Auqib Nabi proved unstoppable with the ball last season -- picking up 60 wickets in 10 matches at an incredible average of 12.56 last season to help J&K script history by winning its first Ranji Trophy title.
Former Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane believes India's recent Test struggles stem from the departure of senior players, emphasising the need for a core of seven to eight experienced cricketers in the longer format.
Former Assam and Railways cricketer Subhadeep Ghosh is poised to become Team India's new fielding coach, replacing T Dilip, with the BCCI making significant changes to the team management.
R V S Mani, former Under Secretary of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has alleged that drug trafficking was a regular practice by Pakistani cricket teams and delegations visiting India, linking it to the 2006 doping scandal involving Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Asif, and even the death of coach Bob Woolmer.
The Indian cricket team suffered a surprising 2-0 series whitewash against Ireland in a two-match T20 series in Belfast.
Former India hockey captain Viren Rasquinha has publicly questioned Hockey India's decision to switch the national team's jersey colour to orange, arguing that the team's identity and legacy have always been associated with blue.
Former India women's hockey captain Asunta Lakra has formally challenged the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, citing procedural irregularities and questioning the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction. Lakra denies all allegations as "false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory," and highlights issues with the committee's constitution and the incomplete documentation provided. This challenge comes amidst a broader context of sexual harassment allegations in Jharkhand hockey and institutional intimidation claims.
Congress MLA and former India Hockey Captain Pargat Singh has criticised the change in the Indian hockey team's national jersey colour from blue to saffron, alleging it reflects the BJP's mindset of 'giving everything a particular colour' and urging a focus on sports development instead.
Former India coach Stephen Constantine shares his views on Lionel Messi, ranking him below Pele, Maradona, and Ronaldinho due to his reliance on teammates for defensive work. He also predicts Spain will win the upcoming final against Argentina, despite acknowledging Argentina's experience and Messi's match-winning ability. Constantine further discusses England's semi-final exit and criticises hydration breaks and refereeing controversies.
The BCCI has thanked assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip after the duo's successful stints with Team India came to an end, acknowledging their behind-the-scenes role in the team's achievements.
Indian hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh stated that the new orange-coloured jersey for the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup is a 'team strategy' and a 'tactic' to avoid clashes with the blue Astroturf, a decision that has sparked controversy.
Former Indian boxing coach Mohammed Ali Qamar believes the country's women's boxing squad for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games is one of its best ever, with each of the seven members capable of securing a medal, though he cautioned that draws would be crucial.
Ishan Kishan discusses his approach to regaining his place in the Indian team, focusing on consistent run-scoring and self-improvement rather than dwelling on his absence. He also speaks about his mindset while batting at number 3 and his interaction with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Former India women's cricket captain Anjum Chopra believes that merely replacing Harmanpreet Kaur as captain will not solve the fundamental issues plaguing the team, citing a significant lack of quality back-up options across all departments.
The Indian women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, secured a silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 in Madrid.
Despite not winning a medal at the recently-concluded Asian Senior Fencing Championships, India's men's foil team secured direct qualification for the upcoming Asian Games, marking a significant step forward for the sport in the country. The event, hosted in India for the first time, provided valuable experience and highlighted the growing competitiveness of Indian fencers against top Asian nations.
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly expressed surprise at India's recent white-ball slump, which saw them suffer a crushing 125-run defeat against England and a 0-2 series loss to Ireland, but backed the team to recover, while also commenting on his upcoming biopic 'Dada'.
Former cricketers raise concerns over ICC's policy of awarding Test status based on limited-overs performance, following Afghanistan's heavy defeat to India.
Pakistan's chief selector Samiullah Khan believes a draw against arch-rivals India will be crucial for the national hockey team to advance past the group stage in the upcoming World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands. Pakistan, participating after an eight-year hiatus, has announced a 20-member squad, with foreign coaches assisting the team.
The All India Football Federation's decision to field two separate teams for the inaugural FIFA ASEAN Cup and an international friendly against Brazil has sparked controversy.
Former India coach WV Raman believes the current women's team is the strongest in the country's history and has all the ingredients to win a maiden T20 World Cup, provided the pace attack delivers in key moments.
Former England Test coach Brendon McCullum has apologised for the team's performance during his tenure, acknowledging that the 'Bazball' approach did not yield desired results in key series against Australia and India. His departure follows a home series defeat to New Zealand and mounting pressure after the Ashes loss.
A controversy has erupted within Hockey India over the national teams' new saffron jerseys, replacing the traditional blue.
Former Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expressed strong "anguish" over the Indian hockey team's decision to change its traditional blue jersey to saffron for the upcoming FIH World Cup. Patnaik, whose state government previously sponsored the team, criticised the move as "petty politics" and an attempt to erase sporting legacy, alleging pressure from the BJP government in Odisha. Hockey India stated the saffron colour symbolises courage, sacrifice, and new beginnings, inspired by the national flag.
The controversy within Hockey India regarding the change in the Indian teams' jersey colour has intensified. President Dilip Tirkey's deadline for Executive Director Commander RK Srivastava to submit documents explaining the decision was missed, leading to the Secretary General requesting an emergency Executive Board meeting. This issue, along with unaddressed harassment complaints, highlights significant internal strife within the organisation.
Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, is reportedly set to step down from his role after the ongoing ODI series against England, citing personal reasons and a desire for less travel. His departure comes as his initial two-year contract with the BCCI concludes.
Former India women's hockey team captain Asunta Lakra has challenged the ethics proceedings initiated against her by Hockey India, citing procedural irregularities and questioning the Ethics Committee's jurisdiction. Lakra denied all allegations as 'false, baseless, malicious, motivated and defamatory' and is seeking full disclosure of documents before providing a detailed reply.
India's women's compound archery team, comprising Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Prithika Pradeep, and Chikitha Taniparthi, secured a silver medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 4 after losing to Colombia in the final. Despite the team's struggle, teenager Prithika Pradeep emerged as a standout performer, and India remains in contention for more medals in both compound and recurve categories.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has confirmed that the contracts of assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip have ended and will not be extended. The decision comes amidst dissatisfaction with their performance and unfulfilled roles. A new fielding coach is expected to be announced soon, with Subhadeep Ghosh tipped as the frontrunner.
As India put on a powerful batting display in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium on Thursday, several prominent faces from cricket and Bollywood watched the action from the stands.
Indian stand-in coach VVS Laxman has lauded T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer for securing his first-ever T20I series win as captain in Zimbabwe, praising his optimism and the team's 'collective effort' and 'winners' mindset' following a 3-0 clean sweep.
Harbhajan Singh criticises Kirti Azad for questioning Team India's temple visit with T20 World Cup trophy
VVS Laxman is reportedly being considered to replace Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector for the BCCI, whose extended tenure ends next month.
The controversy within Hockey India over the change in the Indian teams' jersey colour has intensified, with President Dilip Tirkey demanding documents from Director General Commander RK Srivastava. The issue, coupled with unaddressed harassment complaints, has led to the Secretary General seeking an emergency Executive Board meeting, highlighting significant internal strife ahead of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.
Former cricketers and experts are questioning India's decision to omit specialist spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing XI, suggesting the team's focus on batting depth might be compromising its wicket-taking ability.
Former India captain Rahul Dravid attributes the nation's recent cricketing success to the realisation of its immense potential, supported by strong infrastructure, talented players, and passionate fans.
Former champions India began their World Team Snooker Championship campaign with a narrow 2-3 defeat to hosts China 'B'. The loss in the opening Group 'B' match means India must win their next game against Turkey to stay in contention. Aditya Mehta lost the deciding frame to Zhou Jinhao after Pankaj Advani had earlier levelled the scores.
Sunil Gavaskar praised India's team-first approach and clinical chase against Afghanistan in the opening ODI, highlighting KL Rahul's selfless batting and the contributions of Nitish Kumar Reddy and debutant Gurnoor Brar. Former England spinner Graeme Swann warned of a tougher challenge in the second ODI in Lucknow due to Afghanistan's strong spin attack.
Auqib Nabi, a right-arm pacer from Jammu and Kashmir, has made history by becoming the first cricketer from the region to be named in India's Test squad, earning a call-up for the tour of Sri Lanka after a remarkable domestic season.
For the first time since 1998, no Indian umpire or technical official will be present at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, a situation that has left former international officials disappointed and calling for a structured pathway to develop and support Indian officiating talent.
