Things are looking up for Chelsea.

Despite a couple of poor results earlier in the season, Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League, with a chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then on Tuesday night, they showed the continent just how dangerous they are by beating Spanish champions Barcelona 3-0.

One of the stars of that game, and of Chelsea’s season, was Estevao, and so fans should be excited about reports linking them to someone who could be seen as the original version of the wonderkid.

Chelsea target the original Estevao

The transfer window is still over a month away from opening, but that has not stopped Chelsea from being linked with a host of potentially game-changing signings.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, Nottingham Forest’s man-mountain Murillo has been touted for a £79m move to Stamford Bridge, as has Athletic Bilbao’s £62m Nico Williams.

However, as talented as those two are, neither one can accurately be described as the original Estevao, unlike Vinícius Júnior.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Chelsea are one of a couple of teams interested in signing the Real Madrid superstar.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that should the Brazilian be up for sale in the summer, the Blues will be one of the frontrunners for his signature, alongside Manchester City.

However, the report has confirmed that, even though he’d have just a year left on his deal, Los Blancos would demand a fee of around £80m.

Even so, Vini Jr is a genuinely world-class player and someone Chelsea should be happy to break the bank on, especially as he’s the original Estevao.

Why Vini Jr is the original Estevao

Now, when it comes to the similarities between Vini Jr and Estevao, there are a few that are quite obvious and somewhat surface-level.

For example, they’re both exciting wide players, they’re both Brazilian, and now they’ve both played for the national team.

However, what makes the Madrid star the original version of the Chelsea star is how they were both spoken about prior to their big-money moves to Europe.

The Blues ace, for example, was labelled a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson a few months before his deal was agreed.

Likewise, when the 25-year-old arrived in Spain over seven years ago, president Florentino Perez said: “He’s a player who is already considered one of the great hopes of Brazilian and world football.

In short, the West Londoners’ new prospect looks to be following in the footsteps of the former Flamengo ace, and they’ll certainly hope he continues.

After all, despite having a slow start to life in the Spanish capital, the São Gonçalo-born monster has now amassed 340 appearances for the biggest club in the world, during which he has scored 111 goals and provided 89 assists.

Appearances

340

Starts

267

Minutes

24,291′

Goals

111

Assists

92

Points per Game

2.15

Moreover, he’s helped the club win everything there is to win in the game, including two Champions Leagues, three La Ligas and one Copa del Rey.

Finally, he also has some sensational underlying numbers to his name, with FBref ranking him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, with all that in mind, it’s hard to disagree with Ronaldo’s assertion that Vini Jr is “the best player in the world,” and therefore, Chelsea should be doing all they can to sign him next year, especially as he could help Estevao’s development.

Chelsea have already signed another exciting star who's "just like Estevao"

Chelsea have already signed another youngster who could become another Estevao for Enzo Maresca.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025

In a list of best baseball ideas of the past 50 years, the Home Run Derby has to rank near the top.

What once was a mere sideshow to the All-Star Game's festivities has come to exist on the same plane as the event itself. The Derby submits for fans' consideration something that was true in the 1920s, 1950s and 1990s, and something that continues to be true in modern times: the majesty of the home run is like nothing else in North American sports.

It has created superstars—New York Yankees right fielder and designated hitter Aaron Judge's 2017 performance, for instance, put him on the pop-culture map. It has driven ratings in a barren portion of the sports calendar. It has done, consistently, for MLB what the Slam Dunk Contest once did for the NBA.

Styles of play are temporary, but since Cleveland Forest Citys third baseman Ezra Sutton hit the first big-league one on May 8, 1871, home runs have proven immortal.

Here's a look at the Home Run Derby's single-event and all-time record-holders for home runs.

Who has the most home runs in a single Home Run Derby?

That record is held by rookie Toronto Blue Jays third baseman and designated hitter Vladimir Guerrero Jr. during his 2019 coming-out party in Cleveland. Amazingly, in a quirk of the competition's bracketed format, Guerrero did not win—he would have to wait until 2023 to do that.

HOME RUNS

PLAYER

TEAM

YEAR

91

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

2019

82

Randy Arozarena

Tampa Bay Rays

2023

81

Julio Rodríguez

Seattle Mariners

2022

74

Pete Alonso

New York Mets

2021

72

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

2023

61

Julio Rodríguez

Seattle Mariners

2023

Giancarlo Stanton

Miami Marlins

2016

60

Joc Pederson

Los Angeles Dodgers

2019

59

Trey Mancini

Baltimore Orioles

2021

57

Pete Alonso

New York Mets

2019

Who has the most home runs in the Home Run Derby all-time?

No player in the 21st century has embraced the Home Run Derby quite like New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. Alonso bested Guerrero in that epic 2019 Derby and went on to win it again in the summer of 2021. Additional Derby trips in 2022 and 2023 have made him the most prolific home-run hitter in its history.

HOME RUNS

PLAYER

TEAM(S)

YEAR(S)

207

Pete Alonso

New York Mets

2019, ’21 to ’24

163

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

2019, ’23

142

Julio Rodríguez

Seattle Mariners

2022 to ’23

106

Albert Pujols

St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels

2003, ’07, ’09, ’15, ’22

99

Joc Pederson

Los Angeles Dodgers

2015, ’19

Juan Soto

Washington Nationals

2021 to ’22

91

Todd Frazier

Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox

2014 to ’16

83

Giancarlo Stanton

Miami Marlins

2014, ’16 to ’17

82

Randy Arozarena

Tampa Bay Rays

2023

81

Prince Fielder

Milwaukee Brewers and Detroit Tigers

2009, ’12

So far, two participants have been announced for the 2025 Home Run Derby: Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. and Seattle Mariners catcher and designated hitter Cal Raleigh. Each will need to bash at least 57 home runs to crack the top 10 in a single derby, and two-time Derby participant Acuna needs at least 18 to break into the career top 10.

There's bad news for MLB teams that lost Game 1 of their wild-card series on Tuesday. Based on past results, it's unlikely that they'll come back to win the series.

As USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted, since MLB moved to its current postseason format in 2022, there have been 12 wild-card series. Ten of those 12 series have ended in sweeps. In addition to that, no team that lost the first game has wound up advancing to the next round.

That's really bad news for the Guardians, Padres, Yankees, and Reds, who all lost the opening games of their respective matchups on Tuesday. All head into Wednesday facing elimination, and the numbers suggest they'll all wind up on vacation soon.

The only teams to force a third game under the current format were the Mets in 2022 and the Brewers in 2024.

The 2022 Mets were hosting the Padres at Citi Field, but lost the opener of the series 7-1. They won Game 2 7-3, but lost Game 3 6-0 in the infamous Joe Musgrove ear game.

Last season, the Brewers lost Game 1 of their wild-card series against the Mets 8-4 at American Family Field. They bounced back in Game 2 to win 5-3, but New York bested Milwaukee 4-2 in Game 3.

We'll see if any of the trailing teams can reverse the trend this year.

For the second straight year, no MLB team finished the regular season with 100 wins. In 2024, that resulted in the Yankees and Dodgers, a pair of No. 1 seeds and teams from the sport’s two biggest markets, qualifying for the World Series. What will happen this year with both of those franchises starting their postseason runs Tuesday in the wild-card round?

SI senior writers Tom Verducci, Stephanie Apstein and Ryan Phillips along with editors Will Laws and Nick Selbe make their picks all the way through the World Series as well as some bold predictions.

American League Bracket

Tom Verducci

AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Yankees over Mariners

Stephanie Apstein

AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Yankees over Mariners

The Yankees are an incredibly flawed baseball team, but they are so talented that I think they're going to get away with it. You don't have to know how many outs there are in the inning if you just club the ball over the fence all the time. That said, I think eventually they will face a team that's more talented and less flawed, and they'll be in some trouble. (See below.) 

Will Laws

AL Wild Card: Tigers over Guardians
AL Wild Card: Red Sox over Yankees
AL Division Series: Mariners over Tigers
AL Division Series: Blue Jays over Red Sox
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Blue Jays

The AL’s two best pitchers can help their teams pull off first-round upsets. The Blue Jays are the most overlooked No. 1 seed in recent memory, which could fuel them to the World Series, but I have a hard time overlooking the lack of swing-and-miss in their gray-haired rotation. It’s about time Seattle made a World Series—and after the Mariners’ midseason moves, they have enough offense to support their stellar pitching staff.

Nick Selbe

AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Yankees

The Yankees have the offensive firepower. The Mariners have a loaded pitching staff. The difference will be Seattle's much-improved offense, with Julio Rodríguez possessing the star power to seize the moment on the big stage. Cal Raleigh, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Eugenio Suárez provide enough thump to give the Mariners their first-ever World Series appearance.

Ryan Phillips

AL Wild Card: Guardians over Tigers
AL Wild Card: Yankees over Red Sox
AL Division Series: Mariners over Guardians
AL Division Series: Yankees over Blue Jays
AL Championship Series: Mariners over Yankees

The Toronto Blue Jays are off to a dream start to their postseason run, jumping out to a 2–0 series lead over the New York Yankees to open the American League Division Series.

Starring for the Blue Jays is slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who has six hits in nine at-bats so far in the series, and a home run in each game, including a grand slam that sent the Toronto crowd into absolute elation on Sunday.

The Blue Jays are no strangers to the postseason, having played playoff baseball in three of the past five seasons, but this is already their first trip past the wild-card round since 2016, and if they can make a run to the World Series, it will be their first appearance since taking back-to-back titles in 1992 and ‘93.

Guerrero, who has spent the entirety of his career in Toronto, was asked if he felt there was something different about this year’s team compared to others. Through a translator, he provided a succinct answer.

"Today was optional for everyone here,” Guerrero said. “And we're all here."

The Blue Jays will have the chance to put away the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS on Tuesday night. If Guerrero can keep up his astounding run at the plate, they should have a good shot at finishing the job.

LOS ANGELES — From a business perspective, there has never been any question that Shohei Ohtani is most valuable to the Dodgers as a two-way star: Designated hitters don’t tend to become national heroes in Japan and earn their teams an estimated $70 million in sponsorship revenue. From the player’s standpoint, there has never been any discussion, either.

“The reason why I’m a two-way player is because that’s who I am, and it’s what I can do,” Ohtani said last week.

But viewed through the lens of baseball, there was reason to be cautious. It wasn’t just the injury concern, although that certainly caught the Dodgers’ attention; Ohtani’s return to pitching this season has come after his second elbow reconstruction. “There is a cost,” acknowledges manager Dave Roberts. He adds, “What [another ailment] would essentially do is lose two players.”

People at the airport, on bikes, on trucks, the BCB – everyone wanted a slice of Akbar Ali and Co

Mohammad Isam in Mirpur12-Feb-2020Soon after arriving in Mirpur, Bangladesh’s Under-19 World Cup-winning captain Akbar Ali sat straight-faced between BCB president Nazmul Hasan and coach Naveed Nawaz at a press conference. Having arrived in the city from South Africa at 5pm local time, they made their way through the crowds of media crews, selfie-seekers, and hangers-on at the airport. Akbar first met his father at the VIP lounge after getting past the initial crowd of photographers and the airport staff.The short walkway from the VIP lounge building to the team bus was filled with flowers for both the players and the support staff. Rakibul Hasan and Shoriful Islam had wide smiles on their faces and the BCB enlivened the occasion by linking up Mrittunjoy Chowdhury with the squad when they took the bus. The allrounder had been forced to return home midway through the World Cup due to a shoulder injury.ALSO READ: The buzz in Bangladesh – Under-19 world champions are the toast of the townAkbar and his team-mates watched thousands line up on one side of the highway as the roads were shut down in order to get the players to their destination quickly. In addition to hundreds of bikes, there were pick-up trucks with several people, holding posters and banners, and cheering on the World Cup winners.When the players reached the Shere Bangla National Stadium’s gate at around 6.30pm, a larger crowd was waiting for them. Chants of “Bangladesh! Bangladesh! Bangladesh!” reverberated through the area as they entered the stadium. There was also a similarly big crowd waiting to catch a slice of the champions inside the stadium. They eventually walked through the entrance to the playing arena, on a red carpet, to massive cheers.

The Bangladesh U-19 team are welcomed home as heroes pic.twitter.com/z7lvDIoHMY

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) February 12, 2020

The selfie-seekers then approached the players, who were then given a few minutes to rest behind the stage. There, some of their friends, who had come from Mirpur and other areas, welcomed the players home.Then, they cut a cake, waved at the crowd and headed to the home dressing room. When Akbar was finally seated in the press conference room, he must’ve been tired.However, his face lit up as soon as the World Cup trophy appeared. He looked at his coach, exchanging smiles and some words. After a week, the players are likely to be given a civic reception in Dhaka.During the press conference, Nazmul also announced that the victorious Under-19 cricketers will be enrolled into a new Under-21 unit of the board to sharpen their skills and prepare them for international cricket. Each player will be paid BDT 100,000 (approximately USD 1,250) per month during the two years of this training.Bangladesh’s Under-19 stars received a rousing welcome•Raton Gomes/BCB”They will be getting specialised training to upgrade their skills,” Nazmul said. “They will be paid BDT 100,000 per month for these two years. Our fund for this is unlimited. It will be renewed after two years if they improve. If anyone shows lack of interest, he will not be given the contract. We want to make their path to the senior team easier, and for that we will also arrange tours for them.”Akbar largely flew under the radar during the World Cup, but Nawaz was particularly impressed with how he had gone about his business calmly. Akbar’s sound temperament was on bright display in the final, where he steered the side home with an unbeaten 43.”I think Akbar was the least talked about player up to the World Cup final,” Nawaz said “He has done unbelievable things in the last two years. He bats at No. 7 and does the hardest things for us. I don’t think he batted in New Zealand and Sri Lanka. We sometimes had to shuffle the batting order to give Nos. 6 and 7 a hit in the middle.”We always knew he had the temperament and confidence to finish games. He is one of the best players under pressure, keeping his cool. As long as he is in the middle, we have the confidence in the dressing room that we can win the game.”Nawaz was also pleased with the clarity the players had shown in their roles and in assessing the conditions in Potchefstroom.”The boys played a lot of cricket in 2019,” he said. “They were experienced by the time the World Cup began, and they were clear of their individual roles. We had specific plans, particularly to play on the Potchefstroom wicket, where 250 is a good score. It was drilled into the players that we don’t need to do too much.”The Under-19 players will spend the night at the BCB’s Academy residency before heading home to see their families. Shahadat Hossain can return to his mother who worked extra hard to put food on the table after his father had passed away. Shahin Alam will reunite with his father, a brick-kiln worker in a remote village in Kurigram, while Rakibul can rejoice with his parents, and perhaps crack a joke or two about spending money – that was meant to be saved for a tutor – on joining a cricket academy.Akbar will walk into his home in Rangpur where his sister had passed away last week. What his family must be going through is inexplicable, but Akbar has displayed great composure through the personal turmoil, delivering Bangladesh the Under-19 World Cup title.Can he maintain that composure and make the step up to the next level?

Also: what’s the record for the most bowlers used in an ODI?

Steven Lynch10-Mar-2020Was Beth Mooney’s 78 not out the highest score in a T20 World Cup final? asked Jan Peterson from Australia
Beth Mooney’s unbeaten 78 in Melbourne at the weekend was the highest in a women’s T20 World Cup final – and the 75 her opening partner, Alyssa Healy, made was the second highest. They both beat the previous best, Hayley Matthews’ 66 for West Indies against Australia in Kolkata in April 2016. The highest in a men’s final is 85 not out, by Marlon Samuels for West Indies against England, again in Kolkata in April 2016; Samuels is also second, with 78 against Sri Lanka in Colombo in October 2012.India’s recent Test at Christchurch featured six half-centuries, but the highest score was only 55. Was this some sort of record? asked Sujay Hathwar from the United States
Statsguru tells me that there have now been 111 Tests with six or more scores of 50-plus but no hundreds – and the 55s of Hanuma Vihari and Tom Blundell in the recent match in Christchurch were the lowest top individual scores from those games. The previous mark was six fifties but a highest of 67, in a tense match between West Indies and Pakistan in Bridgetown in 1987-88.England’s Test against Pakistan at Lord’s in May 2018 featured eight half-centuries but a highest score of 70. The most fifties in a single Test without a hundred is 13, by South Africa and England in Durban in 1927-28, when the highest individual score was Wally Hammond’s 90.There were 14 bowlers in Australia’s third ODI in South Africa – was this a record? asked David Weston from England
South Africa and Australia both used seven bowlers in the third one-day international in Potchefstroom at the weekend – but this was some way short of the ODI record. That currently stands at 17, by Afghanistan (nine) and Canada (eight) in Sharjah in February 2010. There are also 13 cases of 16 different bowlers in the same match.The Test record was set in a quiet draw between South Africa and England in Cape Town in 1964-65, when 20 different bowlers were used, the only unemployed men being the two wicketkeepers, Denis Lindsay and Jim Parks. The T20I record is 16 bowlers, which has happened twice – in matches on successive days, both involving Papua New Guinea, in last year’s T20 World Cup Qualifier. On October 19 they used nine bowlers and Bermuda seven in Dubai, and the next day both PNG and Namibia employed eight bowlers, on a different ground in Dubai.Graeme Smith made more than 8000 Test runs for South Africa during his time as captain•Associated PressI noticed that Virat Kohli recently passed 5000 Test runs as captain. Who is top of this list? asked Gagan Sharma from India
After the recent series in New Zealand, Virat Kohli had scored 5142 runs in 55 Tests as captain. That puts him in sixth place overall, not far behind New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming (5156 from 80 matches) and West Indies’ Clive Lloyd (5233 in 74). A little further ahead lie the Australian pair of Ricky Ponting (6542 in 77) and Allan Border (6623 in 93), but way out in front at the moment is Graeme Smith, who amassed 8659 runs in 109 Tests as captain. Kohli averages 61.21 as skipper, the highest of anyone with more than 3000 runs, with the predictable exceptions of Steve Smith (70.36) and Don Bradman (101.51).Who has played the most Tests and ODIs at a single venue? asked Lawrence Broughton from England
The Test record-holder is Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene, who played 27 at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo – which was also his home club. Muttiah Muralitharan played 24 Tests at the SSC, which puts him third; Alastair Cook made 26 Test appearances at Lord’s. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have both played 23 Tests at Lord’s so far.In one-day internationals, the list is headed by the Bangladeshi trio of wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, allrounder Shakib Al Hasan and opener Tamim Iqbal, who have played 86, 80 and 78 matches respectively in Mirpur. Next comes Pakistan’s Wasim Akram, who played 77 times in Sharjah.Rahim also leads the way in T20Is, as he has played 24 in Mirpur; Mahmudullah has appeared 21 times at that ground. Hamilton Masakadza played 20 T20Is in Harare, and Umar Akmal 20 in Dubai. Overall, Rahim has played 129 matches in all three international formats in Mirpur, al Hasan 116, Iqbal 111, and Mahmudullah 106. Next come Masakadza and his Zimbabwean team-mate Elton Chigumbura, with 101 and 94 in Harare.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

From that unforgettable 5 for 6 to the less heralded but no less scintillating none for 19

Danyal Rasool17-Oct-20204-0-15-3 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2007 T20 World Cup semi-final
Halfway through this game, New Zealand sat relatively comfortably at 72 for 1, with Scott Styris and Brendon McCullum at the crease, as they looked for a strong finish. Shoaib Malik threw the ball to Gul in the 12th over, and as he began to grind through his gears, New Zealand’s momentum was cut to ribbons. The first over yielded three, before Gul sent down the first of the yorkers that would become a trademark. Two wickets in his second over saw the back of both Styris and Peter Fulton, before Gul went around the wicket to the big hitting Jacob Oram, a full delivery coaxing an edge through to the keeper. He would tie Ross Taylor up in the 18th over too, allowing just four runs, to finish his spell having given away just 15 runs. By this time, NZ were seven down for 120, and Gul had made the job much easier for Pakistan in the chase.4-0-28-3 – Pakistan vs India, 2007 T20 World Cup final
One of Gul’s best international performances, yet without doubt the most bittersweet. Once more, he was thrust in after India had begun well. Gautam Gambhir had just smashed Shahid Afridi for six, and at 82 for 2 in 11, India were slightly ahead. A wayward first over was followed by the wicket of the in-form Yuvraj Singh, the batsman too early on the shot with Gul completing a smart return catch. It would get better in his next when MS Dhoni tried to smash him out of Johannesburg. Gul’s delivery was like a guided missile locked in on its target, and as Dhoni connected with air, Gul left his stumps in a mess. There was time enough to snare Gambhir off his last ball, an attempted yorker the left-hander tried to paddle sweep, only to find Mohammad Asif at short fine-leg. Gul had single-handedly given Pakistan a huge sniff, even though they ended up agonisingly short.To many, Umar Gul’s 3-0-6-5 remains the best T20 spell ever•PA Images via Getty Images4-0-23-4 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2008
Gul was a high-value pick in the inaugural edition of the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and he made good on the hype; only two bowlers – Sohail Tanvir and Shoaib Akhtar – had a better average than him all season. But it was in his final match that Gul served up his best IPL performance. Opening the bowling, he trapped James Hopes in front, before returning at the death to consign Kumar Sangakkara, who had raced to 64, to the same fate. The lower-middle order would then be no match for the yorker specialist, with Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla cleaned up in successive balls to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 174. He would go on to play a role with the bat, too, blitzing 24 off 11 to set up a final-over victory for his side alongside Sourav Ganguly.3-0-6-5 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2009 T20 World Cup
If Gul wanted to have his achievements tattooed on his person, his figures in this match would make the cut. The best T20I figures at the time – to many, the best spell in T20I history no matter what the record books say – Gul ripped the heart out of New Zealand to convert a contest into a cakewalk. Only introduced in the 13th over, Gul made sure New Zealand were done before he could finish his spell. The wicket of Styris – thanks to a 35-metre running catch from Afridi – set things in motion, but it was all Gul thereafter. His devastating yorkers sent Peter McGlashan back, before he returned to rattle the stumps of Nathan McCullum and James Franklin with toe-crushers far better batsmen would have been helpless against. Kyle Mills’ scalp completed the five-for, and New Zealand were shot out for 99.3-0-19-0 – Pakistan vs South Africa, 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final
An unlikely candidate based on the figures, perhaps, but you’d have to remember the game, and the extraordinary tautness of the mood, to understand why this makes the list. Pakistan had set South Africa 150 to chase down for a spot in the final, and Jacques Kallis looked like he had set the foundation for the chase. Gul himself was spanked for ten in his first, but a splendid 17th over, just after Fawad Alam had conceded 15, saw the asking rate soar above 12.He wouldn’t get any wickets, but the length meant Kallis could never get under the ball, and the pendulum swung Pakistan’s way. It came down to the penultimate over, with South Africa needing 28, and Gul needed to rein in Albie Morkel and JP Duminy. In a glorious chapter of Golden Age Umar Gul, South Africa had to face six yorkers in a row; they might well have all landed in the same spot for their accuracy. Just six singles were scavenged from that over, and Gul had booked his side another shot at T20 glory.

From that unforgettable 5 for 6 to the less heralded but no less scintillating none for 19

Danyal Rasool17-Oct-20204-0-15-3 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2007 T20 World Cup semi-final
Halfway through this game, New Zealand sat relatively comfortably at 72 for 1, with Scott Styris and Brendon McCullum at the crease, as they looked for a strong finish. Shoaib Malik threw the ball to Gul in the 12th over, and as he began to grind through his gears, New Zealand’s momentum was cut to ribbons. The first over yielded three, before Gul sent down the first of the yorkers that would become a trademark. Two wickets in his second over saw the back of both Styris and Peter Fulton, before Gul went around the wicket to the big hitting Jacob Oram, a full delivery coaxing an edge through to the keeper. He would tie Ross Taylor up in the 18th over too, allowing just four runs, to finish his spell having given away just 15 runs. By this time, NZ were seven down for 120, and Gul had made the job much easier for Pakistan in the chase.4-0-28-3 – Pakistan vs India, 2007 T20 World Cup final
One of Gul’s best international performances, yet without doubt the most bittersweet. Once more, he was thrust in after India had begun well. Gautam Gambhir had just smashed Shahid Afridi for six, and at 82 for 2 in 11, India were slightly ahead. A wayward first over was followed by the wicket of the in-form Yuvraj Singh, the batsman too early on the shot with Gul completing a smart return catch. It would get better in his next when MS Dhoni tried to smash him out of Johannesburg. Gul’s delivery was like a guided missile locked in on its target, and as Dhoni connected with air, Gul left his stumps in a mess. There was time enough to snare Gambhir off his last ball, an attempted yorker the left-hander tried to paddle sweep, only to find Mohammad Asif at short fine-leg. Gul had single-handedly given Pakistan a huge sniff, even though they ended up agonisingly short.To many, Umar Gul’s 3-0-6-5 remains the best T20 spell ever•PA Images via Getty Images4-0-23-4 – Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, IPL 2008
Gul was a high-value pick in the inaugural edition of the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders, and he made good on the hype; only two bowlers – Sohail Tanvir and Shoaib Akhtar – had a better average than him all season. But it was in his final match that Gul served up his best IPL performance. Opening the bowling, he trapped James Hopes in front, before returning at the death to consign Kumar Sangakkara, who had raced to 64, to the same fate. The lower-middle order would then be no match for the yorker specialist, with Irfan Pathan and Piyush Chawla cleaned up in successive balls to restrict Kings XI Punjab to 174. He would go on to play a role with the bat, too, blitzing 24 off 11 to set up a final-over victory for his side alongside Sourav Ganguly.3-0-6-5 – Pakistan vs New Zealand, 2009 T20 World Cup
If Gul wanted to have his achievements tattooed on his person, his figures in this match would make the cut. The best T20I figures at the time – to many, the best spell in T20I history no matter what the record books say – Gul ripped the heart out of New Zealand to convert a contest into a cakewalk. Only introduced in the 13th over, Gul made sure New Zealand were done before he could finish his spell. The wicket of Styris – thanks to a 35-metre running catch from Afridi – set things in motion, but it was all Gul thereafter. His devastating yorkers sent Peter McGlashan back, before he returned to rattle the stumps of Nathan McCullum and James Franklin with toe-crushers far better batsmen would have been helpless against. Kyle Mills’ scalp completed the five-for, and New Zealand were shot out for 99.3-0-19-0 – Pakistan vs South Africa, 2009 T20 World Cup semi-final
An unlikely candidate based on the figures, perhaps, but you’d have to remember the game, and the extraordinary tautness of the mood, to understand why this makes the list. Pakistan had set South Africa 150 to chase down for a spot in the final, and Jacques Kallis looked like he had set the foundation for the chase. Gul himself was spanked for ten in his first, but a splendid 17th over, just after Fawad Alam had conceded 15, saw the asking rate soar above 12.He wouldn’t get any wickets, but the length meant Kallis could never get under the ball, and the pendulum swung Pakistan’s way. It came down to the penultimate over, with South Africa needing 28, and Gul needed to rein in Albie Morkel and JP Duminy. In a glorious chapter of Golden Age Umar Gul, South Africa had to face six yorkers in a row; they might well have all landed in the same spot for their accuracy. Just six singles were scavenged from that over, and Gul had booked his side another shot at T20 glory.