Just 21 T20Is old, Abhishek Sharma is making a name for himself as a six-hitter to rival the best

Sampath Bandarupalli24-Sep-20251:20

Chopra: Very little the bowlers could do against Abhishek

58 Sixes hit by Abhishek Sharma in 21 T20I innings. He is already the joint seventh among batters with the most sixes for India in men’s T20Is.Since his T20I debut in July 2024, only Austria’s Karanbir Singh (99) and UAE’s Muhammad Waseem (60) have hit more sixes than Abhishek. Among Full-Member nation players, Sanju Samson ranks second with 37 sixes.6.83 Balls per six for Abhishek in this format, the second best among 153 players with 50-plus sixes in men’s T20Is. Gibraltar’s Kayron Stagno has the best, averaging a six every 6.61 balls. Abhishek’s balls-per-six ratio is the best among Full-Member nation players, with Andre Russell (7.21) ranking second.2.76 Sixes per innings for Abhishek, also the second-best ratio among batters with 50-plus sixes. Karanbir Singh is ahead with 3.14, having hit 113 sixes in 36 innings. Evin Lewis (2.13) is the only player from Full-Member nations, apart from Abhishek, with a ratio of two or more sixes per innings.6 Instances of Abhishek hitting five or more sixes in a T20I, including Wednesday’s Asia Cup fixture against Bangladesh. Among Indians, only Rohit Sharma (13) and Suryakumar Yadav (9) have hit five or more sixes in a T20I more often than Abhishek.32 Abhishek’s sixes in the powerplay overs. Only three Indians have hit more sixes in the first six overs in men’s T20Is. Abhishek has hit 23 sixes in the middle overs (7-16) and three at the death (17-20) in T20Is.33 Sixes for Abhishek against pace bowlers off 246 balls, at a rate of one every 7.46 balls. Against spinners, he has hit one every six balls on average – 25 sixes in 150 balls.331 Number of balls Abhishek took to bring up 50 sixes in T20Is, the fewest among all T20I batters. His 50th six came on Sunday in the Asia Cup fixture against Pakistan. Gibraltar’s Kayron J Stagno was the previous quickest – 335 balls – while the next fastest from Full-Member nation players is Lewis (366 balls).

The fourth edition of UAE’s T20 tournament is also beginning earlier than usual to avoid clashes with the BBL and SA20

Abhijato Sensarma01-Dec-2025When does it start?The finalists from last season – Dubai Capitals and Desert Vipers – meet in Dubai to kick off proceedings on December 2. Most of the fixtures begin at 6.30pm local time, with the afternoon fixtures – on double-header days – starting from 2pm.The last time these two teams met, Capitals chased down a target of 190 thanks to a 38-ball 63 from Rovman Powell, and a bruising 34 off 12 from Sikandar Raza, in a thrilling last-over finish.Sikandar Raza took Dubai Capitals to their maiden title win last year•ILT20Is there a clash with BBL and SA20 this time too?To avoid a major clash with these two tournaments, in fact, the ILT20 has decided to start this season earlier than the January window in which it has been previously played: the matches are being played between December 2 and January 4. This gives players more leeway to appear for the entire duration of the competition, before the new year brings around a hectic franchise calendar with it.Australia’s Big Bash League is starting on December 14, and a few players might leave the tournament midway through to fulfill their commitments down under. The SA20 starts on December 26 which means former MI Emirates captain Nicholas Pooran might head out, among others, to appear for the MI franchise on another continent.The tournament runs on for a total of 34 matches – 30 league games, followed by the knockouts. The teams that finish first and second will meet in Qualifier 1, in Abu Dhabi on December 30 – the winner of this encounter proceeds to the final. Then, the third- and fourth-placed teams from the group stage face off in the Eliminator, on January 1 in Dubai.Related

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The Eliminator’s winner then takes on the loser from the opening knockout match in Qualifier 2, on January 2 in Sharjah. The final will be played two days later.How are the teams shaping up this year?The same six teams as the previous season form the line-up for this edition: Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, Desert Vipers, Dubai Capitals, Gulf Giants, MI Emirates and Sharjah Warriorz.The tournament has had healthy competition so far: Gulf Giants won the inaugural title, MIE dominated during their second season run, and Capitals joined them as a third new winner during the competition’s first three years.Kieron Pollard will be MI Emirates’ new captain•ILT20And their captains?There’s been quite a shuffle this year, in fact: Kieron Pollard takes over from Pooran as MIE captain. Dasun Shanaka takes over from Sam Billings to lead defending champions Capitals, while Jason Holder takes over from Sunil Narine as the captain of Knight Riders.On the other hand, Lockie Ferguson continues as captain for Desert Vipers – he is on a comeback trail after an injury layoff, and his performances here will be crucial to his roadmap to playing for New Zealand in next year’s T20 World Cup. James Vince stays on as Gulf Giants’ captain too, while Tim Southee will continue leading Warriorz.Who are the other players to watch out for?ILT20 had its first player auction in October, and the squads are stacked with exciting talent. West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Andre Fletcher fetched a record bid of USD 260,000 from MIE, who retained him for a fourth successive season of explosive batting at the top of the order.Muhammad Waseem, Sikandar Raza, and Waqar Salamkheil pose with championship belts during the previous edition•ILT20Emirates opted to retain Muhammad Waseem too – he is a compulsive six-hitter from UAE, having hit 187 T20I sixes, trailing only Rohit Sharma (205).Pakistan-born UAE pacer, Junaid Siddique, was also part of a bidding war at the auction – Warriorz eventually snatched up a bowler who has been in great form, finishing as the third-highest wicket-taker at this year’s Asia Cup.Development players at ILT20

From Saudi Arabia: Usman Najeeb (Dubai Capitals), Abdul Salam Khan (Sharjah Warriorz), Zain Ul Abidin (MI Emirates), Abdul Manan Ali (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), Faisal Khan (Desert Vipers) and Ishtiaq Ahmad (Gulf Giants)

From Kuwait: Mohamed Aslam (Sharjah Warriors), Mohamed Shafeeq (MI Emirates), Bilal Tahir (Desert Vipers), Meet Bhavsar (Gulf Giants), Adnan Idrees (Abu Dhabi Knight Riders), and Anudeep Chenthamara (Dubai Capitals)

Matheesha Pathirana was released by CSK last month, but this has freed him up to slot in as a replacement player for Warriorz. England batter Jordan Cox – who scored 367 runs at an average of 61.16, and an explosive strike-rate of 173.93 at The Hundred – will fly in to play for Capitals.Moeen Ali – will be turning out for Giants alongside Vince, while Sunil Narine and Andre Russell, who recently retired from the IPL, will continue to lend their services to Knight Riders in the ILT20.Jordan Cox has been in great T20 form this year•Getty ImagesWait… …R Ashwin isn’t playing?Nope, your notes are quite correct. He went unsold, as the only player with a base price in six figures at the auction. However, that doesn’t mean there is a dearth of Indian action at the tournament: Dinesh Karthik is the biggest name on this roster, heading to Sharjah Warriorz as their keeper-batter.Former Under-19 captain, and current USA player, Unmukt Chand will be turning out for Knight Riders. Piyush Chawla, meanwhile, was announced as a wildcard for Knight Riders.Anything else to keep in mind?Yes – Vipers bid for Pakistan players Fakhar Zaman, Naseem Shah, and Hasan Nawaz, but their availability for the tournament was in jeopardy after PCB declared that they would not be granting NOCs to their players for tournaments outside Pakistan. However, it is understood that PCB has granted the certificates to these three players, and they will now appear at the tournament.The ILT20 has started to expand its footprint in the Gulf and has cobbled tie-ups with the cricket associations in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Six young players each from each country were bought by the six ILT20 franchises as development players at the auction recently.

There’s a strong case to be made that Arsenal are the best team in Europe right now. Certainly, the win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday evening underlined the credentials of Mikel Arteta’s multi-title challengers.

The Gunners have mastered their game. Some have ridiculed Arteta and his side for finishing second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, but this has only hardened their resolve and will to win, concurrently deepening the tactical layers Arteta has spent so much time developing.

This is the result of everything coming together over multiple campaigns. Hard work and perserverance. Now, Arsenal have the luxury to add elite quality to an already fearsome outfit, and technical director Andrea Berta has found his man.

Arsenal's transfer plans

After such an impressive summer transfer window, table-topping Arsenal aren’t expected to be all that busy in the January transfer window. However, the Londoners will react if the right opportunity presents itself.

Juventus playmaker Kenan Yildiz remains a long-standing target, and attacking midfield is indeed a position the Emirates outfit is likely to target in the coming windows.

However, a recent report from Caught Offside suggests Berta is gearing up to launch a move for Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento, with the 23-year-old also attracting strong intrigue from Manchester City and Manchester United.

Livramento has been one of the Magpies’ standout players this season, and his club know it, having responded to growing interest in his name by listing him at £80m.

What Tino Livramento would offer Arsenal

Livramento has made 90 appearances for Newcastle since first arriving on Tyneside, having joined the club from Southampton in a deal rising to £40m in 2023.

Last season, he played an instrumental role in securing the Carabao Cup title, something Gunners fans might remember after his tremendous performance at the Emirates in the first leg of the semi-finals.

A modern and dynamic full-back, Livramento’s positional versatility has seen him play ample on his unnatural left flank for United, with his surpassing technical quality leading Newcastle-focused content creator Kendall Rowan to hail him as a “superstar” of a prospect.

Given that Manchester City also have a vested interest, you could say that Livramento would emulate Declan Rice by completing a big-money move from a title-winning Premier League rival like Newcastle, Rice having completed his £105m transfer to north London from West Ham United in 2023, since transcending his role as a superstar.

Tino Livramento – Career Stats by Position

Position

Apps

Goals + Minutes

Right-back

91

1 + 6

Right wing-back

37

3 + 11

Left-back

24

0 + 2

Left wing-back

6

1 + 1

Right wing

1

0 + 0

Data via Transfermarkt

As Arteta’s troops march their way through the campaign, indomitably, irrevocably, Rice is the most trusted lieutenant, now one of the best central midfielders in the world after several years lauded as an elite talent with room for growth.

In this way, Livramento would mimic him, completing a move to north London and rejecting Pep Guardiola on the way to the Emirates.

Moreover, the likes of Theo Walcott have praised Newcastle’s star full-back for his potential to become something even more, suggesting that his athleticism and ability to play across a range of positions make him someone akin to Gareth Bale.

Bale was a superstar, alright, and this is evidence that Livramento falls into a bracket of world-class players.

Newcastle are bound to play hardball over one of their biggest, most profitable talents, but Arsenal have shaped their stadium into quite the desirable destination, and Livramento would have the chance to emulate Rice in rising the Premier League ladder and becoming a superstar under Arteta’s wing.

Related He's becoming a Saka & Eze hybrid: Arsenal have signed an "agent of chaos"

The increible international has the ability to be as important as Saka and Eze for Arsenal this season.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso has praised newly appointed coach Luciano Spalletti for the passion he has brought to the the club since his appointment. The defender praised Spalletti's ability to communicate his ideas clearly to the group and believe the ex-Italy manager's passion and clear communication it can propel Juventus to the Scudetto.

Spalletti swoops in to salvage Serie A season

Spalletti replaced Igor Tudor as Juventus coach after a difficult spell that saw the team lose form and confidence. Tudor had started the season brightly, winning his first three matches, including a thrilling 4-3 victory over Inter in the Derby d’Italia. However, a chaotic 4-4 draw with Borussia Dortmund marked the beginning of a steep decline, as Juventus went on to draw five consecutive games. Things worsened with three straight defeats to Como, Real Madrid and Lazio, during which the team failed to score in their last four matches. These results led to Tudor’s dismissal. 

Spalletti’s arrival has already brought positive changes. Under his leadership, Juventus have registered one win and one draw, scoring three goals. Beyond results, Spalletti has revitalised the dressing room, instilling renewed energy, belief, and tactical clarity as Juventus look to rebuild confidence and return to their winning ways.

AdvertisementAFPCambiasso praises new manager

In an interview with , Cambiaso praised Spalletti’s passion and clarity in communicating his ideas to players. Cambiasso said: “Pure passion: a technician is this and much more. He gets into your head, he gets to you. Sometimes he can be original in what he says, but he always gets the point.

“In just a few days, he’s brought a lot of new things to the group. And compared to the man I knew in the national team, he’s changed a lot.”

Cambiaso also highlighted Spalletti’s meticulous attention to detail and his hands-on approach in preparing the team, saying: “Attention to detail in every moment of the job: from the goal kick to the throw-in to the kick-off.”

“He lives for football 24/7. I think he watches thousands of games. His method is a modern way of teaching football.”

Are Juventus contenders for the Serie A title?

Spalletti has urged Juventus to remain ambitious and not give up on their Scudetto hopes, insisting it is far too early to rule themselves out of the title race. The experienced coach, who took charge following Tudor’s dismissal, believes Juventus must rediscover their fighting spirit and consistency to climb back into contention. Spalletti has vowed to use his vast tactical knowledge and experience to help the team compete at the highest level once again. Earlier this week, striker Dusan Vlahovic called on his teammates to reflect deeply, noting that the club has already gone through three coaching changes in a short period. Spalletti echoed those sentiments, emphasising that true success comes from the players’ mentality and commitment on the pitch. He believes the squad possesses the quality needed to challenge for the title, provided they show greater unity, discipline, and belief in the months ahead.

Teun Koopmeiners says he is also reaping the benefits of Spalletti's arrival, as he feels he is finally being played in the correct position after struggling under previous coaches Thiago Motta and Tudor. Spalletti has moved the Netherlands international into the three-man defence, instead of pushing him further up the field where he has struggled to make an impact.

Cambiaso echoed Spalletti’s sentiments, emphasising how the team has fully embraced the coach’s leadership and shared ambition to chase the Scudetto. He said: “When he told us in the locker room at Continassa, we all followed his lead. Before Cremona, we were six points behind the leaders; after Cremona, we’re four. It’s a question of numbers.”

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Getty ImagesJuventus’ upcoming challenge

Juventus will aim to close the gap on league leaders Napoli but face a tough challenge against city rivals Torino in this season’s first Derby della Mole. Spalletti will be hoping to extend his side’s winning run in Serie A when Juventus take on Torino tomorrow

Liam Livingstone has revealed that he has not exchanged “a single word” with England’s management since he was dropped from their white-ball squads in May, and believes his versatility has worked against him in selection.Livingstone, who turned 32 this month, has not played for England in any format since their group-stage exit at the Champions Trophy in March. He has since won the IPL with Royal Challengers Bengaluru – though had a limited role, scoring 112 runs in eight innings – and is the leading run-scorer in the men’s Hundred this season while captaining Birmingham Phoenix.It was only last year that Livingstone captained England in an ODI series in the Caribbean, but he did not feature in the white-ball squads named on Friday to face South Africa and Ireland next month. His central contract is due to expire later this year, and he told talkSPORT’s podcast on Tuesday that he is unclear where his future lies.Related

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“Obviously I didn’t have a great series in India and Pakistan and I hold my hands up: I wasn’t good enough out there. But I probably wasn’t the only one,” Livingstone said. “I don’t know where I stand with England, to be honest. The frustrating part for me is I feel like I’ve got my best cricket ahead of me.”He said that a phone call from Brendon McCullum during the IPL telling him he had been dropped from England’s squads to face West Indies in June was his most recent contact with “any of the top four people in charge” – the others being managing director, Rob Key, national selector, Luke Wright, and captain, Harry Brook.”I absolutely love playing for England… Nothing makes me prouder than being able to represent my country. At my age now, I feel like this is where people start to really come into their prime as a batter. You look at Jos [Buttler] over the last few years and I feel like, coming into a [T20] World Cup year, I could really help an England team go a long way to winning a World Cup.”That’s probably the frustrating thing for me: I would love to help. I would love to play for England. I feel like I’m still good enough to play for England. But I haven’t had a single word since halfway through the IPL, so I don’t really know where I stand, to be honest… I probably feel like right now, I’m playing as well as I ever have done in my whole career.”Livingstone struggled during the Champions Trophy•Associated Press

England have primarily used Livingstone as a finisher in both white-ball formats, but he has generally performed better higher up the order: in T20Is, his record is far better at No. 4 than in any other role, while his best ODI innings came from No. 5 last year, when he hit a match-winning 124 not out against West Indies in Antigua.”That’s probably been one of my biggest frustrations,” he said. “Whenever I’ve gone up the order, I’ve actually done really well for England. Maybe my versatility has probably been against me a little bit: being able to come in further down the order and hit sixes from ball one is obviously not something that a lot of people can do.”I feel like I’m a batter that can go on and win games for whoever I’m playing for, not necessarily a slogger down the order that can come in and come off every now and then. I feel like I’ve got more game than that, to be honest. The more responsibility I’ve had in my career, the better I’ve done… Certainly, I feel like I’m thriving on it at the moment with the Phoenix.”Livingstone has been overtaken in the pecking order by two other spin-bowling allrounders in Will Jacks – who was not involved under Buttler’s captaincy earlier this year, but impressed under Brook’s leadership against West Indies in June – and Jacob Bethell, his Phoenix team-mate in the Hundred who will become England’s youngest captain in Ireland next month.

Things have not gone well for the Colorado Rockies this season, as evidenced by the 21-71 record they carried into Wednesday night's game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. They laid the groundwork for a 72nd loss right out of the gate as they struggled to corral a Jarren Duran liner to lead off the bottom of the first.

Pitcher Antonio Senzatela got the first crack at the ball, but was unable to snag it out of the air. Then shortstop Orlando Arcia booted it into right center, allowing Duran to turn toward second. Rockies rightfielder Yanquiel Fernandez raced in to get it only to overrun it, opening the door for Durran to scamper into third.

To look at a giant dark cloud and find a silver lining, it could have been worse. And it would have been worse had third baseman Ryan McMahon not made an extremely athletic play to prevent an errant throw from center turning this fiasco into a Little League home run. Which turned out to be huge as the Rockies were able to escape the first frame without giving up a run.

Of course, Boston went on to win 10-2.

It was Knight Riders’ second win in three games this season, and lifted them to third place on the points table

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Aug-2025It was one of those moments. Tim David, one of the best when it comes to smashing a lot of runs in not many balls, seemed to miss with a big swing against an over-pitched Mohammad Amir delivery. The Trinbago Knight Riders boys heard an edge. Nicholas Pooran reviewed. Replays showed a gap between bat and ball, but Snicko showed a spike.David had to go. That left St Lucia Kings at 113 for 4 in 14-and-a-half overs, their finisher gone in a chase of 184. Despite the best efforts from the remaining batters, they fell 18 short in their CPL 2025 game in Gros Islet.It would, however, be unfair to say Knight Riders weren’t deserving winners. Having won one and lost one that they might have won in their season so far, they came into this game determined to notch up another two points, none of them more than Kieron Pollard, who had fluffed his lines so badly in the previous game.Kieron Pollard smashed 65 off just 29 balls•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesAfter they were sent in, Knight Riders got an excellent start courtesy their form batter, Colin Munro, despite Alex Hales’s struggles. Hales was the first to go after scoring 10 in eight balls, but Munro made sure the opening wicket was worth 47 runs in 4.1 overs, and Knight Riders ended the powerplay with 58 on the board.Munro scored 43 in 30 balls, and Pooran chipped in with 34 in 30 balls, but it was really down to Pollard’s statement innings – 65 in 29 balls – that pushed Knight Riders to what eventually proved to be a winning total.Pollard walked out at 78 for 3 in the 11th over, hammered six sixes and four fours, with David Wiese, the opposition captain, picked for special treatment – 24 runs, including three sixes in a row in the 17th over the highlight. Though Pollard fell in the 19th, in a one-run over from Oshane Thomas against the run of play, he had done enough to give Knight Riders the advantage.Johnson Charles and Tim Seifert put together 74 for the first wicket•CPL T20 via Getty ImagesKings weren’t to be outdone just yet. Tim Seifert, with 35 in 24 balls, and Johnson Charles, with 47 in 37 balls, gave the chase a rollicking start. They scored 60 in the powerplay and motored along to 74 before Seifert fell in the ninth over.They needed someone to keep the momentum going, but Roston Chase wasn’t the man for the job on the day. David might have been but couldn’t be. In the end, the onus was on the lower-middle order to do the heavy lifting.Delano Potgieter and Ackeem Auguste did play handy cameos, but Kings needed someone to bat on and finish the game. They did not come close to the finish line by the time Russell had delivered the final over.The win lifted Knight Riders to third place, with four points from three games, the same as second-placed Guyana Amazon Warriors and fourth-placed St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, while Kings were at fifth.