Cricket

Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele or Raphinha? Breaking down the Ballon d’Or frontrunners of 2025

Danijones7 days ago08 mins

As the curtain falls on the 2024–25 football season, a new conversation begins — who deserves the Ballon d’Or? This year’s debate is a compelling one, driven not just by legacy or fanfare, but by raw, undeniable numbers. With PSG finally lifting their maiden UEFA Champions League trophy and Barcelona returning to domestic dominance, three names have emerged as leading contenders: Ousmane Dembele, Lamine Yamal, and Raphinha. All three played pivotal roles for their clubs — but each had a season defined by different milestones. Dembele led PSG to an unprecedented quadruple, silencing critics and fulfilling years of promise. In Spain, Yamal and Raphinha drove Barcelona to a treble, with the teenager breaking records while the Brazilian finally stepped into his prime. Between the three of them, they’ve scored over 85 goals and registered 66 assists this season — numbers that put them firmly in Ballon d’Or contention. Beyond the stats lies narrative power: Yamal became Spain’s headline act, Dembele redeemed his club legacy, and Raphinha went from nearly being sold to leading his club’s frontline. Here’s a closer look at each of their cases. Lamine Yamal: The Golden teen prodigy At just 17, Lamine Yamal has had a season that would make even legends take notice. At this early age, Yamal wrapped up the season with an astonishing 19 goals and 26 assists across all competitions — numbers that defy his age. In Barcelona’s treble-winning season, Yamal was their creative pulse: drifting into pockets, carving open defences, and stepping up in big matches. Lamine Yamal was one of the standout elements of Flick’s Barcelona. (Photo: Reuters) But Yamal’s magic wasn’t limited to club football. He lit up Euro 2024, playing a key role in Spain’s title win, and followed it up with a stunning performance against France in the UEFA Nations League semi-final — scoring twice in a dramatic 5-4 win over Dembele’s side. With four major trophies and consistent high-level performances, Yamal isn’t just a sensation — he’s a serious Ballon d’Or contender. Ousmane Dembele: The redemption hero After years of injury setbacks and missed chances, Ousmane Dembele delivered the season of his life. With 33 goals and 15 assists, he was PSG’s most dangerous forward, delivering crucial contributions in Ligue 1 and Europe. In the Champions League, he was the man for the big nights — scoring in both the semi-final and final as Paris finally ended their UCL curse. Dembele became the main drive of PSG’s Champions League triumph. (Reuters Photo) His efforts helped PSG claim a historic quadruple: Champions League, Ligue 1, Coupe de France, and Trophe des Champions. It wasn’t just the trophies — it was his game-changing impact in tight moments, his creativity in the final third, and his leadership in a post-Mbappe PSG. At 28, Dembele finally stepped out of the shadows to become one of Europe’s most effective wide men — and a front-running Ballon d’Or nominee. Raphinha: The machine Barcelona never knew they needed Had Barcelona succeeded in signing Nico Williams last summer, Raphinha might have been shown the door. Instead, he exploded into one of the most productive players in Europe. Raphinha racked up 34 goals and 25 assists in 57 games, emerging as the heartbeat of Barcelona’s attack and the standout performer in Hansi Flick’s debut season. Raphinha’s 18 goals and 11 assists didn’t just light up La Liga — they crowned him the league’s finest, earning him the Player of the Season award. Raphinha was Barcelona’s leader from the very front. (Reuters Photo) He added 13 goals and 9 assists in the UEFA Champions League, guiding Barcelona to the semi-finals. Even in elimination, he was among the few who looked capable of turning the game around. With career-best stats and a domestic treble to his name, Raphinha’s Ballon d’Or credentials rest not on buzz, but undeniable results. Who will stand tallest? All three players delivered historic campaigns — different in style, but equal in weight. At 17, Yamal is chasing a record untouched since Ronaldo Nazario in 1997 — no player has won the Ballon d’Or this young. Dembele finally justified his price tag and potential. He might fly under the radar, but Raphinha’s output and steady brilliance speak louder than any hype. Each has a case. Each has a cabinet brimming with silver. And each has a signature moment this season that lit up the football world. Whether it’s Yamal bending reality at 17, Dembele finally soaring on the big stage, or Raphinha bulldozing through doubters with numbers Messi would nod at — this Ballon d’Or race has more flavour than it’s had in years. Three stories. One golden ball. And as the world watches, only one name will be crowned. So — who deserves to rise above the rest and crown their season with football’s ultimate individual glory? Or, can you really look past a 17-year-old who’s already rewriting the script? Published By: Debodinna Chakraborty Published On: Jun 6, 2025

Japan Women vs Philippines Women, WTSIJ, Today Match Prediction

Vann Hiso7 days ago7 days ago08 mins

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Japan Women vs Philippines Women𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : June 07,Saturday𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 06:00 AM IST𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : Sano International Cricket Ground, Sano, Japan𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : Women’s T20I Series in Japan, 2025 Japan eye a spot in the Final Japan Women vs Philippines Women TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. JPN-W vs PHPS-W Match Prediction & Analysis Japan and the Philippines have won one match each. While Hong Kong has a better chance of making it to the Final, if they lost their last game, the winner of the Japan vs Philippines match would cruise into the Final. The Philippines have a great NRR too. In case Hong Kong Women’s last match is abandoned due to rain, then Philippines would need a win and a good NRR to reach the Final. They are coming into this match on the back of a strong win over Mongolia. Philippines posted 167 runs batting first. This is the highest score of the tournament so far. While Alex Smith and Katie Donovan were the top scorers, the extra runs conceded by Mongolia also made a big impact. Japan slightly improved their batting performance in their recent match. However, they still couldn’t cross the 100-run mark. The bowlers completely outplayed the opposition as they successfully defended 94 runs. TEAMS PREVIEW Japan Women Preview Japan’s strong bowling attack could put the opposition on the back foot. Ahilya Chandel, Ayaka Kato-Stafford, and Kurumi Ota are among the top wicket-taking bowlers in this squad. There are more players with great bowling potential in this squad. They bowled out the table toppers for just 70 runs in their last game. That will boost their confidence going into this match. Nevertheless, Japan must work out their batting issues. They haven’t got many reliable performers in the middle and lower middle order. A lot depends on the openers in this side. Kato-Stafford and Ota opened the innings for Japan in their recent match. Ota scored 18 off 32 balls. In their previous game against Hong Kong Women, Japan had Kato-Stafford opening alongside Haruna Iwasaki. Ahilya Chandel was also decent with the bat in that game. She would be a better choice for the middle-order, considering how even the skipper, Mai Yanagida, is struggling to score runs at number 3. Philippines Women Preview The Philippines Women posted a big total in their last match against Mongolia. It is the highest score of this tournament by any team. While Katie Donovan was pretty impressive with her 34 off 27-ball knock at number 4, there were a lot of extras conceded by the opposition, which helped the Philippines post 167 runs. Opening batter Alex Smith was the top scorer with 49 off 56 balls. Amelia Valdez and Karri Gullem Kleen need to step up and build partnerships alongside Donovan in the middle order. There is potential in this batting lineup. Unlike Japan, they aren’t completely dependent on a few top-order players. However, they would still expect opening batter Jhon Andreano to find her rhythm and deliver a strong start. Andreano, however, has been pretty decent with the ball. Though she was wicketless in the opening match, she picked up 1 for 12 in 4 Overs against Mongolia. Katie Donovan is a very economical bowler and is in great form. Karri Gullem Kleen is a consistent wicket-taker who would be expected to put Japan on the back foot early on in the game. There is a great variety in the bowling attack and plenty of promising players too. Weather Conditions It will be clear weather with a high of 26 degrees Celsius in Sano. There are no signs of cloud or rain throughout the day and we can expect an uninterrupted game between the two teams. JPN-W vs PHPS-W Pitch Report Sano International Cricket Stadium is the venue for all the matches of this pentangular series. It is a low-scoring ground with teams struggling to even cross the 100-run mark. The average 1st innings score in this tournament is 86 runs. It would have been even lower if not for the recent performance by the Philippines’ batters. Toss: To Bat Batting first and having runs on the board will be a great strategy on this ground. Teams have managed to successfully defend below 100 runs total in this tournament. Of the 5 matches that weren’t abandoned in this series so far, teams batting first have won 3.

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Danijones7 days ago01 mins

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French Open semi-finals Live Updates: Carlos Musetti vs Lorenzo Alcaraz in action soon

Danijones1 week ago01 mins

After Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka set up an ultimate showdown in the women’s singles, it’s time for the men’s singles on Friday. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will lock horns with Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti in the first semi-final at Court Philippe Chatrier from 6 PM IST, local time 2:30 PM onwards. Thereafter, the match between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner will lock horns in the second semis. The match won’t start not before 10:30 PM IST, 7:00 PM local time.

Tragedy on tracks: Cricketer dies in pain on train; teammates say ’emergency calls ignored’ | Cricket News

Danijones1 week ago03 mins

Vikram Singh (Image credit: X) A devastating incident occurred aboard the Chhattisgarh Express when a 38-year-old disabled cricketer, Vikram Singh from Punjab, reportedly passed away while travelling from Delhi to Gwalior for a wheelchair cricket tournament. Singh’s health suddenly deteriorated during the journey, and despite numerous emergency calls, medical assistance failed to arrive in time.He passed away before the train reached Mathura station, despite repeated efforts to secure help.Singh and his teammates had boarded the Chhattisgarh Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin station on Wednesday night. He began experiencing severe pain shortly after departure, and his condition worsened rapidly as the train approached Mathura.According to reports, an emergency call was made to the railway helpline at 4:58 am, urgently requesting medical support. Despite several follow-up calls, no help materialised.The train was delayed by approximately 90 minutes and eventually reached Mathura station at 8:10 am. By then, Singh had already passed away. “He was in pain in front of our eyes. We kept calling for help, but it never came,” recounted one of his distraught teammates. Gautam Gambhir sends stern message after Bengaluru tragedy At Mathura Junction, Government Railway Police (GRP) officials removed Singh’s body and arranged for a postmortem. The GRP has initiated formal proceedings, while railway authorities have launched an internal investigation into the delayed response.The incident has brought to light serious concerns about the effectiveness of Indian Railways’ emergency medical systems. “This is not just a tragedy but a glaring reminder of the gaps in our railway medical emergency response,” said a senior player who was travelling with Vikram.The tragedy has prompted widespread outrage from disability rights advocates and the sporting community, who are questioning Indian Railways’ ability to adequately support differently-abled passengers in emergency situations—especially when timely intervention is critical.

Indian compound archery falls at World Cup; archers knocked out before medal rounds, big names disappoint | More sports News

Danijones1 week ago03 mins

Aditi Swami of India (Photo by Dean Alberga/Handout/World Archery Federation via Getty Images ) NEW DELHI: Indian compound archers failed to secure positions in medal rounds during the Archery World Cup Stage 3 individual category competitions on Friday.Following their impressive performance in Shanghai, where India claimed second position behind South Korea with two gold, one silver and four bronze medals, they are still awaiting their first medal here.In the women’s individual section, fourth-seeded Madhura Dhamangaonkar, who won the previous World Cup, suffered defeat against Mexico’s fifth-seeded Mariana Bernal with a score of 152-159.Mariana maintained steady performance throughout, while Madhura could not maintain momentum after scoring 29 from a possible 33 in the opening round.World champion Aditi Swami also faced elimination in the quarter-finals, losing 147-152 to Mexican second seed Andrea Becerra.In men’s competition, thirteenth-seeded Rishabh Yadav was defeated by French archer Nicolas Girard, seeded 28th, with a score of 149-157 in the quarter-finals.Prior to this, Yadav had defeated senior compatriot Abhishek Verma 157-154 in the pre-quarter-finals.World champion Ojas Deotale experienced an unexpected first-round elimination, losing 157-161 to American James Lutz.The Indian compound archers showed difficulty adapting to the new scoring system introduced at this stage.From the Antalya leg, the ‘X’ ring, being the innermost circle, now values 11 points, increasing the perfect score per round (three arrows) from 30 to 33.On Thursday, India had already been eliminated from team events in both recurve and compound divisions.They now aim to improve their campaign through the mixed team event scheduled later today.Additional expectations rest on the recurve individual events.

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South Africa’s Test squad for Zimbabwe Tests: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis included; series to start on June 28 | Cricket News

Danijones1 week ago03 mins

Dewald Brevis (Photo by Lee Warren/Gallo Images/Getty Images) NEW DELHI: South Africa have announced their Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to take place at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo from June 28 to July 10. The squad features the inclusion of young batters Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, who have been rewarded for their impressive performances in domestic cricket.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Pretorius, aged 19, had a breakthrough season in the CSA 4-Day series, scoring three centuries at an impressive average of 72.66, including a crucial 114 in the final that helped secure a draw for the Titans against the Lions. Brevis, on the other hand, amassed 573 runs in 12 innings, including two hundreds and two fifties, averaging 47.75.Lesego Senokwane, Codi Yusuf, and Prenelan Subrayen have also received call-ups to the Test team. Senokwane impressed with the bat, scoring 559 runs with two centuries, while Yusuf claimed 23 wickets at an average of 22.39. Subrayen showcased his all-round skills with an unbeaten half-century and a five-wicket haul for South Africa ‘A’ against West Indies A.With the series against Zimbabwe not part of the World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, and Tristan Stubbs have been rested to manage their workloads ahead of a busy season.Head coach Shukri Conrad expressed excitement about exposing the young talents to the demands of Test cricket and seeing how they respond. He also acknowledged the growth and maturity shown by Brevis in the longer format.Zubayr Hamza earned a recall after his last Test appearance in February 2022, while Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, and Lizaad Williams were not considered for selection due to injury management and rehabilitation plans.South Africa Test squad vs Zimbabwe: Temba Bavuma (captain), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch, Tony de Zorzi, Zubayr Hamza, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Lesego Senokwane, Prenelan Subrayen, Kyle Verreynne, Codi Yusuf.

Nellai Royal Kings vs Trichy Grand Cholas, TNPLT20, Today Match Prediction

Vann Hiso1 week ago1 week ago08 mins

𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇 : Nellai Royal Kings vs Trichy Grand Cholas 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 : June 07,Saturday𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 : 19:15 PM IST𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 : SNR College Cricket Stadium, Coimbatore, India𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 : Tamil Nadu Premier League, 2025 Nellai Royal Kings face off with Trichy in their opening game Nellai Royal Kings vs Trichy Grand Cholas TV channels: The fans can watch the match live on Hotstar Live Streaming: Live streaming of the match will be available on the FAFA191 Cricket Exchange India and website. NRK vs TGC Match Prediction & Analysis Tamil Nadu Premier League is back for another season. In the 3rd match of the league stage, we have Nellai Royal Kings taking on the Trichy Grand Cholas. The two sides failed to make it to the playoffs last year, with each team winning 3 games in their league stage. SNR College Cricket Ground in Coimbatore will host this match. It will also serve as the venue for the first eight matches of the TNPL 2025. The last time these two teams locked horns, it was the Cholas who emerged victorious at the Indian Cement Company Ground, Tirunelveli. All of the 3 lower middle order batters who led the successful run chase for Trichy in that game will continue to be part of the squad this year. R. Silambarasan is a major miss for the Kings this season. It will now be up to NS Harish and Emmanuel Cherian to lead the bowling attack for NRK. TEAMS PREVIEW Nellai Royal Kings Preview Arun Karthik is back to lead the Nellai Royal Kings. He will be joined by 4 other wicket-keeper batsmen this season. Along with R. Silambarasan, top-order batter Nidish Rajgopal will also be missing from the squad. While the skipper will be opening the innings, another wicket-keeper, Ajitesh Guruswamy, will be crucial at number 3. There are many options for replacing Rajgopal at number 4. The only batting all-rounder in the squad, Rocky Bhasker, is a likely candidate. Whereas Muhammad Adnan Khan has the potential to open the innings alongside Arun Karthik. In the lower-middle order, Rithik Easwaran and bowling all-rounders Sonu Yadav and Ajay Krishna will be expected to step up and deliver a quality finish. Since there aren’t many specialist bowlers in the squad, the bowling all-rounders will play a key role in the bowling department. Sonu Yadav and Emmanuel Cherian are the key wicket-takers to watch out for. Trichy Grand Cholas Preview The Cholas beat the Nellai Royal Kings last year and will be looking to start this season with the same result. They have retained many of their key performers from the last season. Jagatheesan Kousik has joined Trichy for 2025 and will be a key batsman to watch out for in this lineup. He’s an experienced and promising player who’s delivered consistently in this tournament. And though Washington Sundar is part of the squad, we don’t expect him to be in the XI given that he’s part of India’s squad for the upcoming England Tests. Sanjay Yadav and R Rajkumar will be the key bowling all-rounders. They have great potential and have delivered many match-winning performances with both bat and ball in previous seasons. Waseem Ahmed will have a new opening partner this year, and we expect it to be Jagatheesan Kousik. Batting all-rounders SP Vinod and Suresh Kumar are likely to feature in the middle order. There is great depth in the Cholas’ batting lineup, and that will be their biggest strength going into this match. The bowling attack features experienced players like skipper Anthony Das and V Athisaraya Davidson, who are the key wicket-takers in this squad. P Saravana Kumar and N Selva Kumaran make this bowling attack even stronger. Weather Conditions It will be partly cloudy in Coimbatore with a high of 32 degrees Celsius. It is likely to stay the same throughout the day. While the temperatures would likely fall to 25 degrees Celsius during the match, we expect cloud cover for the night. The conditions can help the pacers, allowing for some movement through the air with the new ball. NRK vs TGC Pitch Report SNR College Cricket Ground in Coimbatore is the venue for this game. It has a bowling-friendly pitch with the average 1st inning score in the last 10 matches being 139 runs. Only twice in these games has a team crossed the 180-run mark. While we don’t expect a high-scoring thriller, the teams should still be eyeing 165-170 runs to stay competitive in the game. Toss: To Bowl The chasing team performed significantly better at this venue in 2024. Many of the games were low-scoring affairs, with the team batting second winning 8 of the last 10 TNPL games. Trichy’s bowling strength would be a strong reason for Anthony Das to opt to bowl first and put the Cholas on top of the game. Bowling first is also a great way for the Kings to assess their new bowling combinations.