The 2025 MLB season is fully into its stretch run, and the playoff picture has solidified. While a number of the usual suspects will likely reach the playoffs, a lot has happened since the All-Star break.

When digging into the numbers of baseball's second half, several surprising, even shocking trends have emerged. The Brewers have emerged as a powerhouse. Kyle Schwarber and Nick Kurtz have been the second-half MVPs. Meanwhile, a number of teams and players are doing things you wouldn't expect.

What follows is a look inside the numbers of the surprising trends across baseball since the All-Star break.

14.3 — fWAR by Blue Jays hitters, best in baseball, to go along with a team-wide 131 wRC+, again, the best in baseball.

8.7 — fWAR produced by the Dodgers pitchers, best in MLB since the All-Star break, a full 1.5 points higher than the Reds and Phillies, who sit in second place. Their team FIP (3.37) is also tops by a wide margin over the Pirates (3.73).

197 — Runs scored by the Astros, which ranks 29th in MLB. Only the Cardinals (185) are worse. Houston's hitters have a collective fWAR of 5.2, worst in baseball among contending teams in the second half.

265 — Runs by the White Sox since the break. That ranks fifth in baseball.

287 — Runs by the Brewers since the break, best in baseball.

3.57 — Team ERA for the Brewers, second-best in baseball behind the Dodgers. So Milwaukee is scoring the most runs and has the second-lowest team ERA since the break.

4.93 — ERA of Mets pitchers since the break, 24th in baseball and worst among contending teams. Their collective WHIP (1.41) ranks 26th and is also the worst among contenders.

14 — Second-half home runs by Trent Grisham, which is second on the Yankees. Aaron Judge's 11 home runs since the break are actually tied for fourth on the team with Jazz Chisholm. (Giancarlo Stanton leads the club with 16.)

20 — Second-half home runs for Kyle Schwarber to lead MLB. The Phillies slugger is slashing .230/.348/.592 with 54 RBIs and a wRC+ of 154 since the All-Star break. The pending free agent seems to have earned himself an obscene amount of money with his performance over the past few months.

21 — Stolen bases by (*) Juan Soto… to lead all of baseball since the All-Star break. Weird. Soto had 25 total stolen bases over the past three years entering 2025 and had never topped 12 in a season before. He only stole 11 bases in 96 games in the first half.

33 — Wins for the Brewers since the All-Star break, best in baseball.

154 — Second half wRC+ for Rafael Devers, who is slashing .269/.367/.538 since the break with 14 home runs. After a slow start in San Francisco, he has found his groove offensively.

220 — Second half wRC+ by Athletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, by far the best in baseball. Kurtz is slashing .361/.474/.715, his OPS of 1.189 leads baseball, as does the 3.0 fWAR he has produced.

2.5 — fWAR for Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez, best among MLB starting pitchers since the break. He is 5–3 with a 2.67 ERA and a sparkling 2.13 FIP. With Zack Wheeler out for the season, he's Philadelphia's best starter heading into the playoffs.

0.84 — ERA for Cubs rookie Cade Horton, best among qualified starting pitchers since the break. Horton has a 7–1 record in 10 starts, has produced 1.6 fWAR, and is just what Chicago needed after losing Justin Steele for the season.

1.74 — ERA for Paul Skenes since the All-Star break. His 2.11 FIP is the best among qualified pitchers since the break, and he's averaging 11.37 strikeouts per nine innings. If anything, the Pirates star has gotten better as his second season has gone along.

99.5 — Average fastball velocity for Hunter Greene since the break. The best among MLB starting pitchers. The Reds ace is 2–1 with a 2.35 ERA since the break.

101.6 — Average fastball velocity for Padres reliever Mason Miller since the break, best among all MLB pitchers. He's 0–0 with two saves and a 1.00 ERA in 18 innings in that time and is averaging an eye-popping 15.5 strikeouts per nine innings. This one may not be surprising, but like Skenes, he appears to be getting better as his second full season goes along.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Avaí recebe o CRB nesta terça-feira (13), pela quinta rodada da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro. A bola rola a partir das 19h (de Brasília), na Ressacada, em Florianópolis (SC), com transmissão do SporTV e do Premiere.

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AVAÍ X CRB
SÉRIE B – 5ª RODADA

🗓️ Data e horário: terça-feira, 14 de maio de 2024, às 19h (de Brasília)
📍 Local: Ressacada, em Santa Catarina (SC)
📺 Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere
🟨 Árbitro: Yuri Elino Ferreira da Cruz
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AVAÍ (Técnico: Gilmar Dal Pozzo)
César Augusto; Marcos Vinícius, Tiago, Gustavo Vilar e Mário Sérgio; Judson, Willian Maranhão, Pedro Castro e Giovanni; Pottker e Garcez.

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CRB (Técnico: Daniel Paulista)
Matheus Albino; Hereda, Saimon, Fábio Alemão e Willian Formiga; Falcão, Rômulo e Gegê; Labandeira, Anselmo Ramon (João Neto) e Léo Pereira.

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AvaíCRBFutebol NacionalOnde assistirSérie B

The Reds' late playoff push hit a snare on Tuesday in their rivalry matchup against the Pirates, as Pittsburgh trounced Cincinnati starter Brady Singer for four runs in the second inning.

Needing a win to ensure they don't fall behind the Mets in the NL wild card race, the Reds were desperate to respond with some early offense of their own. Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz delivered the magic they were seeking, blasting a two-run homer to chop the Pirates' lead in half in the bottom of the second inning.

Entering last week, De La Cruz hadn't hit a home run since July 31, but he snapped his drought on Friday with a round-tripper against the Cubs. When his team needed him to deliver again, he came up with a clutch two-run shot to keep the game against the Pirates competitive in the early frames.

De La Cruz is now up to 21 homers on the year, including two over the few days, and he's picked a great time to rediscover his power stroke at the plate. The Reds and Mets remain in a deadlock at 80–76 with six games left to play in the regular season, so every moment counts as the two teams try to secure their spot in the postseason.

انتهت مواجهات الجولة الأولى من المجموعة الرابعة في بطولة كأس العرب 2025، بمواجهتي الجزائر والسودان والعراق أمام البحرين.

وتعادل منتخبا الجزائر والسودان، سلبيًا، عصر اليوم، الأربعاء، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما ضمن منافسات مرحلة المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

وفاز منتخب العراق، على نظيره البحرين، اليوم الأربعاء، بنتيجة 2-1، في انطلاق مشوار المنتخبين في بطولة كأس العرب 2025 المقامة في قطر، خلال الأيام الجارية.

طالع | موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة العراق والبحرين اليوم في كأس العرب 2025

ويتواجد منتخبا الجزائر والسودان، في المجموعة الرابعة لبطولة كأس العرب، بجانب كل من العراق والبحرين.

وبهذه النتيجة، يحصد كل من منتخبي الجزائر والسودان نقطة وحيدة، بينما العراق ثلاث نقاط والبحرين دون نقاط. ترتيب المجموعة الرابعة في كأس العرب بعد تعادل الجزائر مع السودان وفوز العراق على البحرين

1- العراق.. 3 نقاط.

2 – الجزائر.. نقطة من مباراة.

3 – السودان.. نقطة من مباراة.

4 – البحرين.. دون نقاط.

An unlikely England recall isn’t out of the question for controversial Marseille star Mason Greenwood, according to one of his team-mates, who has vowed to do all he can to help the former Manchester United winger back into the Three Lions reckoning. Greenwood has been in prolific form for the Ligue 1 side again this season and is believed to be keen on return to the England squad.

Greenwood revival in south of France

Greenwood joined Marseille in July last year, leaving Manchester United following charges of attempted rape, assault, and controlling behaviour, which were discontinued after key witnesses withdrew and new material emerged which meant there "was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction." After a successful loan spell at Getafe, Marseille signed him permanently for a reported £26.7 million ($35.3m), with the forward quickly becoming a key player under Roberto De Zerbi. 

His career has seen a resurgence, with him becoming Marseille’s top scorer last season and continuing his form into the current campaign. In the recent Champions League clash with Newcastle, Greenwood delivered an excellent performance. He was a constant threat from the right wing, creating four chances and providing the cross for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's first goal as Marseille secured a crucial 2-1 victory. 

And USMNT star Timothy Weah, son of former Paris St-Germain, AC Milan and Chelsea striker George, has promised to do all he can to help Greenwood make a remarkable return to to the England team. 

AdvertisementAFPWeah: 'I'm super proud of him'

After the victory over Newcastle, Weah told : "When I speak about Mason it’s a special feeling because it’s very rare in a lifetime that you get to share the pitch with such an amazing player and amazing character. We’ve grown closer since I've joined the team and been here. Hopefully he gets that call-up soon. I’m super proud of him. He's having an amazing season and hopefully I can help him to reach those heights that he's aiming for."

England boss clear on Greenwood position

Greenwood has made just one senior appearance for the England national team when he was brought on as a substitute in a Nations League match against Iceland in September 2020. But there was controversy afterwards, as he was sent home shortly along with team-mate Phil Foden for breaching COVID-19 quarantine rules by bringing female companions back to the team hotel. He has not been called-up to the England squad since. 

And while he is eligible to play for Jamaica, he holds hopes he could return to the England set-up, but Three Lions boss Thomas Tuchel says he isn’t being considered for selection at the moment. Speaking in September, Tuchel said: "I have not spoken to him until now. I have not spoken to him or his camp. My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn't give it another thought. He was not in the mix at the moment, and he is not in our thoughts for our team."

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AFPGreenwood 'not wanted' by Jamaica players

Greenwood has also been tipped to switch allegiance to Jamaica after gaining his passport earlier this year. Steve McClaren resigned as Jamaica's head coach after the team failed to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, following a 0-0 draw with minnows Curaçao earlier this month. However, Jamaica's World Cup dream is not over and can qualify through the inter-confederation play-offs. But former Arsenal youngster Isaac Hayden has slammed the possibility of Greenwood changing his mind and joining up with the Reggae Boyz if they qualify for the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. 

Hayden said: "I've only played for Jamaica for a year, and there was some resistance to me when I started, but I have played 12 games and everyone can see my passion and the way I play the game. The quality of the player, his numbers, what he is producing, is of the highest level. But it comes down to principle and integrity. If players can just rock up because of a World Cup, it would make the whole thing a farce. That would say a lot about the player, and the organisation for allowing that to happen."

The South Africa quick last played competitive cricket during the IPL in May

Firdose Moonda28-Oct-2025

Anrich Nortje played two games for Kolkata Knight Riders in May•BCCI

South African quick Anrich Nortje, who has not played any cricket since the IPL in May, will return to action in the CSA T20 Challenge this weekend. Nortje, who is no longer on a national contract, has been signed by the Durban-based team, the Dolphins, for this season’s T20 competition and is expected to play in their opener against the Tuskers at Kingsmead on Saturday.Nortje has now fully recovered from his latest injury setback, a stress reaction which made him unavailable for South Africa’s winter fixtures. Nortje was not named in the squad to play a T20 series in Zimbabwe or on white-ball tours to Australia and England. He last played for South Africa at the T20 World Cup final in June 2024.Since then, Nortje has come into consideration, and was even on the verge of a Test comeback last summer, but a fractured toe and then a back injury put paid to those thoughts. He missed out on the SA20, came back briefly at the IPL, where he played two matches for Kolkata Knight Riders, but did not play the MLC or any international cricket as he embarked on an extensive rehabilitation program.”From a personal perspective and a group perspective it’s going to be great to get back out on the park,” Nortje said in a statement issued by the Dolphins on Tuesday. “I’m always positive, always motivated, and excited but when you get towards the end of rehab, you want to get going because you know what is around the corner. So the last week or two have probably been more frustrating than the other months”The T20 Challenge runs from October 29 to November 30 and sees all eight Division 1 teams play each other once before an IPL-style Eliminator and two Qualifiers ahead of the final. That means Nortje could have a maximum of 10 matches over the next month albeit not for his home union, Eastern Province. Although Nortje has not indicated he is aiming for a national comeback, he could push for one if he stays fit and also has a good SA20, where he will play for Sunrisers Eastern Cape.”It’s always been about trying to see the positives and working towards a new goal of being better than I was before so I’m really happy where I am now and it’s all about getting out there and getting some games under my belt,” he said.The Dolphins reached the final of last year’s CSA T20 Challenge, where they lost to the Johannesburg-based Lions.

Manchester United have now reportedly set their sights on signing an impressive Ligue 1 defender, who has left their scouts blown away.

INEOS draw up 2026 transfer plan

To their credit, Man United got their summer transfer window fairly spot on. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Senne Lammens all look like solid signings, whilst Benjamin has shown flashes of his true quality. And results proved before the international break that a turnaround under Ruben Amorim is still possible.

Even if Monday’s 1-0 loss against the 10 men of Everton brought them back down to reality, one defeat in their last five games represents much-needed improvement.

INEOS have never stopped backing their manager and recent reports have claimed that they’re ready to return to the transfer market to improve his squad even further in 2026.

The plan, according to the Express, is to sign two wing-backs and a midfielder next summer, with the likes of Elliot Anderson among their top targets.

The Nottingham Forest star has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season even as his side sacked Nuno Espirito Santo and then Ange Postecoglou before hiring Sean Dyche.

Thomas Tuchel has been impressed enough to grant Anderson a starting place next to Declan Rice in his England side, which is now his to lose ahead of the World Cup.

The unfortunate news for Man United is that his price will only increase if he enjoys a successful tournament, even though reports have already claimed he’ll cost them over £100m.

The midfielder is also not the only name on United’s shopping list. INEOS have also reportedly set their sights on signing Ligue 1 defender Jeremy Jacquet.

Man Utd plotting "bargain" Jeremy Jacquet move

According to Caught Offside, Man United are now plotting a move to sign Jacquet from Stade Rennais after the young defender impressed their scouts in France.

The Red Devils have reportedly joined Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace in the race to sign the 20-year-old and it’s easy to see why.

Dubbed “imposing” by Como scout Ben Mattinson, Jacquet is reportedly available for as little as €30m (£26m), which Caught Offside’s Mark Brus described as a “bargain” deal.

Having already signed Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven in recent years, adding Jacquet to their ranks would complete Amorim’s back three for years to come.

Man Utd receive bid for "insane" £105k-p/w player, he's said yes to January move

The Red Devils have received a proposal ahead of the January transfer window, with a sale now edging ‘closer’.

1 ByDominic Lund Nov 27, 2025

With Harry Maguire still yet to sign a new contract ahead too, the young centre-back may have the chance to come straight into Man United’s starting side next summer in an attempt to make an instant impact.

Worse than Bruno & Casemiro: Amorim can't start Man Utd duo together again

Carey-Starc stand undoes some of damage after South Africa find a way back into see-sawing Test

Andrew McGlashan12-Jun-20252:11

Should Khawaja’s pattern of dismissals worry Australia?

Former Australia quick Damien Fleming, commentating for radio at Lord’s, perhaps put it best: “Things aren’t making sense.”His comment came during the final session on the second day of the WTC final at Lord’s, as Australia collapsed to 73 for 7, with much of the damage done by the perceived weaker links of South Africa’s attack – Lungi Ngidi and Wiaan Mulder.There was almost too much to pick through in one go. Only a couple of hours before being cleaned up by Ngidi, Pat Cummins had been walking off, ball in hand, saluting a six-wicket haul and his 300th in Tests.Related

• Khawaja has Ashes backing, but Labuschagne's spot uncertain

• South Africa 'very confident' of chasing down target

• Lungi Ngidi burst puts selection questions to bed

• Australia ahead after Cummins, Rabada and Ngidi dominate

• Stats – Captain Cummins in a league of legends feat. Benaud, Imran and others

“Am I too optimistic?” Dale Steyn tweeted with a picture of the Newlands scoreboard from when Australia were bowled out for 47 in 2011, South Africa overturning a deficit of 188 to win by eight wickets.It wasn’t quite that dramatic, but as Marnus Labuschagne, Steven Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster and latterly Cummins departed in the space of 42 balls, the game was being upended. In the nick of time, Alex Carey, with help from Mitchell Starc, provided some substance, and given the nature of the game may well have given Australia enough to defend.”The mood in the changing room was pretty positive towards the end there,” Cummins said. “It was a great partnership. With each run it was almost like a run chase. You’re like, that’s good, four runs, getting pretty loud claps, especially from Marnus. He’s always pretty noisy. A pretty good way to end the day.”Low-scoring Tests are absorbing – and the numbers have shown how the game has changed in the World Test Championship era – but it shouldn’t completely absolve the batters. Data gathered by the broadcaster showed the pitch itself was not doing anything especially untoward compared to historical numbers, even if the batters may want to suggest otherwise.1:53

‘Once the ball gets older, Cummins puts his hand up’

For all of Australia’s success in recent years, they still have a good collapse in them. The series against India last year began with one in Perth, earlier in 2024 they had lost 8 for 94 as Shamar Joseph inspired West Indies to victory at the Gabba, and that same summer they lost 6 for 68 against Pakistan at the MCG, although they were able to win that game (in no small part due to Cummins).At Lord’s, both teams have batted as though short on preparation, which is exactly what they are. South Africa tried to have a practice game, only for weather to allow just one day of play against Zimbabwe, while Australia opted purely for centre-wicket training and nets. But whereas the inexperience of South Africa’s line-up was widely acknowledged, Australia were viewed as having more pedigree; experience was one of the deciding factors in Labuschagne being retained ahead of Sam Konstas. How much has Konstas benefited by playing this game?The Australia top order occupied much of the scrutiny heading into this Test. In six innings between them, Labuschagne, Usman Khawaja and Cameron Green have made 49 runs.

“I thought he looked sharp both innings. [There was] some really good bowling. He batted some tough overs. Think he looked busy and looked like he had a really good plan”Pat Cummins on Marnus Labuschagne

Khawaja is becoming a concern against quality pace. It’s not just a Jasprit Bumrah problem. At Lord’s, he twice edged Kagiso Rabada from around the wicket to the slips. The 232 he made in Galle shouldn’t be wiped from the memory, but it perhaps didn’t answer too many questions about the twilight of his career.A lean return to Test cricket for Green does not need to change the belief he is part of Australia’s long-term batting future, but runs for Gloucestershire in Division Two of the County Championship can only count for so much when preparing to face Rabada – and there’s no need to talk about the other South Africa quicks, because Green didn’t get a chance to take them on. In the first innings, he edged his third ball against Rabada, and today it was his second, pressing forward with hard hands on both occasions.Then there’s Labuschagne, who benefited from the stance of offering one game too many rather than too few. Scores of 17 and 22 are about as middling as they come. The 120 balls he used up across the game won’t silence debates about his batting tempo. In both innings, he has looked settled enough until nicking behind against Marco Jansen from around the wicket. He may well find that come Barbados in a couple of weeks, the selectors’ goodwill has run its course.2:38

Cummins: Reaching 300 wickets a sign of durability and resilience

“I thought he looked sharp both innings,” Cummins said. “[There was] some really good bowling. He batted some tough overs. Think he looked busy and looked like he had a really good plan. No doubt he would have liked to go on, but he got himself in, faced quite a few balls, and looked in command of his skills out there.”This time, Smith couldn’t resurrect the innings, shuffling across and being trapped lbw to give Ngidi as important a first wicket of the match as there could be. Head was cleaned up by Mulder and Webster was lbw in very similar manner to which he could have been out in the first innings had South Africa reviewed.Given what Cummins had done earlier in the day, and his ability to seize moments with the bat when most needed, it felt like the type of situation where he could produce a game-changing cameo. He was keen to play his shots as he cleared the off side against Ngidi but, in his own words, “missed a half-volley on leg stump”.As he walked off the field again, Australia’s were just 147 runs ahead and anything was possible. At that point, Cummins said he would have been happy with a lead around 200. By the close Australia were sitting a little more comfortably but may still need their captain to come to the fore once more if they are to retain the mace.

Will Rangers be busy in the January transfer window?

Well, new manager Danny Röhl will certainly demand that they are, having taken over a complete mess, following Russell Martin’s short but ill-fated tenure.

Well, after spending around £30m on 13 new recruits in the summer, Rangers reported annual losses of £14.8m in their latest accounts on Friday, despite seeing revenue increase to £94.1m, a club record.

Despite this, the club are still expected to be busy in the January transfer window, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell will be tasked with finding gems in the market, so has one already been identified?

Rangers' search for a new attacker

One of Rangers’ many issues this season so far has been a lack of attacking firepower.

Across all competitions, only captain James Tavernier and Djeidi Gassama have scored more than three goals, with youngster Findlay Curtis and Danilo the only players on three.

Thus, according to a report in Kazakhstan, Rangers are attempting to sign winger Galymzhan Kenzhebek.

They note that “negotiations began” between his representatives and the Glasgow-based giants, while Dundee United and Aberdeen as well as clubs in Slovakia, Russia, Greece are also in the race.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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So, could he soon become the first Kazakh player to represent Rangers, with Kazakhstan thereby becoming the 67th different nationality represented at Ibrox?

What Galymzhan Kenzhebek would bring to Rangers

Despite the fact he is only 22 years old, Galymzhan Kenzhebek has had something of a journeyman career to date.

After bouncing around various Kazakh clubs including Kairat Almaty, a name that’ll send a shudder down the spine of any Celtic fan, and then did something few of his compatriots do by venturing abroad, enjoying stints with Akritas Chlorakas​​​​​​​ in Cyprus and Košice in Slovakia.

He did return home in June, joining Yelimay Semey, for whom he was on fire, scoring six goals in his final nine Kazakh Premier League appearances before the season concluded on 26 October, firing his team up to fourth, thereby qualifying for a major UEFA competition for the first time ever.

However, by the time they play that historic Conference League qualifier in August, it seems unlikely that Kenzhebek will still call Semey home.

The Rangers Journal labels him a “very pacy and direct” winger, also praising his “goal-scoring instincts” and outlining that he is a high-volume winger who “loves to just get the ball and commit defenders”.

Meantime, Kai Watson was also impressed, noting that he is a “quality ball carrier” and could add quality to the Rangers squad at a pretty low price.

Well, as well as starring for his club, Kenzhebek has also made the breakthrough at international level this year too.

He scored his first-ever international goal at the Borisov Arena against Belarus in a friendly in June, before netting twice during a 4-0 demolition of Liechtenstein last month, thereby starting each of Kazakhstan’s last six World Cup qualifiers, including Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Belgium, a famous point, a match Nicolas Raskin also started.

So, could Kenzhebek replicate Daizen Maeda’s success from across the city?

Well, when the Japanese international arrived at Celtic from Yokohama F. Marinos on a bargain deal in January 2022, he was a complete unknown, but his skillset sounds very reminiscent​​​​​​​ to that of Kenzhebek, as a pacey forward who typically operates off the left flank.

While an “inconsistent finisher” right now in the view of Watson – much like the at-times erratic Maeda was when he arrived in Glasgow – Rangers will hope their potential new recruit can go on to eventually prove equally as clinical in Glasgow derbies.

Maeda’s favourite opponents

Clubs

Appearances

Goals

Hibernian

15

7

Kilmarnock

13

7

Hearts

12

6

Livingston

7

6

Rangers

22

5

Motherwell

12

5

Aberdeen

11

5

St Johnstone

10

5

Ōita Torinīta

6

5

Stats via Transfermarkt

So, while Kenzhebek is not proven at an elite level, he is seemingly worth the risk and, at a low fee, could prove to be a masterstroke in recruitment?

Related Thelwell can upgrade on Souttar by signing £8m defender for Rangers

With Danny Röhl in need of defensive reinforcements, could Rangers sign an “aggressive” £8m-valued star better than John Souttar and Nasser Djiga?

Posts ByBen Gray Nov 20, 2025

The weather could be a factor in the opening ODI of the series while Australia are likely to field two debutants

Andrew McGlashan18-Oct-20251:45

Can all three allrounders make India’s XI?

Big Picture: A big start to a big summer

Virat and Rohit are back. But will they make 2027? India have a new ODI captain. Pat’s not here, but his back is the talk of the nation. Australia have lost a key player to side soreness, although don’t panic is the word. Selectors are trying to balance red-ball preparation and white-ball results. It’s only the middle of October, but there’s plenty going on at the beginning of what could be the biggest cricket season ever down under.For Australia, there are long, medium and short-term focuses as their summer begins in Perth: an eye on planning for the next ODI World Cup, the build-up to the Ashes and the hope that further key players don’t go down over the next few weeks, and then trying to win this series itself against a strong India side who got the better of them in the Champions Trophy semi-final earlier this year.Related

• Green ruled out of ODI series against India with side soreness, Labuschagne called up

• The wait for 'Ro-Ko' is over and it's okay to be a bit emotional about it

• Axar: 'It's perfect that Rohit and Virat are here to help with the transition'

The final of that tournament, where India were crowned champions, was their most recent ODI. There’s been some significant change for them since then. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are single-format players and Shubman Gill is their captain in Tests and ODIs, an incredible workload in the modern game even if he will likely be managed across certain series. Jasprit Bumrah isn’t here for the ODIs, but will arrive for the T20Is.Australia, who are a little more recently acquainted with this format having faced South Africa in August, had hoped to field their strongest possible side, at least for the start of this series, but they will be without various first-choice players. They are also still trying to settle down a batting line-up in the post Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell era.Pat Cummins is the biggest injury-watch ahead of the Ashes, and more on his timeline will soon become clearer, while Josh Inglis (calf) will miss at least the first two matches and Cameron Green (side) the whole series. Adam Zampa (awaiting the birth of his second child) will be absent from Perth due the travel distances involved while Alex Carey (Ashes preparation) will link up in time for his hometown game in Adelaide.Ticket sales for India’s visit across the three ODIs and five T20Is which follow have been huge and a crowd upwards of 50,000 is expected at Optus Stadium, a figure which has only been reached twice in the venue’s history.

Form guide

Australia WLLLW
India WWWWW
Eyes on 2027: will these two giants of the game be there?•ICC via Getty Images

In the spotlight: Travis Head and Virat Kohli

India supporters don’t need reminding of the performances Travis Head has put together in the past. Two centuries in last season’s Test series added to his trophy-defining knocks in the 2023 World Test Championship final and ODI World Cup. For a little while during the Champions Trophy final earlier this year it looked like another could be forming but Varun Chakravarthy cut him off in the nick of time. These white-ball games are Head’s first matches of the home summer and a couple of decent scores would set him up for what’s ahead, although there remains a reasonably strong chance he will play the last Sheffield Shield match before the Ashes as well.Well, who else could it be? Virat Kohli will suit up for India for the first time in seven months amid much speculation around the future of his international career. One minute, this tour may be it, the next he’s all in for 2027. Time will tell. Regardless, this will surely be his last visit to Australia as an international cricketer. It’s a place that has played a major part in his storied career, with Optus Stadium being the scene of his last Test century. He has not always endeared himself to Australian fans, not least last season when things got heated in the latter stages of the Test series, but with the stadiums likely to have no shortage of Indian support over the next three matches he should get a warm reception.Matt Renshaw is expected to slot into the middle order•Getty Images

Team news: Renshaw in line to debut; how do India balance their attack?

Matt Renshaw and Mitch Owen are set to make their ODI debuts in the middle order while Josh Philippe will play his first ODI since 2021 and his first as wicketkeeper. Mitchell Marsh said they would not go with an all-pace frontline attack which means left-arm spinner Matt Kuhnemann, who is covering for Zampa, will feature on home soil for the first time.Australia (possible): 1 Travis Head, 2 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 3 Matt Short, 4 Matt Renshaw, 5 Josh Philippe (wk), 6 Mitch Owen, 7 Cooper Connolly, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Matt Kuhnemann, 11 Josh HazlewoodIndia will need to ponder who slots into the No. 8 role and whether they want the extra batting of Washington Sundar. Despite the team’s last ODI being in March they are set to have the same top six as the Champions Trophy final.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill (capt), 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Axar Patel, 7 Nitish Reddy, 8 Washington Sundar/Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Harshit Rana, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions

Albeit from a small sample size of three games spread over six years, Optus Stadium has been a relatively low-scoring ODI venue. Australia have been bundled out for 152 and 140 in their last two visits here in the format. There is generally something for everyone in the drop-in pitches although this is the first game at the ground since last season. The bigger factor could be the weather with showers forecast during the day.

Stats and trivia

• The last time Kohli and Rohit played under a different captain was nine years ago against New Zealand
• Australia have lost all three of their ODIs at Optus Stadium
• Travis Head needs 58 runs for 3000 in ODIs
• If Mitchell Starc plays in Perth it will be his first ODI since November 2024.

Quotes

“The key for us is to make sure we start well on Sunday; we don’t want to be playing our best in the last game like we did last series. [It’ll] be tough against a quality outfit but exciting for a few guys to get their first crack at it.”
“The success they have had all over the world, they have made runs, won series, won trophies, so their experience will be very helpful.”
Shubman Gill on the presence for Rohit and Kohli