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Days after the Astros traded with the Twins to bring Carlos Correa back to Houston in order to replace the injured Isaac Paredes at third base, the team offered a pretty big update on Paredes's injury status.

Astros general manager Dana Brown told reporters on Monday that Paredes has a severe hamstring strain but chose to forego season-ending surgery, and instead rehab the injury in hopes of making a return in the 2025 season, 's Chandler Rome reported. Paredes received a PRP injection and will rest for quite some time before the team can re-evaluate his chances of returning this year.

If Paredes had elected to undergo surgery, the recovery time would've been six months, meaning he would be out until the 2026 season.

Paredes last played on July 19 when he suffered the hamstring strain while running to first base after hitting a single. He was then placed on the 10-day injured list.

The Astros then traded for Correa on July 31 and chose to start him at third base for the first time in his MLB career. He had previously only ever played shortstop. It was a reunion for Correa in Houston, as he spent his first seven seasons there before he landed with the Twins in 2022. He waived his no-trade clause in order to go back to the Astros.

To say Arsenal are in form at the moment would be an understatement.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying and, following their 3-1 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League, are starting to get the recognition they deserve.

Moreover, while there is still a long way to go before anything is settled, the Gunners could go a long way in cementing their grip on the Premier League title race by beating Chelsea on Sunday.

However, it will be a tough game, and on top of Estevao, Arsenal may have to be on their toes regarding a certain Cole Palmer, who’s previously been compared to another international star the Gunners have been linked with.

Arsenal team news

Arsenal’s recent run of results and performances have been hugely impressive, and are made only more so by the fact that the team have been plagued by injuries.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, the team tore Tottenham Hotspur to pieces without a recognised number nine on the pitch, or bench for that matter, and without Gabriel Mageheles, who has arguably been their player of the season so far.

Fortunately, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard are all back in contention again, with all three coming off the bench against Bayern.

Moreover, during his pre-match press conference, Arteta revealed that there is “a potential chance” that Leandro Trossard could be available for the game this weekend.

He was a little less clear when it came to Gabriel Jesus, as he confirmed that the striker took part in a behind-closed-doors friendly, but said “We have to see” when it comes to his availability for Sunday.

Finally, while it seems unlikely, the boss didn’t rule out the possibility of Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz making it into the squad, saying, “We have another day tomorrow, so let’s see how everybody is tomorrow.”

So, it’s mostly good news on the injury front for the Gunners, but the Blues have also received a big boost, with Enzo Maresca confirming that Palmer is now available to start the game.

The Englishman is a world-class player, and based on reports from earlier this month, Arsenal could potentially sign someone who has been compared to him in the past.

The Palmer-like star Arsenal could sign

Arsenal have already been linked with a host of seriously exciting players over the last month or so, but arguably the most exciting and the one who has been compared to Palmer is Michael Olise.

Now, it should be said that the two internationals, of course, have their differences, but according to FBref, the Englishman was the third-most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman in the 23/24 Premier League season.

To gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached, you can take a look at the underlying numbers in which the pair ranked so closely.

These metrics included things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key and live passes, shot and goal-creating actions, passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

In other words, both players were attacking monsters, both from a goalscoring perspective and a creative one.

Now, on top of the undeniable statistical similarities between them, they can also both be described as entertainers; they are players who’ll produce the output, but will also get the fans on their feet with a piece of skill and trickery.

Moreover, the pair of them are quite nonchalant in the way they go about their business on and off the pitch, making the former Crystal Palace star someone who’d probably fit in quite well at the Emirates.

Ultimately, while the comparisons to the Chelsea star are great, the Gunners should be looking to sign the Bayern Munich star regardless, as in just 74 appearances for the German giants, he has already produced 62 goal involvements, which more than justifies Serge Gnabry’s claim that the 23-year-old is “one of the best players in the world.”

The best since Henry & Vieira: Arsenal star is "the best in the world"

The incredible Arteta signing will rank alongside Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira at Arsenal.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Nov 28, 2025

Pakistan, meanwhile, are growing comfortable in Colombo conditions and hoping to challenge New Zealand

Madushka Balasuriya17-Oct-20251:08

Omaima: ‘The main challenge is playing the new ball’

Neither New Zealand nor Pakistan have had an ideal World Cup. The former is on three points after four games with just a solitary win, while Pakistan’s sole point has come courtesy a washout against England.That match, for all intents and purposes, should have been firmly locked under the wins column for Pakistan, but such has been the weather in Colombo that any result has been firmly at the behest of the weather gods.”I’ve been around this a long time and there’s lots of things you can’t control, and weather’s one of those. It’s just something that we’ve got to roll with,” New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said ahead of Saturday’s match against Pakistan.Related

• Fatima Sana – a captain burdened, a fast bowler unrestrained

• New Zealand look to stay in semi-final hunt against winless Pakistan

Rains have been forecast throughout the day for Saturday as well, but for Sawyer, the preparations remain the same with the past few days also allowing some time for reflection on their washed-out game against Sri Lanka.”I thought we bowled really well,” Sawyer said. “It was a target that we thought we could chase. We just didn’t get the chance to do that. So practised really hard the last couple of days and yeah, ready to go for Pakistan tomorrow.”For Pakistan too, the weather has proved an unwelcome guest, bringing their victory charge against England to an abrupt end. It was the first time this tournament that they had managed to produce a complete performance with the ball, and before rain ended play they were looking quite comfortable with the bat as well – an area they had struggled with in the lead-up to the game.”The pitches are supporting the bowlers, especially spinners. Our spin department and fast bowling department are also doing great,” Pakistan opening batter Omaima Sohail said. “But we need to step up in our batting.”Pakistan’s improvement is not something that has evaded Sawyer and New Zealand, who are acutely aware of what they are capable of.”Their top order is, they made it look like light work of maybe chasing down that total the other night,” he said. “So, they’ve been impressive. They’ve really challenged a couple of weeks or two of the top nations. So, been impressed in particular with their bowling.”2:14

Sawyer: ‘We’ve got to be really wary of the Pakistan attack’

One reason for this uptick has been their increasing familiarity with the conditions in Colombo, where batting hasn’t been the easiest. This will be just New Zealand’s second game at the Khettarama this World Cup, though the rains ensured they were unable to bat against Sri Lanka.”We played here four matches, so now we know what the situations and what the pitch acts [like],” Sohail said. “So, we know what to do in upcoming matches. We will do better hopefully.”For New Zealand their focus will be on trying to put up more complete performances. Their batting has been bolstered almost solely by runs from Sophie Devine and Brooke Halliday, who have struck 260 and 142 runs respectively over their four matches. Sawyer however is confident that the rest of the team will come good sooner rather than later.”They’ve [Devine and Halliday] looked great and to me, I know it might sound a bit silly, but it’s really exciting,” Sawyer said. “Yeah, we have had probably two batters do the bulk of the work for us at the moment, so if we can get three or four firing at once, I think we can post some huge scores.”It’s a long tournament; it goes for a month. I think we’ve already been on the road a month, as every other team has, and you’re going to have people firing at different times and hopefully we’ve got some that are really going to fire towards the back end. So I’ve got no doubt those runs are coming.”

Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola were involved in a tense exchange after Manchester City's dramatic 3-2 win over Leeds United. Phil Foden scored right at the start and the end of the game to secure City all three points but Haaland had an off day for the hosts. And at the full-time whistle, his manager appeared to be trying to console the dejected striker at the Etihad.

• Man City hold on for 'wild' win

  City looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory on Saturday when Foden gave the home side a first-minute lead before Josko Gvardiol doubled their advantage. Second-half goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha set up a dramatic finale, before Foden grabbed the winner in stoppage-time. After the contest, the England international admitted he had not been in many games like that, with the 25-year-old also stressing they are not out of this Premier League title race.

  "It's up there as one of the wildest games. We had full control in the first half. They changed their system in the second half and we couldn't get going," he said. "It was a frustrating half. But when there was a short break the manager got us together and we adapted to their formation. We had a few half chances and finally I've found a bit of space and found the bottom of the net. There are still things we can improve. We're delighted with the result. The title race is never straightforward. There's always ups and downs and periods where you can't seem to get going and we've had that. The belief and togetherness came through at the end. Hopefully that's the case today that we can kick on from here. But you never know what to expect. I was so hungry today to play and prove to myself I could still score goals. I missed a few chances against Newcastle and wanted to put it right."

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• Haaland consoled by Guardiola

  While City got the crucial three points, this was the third game in a row where Haaland hasn't scored for the club, albeit he is still the league's top scorer (14) by far. As fans filtered out of the stadium, the Norwegian international cut a frustrated figure, prompting Guardiola to try and console him. 

• Guardiola backs Haaland

  The former Borussia Dortmund man is still waiting for his 100th City goal. However, Guardiola knows it will not be long before he reaches that milestone.

  "He will do it. He will do it in the next game," Guardiola said with a smile. "Just we talk about rest. He has a huge body. Minutes, minutes, in that moment you’re fresh. Rest [is] not just the legs [pointing to his head]. It's not like Phil [Foden] or Jeremy [Doku], they can rest. Erling is a big man. We need him so much."

  The former Bayern Munich manager admitted this game was a "struggle" for his side, but gave credit to Leeds for how they improved in the second half. He also heaped praise on Foden for his brace, with the playmaker returning to something near his best form.

  "After Daniel [Farke] changed shape, long balls to Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha running behind, it was always a struggle. That emotion is part of the football. We had the chances and at the end finally we found our goal," he added. "It's not the first time we saw that. A thousand, thousand, million times he’s [Foden] done it. The quality, shooting, strong. Like his goal against West Ham to win the Premier League. Phil has to be around the box. Shoot or pass. His finishing is so quick. Phil is doing a really good season."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  What comes next for Haaland's Man City?

  City, who are up to second in the Premier League, will hope they can build on this victory when they travel to Fulham on Tuesday night. Guardiola's side were beaten by Newcastle United last weekend and then fell to a shock defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in midweek, so this Leeds win comes at the right time. Incidentally, not many would be surprised if Haaland ends this mini dry spell next time out.

There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe during the November international break, as 14 more countries booked their seat at next summer's festival of football in North America.

It obviously came as no surprise to see the likes of France, Spain and Germany secure their spots at the finals, but Curacao's qualification was absolutely incredible, while Scotland, Norway and Austria are all bound for their first appearances at a World Cup since 1998. Of course, there are still six slots to be filled but it's fair to say that we now have a much better idea of who will be contention to lift the most famous trophy in sport at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. 

So, who's looking like a potential victor and which countries still have a lot to work to do between now and the opening game in Mexico City on June 11? Below, GOAL assesses the prospects of the three co-hosts (United States, Mexico and Canada) and the other 39 teams to have confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup ahead of Friday's group-stage draw in Washington DC…

• Getty Images Sport
  

  42New Zealand ⬇️

  FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed spot at the 2026 World Cup made New Zealand's qualification for the finals for the first time since 2010 a formality, as they have nothing remotely resembling worthy rivals in OFC. As defender Michael Boxall said after the All Whites progressed with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, "We've gone through heartbreak in [previous campaigns] but once the tournament expanded, we expected this of ourselves."

  The question now is whether they can make any kind of impact in North America next year. Much will obviously depend on their group-stage opponents, and a recent draw with Norway offered some grounds for optimism – but it's hard to be confident about the prospects of a team that has now slipped to 86th in the world rankings after a run of seven games without a win.

  Indeed, they've still only won 11 games against non-OFC opposition in the past 15 years, and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the only truly top-class player in New Zealand's squad.

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• AFP
  

  41Qatar ⬇️

  After underwhelming everyone on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar will be aiming to leave a much more positive impression on the tournament four years on. However, their qualification was shrouded in controversy, with the two-time Asian champions inexplicably allowed to play both of their fourth-round matches on home soil and, after holding Oman to a scoreless draw in Al Rayyan, they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 at the same venue to clinch top spot in their three-team group.

  Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the conclusion of Qatar's campaign after taking the manager's job in May, and did a good job shoring up a defence that conceded 24 times in 10 matches during the third round of qualification. In striker Almoez Ali, Lopetegui is also in possession of a prolific striker who scored more goals (12) than anyone else in the AFC section.

  Still, getting out of their group in North America is likely to be a tall order for Qatar, who lost a friendly against Zimbabwe in Doha last month and are presently struggling on home soil in the Arab Cup.

• AFP
  

  40Jordan ⬇️

  Jordan made history on June 5 by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across the country. A 3-0 win over Oman, which came courtesy of a hat-trick from Ali Olwan, left Al Nashama on the verge of clinching a spot at the finals, and a top-two finish in AFC Group B was ensured thanks to South Korea's 2-0 win over third-placed Iraq later in the day.

  Obviously, not much will be expected of Jordan at the finals. The majority of Jamal Sellami's side ply their trade in their homeland, though star winger Mousa Tamari has spent the majority of his career in Europe, and left Montpellier for Rennes earlier this year.

  Jordan, who are ranked 66th in the world, have also been steadily improving over the past few years and even upset South Korea on their way to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but recent friendly defeats to Bolivia, Albania and Tunisia underline that their World Cup campaign is likely to be a hard slog.

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• AFP
  

  39Curacao 🆕

  Curacao have improved enormously over the past 10 years, rising from 150th to 82nd in the world rankings, but their qualification for the finals is nonetheless astonishing. Indeed, it still looked unlikely during their decisive group game against a heavily-fancied Jamaica side, who hit the woodwork three times in last month's clash in Kingston and also had an injury-time penalty overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

  However, despite also being shorn of the services of coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the game for personal reasons, Curacao held firm to claim the point they needed to become the smallest nation – both in terms of size and population – to ever qualify for the World Cup. So, while The Blue Wave is unlikely to make a big impact in North America with a low-profile group of players (Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong will be the most familiar face to Premier League followers), it doesn't really matter. Curacao have already made history.

While the draw on Sunday was less than ideal, this season is shaping up to be a special one for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side have looked imperious in the Champions League, winning all five games, and are far and away the best team in the Premier League.

While the whole squad has played a role in the Gunners’ incredible form, one player who has been one of the most important has undoubtedly been Declan Rice.

In the words of creator Jamie Kent, the Englishman is looking like “the best midfielder in Europe,” and therefore, fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal to someone who could be their new Rice.

Arsenal target their new Rice

The transfer window is now less than a month away, and, as a result, Arsenal are starting to be linked with a host of tremendously exciting players.

Transfer Focus

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

Real Madrid’s incredible £70m Rodrygo, for example, has once again been touted for a move to the Emirates, as has Bayern Munich’s £100m+ Michael Olise.

However, while both of these wingers would help to raise the Gunners’ ceiling, neither could really be described as being Rice-esque, unlike Eduardo Camavinga.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are one of several sides interested in signing the Real Madrid monster.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Liverpool are keen on the French international, who is valued at €80m by the Spanish giants, which is about £70m.

It could therefore be a costly and rather complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Camavinga’s immense ability, Arsenal should be pursuing him, especially as he could be another Rice.

Why Camavinga would be another Rice for Arsenal

So, the first and most obvious similarity between Rice and Camavinga is the fact that they are midfielders who can and have played as a six and an eight in recent years.

Moreover, the pair of them are currently plying their trade at two huge clubs, and while Real Madrid is less important to his team than the Englishman, he’s still racked up 194 appearances for them in which he’s provided 16 goal involvements.

The last clear comparison between them at this point is that they’re both regulars for a top international team as well.

For example, the former Stade Rennes star has now won 28 senior caps for France and featured in the last Euros and World Cup.

Now, it’s all of these reasons that the 23-year-old could become another Rice-type player for the Gunners, in addition to the fact that, when playing, he is a sensational talent and someone who could massively improve the team’s midfield options in a way the former West Ham United captain did when he arrived in 2023.

Don’t just take our word for it, though; Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has described the versatile international as someone with “enormous potential”, and his underlying numbers back that opinion up.

According to FBref, the Cabinda-born “war machine,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and tackles won, the top 4% for blocks, the top 8% for progressive carrying distance and more, all per 90.

Add to that the fact he has helped Los Blancos win two La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and a smattering of other cups, and it’s hard to disagree with the notion he’s one of the best midfielders in Europe.

Ultimately, Camavinga already shares plenty of similarities with Rice, and were Arsenal to sign him, he could have a similar transformational impact on the midfield.

Their next Eze: Berta agrees deal to sign "exciting" new star for Arsenal

The hugely promising teenage talent could one day become Arsenal’s heir to Eberechi Eze.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 2, 2025

Sadaqat picked up two wickets before hitting a 47-ball 79 not out to help defeat India A

Shashank Kishore16-Nov-2025Maaz Sadaqat, 20, has probably never been searched or spoken about as much as he was on Sunday night.Under the glare of a primetime audience in a high-stakes clash against India A, the youngster from Peshawar delivered two decisive punches. His tidy left-arm spin removed Jitesh Sharma and Nehal Wadhera in quick succession, sparking a collapse that saw India A lose 8 for 45 and crumble for 136 all out with an over left.And as if that wasn’t enough, Sadaqat then opened the chase with a sparkling statement of intent, hitting a robust 31-ball half-century in an exhilarating display of batsmanship, guiding Pakistan A to a commanding eight-wicket win with plenty to spare in their second game at the Rising Stars T20 Asia Cup.This was Pakistan A’s second straight win in the competition, which assured them of a semi-final berth.

Suryavanshi fires early salvo

India A were once again propelled by the precocious brilliance of 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the wunderkind who had lit up the tournament with a breathtaking 144 against UAE just two nights ago.On a crumbly surface offering grip and turn, he wasted no time in taking on fast bowler Ubaid Shah, younger brother of Naseem, to give India A the early momentum. His intent helped the team wade through the early loss of Priyansh Arya, who top-edged a pull to mid-on. What stood out was Suryavanshi’s game awareness: he quickly sensed that this pitch wouldn’t suit premeditation, and adjusted accordingly.Vaibhav Suryavanshi did not take much time to tee off•Asian Cricket Council

By holding his shape and trusting his hands, he produced an array of eye-catching strokes: like the crisp inside-out punch over cover, a clean swing over deep midwicket, and a series of razor-sharp pick-ups against spin.His 49-run stand with Naman Dhir ensured India A found a boundary almost every over until the tenth, setting a brisk, early tempo despite the tricky conditions. Suryavanshi even took on left-arm spinner Sufyan Muqeem, before an attempt to launch him over the ropes had him fall for a 28-ball 45.

Sadaqat’s Act-I

After Suryavanshi’s dismissal, India A went 29 balls without finding the boundary. That lull coincided with the introduction of Sadaqat, whose thrifty left-arm spin tightened the screws almost immediately. Using his angles cleverly, he coaxed the ball to drift, grip and occasionally rear up, while subtle changes of pace denied the batters any rhythm.Jitesh, coming off a blistering 32-ball 83 not out against UAE, miscued a lofted attempt to long-off, and Wadhera was stumped after being lured out by one that drifted away late. Between those two blows, Ashutosh Sharma was unfortunate to be given lbw to a delivery that skidded on but appeared to strike him outside the line.Sadaqat finished with figures of 3-1-12-2, setting the stage for right-arm seamer Shahid Aziz to return and wipe out the lower order. From looking set to score 180, India A collapsed to 136 all out.The Irfan Khan-led Pakistan A struck regularly in the second half•Asian Cricket Council

Sadaqat’s Act-II

On a surface where run-making seemed progressively difficult as India A found out, Sadaqat had clean plans: of taking the attack to the bowlers with the new ball inside the powerplay. And on Sunday, nothing was going to stop him.Reprieved second ball when Wadhera put down a tough chance at backward point, Sadaqat took the attack to left-arm seamer Gurjapneet Singh in his first over. Then with spin introduced in the fourth, he laid into leg spinner Suyash Sharma, hitting him for back-to-back boundaries.Jitesh persisted with Gurjapneet for a third straight over inside the powerplay, but Sadaqat snuffed out any fight from India A by clobbering him for 18 – including a flat-bat six over long-on as Pakistan A brought up their 50 inside five overs. This turbocharge meant Pakistan A didn’t lose momentum even with the loss of Mohammad Naeem.As good as Sadaqat was in front of square, there was so much more to his batting. He welcomed the offspin of Dhir by reverse-sweeping him for a six, racing to a half-century off just 31 balls.On 54, he top-edged Suyash, only to be dropped by Suryavanshi at point. Then on 56, he swung one over long-on, only for Wadhera to sensationally intercept the ball and throw it back into the field of play for Dhir to take the relay. However, the third umpire ruled it in favour of Pakistan. Strangely though, he did not rule it a six and it was given as a dot ball instead.Those two chances aside, there were hardly moments on the field where India A had any semblance of control. Sadaqat remained unbeaten on 79 off 47 as Pakistan A cruised home in style.

Squads, purses, players in the fray… eveything you need to know about the first ILT20 auction

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Sep-2025There have been capped Indian cricketers at the UAE’s ILT20 league in the past – like Robin Uthappa, Ambati Rayudu and Yusuf Pathan – but not many and not any as high-profile or as recently retired as R Ashwin. On Wednesday, Ashwin will be in the fray at the ILT20’s inaugural player auction where he has listed the maximum base price of US$120,000. Ashwin, though, isn’t the only talking point ahead of the auction.

Ashwin first – how come, what’s the deal?

He retired from international cricket during the 2024-25 tour of Australia, and then from the IPL in August this year. At the time, he said, “My time as an explorer of the game around various leagues begins today”. He has been doing some of that, and last week became the first capped India cricketer to earn a BBL deal, with Sydney Thunder.Now, Ashwin is in the ILT20 auction, and he has entered it with the highest base price – the only player at the auction with a base price in six figures. At a tournament where teams have names like (Dubai) Capitals, (Abu Dhabi) Knight Riders and MI (Emirates), he should be in demand. Especially because he has committed to the entire ILT20, and will go to the BBL only after it’s over.

Is he the only Indian in the mix at the auction?

No. There were 24 Indians in the longlist, and in the shortlist, there are five.Apart from Ashwin, another prominent capped player who has officially retired quite recently, though he had been out of the frame for a while, is Piyush Chawla. Chawla, with 192 wickets, is still the fourth-highest wicket-taker in IPL history. Ashwin is actually fifth on that list, with 187. And like Ashwin, Chawla should find a team too, especially at a base price of US$40,000.The others are Priyank Panchal, Ankit Rajpoot and Siddarth Kaul, all at a base price of US$10,000.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

I don’t recall ESPNcricinfo talking about the ILT20 auction before. Why now?

Oh, there hasn’t been one in the past. Only drafts in the first three seasons. This time, there will be an IPL-like auction. Therefore, this. What’s also new is that the ILT20 in 2025-26 will happen in the December-January window, unlike the usual January-February window to avoid the crammed period at the start of the year. In fact, in 2026, the men’s T20 World Cup is also expected to start in early February, so it’s more cluttered than usual.

What about auction purse?

The franchises had announced their retentions and direct signings in July. Each team could spend up to US$1.2 million on those, with the balance amount to be added to the auction purse of US$800,000. While a franchise can exhaust its entire US$2 million purse, it will need to spend a minimum of US$1.5 million. The ILT20 rules also permit franchises to spend an additional US$250,000 to buy up to two wildcard players outside the auction.Here’s how much each franchise has left:Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: US$825,000
Desert Vipers: US$802,500
Dubai Capitals: US$10,35,000
Gulf Giants: US$10,35,000
MI Emirates: US$800,000
Sharjah Warriorz: US$800,000

Apart from Ashwin, who are the others at the auction with high base prices?

After Ashwin’s base price, the highest slab is US$80,000, and there are 20 players at that price: Evin Lewis, Tymal Mills, Jason Roy, Karim Janat, Naveen-ul-Haq, Obed McCoy, Taskin Ahmed, Andre Fletcher, Liam Dawson, Mohammad Nabi, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Craig Overton, and seven Pakistan players – Fakhar, Saim Ayub, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nawaz, Naseem Shah, Abdul Samad and Faheem Ashraf.The lower slabs are of US$40,000 and US$10,000, which is the lowest base price.

That should be fun. So there are the usual player retentions and everything else?

Of course. And pre-auction signings. Here’s the full list:Retained players
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alishan Sharafu, Andre Russell, Charith Asalanka, Phil Salt and Sunil Narine
Desert Vipers: Dan Lawrence, David Payne, Khuzaima Bin Tanveer, Lockie Ferguson, Max Holden, Sam Curran and Wanindu Hasaranga
Dubai Capitals: Dasun Shanaka, Dushmantha Chameera, Gulbadin Naib, Rovman Powell and Shai Hope
Gulf Giants: Aayan Afzal Khan, Blessing Muzarabani, Gerhard Erasmus, James Vince and Mark Adair
MI Emirates: AM Ghazanfar, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Kusal Perera, Romario Shepherd, Tom Banton and Muhammad Waseem
Sharjah Warriorz: Johnson Charles, Tim Southee and Tom Kohler-CadmoreNew signings
Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone, Sherfane Rutherford
Desert Vipers: Andries Gous
Dubai Capitals: Luke Wood, Waqar Salamkheil and Muhammad Jawadullah
Gulf Giants: Azmatullah Omarzai, Moeen Ali, Rahmanullah Gurbaz
MI Emirates: Chris Woakes, Kamindu Mendis
Sharjah Warriorz: Maheesh Theekshana, Sikandar Raza, Saurabh Netravalkar, Tim David* On Tuesday, the day before the auction, Dinesh Karthik was picked as Kusal Mendis’ replacement at Sharjah Warriorz.ESPNcricinfo LtdRemember, each franchise needs a minimum of 19 players and a maximum of 21, excluding the two wildcards they are allowed to buy outside the auction. The franchises will also have one right-to-match card but they can use it only to buy back a UAE player. That player must have been part of the franchise’s development squad or the 2025 squad.All that being said, the line-ups as they are could go through some tweaks, because despite the change in the playing dates, there will be a clash with the Lanka Premier League and the Bangladesh Premier League.

Wildcards?!

Yeah, all teams are allowed two wildcards. And all teams bar MI Emirates have signed their wildcards. By the way, a franchise can sign a player as wildcard anytime. Following is the list of players who’ve already been picked as wildcards:Abu Dhabi Knight Riders: Jason Holder and Usman Tariq
Desert Vipers: Shimron Hetmyer
Dubai Capitals: David Willey and Leus de Plooy
Gulf Giants: Kyle Mayers and Matthew Forde
Sharjah Warriorz: Tom Abell and Adil RashidSo Vipers can get one more if they want, and MI Emirates can get their two at a later stage.

But I don’t see any Pakistanis anywhere. What’s up with that?

Well, the first thing you need to do is read this by Osman Samiuddin. And no, there is no official ban on them, in case you were wondering.Also, there are 16 players from Pakistan, including many from the squad at the Asia Cup recently, who are in the auction shortlist: apart from Fakhar, Ayub, Mohammad Haris, Imad, Naseem, Samad and Faheem mentioned above, there are Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Mohammad Wasim, Mohammad Hasnain, Salman Irshad, Sufiyan Muqeem, Usama Mir and Zaman Khan. You’d expect many of them to be in demand, unless there are non-cricketing factors at play.

And how will the auction play out? When do the big names come up for bidding?

The shortlist has 196 players who will fill the remaining slots. A minimum of 11 players will have to be bought by each team, so that’s at least 66 players who will find new teams on Wednesday. It will start with the players in Set 1, 2 and 3, who are all local UAE players, including familiar names like Rohan Mustafa, Ethan D’Souza, Vriitya Aravind and Junaid Siddique, among others.This will be followed by nine sets of players from Full-Member countries, and this includes the big stars: Ashwin, of course, as well as all the players in the US$80,000 base price category, and some even in the US$40,000 and US$10,000 slabs.Next come three sets of players from the Associate countries, numbering 23. Some familiar names are there too, like Namibia’s David Wiese, Netherlands’ Roelof van der Merwe, USA’s Aaron Jones and Unmukt Chand, and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee.After that are the uncapped players from UAE, and players from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and finally the accelerated round, which is by no means a selection of unfamiliar names. You will find the likes of Ravi Bopara, Lorcan Tucker, Benny Howell, Curtis Campher, Blair Tickner, Gudakesh Motie, Keacy Carty, Bas de Leede and many others there.

That’s a lot to look forward to. What else? When does it start, what are the other details to make a note of?

The tournament starts on December 2 this year, and runs till January 4, 2026. So far, it has been an all-teams-play-each-other-twice in the first round, followed by four playoffs, totalling 34 games, and there’s no indication that will change.