One of Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle players has opened up on the "surreal" experience of working with the former Manchester United star.
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Glasgow Rangers enter the international break with the chance for a much-needed rest.
The Ibrox side have been ravaged by injuries of late and with the prospect of nearly two weeks without a fixture, it gives Philippe Clement the opportunity to nurse some players back to full health.
Being knocked out of the Europa League may be a blessing in disguise as the Gers chase Premiership and Scottish Cup glory in the coming weeks.
Led by James Tavernier, the Gers are hitting form at precisely the right time, with the captain front and centre of the recent rejuvenation under Clement.
Last season, under Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Tavernier scored 18 goals and registered ten assists, although the club failed to secure any silverware.
Three goals in the Champions League qualifiers was not enough to see Rangers secure a place in the group stage after a defeat to PSV Eindhoven. Tavernier was uncharacteristically barren in front of goal domestically under Beale during the embryonic stages of the season, scoring just once.
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James Tavernier's statistics at Rangers |
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|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2023/24 |
47 |
21 |
10 |
|
2022/23 |
55 |
18 |
10 |
|
2021/22 |
58 |
18 |
17 |
|
2020/21 |
46 |
19 |
16 |
|
2019/20 |
46 |
3 |
16 |
|
2018/19 |
57 |
17 |
20 |
|
2017/18 |
46 |
9 |
9 |
|
2016/17 |
44 |
2 |
7 |
|
2015/16 |
50 |
15 |
23 |
|
Via Transfermarkt |
|||
Following his dismissal and Clement’s appointment, the captain has been on a different level to anyone else in the squad. Not only has he found the back of the net on 15 occasions under the Belgian in just 32 games, but the defender has also chipped in with eight assists.
These goals have seen the 32-year-old take his tally to an impressive 122 since signing for the club in 2015. Add in the fact he has also grabbed 127 assists, and it is fair to say the Gers may never see his like again.
Tarvernier's contract expires in 2026, when he will be closing in on turning 35, and it is clear he does not have much longer at the very top, suggesting Clement may need to start searching for a successor sooner rather than later.
Could he potentially have someone right under his nose? As Adam Devine is enjoying a promising loan spell at Motherwell.
Having made just one appearance for the Light Blues during the opening six months of the season, Clement allowed the youngster to join fellow Premiership side Motherwell on a loan deal until the end of the campaign in order for him to gain some game time.
“Adam is a promising, young talent,” said Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell upon his arrival.
“I hope he brings energy and enthusiasm. This is a chance for him to prove himself at this level and I look forward to working with him.”
So far, Devine has played six league ties for the Steelmen, scoring once, averaging 0.5 key passes per game, succeeding with 100% of his dribbles and winning 63% of his ground duels for the club, indicating how well he has settled in.
This temporary spell could be just what he needs to build up some confidence ahead of 2024/25 as he will be aiming to secure more opportunities at the Light Blues and fully realise his true potential.
The right-back was hailed as “highly rated” by then Partick Thistle manager Ian McCall after he joined for a brief loan spell in 2021, but a year later, he made his debut for the Ibrox side.
Van Bronckhorst gave him his first start in the final league game of the 2021/22 season as he was resting players ahead of the Europa League final days later and Devine was solid.
He succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts, made six clearances, made two tackles and took 79 touches during the game as he looked to get involved at every possible opportunity.
An injury crisis at left-back during the festive period the following season saw Devine start three consecutive matches, performing above board in place of Borna Barisic.
During his six league appearances that term, the 20-year-old provided a clear attacking threat, creating two big chances, averaging one key pass per game and once again succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts as he looked to support the team when they were attacking.
His flexibility in being able to play either on the left or right side of the defence is a big bonus for Clement, and in the coming years, he could be perfect for Ross McCausland on the right wing.
The Northern Irishman has enjoyed a fabulous breakthrough campaign at Ibrox during 2023/24, taking his opportunity following injuries to key players.
From making his first appearance of the season against Aris Limassol in October to the time of writing, the 20-year-old has made 30 appearances for the Light Blues, scoring twice and registering three assists.
While he is an excellent talent, placing too much pressure on his young shoulders could have a detrimental effect, as just one bad performance for Rangers can see certain sections of the fanbase jump to criticise him.
Devine at right-back and McCausland on the right wing is a duo which could be formed over the coming years if both live up to their vast talents.
There is no doubt Clement is all for developing youth talent, with McCausland and Cole McKinnon obvious recent examples, and if the player is good enough, then he should be given at least a chance to showcase his worth in the first team.
Establishing a player trading model will be key for success in the transfer market over the next few years, as the club simply cannot afford to keep splashing out fees on players who are not at the required standard.
This could see several players from the academy make a step up to the first team and fill in gaps in the squad that otherwise may have gone to journeymen or seasoned professionals.
Devine’s loan spell at Motherwell is going well so far and without putting too much pressure on the Scot, if he continues to shine, his confidence levels will be on a high heading into pre-season prior to 2024//25.
Leny Yoro will wear the same shirt number as a Manchester United icon as the French defender embarks on his Red Devils career.
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BCCI president also said he was waiting to have a word with MS Dhoni on his future
Nagraj Gollapudi23-Oct-20197:18
Will support Kohli in every way possible: Ganguly
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has assured the Indian team management led by captain Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri that his board will make “life easy” and not “difficult” for them but pointed out that performance would be the ultimate yardstick. Ganguly also said he was waiting to have a word with MS Dhoni on his future, pointing out “champions don’t finish quickly.”The 47-year old former India captain was speaking after his formal election as BCCI president, marking the end of the 33-month tenure of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA). Others elected today were Jay Shah (secretary), Arun Singh Dhumal (treasurer), Jayesh George (joint secretary) and Mahim Verma (vice-president).ALSO READ – Meet the new BCCI officialsGanguly was all praise for Kohli who he said had taken Indian cricket to a “different level” since he took over as captain in 2015. India are currently the No. 1 Test team and are perched comfortably atop the World Test Championship table. In ODIs, they are behind England and in T20Is they are ranked fourth.In light of that success, Kohli and Shastri became two of the most powerful people in Indian cricket. Ganguly is scheduled to meet them on Thursday at the BCCI office where the teams to play the home series against Bangladesh would be picked.
Champions don’t finish very quickly. I don’t know what’s in his mind, what he thinks about his career. When you sit down and make note of what he has done, you still say wowGanguly on Dhoni
“I really don’t know what had transpired with the CoA [the previous regime] and Virat and Ravi,” Ganguly said in his first media briefing as BCCI president in Mumbai. “But the new body has taken over, the new office bearers have taken over, it will be a proper discussion and everything would be mutually discussed. But be rest assured that we are here to make their life easier, not make their life difficult. And everything will be on the basis of performance. Performance is the most important thing and that’s what will decide the future of Indian cricket.”Ganguly made it clear that Kohli was the “most important” person in Indian cricket at the moment. “We will be there to support him. We will there to listen to him because I have been a captain myself and I understand from that position and we will deal with it. It is a mutual respect which will be there, so discussions will be there and we will do what is best for the game.”MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly share a light moment•AFPOn Tuesday, after India’s 3-0 Test series win over South Africa, Kohli felt Test cricket should be hosted by a maximum of five key venues, a system which is followed in England and Australia. Kohli said it helped bring in better crowds and add to the Test-match culture in those countries and it might be something for the BCCI to look into.The issue had come up in light of poor crowds in two of the three Tests (Pune and Ranchi) and there had already been a precedent – Dhoni had made a similar suggestion in 2010. Ganguly was open to a discussion around it, saying “in terms of the Test venues, we have a lot of space, lot of venues. So we will have to sit with him [Kohli] and see what he wants and take it forward.”With a selection meeting scheduled for Thursday, the question on Dhoni’s future came up once again. The 38-year old hasn’t played for India since the end of the World Cup in July and it doesn’t seem likely that he will be back to play the series against Bangladesh. “It is unlikely Dhoni would be picked for the Bangladesh series which comprises three T20Is and two Tests considering he has not played any cricket after the World Cup.”When asked if he had reached out to Dhoni, Ganguly said, “I have not spoken to him yet. Hopefully we will meet soon and have a word with one of the greats in Indian cricket.”Ganguly was not shy about recalling instances from his own career – which began in 1992 and ended in 2008 -when asked about how long Dhoni could continue playing for India.”It depends on him,” Ganguly said. “I’ve always said that even when I was left out [in 2005] and when the entire world said he’ll never make it I believed in myself and came back [in 2007] and played for four years [domestic cricket included]. You know champions don’t finish very quickly. I don’t know what’s on his mind, what he thinks about his career. So we will deal with that. He is one of the greats of the game. India is very proud to have MS Dhoni. When you sit down and make note of what he has done, you still say “wow”.”Ganguly also brushed aside the question of whether India needed to look at the split captaincy. “It is the job of the selectors (to decide that),” he said before adding, “India is winning, so the question is not necessary at the moment. India is the best team in the world right now so that question is not necessary right now.”
Arsenal could now have a fresh opportunity to sign Mykhailo Mudryk after eventually missing out on the forward to Chelsea in 2023.
Arsenal's serious chase for Muydrk explained
The north Londoners were in hot pursuit of Mudryk in January last year, with reliable news outlets like The Guardian even claiming Mudryk wanted to join and were in serious transfer talks.
Arsenal make out-of-window bid to sign World Cup ace ahead of Barcelona
Xavi’s side face competition from the Gunners.
ByEmilio Galantini Feb 28, 2024
Negotiations with Shakhtar Donetsk were both lengthy and complicated, with London rivals Chelsea also chasing a multi-million-pound deal for the 23-year-old. While Arsenal had been in discussions for a while, their west capital rivals eventually beat them to Mudryk's signing by "offering a package with the type of appealing and achievable bonus payments that Shakhtar were demanding" (Charles Watts).
"Before Chelsea arrived in Turkey, we almost agreed with Arsenal that there was no chance to close (the deal)," said Shakhtar executive Sergei Palkin to The Athletic at the time.
"When they proposed the final offer of €70million plus €30million (in add-ons), we sat down and started to talk internally about how it will be fulfilled in terms of the payments, the fixed part and the bonus issues. We realised we will not close this deal (with Arsenal). I said to Edu that I did my best but it was not possible.
Chelsea 2-1 Crystal Palace
7.43
Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal
7.39
Everton 2-0 Chelsea
7.10
Fulham 0-2 Chelsea
7.00
Chelsea 3-2 Brighton
6.96
"When Chelsea arrived, they just called and said, ‘OK, we know you negotiated with Arsenal, we know you are close with some kind of figures. We want to meet’. I said, ‘OK, let’s meet’. I told Muydrk, ‘If I do not sell you in winter, we will definitely sell you in the summer’. I said, ‘Maybe you will cost even more in summertime’. We were ready to accept different scenarios. We would not be rushed."
Eventually, after hijacking Arsenal's deal for Mudryk, the Blues confirmed his signing for a Ukrainian-record £88.5 million.
However, fast-forward to now, and his stay at Stamford Bridge hasn't exactly been the stuff of legend just yet. This season, he's bagged three goals and two assists with the vast majority of his appearances coming off the bench. A far cry from how he burst on to the scene at Shakhtar, there are even reports that Chelsea could consider selling Mudryk already.
Arsenal emerging as main candidates for Mudryk
In a fresh twist, it appears as if Mikel Arteta could give the £100,000-per-week forward another chance to make an Emirates Stadium move.
Indeed, as per reports out of Spain, Chelsea's stance is they're contemplating a definitive sale or to loan the player out so he can rediscover his best form. In a surprise update, Arsenal are named as one of the "emerging" main candidates to sign Mudryk this summer.
It is unclear now as to where he would fit into the side, but the player's form at Shakhtar could be a clear indicator that Arsenal would land a pretty exciting player who could thrive under the right development.
أسفرت قرعة دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية، التي أقيمت اليوم الإثنين، عن تواجد الزمالك في المجموعة الرابعة للمسابقة.
وأقيمت اليوم فعاليات مراسم قرعة دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس الكونفدرالية، في العاصمة الإدارية الجديدة بالقاهرة.
وكان الزمالك صاحب التتويج بلقب النسخة الماضية قد تأهل إلى دور المجموعات بعدما فاز على الشرطة الكيني 3-1 في مجموع المباراتين بدور الـ32.
طالع أيضاً.. مباشر | قرعة كأس الكونفدرالية 2024-2025
وكان الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف” أعلن تصنيف الزمالك، حيث جاء في المستوي الأول والمصري جاء في التصنيف الثاني.
وشهدت تلك المجموعة (المجموعة الرابعة)، صدام قوي ومواجهات نارية، حيث جاء الزمالك والمصري في مجموعة واحدة. مجموعة الزمالك في كأس الكونفدرالية
1- الزمالك (مصر).
2- المصري البورسعيدي (مصر).
3- بلاك بولز (موزمبيق).
4 – إنيمبا (نيجيريا)،
Arsenal put in their arguably best performance of the Premier League season on Sunday afternoon as they comprehensively beat Liverpool at the Emirates.
Mikel Arteta's side was the better team to a man, and Jürgen Klopp's men looked utterly bewildered for much of the 90 minutes.
One of the goalscorers for the Gunners was Bukayo Saka, and while he might not be as aesthetically pleasing as last season, he has been just as effective.
So far, the 22-year-old superstar has scored 11 goals and provided 12 assists in 30 appearances for the north Londoners this year, and Hale End might already have the next Saka on their hands.
Bukayo Saka's Arsenal record
Saka joined the Arsenal set-up at just eight years old and has been with the club ever since, working his way up through the junior sides before finally making his way into the first team.
This journey from relative obscurity to international stardom with the Gunners is undeniably a part of what makes him so beloved by the Arsenal faithful. Still, he has the ability and impressive record to back it up.
Before establishing himself as a first-team player, the Ealing-born gem played 53 games for the U18 and U23 sides, where he scored 22 goals and provided 17 assists, meaning he averaged 0.73 goal involvements per game.
Arsenal
Arsenal U23
Arsenal U18
209
25
28
49
6
16
53
10
7
0.48
0.64
0.82
He made his debut for the senior side in November 2018 in a Europa League Group Stage game against Ukrainian side Vorskla Poltava before making his first Premier League start for the club against Aston Villa in September 2019.
Since then, Arsenal's 'Little Chili' has made 209 appearances for the club, scored 49 goals and provided 53 assists, meaning he has averaged 0.48 goal involvements per match across his entire senior career.
The stats are genuinely remarkable, and with the emergence of another Hale End prodigy, Amario Cozier-Duberry, Arteta might have a second Saka on his hands.
The numbers that prove fans should be excited about Amario Cozier-Duberry
Now, comparing a youngster to a senior player as impressive and beloved as Saka could certainly be seen as setting said youngster up for failure.
However, with how impressive Cozier-Duberry has been for the Gunners' youth teams and how those in the know talk about him, it feels as if he is genuinely going to make it into the senior side soon.
For example, when speaking to The Athletic last season, Jack Wilshere, Arsenal's U18 coach, said: "He reminds me of Bukayo Saka. In some moments, he's unplayable. You give him the ball and he can make things happen. You can set up a team and have a game plan, but when you've got individuals like that you've got a chance."
This sense that he is special extends outside the club bubble as well, with talent scout Jacek Kulig describing the 18-year-old as "Hale End's finest" halfway through last season, and when looking at his numbers from the academy, it's not hard to see why people feel so strongly about his ability.
Arsenal can forget about Benzema by promoting "sensational" Hale End gem
The 16-year-old has already broken a Premier League record.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 6, 2024
In 72 games for the U21s, U18s and UEFA Youth League squads, the exciting "talent", as U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed him, has scored 24 goals and provided 15 assists, meaning that he has been averaging a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or more than once every other game.
Arsenal U21
Arsenal U18
Arsenal YL
37
31
4
12
10
2
7
8
0
0.51
0.58
0.50
Ultimately, hitting the bar set by Saka at Arsenal is a herculean task, of that there is no doubt, but if any of the Gunners' recent crop of youngsters stand a good chance of doing so, it's Cozier Duberry.
Both have been handed the Order of Australia, Thomas for services to cricket and to the Indigenous community and Whitney for services to cricket and the broadcast media
ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-2019
Faith Thomas•Getty Images and Cricket Australia
Faith Thomas , the former fast bowler who was the first Indigenous Australian to represent the county in any sport, and former left-arm quick Mike Whitney have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday list.Both have been handed the Order of Australia, Thomas for services to cricket and to the Indigenous community and Whitney for services to cricket and the broadcast media.Thomas (nee Coulthard) played one Test for Australia, against England, in 1958 and played for South Australia from 1956 to 1958. She was renowned for a rapid yorker.”I used to like bowling yorkers,” she told the in 2016. “The first place I played [representative cricket] was at the Gabba and it was the English captain Mary Duggan facing. I put the stump over the wicketkeeper’s head!”Away from cricket she worked as a nurse and midwife across South Australia.Whitney, who played 12 Tests and 38 ODIs from 1981 to 1993, moved from playing into a successful career in entertainment television.His Test debut came in the 1981 Ashes Test at Old Trafford during another match made famous by Ian Botham’s heroics. The standout bowling performance of his career was an 11-wicket match haul against India at Perth in 1991-92 although, due to holding a first-class batting average of just 5.60, he is almost as frequently recalled for saving a Test against New Zealand with the bat in 1987 in a final-wicket stand with Craig McDermott.
A four-game winless run in all competitions has plunged title hopefuls Arsenal into something of a mini-crisis in recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta's side slipping out of contention at the top of the table despite having led the way on Christmas Day.
One notable factor in this recent surprise blip has been the Gunners' woes in front of goal, with the most recent defeat to rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup seeing them miss five 'big chances' – as per Sofascore – before being made to pay for that profligacy late on.
While there is deserved scrutiny on the likes of Gabriel Martinelli – who has just two Premier League goals this season – as well as Bukayo Saka on the opposite flank, with the Englishman scoring only once in his last six top-flight outings, the major talking point has been the woes through the middle.
In Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah – who have netted only eight league goals between them in 2023/24 – the north Londoners simply do not have a reliable number nine, hence the desire to sign a suitable upgrade either this month or in the summer.
Arsenal's hunt for a striker
With just under two weeks left in the January window, it remains to be seen if a new addition will be brought into the Emirates to help revive the club's title charge, with any top target likely to come at a premium this month.
That is the case for Napoli's Victor Osimhen, for instance, who is reportedly set to command a fee of around £120m, while Brentford's returning talisman Ivan Toney is said to have a price tag of £100m – despite not kicking a ball competitively this term.
No Martinelli or Havertz in Arsenal's dream lineup after Jan if Toney signs
The Gunners are seemingly in desperate need of a fresh face to lead the line.
ByRobbie Walls Jan 13, 2024
In truth, it is the latter man who is the name on everybody's lips at present, having scored 32 league goals across the last two seasons, with the 27-year-old seemingly of interest with just 18 months left to run on his existing deal.
Whether the Gunners are able to get their man before the close of the window, or whether they are forced to wait until the end of the season, the Englishman certainly seems like a perfect fit for Arteta's side.
Ray Parlour thinks Toney is the "closest player" to Ian Wright
Arsenal have been blessed with a plethora of great strikers over the years, from Thierry Henry to Dennis Bergkamp to Robin van Persie, although Toney could perhaps follow in the footsteps of a certain Ian Wright.
That is the view of Gunners' cult hero, Ray Parlour, at least, with the Romford Pele talking to Football FanCast on behalf of NetBet Betting regarding his former club's interest in Toney.
3
1
0
5
0
1
3
0
1
5
1
2
2
2
0
3
1
0
Asked about whether there is a player from his era who Toney shares a likeness with, Parlour replied:
"Great question; He is not like him yet, but if Toney continues to score goals, then the closest player in my era would be Ian Wright."
The three-time Premier League champion went on to add: "Wright just loved to score goals, was a fox in the fox a real goal poacher and Toney has a good scoring record and knows where the goal is.
"Toney doesn’t do too much outside the box, but inside, he is clinical, so Wright would be the closest."
That is some billing indeed, although the hope would be that Toney can emulate the success of 'Wrighty' in an Arsenal shirt, with the latter man also something of a late bloomer, having joined the Gunners at the age of 28 in 1991, before going on to score 185 goals in 288 games in all competitions.
If a deal is to be completed for the Bees star, he certainly has a lot to live up to.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was awarded a category A contract, the second-most lucrative, while Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar were moved down from category A+ to A
Nagraj Gollapudi07-Mar-2019
Rishabh Pant soaks in the applause of the SCG crowd after bringing up his 2nd Test century•Getty Images
Rishabh Pant’s exploits in international cricket since his Test debut in England last year have given him a lucrative entrance into BCCI’s annual retainers’ list. Pant, who was not part of the 26-man list in 2017-18, has been placed in Category A for the 2018-19 season, which carries a retainer worth INR 5 crore.The contracts, which run from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2019, were approved by the Committee of Administrators, the supervisory authority of BCCI, on Thursday in Delhi.The list of contracts
Grade A+ (INR 7cr): Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah
Grade A (INR 5cr): R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Shikhar Dhawan, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Kuldeep Yadav, Rishabh Pant
Grade B (INR 3cr): KL Rahul, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya
Grade C (INR 1cr): Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Ambati Rayudu, Manish Pandey, Hanuma Vihari, Khaleel Ahmed, Wriddhiman Saha
IN: Rishabh Pant, Ambati Rayudu, Hanuma Vihari, Khaleel Ahmed
OUT: Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel, Jayant Yadav, Axar Patel, Karun Nair, M Vijay
Grade A is the second-most lucrative retainer, one rung below the A+ grade, which was introduced last year for players that feature in all three formats. The A+ category, worth INR 7 crore, had five players in the previous contract period, but that count has been brought down to three with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan being dropped to the A category. The three players to retain their spots in the A+ category are captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.The A bracket has 11 players compared to seven last year. Three players have also been promoted from B to A: fast bowling pair of Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, along with wristspinner Kuldeep Yadav.MS Dhoni, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have all retained their spots in the A category. Wriddhiman Saha, who missed out most of 2018 due to injuries and only started playing few weeks back, has been moved from A to C. There were some new entrants too in the C grade – Ambati Rayudu, Hanuma Vihari and Khaleel Ahmed – as Axar Patel, Karun Nair, Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel and Jayant Yadav were dropped.Opener M Vijay, who was in the A category last year, has been dropped from the list completely. The overall count of players contracted has also come down from 26 to 25 this year.Like last year, the final list was prepared by the five-man national selection panel led by MSK Prasad. The selectors have opted to reward players that have taken significant strides in the last year and have been the key performers consistently.One of those players has been Pant. The 21-year-old has been one of the most improved players on the Indian circuit across formats and is currently auditioning for India’s World Cup squad. Picked in place of Saha, who was injured through 2018, Pant cracked a century in his third Test on a debut tour of England. More recently, Pant made 159 against Australia during the New Year’s Test in Sydney, having taken 11 catches in the series opener in Adelaide, the most by an Indian wicketkeeper in Tests.ESPNcricinfo understands Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar were not retained in the A+ category because they did not consistently feature in all three formats last season. Dhawan struggled for form in the Test format on the tours of South Africa and England and was eventually dropped for the Australia tour, with the selectors picking Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal. Bhuvneshwar was injured at the start of the season, and although he was included in the Test squad for Australia, he did not play in the four-match series that India won 2-1.Two key players, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, who were briefly suspended by the CoA for their alleged misconduct on a TV chat show, will continue to be part of Category B (INR 3 crore). On Thursday, the CoA had asked Justice DK Jain, newly-appointed BCCI ombudsman, to probe Pandya and Rahul’s alleged misconduct. As per the BCCI constitution, the ombudsman is the final authority to adjudicate on such issues.Pandya is not part of the ongoing ODI series against Australia due to a back injury, but his stocks have gradually increased over the last 18 months with the management backing him to play in all three formats as the primary allrounder.Among the players that missed the cut were Shaw, Agarwal and Vijay Shankar. Shaw made his India debut with an effervescent Test century against West Indies last year and was part of the Test squad for the Australia tour, but was forced to return home due to a freak injury while fielding during the warm-up match. Agarwal, too, has made a strong start to his international career, while Vijay, who helped India clinch a thrilling last-over victory with the ball in the Nagpur ODI against Australia earlier this week, has given healthy headaches to the selection panel, which has put him in the pool of 18-odd players shortlisted for the World Cup.Women’s retainers: Poonam Yadav gets Category A contractLegspinner Poonam Yadav has been rewarded with a Category A contract, worth a retainer of INR 50 lakh, following her standout performances in 2018. Poonam was the highest wicket-taker in T20Is in 2018, and the joint-highest wicket-taker in ODIs. She joins Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Smriti Mandhana in the category, while the experienced Jhulan Goswami has been moved from A down to B (INR 30 lakh) for the 2018-19 season.The list of contracts
Grade A (INR 50 lakh): Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana
Grade B (INR 30 lakh): Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Shikha Pandey, Deepti Sharma, Jemimah Rogdrigues
Grade C (INR 10 lakh): Radha Yadav, D Hemalatha, Anuja Patil, Veda Krishnamurthy, Mansi Joshi, Punam Raut, Mona Meshram, Arundhati Reddy, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Taniya Bhatia, Pooja Vastrakar
The other notable movement up in BCCI’s annual player retainership for women is that of Jemimah Rodrigues, who broke into the national team in 2018. She has moved up from C (INR 10 lakh) into B. She joins Ekta Bisht, Shikha Pandey and Deepti Sharma, who have retained their places in the category.Middle-order batsman Veda Krishnamurthy, who finished 2018 with ten consecutive single-digit scores across formats, has been pushed down to C, along with left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad.