Archive April 20, 2025

Nearly two years ago, when Brendan Rodgers was mulling over a return to the role of Celtic manager, he caught up with captain Callum McGregor.

During Rodgers first spell at the helm, the midfielder was learning from the armband-wearing Scott Brown while continually nudging his level up a notch.

All the ingredients were there when Rodgers left, but when he returned, the McGregor masterpiece was fully made and the pair, who previously enjoyed so much success together, vowed to make more.

With three trophies in the cabinet since the Northern Irishman came back, another Premiership title edging ever closer, and a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen to come, the indomitable duo of Rodgers and McGregor are sticking to their word.

“We were talking about trying to win as many trophies as we can, be as dominant as we can, keep pushing the club,” McGregor said of that chat with Rodgers after opening the scoring in Sunday’s thumping cup semi-final win over St Johnstone.

“He’s a manager that’s done so much for my career and put so much trust and faith in me, so, every time I go on the pitch I try and repay that for him.

With 23 trophies in 11 years, former Scotland international McGregor knows a thing or two about doing just that. He’s a serial winner.

Level on accolades with Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill, only Bobby Lennox and current team-mate James Forrest are ahead of him on the roll of honour.

Should Celtic seal the Premiership title – they can do so on Saturday against Dundee United – Forrest will move ahead, on his own, as the most decorated Celt.

Rather than focus on his own player of the match performance, he was keen to heap praise on his long-time pal who has “dedicated his life” to the club.

McGregor, 31, is at the stage where reaching, and winning, finals is “normal”.

The Celtic captain will now prepare for a 15th domestic cup final. He’s never lost any of the previous 14. It’s a winning feeling that he craves.

“If you ask any football player, success is addictive,” he added. “It becomes a habit. You just keep wanting more and that’s what we’re trying to instil in the team.

“When we get to these moments, they become normal. You have to win, you have to play well.

No matter Celtic’s dominance in the last decade-plus, it’s still frankly outrageous that winning has become so commonplace.

But such has been the way of it under Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is on the cusp of his own slice of history, as the first Celtic manager to oversee three trebles.

His first was secured in the most dramatic of fashions against Aberdeen in 2017, with Tom Rogic’s extra-time goal clinching the Scottish Cup.

Since then, what used to be a rare achievement has become a yearly target for Celtic, Rodgers and “the glue” to it all, McGregor.

Even from afar, the understanding the pair have is evident. The manager fleetingly singles players out, but he’s never shy to do so with his captain.

“He is such a unique player, the tempo setter for the team,” Rodgers told BBC Scotland after the St Johnstone game. “He’s tactically so good, he really is a coach on the pitch.

“He sees all the pictures we want and he knows when to release himself to shoot or create goals. A wonderful player who is the glue for this team. “

When McGregor is missing – rare as that is – it’s undeniably noticeable. See the defeat by Rangers last month for a recent example.

Nearly two years ago, when Brendan Rodgers was mulling over a return to the role of Celtic manager, he caught up with captain Callum McGregor.

During Rodgers first spell at the helm, the midfielder was learning from the armband-wearing Scott Brown while continually nudging his level up a notch.

All the ingredients were there when Rodgers left, but when he returned, the McGregor masterpiece was fully made and the pair, who previously enjoyed so much success together, vowed to make more.

With three trophies in the cabinet since the Northern Irishman came back, another Premiership title edging ever closer, and a Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen to come, the indomitable duo of Rodgers and McGregor are sticking to their word.

“We were talking about trying to win as many trophies as we can, be as dominant as we can, keep pushing the club,” McGregor said of that chat with Rodgers after opening the scoring in Sunday’s thumping cup semi-final win over St Johnstone.

“He’s a manager that’s done so much for my career and put so much trust and faith in me, so, every time I go on the pitch I try and repay that for him.

With 23 trophies in 11 years, former Scotland international McGregor knows a thing or two about doing just that. He’s a serial winner.

Level on accolades with Lisbon Lions captain Billy McNeill, only Bobby Lennox and current team-mate James Forrest are ahead of him on the roll of honour.

Should Celtic seal the Premiership title – they can do so on Saturday against Dundee United – Forrest will move ahead, on his own, as the most decorated Celt.

Rather than focus on his own player of the match performance, he was keen to heap praise on his long-time pal who has “dedicated his life” to the club.

McGregor, 31, is at the stage where reaching, and winning, finals is “normal”.

The Celtic captain will now prepare for a 15th domestic cup final. He’s never lost any of the previous 14. It’s a winning feeling that he craves.

“If you ask any football player, success is addictive,” he added. “It becomes a habit. You just keep wanting more and that’s what we’re trying to instil in the team.

“When we get to these moments, they become normal. You have to win, you have to play well.

No matter Celtic’s dominance in the last decade-plus, it’s still frankly outrageous that winning has become so commonplace.

But such has been the way of it under Rodgers. The Northern Irishman is on the cusp of his own slice of history, as the first Celtic manager to oversee three trebles.

His first was secured in the most dramatic of fashions against Aberdeen in 2017, with Tom Rogic’s extra-time goal clinching the Scottish Cup.

Since then, what used to be a rare achievement has become a yearly target for Celtic, Rodgers and “the glue” to it all, McGregor.

Even from afar, the understanding the pair have is evident. The manager fleetingly singles players out, but he’s never shy to do so with his captain.

“He is such a unique player, the tempo setter for the team,” Rodgers told BBC Scotland after the St Johnstone game. “He’s tactically so good, he really is a coach on the pitch.

“He sees all the pictures we want and he knows when to release himself to shoot or create goals. A wonderful player who is the glue for this team. “

When McGregor is missing – rare as that is – it’s undeniably noticeable. See the defeat by Rangers last month for a recent example.

Indian Premier League, Mumbai

Chennai Super Kings 176-5 (20 overs): Jadeja 53* (35); Bumrah 2-25

Mumbai Indians 177-1 (15. 4 overs): Rohit 76* (45)

Mumbai Indians won by nine wickets

Rohit Sharma hit his first half-century of the season as Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by nine wickets in the Indian Super League.

The India captain, whose previous best score was 26, struck an unbeaten 76 from 45 balls as Mumbai reached their target of 177 in the 16th over.

Introduced as an impact substitute for Mumbai’s innings, Rohit put on 63 from the top of the order with Ryan Rickelton before the South African was dismissed for 24, caught by T20 debutant Ayush Mhatre.

Suryakumar Yadav, who scored 68 from 30, joined Rohit at the crease and the pair hit an unbroken partnership of 114 to see Mumbai home at the Wankhede stadium.

After Chennai were put into bat, the 17-year-old Mhatre hit 32 from 15, but the league’s bottom team slipped to 63-3 in the eighth over.

Shivam Dube and Ravindra Jadeja steadied their side, adding 79 for the fourth wicket.

Jasprit Bumrah accounted for Dube, seeing him caught by Will Jacks at mid-wicket two balls after the Chennai batter had reached his 50, then had MS Dhoni taken at deep square leg by Tilak Varma for just four.

It was left to Jadeja to ensure his side finished strongly, and he struck 15 of the 16 runs from Trent Boult’s final over to finish on 53 not out from 35 as Chennai closed on 176-5.

The 37-year-old Rohit started Mumbai’s reply under pressure, having averaged just 13. 66 this season from six innings.

But the veteran batter found his touch at his home stadium, hitting four fours and six sixes to seal a fourth victory for his side, lifting them one place to sixth in the table.

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Banks Homes Riverside (day three)

Yorkshire 307 & 132-4: Lyth 53, Malan 37; Potts 2-36, Raine 2-36

Durham 427: Lees 172, Gay 152; White 3-76

Yorkshire (5 pts) lead Durham (7 pts) by 12 runs with 6 wickets standing

Durham will hope the threat of fourth afternoon weather does not ruin their chances of claiming a County Championship victory over Yorkshire at the Riverside.

Yorkshire can lay claim to having the better of day three thanks to taking the last nine first-innings wickets for 126 through until early afternoon, limiting the hosts to 427 all out.

Alex Lees was removed for a standout 172 and Emilio Gay for an excellent 152.

New-ball seamer Jack White led the way with three wickets, but all five of the county’s quicks struck, including New Zealand overseas debutant Ben Sears.

However, Durham chipped away at the second-innings wickets on a slow pitch, restricting Yorkshire to 132-4 from 59 overs at close and their lead is only 12.

Former England Test opener Adam Lyth reached 15,000 first-class career runs with a patient 53 in the North East sunshine, while Ben Raine and Matthew Potts struck twice apiece.

Lees and Gay, who faced 240 and 239 balls respectively, completed a record second-wicket partnership of 279 – their county’s highest ever for that particular wicket in first-class cricket.

They beat the 274 Scott Borthwick and Mark Stoneman shared against Middlesex here in 2014.

Yorkshire hit back strongly during a morning which saw Durham advance from 264-1 overnight to 386-6 at lunch, with Lees and Gay both falling.

While Yorkshire started the day with the spin of Dom Bess, all five wickets fell to seam.

Matthew Revis is playing his first game since suffering a back stress fracture last August and struck twice in as many overs when he had Lees taken at long-leg following a top-edged pull and Colin Ackermann caught behind for a duck.

Ollie Robinson was trapped lbw by White, now bowling with the new ball, before Will Rhodes fell the same way to Sears, who earlier took a smart diving catch running in from long-leg to help Revis remove Lees.

Sandwiched in between the departures of Robinson and Rhodes, George Hill squared Gay up and rocked back his off-stump shortly after the left-hander had reached his 150 off 235 balls.

And inside 10 overs of the afternoon, Durham had been bowled out, with White and Jordan Thompson striking twice apiece.

White bowled Raine and had Brendan Doggett caught behind, while Thompson struck twice in the 104th over to get Graham Clark caught at first slip for 33 and Paul Coughlin caught behind.

Coughlin batted lower down than usual at number 10 because of an abdominal injury suffered whilst bowling on day one, leaving Durham a bowling option light second time around.

Yorkshire lost Fin Bean lbw early on to Raine’s seam before Lyth reached the 15,000-run mark with a trademark cover drive against Potts to move to 15 before tea.

Potts had James Wharton caught at deep square-leg following a miscued pull early in the evening as Yorkshire fell to 39 for two.

From there, Lyth and Dawid Malan dug in on a slow pitch to chip away at the deficit, sharing 75 for the third wicket. But both fell in the final hour to boost Durham’s chances.

Lyth reached his 50 off 128 balls – his second of the season added to a century – but fell lbw to Raine with the deficit still six and Potts then bowled Malan for 37, leaving Yorkshire at 117-4.