Scott Boland struck twice in successive deliveries to reduce South Africa to 20 for two on a rain-hit opening day, giving Australia the early advantage in the second Test.
India faces a critical challenge against co-hosts and reigning Olympic champions the Netherlands in their Hockey World Cup second-round opener.
West Indies head coach Daren Sammy expressed immense satisfaction with his team's performance against India, stating that the 'swagger is back' after they held the T20 World Cup champions to a 2-2 series draw. He highlighted the team's renewed confidence and willingness to win as key factors.
Two-time Olympic medallist P V Sindhu has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Arctic Open Super 500 tournament after defeating Japan's Riko Gunji. However, it was a disappointing day for Indian men's singles players, with Tharun Mannepalli, Tanvi Sharma, and Kidambi Srikanth all bowing out of the competition.
Defending champions Jammu and Kashmir made an impressive start to their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A campaign, dismissing Madhya Pradesh for 196 on the opening day. Medium pacer Rohit Sharma led the attack with a five-wicket haul, while Sunil Kumar added four wickets. J&K were 3/1 at stumps, trailing by 193 runs.
Sujeet Kalkal clinched the Asian Games gold medal in the men's 65kg wrestling category, overcoming strong rivals including an Olympic champion. He demonstrated remarkable resilience by coming from behind in the final to secure his first Asian Games title.
The 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship is set to commence in Jhansi from Saturday, featuring 29 teams across three divisions. The tournament will run until October 21, with Punjab as the defending champions. The article details the pool compositions for Division 'A', 'B', and 'C', along with the knockout stage schedule.
The Ranji Trophy 2026-27 season is set to begin on Sunday, featuring several prominent India cricketers like KL Rahul, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Their participation aims to provide valuable red-ball practice and fine-tune skills, while also offering a platform for players like Mohammed Shami to impress selectors. The tournament will also highlight emerging young talents from various states.
The Mighty Marathas secured their first victory in the second season of the Archery Premier League, defeating Chola Chiefs 6-0 on Saturday. Led by Mike Schloesser and Dhiraj Bommadevara, the Marathas showcased strong performances, bouncing back after two initial losses. The Chiefs, despite tactical efforts, couldn't match the Marathas' precision, suffering their second defeat in three matches.
Paris St Germain manager Luis Enrique has stated that Manchester City deserve to keep their trophies, despite the Premier League club facing potential sanctions for alleged financial rule breaches. Enrique emphasised respecting the ongoing process but highlighted City's on-pitch performance.
The fifth and final T20 International between India and the West Indies was abandoned due to persistent rain on Saturday, resulting in the series being drawn 2-2. India had scored 118 for five in 7.4 overs in the rain-shortened match before play was called off.
Indian golf stars Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri will spearhead a 27-member Indian contingent at the USD four million DP World India Championship. They will compete against a formidable international field, including seven Major winners like Rory McIlroy, at the Delhi Golf Club, starting on Thursday.
Soha Sadiq and Parth Aggarwal caused significant upsets at the Fenesta Open National Hard court championships by defeating higher-seeded players. Meanwhile, top seeds Manish Sureshkumar and Vaidehee Chaudhari began their campaigns with comfortable straight-sets victories, showcasing strong performances in their respective draws.
Indian archers, fresh from their stellar performance at the Asian Games, are set to compete in the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) starting October 8 in Hyderabad. The league will feature 48 archers across six franchises, including Asian Games medallists like Kumkum Anil Mohod, Jyothi Surekha Vennam, and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, alongside international stars.
Indian para track and field athletes delivered a spectacular performance at the Asian Para Games, securing 22 medals, including five gold, on Wednesday. Sprinter Simran Sharma was a standout, clinching her second gold medal in the women's 100m T12 event, making her only the fourth Indian to win two golds in the same edition. Other gold medallists included Dilip Gavit, Praveen Kumar, Ayush Verma, and Sachin Khilari, contributing to India's total of 42 para-athletics medals.
The 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship will feature two-time champion Vaidehee Chaudhari and defending men's champion Manish Sureshkumar leading a highly competitive field. The tournament, held from October 5 to 17, will include top national players across men's, women's, boys', and girls' categories.
Left-arm pacer T Natarajan has been traded back to Sunrisers Hyderabad, while leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari has moved to Delhi Capitals in a player trade between the two IPL franchises. Natarajan returns to SRH for a revised fee of Rs 5 crore, having previously been bought by DC for Rs 10.75 crore at the IPL 2025 auction. Ansari joins DC at his existing fee of Rs 40 lakh.
The Sports Ministry has removed para-shooting coach Jai Prakash Nautiyal from India's Para Asian Games contingent following allegations of kickbacks and protests from athletes. The contingent of 166 athletes and 109 support staff is set to compete in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, starting October 18, with several prominent Paralympians included despite selection controversies.
The Sports Ministry conducted a review of India's Asian Games performance, scrutinising the lower-than-expected medal haul in athletics and badminton. Chaired by Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, the meeting addressed issues like injured athletes and future planning for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with a strong emphasis on federations delivering results and nurturing young talent.
The Indian women's cricket team is set to complete a 3-0 T20I series sweep against Zimbabwe in the final match in Raipur, buoyed by strong performances from captain Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, and debutant Niki Prasad.
Australia's assistant coach Matthew Wade has warned his team to expect a more dangerous and aggressive South African attack with pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada poised to return for the second Test in Gqeberha, following his absence from the first match due to a hamstring injury.
Several Indian wrestlers, including U17 World Champion Neha Sangwan, have been denied US visas for the upcoming U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, citing age and unemployment. The Wrestling Federation of India has urged the US Embassy to reconsider, highlighting that the athletes are within the U23 age group and many are still pursuing their careers.
Asian Games gold medallist Aman Sherawat expresses strong confidence in winning an Olympic wrestling gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Games. Having defeated a world champion in the Asian Games, he believes he can achieve what no other Indian wrestler has done, despite the challenges of the competitive 57kg category and past weight issues. He plans to continue training with foreign coaches to fine-tune his techniques.
Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa has been announced as a Laureus Ambassador, reinforcing her long-standing connection with the movement. Badosa expressed her honour and shared a message of perseverance for young participants in Laureus programmes worldwide, while tennis legend Martina Navratilova welcomed her to the Laureus family.
Fifteen-year-old Chilean Jaime 'Craime' Bustos has become the youngest-ever Esports World Cup champion, winning the Street Fighter 6 title. Representing Team Falcons, Craime defeated Japan's Hibiki in the final, securing USD 250,000 and a spot in Capcom Cup 13. Other championships were also decided, with Team Falcons maintaining their lead in the Club Championship standings.
Former chief selector M S K Prasad wants Mohammed Shami considered for the New Zealand series and the 2027 ODI World Cup while former bowling coach Bharat Arun says the pacer has nothing left to prove.
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has announced he will take legal action against the organisers of the World T20 Continent Cup for using his name as a participant without his permission. Dhawan urged media and fans to disregard any unauthorised announcements regarding his involvement in the tournament, which is scheduled for December in Hong Kong.
The US announced a 60-day pause on sanctions against Russia and tariffs on other countries, including India, to analyse the global economic impact. This decision, made via an executive order by Trump, has drawn significant criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, who had previously passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. US officials stated the waiver allows for assessment of global energy pressures and European allies' refusal to impose secondary sanctions on Russian oil buyers.
East Bengal's women's team secured a dominant 4-0 victory over Rajshahi Stars FC of Bangladesh in their AFC Women's Champions League Preliminary Round opener, with Olivia Anokye scoring a brace and India internationals Astam Oraon and Soumya Guguloth adding to the tally.
Asian Games gold medallist Sujeet Kalkal is focusing on improving his ground game, identified by coaches as a crucial area for his 2028 Los Angeles Olympics aspirations.
Formula One will return to Africa after 33 years, with Rwanda securing a 10-year deal to host a Grand Prix from the early 2030s, promising tourism, investment and jobs.
Vaidehee Chaudhari secured her third Fenesta Open women's singles title, defeating Shruti Ahlawat in a tough final. Maan Kesharwani claimed his maiden men's singles title, overcoming Nitin Sinha. Ribhav Saroha and Parthsarthi Mundhe also won the boys' and girls' U-18 singles titles respectively at the national tennis championship in New Delhi.
The Pro Wrestling League (PWL) is set to kick off its sixth season from January 9 to 26 next year in New Delhi, featuring 86 grapplers, including 34 international medallists. Six franchises will compete across Olympic weight categories, with Indian Asian Games medallists and Japanese Olympic champion Yui Susaki among the participants.
Mighty Marathas secured a thrilling shoot-off victory against in-form Chero Archers in the Archery Premier League on Monday, extending their winning streak to three matches. Other results saw Kakatiya Knights defeat Prithviraaj Yodhas, and defending champions Rajputana Royals end their losing streak against Chola Chiefs.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir paid tribute to outgoing chief selector Ajit Agarkar, acknowledging his role in India's three ICC trophy wins during his tenure. Agarkar's term ended on Tuesday, and he did not seek an extension, with Pragyan Ojha stepping in as interim chief selector.
Khalid Jamil, head coach of the Indian football team, expressed optimism despite a 4-0 defeat against five-time world champions Brazil. He highlighted the high quality of the Brazilian team and the learning experience for India, emphasizing the need for more high-profile matches to improve. Jamil also defended goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh Sandhu and looked forward to the upcoming match against Uruguay.
P V Sindhu and Lakshya Sen faced early exits at the Denmark Open badminton tournament on Tuesday, while Kidambi Srikanth and Tanvi Sharma secured hard-fought victories to advance to the second round. Sindhu lost to Yvonne Li, and Sen was defeated by Chou Tien Chen. Srikanth will face Alex Lanier, and Tanvi Sharma will play Yvonne Li next.
Punjab FC's IFA Shield campaign concluded after a narrow 3-4 defeat on penalties to defending champions Mohun Bagan Super Giant in the semi-final. The match remained goalless after 120 minutes of competitive play, with both teams creating chances before the shootout decided the winner.
Chola Chiefs ended their five-match losing streak by defeating Prithviraaj Yodhas in a thrilling Archery Premier League Season 2 match decided by a shoot-off. The victory, secured by Alejandra Usquiano and Yuktha Sri Kondapavuluri, keeps their top-four playoff hopes alive.
Legendary Formula One driver and two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen advocates for the sport's return to India, citing its massive fan base and business opportunities.
