'Pelé tinha ideias fantásticas em campo', recorda zagueiro do Uruguai na Copa de 1970

MatériaMais Notícias

A maneira comoPelé inspirou gerações é nítida até ao falar com jogadores que tentaram pará-lo. Zagueiro que marcou época no Grêmio e também defendeu o Uruguai na semifinal da Copa do Mundo de 1970, contra a Seleção Brasileira, Ancheta opinou ao LANCE! sobre o que o “Rei do Futebol”, morto na quinta-feira (29), aos 82 anos, deixa como lembrança.

+ Títulos, gols, cinema, música e mais: Pelé em vida e obra

– O respeito pelo esporte, mas principalmente o respeito pela torcida, pelo público. Foi um jogador que sempre se empenhou ao máximo em campo. Sempre tivemos muito respeito um pelo outro e ele respeitou o próprio esporte que gostou de fazer – disse.

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Ancheta recordou alguns momentos nos quais viu Pelé como adversário atuando pelo Santos.

– Desde o período no qual defendi o Nacional (URU), nos enfrentamos e tivemos um respeito mútuo. Sinceramente, por mais que tenhamos na história um Zico, Maradona, Eusébio e, mais recentemente, em Messi, não haverá um jogador igual a Pelé. Ele era um jogador que conduzia a bola e tinha pensamento rápido ao mesmo tempo. Foi sempre um jogador dificílimo de marcar – constatou.

+Filha de Pelé revela bastidores do Rei do Futebol na Copa do Mundo

O ex-zagueiro detalhou como se preparou para tentar conter Pelé quando o Uruguai enfrentou o Brasil na semifinal da Copa do Mundo de 1970.

– Eu recebia muitos conselhos do Emilio Alvarez (zagueiro do Uruguai nas Copa de 1962 e 1966), que havia enfrentado o Pelé em diversas competições. E o Emilio alertava sempre: “Pelé adora jogar futebol, não adianta apelar para a força”. Você precisava jogar futebol contra ele porque Pelé era muito técnico, gostava de ser mais rápido que o marcador. Tive oportunidade de jogar também contra Eusébio (Ancheta enfrentou o atacante de Portugal em um torneio na Argentina), mas Pelé foi inegavelmente superior – afirmou o uruguaio, que após pendurar as chuteiras foi técnico e hoje é cantor.

Ancheta esteve em um dos mais marcantes gols “que Pelé não fez”. Após o “Rei do Futebol” receber um lançamento, passou por Mazurkiewicz com um fenomenal drible da vaca e concluiu. O chute, porém, acabou indo para fora.

– O Tostão lançou a bola e o Pelé teve aquela ideia fantástica de dar o drible de corpo noMazurkiewicz. Só que nesse momento eu tinha corrido para a pequena área, tinha tentar evitar que ele chutasse. Fui o mais rápido que pude. Quando ele viu, quis dar um chute que não desviasse em mim. Na hora que a bola dele veio, quis me atirar. Só a senti passando pertinho do meu calcanhar. Acho que ele não esperava que tivesse alguém no gol. Foi um momento muito importante da nossa história – recordou

A Seleção Brasileira venceu o jogo por 3 a 1 e, pouco depois, conquistou o tricampeonato mundial. Mas esta, que é uma das mais plásticas jogadas feitas por Pelé, ajudou a render momentos de descontração entre o “Rei” e Ancheta.

– Foi importante para selarmos ainda mais a amizade. Logo depois aceitei a proposta de jogar no Grêmio e nos enfrentamos várias vezes. Quando nos enfrentávamos, ele sempre brincava “me estragaste o gol, me estragaste o gol!”. Sempre que nos encontramos ele lembrava de dizer isso, era muito engraçado – e acrescentou:

– Sempre que dou palestras para atletas no Grêmio, falo sobre isso. Acima de tudo, eles têm de ter respeito pelo adversário, jogar de maneira leal – complementou o uruguaio, que foi eleito um dos melhores defensores do Mundial de 1970.

Ancheta é categórico ao definir o “Rei do Futebol”.

– Pelé era um jogador com ideias fantásticas, que davam um “tchan” ao futebol. Hoje é um jogo com muitos toques, muito combate… É muito difícil ter alguém igual a ele surgindo – garantiu.

Luis Diaz is ahead of the pack! Vincent Kompany says ex-Liverpool star 'the most advanced of all' Bayern Munich stars heading into new season

Vincent Kompany has hailed Luis Diaz as Bayern Munich’s most advanced player both physically and mentally as preparations for next season intensify.

Kompany calls Diaz 'most advanced' Bayern starPlayed 76 mins in 4-0 win over TottenhamJoined the Bavarians from Liverpool for €75mFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Diaz impressed Kompany with his fitness and focus, playing 76 minutes in Bayern Munich’s 4-0 friendly win over Tottenham. Only Diaz and Manuel Neuer avoided the mass substitutions in the 66th minute, showing the Colombian winger’s readiness. The former Liverpool star consistently pressed high, reflecting his sharpness after joining the squad later in pre-season.

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The Bundesliga side signed Diaz from Liverpool for €75 million (£66m/$88m) after weeks of talks, securing their preferred left winger until 2029. His preseason advantage comes from Liverpool’s earlier start to preparations, as the Reds did not take part in the Club World Cup. This allowed Diaz to be three weeks ahead in training compared to his new team-mates, many of whom had shorter breaks.

GettyWHAT VINCENT KOMPANY SAID

Praising the Colombian's preparation and professionalism ahead of the new season, Kompany said: "He's the most advanced of all physically and mentally. He had a very good preseason with Liverpool. He was already training three weeks ahead of us."

Speaking about Bayern’s current squad depth and injury situation, Kompany highlighted the importance of fitness, saying: "I've always said: We have so much talent, the most important thing is that the boys are fit. At the moment we're missing Jamal Musiala, Alphonso Davies, [Hiroki] Ito and now – hopefully not for long – [Aleksandar] Pavlovic. We can also make many steps when the boys come back."

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The Bavarians face Grasshoppers Zurich in a friendly on Tuesday before meeting Stuttgart in the DFL-Supercup final next Saturday. Diaz is already considered an option for a full 90 minutes, giving Kompany a major boost ahead of the competitive season.

لاعب ريال مدريد يقرر الرحيل ويحسم وجهته الجديدة

كشفت تقارير إعلامية اليوم الأربعاء، أن أحد لاعبي ريال مدريد الإسباني قرر الرحيل وحسم وجهته الجديدة قبل غلق نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية.

ويرغب سيبايوس في الرحيل عن ريال مدريد من أجل اللعب بشكل منتظم، وحجز مكان له في تشكيلة منتخب إسبانيا التي ستخوض منافسات كأس العالم العام المقبل في كندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك.

سيبايوس قدم طلبًا لإدارة ريال مدريد بالرحيل عن الفريق خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الجاري، وألمح عبر “إنستجرام” أن مواجهة ريال أوفييدو قد تكون الأخيرة له مع الميرنجي.

تابع.. “ماركا” تكشف تطورات انتقال سيبايوس إلى أولمبيك مارسيليا

وأكد الصحفي الموثوق فابريس هوكينز، أن سيبايوس سوف ينتقل بالفعل إلى صفوف نادي أوليمبيك مارسيليا قبل غلق سوق الانتقالات الصيفية الأسبوع المقبل.

وأشار هوكينز عبر حسابه الرسمي في “تويتر”، أن مارسيليا قد نجح في التوصل لاتفاق نهائي مع ريال مدريد من أجل التعاقد مع سيبايوس خلال الأيام المقبلة.

وسوف يكون عقد سيبايوس مع مارسيليا بحسب التكهنات إعارة لمدة موسم واحد مع خيار إلزامية الشراء النهائي للنادي الفرنسي مقابل 15 مليون يورو.

وبذلك سيتعين على ريال مدريد البحث عن التعاقد مع لاعب خط وسط، خصوصًا مع إصابة إدواردو كامافينجا وبيلينجهام.

ويعتبر آدم وارتون، لاعب كريستال بالاس، بين أبرز المرشحين لتدعيم خط وسط ريال مدريد خلال الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

USMNT transfers: Tim Weah reportedly close to Marseille move, Middlesbrough interested in Max Arfsten, Napoli reignite Yunus Musah pursuit

The USMNT Transfer Notebook tracks American player movements, with latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool

The European summer transfer window has roughly four weeks remaining, and the U.S. men's national team will report in roughly five weeks for a pair of international friendlies. Across the past few weeks, there have been several transfer developments for players with high hopes for the 2026 World Cup.

Defender Max Arfsten, a breakout star at the Gold Cup, is the subject of transfer interest in both France and England, and could depart MLS side Columbus Crew this summer. Midfielder Yunus Musah is back on the radar of Napoli, with a move from AC Milan reportedly heating up after interest surfaced in June. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund are now contemplating the effects of a permanent Cole Campbell departure, and a move away could be a difficult task suddenly. 

Then, it appears Tim Weah's months-long transfer saga with Juventus might finally be over. The have reportedly agreed to sell him to Marseille in France on a permanent transfer.

GOAL tracks all of the American player movements in the USMNT Transfer Notebook, a recurring feature covering the latest developments for those in the U.S. national team pool.

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    Arfsten subject of bidding war

    Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten, a breakout performer at the 2025 Gold Cup, has been the subject of interest from Toulouse in France, according to L'Equipe. However, now report that English Championship side Middlesbrough are now looking to enter the race for his signature, and that could ultimately lead to a bidding war over the fullback's services.

    Toulouse currently roster fellow U.S. international Mark McKenzie, while Middlesbrough also have one in midfielder Aidan Morris.

    The Ligue 1 side approached Columbus in June with an offer, but were turned down, and reportedly approached Columbus with a near $2 million offer last week. Middlesbrough, though, are set to offer nearly $3 million for Arfsten, and seem to be in the lead for his signature at the moment.

    It remains to be seen where Arfsten moves to this Europe, but he has multiple suitors now contending for his signature. 

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    Weah saga nearing an end?

    After a summer of back-and-forth between Juventus, Weah's camp, and clubs around Europe, it appears the winger has found a new club in Marseille, according to Fabrizio Romano.

    However, it's been a whirlwind summer.

    In July, it was reported that Nottingham Forest had agreed a fee with Juventus for Weah, but he rejected the approach from the Premier League side, and instead, Romano reported that Weah and Marseille shared mutual interest, and that the French club was exploring a deal.

    However, Juventus were playing hardball with the Ligue 1 side over agreeing on a fee initially, prompting Weah's agent, Badou Sambague, to make a statement over the matter. He claimed that Juventus' sporting department is "creating problems" and that the Serie A side was holding out for a move to the Premier League – a transfer that they'll "never approve."

    It's yet to be official, but all signs point to Weah joining the ranks of Roberto De Zerbi's men.

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    BVB's Campbell dilemma

    Borussia Dortmund have a big decision to make with Cole Campbell this summer. The U.S. youth international has climbed through the youth ranks of the Bundesliga outfit, but where he goes from here is now up to the club.

    Reports surfaced earlier in the window that Stuttgart were keen to secure the 19-year-old's signature, with a permanent transfer being discussed, but now Dortmund are unsure of letting him go, according to . The are now contemplating only letting Campbell go on loan, as a replacement winger could cost them a hefty fee ahead of the season. If he were to depart the club permanently, the report added that Dortmund are now looking to add a buy-back clause into the contract as well. 

    In the 2024-25 season, Campbell made four Bundesliga appearances, one substitute cameo in the UEFA Champions League, and appeared in one match in the DFB-Pokal for Dortmund. He also traveled with them for the Club World Cup. With BVB II, who compete in the third tier of German football, Campbell made 11 domestic league appearances, scoring twice and recording one assist.

    In November, the 19-year-old sat down with GOAL for an exclusive interview, where he shared that U.S. Soccer "believes" in his abilities. He has lofty goals with the national team, but he needs regular playing time this upcoming campaign to achieve them. 

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    Napoli back in for Musah?

    In June, it was reported that Antonio Conte's Napoli were interested in Musah, but no bid came from the club for the AC Milan midfielder. Now, though, with over a month in between reports, it seems that the have reignited their interest in the 22-year-old.

    Neapolitan newspaper via MilanPress, reports that Napoli's hierarchy of president Aurelio De Laurentiis, manager Antonio Conte, and sporting director Giovanni Manna held a transfer market meeting in Ischia, where they discussed bringing Musah into the fold to compete for their midfield. 

    Conte believes Musah will be the ideal midfielder to back up André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, while pushing him for regular minutes.

    Musah, meanwhile, has been training and competing in matches across the preseason with AC Milan. Manager Max Allegri has played him three times this summer, and Musah also scored once in a 9-0 victory over Perth Glory in Australia.

Rain threat diminishes in Chennai ahead of IPL 2024 final

There was a sharp spell of rain on the eve of the final that led to fears of the match being affected

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-2024Chennai experienced a cloudy but rain-free morning in the lead-up to Sunday’s IPL 2024 final between Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad. A sharp spell of rain, lasting over an hour, disrupted KKR’s training session on Saturday evening, leading to fears of the final being affected. As of 1pm on Sunday afternoon, though, the rain threat seemed to have diminished, with only a 4% chance of precipitation according to Accuweather.In case the weather prevents the final being completed on Sunday, there is a provision for a reserve day. The reserve day will only kick in if the match officials are not able to complete the game on Sunday itself – the team batting second will need to face at least five overs for a decisive result to be achieved.The 2023 final in Ahmedabad went into the reserve day, where further delays pushed the finish of the match – Chennai Super Kings chased down a revised target of 171 in 15 overs in a last-ball finish against Gujarat Titans – to 1:35am on what was effectively day three.The pitch and weather have been topics of keen interest in the lead-up to the IPL 2024 final. On Friday, SRH defeated Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2, on a black-soil pitch that began to take appreciable turn during the second innings. Both teams had anticipated dew, which may have given the chasing team an advantage, but it did not play a major role on the night.The pitch for the final is a red-soil strip that was earlier used for CSK’s match against Punjab Kings on May 1. Spinners Harpreet Brar and Rahul Chahar were PBKS’s match-winners on the day, picking up a combined 4 for 33 in their eight overs to help restrict CSK to 162. PBKS chased down their target with 13 balls to spare.

رجل مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل في الدوري الإنجليزي

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل التي جمعت بينهما مساء يوم الإثنين، في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وحل ليفربول ضيفًا على نيوكاسل بملعب “سانت جيمس بارك”، ضمن مواجهات الجولة الثانية للدوري الإنجليزي.

ونجح ليفربول في تحقيق الفوز بثلاثية لهدفين، بتوقيت قاتل، حيث سجل البديل نجوموها هدف الفوز للريدز بعد تمريرة من محمد صلاح، في الوقت المحتسب بدلاً من الضائع.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقييم محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول ونيوكاسل بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وحصل هوجو إيكتيكي لاعب ليفربول على جائزة رجل المباراة أمام نيوكاسل، بعدما ظهر بأداء مميز خلال المواجهة، كما سجل هدف ليفربول الثاني خلال المباراة، وسدد تسديدة على المرمى، وبلغت دقة تمريراته 50%.

وجاءت أعلى نسبة تصويت على موقع البريميرليج لـ إيكتيكي، بنسبة 24% يليه في المركز الثاني محمد صلاح ونجوموها بنسبة 22%.

ويخوض ليفربول مباراة صعبة يوم الأحد المقبل، في الجولة الثالثة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد آرسنال، الذي يمتلك 6 نقاط مثل حامل اللقب، بعد الفوز في الجولتين الماضيتين.

Corinthians fecha penúltima semana de pré-temporada

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians fechou neste domingo (8) a penúltima semana de treinamentos antes da estreia no Campeonato Paulista, que acontecerá no próximo fim de semana, contra o Red Bull Bragantino.

A atividade iniciou na academia. Posteriormente, os jogadores foram para o campo, onde o técnico Fernando Lázaro comandou um trabalho coletivo.

Como tem acontecido nos últimos dias, atletas das categorias de base do Timão completaram o treinamento. Dessa vez, os escolhidos: o lateral-esquerdo Gustavo Henrique, o volante Cauan, o meio-campista Adryan, e os atacantes Léo Agostinho, Luan Lino e Mindinho.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFora de CampoSem Yuri Alberto, ESPN elege os cinco melhores ‘camisas 9’ do Brasileirão; vejaFora de Campo08/01/2023Futebol LatinoEx-Corinthians não perdoa, anota golaço e brilha em estreia no Campeonato Mexicano; assistaFutebol Latino07/01/2023CorinthiansAtuações de Cássio em 2022 fazem o Corinthians ‘recalcular rota’ em planejamentoCorinthians07/01/2023

+Barcelona de olho em joia brasileira, Taison define futuro… O Dia do Mercado!
+ Confira as principais negociações do futebol nacional no Mercado da Bola do L!
> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

Malan signs two-year contract extension as Ireland men's head coach

Heinrich Malan has agreed to a two-year contract extension as head coach of the Ireland men’s team. Malan, who had secured a three-year contract upon being appointed in January 2022, will now continue to hold onto the role until mid-2027.The decision comes with the aim of Malan helping Ireland qualify for the 2027 ODI World Cup, slated for October and November. The 14-team event will comprise hosts South Africa and Zimbabwe, the top-eight ranked teams excluding the hosts, and four teams from the World Cup Qualifier in 2026, which means that Ireland’s qualification status will be known by the end of Malan’s tenure.Ireland were unable to qualify for the previous two ODI World Cups, which were ten-team events, but featured in both T20 World Cups and defeated eventual champions England in the group stage of the last edition. They claimed their first-ever Test victory by beating Afghanistan in February and now head over to the Caribbean for the 2024 T20 World Cup, which starts on June 1.Related

  • Ireland's players get revised central contracts with pay raise

  • Ireland already 'building towards 2027' as World Cup prep overshadows ODI series

Malan spoke about his role and the team’s ambitions ahead of Ireland’s departure. “I am delighted with the extension as it provides the squad and coaching staff a great deal more certainty as we build upon the foundations we have put in place over the last two years.”We are now a three-format squad and – despite our smaller talent pool to draw from compared to other Full Members – we have been gradually building a sustainable structure that ensures we can continue to compete and improve on all three fronts.”This work has borne fruit in two successful T20 World Cup qualifying campaigns and in our recent Test success. But we are all conscious that we’ve missed out on playing in the last two 50-over world cups, and qualification for the 2027 tournament will be one of the focus areas across the next three years.”Malan’s extension comes after Ireland’s players secured revised central contracts, including pay raises, after negotiation. Extending his contract was a “very straightforward decision,” according to Richard Holdsworth, High Performance Director of Cricket Ireland.”Over the last 18 months or so, the team has improved significantly in the T20 format which was our weakest format,” Holdsworth said. “His research into what world-class looks like, and the data he has gathered around the T20 format globally, has led to the production of a blueprint for the Ireland Men’s team.”Malan will join forces with captain Paul Stirling – who took over from Andy Balbirnie, after Ireland failed to qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup – and the duo’s first ICC event comes on the back of the team beating Pakistan for the first time in T20Is and winning a tri-series against Netherlands and Scotland.”With new leadership in white-ball cricket, the relationship between Heinrich and the two captains has been key,” Holdsworth said. “This goes from strength-to-strength, and we now have a key focus on strategic planning towards the 2027 Cricket World Cup in mind. I look forward to seeing what the next three years brings.”Ireland will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against India on June 5 in New York and are part of Group A, along with Canada, USA, India and Pakistan.Malan has had extensive coaching stints in New Zealand before being appointed as Ireland’s head coach two years ago. He is a former middle-order batter and medium-fast bowler, who played first-class cricket in South Africa from 2005 to 2009.

West Ham 'desperate' to pip Man Utd and Brentford to €15m rising star

West Ham are reportedly stepping up their interest in Metz rising star Idrissa Gueye amid links with Manchester United and Brentford.

  • Gueye impressing at Metz
  • Linked with Man Utd
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    According to Foot Mercato, discussions between West Ham and Metz are 'progressing well', with Graham Potter's side 'desperate' to sign the 18-year-old. The report adds that the French team are demanding at least €15m (£13m) for the striker, who has also been credited with interest from United and Brentford.

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    Gueye – not to be mistaken for Everton's Idrissa Gana Gueye – is highly rated at Metz, so much so that Premier League sides and Borussia Dortmund have been linked with the teenager. He scored five goals and added one assist for the French outfit last season as they earned promotion to Ligue 1 earlier but whether he will be heading to English football remains to be seen. 

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    The 6ft 2in forward, who made his Senegal debut as a 16-year-old back in 2023 against Rwanda, joined Metz from the Senegalese team Generation Foot last year. Prior to his switch, the youngster scored 13 goals in 28 first-team matches.

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    WHAT NEXT?

    With United pursuing RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, West Ham may have been given a boost in their bid to recruit Gueye. The Hammers are looking for attacking reinforcements and the Senegal international could fill that hole for Potter's team. 

Kuldeep: 'Bowlers must show more courage' against aggressive batting

“I feel that the bowlers are trying more to read the batters’ mind instead of sticking to their strengths,” Kuldeep says

Daya Sagar06-May-2024

Kuldeep Yadav has 12 wickets in IPL 2024 so far, 11 of them coming in the middle overs•BCCI

Though there has been some respite for bowlers of late, with pitches slowing down somewhat and the frequency of 200-plus totals going down along with it, IPL 2024 has been about big hitting and record team totals. And the impact player rule is one of the reasons for it. For Kuldeep Yadav, though, faced with such “non-stop hitting”, bowlers must show courage and remember that they “have more chances of taking wickets”.”Every team is now trying to attack in the powerplay and score as many runs as possible,” Kuldeep said at a press event in Delhi recently. “It slows down a bit in the middle overs because of the open field, so the batters are playing more freely in the powerplay. Those days are gone when teams used to target 45-50 runs in the powerplay. But I think the bowlers must show more courage. If a batter goes for the attack, then a bowler also has more chances of taking wickets.”I feel that the bowlers are trying more to read the batters’ mind instead of sticking to their strengths. They are trying to bowl where the batter looks a little weak. But I think a bowler should understand his strengths and back his strengths. You can see Jasprit Bumrah, who backs his strengths. The way he bowls, any batter is on the back foot. He dominates the batters mentally. All these things become very important.”Related

Kul-dip and driftin' away to becoming one of the best

Pooran, Kuldeep, his wrong'un, and its ripple effect

Bumrah, of course, has been one of the rare exceptions this season, a bowler who has not only picked up wickets – he is the joint-highest wicket-taker at this stage with 17 wickets – but has also been tough to score off – his economy rate of 6.25 is the best of all frontline bowlers.Kuldeep himself is lower on both the tables, with 12 wickets from eight bowling innings and an economy rate of 8.45, but has been impressive on the whole. And a good example of what he is talking about came in Delhi Capitals’ game against Sunrisers Hyderabad – the team that broke and then rebroke the record for the highest IPL total this season – in Delhi on April 20. Kuldeep conceded 55 runs in SRH’s 266 for 7, but came back with four wickets, those of Abhishek Sharma, Aiden Markram, Travis Head and Nitish Kumar Reddy.”If you are not confident then you will be in a defensive mindset,” he said. “On the other hand, if you are confident, then you are ready to bowl even in the powerplay. I am now ready for all the challenges and always look to take wickets. My self-confidence has increased, and I have a lot of faith in my skills. I see how the batter is batting and how I have to bowl to him. I think where should I bowl to him so that he has a little difficulty in hitting.”Sometimes you can get hit even on good balls, like it happened to me during the match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. [Heinrich] Klaasen and Abhishek hit sixes on good balls. But I believed in my skills, and I also got wickets that day. Now I enjoy my bowling more and I have learned all this from experience.”So far this season, Kuldeep has bowled just one over in the powerplay, for 20 runs. At the death (overs 17-20) too, he has bowled only three overs, giving away 33 runs. It’s in the middle phase that he has been used the most and has been most effective: 27 overs for 11 wickets, with an economy rate of 7.85.He is expected to be one of the players Rohit Sharma and the team management depend on during the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and the USA come June. And in a team without many allrounders, Kuldeep is hoping to pull his weight with the bat too. It’s something he has been working on, and he showed glimpses of ability in DC’s last game, when he scored 35 not out in 26 balls with five fours and a six against Kolkata Knight Riders.”Rohit does not talk to me much about bowling because I am doing what he wants from me with the ball,” Kuldeep said. “He was concerned about my batting. He told me to improve my batting. I worked on it during the Test series against England [at home earlier this year] and he was impressed by my hard work. He used to be with me in the nets and speak to me about the nuances of batting. This helped me a lot and now I am enjoying my batting as much as my bowling.”

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