament back in 2019, so I was a little bit worried for a little bit. But scans showed fortunately my ligament is still intact, the one that I got repaired. I've got a little bit of muscle damage, and it's a small millimetre of the ligament on the bone that's doing something.
Smith added he believes the issue may have stemmed from a blow he took on the shoulder from Jhye Richardson earlier in the BBL which left a significant bruise on his right shoulder and led to him adjusting his throwing technique to compensate.
While he has been cleared of major problems with the elbow, Smith may be limited in how much he can throw in the field although as he will largely be a close catcher in a series where spin is expected to dominate that shouldn't be a huge issue.
"In terms of batting I'm pretty comfortable I'll be able to get into it and play with some tape on it," he said.
Smith will start the Sri Lanka series on 9999 Test runs having twice been dismissed within touching distance of the 10,000 landmark during the final Test against India at the SCG.
"I was watching a bit there and there was a lot of variation in the spin and some bounce as well," Smith said. "That's the reason we are here in Dubai, we are able to do what we want to do with these wickets, try and help guys develop game plans when it does get extreme. Guys are going to learn over this week and hold us in good stead for the tour."
An update on Kuhnemann's availability is expected in the next couple of days after he underwent surgery on a compound fracture-dislocation in his right thumb suffered in the BBL last week.
A year ago, they were preparing for a post-mortem on the equal-worst season from any BBL team in a decade. Not since the Thunder outfit of 2013-14 had a side won only one match in a BBL summer.
But led by new captain Warner, they have surged to third place on the ladder this summer with a 5-3 record, easily securing a top-four spot and knockout date with Melbourne Stars on Wednesday.
He would likely have sat atop the batting rankings if not for rain; wet weather meant the Thunder played one fewer game than the Perth Scorchers, whose star allrounder Cooper Connolly scored only five more runs. But Bayliss has noticed Warner's impact stretch beyond the playing field.
"The job he's done as captain, it's not just about his batting for example, it's his personality," he said. "He's always up for it, he's a positive character. Loud, obnoxious sometimes, but the boys love it.
"I think it's the confidence that he gives his team-mates, and their belief then that they're good enough to do the job. They're all good players, they sometimes just need that belief. Certainly I think the results have shown this year."
"People have this perception around him, but he's incredible in terms of the conversations he has with individuals and the consistent drive," Billings said. "You see why he's one of the best players in the world, still at the age of 38. I'm learning off him every day."
"The batters haven't all gelled together and gotten big partnerships," Warner said. "We talk about bowling partnerships as well, one has leaked at one end and then the other has taken wickets. We still haven't played a complete game yet, which for me is scary."
Sources: Patriots to bring back McDaniels as OC
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots are expected to hire Josh McDaniels as their offensive coordinator, sources confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
McDaniels will return to the franchise for a third time, this time to work under first-year head coach Mike Vrabel and help tutor promising quarterback Drake Maye, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft.
The Patriots interviewed McDaniels on Tuesday. They also spoke with Bears passing game coordinator Thomas Brown and Chargers passing game coordinator Marcus Brady for the position, sources said.
McDaniels did not coach in the NFL in 2024 after serving as Las Vegas Raiders head coach in 2022 and into the 2023 season.
He has never coached on a staff with Vrabel, but the two have a connection from the time Vrabel played for the Patriots (2001-2008) as a member of three Super Bowl championship teams.
McDaniels broke into the NFL in 2001 as an assistant coach under Bill Belichick in New England. After leaving in 2009 to become Broncos head coach until his firing in December 2010 and serving a year as Rams offensive coordinator in 2011, he returned to New England from 2012 to 2021.
In 2021, McDaniels mentored quarterback Mac Jones to a successful rookie season that resulted in him being named an alternate for the Pro Bowl, and now he'll look to duplicate that with Maye, who started 12 games as a rookie in 2024 and went 225-of-338 for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Maye added 54 rushes for 421 yards and two touchdowns.
Barstool Sports first reported that McDaniels' hire was imminent.
Vikings, O'Connell agree to multiyear extension
EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings and coach Kevin O'Connell agreed Tuesday on a multiyear contract extension, closing an unusual chapter and locking down one of the NFL's top young head coaches.
Terms were not immediately available.
ESPN's Adam Schefter also reported that the Vikings are working on an extension for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Like O'Connell, Adofo-Mensah signed a four-year contract when the Vikings hired him in 2022 and thus has one year remaining on his deal.
O'Connell was displeased after the 2023 season when owners Zygi and Mark Wilf opted against extending his contract, ESPN has reported, at a time when the franchise planned to start over at the quarterback position. Multiple teams were positioning themselves this month to make trade offers if the sides were not able to agree on an extension, as Fox Sports first reported and ESPN later confirmed, given the possibility that O'Connell could always choose to simply work through the expiration of his deal and become a coaching free agent in 2025.
But O'Connell said twice this month that he wanted to remain with the Vikings, and after meeting with the Wilfs last week, he added: "I love our ownership."
O'Connell was not made available for comment Tuesday. In a statement released by the team, he said in part: "It is an absolute honor to continue leading the Minnesota Vikings. Holding this prestigious position is something I never take for granted, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Wilf family for their unwavering belief in what we are building together."
O'Connell, 39, joined the Vikings after a two-year stint as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator. He has a record of 34-17 with two playoff appearances and is one of three coaches in NFL history to record multiple 13-win seasons in his first three seasons. The others are the Green Bay Packers' Matt LaFleur and the San Francisco 49ers' George Seifert.
But while LaFleur and Seifert both had the benefit of a Hall of Fame quarterback, O'Connell won 13 games with Kirk Cousins in 2022 and 14 games with Sam Darnold in 2024. The Vikings will entrust him to develop J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of last year's draft, as their long-term starter.
"Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach -- an innovative playcaller, an excellent communicator and a strong leader who motivates and connects with his players," Mark Wilf said in a statement. "He has helped establish a culture that positions us for sustained success, and he will continue to set the standard we need as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans."
Hawks' Risacher (adductor) out at least 1 week
Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 draft, will sit out at least another week due to a strained left adductor, the team said Tuesday.
Risacher already has missed three games with the injury, and Atlanta said in a statement that he's "progressing in his rehabilitation and will be re-evaluated in approximately one week."
Risacher, 19, has averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 39 games (37 starts) this season. He has shot just 28.1 percent from 3-point range.
The Frenchman has had one game where he scored at least 20 points, a 33-point outburst Nov. 6 in a win over the New York Knicks.
Atlanta recently got back forward Jalen Johnson, its second-leading scorer (19.4 ppg), from a five-game absence due to shoulder inflammation.
LE CHESNAY, France -- Victor Wembanyama stood on the center stripe of a new outdoor court in his hometown, his arms outstretched to their full 8-foot wingspan as he posed for a slew of photographers.
He could not have seemed happier.
Wembanyama unveiled a gift of sorts to his hometown and the next generation on Tuesday, a pair of outdoor courts -- one for 5-on-5 play, the other for 3-on-3 play -- that were built to the specifications that he wanted and sketched out himself.
"For those of you that don't know, this started in a room with an idea," San Antonio general manager Brian Wright said, as about five dozen kids sat on the court in front of him and another 100 or so people watched from adjacent courtside seating. "And I remember watching Victor going on a whiteboard and literally drawing every single detail of the court that you see today and putting his heart and soul into designing this court for the children to play on. It speaks to how special you are and how special this is to you, so thank you, Victor."
Wembanyama and the Spurs are in France this week, playing a pair of games Thursday and Saturday in Paris against the Indiana Pacers. France is Wembanyama's homeland, as everyone knows. And it's often assumed that he's from Paris, but he's from Le Chesnay -- about 12 miles (20 kilometers) west of the city.
It was important to him to make this happen in time for the Spurs' visit there. Others did not think that was realistic.
"Impossible," said Le Chesnay's mayor, Richard Delepierre.
The challenges were many: There were old courts in that space to excavate, designs to be approved, it's not great weather for construction at this time of year and, if all that weren't enough, building anything so close to the Palace of Versailles seems to be a bit of a logistical headache, to say the least.
But it's what Wemby wanted. And that makes things happen, especially in his hometown.
"Beyond his immense basketball talents, it seems that Victor possesses great qualities of art and a certain capacity for persuasion," Delepierre said.
Construction really got going just a couple months ago. But on Tuesday, on a chilly afternoon, it was finished. The new nets were in place, the fibers still tight together as if to show not a single shot had gone through them yet. The kids peeled back a black drape to show off the center court design -- a nod to both the Spurs' logo and the Le Chesnay clock tower -- and Wembanyama caught a lob for the ceremonial first dunk.
"It was my dream also to have these kind of courts when I was living here," Wembanyama said.
Le Chesnay is a small city of about 30,000, a little west of downtown Paris. From town hall there's a view of the Palace of Versailles, the home King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette shared in the late 18th century before he was beheaded during the French Revolution. Local legend suggests Napoleon roamed the area at times, even ordering that trees be planted to line the streets a certain way.
It is also where Wembanyama's basketball life began to grow.
Local officials say the majority of residents there -- the Chesnaycourtois and Chesnaycourtoise -- take part in some sort of sporting activity. Wembanyama created a bit of a stir in town when he brought friends in for an impromptu pickup soccer match last year, some of them roaming the same field that they did as little kids. Handball is extremely popular there, as are auto racing and equestrian. There even was a filly named Le Chesnay that raced at the famed Saratoga Race Course in 2009.
But, officially or unofficially, it's a basketball town now. Kids are playing the game all the time in Le Chesnay, most of them -- as one would guess -- wearing Spurs jerseys or T-shirts. Wembanyama's 6-foot-3 mother, Elodie de Fautereau, was a standout player and became a coach.
"The Spurs' 'Play Paris' initiative isn't just about building a court, it's about creating a vibrant hub for the community that honors Victor's journey and his commitment to giving back," said RC Buford, CEO of Spurs Sports and Entertainment. "This renovated space will hopefully inspire the next generation and showcase the power of sports to bring people together."
The Spurs haven't said what they spent on the project, but it was a "significant" part of the estimated $500,000 budget, Delepierre said. It's also important to note that the courts aren't some Wembanyama tribute; the city logo and the Spurs logo are present, but nothing that screams the 2023-24 NBA rookie of the year's name.
He didn't want them to be about him. And they got done just in time.
"Impossible," Delepierre said, taking back his previous declaration, "is not French."
Herro (groin) out as Heat take on Trail Blazers
MIAMI -- Guard Tyler Herro will be sidelined for the Miami Heat, as they take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night because of groin tightness.
Herro, who turned 25 on Monday, will miss his first game of the season. He is averaging a team-best 24 points.
The Heat said Herro woke up with tightness on Tuesday. He was originally listed him as questionable for the game and downgraded to out about an hour before tipoff.
In his fifth NBA season, Herro has assumed a heavier offensive role, especially with the uncertainty of star forward Jimmy Butler's future with the club. Butler recently returned from a seven-game suspension for what the Heat considered "conduct detrimental to the team."
Sources: Suns loading up with 3 1st-round picks
The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 first-rounder to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
The trade triples the Suns' allotted first-round draft capital as the franchise pursues upgrades to its roster -- such as Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler. Butler, who requested a trade from the Heat earlier this month, has the Suns among his preferred trade destinations, sources said.
The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland and Minnesota; in 2027 of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah; and in 2029 of Cleveland, Minnesota and Utah, sources said.
The aggressive approach by the Suns unlocks their next six drafts and breaks up their lone tradable first in 2031 into three firsts. For 2025, the Suns are likely to have Cleveland's first-round pick. The Cavaliers entered Tuesday with the best record in the NBA.
The Jazz are consolidating their first-round picks acquired in the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades in 2022. Including the 2031 unprotected first from Phoenix, Utah will have 11 first-round picks in the next seven years.
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