FIFA World Cup 2026: “Raphinha is progressing very well,” says Brazil…

New Jersey [US], July 5 (ANI): Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti said forward Raphinha is available for selection ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 clash against Norway, although the Barcelona winger has not yet returned to full fitness, according to Reuters.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday (local time), Ancelotti said Raphinha had made rapid progress in his recovery and could feature from the bench if required. bettingx.club

“Raphinha is progressing very well," Ancelotti told reporters, as quoted by Reuters, ahead of Brazil’s Round of 16 clash against Norway.

“He is still not at 100%, but he is available to be on the bench and to be able to play a few minutes or be useful at certain moments," he added.

The Brazil coach welcomed the player’s speedy recovery and stressed his importance to the national team.

“He recovered very well and very quickly. We are very happy with this because Raphinha is a very, very important player for the team," he said, as quoted by Reuters.

Brazil, however, will be without midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who suffered a hamstring strain during the team’s 2-1 victory over Japan in the previous round.

Ancelotti acknowledged Paqueta’s absence would require changes in midfield and said he would select his replacement based on the tactical demands of the match.

“We don’t have a player in the squad with Lucas Paqueta’s quality, so we have to replace him with another player," Ancelotti said, as quoted by Reuters.

“The characteristics are different. Danilo is different from Gabriel, who is different from Matheus Cunha and Ederso," he added.

The coach added that his final decision would depend on Brazil’s game plan and Norway’s strengths.

“I will choose the player based on our game plan, obviously taking into account the strength of the opponent, but also what is functional to the idea we want to implement tomorrow," he said.

Brazil will face Norway in the Round of 16 as the five-time world champions seek to continue their campaign and secure a place in the quarterfinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. (ANI)

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Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) [US], July 5 (ANI): France head coach Didier Deschamps said Paraguay used “every trick in the book" during their FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 encounter, while praising his players for staying composed in a hard-fought 1-0 victory that sent Les Bleus into the quarterfinals, according to Reuters.

Speaking after the match, Deschamps said he had instructed his players to protect striker Kylian Mbappe, anticipating physical challenges from the opposition.

“I asked the two biggest lads to go and stand around Kylian at the end because they were going to chop him down," Deschamps said, as quoted by Reuters.

The France coach acknowledged Paraguay’s disciplined defensive performance but criticised their approach, saying it made for an unattractive contest.

“It wasn’t easy. They use every trick in the book. It’s not the kind of football that will bring people to the stadium, but they defended well. It is always difficult against these South American teams," he said, as quoted by Reuters.

France booked a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in the Round of 16 at Lincoln Financial Field, thanks to Kylian Mbappe’s second-half penalty.

Despite dominating possession, Les Bleus found it difficult to break down Paraguay’s disciplined defence, with the South Americans frustrating Didier Deschamps’ side throughout the opening half.

The match became only the third FIFA World Cup knockout fixture since 1966 to reach halftime without a single shot on target, while tensions flared following a challenge on Mbappe that sparked a mass confrontation.

France finally broke the deadlock in the 66th minute after Desire Doue won a penalty, which Mbappe converted calmly. Paraguay pressed for an equaliser until the final whistle, but France held firm to secure victory and set up a quarterfinal clash with Morocco. (ANI)

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Former India wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer showered praise on teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, describing him as a “phenomenal young cricketer” who deserves a longer run at the highest level. Engineer, who was present at Old Trafford on Saturday to witness Vaibhav’s T20I debut against England, said he was surprised the youngster was not given an opportunity during India’s earlier T20I series against Ireland. Speaking exclusively to Revsportz from Manchester, the legendary cricketer also shared his views on Rishabh Pant’s omission from India’s white-ball squads, Sanju Samson’s inconsistency, whether India can produce another MS Dhoni, and several other talking points surrounding Indian cricket.

A lot has been spoken about teenage sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi. What are your initial observations?
Farokh Engineer: He’s a phenomenal young cricketer. I’m genuinely surprised he wasn’t given a chance against Ireland. If you’ve picked him in the squad, why not play him? Sanju Samson is an excellent player, but after a few failures, it makes sense to give the youngster an opportunity. Vaibhav is fearless, respectful towards seniors, and reminds me of my own batting—he’s not afraid to hit the first ball for six.

Has the reaction in the UK been similar to when Sachin Tendulkar first toured with India?
Farokh Engineer: Very much so, especially among the Indian diaspora. Everyone is asking why he hasn’t played yet. This T20 squad has largely been picked on IPL performances, and Vaibhav certainly earned his place. Give him exposure in English conditions—that’s the only way he’ll develop.

Some believe he should first settle into the dressing room before making his debut.
Farokh Engineer: I don’t agree. He’s already shared dressing rooms with senior international players in the IPL. He’s mature for his age. Throw him in at the deep end. Even if he fails once or twice, I’d persevere because he’s a once-in-a-generation talent. Every game he misses is a lost opportunity. Give him a proper run rather than just one match. Tell him he has nothing to prove and let him play his natural game. He has the confidence and the talent.

You even mentioned he could become another Sachin Tendulkar. That’s a big statement.
Farokh Engineer: Sachin is unique, and there’s no comparison at this stage. But if you’re comparing a young player, compare him with the best. Like Sachin, Vaibhav has entered international cricket at a very young age. If he comes anywhere close to Sachin’s achievements, it will be extraordinary.

So, you believe he should have played in the Ireland series?
Farokh Engineer: Absolutely. Match experience in English conditions is invaluable. Practice cannot replace time in the middle. He’s already shown his quality by hitting bowlers like Jofra Archer and Pat Cummins for sixes. He’s full of confidence—just let him play.

What do you like the most about him (Vaibhav) from whatever you’ve watched so far?
Farokh Engineer: He’s fearless. What I like most is the swing of his bat and the fact that he plays straight. He doesn’t play across the line or attempt too many risky shots. Anyone who hits the ball straight with a straight bat is usually a very good player. Not many have that talent or confidence, but he does. India is fortunate to have a player like him. So why keep him in the dressing room or just in the nets? Put him out in the middle. Throw him into the deep end. You either sink or swim. But I believe he’ll swim because, in the long run, he’ll be a tremendous asset for India. Hopefully, he’ll make an impact in the short term as well

In recent times, Rishabh Pant has found himself out of favour with the selectors and team management in white-ball cricket.
Farokh Engineer: Again, I don’t understand. Rishabh is a tried and tested player. He’s had a pretty decent IPL and has kept wickets well. I don’t think he has done much wrong.

The other two players you’ve just mentioned, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, have performed. It’s purely on the basis of performance that Rishabh Pant finds himself out of the picture.
Farokh Engineer: Hasn’t Rishabh Pant performed? Hasn’t he performed in Australia? Hasn’t he performed in England? Okay, he’s been a bit silly. I’m using the word “silly” because Sunil Gavaskar used that word. That was a silly shot he played at the wrong time. But I hope he’s matured since then. Rishabh is a wonderful guy, a wonderful wicketkeeper and a tremendous asset. Why have they left him out of the side? He should definitely be one of the first names in the white ball set up.

You talk about fearlessness. Obviously, he set a great example last year in that Old Trafford Test when he limped down the stairs to bat with a broken toe
Farokh Engineer: Absolutely. He’s a gutsy fellow. He’s put his life on the line for India, and then you go and ignore him. I don’t think that’s fair.

Sanju Samson and his inconsistency in T20 cricket. Should he get a longer rope or should Vaibhav Soorryavanshi take his place immediately?
Farokh Engineer: Sanju Samson is a very talented cricketer. He’s done extremely well in the IPL and whenever he’s had a chance. But of late, he’s had a bit of a blip. When you’ve got a man in form like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the dressing room in England, play him. He’s the man in form. You want your best XI out in the middle.

Will India ever get someone as good as MS Dhoni—the complete package?
Farokh Engineer: Why not? I was there before Dhoni, then he came on the scene, and now we’ve got Rishabh Pant. We’ve got Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson. We have so much talent. The selectors should be delighted. There’s tremendous bench strength and so many players to choose from. They’re spoiled for choice, which is wonderful for Indian cricket. Indian cricket has done absolute wonders. Our coaches and everyone involved have done a tremendous job. Losing two games against Ireland wasn’t in the script, that’s for sure. It’s great for Irish cricket and great for world cricket.

Finally, what advice would you like to give to Indian women wicketkeeper batter Richa Ghosh?
Farokh Engineer: She’s (Richa) been very, very good. I’ve been extremely impressed with her, especially her leg-side wicketkeeping. I’m surprised India didn’t make the final. I watched the game against South Africa Women at Old Trafford. But I’m glad Indian women’s cricket is progressing so well. We’ve got Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and several other very good players. I think our fielding let us down. We dropped a few catches at crucial moments, and that’s why we lost. Otherwise, we’ve got a very good side.

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The post If Vaibhav comes anywhere close to Sachin’s achievements, it will be extraordinary: Farokh Engineer appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan opined that India cricket team must consider Rajat Patidar for T20Is in the future, following the loss against England in the ENG vs IND 2nd T20I. Despite being in red-hot form, amassing runs in both domestic cricket and in IPL, and playing extremely well against spin, the Madhya Pradesh batter wasn’t considered for the series against Ireland and England. Pathan reckons that the RCB skipper needs to be considered by India in the shortest format of the game in order to strike a balance between left and right-handed batters in the playing XI.

‘Look at Rajat Patidar going forward’

Six out of the top seven batters fielded by India on Saturday in the IND vs ENG 2nd T20I were left-handed batters. Captain Shreyas Iyer, who came out to bat at number 4, was the only right-handed batter in the top 7. Had Sanju Samson played instead of being replaced by debutant Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI, then he would have been the second right-handed batter in the top seven. In light of the excessive presence of southpaws in India’s batting order, Pathan has suggested India to look at Patidar and said that he must get an opportunity soon, especially since India have a lot of time to experiment before the T20 World Cup in 2028.

“Looking at the number of left-hand batters in the Indian T20 team right now, it’s even more of a reason for Team India to look at Rajat Patidar going forward. I really hope he gets an opportunity, especially since there is still plenty of time for Team India to experiment before the next T20 World Cup,” Pathan wrote on social media platform X.

Ever since Gautam Gambhir has taken over as the head coach of the India cricket tram, the idea of using a left-right combination at all times has been discarded. It is no secret that GG prefers having more left-handers in the side irrespective of how the combination will look like.

Talking about Rajat’s performance in IPL 2026, he scored 501 runs from 14 innings He averaged 41.75, at a strike rate of 192.69. The RCB captain struck five fifties, 42 sixes and 30 fours, making it his best season since his IPL debut. Patidar has grown leaps and bounds in the shortest format of the game ever since making his IPL debut in 2022 and has led RCB to two back-to-back titles.

The post Time for India to consider Rajat Patidar for T20Is, excessive presence of left-handers flagged appeared first on Inside Sport India.