After bagging back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, India will start as favourites to defend their ACT title against top hockey playing nations of Asia in the form of China, Japan, Pakistan, Korea and Malaysia.
Skipper Sophie Devine led from the front with a calculative half-century and lifted New Zealand to a challenging 259 for nine after India's spirited comeback in the middle overs of the second women's ODI in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Shafali Verma managed just 108 runs in six matches this year with 33 being the highest.
Defending champions India beat Korea 3-1 to register their fourth consecutive win at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy.
Harmanpreet, Shafali move up to tied 11th, Mandhana maintains 5th position
Ace dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh scored a hat-trick as the Indian men's hockey team eked out a narrow 4-3 win over England in the second match of the double-leg FIH Pro League tie in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.
Manu Bhaker has been shockingly ignored for this year's Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, a top sports ministry source has asserted
Bangladesh will take on Scotland in the tournament opener in an afternoon fixture followed by a clash between Asian teams Pakistan and Sri Lanka later in the day at Sharjah.
Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Jemimah hold key to India's T20 World Cup campaign
Raj Kumar Pal struck a hat-trick
A heart-wrenching defeat in the semi-finals notwithstanding, a demoralised Indian men's hockey team will have to regroup quickly and aim for a second consecutive podium finish at the Olympics when it takes on Spain in the bronze medal play-off in Paris on Thursday.
Motivated India eye German scalp to script another historic chapter in Olympic men's hockey
'We have a talented side, and we'll go upwards as we play more'
Just-retired India goalkeeper P R Sreejesh is a legend of the game and will inspire the next generation of hockey players in the country, said his India team-mates on Saturday.
Sanjay Manjrekar admitted to a lack of familiarity with players from North India. This statement, interpreted as regional bias and a disregard for talented cricketers, left fans fuming.
Harleen Deol underscored her growing maturity with an impressive maiden hundred
Praveen Kumar expressed his sentiments without naming anyone, saying he would have been happier if other Paris Paralympics medallists had also been honored.
Jake Whetton (29') was the lone scorer for Delhi SG Pipers who are yet to register an outright victory in the league.
India head coach Amol Muzumdar was frustrated by the his team fielding efforts which he believes could have altered the game's outcome against Australia.
Captain Harmanpreet Kaur leads a bunch of India players who have made rapid gains in the MRF Tyres ICC Women's ODI Player Rankings after some excellent performances that helped complete a 3-0 sweep over England in their ICC Women's Championship (IWC) series.
Harmanpreet Kaur joined the Punjab police as a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), in Chandigarh, on Thursday.
The Indian men's hockey team dished out a dominant performance to launch its title defence with a commanding 3-0 win over hosts China in the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir, China on Sunday.
India clinched a second successive Olympic bronze medal at the Games for the first time in 52 years with a 2-1 triumph over Spain in the third position playoff on Thursday.
India opener Shafali Verma said her no-holds-barred approach goes well with Smriti Mandhana's elegance.
India T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and young batter Jemimah Rodrigues will play for Melbourne Renegades in the upcoming Women's Big Bash League.
'Fitness and fielding are two things I want my team to improve'
Mandhana 136 (120b, 18x4, 2x6) and Harmanpreet 103 not out (88b, 9x4, 3x6) ran roughshod over the Proteas bowlers after being asked to bat first.
Belgian defender Arthur De Sloover feels the way Indian hockey is progressing over the years, the country is a "big contender" for more glory at the word stage in future.
Harmanpreet Kaur got back among the runs with a 63-run knock in the fifth ODI against New Zealand and followed that up with a century (104) in the World Cup warm-up match against South Africa.
Opener Smriti Mandhana's elegant century went in vain as India lost to Australia by 83 runs in the third Women's ODI to suffer a 0-3 series whitewash
Top-ranked Netherlands reached the men's hockey final at the Paris Olympics on Tuesday with a much more comfortable 4-0 win over Spain than in the pool stage
Indian all-rounder Harmanpreet Kaur played a crucial knock of 35 runs, as Melbourne Renegades defeated Sydney Sixers by seven wickets in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) match in Launceston.
India, who will be led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will launch their campaign with a clash against Sri Lanka
Indian women set to play Test in Australia after England
The Indian hockey team that won a second successive Olympic bronze for the country here on Thursday featured 11 players, who will come back as two-time medallists from the quadrennial showpiece.
Skipper Sophie Devine was complemented well by her bowlers as a dominant New Zealand handed India a 58-run defeat in the Women's T20 World Cup in Dubai on Friday
The women's exhibition games were confirmed by the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly last week. The Indian team has not played since T20 World Cup final in March.
The Prime Minister termed the athletes as "India's soldiers of 2036 Olympics".
India skipper Harmanpreet Kaur came much cheaper for Mumbai Indians at nearly half the price of Mandhana at Rs 1.80 crore.
India opener Shafali admitted that Sri Lanka are no longer only dependent on their skipper Chamarai Athapaththu.
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