Former India cricketer Mohammed Kaif criticised captain Shubman Gill for not giving spinner Kuldeep Yadav enough longer spells during the first Test against Sri Lanka, suggesting a lack of faith.
India's new T20I captain Shreyas Iyer reflected on the team's disastrous series losses to Ireland and England, admitting they failed to adapt to English conditions. Despite the setbacks, Iyer views the experience as a crucial learning opportunity for himself as a leader and for the team, especially concerning future overseas tours and World Cup preparations. He highlighted the need for better adaptation, improved fielding, and strategic team combinations.
Indian batter Rohit Sharma lauded former fielding coach T Dilip for his significant contributions, including two T20 World Cup wins and the Champions Trophy, calling him a 'legend' and a 'workhorse' who 'created magic within the group.' Dilip, who served from 2021 until recently, expressed gratitude for his tenure, especially cherishing the popular fielding medal ceremony.
Ranjit Bajaj has declined the manager role for the India U-15 men's national team for the upcoming FIFA U-15 World Cup, citing fundamental differences in footballing philosophy with head coach Bibiano Fernandes.
World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen successfully defended his title at the Esports World Cup chess competition, completing an undefeated campaign by defeating Belarusian grandmaster Denis Lazavik in a dominant final. Carlsen secured a 2-0 victory, showcasing his strategic prowess and determination throughout the tournament.
Former world No. 1 shuttler Saina Nehwal has stated that India's true measure as a 'sporting nation' will be its position in the global medals tally, not just hosting major tournaments. She highlighted the significant progress made by women in sports but emphasised the need for better financial backing, sponsorships, and comprehensive support systems including psychologists and proper coaching from an early age to nurture more champions.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Selva Prabhu attributes his failure to secure a gold medal in Glasgow to food poisoning, stating that a performance near his personal best would have been sufficient for the top spot. He is now focused on qualifying for the upcoming Asian Games.
Arsenal begin their Premier League title defence as the hunted, facing heightened expectations and a reshaped league featuring new managers, major departures and ambitious rivals challenging their supremacy.
An Indian-American US Army surgeon in an innovative procedure removed a golf ball-sized tumour developed at the base of the brain by sending an endoscopic device through the patient's nose. Major Jagatkumar Patel, an anterior surgeon at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre near Washington, DC, along with neurosurgeon Army Lt Col Charles Miller, carried out the surgical procedure on Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Andy Archer, who lived with the tumour for 15 years.
Delhi Capitals assistant coach Ian Bell has identified batting inconsistency as the main reason for the team's struggles in IPL 2026, urging the batters to support KL Rahul.
South Africa's T20 captain Aiden Markram has withdrawn from The Hundred competition's Manchester Super Giants due to unspecified personal reasons. Jos Buttler will take over as captain, and Michael Bracewell will join as a replacement player.
A flight may be cancelled for reasons beyond an airline's control. The chaos that follows need not be, points out Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Cricket Scotland and the Royal Dutch Cricket Association have strongly criticised the International Cricket Council's decision to implement significant structural changes to the 2027 ODI World Cup qualification pathway and tournament format, stating it 'risk weakening the integrity and credibility of international cricket'.
India's men's hockey team has experienced a varied journey in the World Cup, from winning bronze in 1971 and gold in 1975 to a prolonged period without a podium finish.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has emphasised the crucial role wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul will play in the upcoming Test series against Sri Lanka, citing his experience and ability to guide younger players.
Former Arsenal manager and FIFA's Chief of Global Football Development Arsene Wenger has backed Kylian Mbappe's France to win the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, saying Spain are the only team capable of stopping the two-time champions because of their superior technical quality.
Punjab Kings all-rounder Shashank Singh is set to play for Pondicherry in the 2026-27 domestic season after securing an NOC from the Chhattisgarh State Cricket Sangh. Singh alleges a lack of support from Chhattisgarh during his injury recovery and claims he was unfairly excluded from state tournaments and camps, despite being a top domestic performer. He plans to focus on white-ball cricket moving forward.
India's women's hockey team delivered a dominant performance, defeating South Africa 6-1 in their second Pool D match of the FIH Women's Hockey World Cup. Six different players scored for India, with a prolific third quarter sealing the rout. This emphatic win significantly strengthens India's chances of advancing, placing them atop Pool D on goal difference ahead of their crucial final pool match against England.
Former Sri Lankan pacer Chaminda Vaas has called on cricket authorities to actively work towards preserving Test and 50-over formats, warning that they are 'dying' amidst the growing global preference for T20s and franchise leagues.
India's strong defensive start unravelled after half-time as three Dutch goals secured a 3-1 win, denting the team's World Cup semifinal hopes.
Bihar's Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary has indicated the state government will consider a proposal to form its own Indian Premier League (IPL) team, following a suggestion from Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal. Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh also expressed support for the initiative, highlighting the state's readiness to host IPL matches.
Former India chief selector M S K Prasad has called Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a 'super talent' and believes he should be immediately considered for the Ireland series.
South African batting stalwart David Miller has expressed his strong desire to win the 2027 ODI World Cup, which will be co-hosted by South Africa. He aims to finish his career on a high note by lifting the trophy in front of home fans. Miller also reflected on his career as a middle-order finisher and highlighted his most memorable innings.
Indian table tennis star Sathiyan Gnanasekaran believes the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league is serving as ideal preparation for the national side ahead of the upcoming Asian Games, highlighting its role in team bonding and match practice.
7 Dogs has all the money, stars and kinetic action you could want, but its vanity-project sheen cannot hide a painfully generic screenplay, observes Sreeju Sreedharan.
Two-time Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra has lauded the performance of Indian junior athletes at the World Athletics U20 Championships in the USA, where they secured two silver and one bronze medal.
An emotional Stale Solbakken praised Norway's historic FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign after a 2-1 extra-time defeat to England ended their dream run in the quarter-finals.
Indian archer Sahil Jadhav, preparing for the Asian Games, has found valuable insights into managing pressure and staying focused from former Australian cricketer Shane Watson's self-help book, 'The Winner's Mindset'.
East Bengal secured their spot in the Durand Cup final by defeating SC Delhi 5-3 in a thrilling penalty shootout, following a goalless draw in regulation time. Captain Mohammed Rashid scored the decisive fifth penalty, sending East Bengal to their record-equalling 17th final appearance.
The Furious's jaw-dropping action scenes are so ferocious and inventive that they leave you gasping for breath, commends Sreeju Sudhakaran.
Rajkumar Santoshi's best films prove that few Bollywood filmmakers could mix hard-hitting drama, action, comedy and sheer masala madness quite like him.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer believes K L Rahul performs best when not burdened by captaincy.
'There's a lot of pressure on him, and there's a lot of pressure on this series as well, because it's crucial for India's chances in the WTC.'
Former England captain Michael Vaughan suggests that South Africa's victory over the West Indies in the Super 8s of the T20 World Cup inadvertently paved the way for India's successful campaign.
Both the Indian U-18 men's and women's hockey teams are set to compete in the semifinals of the Asia Cup. The men's team will face arch-rivals Pakistan, focusing on improving penalty corner execution, while the dominant women's team will take on China, aiming to continue their unbeaten run.
'There is no college that can guarantee a Rs 14 lakh per annum (LPA) package,' clarifies rediffGURU Chocko Valliappa.
Former India batter Cheteshwar Pujara and Olympic medallist PV Sindhu congratulated Ajinkya Rahane after the veteran batter announced his retirement from international cricket.
Sarfaraz Khan has been recalled to India's Test squad for the two-match away series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15, following an injury to Sai Sudharsan. This recall comes after two years of consistent performance and a significant physical transformation, including shedding 17kg.
India celebrated a remarkable day at the Commonwealth Games, securing its first-ever judo gold medals through Asmita Dey and Harsh Singh, achieving a javelin throw double podium with Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh, and seeing 10 boxers advance to their respective finals.
India's bowling coach hails team's "hungry mindset" after strong T20 World Cup start
