Cristiano Ronaldo led Portugal to a 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan at the FIFA World Cup 2026, scoring two goals. His performance was overshadowed by a viral post-match moment where he appeared to ignore a question about Lionel Messi. Ronaldo also made history by becoming the first player to score in six different World Cups and surpassed Eusebio as Portugal's all-time leading scorer in the tournament.
Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has voiced strong support for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup, emphasising that performance, not age, should be the primary criterion for selection.
Sanju Samson's majestic knock of 97 from 50 balls single-handedly powered India to a five-wicket win over West Indies to seal their spot in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup.
Sanju Samson reveals how he overcame a lean patch by shutting out negativity and focusing on self-belief, culminating in a match-winning performance against the West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
Pakistan's cricket team, led by player-of-the-match Sahibzada Farhan, plans to adopt an aggressive and positive approach in their upcoming high-stakes match against India in the T20 World Cup, aiming for a strong performance and crucial victories.
Defending champions Alpine APL Pipers, led by World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi, defeated FYERS American Gambits 9-7 in a critical Global Chess League match. Carlsen ended Javokhir Sindarov's winning streak, while Gujrathi secured a marathon victory, propelling Pipers closer to a final berth.
'Many of the players I played alongside like Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Krishan Pathak are doing very well today. Somewhere, there is regret that I could not do that.'
Kagiso Rabada discusses South Africa's successful cricket campaign, emphasizing the importance of team performance over individual statistics and highlighting the contributions of key players like Lungi Ngidi and Corbin Bosch.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma's explosive batting performances propelled India to a record-breaking total against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final
Spain, led by a brace from Lamine Yamal, defeated Croatia 4-1 to extend their unbeaten run and maintain a perfect start in the Nations League. Meanwhile, England secured a 2-0 victory over 10-man Czech Republic with goals from Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane, also continuing their strong performance in the tournament.
Talented shooter Suruchi Singh came up with yet another commanding performance to clinch the women's 10m air pistol gold in the ISSF World Cup Final in Doha.
Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale highlights the growing respect and "fear factor" Indian shooters command internationally due to their consistent performances. He expresses confidence in the Indian contingent for the upcoming Asian Games, despite some notable absences, and discusses challenges like range maintenance.
Lionel Messi scored four goals, including a hat-trick, to lead Inter Miami to a dominant 7-1 victory over Montreal in Major League Soccer, ending their five-game winless streak and moving them to second in the Eastern Conference.
The Indian men's hockey team secured a dominant 16-1 victory over Sri Lanka in their second Pool A match at the Asian Games, with Jugraj Singh, Abhishek, and Dilpreet Singh each scoring hat-tricks. This win follows an earlier 13-1 triumph against Indonesia, as the team prepares for tougher challenges against South Korea and Japan.
Aiden Markram and Mitchell Santner's individual performances could potentially decide the outcome of the T20 World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.
Young Indian compound archer Chikitha Taniparthi clinched two gold medals at her Asian Games debut, fulfilling her father's long-held dream for her to pursue sports. Her journey involved significant financial sacrifices from her family and dedicated training, overcoming initial interest in karate to become a world youth champion and now a double Asian Games gold medallist.
A review of the key contributions from each player in India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign, highlighting individual brilliance and teamwork.
Double Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker expressed mixed feelings about her 25m pistol bronze at the Hangzhou World Cup, acknowledging room for improvement despite the podium finish.
The Indian men's team continued its fine performance, defeating Spain 3-1, with World champion D Gukesh showing the way with a very clean victory over former world championship challenger Alexei Shirov.
'Now, the girls studying in schools will also want to take up cricket as their career...'
Zimbabwe all-rounder Ryan Burl acknowledges the challenge of facing India at home in the T20 World Cup but hopes to capitalize on the pressure of a must-win game for both teams.
Veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh states that the Indian hockey team has overcome its past late-game vulnerabilities against Pakistan, attributing this to significant improvements in fitness, game awareness, and decision-making. He notes that matches against Pakistan are no longer as challenging as they once were, though he stresses the need for defensive discipline against stronger European teams in the upcoming World Cup.
India's key spinner Varun Chakaravarthy fine-tunes his bowling skills in a dedicated training session ahead of the crucial T20 World Cup semifinal clash against England, focusing on length and control.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni believes 39-year-old Lionel Messi will continue to be the world's best player for as long as he desires, dismissing age concerns as Messi dominates the World Cup with eight crucial goals.
Sahibzada Farhan's explosive half-century and a clinical showing by the spinners lifted Pakistan to a convincing 32-run win over the United States of America.
'But looking at our current performance, I'm confident that a medal in the World Cup is not far off.'
Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 40, to lead Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over UAE in the T20 World Cup.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the World champions will stick to the same winning formula that delivered glory at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after on Friday finding out their group opponents for next year's global tournament.
India's women's hockey team secured a resounding 20-1 victory over Thailand at the Asian Games, with drag-flicker Deepika Sehrawat setting a new record by scoring nine goals in a single match. This marked India's third consecutive win in Pool B, maintaining their top position ahead of their upcoming match against hosts Japan.
Veteran South Africa batter David Miller believes his experience and calmness will be crucial as the Proteas aim for their first ICC T20 World Cup title. He emphasizes the importance of guiding younger players and maintaining focus throughout the tournament.
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi praised England's Harry Brook for his match-winning century in the T20 World Cup, acknowledging it as potentially the best innings of Brook's career. Afridi also discussed Pakistan's chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Rashid Khan expresses his dream of hosting an international cricket match in Afghanistan, highlighting the challenges faced due to the country's situation and the lack of a strong domestic cricket system.
Indian skeet shooter Anantjeet Singh Naruka has positioned himself strongly for the Asian Games final, tying for the lead after four qualification rounds. While other Indian male shooters struggled, Naruka's performance offers hope. In women's skeet, Raiza Dhillon and Parinaaz Dhaliwal are also in contention for individual medals, and the women's team holds a bronze medal position, though facing tough competition. The final qualification rounds are crucial for India's medal aspirations.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming into the showpiece event on the back of a hard-fought ODI series loss to Australia, where opener Smriti Mandhana slammed two back-to-back centuries and the spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, giving a good account of themselves.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
India's shooters Neeru Dhanda and Kynan Chenai clinched the gold medal in the trap mixed team event at the Asian Games on Wednesday.
India's men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton believes the squad can defeat any country if they stick to their game plan, following confidence-boosting victories against Germany and the Netherlands in the FIH Pro League, despite finishing eighth overall. The team's improved performance and maturity are seen as crucial stepping stones for upcoming major tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Games.
England captain Harry Brook expresses confidence in his team's ability to defeat India in the T20 World Cup semifinal, highlighting their resilience and the potential of their top-order batters.
New Zealand's middle-order faces a stern test against Pakistan's spin attack in their T20 World Cup Super Eight Group 2 match. The ability of the Kiwi batters to counter the spin will be crucial for their success.
Buoyed by her team's first win in the ongoing Women's World Cup in Guwahati on Friday, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine expressed hopes of a turnaround for the White Ferns in the tournament and cited South Africa's stunning victory over India.
