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Mauricio Pochettino has called for "stupid rumours" around his Chelsea future to stop and insisted he will see out the final year of his contract unless told otherwise by the club.
The 52-year-old has endured a tumultuous first season at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea scrambling to qualify for Europe next season, despite owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital spending more than 1 billion ($1.25bn) on new players since their 2022 takeover.
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Pochettino has faced chants to be sacked from disgruntled supporters -- who have also chanted the name of former coach José Mourinho -- but Thursday's 2-0 win over Tottenham leaves Chelsea just two points off seventh place, which would be enough to secure a Europa Conference League spot next term.
Speculation persists that Pochettino's job could be at risk and he told Sky Sports after beating Spurs that "it was difficult to see every single week that I am under scrutiny."
Pushed further on this issue, Pochettino said: "We were talking about the judgement at the end of the season, if I feel I am under scrutiny.
"That was the question from the people. But it is like [we have] to prove, after all these circumstances and all of this situation, that we deserve to be here next season. I say, "Who is going to judge me?
"I need to judge myself and all the players, and of course with all the circumstances [of the season].
"But I wanted to say that it is enough with these type of rumours. If I have one more year on my contract here, and no one says nothing, [I] suppose that I am going to be here. [That changes] only if we then finish the season and someone says to me, 'ciao.'
"Because we don't know at the moment. I suppose I have one more year on my contract and that I am going to be here. But enough about the stupid rumours. You need to ask the club if they want me to keep going or not -- not to write things that have no sense."
Pep Guardiola has backed Phil Foden to become one of Manchester City's greatest-ever players after the England midfielder was named the Football Writers' Association (FWA) Men's Footballer of the Year.
Foden won the award after the best individual season of his career during which he has scored 24 goals, including 16 in the Premier League.
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Still only 23 and having already won 14 major trophies, Guardiola says the forward will join the likes of Colin Bell, Mike Summerbee, David Silva and Sergio Agüero as one of the best players in the club's history.
"This club has a long, long history so you can't forget what happened with the players who played at Maine Road, like everyone knows," Guardiola told a news conference on Friday.
"I think the club has been built with many, many top quality players. I have the feeling if he continues his career until the end here and continues that level he can be one of the best, that's for sure.
"Why don't we wait until he retires and after we can see, he's still young."
Foden is set to return to the City squad for Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves at the Etihad Stadium after missing the 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest because of illness.
Guardiola is also hopeful that Éderson, who went off injury at the City Ground, and Erling Haaland will both be fit to start.
City could kick off against Wolves four points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League if Mikel Arteta's team beat Bournemouth at the Emirates earlier in the day.
Guardiola, however, insists his team do not need to win the title or the FA Cup for him to believe it's been a successful campaign.
"It's not about winning or losing that will change my opinion about this season in terms of what they have done," he said.
"If we win these two prizes it's not going to change at all my opinion about that, about the club if we win or don't win the title.
"Of course we want it but we are fighting for something no team in this country has done ever -- ever -- so of course it's a big challenge and we want it.
"But my opinion? It depends if we win in the last minute or not? No chance. I love them so much."
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday the club has no intention of allowing striker Gabriel Jesus to leave the club this summer.
Reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal would be willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old, who will have three years remaining on his contract at the end of the season.
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Jesus has scored eight goals in 33 appearances this season playing primarily as a striker but also out wide.
The Brazil international has struggled with knee problems since undergoing surgery for an injury sustained at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He underwent a second minor operation in January and admitted last month he couldn't "remember the last day I played football without pain."
Kai Havertz has assumed a key role in leading Arsenal's attack at the expense of Jesus of late but when asked on Friday about speculation that the Brazil international could leave the club, Arteta said: "I don't know where this is coming from."
Sources have told ESPN that Arsenal are prepared to sell several fringe players to help boost their summer transfer budget.
Pushed on whether he had any intention of letting Jesus, who joined Arsenal from Manchester City for 45 million ($56.5m) in 2022, move on at the end of the campaign, Arteta replied: "No, no."
Arteta stated his hope that Jorginho would soon agree to a new deal as talks continue over an extension.
The 32-year-old's contract expires at the end of the season and the Italy international is thought to be keen on staying at the club he joined from Chelsea for 12 million in January last year.
"I would love to keep him," Arteta said. "He knows that. The club is fully supportive of that. He's a really important player with us, on and off the field. He makes us better so we want him to stay."
Arteta has a fully fit squad to choose from ahead of Saturday's visit of Bournemouth and the Arsenal boss is weighing whether to include Jurriën Timber after two appearances for Arsenal under-21s having been sidelined since August following knee surgery.
"We won't know [if Timber is ready] until we throw him in there," Arteta added.
"It's tricky because there are only three games to go and he has missed eight months of football, he's played only 150 minutes of football with the U21s, it's a question that can only be resolved by throwing him on the pitch and we will see what happens, we have to try to nail that decision when [we take it]."
TURIN, Italy -- One recent afternoon, Weston McKennie walked into a pizza parlor.
In this part of the world, where he has emerged as one of the top midfielders in Serie A and perhaps Juventus' most consistent player, McKennie can rarely go out in public.
La Lampara, a restaurant run by the cousin of his personal chef, is a safe haven. He even stores a bottle of Hidden Valley ranch dressing, his favorite condiment, in the refrigerator to swirl on his pizza.
But in Leeds, where McKennie was chastised by fans for looking overweight, it all sounds like the start of a bad joke.
McKennie spent the second half of last season on loan at Leeds United with the expectation of staying longer. Instead, his introduction to the Premier League was a disaster, marred by accusations by fans that he wasn't fit and wasn't making an effort. Suddenly, ranch dressing was no longer just a personality quirk. It was a symptom of the problem that was dragging down the club.
"I feel like I let people down," he says now.
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At the time, Leeds appeared to be building America's Team. The investment arm of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers was set to complete a purchase of the historic club and market it across the Atlantic. Manager Jesse Marsch -- of Racine, Wisconsin, and D.C. United -- had signed two of McKennie's U.S. teammates, Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson. (They joined Englishman Jack Harrison, who attended high school in Massachusetts and played college soccer at Wake Forest.)
McKennie, who started his career at Schalke 04 and moved to Juventus in 2020, was seen as the missing piece, a tireless box-to-box midfielder who would provide a touch of Champions League quality.
Except ... none of it happened. Marsch was fired in February 2023, after McKennie had played one game for him. The sale was postponed, though the 49ers eventually acquired the team at a reduced price. After three seasons in the Premier League, Leeds was relegated. "Because they signed half the U.S. national team, who weren't very good," Darragh MacAnthony, the owner of Peterborough, said in a radio interview.
Fairly or not, McKennie bore much of the blame. A player who prides himself on his work rate, he appeared sluggish. In more than 1,400 minutes over 20 games, he managed just one assist. He had broken a foot the previous February. That healed, but his form hadn't recovered. "He wasn't playing like himself," Aaronson says. "He had a lot of expectations coming in, and that just took its toll on the pitch."
When McKennie was substituted out an hour into the season's final game, a 4-1 loss to Spurs at Elland Road that sealed the club's return to the second division Championship, the home fans chanted at him, "You fat bastard!"
Leeds' option to make McKennie's transfer permanent for a $38 million fee had seemed like a bargain in January 2023. Not surprisingly, the club declined to activate it. "I felt like it was the first time that I had failed," McKennie says now. "It knocked me down completely. It put me in the situation of having to prove myself all over again."
Then, McKennie returned to Turin in July and discovered that Juventus didn't seem to want him back. "The situation that he described to me was horrible," USMNT head coach Gregg Berhalter says. "He went from a bad situation at Leeds to going back to Juventus, and all of a sudden you don't have a parking spot or a locker."
At 25, McKennie's future as an elite player was far from certain. Now, somehow, he is finishing one of the finest seasons of any American in Europe. A playmaker who can score goals, he's also a ball-winner who is rarely dispossessed. If he maintains his form, he will greatly enhance the U.S. team's chances of winning the Copa América this summer in its only meaningful games before the 2026 World Cup. "He's a difference-maker in the final third, and he can also be a difference-maker in the middle third," Adams says. "He can do so many things that other players can't do. I think people are only beginning to see what a difference he can make when he's playing at his best."
Is Weston McKennie one of the best midfielders in Serie A this season?
Two assists to Dusan Vlahovic today as Juventus win late at Frosinone pic.twitter.com/kbGasC3VRK
CBS Sports Golazo (@CBSSportsGolazo) February 25, 2024
They're seeing it now in Turin, where he ranks among Juventus's most popular players. He sits in a private room at La Lampara, waiting for his pizza, both literally and figuratively in a place where not many people thought he'd be.
"It was difficult for me, honestly," he says. "But I did it to myself. And my time at Leeds, as bad as it did go, was very important. It was a big moment in my career as far as my development. I am where I am today because of everything I've been through. And I'm happy about it. I wouldn't change any of it."
During the mostly turgid "Juventus: All or Nothing" documentary series released in 2021, one of the few entertaining scenes shows McKennie with two of his teammates, club legends Giorgio Chiellini and Gianluigi Buffon, discussing food over lunch at the club's training ground.
"If I don't eat well, it's impossible to play," Chiellini says, in what is probably the most Italian comment ever.
McKennie urges Chiellini to consider smothering his pizza in ranch, that uniquely American, buttermilk-based invention. "What are you saying to me?" Chiellini responds in mock horror. He then asks about McKennie's taste in coffee. McKennie makes a face and reveals, in graphic terms, that espresso sends him directly to the bathroom. Laughter ensues. Hanging out with these guys seems like fun.
McKennie's appealingly quirky personality makes him a popular teammate everywhere he goes. "Relaxed, bubbly good vibes," is how Glasgow Rangers' Rabbi Matondo, who played with him at Schalke 04, describes him. "He's just in his own world, doing his own thing."
Giorgio Chiellini just doesn't understand Weston McKennie's pizza style
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Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) December 6, 2021
McKennie's father, a U.S. Air Force officer, moved his family from one base to another. McKennie learned to make friends easily. "I make myself so open and -- I don't know -- goofy because I want people to feel comfortable to come talk to me," he says. At Schalke, he spent hours mastering magic tricks he found on YouTube so he could entertain his teammates. He also tried to initiate Matondo into the Cult of Ranch. "Have you been in America?" he asked Matondo, who grew up in Wales. When Matondo told him he had, McKennie's eyes lit up. "Did you try ranch?"
McKennie also plays Fortnite relentlessly. He has a Harry Potter fascination that has led to a goal celebration in which he appears to wave a magic wand and, lately, a deal to promote the video game. "I dabble in different things," McKennie says. "I'm just the guy who loves to be free and do what he wants."
Even in the changing room before games, McKennie seems carefree -- so much so that teammates sometimes wonder if he's properly focused. "Then he crosses the white line [onto the pitch] and he becomes a different animal," Matondo says. "And you see him running and running and going after the ball everywhere. It's amazing to me."
"He's like a child," says Adams. "Both on and off the field. And that's what makes him great."
But McKennie's antics mask a vulnerability. "He has so much feeling inside of him," says Berhalter. "That's who he is. And being receptive to that is part of getting the best out of him."
At a USMNT training camp in Orlando, Florida, in 2019, Berhalter found McKennie to be distracted. "He could tell that my head wasn't there," said McKennie, who was 21 at the time. "That I was a little bit off. Maybe not my happy self." It turned out that he was having issues with his girlfriend. "I was young, I was in love," he says. "I just went to Gregg and talked with him -- not at all about soccer, but just about life. I legit cried in front of him. I sat there and cried and he hugged me, like a father who's not a father."
McKennie has also had to spend stretches of his career striving to gain acceptance as an elite player. "My whole career has kind of been that path where people have doubted me, labeled me as an underdog," he says.
As a teenager, he was chosen for a U17 national team residency in Florida, which set him on the path to becoming a professional. But in 2015, he was cut from the team. That motivated him to not only succeed in American soccer, but to go up against the world's best players in Europe, where he'd been introduced to the game while his father was stationed in Germany. He turned down a scholarship offer at the University of Virginia, then declined an offer to play in MLS for FC Dallas, his hometown team. Not yet 18, he went to Schalke, where he set out to show the skeptics that an unknown young American could be a Bundesliga standout.
"Weston is at his best when people count him out," says Berhalter.
His evolution came in fits and starts. At times, he questioned his decision. "Somewhere deep down, though, I knew I had the potential," he says.
In November, 2017, McKennie scored against Portugal in his USMNT debut. When Berhalter became the U.S. coach a year later, he established a leadership council, consisting of six or seven players who rotate into the traditional positions of captain and vice captain. From the beginning, McKennie was a fixture. Yet he felt uncomfortable as a role model. "I'm too free-spirited," he says.
Given the armband for the first time at Chicago's Soldier Field in the Concacaf Gold Cup final against Mexico in 2019, he suffered through one of his worst games as a U.S. international. Then, though the responsibilities of the captain include representing the team with the media, McKennie refused to give an interview.
He still spurns official titles, but if you were a fly on the wall, he says now, you'd be surprised to see how far he has come. Invariably, he's the USMNT member who welcomes new arrivals. If a group of established players are headed out somewhere, Aaronson says, "he's always the one to text the new guys and make sure they know about it. I've seen him do it again and again. I'm really impressed by that."
McKennie also lets his U.S. teammates know that they can come to him with insecurities, competitive issues or other problems. "Maybe you're going through the same thing that I went through," he says, "because I've had my share of hiccups." That includes getting sent home from the final round of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup for spending one night outside the club's COVID-19 bubble at a Nashville hotel and bringing an unauthorized visitor into his hotel room during another, which earned him the disgust of former USMNT standout Landon Donovan.
"And I remember the times when maybe I thought I didn't belong," McKennie says. "So I try to tell the players, 'You belong. You're here. Trust yourself. Believe in yourself.'"
And then, last summer, McKennie had to convince himself of the same.
Nobody would have questioned McKennie in August if he had asked to get a fresh start somewhere else, especially when it became clear he wasn't in Juventus's plans. "A lot of players would have said, 'I'm done here. I'm leaving'" Berhalter says. "And he did just the opposite. He said, 'I'm going to prove them all wrong.'"
He was included on Juventus's preseason tour to California and Florida, both to showcase him and to provide a marquee name for American fans. Still, his determination impressed manager Max Allegri, who saw utility in a player who competed each time he stepped on the field. "Weston has this mentality that he's able to brush things aside," Aaronson says. "He went back to Juventus and did what he did because he's not focused on things like other people are. It's a source of strength for him."
Start running now and don't stop until the end of the season, Allegri told him, and McKennie is still running. He began the season as a substitute at right-back, then stepped in when Tim Weah strained a thigh and couldn't play. Soon enough, he was back in the midfield, using his skill as a distributor to get the ball forward to Dusan Vlahovic and Federico Chiesa.
McKennie has operated from both the right side and in the middle, depending on Allegri's needs. He hurt a knee in January, which necessitated a trip to see a specialist in France, then separated a shoulder in a collision with a Frosinone player in late February. Yet he still ranks among Serie A leaders this season in clearances, progressive passes and assists, an unusual trifecta that illustrates his varied skills.
In late December, when the well-regarded Italian daily Tuttosport published its compilation of Juventus player ratings for the season's first half, McKennie led the team. "Right now," Weah says, "he's top-tier. He's one of the best midfielders in the world."
9 - No Serie A player has provided more assists than Weston #McKennie (9, alongside Hernandez and Giroud) in all competitions 23/24. Among players in the Big-5 Leagues with at least 9 assists all comps, the American is the only one who has not yet scored a goal. Wand. pic.twitter.com/P3NiHApXNL
OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) March 11, 2024
Against Frosinone in February, he played one of the better games in memory by an American in Europe before hurting his shoulder in the 82nd minute. He created Juventus' first goal by making a run down the right side without the ball, then receiving a pass he controlled with a single touch and sending the ball into the box for Vlahovic, who poked it home. Half an hour later he fed Vlahovic again, a pinpoint delivery from a step inside the box, for a second goal. Later, he moved from the right wing to a role as an inside midfielder, from which he was controlling play. Until he collided awkwardly with Kaio Jorge and was taken off, he was clearly the best player on the field. The next day, Tuttosport dubbed him the "King of Assists."
Within days, the local newspaper in Leeds, the Yorkshire Evening Post, would run a story about the interest McKennie was suddenly generating among England's biggest clubs. The headline: "Leeds United Flop Linked with Manchester United and Arsenal."
Unlike the vast majority of football professionals, McKennie professes to have no interest in a game unless he's playing in it. He can't remember the last time he watched one on television, start to finish. In fact, he may never have done it.
"I used to ask him, 'How do you play football the way you do and have no knowledge of anything going on in the sport?" Matondo says.
In summer 2018, while in preseason camp with Schalke 04, McKennie went to Christian Pulisic's house in Dortmund with a bunch of other players to see the France-Croatia World Cup final. Except, McKennie didn't actually see it. "Everyone was on the couch watching the game," he says. "There were a whole bunch of TVs." One of them was right in front of McKennie, but he had his head down playing Fortnite.
"They all just laughed at me," he says. "Like, 'how can you be playing that right now? This game is so good.' And I would look up every once in a while. But it just doesn't interest me. I'll play soccer and give it everything I have. But that mentality when I'm not playing, I need to switch it off."
McKennie is deeply involved in fashion and music. He has a real estate business with his brother in Dallas. When his career ends, he says, he could imagine doing something in one of those areas, or maybe becoming an agent, or even a broadcaster, though in that case he'd probably have to watch games. "I enjoy playing football. I want to go as far as I can," he says. "But honestly, if my career ended tomorrow, I would be happy. And I wouldn't have regrets for anything that I've done."
At 25, McKennie believes he has plenty of football ahead of him. First comes this summer's Copa América, which he believes the U.S. can win. "Maybe people don't look at us against Argentina or Brazil and say, 'Wow, look at the USA,'" he says. "But that's why Gregg is so important. Because, yeah, a team can have a lot of individual talent, but when you have a team that has quality and potential and will sacrifice everything for each other, that will make a difference."
He even fantasizes about that happening at the next level. "Do I believe that we can win the World Cup? Very slim chances," he admits. "But it's, what, eight games? If you can catch fire for those eight games, it can happen. The grit, the desire, a little bit of luck as well -- that's what it takes in a football game. That's the beauty about it. Anybody can be beaten on any given day."
McKennie's contract with Juventus is up after next season. Negotiations are ongoing, but his constant yearning for the next challenge may lead him to agree to a transfer, especially if it involves the unfinished business of proving himself in the Premier League. At the same time, he's more than content in Turin. He lives in a house on a hill outside the city that he rents from a wealthy doctor. He eats at La Lampara, where they nod when he covers his pizza with creamy dressing. And inside and outside the club, his stock keeps rising.
The food has just arrived when a young woman approaches his table and begs for a picture. Peeking out from behind her is the manager, Fabrizio. He has a guilty look, as if he knows he should be letting McKennie eat in peace. But what can he do? She won't be denied.
Fabrizio shrugs. "Her favorite player," he says.
Venkatesh, Starc star as KKR break 12-year Wankhede jinx
Kolkata Knight Riders 169 (Venkatesh 70, Pandey 42, Bumrah 3-18) beat Mumbai Indians 145 (Suryakumar 56, Starc 4-33) by 24 runs
Kolkata Knight Riders further embedded themselves near the top of the IPL table, and Mumbai Indians' hopes of qualifying for the final four took another big hit.
Starc locks it down
Despite their faltering start, MI still only needed 51 runs off the last five overs, with Suryakumar at the crease on 56. Andre Russel bowled the 16th over, and Suryakumar will feel he should have done better with the knee-high full toss he got second ball. Instead of launching it into the legside stands, he got a huge top edge that flew towards fine leg, with wicketkeeper Phil Salt able to chase it down and take it comfortably in his gloves.
It was Starc who really ended MI's chances though. He bowled a spectacular 17th over in which he conceded only three runs. And when MI needed 32 off the last two overs, he did concede a six off first ball of the 19th, but had Tim David caught at long on next ball, had Piyush Chawla chip one to extra cover immediately after, then wiped out the innings with a yorker that took out Gerald Coetzee's middle stump.
After a rough start to the IPL, Starc came back in this match with figures of 4 for 33, having also dismissed Ishan Kishan with the new ball.
Venkatesh Iyer digs KKR out of a hole
Before Starc could work his magic with the ball, KKR needed something to defend. And Venkatesh's 70 off 52 was the spine of KKR's innings. He was quick early on, hitting two fours off his first four balls, before settling down a little while wickets fell at the other end. But to KKR's great credit, their run rate did not slow substantially despite the dismissals. They were 51 for 4 after five overs, 83 for 5 after 10, and got to triple figures in the 12th over of the innings.
This was in large part thanks to Venkatesh, and to Pandey, who kept seeking out boundary opportunities instead of settling too deep into accumulation mode. Pandey was out for 42 off 31 in the 17th over, but Iyer stayed till the 20th, and was the last to be out off the penultimate ball. Of his three sixes, the back away and crash over long off, off the bowling of Hardik Pandya, was the most memorable.
Bumrah almost unplayable
Though MI continue to stink up the IPL, Bumrah is their unerring talisman, today finishing with figures of 3 for 18 off 3.5 overs. In his first over he conceded just two runs, but Hardik did not bring his best bowler back even when KKR were struggling in the first seven overs.
Bumrah then had one modest middle-overs over, in which Pandey hit him for a six and a four.
But at the death, he was exemplary, taking two wickets and conceding just two runs off the 18th over, before hemming Venkatesh in and getting him out off the fifth ball of the last over - the batter having tried to scoop him over the shoulder, only to miss and to have his middle stump knocked out of the ground. He had scored just two runs off the previous four deliveries.
Bumrah keeps the purple cap, though MI's chances of making the playoffs grow remote.
Andrew Fidel Fernando is a senior writer at ESPNcricinfo. @afidelf
Hayley Matthews' 78 helps West Indies finish series 4-1 against Pakistan
West Indies 136 for 2 (Matthews 78, Campbelle 33*, Iqbal 1-24) beat Pakistan 134 for 8 (Ameen 48, Muneeba 25, Fletcher 3-17) by eight wickets
But, led by legspinner Afy Fletcher, West Indies engineered an almighty Pakistan collapse. Only Rameen Shamim, whose late unbeaten 11-ball 16 got Pakistan past 130, managed double figures after the top three. Pakistan lost seven wickets for 37 runs as Fletcher, Joseph and Matthews all cashed in, strangling the innings until Shamim's final-over flourish. Sidra top-scored for Pakistan with a 52-ball 48.
But West Indies had the momentum, and never truly ceded it. Matthews started cautiously once more, allowing Rashada Williams to inflict the early jabs. Sadia Iqbal got rid of her in the fifth over, but that brought out Shemaine Campbelle, who, together with Matthews put together a 103-run partnership, terminally ending any Pakistan hopes of another consolation win. Towards the second half of that innings, Matthews seemed to be finding boundaries at will, 11 of them sprinkled throughout her innings as she surpassed 50 and helped her side hurtle towards what suddenly looked like an inadequate target. Campbelle, meanwhile eased along for an unbeaten 33 off 35, happy to play second fiddle at a master in full flow.
Pakistan did manage to get Matthews out one final time in the series, Nashra Sandhu knocking her stumps back. But by then, West Indies needed just seven to win, and Matthews' work was done.
Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph in West Indies squad for 2024 T20 World Cup
Alzarri Joseph has been named deputy to captain Rovman Powell, while Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell and Jason Holder have all made the squad.
West Indies, who have won the T20 World Cup twice (2012 and 2016), have had an underwhelming run in the last two editions of the tournament. In 2021, led by Kieron Pollard, they failed to make the knockouts after winning just one match in the group phase. A year later in Australia, they failed to make the main round under Nicholas Pooran's captaincy. They also missed out on qualifying for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India after failing to progress through the Qualifier.
"I'm making it very clear to everybody that whatever team that you hear us put out today, that team we feel is going to win the World Cup," Desmond Haynes, West Indies' chairman of selectors, said after the squad announcement.
Hayes pointed out that while the selectors had jotted down names for the reserves, a final list would be worked out post West Indies A's tour of Nepal and the home T20I series against South Africa. A preparatory camp is set to be held in Antigua from next weekend for the South Africa series. White-ball head coach Sammy also said CWI has requested the BCCI to release West Indies players from the ongoing IPL as soon as possible.
Why was Shamar Joseph included?
"You really can't question Shamar Joseph's skills," Haynes said. "You saw him in Australia. We were looking at someone up front bowling the first powerplay and he ticks the boxes."
Sammy said that picking the squad was "difficult" as they had several contenders to parse through. One of them was fast bowler Matthew Forde, who made his West Indies debut against England in the home white-ball series following a successful 2023 CPL. However, Sammy echoed Haynes' comments on how Shamar had pipped other new ball contenders including Forde.
"Shamar Joseph has the pace, he has skills with the new ball," Sammy said. "Not saying Matthew Forde doesn't, but when you look at the role, it makes it easier for us to now pick the personnel to fit that role."
Haynes: 'Very close decision between Hetmyer and Kyle Mayers'
Haynes admitted that it was a "very close decision" picking Hetmyer over Kyle Mayers, who has been a regular opener in the past while doubling up as a handy medium-pace bowler. The selectors felt having a finisher was more important than a top-order batter like Mayers, who is currently in IPL as part of LSG.
Left-arm spinner Fabian Allen, who is playing in Nepal with the West Indies A team, is another player West Indies selectors have their eye on.
Sammy also said that Brandon King, who missed West Indies A's ongoing tour of Nepal due to knee injury, will be playing the T20 series at home against South Africa which will serve as preparation for both teams ahead of the T20 World Cup starting from June 1. In case King remains unfit, West Indies have until May 25 to make changes to their provisional 15.
As for the inclusion of Roson Chase, the lone offspinner in the squad, Haynes highlighted that numbers proved he was the "most economical bowler" in addition to being a capable allrounder and can play a "similar role" to Marlon Samuels when West Indies won the T20 World Cups.
Sammy had 'conversations with Narine'
When asked whether Sunil Narine was in the running considering his outstanding all-round form in the ongoing IPL, West Indies head coach Sammy said: "Ever since I became coach I have had conversations with all players who took part in (2023) CPL that I thought that could have an impact for us this World Cup. So yes, I had conversations with Narine. (But) as the news clearly stated, Narine is retired."
Sammy: 'Have 15 X-factors'
Sammy was the captain when West Indies won the T20 World Cup, first in Sri Lanka in 2012 and then in India in 2016. Johnson Charles and Russell, who returned to play for West Indies during the Australia series in January after a long hiatus, were both part of those wins. Sammy admitted he was motivated by the prospect of becoming the first team to win a T20 World Cup at home.
Asked who he would single out as an X-factor player in the West Indies squad, Sammy said: "This period here reminds me of when I was captain, Ottis Gibson or Phil Simmons was coach, sitting down in selection, having a healthy performance squad to pick from and you look at all angles, which 15 men you put on the park, and what every single angle could give you an advantage. I have 15 X-factors there. Dessie [Desmond Haynes] reminded me in the meeting we have matchwinners, And the world knows it."
West Indies schedule for group phase
West Indies are in Group C along with Papua New Guinea (PNG), Uganda, New Zealand and Afghanistan. Their first two games are in Providence, Guyana, against PNG on June 2 and against Uganda on June 8. They then play New Zealand at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad on June 12, before their last group game against Afghanistan on June 17 in St Lucia.
West Indies squad for T20 World Cup
Rovman Powell (capt), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Shai Hope, Andre Russell, Romario Shepherd, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Sherfane Rutherford
Nagraj Gollapudi is news editor at ESPNcricinfo
Impact sub Pandey finally gets his chance, and makes it count
"It was fantastic to see him go out there and basically build on the partnership with Venky, who has been phenomenal on this wicket and, yeah, we got to a commendable total. All I had to say to the boys [was] that if we have got here, we can defend it with our bowling lineup and that's what we did."
Venkatesh, the Player of the Match, said that it was important for him and Pandey to rebuild, even if the scoring rate wasn't much, to save the likes of Andre Russell for the death.
"This is the fourth or fifth time where Manish has padded up, but this time he eventually got to bat," Venkatesh said. "Yeah, that's the plan obviously. With the impact-player rule, if you see a collapse, you can get a batter in, and he can add to the score."
Asked if giving up the impact-player option within the first quarter of the game was wise, Venkatesh said, "It was very important at that time. With Russell and Ramandeep [Singh] coming in a situation where they don't play, it was better for someone like Manish to come in and accelerate. And he did well as well.
"It would be very easy for me to go after someone like Piyush Chawla or maybe fast bowlers, just hit them because Wankhede is known as a six-hitting ground. But the team needed me to be there till the end and I'm really happy for that"
Venkatesh Iyer
"Initially, I told him it will take time to adjust to the wicket. The ball was holding up, and it was a two-paced wicket. So I told him we have the cushion of time and he is an experienced candidate. He was the one guiding me throughout the innings, how to face the bowler, which bowler to attack, [in] which situation to be aggressive - that communication was very good."
"I try to be a smarter cricketer," Venkatesh said about his approach to the innings. "Everyone has the skillset but if you are smart, you can make those decisions.
"It would be very easy for me to go after someone like Piyush Chawla or maybe fast bowlers, just hit them because Wankhede is known as a six-hitting ground. But the team needed me to be there till the end and I'm really happy for that."
Kohli vs Titans' spinners the subplot (again) in rainy Bengaluru
Match details
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (tenth, P10, W3, L7) vs Gujarat Titans (eighth, P10, W4, L6)
Bengaluru, 1930 IST (1400 GMT)
Big picture - Will Kohli boss Titans spinners again?
And Kohli looks ready to bring on more of the same, having had an extended session against the spinners on the eve of the match, focusing on his range-hitting against them.
Kohli's takedown of GT's spinners, and later Jacks' incredible acceleration, meant RCB cruised in their chase of 201 without their two designated spin hitters - Rajat Patidar and Glenn Maxwell - having to go out to bat.
R Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad all went for more than 10 runs an over, and now they will face the same opponents at a ground that's been a graveyard for spinners. With GT being a bowling-heavy team, they will need to revise their plans and come up with a way to stop RCB from making it three wins in a row.
Form guide
RCB - WWLLL (last five matches, most recent first)
GT - LLWLW
Previous meeting
An 86-run stand between Sai Sudharsan and Shahrukh Khan took Titans to 200 for 3 after openers Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha were dismissed within the first six overs. Despite Faf du Plessis falling to R Sai Kishore in the fourth over, the chase turned out to be an easy one in the end for RCB. Will Jacks struggled early on, but Virat Kohli ensured the visitors did not lose the momentum. At 16 off 16 at one point, Jacks suddenly exploded, smashing 84 runs off his next 25 deliveries. That included going 6, 6, 4, 6, 6 against Rashid to bring up his maiden IPL century and seal an NRR-boosting win in the 16th over.
Team news and impact player strategy
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
With back-to-back wins behind them, RCB will likely stick to the same combination they used last time, with the option of bringing in Mahipal Lomror or an extra bowler in Vyshak Vijaykumar or Akash Deep.
Probable XII: Faf du Plessis (capt), Virat Kohli, Will Jacks, Rajat Patidar, Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Karn Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Dayal, Swapnil Singh, Mahipal Lomror/Vyshak Vijaykumar/Akash Deep
Gujarat Titans
GT are unlikely to tinker with their team, although they may be tempted to play an extra pacer in Josh Little or Spencer Johnson ahead of Noor Ahmad in Bengaluru.
Probable XII: Shubman Gill (capt), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Sai Sudharsan, Shahrukh Khan, David Miller, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, R Sai Kishore, Mohit Sharma, Noor Ahmad/Josh Little, Sandeep Warrier
In the spotlight - Glenn Maxwell and Shubman Gill
One of RCB's batting mainstays in recent years, Glenn Maxwell has been uncharacteristically off-colour in IPL 2024, scoring just 32 runs in six innings, 28 of which came in one knock. He was out of the XI after being asked to drop, and after a break, he was back in action against GT last Sunday. While he did not get a chance to bat in Ahmedabad, he got the wicket of the opposition captain Shubman Gill. With Patidar and Jacks hitting form for RCB, Maxwell will have a reduced burden in that middle order, and could benefit from being able to play with more freedom.
Shubman Gill, captaining in the IPL for the first time in his career and coming into this season on the back of scoring almost 900 runs in the last edition, has not quite had a tournament to remember. He has made just 320 runs in 10 matches so far, and scored just the two half-centuries. A return to the Chinnaswamy might just be the spark he needs to return to his form from last year - he scored his third century of IPL 2023 on his previous visit to the venue.
Stats that matter
- Kohli loves playing against Gujarat Titans. In four innings, his lowest score against GT is 58 and he averages 151 against them
- GT's Afghan spinners may be key against RCB skipper Faf du Plessis. He has got out to Rashid twice in 13 innings and twice to Noor in two innings
- Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan are the only batters in IPL 2024 to face 100 balls or more in the powerplay and strike lower than 140. This has resulted in GT being the slowest scorers in the powerplay this season
Pitch and conditions
There was plenty of rain in Bengaluru on Friday afternoon, although it subsided in the evening. The forecast is the same for Saturday, so while it is expected to be cloudy, rain should not interrupt play.
Quotes
"We are moving along in the right direction. It is a shame it didn't happen a few games earlier but there is still a chance for us. We have four games left. We are going to try and give our best, one by one. We will try and win this and one by one after that and it [getting into the playoffs] can happen if we perform in the next four games." Will Jacks on RCB's playoff chances
"It's not a huge concern for us. Having Wriddhi [Wriddhiman Saha], we all know the kind of player he is. I don't really, especially you guys, need to educate Shubman, we all know what his abilities are. It's just a matter of us really playing that pace we're looking for. Hopefully, we'll make 300 as everybody is taking about. But we'll be there and thereabouts on a ground like this." GT assistant coach Naeem Amin on their top order not firing
Abhimanyu Bose is a sub-editor with ESPNcricinfo
INDIANAPOLIS -- Caitlin Clark will make her preseason home debut one day earlier than initially scheduled, Indiana Fever officials announced Friday.
Indiana was scheduled to host the Atlanta Dream on May 10. The game will now be played on Thursday.
The scheduling conflict occurred when the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks each advanced to the Eastern Conference semifinals of the NBA playoffs with Game 6 wins Thursday night. League officials then announced the two teams would play Game 3 at Indiana on May 10 at 7 p.m. -- the same date and time the Fever and Dream were to play.
Both Indiana teams play in the same building, Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Fever officials said tickets with the May 10 date will be valid for the rescheduled game and that the game will be shown on the WNBA app.
Clark's first professional game will be played Friday night at Dallas. Indiana opens the regular season May 14 at Connecticut and plays its first home game May 16 against New York.
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