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West Ham stands on the brink of a historic season, with David Moyes and his men close to a Europa League final appearance and challenging for a top-six spot in the Premier League.

This has been a remarkable turnaround since Moyes took charge of his second spell at the Hammers and is a direct product of his excellent recruitment that have propelled them to unparalleled heights so far this term.

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Recruitment is key for success obviously but promoting youth talents should also be deemed paramount to long-term glory and West Ham have a fair few talents blossoming in the U23 squad.

One such player is left winger Armstrong Okoflex, who signed from Celtic last summer and is one of the squad’s brightest talents.  As a result, Moyes should get ready to unleash him in the near future as he could cause all kinds of threats.

The 20-year-old has 11 goals and two assists in 21 matches in the Premier League 2 this season and this is the type of form that Moyes will be paying close attention to.

Former Hammer Carlton Cole dubbed him as a “revelation” just a couple of months ago and with 17 goals in all competitions, it’s hard to argue with this sort of praise.

Okofloex could well be Said Benrahma 2.0 as the two are rather similar, with both playing in the same position and the pair having a similar eye for goal.

Indeed, the young talent even dreams of following in the Algerian’s footsteps, revealing in an interview: “The likes of Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen, I’ve been trying to learn as much as I can, especially Benrahma because of the way he dribbles with the ball and is creative. I’m happy to be here around the first team whenever I can.”

It would be nice for Moyes to have some added competition in the first team, especially for the likes of Benrahma and although this season could be a step too soon for the 20-year-old, the manager might unleash him after the summer.

The future is bright for Okoflex, the main question is, will he take his opportunity when it comes?

AND in other news, Contact made: West Ham plot bid for 14-goal gem, he could become a £63m-rated talent

Interest in Leeds United winger Raphinha is increasing ahead of the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Spanish publication Sport, who claim that West Ham United have now made a second approach to Leeds concerning a deal for the 25-year-old forward, who has also been heavily linked with a summer switch to Barcelona.

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The report goes on to state that David Moyes, who reportedly saw a £50m bid rejected for the Brazilain in January, is keen to bring the forward to the London Stadium ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, however, it is said that Raphinha would prefer a move to the LaLiga side – and is waiting for Barca to make a final offer to Leeds.

Supporters would be livid

While it would appear unlikely that Raphinha will end up joining West Ham ahead of Barcelona this summer, the prospect of Leeds selling one of their most prized assets to another Premier League side is certainly something that would leave the Elland Road faithful livid.

Indeed, the £40.5m-rated forward has proven to be a revelation in the Leeds attack following his £17m move to England back in October 2020, scoring 16 goals, registering 12 assists and creating 21 big chances over his 61 Premier League appearances, as well as making an average of 2.1 key passes, taking 2.4 shots and completing 2.0 dribbles per game.

These returns have seen the £63k-per-week Brazilian average a highly impressive SofaScore match rating of 7.05 over his two league campaigns for the Whites – playing a key role in the club securing a top-half finish last season, as well as giving Jesse Marsch’s side a chance of avoiding relegation this term.

As such, while waving goodbye to Raphinha at the end of the current campaign will certainly come as a blow to Leeds, Victor Orta simply must not sell the forward to another Premier League side, be that West Ham or anyone else, as it is abundantly clear to see just how deadly a talent the 25-year-old is in the top flight – something that could very easily come back to bite the Whites.

AND in other news: Huge blow: Leeds United injury update emerges, supporters will be worried

Sky Sports pundit Paul Robinson has urged Tottenham Hotspur to completely forget about the possibility of signing Southampton star James Ward-Prowse this summer, despite calling the player ‘incredible’.

The Lowdown: Spurs monitoring Ward-Prowse

The 27-year-old still has four years remaining on his current contract with the Saints after signing an extension last year, which is set to keep him at the St. Mary’s Stadium until at least 2026.

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However, due to his recent impressive run of form, the midfielder has been attracting plenty of interest, and according to a transfer update published by the Daily Star, it’s claimed that the north London outfit are monitoring Ward-Prowse.

The Lilywhites are allegedly considering a move for him during the upcoming window, but are set to face competition from fellow Premier League rivals Arsenal and Newcastle United.

The Latest: Robinson’s doubts

When asked after that transfer update whether he thinks the ten-cap international could fit into the Spurs starting XI, Robinson told Football Insider: “I’m not so sure about Ward-Prowse.

“Make no mistake about it, his set-pieces are incredible. But I am yet to be convinced about his all-round game.

“Yes, he stands out in a Southampton team but could he stand out in a Spurs team? Could he take Spurs to the next level? Which is competing regularly in the Champions League. I’m not sure he could, if I’m honest. I’d be looking elsewhere.”

The Verdict: Perfect creative outlet

The £100k-per-week ace, who was once hailed an “unbelievable” player by his Saints teammate Oriol Romeu, definitely has the ability to shine in Antonio Conte’s side, and could be the missing piece of the puzzle to give them that creativity in the middle of the park that they have been so desperately lacking.

Ward-Prowse has had a huge influence on the pitch under Ralph Hasenhuttl this season, having scored ten goals and provided eight assists in all competitions for Southampton, as per Transfermarkt, not to mention the fact that David Beckham is the only player to have netted more direct free-kicks than him in Premier League history.

As the Italian boss looks to reassemble his squad ahead of the start of the 2022/23 campaign, two new midfielders are believed to be on his wishlist this summer, and so he could be tempted to bolster his ranks with the maestro in a bid to push for a place in the Champions League and beyond next season.

In other news… Spurs are said to be eyeing up a move for a ‘fantastic’ new transfer target.

Steven Gerrard can take a big step closer to the top half of the Premier League by leading Aston Villa to a win against Crystal Palace today.

Both teams have enjoyed slight resurgences of late and come into the match in decent form, although Villa suffered defeat against Liverpool in midweek.

Gerrard could be considering some changes to his starting XI following that defeat, with the aim of securing all three points against Palace.

With that in mind, how might the 41-year-old set up his Villa team today?

Villa predicted XI

Martinez – Cash, Mings, Konsa, Digne – Luiz, Chukwuemeka, McGinn – Coutinho, Buendia – Ings

In goal, Emiliano Martinez will surely start and will be hoping to register his 12th clean sheet of the campaign.

The back four will likely be unchanged from the defeat to Liverpool, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa partnering each other at the heart of defence, while Matty Cash and Lucas Digne feature on the right and left respectively.

The midfield three could see one change, with £34k-p/w dud Marvelous Nakamba – one of Villa’s worst performers against Liverpool – being axed for the 18-year-old Carney Chukwuemeka, who Paul Merson described as “outstanding” following his top-flight debut last August. John McGinn and Douglas Luiz will likely keep their places from midweek.

Going forward, Philippe Coutinho will once again operate in the space between midfield and attack, where he can cause so much damage to the opposition. The injury that Watkins sustained against Liverpool could see Gerrard go with a 4-3-2-1 against Palace, with Emiliano Buendia starting alongside the Brazilian in attacking midfield.

This would leave Danny Ings in the lone striker role as the Villa manager makes a possible tactical tweak which will hopefully lead the side to victory.

A win would push the Midlanders into the top half depending on Leicester City’s result. It could well be a good weekend for the Villa faithful if they can get back on track after their gutsy display in defeat to Liverpool.

AND in other news, Lange plotting Villa swoop for “fearless” 87-goal monster, he’s better than Watkins

A teasing Rangers transfer claim has emerged ahead of the summer transfer window at Ibrox…

What’s the talk?

Gers midfielder Aaron Ramsey has confirmed that talks will take place later this month to determine what he will be doing next season.

He is currently on loan to the Ibrox giants and has two more games left to play – in the Europa League and Scottish Cup finals – before that loan spell comes to an end.

As quoted by Rangers Review, when asked about a permanent move to Glasgow, Ramsey said: “That’s to be decided at the end of the season, there is no update on that yet.

“I’m just looking forward to the final few weeks here and hopefully making it a very memorable experience for me.

“I’m sure there will be conversations to be had after the season is finished but right now I’m just focused on trying to win these two competitions with Rangers.”

Gio van Bronckhorst will love it

The Gers head coach will surely love this tease from Ramsey, as the prospect of signing him permanently is an exciting one for the Dutch head coach.

Upon the Welshsman’s arrival at Ibrox in January, sporting director Ross Wilson outlined why it was an excellent signing for the club, saying: “This is a really exciting signing for both Rangers and Aaron. As soon as I was made aware of the opportunity we had to bring Aaron to Rangers around a week ago, we have worked really hard to secure his signature.

“Not only is Aaron a world-class player who will play a key role in our team, his level of ability and professional standards will be an inspiration to our existing players.”

When fit, the 31-year-old has showcased his quality in the Premiership in recent months as he averaged a SofaScore rating of 6.93. The Welshman provided two goals and one assist in seven league outings as he showed glimpses of the attacking threat that he can offer from out wide and in the middle of the park.

Ramsey would also be a hugely important member of the squad at Ibrox next season if the club win the Europa League this Wednesday.

They would automatically qualify for the Champions League with victory in Seville, and the ex-Arsenal man has plenty of experience in that competition, playing in it for both the Gunners and Juventus throughout his career as he has racked up 57 appearances in Europe’s premier club tournament.

Ramsey’s knowledge of the Champions League and the quality he has shown in the Premiership are two reasons why Van Bronckhorst will be excited and delighted by the prospect of bringing him back for a second spell at Rangers next season.

AND in other news, Van Bronckhorst must finally unleash “powerful” 19 y/o Rangers gem who “took his chance” in 2022…

Young Sussex attack crushed by Middlesex openers as both record big hundreds

ECB Reporters network06-Sep-2021Mark Stoneman and Sam Robson broke Middlesex’s record for the highest first-wicket partnership as they put Sussex’s toothless attack to the sword.Robson was unbeaten on 192 and Stoneman made 174 as Middlesex piled up 400 for 2 on the first day of the LV= Insurance County Championship Division Three match at Hove. They beat the 372 by Mike Gatting and Justin Langer against Essex at Southgate in 1998 and when Stoneman was eventually dismissed on 376, they had compiled the third-highest partnership for any wicket in Middlesex’s history.The second new ball brought Sussex a breakthrough when Stoneman was caught behind for 174 in the 86th over, his first hundred since his move from Surrey. But Robson ploughed on and by stumps had faced 285 balls and hit 23 fours. He walked off to a standing ovation and will have the third double-hundred of his career in his sights on Tuesday.It was a good toss to win with the sun out and the pitch offering little assistance but apart from one chance Robson offered on 61, when he was dropped by wicketkeeper Oli Carter, the Middlesex pair made untroubled progress.Sussex employed seven bowlers, although George Garton was not used, but their attack was neutered by a benign surface and the unfussy way Stoneman and Robson accumulated their runs. They had 134 on the board at lunch, the highlight of the morning session when Stoneman carved Dan Ibrahim through the off side for three successive boundaries.There was a feeling that Sussex would pay a heavy price when Carter reprieved Robson shortly after lunch off left-armer Sean Hunt and even a change of ball in the 40th over didn’t offer any respite for the hosts.Stoneman drove Delray Rawlins through the covers to reach his hundred first and Robson followed shortly afterwards with a boundary off Crocombe. They added 154 runs in the afternoon session and Robson needed only 55 more balls to move to 150.When the partnership went past 338 it was the highest Sussex have conceded against Middlesex, beating a record which had been set by Robert Lucas and Tim O’Brien back in 1895, 126 years ago.Eventually Stoneman played a tired shot at Crocombe, and this time Carter held on. The former Durham left-hander had faced 266 balls and hit 20 fours and two sixes. Hunt then picked up belated reward when Steve Eskinazi was caught behind pushing forward just before stumps, but it was a chastening day for Sussex’s young attack.

He played 12 ODIs and four Tests in an international career spanning 1975-1982

Madushka Balasuriya18-Oct-2021Bandula Warnapura, Sri Lanka’s first Test captain and a former coach and administrator, has died aged 68 at a private hospital in Colombo. He was understood to have been struggling with diabetes and was rushed to the ICU last week following a spike in his blood sugar levels. He had briefly recovered before his situation worsened on Monday. He leaves behind his wife, daughter, two sons and grandchildren.The Sri Lanka national side will be wearing black arm bands during their T20 World Cup match against Namibia on Monday as a tribute to Warnapura, SLC said. The Under-19 team that played against Bangladesh in the second Youth ODI in Dambulla on Monday was also seen wearing the same.Warnapura, an old boy of Nalanda College, played 12 ODIs and four Tests in an international career spanning seven years from 1975-1982. He captained the side in each of his Tests and eight ODIs, including Sri Lanka’s maiden Test in 1982 against England. His 38, while opening the batting in the second innings of that game, would remain his highest Test score.He made his ODI debut against the West Indies at the 1975 World Cup, and in the same tournament, he scored a memorable 39-ball 31 against an Australian attack led by Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. His sole international half-century came in 1982 in an ODI against Pakistan in Karachi, a 98-ball 77 in a losing cause. He was also a useful right-arm medium pacer picking up eight wickets in ODIs and has the distinction of being one of the few players to have both opened the bowling and the batting in the same Test.Warnapura’s international career, however, was cut short when he was handed a life ban by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for touring South Africa with a rebel team in 1982-83. Once the ban was lifted many years later, Warnapura returned to SLC as an administrator following his retirement. He was part of several cricket and selection committees during his time with the national board, while he has also served in a coaching capacity in the 1990s. Most notably, he was a director of operations at SLC in the early 2000s. In 2008, he resigned from his role at SLC to serve as development manager of the Asian Cricket Council.Warnapura was also due to make a return to the administrative fold earlier this year, contesting for the post of vice-president at SLC. However, he withdrew citing a lack of faith in Sri Lanka’s sports administrators to right several shortcomings he and his team had pointed out. Primary among Warnapura’s criticism was SLC’s bloated voting structure where the elections utilise 147 votes among 86 stakeholders.Following his demise, several members of the cricketing fraternity paid tribute, including former Sri Lanka captains Mahela Jayawardene, Sanath Jayasuriya and current captain Dasun Shanaka.

Pair make 90 each to set up a declaration with NSW slumping to 3 for 61 at stumps, chasing 422 to win

Alex Malcolm at the MCG07-Nov-2021New South Wales 140 & 3 for 61 (Patterson 24) trail Victoria 9 for 313 dec and 5 for 248 dec (Handscomb 90, Short 90) by 361 runsPeter Handscomb and Matthew Short both made 90 to put Victoria on the brink of a second successive victory over New South Wales as the visitors battled to 3 for 61 chasing 422 to win, at stumps on day three at the MCG.Handscomb continued his excellent start to the season, backing up his century at Drummoyne Oval with a classy 90 in challenging conditions at the MCG. Short cashed in on a weary Blues bowling attack, still missing Trent Copeland, who attempted to bowl in the nets on the morning of day three but wasn’t fit enough to take the field due to the lower leg injury he sustained early on day one.Victoria started the day with a first-innings lead of 173 after bowling the Blues out for 140. Having begun the day at 9 for 139, Blues wicketkeeper Peter Nevill was the last to fall in their first innings, holing out at deep long-on off the second ball of the morning.Victoria’s second innings started poorly with Marcus Harris falling for a duck, although he may have been unfortunate to be adjudged lbw to Sean Abbott, with major question marks over whether it pitched in line with leg stump and whether it would have clipped the bails given the pronounced bounce of this MCG pitch. Harris will head to Queensland to quarantine with the Australia squad ahead of the Ashes. He is coming off scores of 1 and 0, however, he did not do much wrong in either innings.James Seymour also fell cheaply, but Handscomb played with great control as the ball nipped around consistently in overcast conditions. He struck nine boundaries in his 90 from 177 deliveries. Handscomb looked assured in defence and drove and pulled with control. He also played Nathan Lyon with ease, showing some of the class that earned him two Test centuries in 2016-17.Nic Maddinson played nicely again, following on from his first innings century, although he did have a huge slice of luck gloving a pull shot to Nevill off a no-ball from Abbott. However, he didn’t make NSW pay as he was clean bowled for 33 while attempting a booming drive on the up. Handscomb was unfortunate to miss out on a century with Jack Edwards producing a sharp off-cutter to see him caught behind off the inside edge.Short then teed off, clubbing eight fours and two huge sixes down the ground as Victoria pursued a declaration. He fell unselfishly for 90 from 122 balls trying to launch Edwards again, with the allrounder claiming his career-best Sheffield Shield figures of 3 for 47.Set 422 to win with just under four sessions remaining, the Blues’ chase got off to a disastrous start with Matt Gilkes caught and bowled for a duck off a leading edge while trying to turn Scott Boland into the leg side. They slumped to 2 for 15 when James Pattinson had Jason Sangha caught behind with a ball that leapt from a length.The experience of Daniel Hughes and Kurtis Patterson steadied the ship under intense pressure and in fading light, although Hughes nearly ran himself out for the second time in the match. The pair survived some outstanding fast bowling but needed some luck with several plays and misses and some inside edges running safely to fine leg.But right on stumps, Patterson got himself in a tangle missing a full straight ball from Will Sutherland to be plumb lbw. Jack Edwards survived the last three balls of the day, leaving Victoria needing just seven wickets for victory on the final day.

CSK dropped five catches before failing to chase another 180-plus target

Deivarayan Muthu08-Apr-20252:37

Jaffer: Hope to see Arya in India colours soon

Priyansh Arya announced his arrival in the IPL with a 39-ball century, the fastest by an uncapped Indian and joint-fourth-fastest by anyone, as Punjab Kings (PBKS) consigned Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2025.CSK didn’t help themselves in the field, dropping as many as five catches, including two offered by Arya. The 24-year-old rookie capitalised on those chances to charge to his hundred as early as the 13th over. He holed out for 103 off 42 balls in the next over, but Shashank Singh (52*) and Marco Jansen (34*) provided the finishing kick for PBKS.CSK started well in the powerplay in their pursuit of 220 – Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra added 59 in the first six overs – but their soft underbelly was exposed once again in a chase. Conway retired out on 69 off 49 balls, with CSK needing 49 off 13 balls, but MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja couldn’t get the job done.CSK have now failed to chase a 180-plus target in their last 11 attempts, dating back to 2020.

Arya’s assault

Arya had triggered a bidding war at the auction after cracking six sixes in an over in the inaugural Delhi Premier League. In the lead-up to IPL 2025, his coach Ricky Ponting had talked him up as a “special” player. On Tuesday, Arya backed up Ponting’s comments in only his fourth IPL innings.1:50

Are Ashwin and Jadeja too defensive?

Arya is a bit like a left-handed version of the original Delhi basher Virender Sehwag. He sees the ball and hits the ball. He has also the gift of timing. When Matheesha Pathirana marginally missed a wide yorker and bowled a full toss – it was still a hard-to-hit full toss – Arya opened his bat face and carved it over point for six. He dispatched the next three balls from Pathirana for 6, 6, 4 to surge to a 39-ball hundred in the 13th over. In the next over, left-arm wristspinner Noor Ahmad had Arya dragging a catch to long-on.While Arya finished with 103 off 42 balls, the rest of the top six had a combined 23 off 25 balls in a bizarre scorecard. Arya could have been dismissed in the very first over had Khaleel Ahmed held on to a fairly straightforward return catch. Arya was on 6 at that point, having scythed the first ball over the point boundary. He then got another life on 35 when Vijay Shankar fluffed a more difficult chance at midwicket. Arya raced to his half-century, off 19 balls, when he backed away and carted R Ashwin over mid-off in the last over of the powerplay.In all, Arya took Ashwin for 28 off ten balls. The spinner came away with 4-0-48-2, his third-most expensive spell in the IPL.

Shashank, Jansen join the fun

Despite Arya’s departure, PBKS kept attacking. Shashank forged an unbroken 65-run partnership off 38 balls for the seventh wicket with Jansen to push them to an above-par total. Shashank welcomed Noor into the attack with a slog-swept six over wide long-on, and pumped a carrom ball from Ashwin over his head for six more. Jansen had his own fun when he launched a no-look six off Pathirana in the 18th over.17:35

Bangar: Dhoni not playing for the crowd, he has a clear role at CSK

CSK fade away in another chase

CSK started positively in the chase, with the New Zealand pair of Conway and Ravindra scoring ten fours in the powerplay. However, they had to wait until the tenth over for their first six, when Shivam Dube swatted Lockie Ferguson over the midwicket boundary.Glenn Maxwell had broken the opening stand when he had Ravindra stumped for 36 off 23 balls. In the next over, Ferguson banged the ball on a hard length at 143kph and had Ruturaj Gaikwad chipping a catch to midwicket for 1 off three balls.CSK responded by pushing their designated spin-hitter Dube up to No. 4, but PBKS countered his promotion by not throwing spin at him. They held Yuzvendra Chahal, their premier spinner, back until Dube’s dismissal at the end of the 16th over. Once Dhoni arrived in the 17th over, PBKS matched Chahal up with him and raised the asking rate to almost 20. Chahal ended up bowling just one over for nine runs.Conway retired out in the 18th over, and Dhoni hit three sixes, but CSK were left with too much to do at the end. When Dhoni flapped a full toss from Yash Thakur, the Impact Player, to short fine leg, at the start of the final over, PBKS all but sealed victory.

Livingstone fifty, and cameos from Jitesh and David, took hosts from 42 for 4 to 169, but it wasn’t enough

Ashish Pant02-Apr-20251:30

‘A bit more fire in the belly for Siraj after Champions Trophy snub’

Mohammed Siraj’s fiery 3 for 19 against his former team, backed up by Jos Buttler’s unbeaten 73 off 39 balls, helped Gujarat Titans (GT) spoil Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB)’s homecoming and coast to an eight-wicket victory at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.Playing against RCB for the first time after seven years with them, Siraj returned to Bengaluru with a point to prove. Bowling at speeds in excess of 140kph, he rattled the batters in the powerplay and also picked up a key wicket in the death overs. Despite Siraj’s efforts, RCB notched up 169 for 8, riding largely on Liam Livingstone’s fifty and cameos from Jitesh Sharma and Tim David.With the ball, Josh Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were on the mark in the powerplay for RCB. But as the ball got older, the bowling also fizzled away. While Shubman Gill fell cheaply, Sai Sudharsan and Buttler added 75 off just 47 balls to give the chase impetus. Sherfane Rutherford then came in as Impact Sub and added an unbroken 63 off 32 balls with Buttler, as GT romped home with 13 balls to spare.This was GT’s second win in three games, while RCB’s loss was their first of IPL 2025 after two stellar wins.

Siraj magic in Bengaluru against Bengaluru

Siraj has done his celebration several times at the Chinnaswamy in the last seven years. Most times, it has been met with a roaring response. On Wednesday, he went on his celebratory run twice in the powerplay to pin-drop silence. Having not been retained by RCB ahead of the auction, Siraj, now playing for GT, had matters to settle. And he did it in style.It was his spell in the powerplay that stood out. Operating at mid-140kph, Siraj was not just bowling heat but was also precise with his lengths. According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, of the 18 balls Siraj bowled in the powerplay, six of his deliveries landed on a length, off which he picked up two wickets. More importantly, eight of his deliveries finished in line with the stumps, which meant he barely gave the batters any room to work with. RCB managed a control percentage of just 50 against Siraj in the powerplay.1:55

Chopra: ‘Zip is missing for Rashid’

Siraj should have had Phil Salt in his opening over, but Buttler dropped a sitter behind the stumps. Soon after, Siraj had the zing bails flashing when Devdutt Padikkal waltzed down the track, missed, and saw his stumps in a mess. Salt thumped Siraj for a 105m six over midwicket in his next over, to which Siraj responded by flattening Salt’s off stump with a 145.9kph thunderbolt.Siraj later returned and picked up the key wicket of Livingstone in the 19th over to finish with 3 for 19, sending down 14 dots in his four overs.

Livingstone, Jitesh and David lift RCB

At 42 for 4 after 6.2 overs, RCB were in big trouble. Rajat Patidar had just fallen to Ishant Sharma, and the Chinnaswamy was silent. But Jitesh made his intentions clear quite early. He got going with a stylish pull off Ishant before going big. He first brought his wrists into play to loft Ishant over long-on, and dispatched him for two more fours as RCB collected 17 runs off the ninth over.Livingstone, at the other end, was struggling to get away before finally walloping Rashid Khan over deep square leg. Livingstone was dropped twice, and also survived a missed stumping, and made the best of his luck. Jitesh and Krunal Pandya fell in quick succession to R Sai Kishore, who picked up 2 for 22 in his four overs, which included breaking a flourishing 52-run stand between Jitesh and Livingstone in the 13th over. He tossed one up at Jitesh, who ended up skying it to long-on.Two overs later, Sai Kishore got Krunal when the ball seemed to hold on the pitch, and a leading edge went right back to the bowler. It was after that that Livingstone took over for RCB. He broke the shackles with a huge six over deep midwicket against Rashid, while David also hit a six and a four. Despite that, RCB were struggling on 129 for 6 after 17 overs. But Livingstone pumped Rashid for three sixes in the 18th to reach his fifty off 39 balls. In all, he smashed Rashid for 39 runs off 17 deliveries, with five sixes.RCB tonked 64 runs in the last five overs, thanks largely to David’s hitting, as he thumped 32 off 18 balls. But 169 at the innings break looked under-par.1:30

Bangar: ‘JItesh has shown great improvement’

Buttler does it again

Buttler came into this IPL under pressure. He had just quit the England white-ball captaincy after a disastrous Champions Trophy, and he had not been among the runs either. He was going to a new IPL team after flourishing with Rajasthan Royals, and was going to bat at No. 3, having mostly opened previously.But in just three innings, Buttler has proved that nothing has changed. He was coming into the game with scores of 70*, 8, 106*, 0, 0 and 100* against RCB since IPL 2022. On Wednesday, he shored up his record further.Buttler came in to bat with GT struggling a touch. Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar were making the ball talk, and not giving much away. Gill struck Bhuvneshwar over long-on but fell the next ball, caught at deep third. At that stage, GT were 32 for 1 after 4.4 overs.Buttler took his time to settle. At one point, he was on 5 off 8 balls, but he targeted Rasikh Salam, and just like that got into his stride. Buttler struck Rasikh for 27 off just 12 balls, and everything fell into place.Sudharsan, at the other end, was at his fluent best as he scored 49 off 36 balls, and put on 75 with Buttler. Once Sudharsan fell, Buttler went up another gear and raced to his half-century off 31 balls. Rutherford, who came in at No. 4, also got going quickly as GT raced towards their target.Their quick partnership helped GT improve their net run rate with a thumping win. RCB’s loss, meanwhile, pushed them to third place behind Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals.