Jude Bellingham has already matched David Beckham and made Real Madrid “forget about” Karim Benzema, claims his former manager at Birmingham.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Denmark performed a miracle in 1992, somehow winning the European Championship – despite not actually qualifying for the tournament. It is the unlikeliest win in football history and we're not sure how it'll ever be beaten.
This was a team that shouldn't have been near the trophy anyway, wasn't supposed to be there and even lacked the greatest player in their history. Yet, Denmark made history against just about every odd.
Here at Football Fancast, we've got all you need to know about how Euro '92 went down.
They didn't. The European Championship was a much smaller competition back then, with only eight teams qualifying. There were seven qualifying groups from which only the winners made it through to the finals, joining the host nation.
The host nation in 1992 was Sweden, so they had automatic entry. France, England, Scotland, Germany and the Netherlands were the other non-complicated qualifiers. Then things were a bit of a mess.
C.I.S were one team, which needs some explanation. This was the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Soviet Union had qualified but then collapsed, and were replaced by C.I.S. This was essentially the same team just under a different, temporary name.
Then there was Yugoslavia. They were a very strong team back then, reaching the 1990 World Cup quarter-finals and finishing above Denmark to win their qualifying group. However, the war which led to the nation's eventual break-up saw UN sanctions that prohibited their national team from competing. UEFA made the decision to replace them with the Group 4 runners-up, Denmark, as a result.
And so the Danes were in. Somehow.
Denmark had won six of their eight qualifying games, losing to Yugoslavia and drawing with Northern Ireland. That got them second in the group and, as spoken about above, within a point of qualification.
But it's important to note that no one gave them a chance here. Denmark hadn't qualified for the 1990 World Cup two years prior, nor would they make it to the following World Cup in 1994. They'd exited at the group stage in the 1988 European Championships, too.
So while there were some great players in the side, this was not a team with any great reputation. And, of course, they didn't even have all of their great players – they arguably lacked their greatest…
Two players in the squad really stood out – Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup. That's highlighted by the fact they finished 5th and 6th respectively in the Ballon d'Or voting for 1992, with Marco van Basten taking the gong for the third time in his career.
It's worth noting that Michael Laudrup finished 7th. He'd almost certainly have won the award if he'd been involved with the Euro '92 victory, though it's very debatable whether it could have happened with him in the side.
Peter Schmeichel had joined Manchester United in 1991, so he'd played one season with them ahead of this tournament. His reputation was growing rapidly, too.
The Dane was a relative unknown when he moved to United. His performances for Brondby in the UEFA Cup essentially earned him that move, but it was at Euro '92 that the world really saw just how good he was.
Schmeichel was essential as both someone to pass the ball back to but also as a world-class shot-stopper. His saves in the final are iconic, as is his penalty save from Marco van Basten in the semi-final.
The IFFHS named Schmeichel the world's best goalkeeper in both 1992 and 1993 following this tournament – awards he'd never win again. UEFA repeated the 1992 and 1993 awards, but did also name him the best in 1998.
Michael Laudrup is unquestionably the greatest footballer that Denmark has ever produced. He was one of the absolute best in the world in the late 80s/early 90s – there were periods where you could easily argue that he was the best.
Laudrup was a vital piece of Johan Cruyff's dream team at Barcelona, playing as the main playmaker in the side. That team was, until Pep Guardiola's, the best the Catalonians had seen, winning their first European Cup in 1992.
He'd remain with Barcelona until 1994, before falling out with Cruyff and leaving on a free transfer to join Real Madrid. Guardiola, then a teammate of Laudrup's, reportedly cried when he heard.
One fact is always good to show off just how important Laudrup was at the time. In the 1993/94 season, the Dane was at Barcelona as they won La Liga and beat Real Madrid 5-0 as their rivals finished fourth. The following season, he was at Real Madrid as they won La Liga and beat Barcelona 5-0 as their rivals finished fourth.
In other words, Laudrup was fantastic.
Despite being Denmark's main man, Laudrup's decision to give the tournament a miss makes what was to come even more remarkable.
Laudrup, along with his brother Brian, fell out with manager Richard Møller Nielsen just three games into the qualifying campaign. They promptly withdrew from the squad and didn't feature again in qualifying.
Brian Laudrup would return to the squad after their 'qualification', however, and played an integral role. Michael, though, reportedly rated Denmark's chances so lowly that he didn't see much point in abandoning his holiday plans.
He remained at home for the tournament but did make a return the following year. Something must have changed his mind.
This is a strange one for anyone who started watching football post-1992, but goalkeepers used to be able to pick the ball up in the box no matter how it arrived at them. In other words, there was no law preventing a goalkeeper from picking the ball up if his own teammate had passed to him with his feet.
"But couldn't teams just waste time by passing it back and forth to their goalkeeper?" you ask. Yes, they could and they very much did so. Italia '90, however, saw things go too far – in one game, Ireland's goalkeeper held onto the ball for a total of six minutes.
The laws of the game were changed as a result in an effort to stop such defensive football. Those laws only came into effect after Euro '92, though – this tournament saw the very last football without the backpass rule.
Denmark would take advantage.
One team stood out above all: Germany. They had won the 1990 World Cup and finished second in the two tournaments before that. They'd finished third in Euro '88, too, narrowly losing in the semi-finals to eventual winners the Netherlands.
And it's worth mentioning the Netherlands here. They went into Euro '92 as holders and boasted some of the best players on the planet – Marco van Basten the standout alongside Ruud Gullit. A young Dennis Bergkamp would shine at the tournament, too.
France were a notable side going into it. They'd won every qualifying game and had Jean-Pierre Papin in their ranks – the reigning Ballon d'Or holder.
England perhaps had an outside chance. They'd impressed at Italia '90 but their qualification campaign was a struggle, with three wins and three draws in a group with the Republic of Ireland, Poland and Turkey.
On paper, Denmark didn't have much of a chance of progression. They were in a group with hosts Sweden, France and England. Sweden and Denmark were comfortably the outsiders here, with the latter two fully expected to progress.
However, Sweden topped the group and Denmark came second as both England and France struggled. The Three Lions scored just one goal across their three games in a 2-1 defeat against Sweden that sealed their fate.
France didn't fare much better. They drew with both England and Sweden before losing 2-1 to Denmark. With that, the Danes escaped from their group as runners-up and were into the semi-finals.
Denmark went on to face Group B winners the Netherlands in the semis (yes, we're straight into the semi-final stage here given there were only eight teams to begin with). It was never going to be an easy fixture given Germany were the other team progressing from that group.
The Netherlands had the most star-studded lineup going, though. Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald Koeman and Dennis Bergkamp headlined – some of the absolute best players on the planet.
Henrik Larsen (not that one) put Denmark 1-0 up after just five minutes but Bergkamp equalised midway through the second half. Larsen then scored again before half-time, sending the Danes into the break with an unlikely lead. However, Rijkaard would strike with just a few minutes to play, forcing extra-time. No goals in that period sent things to penalties.
And a sign that it was Denmark's tournament arrived in the shootout. Every player scored but one – Van Basten. His spot-kick was heroically saved by Peter Schmeichel to send the unlikely entrants all the way to the final.
Denmark met, perhaps inevitably, world champions Germany in the Euro '92 final. Though, this German team hadn't been as impressive as many expected.
They'd only narrowly beaten Sweden to reach the final, squeezing past them 3-2. Their group stage campaign wasn't particularly good, either – the Netherlands beat them comfortably, while they'd also drawn with C.I.S. Their only win came against first-time entrants Scotland.
Despite that, Germany were unquestionably the better team from the start. They repeatedly tested Peter Schmeichel in goal, but it was Denmark who scored against the run of play. John Jensen opened things up on 18 minutes with his first international goal.
The favourites continued to push, of course, but Denmark had the lead they craved. They played an incredibly defensive game, taking full advantage of the pre-backpass rule era to find safety with Schmeichel. Despite being completely fine with holding onto the lead, though, Kim Vilfort struck on 78 minutes to wrap things up.
Denmark won 2-0, then, with what was the most unlikely win in the history of football. They weren't even supposed to be there…
He was also the manager of the Virat Kohli-led Under-19 side that won the World Cup in 2008
ESPNcricinfo staff26-Aug-2018Gopal Bose, the former India batsman and Bengal captain, died aged 71, in Birmingham on Sunday.Bose represented Bengal in 78 first-class games from 1968 to 1978, scoring 3757 runs at 30.79 with eight hundreds. He also took 72 wickets with his offspin, with a best of 5 for 67. He also featured in eight List A games.The bespectacled opener was known for his ability to play long innings and once shared a 194-run opening stand with Sunil Gavaskar in a first-class game during the tour of Sri Lanka in 1973-74. He made 104.His only ODI appearance came against England at The Oval in 1974. He scored 13 runs and picked up the wicket of David Lloyd.Bose later served as a Bengal selector and coached their junior team as well. He was also the manager of the Virat Kohli-led India Under-19 side that won the World Cup in 2008.
Sadio Mane somehow escaped a red card after grabbing an opponent by his throat in Al-Nassr's AFC Champions League loss to Al Ain.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Josh Sargent continues his incredible form in the Championship as he grabbed his 12th goal of the season in a 5-0 win over Rotherham on Saturday.
Article continues below
Article continues below
Article continues below
Norwich beat Rotherham 5-0 American forward in fine form Sargent scored the fourth for his side GettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The United States international has been in scorching form this campaign and was once again in the thick of things as the Canaries thrashed Rotherham 5-0 on Saturday afternoon at Carrow Road. Just within a minute of first-half stoppage time, Jack Stacey set him up with a delightful cross from the right flank and the forward stabbed it first time beyond the reach of Viktor Johansson between the sticks.
AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Gabriel Sara opened the scoring in the 13th minute and the floodgates opened thereafter. Jacob Sorensen doubled the lead eight minutes later and after the half-hour mark, Borja Sainz made it 3-0. Sargent increased the lead before half-time with a clinical finish Sara took just two minutes to score his second of the night to put the match to bed.
DID YOU KNOW?
Sargent's incredible form in front of goal has not gone unnoticed as Brentford have reportedly shown interest in him. The Bees are preparing themselves for life without Ivan Toney – who is on the radar of Arsenal and Chelsea- and Thomas Frank believes that Sargent would fit his style.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?
If Sargent continues his fine form until the end of the campaign the proven goalscorer would attract plenty of admiring glances over the coming weeks. However, any potential suitor must be prepared to shell a hefty chunk for the USMNT forward as he has a contract with the Canaries until 2028.
Celtic have endured their fair share of injury troubles in recent months, but Brendan Rodgers could be handed a timely shot in the arm heading into a busy fixture schedule, according to recent reports.
What's the latest news involving Celtic?
At the weekend, Celtic reacted in resilient fashion to their disappointment in the Champions League against Feyenoord by sweeping Livingston aside 3-0 at the Tony Macaroni Arena, despite being reduced to ten men following a straight red card for goalkeeper Joe Hart, as per BBC Sport.
Reo Hatate, Matt O'Riley and Daizen Maeda were the scorers for Celtic in an excellent all-round display, something which Hoops boss Rodgers alluded to in his post-match press conference. Rodgers stated: "We have to show another side to us when we go down to ten men. I thought the players dealt with it brilliantly. Tactically they were very good. Defensively we were strong. It was an outstanding win for us. Huge credit to the players. It's a monumental effort on the back end of a Champions League week."
As per BBC Radio Sportsound via The Daily Record, former Celtic goalkeeper Patrick Bonner has claimed that the Hoops should look to bring in Liverpool number two Caoimhin Kelleher to potentially succeed Hart between the sticks, as he said: "There was talk about [Caoimhin] Kelleher coming up from Liverpool. I don’t know if Liverpool will let him go from that point of view. Because he fits their bill and that would have been an ideal situation to see. Could he come in and Joe Hart then might have to phase out and become a support goalkeeper to him. But at the moment I think he’s number one."
According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Denmark Under-21 midfielder O'Riley could be set to receive a call-up to his nations' senior international side owing to his consistent performances in 2023/24.
Who could break into Celtic's first-team?
As per Football Scotland, summer signing Marco Tilio, who has been injured for the majority of his time at the Scottish Premiership champions, took to the field for Celtic's second string on Sunday against Ayr United in a testimonial for the home side's veteran striker Michael Moffat.
Fringe men Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Mikey Johnston, Yuki Kobayashi and Rocco Vata also participated in the encounter, earning valuable minutes in a game where the Hoops' B team salvaged a draw courtesy of a late Corey Thomson strike, as per The Daily Record.
Australia international Tilio, who was labelled "fantastic" by Bruce Djite earlier this year, joined Celtic for a fee in the region of £1.5 million from A-League side Melbourne City in June; however, he has yet to make an appearance for his new employers.
During his time at Melbourne City, Tilio featured on 83 occasions in all competitions, registering 20 goals and 19 assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt, and now looks to be on the mend and nearing a return to proper first-team action.
Celtic winger Liel Abada is currently out with a thigh injury that will see him spend an extended period on the sidelines, which could pave the way for Tilio to enter the fray in the near future to try and stake a claim for first-team action.
كشف أحمد حسام ميدو لاعب ومدرب الزمالك الأسبق، عن رأيه في انضمام لاعب الأبيض السابق إمام عاشور إلى صفوف الأهلي، كما هاجم رئيس الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم السابق عيسى حياتو.
وقال ميدو في تصريحات عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “دائمًا نشيد بأبناء الأهلي أنهم استطاعوا أن يحافظوا على مبادئهم بالشكل الصحيح الذين يرونه، لكن هناك بعض المواقف الذي إذا تخليت عنها فهذا بمثابة تخلي عن المبادئ”.
وأضاف: “مثل انضمام بعض اللاعبين للأهلي مؤخرًا أنا متأكد لو كان صالح سليم موجودا، ما كان سيرضى بأن ينضم إمام عاشور بعدما سب رموز النادي الأهلي ولا ينال شرف ارتداء القميص الأحمر”.
وأكد: “والله لو كنت مسؤولا في الزمالك وإمام عاشور أخطأ في حق الأهلي كنت سأوقفه على الأقل 3 أشهر”.
طالع أيضاً.. ميدو: أرفض توريث فكرة المؤامرة ضد الزمالك.. ورئيس الأهلي الأسبق نموذج نحتذي به
وأضاف: “الزمالك هو نادي الوطنية الحقيقي في مصر، أبناء الزمالك هم من حاربوا الاستعمار الأجنبي لكي يكون النادي وطنياً خالصاً ويديرون النادي بإدارة مصرية خالصة”.
وأكمل: “أنا أعترف أن الأهلي كان الأكثر تمسكًا بمبادئه، الإدارة مدارس، هناك إدارة ديكتاتورية وأخرى ديمقراطية، مدرسة الزمالك متوازنة لكن البعض أخل بالمبادئ في بعض الأوقات، لكن الآن معنا مجلس محترم سيعيد النادي لمكانته الطبيعية.د
واستكمل: “عيسى حياتو رئيس الاتحاد الإفريقي السابق كان رجلا فاسدا، وأحمد أحمد مثله، النظام الذي وضع في عام 94 معايير نادي القرن تم تفصيلها ليكون الأهلي صاحب اللقب”.
وأردف: “من حق الزملكاوية استنادًا على فساد عيسى حياتو الذي كان صاحب قرار وضع هذه المعايير، أن يتم فتح القضية مرة أخرى في الاتحاد الدولي، وهذا دور الكابتن حسين لبيب”.
واستطرد: “الزمالك بطل، أن يستمر في المنافسة مع الأهلي رغم كل المطبات الصعبة التي يتعرض لها، جربوا تعطوا الزمالك حقه في أن يكون مستقر والتغييرات قليلة واستقرار الفرق فنيًا وسترون الزمالك”.
وأتم: “ضعوا في اعتباركم كمسؤولين في الدولة، أن الزمالك لا أحد يلمسه مثل الأهلي، قرار رحيل أي مجلس إدارة يكون قرار دولة، الأهلي كان عنده مخالفات ولم يتعرض له أحد، طاهر أبو زيد ابن النادي الأهلي كان وزير الرياضة وشاهد مخالفات ولم يفعل شيء للأهلي، أعطونا الحق في أن نكون منافسين”.
You don’t need a New Zealand visa if you’re an Australian. There are also separate immigration queues at the airports for Australian passport holders. Both countries have a union jack on their flags.You don’t need a local sim card, because Australian telecom providers offer flexible pay-per-use deals owing to proximity. The hiking trails, sporting culture and the weather patterns mean Australia are at a home away from home.Yet, when they take on India in the Under-19 World Cup final in Mount Manganui, they will feel like an away team playing in Mohali. Tauranga’s Punjabi community of 4000 people, the biggest in New Zealand, will have their and drums ready to add colour to a festive Saturday afternoon. The ground can hold 8000 people, and the organisers are hoping to have the venue more than half-full.Outside Australia’s travelling group of parents, there is unlikely to be too much fan support for the 11 players, who will look to challenge untested India in their bid for their first Under-19 World Cup since Mitchell Marsh led them to the title in 2010. Prior to that, they had won in 1988 and 2002. India, too, are three-time winners, and last won in 2012 under Unmukt Chand. Two years ago in Bangladesh, they lost to West Indies in the final after dominating the group stages.The similarities between the two, however, go beyond just the number of titles won. Both have a star-studded support cast: Chris Rogers and Ryan Harris for Australia; Rahul Dravid for India. Both captains – Jason Sangha and Prithvi Shaw – have set age-related first-class records. It is when you dig into team specifics that the similarities become hard to find.India’s openers are in form; Australia are sweating over the poor form of one of their gun openers – Max Bryant. India have two allrounders in Anukul Roy and Kamlesh Nagarkoti, as opposed to Australia, who just have Will Sutherland. Barring Ishan Porel, India haven’t had too many injury concerns, while Australia have been forced to mix and match. Jason Ralston was ruled out, and now Aaron Hardie, his replacement, has also joined him on the sidelines with a groin injury. In their absence, Zak Evans and Ryan Hadley will form their new-ball attack.This is a clash between a highly skilled side that has prepared in every condition possible, against a side that has the best sporting system and has produced match-winners by truckloads. That Australia are here is because Lloyd Pope gatecrashed an England party that was ready to take off. They would have to play out of their skins to repeat that against India on Saturday.
India WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WWWWLPrithvi Shaw and Jason Sangha pose with the trophy•IDI via Getty Images
Rahul Dravid generally doesn’t talk up individuals, at least not during a tournament such as the World Cup, which is why it was surprising to see him effusively praise 16-year old Riyan Parag, the top-order batsman who bowls handy offspin. “He was in phenomenal form, hitting it so beautifully in the build-up,” Dravid said. “It’s just unfortunate he got injured and then has taken a while to come into his batting groove. He’ll come good.”Parag didn’t start the tournament because of a finger injury, and made the XI only for the final group game against Zimbabwe. Since returning, he has had two low scores but has consistently chipped in with the ball. The final may not be a bad time to repay the coach’s faith with the bat.Jack Edwards has been talked up as one of the best players of spin in this Australian set-up. He’ll potentially be up against four spinners in the final. He made 73 in the opening game against India, and then trailed off until he hit a crucial, counter-attacking 72 in the semi-final against Afghanistan. Can he continue to surge in the final?
India are unlikely to tinker with their XI, despite the middle order not having played to full potential yet. Parag is yet to come into his own, while Harvik Desai has just one half-century from a low-pressure chase against Zimbabwe. Barring any last-minute injuries, all players pick themselves.India (likely): 1 Prithvi Shaw (capt), 2 Manjot Kalra, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Harvik Desai, 5 Riyan Parag, 6 Abhishek Sharma, 7 Anukul Roy, 8 Kamlesh Nagarkoti, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Ishan Porel, 11 Shiva SinghNathan McSweeney’s only impactful knock – 156 against Papua New Guinea – came as an opener. With Max Bryant having scored just 93 runs in five innings, there’s perhaps a case for Australia to make a swap.Australia (likely): 1 Jack Edwards, 2 Max Bryant, 3 Jason Sangha (capt), 4 Param Uppal, 5 Nathan McSweeney, 6 Jonathan Merlo, 7 Will Sutherland, 8 Baxter Holt, 9 Zak Evans, 10 Ryan Hadley, 11 Lloyd Pope
It has been stormy in Mount Manganui. For two successive days, the pitch was under covers. Bright sunshine on match-eve has allowed the curators to add final touches to their preparation. In its short history, The Bay Oval has hosted a number of high-scoring matches. Since it does not have Test status yet, pitches have generally been tailored for short-form cricket. India made 328 when these two sides played in their opening game three weeks ago. Expect Saturday to be no different.
“Our fast bowlers have been doing well right from the first match. They have provided breakthroughs whenever the team has needed one. They are ready whenever I ask them to bowl. All of them – Kamlesh (Nagarkoti), (Shivam) Mavi and (Ishan) Porel have shown good intensity and fitness. It helps us all have a good attitude in the field. We’re all really pumped up when our fast bowlers do well.”
“Their fast bowlers don’t bother us one bit. Sure, they have all done well, but we know we are capable of playing anyone. This is a final and the pressure will be equally on them as it will be on us.”
Aston Villa have now been provided with an update regarding Philippe Coutinho's future, with two clubs battling it out for the attacking midfielder…
Is Philippe Coutinho leaving Aston Villa?
Coutinho's time at Villa Park is all but over, with Unai Emery recently revealing he is willing to sanction the attacking midfielder's departure, saying: "He is close to leaving, but we are waiting to see if the deal is complete or not. Philippe is a very good person and always we have to respect him as a person, firstly.
"Secondly, as a player, he has played at a very high level. He has not been consistent because of injuries and we decided with him, speaking and agreeing with him to try that if something is good for him, and good for the club, and for the squad, we can let him leave."
In the same report, it is detailed the Brazilian was close to completing a move to Al Duhail, of the Qatar Stars League, with the key terms of the deal being agreed – but there has now been an indication that another team could attempt a late hijack.
According to a report from Turkish outlet Fanatik, Besiktas have now stepped up their attempts to sign the 31-year-old, who they have wanted to sign since the beginning of the summer transfer window, though it will not be easy.
Although the Villa ace would be keen on a move to Besiktas, the Turkish Super Lig side will have to do battle with Al Duhail, who are able to offer him more money, which could end up being a decisive factor.
However, one advantage the Black Eagles may have in the race for the midfielder's signature is the offer of European football, with Besiktas in the group stages of the Europa Conference League.
The Turkish club are now in the process of convincing the former Barcelona man to make the move, but they have submitted a lower offer than Al Duhail, so it remains to be seen whether he is tempted.
How good is Philippe Coutinho?
There is no denying the Besiktas target is a top-quality player on his day, having been lauded as "fantastic" by members of the media, and he has put in some impressive performances in a Villa shirt, particularly when he first moved to the club.
Back in February 2022, the one-time £146m player weighed in with a goal and two assists in the Villans' 3-3 draw against Leeds United, before going on to pick up another two goal contributions in a 4-0 victory against Southampton.
However, that was a long time ago now, and the Rio de Janeiro-born attacker flattered to deceive last season, recording just one goal and zero assists in a total of 20 Premier League games, so it is without doubt time he moved on.
After losing on the opening day, Villa have won their last four games on the spin in all competitions, with Emery's side showing they are more than capable of playing well without Coutinho, who will be hoping to reignite his career if he moves to Besiktas.
The former left-handed batsman, who was the first to score a century in the Duleep Trophy, died after a cardiac arrest
Deivarayan Muthu10-Nov-2017AG Milkha Singh, the former India and Tamil Nadu batsman, has died, aged 75, following a cardiac arrest.A left-hander, Milkha made his Test debut for India against Australia in Chennai, just days after his 18th birthday, and played three further Tests before not being considered again for India. He had a more successful domestic career, between 1958-59 and 1968-69, in which he scored 4324 runs, including eight centuries, in 136 innings at an average of 35.44.Milkha was a second-generation cricketer from the AG Singh family, which had moved from Amritsar to Chennai in 1904. Milkha’s father Ram Singh played 56 first-class games, including the first Ranji Trophy match in 1934 in which he claimed 11 wickets against Mysore at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. His elder brother Kripal played 14 Tests, including one with Milkha against England in 1961-62. Satwender Singh, the youngest of the lot, played 60 first-class matches,scoring 2726 runs.AG Milkha Singh•Tamil Nadu Cricket Association
Milkha started playing cricket at 13 and was the vice-captain of the All-India schools team that toured Sri Lanka in 1955. He went onto make his Ranji Trophy debut for Madras at 17 and struck the first hundred in the Duleep Trophy, hitting 151 for South Zone against North Zone in the inaugural match at Madras in 1961-62. He was also a key member of the State Bank of India side, in the late 60s and early 70s, which also included former India legspinner VV Kumar.”He leaves behind a legacy not only for Tamil Nadu and India but also for State Bank of India – having played from 1964 to 1977,” Kumar told ESPNcricinfo. “There are no second thoughts about his technique, ability, and flamboyant game. Milkha was one of the best left-handers I have seen in India at that time along with Ajit Wadekar. I have bowled to a lot of world-class left-handers, including Garry Sobers, but Milkha was up there.”Milkha and I had been to Colombo, Singapore, and Malaysia with the State Bank side. In fact, back then, the BCCI was contemplating having a State Bank side in Ranji. Ajit Wadekar and Hanumant Singh were also part of that strong side. Milkha contributed a lot to State Bank of India.”What stood out about Milkha was he could play any shot against any type of bowling. He has stood up to the fury of bowlers from West Indies like (Wes) Hall and (Sonny) Ramadhin. Coming to the zonals, the side was always dependent on him. And Milkha was always Tamil Nadu’s No. 3. If he didn’t come in at No. 3, the opposition would be surprised.”