Hussain stuck his neck out and suggested six-time champions Australia, tournament hosts England, reigning ICC Women's Cricket World Cup winners India and reigning title holders New Zealand would be the four teams most likely to reach the knockout stages.
Ace Indian cueist Sourav Kothari clinched the 2025 IBSF World Billiards title after an emphatic victory over multiple-time winner Pankaj Advani in the final in Carlow, Ireland.
Magnus Carlsen reflects on the challenges of ageing and memory as he struggles at the Norway Chess tournament, revealing his reliance on coffee and longing for a distraction with the Champions League final.
Australian legend Ricky Ponting believes Indian superstars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are capable of playing until the ODI World Cup in 2027, citing their passion and determination.
European champions Spain will travel to next month's World Cup with plenty of Barcelona swagger but no-one from Real Madrid after manager Luis de la Fuente named a 26-man squad on Monday built around eight players from the Catalan club.
Zverev, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic gold medallist and twice ATP Finals champion, has never won a Grand Slam trophy despite final appearances at the U.S. Open, French Open and Australian Open, with Paris now offering the German his clearest opportunity.
Barcelona defeated Celta Vigo 1-0 in LaLiga, but the victory was overshadowed by an injury to Lamine Yamal.
World number one Aryna Sabalenka insists she has fully shaken off the physical woes that derailed her French Open preparations, despite arriving at Roland Garros without a semi-final appearance on clay this season.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has missed the first six games of IPL 2026 due to a calf injury.
R Praggnanandhaa described his Norway Chess triumph as the biggest achievement of his career, emphasising that defeating some of the world's strongest players - including the great Magnus Carlsen - made the title particularly memorable.
Frenchman Arthur Fils continued his run of good form since returning from an eight-month injury layoff as he overpowered Russia's higher-ranked Andrey Rublev 6-2, 7-6(2) to win the Barcelona Open, clinching his first title since 2024.
Alexander Zverev overcame a slow start to defeat Rafael Jodar and secure a spot in the French Open semi-finals, continuing his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title.
Fresh from their Singapore Open victory, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty are set to compete in the Thailand Open Super 1000 badminton tournament, while other Indian shuttlers including PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen will also participate.
Martin Goodwill of England defeated reigning champion Sourav Kothari in the IBSF World Billiards Championship, while Pankaj Advani dominated his group. Several other Indian players also advanced to the knockout stage.
Flavio Cobolli reached the French Open final after his semifinal opponent, fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi, withdrew from the match on Friday due to a virus.
Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green has praised Jasprit Bumrah, calling him the best bowler in the world.
Iga Swiatek's French Open campaign ended in a stunning defeat to Marta Kostyuk, adding to the series of upsets at Roland Garros.
World number one Jannik Sinner started his campaign for a maiden French Open title in merciless fashion, beating Frenchman Clement Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round on Tuesday.
Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea reached the quarter-final of the French Open, while Matteo Berrettini is rediscovering his confidence after a win.
Magnus Carlsen has won the first FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship, defeating Fabiano Caruana in the final match held in Germany.
D Gukesh showcased his World Championship preparations by defeating his title challenger, Javokhir Sindarov, and drawing with Wesley So at the Grand Chess Tour's Super Rapid and Blitz event.
Carlo Ancelotti has extended his contract as the manager of the Brazilian national football team until the 2030 World Cup.
Mirra Andreeva and qualifier Maja Chwalinska have both reached the French Open women's singles final, ensuring a new Grand Slam champion will be crowned. Andreeva defeated Marta Kostyuk, while Chwalinska overcame Diana Shnaider. The tournament has seen early exits for top seeds, paving the way for these new contenders. Additionally, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori successfully defended their mixed doubles title.
Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters final, regaining the world number one ranking.
Taylor Fritz became the first American since 2006 to reach the title match at the ATP Finals after winning a slugfest against world number two Alexander Zverev in on Saturday.
India retains its top position in the ICC T20I rankings, followed by England and Australia. The rankings consider matches played since May 2025 at 100 per cent and the previous two years at 50 per cent.
Sharma, who grabbed eyeballs during the Women's Premier League 2026 season with a haul of 17 wickets, said she was overwhelmed by the selection and credited her family and coaches for their constant support.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back to win the Singapore Open title, defeating Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a thrilling men's doubles final.
The Indian women's recurve team, consisting of Deepika Kumari, Ankita Bhakat, and Kumkum Mohod, secured a gold medal at the Archery World Cup Stage 2 in Shanghai, defeating China in a tense shoot-off. This victory marks India's first World Cup women's team gold since 2021 and follows a stunning semi-final win against South Korea.
Star Indian men's doubles badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the Indonesia Open mid-match due to a recurring shoulder injury to Satwik. This comes shortly after their Singapore Open victory, raising concerns about their fitness for upcoming tournaments.
Star Indian men's doubles badminton pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have withdrawn from the Indonesia Open mid-match due to a recurring shoulder injury to Satwik. This comes shortly after their Singapore Open victory, raising concerns about their fitness for upcoming tournaments.
Rafael Jodar joined an elite group of Spaniards who captured ATP titles as teenagers in the professional era.
Polish qualifier Maja Chwalinska continued her fairytale run with a 76(4), 64 win over Diana Shnaider on Thursday, reaching her maiden Grand Slam final at the French Open and booking a title showdown with Russian Mirra Andreeva.
World number one Jannik Sinner brushed aside Britain's Cameron Norrie 6-2 7-5 on Tuesday to book a place in the Madrid Open quarterfinals, stretching his ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 25 matches as the players avoided the worst of the heat.
Teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stole the limelight in his first full season of IPL with some dazzling performances for the Rajasthan Royals.
Jakub Mensik became the youngest Czech man to reach a Grand Slam semi-final after beating Joao Fonseca at the French Open, while Mirra Andreeva stormed into the last four and Alexander Zverev kept his title hopes alive.
Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty secured a dramatic comeback victory to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the Indonesia Open, a Super 1000 tournament. However, star men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty were forced to retire due to injury, while HS Prannoy exited in the first round. Rohan Kapoor and Ruthvika Gadde advanced in mixed doubles.
Hans Moke Niemann of the United States won the Super rapid and blitz in Warsaw, while India's D Gukesh finished sixth. Niemann secured the title with a strong finish, while Gukesh had a mixed performance.
Aryna Sabalenka arrives at the French Open as world number one, but her clay court form and a recent injury raise doubts about her chances of winning her first Grand Slam title on the surface.
Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty fought back to win the Singapore Open title, defeating Indonesia's Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Shohibul Fikri in a thrilling final.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances