Ravichandran Ashwin discusses Bhuvneshwar Kumar's recall to the T20I squad, attributing it to his consistent IPL performance without chasing rewards. He also touches upon Mohammed Shami's potential comeback, his relationships with Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli, and predicts India and South Africa as strong contenders for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
'We are open to all countries around the world as long as we get a fair deal, as long as we are ensured continuity in the engagement.'
India's men's and women's hockey teams will kick off their 2026-27 FIH Pro League home campaigns in February. The men's team will face Germany, Argentina, Britain, and Spain, while the women's team will compete against Britain and Spain during the home leg from February 13 to 28.
Australia A defeated India A by 69 runs in the second one-day match in Puducherry, securing an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. Aggressive half-centuries from Josh Philippe and Sam Konstas, along with crucial wickets from pacer Spencer Johnson, led Australia A to victory, while India A's top order struggled.
Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Manipur secured victories in their respective pool games, while Punjab and Bengal played to a draw on the sixth day of the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship in Jhansi. Uttar Pradesh defeated Chandigarh 5-0, Madhya Pradesh beat Puducherry 4-2, and Manipur overcame Delhi 5-2.
Navigating this geopolitical minefield requires a cold-blooded blend of immediate tactical pleading, structural domestic diversification, and aggressive collective resistance, suggests Ambassador Rajasekhar.
New Zealand head coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment over his team's missed opportunities in the first two T20Is against India, acknowledging that while they played well for large parts, they failed to capitalise on crucial moments, leading to two close defeats.
India's women's hockey team secured a historic gold medal at the Asian Games, defeating defending champions China 1-0. This victory, marked by Lalremsiami's early goal and a resilient defensive performance led by goalkeeper Bichu Devi, also earned India direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, ending a 44-year wait for the title.
Indian badminton players, including PV Sindhu, Kidambi Srikanth, and HS Prannoy, are set to compete in the Arctic Open Super 500 tournament in Vantaa, Finland. This event follows their recent Asian Games campaign, where India secured one medal. The shuttlers aim to build on their form and seek strong performances in the BWF season.
B B Nimbalkar is the only one in the 400-plus club never to have played Test cricket. Will Chinmay Sutar have better luck?
Former India spinner R Ashwin has criticised the team management's decision to drop left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the playing eleven during the ongoing T20I series against the West Indies. Ashwin stated that the decision lacked common sense, especially given Kuldeep's previous performance and the West Indies batters' struggles against him. He believes Kuldeep's presence could have significantly impacted the game's outcome.
KPMG in India CEO Yezdi Nagporewalla expressed concern over the high valuations of global AI companies, deeming them unsustainable. He believes India, despite a late start, has a strong chance to develop its own unique Local Language Models due to its robust tech ecosystem and global capability centres.
Artisans across India are putting the finishing touches on towering effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnad ahead of the Dussehra festival. From Nagpur, Bhopal and Kanpur to Patna, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Jammu, craftspeople were seen preparing, displaying and selling the effigies in the days leading up to Vijayadashami. The figures will be burnt on the festival's final day, symbolising the victory of good over evil.
Asian Games champions India will commence their Asian Champions Trophy Hockey campaign against Bangladesh on October 27 in Jalandhar. The tournament, featuring six top Asian teams, will run from October 27 to November 5 across Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab. India, five-time ACT winners, aim to continue their strong record as hosts.
Delhi's Keya Kumar Badugu won the Ladies title at the IGU Bio-Gen Rotary Southern India Golf Championship after a playoff against Kolkata's Anaahat Bindra. Both golfers finished tied at one-under-par 215 after 54 holes, with Keya securing victory in the playoff.
Andhra, Saurashtra, and Punjab secured three points each in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group B matches after earning first-innings leads, despite the games ending in draws. Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Assam settled for one point each. Karun Nair's unbeaten 155 for Karnataka was a highlight, while Ravindra Jadeja was Player of the Match for Saurashtra.
Indian golfers Gaganjeet Bhullar, Karandep Kochhar, and Shiv Kapur are set to compete against a formidable international field, including Major champions Rory McIlroy and Ryan Fox, at the DP World India Championship in New Delhi. The tournament, featuring seven Major champions, will test the Indian contingent's recent form and experience on home turf.
Harmanpreet Kaur, former India captain, has rediscovered her batting form through intense training, including three sessions a day. Her dedication led to an unbeaten 91 in a T20I and a match-winning 126 in an ODI against Zimbabwe, helping India secure a series lead.
India A defeated Australia A by 49 runs in the third and final one-day match in Puducherry on Sunday, though Australia A secured the series 2-1. Suryansh Shedge's quick 66 and Vipraj Nigam's 40 helped India A post 275, while Gurjapneet Singh's three wickets ensured Australia A were bowled out for 226.
The Delhi Golf Club is set to host the star-studded DP World India Championship from October 15 to 18, featuring top golfers like Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, and other Major winners. The USD 4 million event, held at the historic venue, aims to boost golf's profile in India and offer young Indian players a chance to learn from the best.
Jio Platforms Ltd's initial public offering (IPO), anticipated to be India's largest, is scheduled to open for subscription on October 21 and close on October 23, with reservations for employees and Reliance Industries Ltd shareholders.
As the cycle enters a crucial phase, the teams now look to strengthen their case for a top-two finish.
Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been added to India's squad for the series-deciding fifth and final T20I against the West Indies as cover for the injured Arshdeep Singh, marking his return to T20I cricket after four years.
Indian cricketers, including Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna, underwent an intense practice session in Mullanpur ahead of their one-off Test against Afghanistan. The session focused on bowler fitness, emerging talent, and assessing all-round capabilities, with key players like KL Rahul and Shubman Gill also participating.
The India U17 men's football team played out a 1-1 draw against Myanmar in their first friendly match in Thanlyin. Myanmar took the lead in the first half, but India equalised through a penalty in the second half, despite dominating possession.
The Indian women's national football team, featuring several debutants, suffered a 0-4 defeat to a higher-ranked Russian side in the first of two international friendlies in Kolkata. Despite a strong defensive performance in the first half, Russia broke the deadlock before halftime and extended their lead in the second half, with substitute Kira Petukhova scoring twice. The match provided valuable experience for India's emerging players.
Mona Agarwal staged a remarkable comeback to win the gold medal in the women's 10m air rifle (SH1) event at the Asian Para Games, narrowly defeating compatriot Avani Lekhara who secured silver. This one-two finish marked India's opening medal account and secured a second quota for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Delhi Capitals are set to introduce a new coaching setup for IPL 2027, with Sourav Ganguly expected to take over as head coach, Chaminda Vaas as bowling coach, Yuvraj Singh as batting coach, and Amit Mishra also joining the team.
Hockey India has issued a show-cause notice to the Hockey Association of Odisha (HAO), threatening to reclassify it from a permanent to an associate member due to alleged non-compliance with federation bye-laws. The notice follows an adverse report that stalled HAO's elections, citing serious deficiencies in its district units, including unelected administrative officials holding key posts and a lack of proper election documentation. HAO has two weeks to respond.
An 18-member Indian boxing team has departed for Budva, Montenegro, to compete in the World U-19 Championships starting on October 18. The team includes medallists from the Asian U-19 Championships and aims to improve upon India's previous performance of 17 medals in the inaugural edition.
Pragya Misra, OpenAI's head of public policy and strategy for India, stated that the next phase of AI will concentrate on driving measurable outcomes rather than mere experiments. She highlighted examples like Cars24 using AI for customer retention and a healthcare company building its CRM with OpenAI's Codex, demonstrating AI's tangible business impact and cost-saving potential. OpenAI aims for artificial general intelligence (AGI) to benefit all humanity by making AI accessible and addressing enterprise concerns like data residency.
India secured a 14-run victory over West Indies in the third T20I, taking a 2-1 series lead. Captain Shreyas Iyer praised his bowlers for their confidence and execution, and also highlighted strong performances from openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. West Indies captain Shai Hope acknowledged their bowling shortcomings and the need for a stable opening partnership.
India U-19 cricket team defeated Australia by 10 wickets on day three of the second Youth Test in Ahmedabad, securing a 2-0 series victory. Left-arm spinner Tanmay Baloda was the star performer, taking an impressive 14 wickets in the match, including 8/41 in the second innings. Australia were bowled out for 151, setting India a target of just 11 runs, which they chased down quickly.
Harmanpreet Kaur, India's only World Cup-winning women's cricket captain, has stepped down from her leadership role across all three formats, stating she is now 'ready to play for the love of the game again' after fulfilling her duty as a leader.
Pakistan has withdrawn from the Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026, scheduled to be held in Punjab, with Bangladesh named as their replacement.
India's men's hockey team is the most successful in the Asian Champions Trophy, having won five titles since 2011. The article details each of their victories, including dramatic shootouts, a joint win, and recent comebacks, highlighting their consistent performance in the tournament.
Newly-appointed India captain Smriti Mandhana outlined her team's strategy to utilise the upcoming six T20Is, including a series against Zimbabwe, as crucial preparation for the inaugural Women's Champions Trophy early next year. She emphasised setting high standards and improving in the shortest format.
Jio Platforms Ltd, the digital and telecom arm of Reliance Industries, is poised to launch India's largest-ever initial public offering (IPO) at Rs 30,213 crore, surpassing Hyundai Motor India's Rs 27,870-crore offering.
India's exports saw a significant 23 per cent increase, reaching USD 44.4 billion in September, while the trade deficit narrowed to USD 30.21 billion, according to recent government data.
The Indian women's football team suffered a heavy 0-8 defeat against Russia in their second international friendly in Kolkata. Russia displayed clinical finishing and exploited India's defensive weaknesses, scoring five goals in the first half and adding three more after the break, with multiple players bagging braces.
