FFF president Philippe Diallo has discussed Didier Deschamps' future following France's defeat to Spain.
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FFF president clarifies Deschamps' futureRumours Deschamps could leave postFrance crashed out of Euro 2024 semi-finalWHAT HAPPENED?
The 2018 World Cup-winning manager's future as France boss has come under scrutiny after Les Bleus crashed out of the Euro 2024 semi-final on Tuesday after losing to Spain 2-1. Randal Kolo Muani handed his team the lead early in the match but Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo's strikes in quick succession allowed La Roja to clinch the tie and reach the final of a European Championship for the first time since 2012.
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With the French side failing to win yet another major competition despite being one of the pre-tournament favourites, Deschamps' performance as France's head coach has been questioned. However, Diallo confirmed that the 55-year-old will continue in his office at least until the end of his contract which runs until 2026.
WHAT FFF PRESIDENT SAID
Speaking to L'Equipe, Diallo said, "I don't see any reason to question his contract. The past results speak in his favour and the objectives have been achieved. Didier will continue his mission. We will talk together in the coming days to analyse in more depth what we lacked during this semi-final and what would have allowed us to go higher."
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The two-time World Cup winners will be back in action in September when they are scheduled to face Italy and Belgium in back-to-back Nations League clashes.
Gio Reyna not thinking about club future, but admits a decision will need to be made after Copa America
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Reyna not worried about club future just yetMidfielder wants to feel 'valued'U.S. set to open Copa America against BoliviaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
Gio Reyna is heading into the Copa America after a difficult club season that saw him struggle to earn minutes at two different stops. After failing to crack the Dortmund XI in the first half of the season, the American star was loaned to Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, the 21-year-old midfielder was used sparingly by Forest as well, playing just under 250 total minutes across 10 appearances.
It remains to be seen where Reyna ends up this summer, particularly with Dortmund set for a coaching change following Edin Terzic's exit. Wherever he lands, Reyna wants it to be a club where he can play big minutes as he looks to continue his development.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT REYNA SAID
"As of right now, I'm very focused here," Reyna told reporters in Dallas ahead of the USMNT's Copa America Sunday night opener against Bolivia. "Obviously, just looking forward to next season, I just want to go somewhere where I'm valued and get to play a lot and have an important role on the team. Whether it's at Dortmund or somewhere else, I just want to find the best solution for myself.
"I haven't really looked into it and of course, my team is working slowly behind the scenes. It's still early but all my focus right now is on Sunday and obviously the tournament coming up."
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Reyna recently experienced a big moment in his personal life as he became engaged to his long-time girlfriend. It was a notable high after a difficult season for Reyna, one that he's eager to put behind him ahead of the Copa America.
Reyna credits his now-fiancee with helping him navigate some of the difficulties, and his personal happiness has helped him find some perspective as he heads into a massive summer for both his club and national team careers.
"it's hard at times," he admitted. "I'm a soccer junkie. I go to training and after training, I'm thinking about soccer. I'm watching games, viewing film. I get pretty deep into it there. I'm not somebody who just goes to train and then forgets about it the rest of the day. I wish I could!
"I've learned over time to separate the two and obviously credit goes to my now fiancee. It was a pretty easy decision for me. We've been together for a while now. It's something that I've definitely worked on and she's helped me a lot in just trying to separate the two because it can be draining at times. It's a long season to be soccer, soccer, soccer all the time.
"We're trying to learn new things. We're trying to think of different hobbies and we're just trying to grow together and expand as we go forward."
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USA TodayDID YOU KNOW?
Despite his issues at the club level, Reyna has never been in better form for his country. He won the Golden Ball after leading the U.S. to a third-consecutive CONCACAF Nations League title in the spring by assisting on two goals against Jamaica in the semifinal before scoring against Mexico in the finale.
Prior to that, Reyna netted his first international brace in October with two goals in a 4-0 win over Ghana.
Everton are one of a number of top clubs battling to sign an "explosive" attacking player who they have already contacted in the past, according to a fresh transfer update.
Everton takeover & transfer news
The Blues have so much to tackle at the moment both on and off the pitch, with Sean Dyche no doubt desperate to be able to simply focus on performances and results. The ten-point deduction has been handled well so far, with Everton getting themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone, but further punishments could still be coming their way, according to recent updates.
There are also issues surrounding the takeover of the club by 777 Partners, with doubts continuing to emerge over their credentials, so there is understandable reason for unease within the fanbase.
One thing that could create some much-needed positivity is new signings in the January transfer window, and Everton have been linked with plenty of players in recent weeks. Kalvin Phillips is a wanted man ahead of a likely loan move away from Manchester City this month, and the Merseysiders are seen as one of the clubs who could snap him up.
Brentford's Frank Onyeka is another possible target for Everton before January reaches its conclusion, while West Brom youngster Tom Fellows is also a name who has been thrown into the hat.
Everton want to sign Largie Ramazani
According to a new update from Spanish media (via Sport Witness), Everton are fighting other clubs for the signing of Largie Ramazani, with the 22-year-old potentially leaving Almeria in the near future.
UD Almeria forward Largie Ramazani.
Only earlier this month, the Blues were reported to have made contact with the Belgian over a move to Goodison Park, and it doesn't look as though their interest has gone away. This latest rumour suggests that Almeria "could be satisfied by closing his sale in the coming days", as long as a bid of €8m (£6.8m) comes their way.
Ramazani could be a strong January addition for Everton, adding quality in attacking areas and invariably taking up a left-sided role, allowing him to battle with the likes of Jack Harrison and Dwight McNeil for playing time. This season, he has six goal contributions (two goals and four assists) in 11 La Liga starts, as well as an overall tally of 20 goals and eight assists in 118 appearances for his current club.
Meanwhile, football talent scout Jacek Kulig is someone who rates the youngster highly as a player, saying of him recently:
"Explosive winger, electric pace & acceleration, superb dribbling skills & close control. Likes to play a direct style, dynamic & very positive with the ball, likes to make effective off-the-shoulder runs, counter-attacking weapon. 'The Mini-Vinicius'."
Report now shares new update out of Everton on points deduction
This could be big news for Sean Dyche.
By
Henry Jackson
Jan 19, 2024
This really highlights the weapons that Ramazani has in his armoury, and if Everton could beat others to his signature, he could be an inspired signing who improves with age for some time to come.
Tottenham Hotspur have already acted swiftly and efficiently to get their business done early this month, with Ange Postecoglou overseeing the signings of Ragu Dragusin and Timo Werner from Genoa and RB Leipzig, respectively, in recent times.
Those two deals have helped to bolster the Greek-Aussie's options at opposite ends of the pitch, although it is in the centre of the park where further bodies could still be needed, amid reports that Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg could be on his way in the near future.
pape-sarr-pierre-hojbjerg-tottenham-opinion
With just over 24 hours left to run in the winter window, rumours are rife that the north Londoners could seek to prise Conor Gallagher from rivals Chelsea, although the Englishman seemingly isn't the only exciting midfield talent who may be on his way to N17.
Spurs eyeing Conor Gallagher alternative
The Guardian reportedly earlier this week that Spurs are considering a move for Gallagher – who was the subject of interest from Postecoglou over the summer – and that the Blues are willing to listen to offers for the 23-year-old, albeit with a £50m price tag having been touted.
With that in mind, Spurs could look elsewhere in order to strengthen their midfield ranks, with Swedish journalist Anel Avdić revealing that reported Barcelona target Lucas Bergvall has made a visit to Tottenham's training ground in recent times.
Spurs eyeing last-gasp bid to sign their own Kudus
Ange Postecoglou have been linked with another attacker in the window’s closing stage.
ByAngus Sinclair Jan 31, 2024
This comes following reports that an unnamed Premier League club had lodged an €8m (£7m) offer for the Djugardens starlet, with it perhaps the case that is the Lilywhites who have made their move for the 17-year-old.
Lucas Bergvall's style of play
Unsurprisingly, the teenager is only in the infancy of his senior career in his native Sweden, having made just 29 first-team appearances for his current side to date, after previously featuring 12 times for former club, Brommapojkarna – prior to departing last year.
That offers limited data for those at N17 to assess, although the indication is that Bergvall would be a worthy alternative to Gallagher, having notably chipped in with three goals and one assist in 28 games last term – the Chelsea man also providing three goals and one assist in 2022/23.
A potentially more long-term and affordable option for Postecoglou and co than Gallagher, the one-cap Swede also boasts the benefit of his sky-high potential, with data analyst Ben Mattinson even going as far as to suggest that he is "similar to [Jude] Bellingham" in a way, due to his ability to feature in a variety of midfield roles.
Bellingham is, of course, currently shining at Real Madrid with 18 goals and eight assists to his name already this season, having previously mirrored Bergvall in bursting onto the scene at the age of just 16 during his time at Birmingham City.
victor-osimhen-jude-bellingham-liverpool-opinion
The towering Englishman appears to have that gift for being able to glide up the pitch from a deeper role while also feeding others with an incisive forward pass, showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 17% among his European peers for successful take-ons per 90, as well as in the top 1% for progressive passes per 90.
Such traits appear to be shared by the even younger Bergvall, with Mattinson stating previously: "Bergvall is a strong ball carrier and good at dribbling in tight spaces. He loves to progress play either through carrying the ball or his top passing ability."
While the 6 foot 1 gem has a long way to go if he is to be able to emulate the 2023 Golden Boy winner, such comparisons bode well for the impact he could make under Postecoglou's watch, thus making him a worthy target to consider in place of the costly Gallagher.
Conforme esperado pela torcida e departamento de futebol do Flamengo, o clube já tem o primeiro desfalque do mês confirmado por conta das Eliminatórias da Copa-2022. Nesta sexta-feira, Arrascaeta foi convocado para defender a seleção uruguaia nos jogos contra a Argentina, dia 26 de março (fora), e Bolívia, dia30 (em casa).
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Arrascaeta, como boa parte do grupo principal rubro-negro, se reapresentará no Ninho do Urubu no dia 15. Portanto, o uruguaio já sabe que deve ser baixa para o Flamengo nos jogos contra Botafogo (dia 23), Boavista (27) e Bangu (31), pelas 5ª, 6ª e 7ª rodadas da Taça Guanabara, respectivamente – de acordo com o site da Ferj.
Pode ser que o camisa 14 se reapresente após o clássico ou antes de enfrentar o Bangu, mas a tendência, pelo curto intervalo, é que Arrascaeta desfalque o Flamengo nas três partidas citadas acima.
O Flamengo também estáde olho na possibilidade de os jogos das Eliminatórias serem mantidos com a convocação só de atletas que já atuam no continente, o que, se confirmado, resultará em uma série de desfalques para o Rubro-Negro no fim do mês, por conta da Seleção Brasileira (saiba mais aqui).
Em tempo: Maurício Isla, do Chile, é um outro nome carimbado em sua respectiva seleção – como era Arrascaeta.
PRÓXIMO JOGO PELO CARIOCA
+ Veja a tabela e simule o Cariocão 2021
Ainda sem o grupo principal, o Flamengo, comandado por Maurício Souza e composto por jovens do sub-20, principalmente, voltará a campo neste sábado, às 18h, para enfrentar o Macaé, no Maracanã e em duelo válido pela2ª rodada da Taça Guanabara do Campeonato Carioca.
Half-centuries from Paul Horton, Hasan Azad and Mark Cosgrove gave Leicestershire a seven-wicket victory over Sussex
ECB Reporters Network08-Apr-2019Leicestershire made a winning start to their Specsavers County Championship campaign with a seven-wicket victory over Sussex at Hove. Half-centuries from captain Paul Horton and Championship debutant Hasan Azad set things up before Australian Mark Cosgrove saw his side over the line with an unbeaten 53 as Leicestershire sealed their win 50 minutes after lunch.It was Leicestershire’s first Championship success at Hove for 24 years and the calm way in which they approached a potentially tricky target of 230, on a pitch that did not deteriorate as much as Sussex had hoped, will give Horton and coach Paul Nixon them plenty of encouragement for the summer ahead.They had resumed in a good position on 99 for 1 and Horton and Azad took few risks against some accurate bowling, particularly from Ollie Robinson, as they extended their second-wicket stand to 88 from 31 overs.Horton looked especially secure and it was a surprise when he drove hard at a ball from Robinson which nipped off the seam and thick-edged to second slip. Phil Salt parried it and Chris Jordan completed the catch at first slip. Horton batted for nearly three hours for his 61, facing 112 balls and hitting seven fours.Azad proved even more difficult to dislodge and a square drive off Mir Hamza took him to his maiden Championship fifty with his seventh boundary just before lunch. Only 77 runs were scored in 30 overs during the morning session, but Leicestershire were in no hurry.Two balls after the resumption Robinson surprised Azad with extra bounce and had the left-hander caught off the shoulder of the bat at second slip. He had faced 173 balls and hit six fours, adding 61 with Cosgrove. Leicestershire still needed 54 at that stage and Sussex had a glimmer of hope, but Cosgrove and the equally experienced Colin Ackermann quietly chipped away at the target.Cosgrove opened his shoulders to drive Jordan through extra cover to reach his half-century but it was Ackermann who cut Jordan past backward point for the winning runs. Ackermann was unbeaten on 20 while Cosgrove’s 53 not out came off 86 balls with eight fours.
Both Sri Lanka captain Karunaratne and South Africa captain du Plessis shower the Durban hero with effusive praise
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-20190:57
First Lara, then Perera – all the records Sri lanka broke to beat South Africa
“I’m a little tired now, I don’t know what to say.”But for 309 minutes, Kusal Perera knew exactly what to do. Sri Lanka were rank underdogs in this fight. They were pummeled 2-0 in Australia, never even getting close to putting up a total of 250. Their captain was sacked. Their team stripped for parts. Rookies few had heard off were put on the plane to South Africa and now, after four days of outrageous cricket in Durban, they have emerged the victors, chasing down 304 with one wicket to spare.And it was all down to the man who didn’t know what to say.”Especially great effort as a team,” Perera finally managed. “Especially lower-order batsmen, they gave me good support. And because of that I believed in myself.”I did something … I did my part. But we won as a team. The partnerships in the whole innings were great – that’s why we were able to chase 304. You can’t just mention one person or partnership. Even if you scored one run, that counted to the win. All XI of us had to bat. It’s the best Test I’ve played for Sri Lanka.
In these tracks, if you’re not willing to wear balls on the body, you might as well not be batting
Perera was breathtaking with bat in hand. He barely flapped an eyelid when Sri Lanka lost their ninth man with the target still 78 runs away. He defended with unreal calm. ran like there were ants in his pants, took body blows – 150kph deliveries kept thudding into him – and brushed them off like they were mosquito bites.”In places like these [South Africa], it’s never going to be easy, like [it is] in Sri Lanka. These bowlers are all top five in the world. You never know what kinds of balls they are going to send at you. They don’t give you any room, and they have so much experience. There were very few loose balls.”In these couple of matches, I think I’ve copped six or seven blows to the head. In these tracks, if you’re not willing to wear balls on the body, you might as well not be batting. I don’t know how many times I got hit – honestly I’ve lost count. But you can’t think about those things while you are batting. In Sri Lanka the fastest you get is 130-140kph. Here you get balls that are 150kph. When you come to a country like this, if someone tells you you can bat without getting hit, that’s a lie. We have to be smart about it. That happened to me. That’s what cricket is about.”Highest tenth-wicket partnerships in successful chases•ESPNcricinfo LtdAt the other end, the most No. 11 of No. 11s, Vishwa Fernando hung on. He made only six runs – four of those from overthrows. There were five extras in that time as well. But the rest of the 67 that Sri Lanka needed to record only their second Test win in South Africa came off Perera’s magic bat. And it spared no one.Dale Steyn was muscled for six over midwicket. Multiple times. One of the world’s greatest fast bowlers was reduced to shaking his head and scratching his chin. Faf du Plessis took the new ball hoping that would help them take the wicket but Perera farmed the strike so beautifully that Fernando faced only seven deliveries in this period.”I didn’t even look at the scoreboard when Vishwa came in and we had a lot of runs to get. I just tried to play it over by over and get us close, little by little. Vishwa told me: “I’ll hit the ball with my body, if nothing else. You do what you can, Kusal .” I took a lot of strength from that. Without any fear I took the single and gave the strike to him. He did a huge job. If he had got out, there wouldn’t have been a point, because we would ahve been all out. I don’t know how many balls he faced. Those are valuable, valuable balls. What he faced was worth more than my runs.”
Vishwa told me: “I’ll hit the ball with my body, if nothing else. You do what you can, Kusal .” I took a lot of strength from that
Eventually, in the 86th over, Perera glided a short and wide delivery to the third-man boundary and almost as soon as he made contact he let out a cathartic scream, holding his hands aloft and savouring that “special” feeling.”That was really awesome,” newly appointed captain Dimuth Karunaratne said. “We knew coming into this game that we had a chance. Earlier in 2012, we won a match here in Durban. We had a tough series in Australia but we learnt lots of things so I thought the boys will give their best in South Africa.”We lost lots of matches last few years. Even the Sri Lankan fans, who all are looking to see when we were going to win. So I think it’s a proud moment for us as a team, as a captain, and as a country as well. Winning in South Africa is a real proud moment.”It showed in the Sri Lankan dressing room, which flew into chaos upon seeing the winning shot. Coach Chandika Hathurusingha was leaping about, punching the air. The other players around him were on their seats, roaring in delight. Each of them went over to get a piece of their match-winner, so much so that Perera didn’t even have time to collect a stump as a souvenir. Someone else had to do it for him.Kusal Perera and Vishwa Fernando celebrate a sensational Sri Lanka win•Getty ImagesIn December 2015, Perera went through the ordeal of a false positive drug test. He faced a four-year ban from cricket, but Sri Lanka Cricket helped him fight the charge and eventually win the case in court. In December 2016, he toured South Africa for the first time but with the team in flux, he was made to bat out of position at No. 3 and discarded after one Test. Perera finally came back to the Test side in June 2018 and now stands as a hero. There might perhaps be only one other man who knows how he feels right now. Brian Lara, who too made an epic unbeaten 153 to win a see-sawing Test match against superior opposition in the company of a No. 11 batsman.No wonder that even the opposition captain couldn’t hold back his praise. “Perera was obviously unbelievable,” du Plessis said. “To get 160-170 out of that score will take a Superman effort. So he deserves all the accolades that come to him after this game.”I thought 300 was enough on this wicket. I’d be lying if there wasn’t emotions going through me on the inside. Difficult for a captain to tactically… you want to try and protect the lead and then you want to bowl at the tail-ender and he played that beautifully. Whatever we tried, we brought the field up, he still managed to get a one away or a boundary away. Just kept knocking away every over. Towards the end, we got a few balls at the tail-ender but unfortunately there were a few plays an misses. Would’ve been nice if there’d been a nick.”
How the game played outRangpur Riders picked up their first win in the BPL, after beating Khulna Titans by eight runs in a contest that was alive until the penultimate ball of the match. Farhad Reza defended 20 runs in the last over, keeping Carlos Brathwaite quiet.Paul Stirling’s 61 off 46 balls had put the Titans in a strong position chasing 170, but his dismissal in the 14th over, and captain Mahmudullah’s in the 18th over, put them under pressure in the last two overs.The Riders, after being bowled out for 98 in the first game, corrected their batting strategy significantly, despite losing Mehedi Maruf in the fourth over. They lost two more wickets by the tenth over before Rossouw and Bopara put on the game’s most important partnership, adding an unbroken 104 for the fourth wicket.Rossouw struck eight fours and two sixes, both off Ali Khan in the 16th over, while Bopara, who made 44 in the first game, struck three fours and a six in his unbeaten 40 off 29 balls.Turning points
Rossouw and Bopara blast 67 off the last five overs, including 21 off Carlos Brathwaite’s 18th.
Stirling and Junaid Siddique propel Titans to 85 for no loss in 10 overs.
Stirling falls to Mashrafe Mortaza in the 14th over with his side still needing 62 off 41 balls.
Mahmudullah falls with Titans needing 30 off the last 14 balls.
Star of the dayRossouw exacted revenge on the Titans, for whom he had made 187 runs in nine innings in last season’s BPL. This was his first fifty in the competition too – he paced himself initially before launching into the big shots in the last few overs.The big missAfter removing Ariful Haque off the first ball of the penultimate over of the Titans innings, Shafiul Islam conceded 10 runs off the rest of the over, including three consecutive wides.Where the teams standRangpur’s first win, especially after a poor performance in the first game, comes as a significant confidence builder.
Leicester City couldn't quite get another win over the line against bottom-of-the-table Sheffield Wednesday, the spirited Owls levelling at the death deservedly via a Jeff Hendrick strike after edging spells of the contest in the second half.
The table toppers did race into an early lead at Hillsborough but never put Danny Rohl's hosts to the sword on the night after scoring the opener, Abdul Fatawu hammering the ball home after a weaving run from Stephy Mavididi on the opposite flank got the better of Dominic Iorfa before a cross then found the 19-year-old attacker in space to score.
The teenager has been a revelation for Enzo Maresca's Foxes this season, dazzling Owls defenders all night in a three-pronged attack alongside Mavididi and the ever-reliable Jamie Vardy.
Abdul Fatawu's game in numbers
Signed by the Foxes in the summer from Sporting CP – labelled as a "fantastic prospect" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig during his time in Portugal – Fatuwu is playing way beyond his years with Leicester currently as a relative unknown in the English game.
Fatuwu's goal versus the Owls was his second already this season in his new colours, another impressive individual display by the young Ghanaian forward.
Leicester's brand new number 18 is anything but the finished product, but his raw and exciting ability on the ball was evident against the Owls – firing another two shots at Cameron Dawson's goal in the game, the efforts in question unfortunately off target, as per Sofascore.
Fatuwu was constantly trying to unlock a stern Wednesday defence even after his early opening strike, successful in two out of his five dribbled attempts on the night with the Owls defenders finding it hard to contain the exuberant winger at points.
Although the 19-year-old was pivotal for Maresca's title contenders in getting the only goal of the night for the away side, Harry Winks was a joy to watch centrally for the Foxes too in a stylish and confident display from the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man.
Harry Winks' game in numbers
The 27-year-old has slotted seamlessly into the Leicester set-up this season since leaving north London behind, becoming a crucial figure in the newly formed Foxes team under Maresca.
Completely a staggering 87.9 accurate passes on average so far per game this season, Winks was again near faultless in the centre of the park for the Foxes versus Wednesday.
Harry Winks passing statistics over the last year (sourced by FBRef)
Passes attempted per 90 – 93.61
Pass completion percentage per 90 – 94.8%
Progressive passes per 90 – 6.33
Progressive carries per 90 – 1.71
Leicester's number eight successfully completed 99 of his passes on the turf at Hillsborough, only misplacing three all night. Winks even registered 114 touches on the ball, always attempting to orchestrate attacking moves in the centre of a midfield trio.
It's no surprise to hear that former Leicester player Ian Baraclough referred to Winks as a "Rolls-Royce type player" therefore when speaking on the When You’re Smiling: A Leicester City Podcast, admiring the £10m summer move to land the 27-year-old and calling the deal an "excellent bit of business."
The league leaders couldn't quite break down a resilient Owls defence even in spite of the former Spurs man's best efforts, Winks even getting stuck into duels up against Wednesday's star man Barry Bannan to help his team – winning four of his six ground duels attempted.
Winks will aspire to help his team more in the matches to come, eager to break his assists duck for the season whilst a temptation to foray further forward must come into his mind from time to time after an audacious effort against QPR sailed into the back of the net.
The Foxes have a tough away match versus West Brom up next, hoping that they can get back to winning ways quickly facing off against Carlos Corberan's in-form Baggies with Winks hopefully impressing again.
Rohit Sharma, who was initially picked in India A’s squad for the first four-dayer against New Zealand A, which starts on November 16 at Mount Maunganui, has been rested, keeping in view his heavy workload.
Squads
India A squad for the first four-dayer: Ajinkya Rahane (capt), M Vijay, Prithvi Shaw, Mayank Agarwal, Hanuma Vihari, Parthiv Patel, K Gowtham, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Rajneesh Gurbani, Vijay Shankar, KS Bharat New Zealand A squad: George Worker, Will Young, Tim Seifert , Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Dane Cleaver (game one only), Cam Fletcher (games two and three only), Doug Bracewell, Kyle Jamieson, Lockie Ferguson (games two and three only), Seth Rance, Blair Tickner, Scott Kuggeleijn (game one only), Logan van Beek, Theo van Woerkom
Rohit had captained India to a 3-0 sweep of West Indies in the T20I series, which ended on November 11. He was the second-highest scorer in the series, with 121 runs in three innings, including a record fourth T20I hundred. He was then initially slated to play in the first four-dayer against New Zealand A at Bay Oval from November 16 to 19. Had he been part of that match, he would’ve had just a day’s break, before heading across the Tasman for a full series, which begins with the first T20I at the Gabba on November 21. A limited-overs regular for India, Rohit was also selected for the four-Test series in Australia. Prior to the limited-overs series against West Indies, Rohit had also played two matches for Mumbai in the 50-over Vijay Hazare Trophy last month.Ajinkya Rahane will captain India A in the first four-dayer before joining the senior team for the Test series in Australia, which begins with the first Test from December 6 at the Adelaide Oval. Karnataka batsman Karun Nair will lead India A in the second and third four-dayers in New Zealand.Meanwhile, fast bowler Doug Bracewell, who had last played Test cricket in August 2016, was picked in the New Zealand A squad. He’s the second-highest wicket-taker for Central Districts in the four-day Plunket Shield this season, behind Seth Rance, who was also part of the squad to face India A.”We all know his game and it’s good to see him back at 100 percent fitness. We know what his capabilities are and want to see more of that at a slightly higher level,” New Zealand chief selector Gavin Larsen said.Eighteen-year-old left-arm spin-bowling allrounder Rachin Ravindra, who had helped New Zealand finish at the top of Group A in the Under-19 World Cup earlier this year and later impressed with the A team in the UAE, retained his place.Ravindra was the top scorer for New Zealand A in the UAE, with 173 runs in four innings, including two fifties, to add to three wickets with the ball.’He’s a player with a big future, no doubt about that,” Larsen said. “He’s obviously a skilful cricketer and very measured. We see this tour as another chance for Rachin to move his game forward against quality opposition.”Wicketkeeper-batsman Dane Cleaver, Kane Williamson’s cousin, and fast bowler Scott Kuggeleijn, were picked only for the first four-dayer against India A. Canterbury’s Cam Fletcher and Auckland tearaway Lockie Ferguson will replace them in the next two matches.