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The defending champions have lost three in a row, leaving their hopes of a three-peat greatly diminished

Firdose Moonda14-Jan-2025As far as title defences go, it’s fair to say Sunrisers Eastern Cape have gotten off to the worst possible start. They’ve slumped to their three biggest defeats in their history – their largest by runs in the tournament opener against MI Cape Town – and their two biggest by balls remaining in their losses to Paarl Royals and Pretoria Capitals, and thoughts of a trophy three-peat have become ever-more distant.It’s still early in SA20 2025 but the initial indications are that a significant part of the problem is in the top order, where Sunrisers have not fired. Across the three matches, their highest score by a top-three batter is Zak Crawley’s 27 against Royals, and collectively, their top three has scored 85 runs at an average of 9.44. In season 1, the top two averaged over 30 and in season 2, 22.67. There is time to build back up to that but they will need to turn things around quickly and that may start with settling on their opening pair.With Dawid Malan not part of the squad this season, Sunrisers started with Jordan Hermann and Crawley but then played against Capitals with Crawley and David Bedingham. Batting coach Russell Domingo explained that Hermann’s omission was to open up a spot for allrounder Patrick Kruger.”It was just to bring in another option. Patrick Kruger was available for the first time because he had been struggling with a cough and he is a starting player for us,” Domingo said. “David Bedingham’s obviously a quality player so we decided to give him an opportunity up the order where he’s probably best suited.”ESPNcricinfo LtdBut Bedingham has been struggling recently. Since his 59 in the Chattogram Test, he has had 12 innings across formats and been out in single figures six times. On five occasions, Bedingham has been caught by the wicketkeeper or in the slips and there may be concerns around how tight he is outside off stump.The reading is not much better for Sunrisers’s key batter Tristan Stubbs. He was their top-scorer last season but is also in a rut. Since his second-innings century in the Durban Test against Sri Lanka, Stubbs has been out in single figures five times in nine innings. His most common mode of dismissal is with deliveries in line with the stumps, when he has been late on shots and either bowled or lbw, which suggests there’s an issue with the timing of his strokes.Through Bedingham, Stubbs and captain Aiden Markram, Sunrisers will expect to score most of their runs, especially as they carry a fairly long tail. Marco Jansen’s form at No.7 is a welcome bonus though his main job is to operate as their strike bowler, another area they seem to be lacking in.Ottneil Baartman, who enjoyed a breakthrough tournament last year, missed out on the first match, returned with figures of 0 for 33 in 2.4 overs in Paarl and then took 1 for 9 at SuperSport Park. In Craig Overton and Richard Gleeson, Sunrisers have the personnel but the attack needs their batters to give them something to work with, which Markram knows. In the post-match presentation, he acknowledged lack of runs as the main concern but cited the quick turnaround between games as being one of the hurdles that can be difficult to overcome. “When you’re trying to look for form, it can be quite tough,” he said.Zak Crawley hasn’t yet fired as Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s opener•SA 20This is already a slightly different line to the one he had voiced two days ago, when Sunrisers lost to Royals. That defeat came two days after they lost to MICT in the tournament opener and Markram was asked how a team can properly address form concerns in a schedule where matches come thick and fast. His answer suggested they just have to roll with the punches.”You almost get used to dealing with things really quickly and then moving on. I don’t think you have much of a choice nowadays with the amount of cricket that we play,” he said then. “Of course, pay attention to areas that need attention but it’s really important to bank that, make notes of it and then to wake up the next day and either do something about it or play another game of cricket. From an emotional side, I think each person is quite different. I generally don’t try to get too high when things are going well and low when things aren’t going well. I try to stay consistent. Obviously, easier said than done.”That day, Markram also said his is an outfit that “are all not really good at losing” and would be able to pick themselves up quickly. Two more days have gone past and they find themselves at an even lower point.”We know we haven’t played well in these last three games and we need to make our own luck,” Domingo said. “We need to do the basics a little bit better which we’re not doing at the moment. Fortunately there’s still seven games to go. We know it’s a long competition. We haven’t started well in this competition in previous editions and managed to find our way and hopefully we can get into that sort of form, and that sort of confidence in the next couple of weeks because we’re running out of time and we need to make a play.”Sunrisers did not win either of their opening matches in season one or two but this is their third successive defeat in SA20 2025. So they’re already further behind than they have been before. That means the need to turn things around is more pressing and their attempt to do that will take place in three days’ time. They travel to Kingsmead for their next match against Durban’s Super Giants on Friday.

Manchester United have now reportedly launched a stunning £100m+ offer to sign an England superstar who has already earned the praise of David Beckham.

Man Utd targeting England superstar

INEOS are looking to make a statement in 2026, having already showcased their spending power by revitalising Man United’s frontline last season. Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha all arrived in an attempt to transform Ruben Amorim’s side.

Now, the focus is turning towards the manager’s midfield. With Casemiro edging past the peak of his powers, Manuel Ugarte struggling in possession and Kobbie Mainoo frozen out by Amorim, Man United have already reportedly drawn up a shortlist of options.

So far, two of the biggest names on that shortlist in the Premier League are Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. Two of United’s biggest targets, both have enjoyed excellent campaigns so far.

There’s plenty of competition for the two England stars, however, and Champions League qualification is likely to be the key to unlocking any potential move for Man United.

The same can be said for another England star. If it’s not Wharton or Anderson, then it could be Jude Bellingham. Sensational reports are now claiming that Man United have made their first move to sign the Real Madrid superstar ahead of 2026.

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ByKelan Sarson 4 days ago

Bellingham is undoubtedly one of the best midfielders in world football and would instantly become the best signing that INEOS have made.

Man Utd launch £100m+ Bellingham offer

According to reports in Spain, Man United have now launched an offer to sign Bellingham worth as much as €150m (£131m) in what would break their transfer record. Alas, Real Madrid reportedly believe that the Englishman is worth more than that and have turned the Red Devils down.

Whether INEOS return with a second offer remains to be seen. It would simply be a sensational move for a player who’s already got the approval of Beckham.

Praise does not get much better than that from a Man United point of view, but the idea of watching Bellingham follow in Beckham’s footsteps at Old Trafford very much remains a dream for the time being.

He's "like Reijnders": Old Trafford chiefs pushing Man Utd to sign "elite" star

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race gets going.

Dembele largely secured the award off the back of his performances in helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first European Cup, and the Champions League is yet again likely to have a big say on the Ballon d'Or battle this time around. However, it's also a World Cup year, so there is a chance that the eventual winner doesn't emerge until the summer in North America.

Don't forget, too, that there is the Africa Cup of Nations running from late December and into January, meaning there could be some players who don't only shine for their clubs but also impress at major tournaments over the course of the campaign.

The Ballon d'Or race is a marathon not a sprint, and it's worth bearing in mind that Dembele didn't emerge as a potential victor until midway through the 2024-25 campaign. However, with the European season fully up and running, so too are GOAL's Power Rankings, as we track the likeliest winners of the Golden Ball over the coming weeks and months:

AFP10Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) ↔️

Widely regarded as the best right-back in the world, Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after a season in which he contributed as much to the PSG attack as he did to ensure they remained solid at the back. One of the leaders within Luis Enrique's squad, the Moroccan's performances will again have a large bearing on the French champions' fortunes at home and on the continent.

Hakimi had made a decent start to the season before suffering an ankle injury in late October, and what places him so high in our rankings is the potential for him to shine on the international stage. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and have the strongest squad among the African qualifiers for 2026, meaning another deep run isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Before that, the Atlas Lions are the favourites to triumph on home soil at AFCON, with Hakimi – the newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year – set to be the face of the tournament if can prove his fitness ahead of kick-off.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport9Estevao (Chelsea) 🆕

This might feel a little 'pie in the sky', but there is definitely a logic behind Estevao emerging as a Ballon d'Or contender over the course of the campaign. The teenager has quickly become a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge following a series of eye-catching performances, and he announced himself to the European audience with his superb strike in Chelsea's Champions League win over Barcelona.

There is a world where Estevao becomes the Blues' main attacking outlet by the end of the season, while the evidence of the past few international breaks suggests that it will be he rather than Vinicius Jr that Brazil will be looking to for inspiration as they aim to win a sixth World Cup during the summer. That might be a lot to ask of an 18-year-old, but Estevao has shown so far that he is up to the task.

Getty Images Sport8Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich) 🆕

Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might not be in such turmoil had Luis Diaz not been sold over the summer. The versatile forward played an important role in the Reds' title triumph of 2024-25, but his desire for a new challenge led to the Anfield outfit accepting a €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) bid from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.

Diaz hasn't looked back since, having struck up a fine understanding with Harry Kane and the rest of his Bayern team-mates. Some of his strikes in the Bundesliga have been stunning, while his double to beat PSG in the Champions League was the kind of match-winning display that catches Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if his subsequent red card means he won't be seen again in the competition until January at the earliest.

Factor in Diaz will be playing at his first World Cup this summer, and he has all the makings of a Golden Ball contender.

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Getty Images Sport7Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) 🆕

Anyone who predicted that Michael Olise would struggle to make the step up from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has been sorely mistaken, with the wideman having strung together a year or so of fantastic performances for the Bundesliga champions. Equally capable of scoring as he is creating goals for others, the 23-year-old has grown into one of the most fearsome forward players in the German top flight while also making his mark on the Champions League.

Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot despite intense competition for places in the France line-up. As such, he could be one of the stars of the upcoming World Cup for one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been urged to steer clear of signing Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton as there is too much hype around him. United are in the market for a new central midfielder either in January or more likely in the summer of 2026 after prioritising strengthening in other areas in the squad last window such as attack and goalkeeper.

Baleba and Anderson heavily linked with Man Utd

The club held initial discussions with Brighton & Hove Albion over signing Carlos Baleba but turned away from the move after disagreeing with the Seagulls' £100m ($131m) valuation. The Red Devils have more recently been linked with a move for Elliot Anderson, who has established himself as an England regular in the last three months and whose statistics put him up there with Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo as the most impressive midfielders in the Premier League. 

Palace midfielder Wharton, who made his first England start last week against Albania, is another player who United are believed to be interested in. But former United striker Dwight Yorke does not think the 21-year-old is the player they should be targeting.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportYorke: Wharton not the answer

Yorke said, via "I’m not sure Adam Wharton is the answer. He's still not quite there for me yet and that's an area of concern we have to look to improve. It is a gap in this Man United team. You look at the history behind the football club in its most successful years and they always had a fantastic number six in that position.

"Casemiro has been hit and miss at times and it’s a key part of your team. You listen to all the great managers, that central area of your midfield is always so important. It’s a tough gig that one to find the right players and I think that's why they're struggling. They haven’t got that player who can set the floor of the game, as I always call it, and dictate the pace, who defends but passes the ball forwards, and can see the pass. 

"These types of players are rare which surprises me as on the face of it it’s not the most difficult job in the world but it’s the most crucial. Who I would like to see in that position more? I can’t think, honestly, because there’s too much hype around some of these players. Bring back Michael Carrick, maybe? There we go. He’d have done a job in this team!"

Casemiro future in doubt despite upturn in form

Amorim has settled on a midfield pairing of captain Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, with the Brazilian staging a stunning revival after his worrying campaign in 2023-24, when he was told by Jamie Carragher to quit elite football and wind down his career in Saudi Arabia or the United States. However, neither players are long-term options. Fernandes' contract expires in 2027 while Casemiro's is up next June. The club have the option to extend both deals by an additional year but big investment is ultimately needed to refresh their midfield and make them future Premier League title contenders.

Amorim has said he wants the club to extend Casemiro's deal and Harry Maguire's by at least one year although the Brazilian's massive wages, believed to be £350,000 per week, are an obstacle. It has been reported that United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was critical of Casemiro's contract when he bought his stake in the club in 2023 given his age. The former Real Madrid lynchpin turns 34 next February and was signed in 2022 for an initial fee of £60m rising to £70m.

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GettyUnited without Sesko for Everton test

United have drawn their last two games against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, interrupting their previous run of three consecutive wins. They will be hoping to return to winning ways at home to Everton on Monday although they will be without striker Benjamin Sesko, who is expected to be out for a month after hurting his knee in the 2-2 draw with Spurs.

Lisandro Martinez is hoping to make his first appearance of the season against Tottenham. He recently joined Argentina for training in Europe although he did not play any matches for his country. Maguire could also be back to face the Toffees. The Everton game will mark one year since Amorim's first game in charge of United against Ipswich Town.

“I think more about the team’s win than about my scores,” he says after scoring second first-class century

Daya Sagar20-Sep-2025Dhruv Jurel, the wicketkeeper-batter, is now a regular in India’s Test squad. But before India A’s ongoing four-day series against Australia A, he had only one first-class century to his name, that too from December 2022, when he scored 249 against Nagaland. And – guess what? – the lack of really big scores doesn’t even bother him.”Honestly, earlier it did matter to me whether my score was 100 or 150. But now I understand that the team’s victory is more important,” Jurel said after scoring 140 in 197 balls in India A’s only innings in the drawn first game in Lucknow. “In first-class cricket, I have seven-eight (he has four) scores in the 90s, which could have been centuries.”One of them was in the Ranchi Test [against England in February 2024], where I became Player of the Match and the team won the match. Cricket is a team game, and we play cricket so that the team wins. Now I think more about the team’s win than about my scores.”Related

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In Ranchi, playing only his second Test, Jurel batted at No. 7 in India’s first innings and scored 90, before scoring 39 not out in the second as India won by five wickets.Jurel, 24, first got into the India A set-up in December 2023 on the tour of South Africa. There, in the second four-day game in Benoni, he scored 69 in India A’s only innings, and was in the Test squad for India’s next home series against England. Just one-and-a-half months later, he had a Test cap to his name in Rajkot. So far, he has played five Tests – usually when Rishabh Pant hasn’t been around – including in Australia and in England, and has 255 runs and 11 dismissals to show for it.”Staying with or around the [India] team definitely gives you confidence,” he said. “I consider myself very lucky and privileged that I got the chance to play Tests for India and to be with the team. Even if you are not playing, when seniors are around. you learn so many things from them. In a country of billions, how many people get this opportunity?”

“I take it one match at a time, and don’t think too far ahead. The more you think, the more pressure you put on yourself”Dhruv Jurel

Curiously, Jurel’s overall numbers with the bat have improved since he started playing Test cricket (he has also played four T20Is). Before his Test debut, Jurel averaged 46 in first-class cricket, and had one century and five half-centuries from 19 innings. Since then, his average has gone up to 54-plus, and he has one century and seven half-centuries in 18 innings. These include valuable innings for India A, and the 93 he scored for Rest of India against Mumbai in last season’s Irani Cup.”Everyone dreams of playing for India. When I got the Test cap, I realised, ‘yes, this can happen’,” Jurel said. “I come from a small city, Agra. It feels really good that I could make my parents and the people there proud. Where I come from, there wasn’t even a proper wicket. I practiced on a cement wicket. So people there should feel that no matter where you come from, you can still make it, as long as you work hard with a true heart.”India will start their home Test season next month, and play two Tests each against West Indies and South Africa. Jurel will most likely be in the squad, whether or not he gets a chance to play, which will be dependent on Pant’s fitness.”I take it one match at a time, and don’t think too far ahead,” he said. “The more you think, the more pressure you put on yourself. Right now, I played a match today, and three days later, the next match [against Australia A] is there. So, I am only thinking about the next match, and only after that will I look further.”

The 19-year-old Afghanistan mystery spinner has already made a splash in all three formats since his international debut in 2024, and he’s got the confidence to take on the world

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Sep-2025It was July 2022. The Shpageeza League, Afghanistan’s domestic T20 tournament was being played at the Kabul Cricket stadium. At around 1am in the morning one day, AM Ghazanfar got a call from Atta Mohammad, one of his older brothers, who asked Ghazanfar to be ready to report to the stadium the next day to join the Mis Ainak Knights squad.Ghazanfar was a net bowler for Knights at the time. The team was looking to replace former Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza, who had gone back home. During a nets session, the captain, Asghar Afghan, impressed with Ghazanfar’s bowling, asked if he could bowl with the new ball. Barely 16 then, Ghazanfar said yes, leading to the late-night call-up.The next morning, though, the security at the ground would not allow Ghazanfar to enter as he was not authorised for access. Eventually Knights’ manager secured him entry. Ghazanfar, upon coming in, noticed the team were in a huddle. “I was late and I was worried about what Asghar Afghan would say to me,” Ghazanfar says with a smile on a Zoom chat recorded a day after he made his T20I debut, against Pakistan, during the tri-series between Pakistan, Afghanistan and the UAE earlier this month.Related

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Ghazanfar changed quickly into Knights gear and joined the team. His nerves vanished soon when Afghan told him he was playing. “Uff, ! I was under pressure, but I was proud at the same time,” Ghazanfar says. “My confidence level was high and I told myself I could manage myself and everything else quickly. I told myself, this is your day, this is your opportunity.”He misremembers being Player of the Match on his debut in the Shpageeza league, against Boost Defenders; he took one wicket in his four overs in a four-run win for Defenders. It was in Knights’ next match, against Hindukush Stars, where he took four wickets inside the powerplay, of which three came in the sixth over, that he won the award for his 4 for 15. “The game changed everything for me and my cricket,” he says.

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Last year was eventful for Ghazanfar. He made his debut for Afghanistan in ODIs, against Ireland in March 2024. In November, he became the third-youngest bowler to take a six-wicket haul in ODIs, after only Waqar Younis and Rashid Khan, when he picked up 6 for 26 against Bangladesh. He followed that up with another five-for against Zimbabwe in December, putting him on another list with those two bowling greats – as only the third bowler in men’s cricket to take more than one five-for before turning 19.Ghazanfar picked up four wickets in his debut Test, against Zimbabwe in December 2024•Zimbabwe CricketEarlier that month Ghazanfar played four matches in three days, shuttling through the UAE, featuring in both the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai and the AD T10 in Abu Dhabi. In the last week of the year, he made his Test debut – also his first first-class match – stepping in for Rashid Khan, who missed the first Test, in Bulawayo, due to back and hamstring issues.As Afghanistan prepped for the match, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan’s Test captain, checked in with Ghazanfar about whether he was ready to play a Test, considering he had never played red-ball cricket. “He said, ‘You can do it, seriously?’ I said, ‘Yes, I can,'” Ghazanfar said. Later, alone in his room, Ghazanfar stayed up late to strategise and get himself mentally ready for the big game.He speaks about an inner confidence that has allowed him to handle his and others’ expectations across the three formats. “My mind is such that red-ball, white-ball doesn’t matter. The target is to bowl wicket to wicket. My match starts once the batsman engages with me face to face. I will not think this is white-ball, this is red-ball, this is T10. I like to plan and engage with the batsman’s plans.”Bowling in the Test, on a flat deck, was not easy. “They made such a wicket that two or three of their batters went to sleep on it,” Ghazanfar laughs. “Both Hashmat Shahidi and Rahmat Shah also scored double-centuries. The wicket was flat and the ground was heavy, but I got four wickets still.”

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Ghazanfar comes from Zurmat district in Paktia province in eastern Afghanistan. The youngest of ten children, he started playing tennis-ball cricket around 2019. His parents live in Zurmat, while a few of his brothers run the family business, which is spread between Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan.At 13, when he joined the Saleem Karwan Cricket Academy in Kabul, he did everything: opened the batting, bowled fast, bowled spin. His coach at the academy, Roze Khan Zurmetai, suggested he stuck to spin bowling. It was a major turning point. In about three months, Ghazanfar says, he ended up being the highest wicket-taker in the U-16 age group in Afghanistan (though records are unavailable to verify the statistic). “Before that, while I had the skills, I did not know exactly how to use them. But the coach said my skill lies in bowling spin and I should stick to that. I focused on that, worked hard, and with the grace of God, got the results.”Ghazanfar’s many variations make it exceptionally tricky for a batter to read a delivery out of the hand•Emirates Cricket BoardGhazanfar’s bowling run-up comprises nine steps, starting with a hop and skip, and he runs through the crease to deliver with a fastish arm action, in the Rashid or Mujeeb Ur Rahman mould. Batters have found it hard to read his stock ball and his variations out of his hand.Ghazanfar was lured by the magic of the wrong’un early on. “I started bowling the googly and the carrom ball but the googly was my strength. But as I started to train and bowl a lot, I started trialling backspin and offspin with the carrom ball and googly. Slowly, slowly, I started improving with practice.”The offbreak, arm ball and flipper are his other variations. Ghazanfar credits his fast-tracked growth to former Afghanistan fast bowler Dawlat Ahmadzai, who he says helped developed his spin craft and with the mental aspect of the game.Ahmadzai, who has mentored several young Afghan talents, including Rashid, as well as the current opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, was head coach at the Mohammad Mirza Katawazai Cricket Centre in Kabul in 2022 when Ghazanfar’s brother Atta approached him, keen for him to look at his younger brother. “When I spoke to Ghazanfar for the first time, he told me he had started as a fast bowler,” Ahmadzai, who is currently head coach of East Bay Blazers in Minor League Cricket in the USA, and a former chairman of selectors for Afghanistan, says. “I asked him to bowl in the nets. Then I looked at his hands and felt he had the fingers meant for a good spin bowler. The middle finger on his bowling hand is strong and long and is the key driver of his variations. He also is tall and has strong shoulders.”Ahmadzai worked on Ghazanfar for nearly a year, from the basics of his run-up and action to teaching him the importance of backspin, helping him read cues from batters and telling him how to confound them. “He improved my skills a lot, teaching me how I can utilise my skills and when, and the kind of things I always need to pay attention to during my training and during the match,” Ghazanfar says.

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As a fingerspinner with multiple variations, Ghazanfar has quickly edged out the competition, including some of Afghanistan’s other mystery spinners, to earn places in prominent T20 leagues. He grabbed headlines during the IPL 2025 mega auction, when five-time champions Mumbai Indians bought him for Rs 4.8 crore (US$570,000 approximately). However, he did not feature in the tournament because of a back injury – a lumbar fracture that took several months to heal – that had its origins in the marathon spells he bowled in the Zimbabwe Test.Since 2022, Ghazanfar has been picked in several franchise leagues, including the IPL, LPL, CPL, ILT20, Abu Dhabi T10 and The T20 Blast•Abu Dhabi T10He travelled to India, though and spent time with the Mumbai Indians squad. MI’s scouts had been tracking him for a while by then. “In 2023 I was playing for Afghanistan U-19 in the UAE. Rahul [former India left-arm spinner Rahul Sanghvi, a long-serving senior MI official and scout] wanted me to attend trials at the ICC Cricket Academy. I did well, and they told me they would look at me at least as a back-up bowler during the 2024 season. I was very happy because to play the IPL is every youngster’s [wish]”He could not get a visa as a net bowler for MI, but he did end up going to the 2024 IPL after Kolkata Knight Riders picked him up as a replacement for Mujeeb, who was injured. “I was waiting to get picked as a net bowler but instead I got picked by a team. I couldn’t have been more happy,” Ghazanfar says.He didn’t get a game for KKR that season, but says the experience made him a better cricketer and also got him a good pay packet at the 2025 auction. KKR won the 2024 IPL, so Ghazanfar came back home that year with a medal, but he says his learnings trumped that. He spoke to spin greats like Sunil Narine and R Ashwin that season. “Having been there for big matches, including the IPL final, I saw up close how players were dealing with pressure. That was very significant for me,” he says.Gautam Gambhir, who returned as KKR mentor in 2024. “He gave me a lot of support. He said, ‘Your future is bright.’ [He said] that I should focus on my batting, which will come handy in the long run. He would stand behind me during my bowling at training and offer tips. He also said he would ensure KKR got me back for the 2025 season.”The franchise did bid hard for Ghazanfar but pulled out at the Rs 4.6-crore mark. “My kismet was with Mumbai,” he says with a smile. He expects to be retained by Mumbai for the 2026 season but still has fond memories of celebrating his 19th birthday with the franchise. “Tilak Varma ” [Tilak Varma did me especially dirty] Ghazanfar laughs, running a hand across his face to mimic how the Mumbai and India batter smeared cake all over it.Tilak was already acquainted with Ghazanfar, having played against him in the semi-final of the Emerging Teams Asia Cup in October 2024. Tilak was leading India A, who lost that match by 20 runs. Ghazanfar played a role in that defeat, getting the India opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Prabhsimran Singh out cheaply.