Indian badminton players experienced mixed results at the China Masters, with Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma securing straight-game victories to advance to the second round. However, Lakshya Sen, a former world championships medallist, suffered an early exit after a disappointing performance against Canada's Victor Lai. Several Indian doubles pairs also saw varied outcomes in their opening matches.
England captain Joe Root has announced there will be no team curfew for the upcoming Test series against Pakistan, expressing trust in his players to act responsibly. This decision comes amidst recent scrutiny over the team's culture following several off-field incidents and player suspensions. Root, who returned to captaincy after Ben Stokes' retirement, believes players should be self-policing.
England captain Ben Stokes will retire from international cricket after the third Test against New Zealand, saying the demands of captaincy had burned him out after a remarkable career featuring World Cup glory and Ashes heroics.
India continued its strong performance at the Asian Games, securing gold medals in both men's and women's Kabaddi, a historic silver in marathon by Sawan Barwal, and advancing to squash finals. The day also saw mixed results in shooting, athletics, and badminton, contributing to India's growing medal tally.
Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has sharply criticised Pakistan's batting performance in the final Test against England, highlighting their "woefully low confidence" and "dispirited" state. The team was skittled out for just 133 runs, failing to cross 200 even once in the series, with key players like Babar Azam and Abdullah Shafique struggling. Atherton attributes this decline partly to the controversial decision to send home seven players and two coaches. Despite the batting struggles, young pacer Razaullah offered a glimmer of hope with an impressive bowling display.
Indian shuttler Lakshya Sen secured a hard-fought victory against Collins Valentine Filimon in the opening round of the BWF World Championships, attributing his win to crucial tactical adjustments after losing the first game. He will now face Garret Tan of the USA.
If India's medal tally ultimately falls significantly short of Hangzhou, the conversation should not stop with the athletes or coaches. It should extend to a much more uncomfortable institutional question: After years of increased investment, programmes, infrastructure and policy attention, where exactly is the system failing to convert that investment into medals, champions and depth across sports? asks Jaydeep Ray.
Australia's head coach Andrew McDonald has announced that the team will forgo traditional practice matches before their upcoming Border Gavaskar Trophy Test series in India, opting instead for a short preparatory camp in sub-continental conditions. This strategic decision aims to better acclimatise players for the challenging Indian pitches.
Former England captain Ben Stokes has expressed his desire to coach the national team one day, believing his experience as a player and captain would make him successful. He is currently pursuing his Level 3 coaching qualification and has an understanding of the responsibilities involved in leadership. Stokes also commented on Harry Brook not being made Test captain despite being vice-captain, questioning the message it sent.
Australia coach Andrew McDonald believes former England captain Ben Stokes could be persuaded to reverse his Test retirement and feature in the Ashes 2027 series, said Australia coach Andrew McDonald.
India's top men's doubles pair, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, fought hard to defeat Denmark's Kim Astrup and Anders Skaarup Rasmussen, securing their spot in the China Masters Super 750 semifinals. This victory continues their strong performance following recent successes. Meanwhile, veteran Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth's journey in the men's singles quarter-finals concluded after a straight-games loss to Hong Kong's Lee Cheuk Yiu.
The Indian men's badminton team secured a medal at the Asian Games by defeating Japan 3-0 in the quarterfinals, highlighted by Lakshya Sen's incredible comeback victory. While the men celebrated, the women's team exited the tournament after a 1-3 loss to Japan.
Seamer Ollie Robinson, whose player-of-the-match performance guided England to victory in the first Test against New Zealand, will miss the second match due to a sore right knee.
India achieved a remarkable six-gold haul on the penultimate day of the Asian Games, surging to fifth place with 76 medals. Key victories included the women's hockey team securing gold and Olympic qualification, historic boxing golds from Lovlina Borgohain, Parveen Hooda, and Ankush Panghal, a wrestling gold by Sujeet Kalkal, and maiden recurve archery gold. This strong finish significantly bolstered India's overall campaign.
Norwegian middle-distance runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen secured his seventh European Athletics Championships gold, winning the 5,000 metres title in a thrilling sprint finish, just months after Achilles surgery.
Former Australian opener Matthew Hayden has lauded young Indian batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, highlighting his courage, mental strength, and ability to perform under pressure. Hayden believes the 15-year-old has the potential to excel in both short and long formats of cricket, despite his recent T20I and IPL successes. Sooryavanshi's impressive performances, including a Player of the Series award in T20Is and a record-breaking IPL season, underscore his immense talent.
India's Asian Games campaign saw its medal tally rise to 17 with strong performances in athletics, wushu, kabaddi, and hockey, despite some disappointments in shooting, boxing, and gymnastics. The mixed 4x400m relay team secured silver, while Seema won bronze in 10,000m. Wushu player Roshibina Devi claimed silver, and rowers added a bronze. Kabaddi and men's hockey teams continued their unbeaten runs, advancing to later stages.
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.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced 12 venues across South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Namibia for the 2027 ODI World Cup, marking the tournament's return to Africa after 24 years, with a new 57-match, three-stage format designed to enhance competitiveness and fan experience.
Bangladesh savoured their first taste of Test cricket in Australia for 23 years on Thursday as they skittled the world's top-ranked side for less than 200 and went to stumps in command at 96 for one on the first day of the series-opener in Darwin.
Aston Villa defeated Liverpool 4-2, securing a Champions League qualification spot for next season. Ollie Watkins scored twice in the victory.
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.
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.
England cricket captain Ben Stokes and bowler Gus Atkinson have been fully cleared by the Cricket Regulator following an investigation into a London nightclub incident.
Brendon McCullum's four-year stint as England Test coach has come to an end after the ECB decided to part ways with him.
Andy Flower has ruled himself out of contention for the vacant England Test head coach position, saying he is happy in franchise cricket and intends to remain in his current roles.
Fernando Alonso's main focus for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend will be making sure he gets home in time to watch Spain play Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday.
Former England cricketer Liam Plunkett swapped his cricket colours for a baseball glove on Friday, playing his first game for independent American club Oakland Ballers and even claiming a strikeout.
New Zealand opener Tom Latham has equalled legendary Martin Crowe's record of 17 Test centuries, becoming the joint third-highest century-scorer for his country. This milestone was achieved during his impressive 151-run knock against England in Nottingham, further solidifying his place in New Zealand's cricketing history.
England has named its playing XI for the first One-Day International against India at Edgbaston, with young left-hander Jacob Bethell set to open alongside Ben Duckett.
England captain Ben Stokes criticised the Lord's pitch after the first Test against New Zealand, saying bowler-friendly surfaces and four-day finishes are not ideal for Test cricket's long-term future.
One of the world's gentleman cricketers has quietly walked away from the game, just as he played it: With grace, dignity, and zero fuss.
In a post on social media platform 'X', Tendulkar hailed Williamson as one of the finest batters of his generation and praised his calm approach to the game.
England, led by skipper Harry Brook, secured an unassailable 3-0 lead against India in the five-match T20I series. Brook, with an unbeaten 79, powered England to a comfortable nine-wicket win in the fourth T20I. The team is now aiming for a clean sweep and the world No. 1 ranking, which they can achieve by winning the final match against the reigning world champions.
England, led by skipper Harry Brook, secured an unassailable 3-0 lead against India in the five-match T20I series. Brook, with an unbeaten 79, powered England to a comfortable nine-wicket win in the fourth T20I. The team is now aiming for a clean sweep and the world No. 1 ranking, which they can achieve by winning the final match against the reigning world champions.
England coach Brendon McCullum has strongly denied any rift with Test captain Ben Stokes, calling speculation 'amusing' after Stokes' suspension for a curfew breach.
Australian batter Marnus Labuschagne is 'extremely optimistic and well-prepared' for the upcoming two-match home Test series against Bangladesh, believing that runs will flow if he trusts his game, despite a recent drought of Test centuries.
India captain Shreyas Iyer expressed his disappointment over the team's 'utter failure in execution' across all departments after England secured the T20I series with a dominant nine-wicket victory.
Indian badminton players, including Kidambi Srikanth, faced a challenging start at the Canada Open Super 300 event, with most shuttlers failing to advance past the opening round. Only Tanya Hemnath and Aakarshi Kashyap secured spots in the women's singles second round.
Persistent rain limited play to fewer than 10 overs on Day 3 at Lord's, but Ollie Robinson struck twice to leave New Zealand struggling at 55/5 in pursuit of a 254-run target against England
