SC Delhi staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring five goals to defeat debutants FC Raengdai of Manipur 5-1 in the Durand Cup quarter-finals. After conceding an early goal, Joseph Sunny's brace, along with goals from Rodriguinho, Juan Sebastian Pena, and Augustine Lalrochana, secured their place in the semifinals.
Roberto Mancini has returned for a second spell as Italy coach, vowing to revive the Azzurri's fortunes after the nation missed the last three World Cups and failed to win a major trophy since Euro 2020 under his previous leadership.
Former South Africa captain Graeme Smith has backed Abhishek Sharma to finish as the top run-scorer in the ongoing IPL 2026 season ahead of his Sunrisers Hyderabad teammate Heinrich Klaasen.
'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.'
Gianni Infantino's bid for a fourth term as FIFA president faces challenges from traditional football powers, but his strategy relies heavily on the support of smaller, emerging nations that benefit significantly from FIFA's development grants.
Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi discusses D Gukesh's mental strength challenge for his World Championship defence against Javokhir Sindarov, highlighting Gukesh's recent inconsistent form. Vidit also assesses India's strong prospects for the upcoming Chess Olympiad, praising the form of players like Praggnanandhaa, Erigaisi, and Sarin, while cautioning against overconfidence. He also reflects on his Arjuna Award and the need for better organisation in chess formats.
Indian-origin golfer Sahith Theegala is in contention for a Top-10 finish at the Wyndham Championship, the final regular-season PGA TOUR event. Despite a mixed third round, he remains close to the leaders, aiming for a strong performance to boost his FedExCup Play-offs chances. Beau Hossler and Michael Brennan currently share the lead.
India's top paddler Manush Shah believes the Butterfly Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) campaign has significantly boosted team chemistry and momentum, providing a 'perfect platform' for the upcoming Asian Games.
Aakash Chopra believes India faces a challenging path to the ICC World Test Championship 2025-27 final, even if they register a 2-0 series sweep in Sri Lanka.
Legendary Indian hockey player P R Sreejesh has urged the men's team to ignore the ongoing jersey colour controversy and focus on ending the 50-year World Cup medal drought. He dismissed concerns about the saffron jersey, noting past colour changes, but questioned the visibility argument. Sreejesh emphasised that if players approved the change, the debate should cease, and politics should be kept out of sports. He also expressed confidence in the team's ability to perform despite the off-field distractions.
If an OTT series can make a young person curious about the armed forces, make a family understand the sacrifices made by those in uniform, or simply make someone walk up to a veteran and say, "Thank you for your service," then it has achieved something far more important than merely getting its history right, notes Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Researching Japan was like going down a rabbit hole. There is just so much to see and do, but I finally decided we would stick to the 'Golden Route' of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, notes Radhika Mittal.
Five young Indian women's hockey players - Ishika, Lalthantluangi, Sakshi Rana, Shilpi Dabas, and Sunelita Toppo - are set to make their World Cup debut, having overcome various challenges and long waits to reach this significant milestone.
India's men's doubles coach Tan Kim Her has expressed concern over Satwiksairaj Rankireddy's recurring shoulder injury ahead of the BWF World Championships, despite the pair's recent Singapore Open victory.
Sanju Samson reveals why he didn't believe Rohit Sharma after being dropped before the T20 World Cup 2026 and how self-reflection helped him return as India's leading run-scorer and Player of the Tournament.
'They probably imagine any hue and cry in the event Sheikh Hasina is hanged will be shortlived as it happened when Bhutto was hanged in Pakistan in 1979.'
Ayush Shetty's coach, Sagar Chopda, believes that the Indian shuttler's challenging World Championships opener against world No. 1 Shi Yu Qi could work in his favour, citing Shi Yu Qi's recent form and the home crowd advantage.
India's ODI captain Shubman Gill has voiced strong concerns over the recurring injury issues plaguing his bowlers, questioning their fitness commitment ahead of next year's World Cup. Following a 1-2 series loss to England, Gill highlighted that multiple key players were sidelined due to injuries, impacting team combinations and raising doubts about their ability to sustain performance through a long tournament.
Former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia believes Lionel Messi needs to win the 2026 World Cup to truly equal Diego Maradona's legendary status, despite Messi's 2022 triumph. Bhutia rates Maradona higher due to his single-handed 1986 World Cup victory, while also tipping Spain as slight favourites over Argentina in the upcoming final.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan emphasises staying focused on his role amidst the buzz around young talents like Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stating, "I don't give so much focus to what's happening outside." He also shared insights on his own comeback and the importance of mentoring young players.
India captain Shubman Gill attributed his team's 27-run defeat in the series-deciding third ODI against England to their inability to contain runs in the death overs, allowing England to post a formidable total of 388.
Six-time world champion and Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom believes Indian pugilists will secure a 'reasonably good medal haul' at the Commonwealth Games, though gold might be elusive, while expressing less certainty for the Asian Games. She also criticised the Boxing Federation of India's functioning and selection policies.
Defending champions Argentina, led by Lionel Messi, have shown remarkable resilience in the World Cup knockout stages, overcoming a 2-0 deficit against Egypt and needing extra time against Cape Verde to reach the quarter-finals against Switzerland.
'If I was with the team, I would pick bowlers who I feel can pick wickets and win matches for me with the ball.'
Chennai Super Kings skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad admitted that his bowlers failed to live up to expectations in the team's seven-wicket defeat to Lucknow Super Giants in an IPL match. CSK, with 12 points from 12 matches, now find themselves in a must-win situation in their remaining league games.
Former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming, renowned for his success with Chennai Super Kings, has been appointed England's new Test head coach, with Joe Root returning as captain after a comprehensive recruitment process by the England and Wales Cricket Board.
Senegal's coach Pape Bouna Thiaw insists his team's World Cup hopes are not over despite two consecutive defeats to France and Norway. The team needs to beat Iraq in their final group game to have a chance at qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams.
Glasgow 2026 will look very different for India. Several of the country's biggest medal-winning sports-including wrestling, badminton, hockey and table tennis-have been dropped from the Commonwealth Games, leaving India with far fewer chances to add to its medal tally.
Maharashtra's CET Cell has lodged a police complaint after an audio clip surfaced, allegedly showing a woman offering a 'special' exam centre for the MH-CET engineering entrance test for Rs 12 lakh, promising a high percentile.
Former India wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel says Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's selection over Sanju Samson was an emotional decision, questioning why the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament continues to miss out.
Adarsh Baal Vidyalaya is as breezy and it is earnest, discovers Deepa Gahlot.
IOC Vice-President Juan Antonio Samaranch says new Olympic Charter amendments are vital to protect the IOC's independence amid growing political pressures.
Legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev has lauded young batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, comparing his talent to that of Sachin Tendulkar and Virat Kohli. Dev emphasised that Sooryavanshi's ability, not his age, should be the primary factor in his selection for the national team, while also cautioning against excessive hype around the 15-year-old.
From what goes on your plate to how long someone sits with a laptop on their lap, seemingly harmless habits can make a big difference, warns says Dr Aakil Khan, consultant and urologist at KIMS Hospitals, Thane.
Former India captain Gouramangi Singh offers his expert analysis on the upcoming FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain. He highlights Spain's aggressive pressing game and defensive transitions against Argentina's champion's mentality and composure, predicting the match will be decided by small margins. Singh also discusses the individual strengths of both teams and downplays the Messi vs. Yamal narrative.
France's World Cup campaign ended in a 'devastating' 2-0 semi-final defeat to Spain, with coach Didier Deschamps admitting his team was 'technically, second best' and star players like Michael Olise failing to perform.
Indian men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh believes his side is capable of ending the country's five-decade-long World Cup medal drought, drawing parallels with the team's success at the Tokyo Olympics.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has acknowledged the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams, a move that could significantly alter the sport's economics and logistics, despite opposition from major confederations like UEFA and AFC.
Cristiano Ronaldo's illustrious World Cup career concluded with tears after Portugal's 1-0 defeat by Spain in the round of 16, marking the end of his sixth attempt to win the coveted trophy.
Sanju Samson's biggest opponent isn't the opposition, it's the selection committee. Samson has never been given a long rope; all he receives is a thin thread.
