Hriday Chheda, a gold medallist from the 2022 Asian Games, acknowledges the increased expectations for India's dressage team at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games in Japan, emphasising the importance of staying calm and delivering a strong performance.
India experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the Asian Games, highlighted by Mirabai Chanu's historic silver medal in weightlifting, ending a long wait for an Asiad medal. The nation also secured several bronze medals in skeet shooting, men's badminton, and soft tennis. While Chanu shone, the shooting contingent faced challenges, and other sports like wushu, table tennis, squash, women's hockey, and kabaddi saw Indian athletes advance or dominate their events.
India U-19 secured a commanding six-wicket victory over Australia U-19 in the third and final Youth ODI, completing a 3-0 series sweep. Skipper Lakshya Raichandani led the chase with an unbeaten 110, while Mohit Ulva and Manal Chauhan starred with the ball. The teams will now prepare for a two-match Youth Test series.
New Zealand recalled Adam Milne and Michael Bracewell for their upcoming T20 series against India, while Rachin Ravindra remains sidelined due to a shoulder injury sustained during a promotional shoot.
Indian chess teams, both open and women's, secured victories in the second round of the 46th Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, maintaining their top positions with four match points. While the open team faced some challenges, including draws for D Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, Nihal Sarin's win was crucial. The women's team achieved a more dominant performance with wins from Divya Deshmukh, Vantika Agrawal, and B Savitha Shri.
India's Jay Meena has advanced to the quarterfinals of the soft tennis event at the Asian Games after defeating Pakistan's Arain Hussain. Other Indian players, Aryan Thakur and Aadhya Tiwari, also saw mixed results in their respective matches.
US PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai is set to make his debut at the 2026 DP World India Championship, joining a strong field of global golf stars including Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and other Major winners, alongside Indian talents Shubhankar Sharma and Anirban Lahiri.
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.
Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu argues that predictions of AI's catastrophic outcomes are overstated and a global pause in AI development is improbable. He urges India to adopt an independent AI strategy, focusing on extensive foundational R&D across sectors, while remaining wary of market monopolisation attempts by major tech players. Vembu also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill development, and job markets, particularly for junior professionals.
'If you listen to a rowdy in a class, he will keep on bullying you.' 'India can say do whatever you want. We will not compromise on anything.'
India's shooting campaign at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games commenced with a strong performance, securing two silver medals in the women's 10m air rifle event. Elavenil Valarivan was instrumental, winning an individual silver and contributing to the team silver alongside Sonam Uttam Maskar and Vidarsa Vinod. While Valarivan narrowly missed individual gold, her performance, along with the team's, provided an encouraging start for India.
Western Australia Premier Roger Cook emphasised cricket's pivotal role in enhancing India-Australia relations, fostering business development, economic ties, and trade. He highlighted the upcoming Big Bash League match in Chennai and the opening of the University of Western Australia campus in Mumbai as key initiatives strengthening bilateral cooperation and cultural exchange.
Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal was defeated in straight sets by top seed Arthur Gea in the opening round of the US Open qualifying tournament, extending his streak of not reaching a Grand Slam main draw to seven events. Nagal will now focus on the upcoming Davis Cup clash.
Shaurya Bhattacharya fired a five-under 67 to extend his lead to three strokes at nine-under 135 on day two of the Kolar Open. The Delhi golfer made six birdies against a lone bogey, showcasing strong ball-striking and adapting well to windy conditions. Mohd Azhar is his nearest challenger, while other notable players like Arjun Sharma, Angad Cheema, and Badal Hossain are tied for third.
Tejal Hasabnis and Anushka Sharma's aggressive half-centuries, coupled with Nikki Prasad's all-round performance, led India A Women to a four-wicket victory over Australia A in the first women's one-day match in Mullanpur.
'When the women of India become unstoppable, India becomes unstoppable.'
Indian squash players Veer Chotrani and Velavan Senthilkumar have successfully advanced to the quarterfinals of the Budapest Open, a significant PSA copper event in Hungary, showcasing strong performances against international competitors.
Led by R Praggnanandhaa on the top board and World champion D Gukesh on the fourth, the Indian men scored an emphatic 3-1 victory over Holland but the Indian eves were shocked by Poland in the fifth round of the 46th chess Olympiad in Samarkand.
Defending champions India began their Asian Games campaign with a resounding 13-1 victory over Indonesia in their opening Pool A match. Striker Dilpreet Singh was the star, netting four goals, while Shilanand Lakra and Sukhjeet Singh each scored a brace, showcasing India's dominant performance.
Shafali Verma produced a stunning 15-ball blitz as India crushed Japan by eight wickets with 15 overs to spare and stormed into the Asian Games semi-finals.
Opener Shafali Verma's explosive 64-run innings powered the Indian women's cricket team into the final of the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Dubai. Her crucial knock on a spin-friendly pitch helped India set a competitive target of 149, which Bangladesh failed to chase, losing by 40 runs. Both captains acknowledged the dominance of spin bowling in the match.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called upon Indian industry to prioritise not just scale but also resilience, better governance, and deeper technological capabilities to achieve the 'Viksit Bharat' goal by 2047.
Leg-spin all-rounder Vipraj Nigam has been named as the replacement for senior spinner Varun Chakravarthy in India's Asian Games cricket squad. Chakravarthy was ruled out due to a side strain, marking a setback after his recent return from injury. Nigam, a Delhi Capitals player, brings IPL experience to the team.
Zoho cofounder Sridhar Vembu dismisses exaggerated fears about AI's catastrophic potential and global development pauses. He advocates for India to adopt an independent AI strategy, fostering partnerships while avoiding entanglement in US-China tech rivalry. Vembu stresses extensive investment in foundational R&D across sectors, distinguishing it from costly frontier AI model development. He also highlights concerns about AI's impact on human judgment, skill erosion, and job disruption, particularly in software engineering, while remaining optimistic about new economic opportunities.
India's economy is projected to lose momentum in the second half of fiscal 2026-27, with tighter financial conditions, elevated energy prices, and broadening inflation pressures posing significant risks, according to DBS Bank economist Radhika Rao.
India, already qualified for the semifinals of the Women's Asia Cup, are set to face traditional rivals Pakistan in their final league game. While India is considered the overwhelming favourite, the match offers both teams an opportunity to fine-tune their strategies. India aims to strengthen its power-hitting and fast bowling, while Pakistan needs significant improvement in its batting to challenge stronger opponents.
'We're going to play in a lot of different conditions over the next 12 months. It's going to require different efforts. It may not look like the traditional thing all the time.'
Defending champions India's women's cricket team is set to face Bangladesh in the Asian Games semifinal. With a dominant head-to-head record, India aims to continue their winning streak, while Bangladesh will rely on their spinners to challenge the strong Indian batting lineup for a spot in the final.
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.
India's Quimcy Joaquim Dsouza has made a strong start at the 2026 Asian Games, securing two victories in the Teqball women's singles event to reach the semi-finals.
Microsoft India and South Asia President, Puneet Chandok, discusses the company's strong belief in human-centric AI development, significant investments in India's cloud and AI infrastructure, and the country's pivotal role as an AI market, talent hub, and technology builder. He highlights AI's impact on jobs and the need for responsible innovation.
India is set to face Afghanistan in the second T20I, aiming to clinch the series despite ongoing concerns about a reliable fifth bowling option in the absence of Hardik Pandya. The team delivered a dominant performance in the first match, securing a seven-wicket victory.
The Indian men's and women's hockey teams commence their Asian Games campaign in Japan, with both aiming for a gold medal to secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics. The men's team seeks to recover from a recent World Cup slump, while the women's team looks to build on their strong World Cup performance, facing significant challenges from opponents like China.
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.
Indian soft tennis players Aadhya Tiwari and Jay Meena were eliminated from the Asian Games mixed doubles event in the round of 16 after a 2-5 loss to the Philippines pair. They had qualified for the knockout stage by finishing second in their group with two wins.
Avinash Sable marked his winning steeplechase comeback after 14 months away, opening up about his ACL injury, lost confidence, difficult rehabilitation and renewed focus on Asian Games gold.
India's Davis Cup Final 8 aspirations are in peril after losing both singles matches to Korea in their Qualifier tie. Dhakshineswar Suresh and Sumit Nagal both squandered promising starts, leaving India trailing 0-2 and needing to win all three remaining matches to advance.
India U-19 defeated Australia U-19 by 103 runs in the second Youth ODI, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Yashbardhan Chauhan scored 122 and VK Vineeth added 87, helping India post 341/7. Australia were bowled out for 238, with Chigurupati Venkata taking three wickets.
The Indian women's hockey team secured a dominant 19-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their opening Pool B match at the Asian Games. Deepika was the star performer, scoring eight goals, as India showcased their superior skill and relentless attack against a struggling Uzbekistan defence.
The Indian women's badminton team was eliminated from the Asian Games after a 1-3 loss to Japan in the quarterfinals. While the doubles pair of Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured a win, singles players PV Sindhu, Unnati Hooda, and Tanvi Sharma were defeated by their Japanese counterparts, leading to India's exit from the tournament.
