Even before the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match in Atlanta was 10 minutes old, England suffered a rude jolt as Brian Cipenga scored in the seventh minute. But it was not Cipenga that England were most worried about. Their tormentor-in-chief was goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi. The 31-year-old made at least three saves to deny England. He saved two headers from Jude Bellingham, another shot from the same player, and denied Harry Kane in the final minute of the first half. Lionel Mpasi plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Le Havre. He was born in Meaux, France. He played for France at the U16, U17 and U18 levels. He then decided to represent his parents' home country. He made his debut for the DR Congo national team in a 1-0 friendly defeat to Bahrain on 1 February 2022. He was crucial for DR Congo during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Talking about the match, Brian Cipenga gave Congo a surprising 1-0 lead over England at half-time of their World Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesda...
Suryakumar Yadav's future as India's T20 captain could primarily be decided by head coach Gautam Gambhir, as the national selection committee is not entirely convinced that he can make it to the team purely as a batter, according to a senior BCCI source. Suryakumar, who was given the moniker SKY by Gambhir, has been struggling for form for a year now.Within the BCCI, it is understood that the selection panel is in favour of moving on from him, but the Board hierarchy also recognises that the coach-captain equation is integral to the dressing-room environment. And Gambhir's stated comfort with Suryakumar will make him a key figure in the final call.
For close to a year now, Suryakumar's place in the side has remained under scrutiny. At the moment, it is understood that all five selectors largely believe that the current T20 captain should be dropped from the XI.
The view has been gaining ground ever since the emotional dust of the T20 World Cup triumph settled. The selectors, it is learnt, began seeing the future of Indian cricket through a wider lens instead of focusing on the glow of a single tournament.
"Initially, the selectors thought that the IPL would help Suryakumar regain form like the last edition when he crossed 700 runs. But strangely, there hasn't been any technical course correction in his game.
"Even the rookiest of pacers are just bowling straight hard lengths, and he has no answer. Selectors don't see him playing the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. It is as simple as that," a senior BCCI source told PTI.
The numbers do make for grim reading.
Suryakumar managed only 210 runs from 12 innings at a strike rate of 148 but, more alarmingly, averaged below 18 -- statistics that have sharply contrasted with the aura surrounding one of modern T20 cricket's most inventive batters.
"If someone can't earn his place as a batter, how can he be a leader? Hence, it is difficult to retain him, but Ajit (Agarkar) and Gautam need to be on the same page," the source said.
And therein lies the intrigue.
Gambhir is not known to operate as a ceremonial head coach.
Those familiar with his working style insist that in any set-up he oversees, the final word often rests with him. More importantly, his relationship with Suryakumar has remained exceptionally warm.
This means that if Gambhir chooses to back Suryakumar and veto the move to sack him, the selection committee may be forced to postpone the inevitable.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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