South African pacer Kagiso Rabada has become the fourth Proteas bowler to claim 200 Test wickets on home soil, joining legends like Dale Steyn and Shaun Pollock. His achievement came during a Test match against Australia where South Africa staged a remarkable comeback, enforcing a follow-on after dismissing Australia for 99. Captain Temba Bavuma led a strong batting recovery for the Proteas.
Sanju Samson defended India's bowlers after their 24-run defeat to the West Indies in the fourth T20, which levelled the series 2-2. He attributed the loss to Tilak Varma's dismissal as a turning point and praised Shai Hope's match-winning century. Samson also discussed the challenging conditions in Hyderabad and the need for emerging pacers to gain experience.
Lionel Messi scored his first goal for Inter Miami since the recent passing of his father, Jorge Messi, during a 2-2 draw against Philadelphia Union.
Kakatiya Knights secured a decisive 6-0 victory over Mighty Marathas in their final round-robin match of the Archery Premier League. This win serves as a strong precursor to their upcoming clash in the first qualifier on Sunday, where both teams will vie for a spot in the final. The Knights' compound archers were particularly impressive, maintaining perfect scores despite challenging conditions.
The Ranji Trophy Group A match between Puducherry and Madhya Pradesh concluded in a draw after persistent rain prevented any play on the final day. Madhya Pradesh secured three points due to their first-innings lead.
India's Shaurya Sharma shot a five-under 67 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead at the PGTI Qualifying School in Ahmedabad. He is now at four-under 212, with Md Siddikur Rahman and Arin Ahuja tied for second. Nim Dorji Tamang made history as the first Bhutanese player to make the cut.
Bengaluru FC secured a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory against Sporting Club Delhi in their Indian Super League season opener on Saturday. After falling behind 2-1 at halftime, debutant Borja Martinez scored his second goal to equalise, and Menno Koch redeemed an earlier own goal by scoring the winner in the 89th minute.
South Africa crushed Australia by an innings and 31 runs in Gqeberha to level the series 1-1, with Bavuma's 179 and Rabada's four wickets proving decisive.
India may turn to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav for the series-deciding T20I against West Indies as they look to strengthen their bowling attack.
India's bowling struggles in the ongoing West Indies T20I series have brought Jasprit Bumrah's absence into sharp focus. Despite conceding high totals, Sanju Samson expressed confidence in young pacers like Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav, highlighting the need for consistent backing.
Barcelona secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Getafe, extending their perfect LaLiga start and maintaining a five-point lead. Real Madrid also won 1-0 against Villarreal, despite Vinicius Jr receiving a red card, keeping them six points behind their arch-rivals.
Indian archers Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi secured a gold medal in the para recurve men's doubles event at the Asian Para Games, defeating China 5-1 in the final. Meanwhile, the Indian women's para recurve doubles team of Bhawna Choudhary and Pooja Jatyan earned a silver medal after losing to China.
Haryana, Maharashtra, and Chandigarh secured victories in their respective Division 'A' pool matches at the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship in Jhansi on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu and Bengal played to a draw, while Kerala and Arunachal also registered wins in Division 'B'.
The Indian men's blind football team began its Asian Para Games campaign with a 0-2 loss against South Korea in Nagoya. South Korea's Jang Yeongjun scored both goals. India is set to play hosts Japan next on Saturday.
Australia were bowled out for 99 in their first innings, trailing South Africa by 326 runs.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored Al-Nassr's second goal in their 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan's Neftchi in the AFC Champions League Elite, a match that was delayed by an hour due to a security warning in Riyadh.
Sediqullah Atal's 111 and Qais Ahmad's unbeaten 49, capped by a last-ball six, helped Afghanistan survive 142 overs to force a dramatic draw against Bangladesh.
Mumbai secured a dominant innings and 97-run victory over Himachal Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy, powered by centuries from Sarfaraz Khan and Akash Anand, and a five-wicket haul from Mohit Avasthi. This win marks Mumbai's second consecutive bonus-point triumph, placing them at the top of Elite Group D.
Pakistan captain Sahibzada Farhan set a new record for the most runs in a bilateral three-match men's T20I series with 238 runs, despite his side suffering an eight-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka in the final match in Rawalpindi. Farhan scored his third consecutive half-century, surpassing India's Abhishek Sharma's previous record.
India's T20 captain Shreyas Iyer stated that young batting talent Vaibhav Sooryavanshi cannot immediately join the playing XI due to the consistent performance of current openers Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson, who were instrumental in India's T20I World Cup win.
Anvay Dravid, son of Rahul Dravid, scored a magnificent 151 runs, leading Karnataka Under-19 to a five-wicket victory over Gujarat in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, securing their spot in the knockouts. His partnership with Dhruv Krishnan was crucial in chasing down a large target.
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.
Haryana defeated Himachal Pradesh by seven wickets in their Ranji Trophy Group D match in Rohtak. Himanshu Rana and Dheeru Singh guided Haryana to chase down the 71-run target on the final day. Haryana had taken a 43-run first-innings lead and bowled out Himachal Pradesh for 113 in their second innings, securing six points from the victory.
FC Goa, despite taking an early lead, suffered a 2-1 defeat to Tajikistan's FC Regar-TadAZ in their AFC Challenge League Group C opening match after conceding two late goals in the final minutes.
Former India captain Harmanpreet Kaur scored an unbeaten 91 off 41 balls against Zimbabwe in the final T20, marking an emotional return to form after a lean patch.
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.
Bengaluru FC secured a 2-0 victory over Chennaiyin FC in a rain-soaked Indian Super League match on Saturday. Ryan Williams opened the scoring in the 24th minute, and Mihailo Perovic sealed the win with a goal in the 52nd minute, earning three points for the hosts.
Sunil Gavaskar has criticised the Indian batting unit for their lack of responsibility in chasing targets, specifically after their loss to West Indies in the fourth T20I in Hyderabad. Despite Sanju Samson's fifty, India failed to chase 247. Gavaskar also commented on individual performances and defended the inexperienced bowlers, while Cheteshwar Pujara praised West Indies skipper Shai Hope's balanced batting approach.
Former West Indies skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul believes the team's strong performance against India in white-ball cricket will significantly boost their confidence. He hopes this momentum translates into success in Test cricket, acknowledging their recent struggles but seeing a spark. Chanderpaul praised Shai Hope's leadership and batting, and discussed the balance between T20 freelancing and the enduring challenge of Test cricket.
Mumbai is on the verge of securing a crucial first-innings lead against Himachal Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy Group D match, thanks to pacer Tushar Deshpande's impressive four-wicket haul that bundled out the hosts for 140. Mumbai ended day one at 107 for two, needing just 33 more runs with Musheer Khan and Siddhesh Lad at the crease. In another Group D encounter, Tamil Nadu's bowlers also performed strongly, dismissing Uttarakhand for 134.
Australia need six wickets on final day to win first Test as South Africa were reduced to 102 for 4 at stumps on day four in Durban.
Sudip Kumar Gharami (122 not out) and Abhishek Porel (114 not out) struck unbeaten centuries, forging a 199-run partnership to put Bengal in a commanding position against Delhi in their Ranji Trophy Group C match.
The 16th Hockey India Senior Men National Championship began on Saturday with dominant performances from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, who secured large-margin victories. Other teams like Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Hockey Arunachal, Hockey Andhra Pradesh, Hockey Rajasthan, and Hockey Jammu & Kashmir also registered wins across different divisions.
rediffGURU Dr Nagarajan JSK, a career counsellor with nearly 34 years of experience in teaching, research and career guidance, explains the benefits of pursuing higher education in India.
Odisha secured a dominant 9-0 victory over Kerala in the Hockey India Senior Men National Championship, marking their second consecutive win. Other teams like Uttarakhand, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Jharkhand, and Himachal also registered wins in their respective Pool B matches.
US President Donald Trump criticised LeBron James over his national anthem conduct, demanding an apology to American heroes, while reigniting debate over athletes' gestures during patriotic ceremonies.
Sanju Samson smashed 56 off 22 balls to join India's 100-six T20I club as the team became the second nation to cross 2,000 sixes in the format.
The Premier League resumed after the international break with Arsenal securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Leeds United. Chelsea thrashed Bournemouth 5-1, while Tottenham salvaged a late draw against Manchester United. The return of the league was overshadowed by Manchester City's alleged financial breaches, which the club denies.
East Bengal lost 2-3 to Iraq's Al Shorta in their second AFC Champions League Two group match on Tuesday, despite taking the lead twice through David Lalhlansanga's brace. Al Shorta scored two quick goals in the second half to secure the win, leaving East Bengal winless in two matches and failing to capitalise on a late numerical advantage.
Rajinikanth's latest film Jailer 2 has defied expectations by achieving a remarkable score at the box office over its extended four-day weekend, despite a limited release and competition from new Bollywood offerings.
