All posts by h79snht.top

Daniel Farke will know his Leeds United side cannot keep stuttering in the Championship if they want to secure automatic promotion instead of settling for the unwanted stresses of the playoffs.

The Whites are going through a sticky patch of form right at the time where teams need to pick up crunch results to ensure their season doesn't unfortunately fizzle out, with Farke's men last winning at the start of the month versus Hull City.

Since then, only a point has been secured from their next three second-tier clashes with only one strike also rippling the back of the net from a Whites perspective.

This could result in the German boss tinkering with his Leeds XI drastically in order to try and spark a reaction from his low-on-confidence group, with plenty of selection dilemmas for the 47-year-old to address.

Leeds team news vs Middlesbrough

Leeds will be without Connor Roberts who is unavailable for selection away at Middlesbrough, with the Welsh loanee looking likely to be out for the game at the Riverside Stadium and the clash at Queens Park Rangers after owing to injury issues.

Pascal Struijk is also another known absentee for the clash on the road at Michael Carrick's Boro, the former Ajax centre-back missing since the end of December and that looks very much likely to continue until the end of the campaign.

Related Farke drops Piroe in predicted Leeds lineup vs Middlesbrough

The possible starting XI that the German head coach could select on Monday night.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 21, 2024

Away from those injury concerns, there are a number of selection conundrums for Farke to still ponder based on form alone with Joel Piroe unspectacular last time out versus Blackburn Rovers.

The former Swansea City man has only bagged one goal in his last 11 Championship appearances, fearful he could face the chop after his anonymous showing against the Riversiders too – the out-of-sorts Whites number seven seeing his two efforts blocked at Elland Road when trying to fire home past Aynsley Pears.

Moreover, with Roberts ruled out, there could well be a tinker from Farke in the central midfield positions to accompany Ilia Gruev.

Archie Gray looks likely to return to the right-back spot with the Burnley loanee unfit to play, freeing up a space for Glen Kamara to return to the Leeds lineup after sitting out the 1-0 defeat to Blackburn.

Glen Kamara's season in numbers

The former Rangers man has been largely a permanent fixture in the Whites team chasing an immediate return to the Premier League this season, proving himself to be a shrewd purchase by amassing 36 appearances to date.

The Finland international's absence was arguably felt in the narrow lunchtime defeat to Blackburn last time out, with Gray winning just 50% of his duels against John Eustace's men in that crushing 1-0 loss.

Gray would also come away from the contest with an 84% pass accuracy, which is below Kamara's average this season when the ex-Rangers man has cooly been able to strut his stuff for Leeds from deep.

Kamara has averaged a superior 93% pass accuracy this season when playing, according to Sofascore, with Leeds needing a calm and measured head like the Finnish midfielder if the game at Boro becomes tetchy and tense.

Moreover, even when Leeds have put in a shoddy display recently, Kamara has shone all the same.

The measured 28-year-old managed to tee up Crysencio Summerville to score a spectacular strike away at Vicarage Road to close out March, picking up his third assist in Leeds white in the process.

In that same game, Mateo Joseph would also be a hero by scoring the equalising strike a matter of seconds after being introduced into the contest.

Now, the 20-year-old striker will hope he's given the nod to start up top over an uninspiring Piroe tonight knowing that the centre-forward spot at Leeds is very much up for grabs currently.

Mateo Joseph's season in numbers

With Bamford also misfiring of late for Leeds in that lone striker role – the former Boro attacker not scoring since the 8th of March for Farke's men – Joseph's chance to shine in the spotlight from the start could finally come at the Riverside.

The 20-year-old striker has impressed in spurts playing in the first team this season, firing in four goals from 24 games with all of those minutes restricted to fleeting appearances from off the bench.

Joseph would only need six minutes of action to bag a crucial equaliser against Watford, managing just seven touches of the ball before instinctively finding the back of the net against a bewildered Hornets side.

Chelsea have also felt the goalscoring wrath of the young hotshot in the FA Cup earlier this campaign, with the Spanish attacker helping himself to a brace in the action-packed tie at Stamford Bridge back in February.

Previously hailed as being "dynamite" by football scout Antonio Mango when emerging as a name tipped for greatness at Leeds, Farke must be tempted to give the full-throttle forward a chance to impress from the get-go to unsettle Carrick's men to try and pick up a much-needed victory.

Leeds v Boro H2H record – last five games

3-2 Leeds W

2nd December 2023

0-1 Leeds W

26th February 2020

4-0 Leeds W

30th November 2019

1-1 draw

9th February 2019

0-0 draw

31st August 2018

Sourced by 11v11

Leeds will look to keep up their good form against Boro over their last five head-to-head meetings when they travel to the Riverside, with none of these past clashes being as pressurised and as meaningful as the one tonight however.

Farke switching up his Whites lineup here and there could well make the difference, knowing that another disappointing result will just make the games to follow after Boro away even more nervy as the end of the regular season comes into view at a lightning pace.

Related Farke could unearth Bamford heir in Leeds' "class" academy forward

The Whites boss could have an exciting future duo in the young gem and Mateo Joseph.

Posts ByDan Emery Apr 19, 2024

عقد اليوم الخميس، الاجتماع الفني الخاص بمباراة منتخب مصر والرأس الأخضر، ضمن منافسات التصفيات المؤهلة لكأس أمم إفريقيا.

ويلعب منتخب مصر ضد الرأس الأخضر، غدًا الجمعة 15 نوفمبر، في إطار الجولة الخامسة من عمر منافسات التصفيات المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس الأمم الإفريقية 2025 بالمغرب.

طالع.. بينهم مرموش.. حسام حسن يستبعد ثلاثي منتخب مصر من السفر إلى الرأس الأخضر

وأسفر الاجتماع الفني عن ارتداء منتخب مصر القميص الأحمر والشورت الأبيض والجورب الأسود، بينما يرتدي منتخب الرأس الأخضر الطاقم الأزرق.

حضر الاجتماع الفني ممثلًا عن منتخب مصر مينا سامح إداري الفريق وعبد الله سيد مدير المهمات.

يذكر، أن منتخب مصر حسم تأهله إلى نهائيات كأس أمم إفريقيا التي ستقام في المغرب، بعد الفوز في الـ4 جولات الأولى من التصفيات، حيث يتصدر مجموعته برصيد 12 نقطة.

Australia captain also pleased with a tough workout ahead of the T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2020

Meg Lanning had “full confidence” in Jess Jonassen when she handed the ball over to the left-arm spinner at the back-end of India’s chase. Jonassen took 5 for 12 to trigger a collapse that saw seven wickets go down for 29 runs – she dismissed Harmanpreet Kaur the over after Megan Schutt had sent back Smriti Mandhana and put India’s chase of 156 in a tailspin after they had reached 115 for 3 in the 15th over.”She’s been in fine form bowling for a long time now. For a spinner to be able to bowl the last three overs from one end in a T20 chase is a very good effort. You don’t see that often, but I had full confidence she would be able to get the job done,” Lanning said. “She is very calm and has really good skills and she can bowl at any point in the innings. It’s nice to see her really confident now. She is an important part of the team. Hopefully she can continue her form going forward.”All five of Jonassen’s wickets came in her second spell, in the last six overs of India’s innings, during which they lost a wicket in every over but the 19th. Until then, Mandhana and Kaur had set India up nicely with a 50-run stand.”We talk a lot about trying to stay in the game. T20 cricket can turn very quickly. We knew if we could get a wicket, break that partnership quickly, we could potentially get a bit of momentum back. Mandhana batted brilliantly; sort of hard to slow it down, but once we got that wicket, we were able to turn the screws and put them under pressure, so it’s a good lesson in staying in the game and making sure you just stick it out and hope it will turn your way,” Lanning said.In their previous meeting, Jonassen had opened the bowling and bowled just one over for 11. Sixteen-year-old Shafali Verma had been particularly severe on spinners that day, and Lanning explained that was one of the reasons Australia had to turn to pace in the final.”In the first game, Verma was taking on the spinners a fair bit, so we went to pace a little bit. The wicket today was a bit up and down, so we used a bit more pace,” Lanning said. “In that round [league-stage] game against India, I could have perhaps brought [Jonassen] on a little bit early, and that’s what I looked at in review [of that match]. It’s certainly not a game plan; it’s just a gut feeling but she’s shown she can do the job at any point in the match.”This come-from-behind win has significance beyond just a series title. It comes shortly after the Saturday match during which India had made easy work of a stiff target of 174 and put Australia on the verge of being knocked out from the series. More importantly, it comes less than two weeks before the T20 World Cup, which will start later this month. Lanning acknowledged that winning a tough series like this one was perfect ahead of the big tournament.”It’s been a brilliant series for us,” she said. “We have been put to the test every game we have played [by the] two world-class sides, who are going to do very well in the World Cup coming up. Both with the bat and ball, we feel like we have improved over the tournament.”We still feel probably there are a few areas to do that again. I will take this tournament any day getting into the World Cup, to be put under the pump and having to respond to that is a really good thing for this team and we will take a lot of confidence out of the win today.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo marcou apenas um gol nesta edição do Campeonato Brasileiro, sendo o pior ataque até aqui no torneio, empatado com o América-MG. Muito disso se deve ao aproveitamento ruim da equipe nas finalizações.

ATUAÇÕES: Liziero falha feio no segundo gol do Santos e São Paulo não mostra reação fora de casa

De acordo com o ‘Footstats’, a equipe de Hernán Crespo, curiosamente conhecido pelo seu poder de finalização quando jogador, não vem acertando o gol adversário. Nesses primeiros cinco jogos pelo campeonato nacional, o Tricolor tem 42 chutes, com 30 errados e somente 12 certos.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

RelacionadasSão PauloMeia Benítez tem boas estatísticas em sua volta ao time do São PauloSão Paulo21/06/2021São PauloAinda com restrições, Daniel Alves treina com o elenco do São PauloSão Paulo21/06/2021VídeoVÍDEO: Crespo nega preocupação por possíveis críticas da torcida: ‘Eu não posso controlar a reação das pessoas’Vídeo21/06/2021

Esses números colocam o São Paulo comoo segundo pior aproveitamento em chutes entre os 20 clubes da série A, ficando apenas na frente do Atlético-MG. Contra o Santos, o Tricolor deu somente oito finalizações, sendo apenas uma em direção ao gol.

Crespo vem tentando arrumar soluções para o baixo aproveitamento ofensivo. Nas últimas rodadas, ele tirou Pablo do time titular e promoveu a entrada de Eder, que marcou diante da Chapecoense. Além disso, com a volta de Benítez, o sistema ofensivo do Tricolor tenda a melhorar.

O Tricolor vai tentar voltar a balançar as redes adversárias diante do Cuiabá, às 19h, na próxima quarta-feira (23), às 19h, no Morumbi, pela 6ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

MatériaMais Notícias

Neste domingo, o Fluminense empatou com o Corinthians por 1 a 1, em São Januário, em partida válida pela sétima rodada do Brasileirão. Apesar de não ter conseguido a vitória, a tarde foi feliz para Cazares, que conseguiu seu primeiro gol pelo Tricolor das Laranjeiras. O meia comemorou o feito e destacou a importância de continuar o trabalho para os próximos jogos.

RelacionadasFluminenseSamuel Xavier, do Fluminense, faz postagem polêmica na véspera do Dia Internacional do Orgulho LGBTQIA+Fluminense27/06/2021Futebol NacionalAbel Hernández é expulso, mas Fluminense arranca empate contra o CorinthiansFutebol Nacional27/06/2021FluminenseFluminense empata com o Bahia na estreia do Brasileirão sub-20Fluminense26/06/2021

> Relembre os gols mais marcantes de Fred com a camisa do Fluminense

– Feliz pelo primeiro gol pelo time, feliz por rever os companheiros. A passagem pelo Corinthians foi muito boa. Feliz pelo gol e feliz pelo meu rendimento. Agora, é continuar trabalhando e melhorar nos próximos jogos – disse ao Premiere.

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Cazares defendeu o Corinthians na última temporada. Assim, ele fez valer a famosa “Lei do Ex”, mas não comemorou o gol. De acordo com ele, é preciso ter respeito pelo ex-clube.

> Veja a tabela e simule os resultados dos jogos do Brasileirão

– Você tem que respeitar o elenco pelo qual você passou. Eles me receberam muito bem. Eu respeito a todos. Agora, vamos continuar trabalhando, porque o campeonato é longo – concluiu.

يخوض منتخب مصر مواليد 2008 بقيادة المدرب أحمد الكاس، مباراته الثالثة في تصفيات بطولة شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة إلى كأس أمم إفريقيا تحت 17 عامًا.

ويلعب منتخب مصر ضد تونس، مساء اليوم الأربعاء، في مباراة الجولة الثالثة من مواجهات بطولة شمال إفريقيا.

وتقام تصفيات شمال إفريقيا للناشئين تحت 17 سنة، بدولة المغرب في الفترة من 11 إلى 23 نوفمبر الجاري.

وكان منتخب مصر خاض مباراتين أمام المغرب في الجولة الأولى وخسر بنتيجة ثقيلة 5-1.

طالع | أحمد الكاس: مشوار منتخب مصر للناشئين لم ينتهِ.. ويوجه طلبًا للجماهير

وفي مواجهة الجولة الثانية، استطاع منتخب مصر تصحيح المسار وتحقيق الفوز على الجزائر بهدفين مقابل هدف. 

وبعد مواجهة تونس، ستتبقى مواجهة أخيرة لـ منتخب مصر، أمام منتخب ليبيا يوم 23 نوفمبر.

ويشارك في تصفيات شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة لكأس الأمم الإفريقية تحت 17 عامًا، كل من مصر والمغرب والجزائر وتونس وليبيا. موعد مباراة مصر وتونس اليوم في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا تحت 17 عامًا

تقام مباراة مصر وتونس، اليوم الأربعاء 20 نوفمبر 2024، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 7 بتوقيت السعودية، 5 بتوقيت تونس. القناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر وتونس اليوم في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا تحت 17 عامًا

تنقل مباراة مصر وتونس، على قناة أون تايم سبورت 2. معلق مباراة مصر وتونس اليوم في تصفيات أمم إفريقيا تحت 17 عامًا

يعلق على مباراة مصر وتونس اليوم، طارق الأدوار

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Sri Lanka’s bowlers will need to pose more of a collective threat to stop a rampaging batting line-up

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Mar-2020

Big PictureSuch is the power in West Indies’ batting, that on Wednesday, Dwayne Bravo could have come in as low as No. 9. He didn’t, because he was unrequired. Without Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell and Bravo facing a single ball, West Indies still muscled their way to an imposing 196. Sri Lanka never quite looked like they were going to get there.How do Sri Lanka turn this around, with only one day in between games? As has been the case all through the past 18 months, they rely heavily on Lasith Malinga to provide early wickets, and they struggle when he doesn’t break through. Perhaps they will reflect that Wanindu Hasaranga – Sri Lanka’s most dangerous bowler from the ODI series – could have been brought into the attack sooner than the 13th over. But he and Malinga can’t be saddled with all the wicket-taking. If Sri Lanka are to challenge West Indies in the second match, the likes of Isuru Udana, Lakshan Sandakan and Thisara Perera will need to present more of a threat to the opposition top order as well.West Indies’ only real concern is how to make the best use of their extraordinary batting depth. On Wednesday, they perhaps did well to move Andre Russell to No. 4, before Kieron Pollard promoted himself to No. 5 – both those batsmen hitting 30s at strike rates of well over 200 through the middle period. Thanks to Oshane Thomas’ five wickets inside the Powerplay, the West Indies attack was never really questioned.Form guideWest Indies WWLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
Sri Lanka LLLLLIn the spotlightLakshan Sandakan has played more than 50 international matches, and has been around the top team since the middle of 2016, and yet, hasn’t quite managed to nail down a spot in any of Sri Lanka’s first-choice XIs. He was just okay through the ODIs, while Hasaranga carved them up. On Wednesday, he delivered three good overs, giving away just 19 runs and even claiming the wicket of Brandon King. But his last over cost 19 runs and ruined those figures – though it was no less devastating a batsman than Andre Russell who took him apart. The team management is showing serious faith in Sandakan at the moment, playing him in each of Sri Lanka’s matches on this tour. He would do well to repay them with a performance that is good from start to finish.West Indies’ more destructive batsmen may command the greater share of attention, but Lendl Simmons has been outstanding at the top of the order in recent weeks. Three times in his last six T20 innings now, Simmons has carried his bat – West Indies winning the match on each of those occasions. On Wednesday, he played the situation beautifully, putting Sri Lanka under pressure by making a charge through the Powerplay, before moving into a supporting role when the bigger hitters came in. He made 67 not out at a strike rate of 131, and he did so without hitting a single boundary in the second half of the innings, letting Russell and Pollard have the pleasure instead.Team newsThere’s no real need for West Indies to change their XI. They’ll likely go in with the same team.West Indies: 1 Llendl Simmons, 2 Brandon King, 3 Shimron Hetmyer, 4 Kieron Pollard (capt.), 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Andre Russell, 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Dwayne Bravo,9 Fabian Allen, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane ThomasSri Lanka may think about bringing in Niroshan Dickwella for Shehan Jayasuriya, who collected a golden duck on Wednesday.Sri Lanka: 1 Kusal Perera, 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dasun Shanaka, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lasith Malinga (capt.), 11 Lakshan SandakanPitch and conditionsAnother good batting track is likely. No rain is forecast.Stats and trivia Malinga’s T20 captaincy record since taking over in late 2018 is now 12 losses to one win. Oshane Thomas is only one of two bowlers to have taken five wickets inside the Powerplay. The other is Malinga, who did it at the same venue in September last year. Sri Lanka have won six and lost four T20 internationals to West Indies overall, but have lost the last three on the trot.

Tottenham fans have been sent into something of a frenzy after two potential summer transfer targets were spotted in north London over the weekend.

Additions needed for Postecoglou

Though Tottenham have defied plenty of expectations this season in the wake of losing Harry Kane over the summer, they are clearly still in need of new faces.

The Lilywhites side suffered a tough period with injuries and they look set to miss out on Champions League football, with Ange Postecoglou's side fifth in the Premier League as it stands, only good enough for the Europa League.

They trail Aston Villa by seven points, and though they have two games in hand on their rivals for fourth place, they face Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea in their final five games in a tough end to the season.

Related Spurs scouts spotted watching 40-goal star but prefer his £33k-p/w teammate

The Lilywhites team were spotted amidst the crowds of spectators.

Posts ByBen Browning Apr 29, 2024

It means that they will likely have to settle for Europa League football next season after a season out of Europe, and they will need a bigger squad to be able to compete on all fronts.

Certainly, cover at left-back is essential, while a midfielder also features high on the Tottenham wishlist with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg likely to leave and Oliver Skipp having started just four games so far this season.

There is also the need for another attacker, with a central striker on their radar amid links to Brentford striker Ivan Toney in recent days, a move that would allow Heung-Min Son to return to his favoured wide position.

Tottenham's strikers this season

Richarlison

Heung-Min Son

Starts

17

29

Goals

10

16

Assists

3

9

Minutes per goal

140

155

Shots on target per 90

1.48

1.16

Now, an alternative has been spotted enjoying the hospitality of the North London club.

Teammates spotted at North London derby

That comes as Feyenoord pair Santiago Gimenez and Lutsharel Geertruida were both spotted at the Tottenham Hotspur for the derby defeat on Sunday. Spurs have been strongly linked with the Mexican striker in particular, who has found the net 21 times in 29 Eredivisie outings this season.

Despite having three years still to run on his £29k per week contract in the Netherlands, Gimenez expected to be on the move this summer.

He has come in for praise from all corners, with Feyenoord icon Mario Been dubbing him a "fantastic" player after one particularly impressive performance against Ajax.

"Gimenez truly is fantastic," Been told ESPN. "He hadn't even touched the ball before his first goal, but that was a fantastic finish. Feyenoord have immense goalscoring prowess."

Reports broke last week that Tottenham had made an approach to the Mexican's agents, and this could be seen as the next step in their attempt to win his services ahead of a host of other clubs.

It remains to be seen whether or not it is a race that they win, but it appears clear that Gimenez features highly on their list of potential summer additions ahead of the new season.

Derby County will be wary about keeping around players on extortionate wages for too long when making the step-up to the Championship, not wanting to be burnt by financial issues yet again.

The last time the Rams were settled in the division before their disastrous demise took place down to League One, the likes of Tom Lawrence were pocketing an excessive £30k-per-week alongside other individuals such as Curtis Davies raking in £25k-per-week.

Paul Warne won't want to have such higher earners in his camp next season, with the potential for this Derby star to leave in the off-season now consequently.

Coming in as the highest earner overall according to Salary Sport, despite being 33 years of age, Conor Hourihane might well have played his last game now as Rams captain when tasting that sweet promotion success.

Conor Hourihane's season in numbers

It's not as if there's been a swift decline in Hourihane's performances on the pitch, however, with the ex-Aston Villa man showing his experience and class in the third tier.

The Irish club captain helped himself to an impressive six goals and nine assists from 47 games in all competitions, not showing any visible signs of cobwebs for Warne's men on the way to second-tier football being secured.

Described as being a "quality" asset by football Josh Bunting when signing for the Rams in 2022, Hourihane has undoubtedly proved his worth at Pride Park with 13 goals and 19 assists accumulated from 98 total contests.

Yet, with rumours continue to circulate that Derby are eyeing up far younger targets in Hourihane's position in the form of Herbie Kane and Bosun Lawal, it might well be the apt time to have an emotional farewell now and cut ties.

Expiring contracts at Derby – 30 years of age + above

Player

Age

Contract expiry date

Conor Hourihane

33

June 2024

Craig Forsyth

35

June 2024

Dwight Gayle

34

June 2024

Korey Smith

33

June 2024

Martyn Waghorn

34

June 2024

Scott Loach

35

June 2024

Sourced by Transfermarkt

The former Villa midfielder won't be the only veteran potentially offloaded when glancing at the table above, with Hourihane's excessive salary also a sticking point as to why the Rams might well decide to part ways too.

Hourihane's wage at Derby

The 33-year-old, according to Salary Sport, currently earns £12k-per-week which sees him way out in front as the top earner at Pride Park with Curtis Nelson in the silver medal spot at £8.4k-per-week.

Amazingly, despite being 11 years younger than Hourihane, Eiran Cashin takes in a lesser £3.3k-per-week all whilst being linked with moves away to the likes of Brighton and Hove Albion after another sterling season in Derby white.

Missing just two games all campaign in League One as Warne's men went up automatically, Cashin will, no doubt, want a bumper pay increase moving up a league.

Hourihane being off the books could well allow for other stars who warrant a hike in salary to get just that, with the 33-year-old then having to seek out a new home to see out his career which shouldn't be too hard considering his starring role in Derby's promotion.

There will be a tinge of sadness if Hourihane is moved on, with his presence in the Rams camp integral over the past few seasons, but a move that could make sense if Warne wants to splash the cash on some new buys and redistribute the wage bill out more fairly for the jump-up.

Related Derby eye dream Bird replacement in "outstanding" free agent

Derby County will look to replace Max Bird with this summer buy.

Posts ByKelan Sarson May 15, 2024

Indian captain also talks about why he turned vegetarian in a chat with Kevin Pietersen

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2020One hundred thirty-four runs in five Tests.Stats that make Indian captain Virat Kohli cringe each time he thinks of the 2014 Test series in England.On Thursday, in an Instagram chat with former England captain Kevin Pietersen, Kohli said that tour was the lowest point in his career and it had come about because he was “too focused” on “doing well from a personal point” instead of putting the team first.”The lowest point in my career was the England tour in 2014 where that is one phase where I felt like, you know, when as a batsman you know you are going to get out in the morning when you wake up,” Kohli told Pietersen. “That was the time I felt like that: that there is no chance I am getting runs. And still to get out of bed and just get dressed for the game and to go out there and go through that, knowing that you will fail was something that ate me up. It just demolished me completely. And I promised myself I am never going to allow myself to feel like ever again in life.”Kohli now wants India’s young cricketers not to commit the same mistake. “And that happened, for all the younger guys listening, because I was too focused on doing well from a personal point of view. I wanted to get runs. I could never think of what does the team want me to do in this situation. I just got too engulfed with England tour – if I perform here, Test cricket, in my mind I’m going to feel established and all that crap on the outside, which is not important at all. It just ate me up. I just kept going into a downward spiral and I just couldn’t get out of it. Horrible.”Kohli said he was able to pick himself up and become the best all-format batsman in the world because he opened his mind and started focusing on what his team needed more than what he needed.Later, when Pietersen inquired about whether Kohli’s training routine ahead of a match day, he said it was just a mental thing and once again warned against being “self-centered.””With technique also, everything is mental. You have played in a time where you were walking and hitting fast bowlers. Coaches don’t teach you that. So it’s innovation. It’s staying one step ahead of the opponent. If you are thinking about how to win the game for your team, these things come to you.”If you are too personal in your approach, if you are too self-centered, you are just thinking about yourself, then you are just looking for ways to get out eventually because people are going to find you out. You are not getting out of your comfort zone because you don’t want to fail.”Kevin Pietersen and Virat Kohli catch up before the match•IDI via Getty Images

When and why did Kohli turn vegetarian?By the time Kohli returned for his next Test series in England, in 2018, he had not only improved his skill levels, he also decided to become a vegetarian. Pietersen, who had seen Kohli enjoy meat when they were team-mates at Royal Challengers Bangalore, was curious to know about the transformation.”I wasn’t a vegetarian till 2018,” Kohli said. “When we actually came to England, I left eating meat just before the Test series started.”Kohli went to talk about a medical condition that prompted him to become vegetarian. “In 2018 when we went to South Africa I got a cervical spine issue, while playing a Test match at Centurion…one of the discs in my cervical spine bulged out and it compressed a nerve which was running straight till the little finger of my right hand. So it gave me a tingling sensation, I could barely feel my little finger on the right hand. It was hurting like mad, I could hardly sleep at night. And then I got my tests done.”My stomach was too acidic, my body was creating too much uric acid, my body was too acidic. What was happening was, even though I was taking calcium, magnesium everything, one tablet was not sufficient for my body to function properly. So my stomach started pulling calcium from my bones, and my bones got weaker. That’s why I got this issue. That’s why I stopped eating meat completely in the middle of the England tour to cut down the uric acid and the acidity in my body.”The biggest difference that has made, Kohli said, was that it made recovery between matches quicker. “I’ve never felt better in my life, it felt amazing, it’s been two years, and the best decision of my life. I have never felt better waking up. I have never felt better when I have to recover after a game. If you make me play three games a week, which are intense, I am at 120% every game. I can recover within a day after a Test match and go on another Test match.”It’s so much better than being on meat. Being vegetarian now made me feel, honestly I felt like why didn’t I do it before? I should have done it two-three years earlier, to be honest. It’s completely changed everything – you start feeling better, you start thinking better, your body is lighter, you are more positive, you have energy to do more, so, overall it’s just been an amazing, amazing change.”Kohli’s most “fun” batting performanceKohli has played perhaps the greatest innings by an Indian batsman in T20Is – a half-century against Australia in the 2016 World T20. That was right after he played a starring role in that same tournament against Pakistan with politicians, actors, everyone including his idol Sachin Tendulkar watching from the stands. But when asked what was his most “fun innings”, Kohli picked out a lesser known classic.”It was against Kings XI in the IPL. It was I think, a 13… 14 over game or a 15 over game and I got a hundred in 12 overs. That was one of the days where I felt like Jeez, I’m just connecting everything and I just felt like I couldn’t get out. And I’ve never felt like that before. Just to be able to hit and not have that fear of getting out. It was amazing. So that has been my most fun innings.”