For the first time since 1998, no Indian umpire or technical official will be present at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, a situation that has left former international officials disappointed and calling for a structured pathway to develop and support Indian officiating talent.
Having registered a ninth-place finish in the 2023 edition held at Bhubaneswar, India will be aiming to bring the gold home, riding on the back of the momentum of two back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, an Asia Cup title win, two Asian Champions Trophy wins and an Asia Cup gold.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed confidence in his team's readiness for the upcoming two-Test series against Sri Lanka, starting August 15. Gambhir also welcomed new squad members Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi, emphasising the team's preparation for their first ICC World Test Championship assignment since a previous home defeat.
Indian athlete Praveen Chithravel secured a silver medal in the men's triple jump at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, bringing immense pride to his agricultural daily wage worker father and their village in Tamil Nadu.
Indian javelin throwers Neeraj Chopra and Yashvir Singh secured silver and bronze medals respectively at the Commonwealth Games, marking a historic 2-3 finish for India.
Praveen Chithravel battled freezing conditions to win Commonwealth Games 2026 triple jump silver, ending his 2022 heartbreak and setting sights on the Asian Games.
Torn between loyalty to their comrades and disillusionment towards the cause for which they are fighting, they are beginning to cave in. Morale has been the casualty, points out Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta (retd).
Former South Africa cricketer Jonty Rhodes believes that while bilateral ODI series may become fewer in the future, the 50-over format is unlikely to disappear entirely, with passionate fans continuing to support their teams.
Pakistan's Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem has responded to social media criticism following his disappointing ninth-place finish at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Nadeem attributed his poor performance to the extremely cold weather, which stiffened his muscles and hindered his throws. He emphasised his commitment to his country and his grounded nature, expressing confidence in his ability to return to winning form at the upcoming Athletissima event.
Gautam Gambhir, known for his serious demeanour, surprised fans by sharing a series of memes on Instagram featuring a rare smile.
Baramulla-born fast bowler Auqib Nabi has been selected for the Indian Test squad to play against Sri Lanka, replacing an injured Jasprit Bumrah. This marks a historic moment as Nabi becomes the first player from the Kashmir Valley to join India's Test team, following impressive performances in the Ranji Trophy.
Young Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty is actively working to transform his 'natural laid-back approach' into a more aggressive playing style as he prepares for his World Championship debut, where he faces current world No. 1 Shi Yuqi of China in his opening match.
Former Tehelka editor Tarun Tejpal has been convicted by the Bombay High Court's Goa bench in a 2013 rape case and sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment, overturning his 2021 acquittal. Tejpal claims he is a "political victim" and will challenge the verdict in the Supreme Court, alleging his journalistic career has been targeted.
Indian hockey vice-captain Hardik Singh stated that the new orange-coloured jersey for the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup is a 'team strategy' and a 'tactic' to avoid clashes with the blue Astroturf, a decision that has sparked controversy.
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar met with AI major Anthropic to discuss a long-term partnership aimed at accelerating AI adoption across governance, education, healthcare, research, and the state's startup ecosystem. The collaboration focuses on deploying AI solutions responsibly, ensuring data privacy, and developing AI-focused skilling programmes and an AI University.
India has distanced itself from former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's recent media interaction in New Delhi, stating it played no role in the event nor endorsed her comments regarding the Bangladesh government. This comes after Bangladesh expressed outrage over the permitted interaction, which saw Hasina announce her determination to return to Bangladesh to restore democracy.
A third-year BTech student at IIT Guwahati died after allegedly falling from the fifth floor of a hostel building, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances of his death.
Unnati Sharma's bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2026 has filled her family with pride, with her sister Riya Sharma revealing that the judoka's ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympics.
Hangors are effectively 'dead-on-arrival' with Pakistanis saddled with deadweights that displace around 3,000 tons. Last time it was near Vishakhapatnam. This time, barnacles will clog the Hangors in Karachi port itself, points out Dr Abhishek Puri.
Punjab Kings' Nehal Wadhera said head coach Ricky Ponting personally approached him and offered reassurance at a time when his confidence was affected by his lack of runs during IPL 2026.
15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from Bihar has been selected for India's T20 squad for upcoming series against Ireland and England, becoming the youngest ever Indian cricketer to achieve this feat, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's record. His family expressed immense joy and pride over his selection, which followed his stellar performance in IPL 2026.
Veteran Indian cricketer Ajinkya Rahane has announced his retirement from international cricket, concluding a career that spanned nearly two decades and included an undefeated Test captaincy record.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar paid an emotional tribute to his late childhood coach, Ramakant Achrekar, on Guru Purnima.
Indian cricket captain Shubman Gill has called for compassion and mutual respect amidst ongoing student protests against exam paper leaks. In an Instagram message, Gill emphasised the importance of education and students' future, urging peaceful expression of views.
Tewolde Gebremariam, a seasoned aviation professional with extensive experience at Ethiopian Airlines, has been named the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Air India. He is tasked with leading the airline's ambitious five-year transformation plan, Vihaan.AI, aimed at achieving significant growth and profitability, marking him as the second foreign national to helm Air India under Tata Group ownership.
Indian pace legend Zaheer Khan, through his co-owned Stockholm-based Anchor Sports AB, has acquired the Lanka Premier League (LPL) franchise Jaffna Kings, which will now be rebranded as Anchor Jaffna Kings.
Legendary Indian goalkeeper Brahmananda Sankhwalkar reflects on the emotional FIFA World Cup exits of Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar Junior. He discusses their unfulfilled World Cup dreams, their rivalry with Lionel Messi, and the circumstances of their respective team's eliminations, highlighting their enduring legacy despite the absence of a World Cup trophy.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, expressing her patriotism through tricolour ribbon clips and becoming emotional during the national anthem.
Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has issued an apology for the temporary removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Facebook post, while company executives acknowledged significant content moderation failures, including issues with child sexual abuse material, deepfakes, and the paid boosting of certain content.
The BCCI has thanked assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate and fielding coach T Dilip after the duo's successful stints with Team India came to an end, acknowledging their behind-the-scenes role in the team's achievements.
Indian weightlifters, including Olympic medallist Saikhom Mirabai Chanu and silver medallist Lovepreet Singh, received a hero's welcome upon their return to New Delhi after a successful Commonwealth Games campaign, where they secured eight medals.
The Indian women's hockey team has departed for Frankfurt, Germany, to complete its final preparations for the upcoming FIH World Cup. The team will play practice matches and train in Europe before heading to the Netherlands for the tournament, where they will face China, South Africa, and England in Pool D.
Indian benchmark stock indices, Sensex and Nifty, declined for a second consecutive day, primarily due to selling pressure in IT, oil & gas, and select banking shares. Concerns over the US-Iran negotiations and a sluggish monsoon further dampened market sentiment.
Dinesh Trivedi's success or failure in this fragile diplomatic equilibrium will have consequences extending well beyond the Indian high commission in Dhaka. It will shape India's eastern strategic environment for years to come.
'Healthy double-digit returns are still possible, though a sharp rally is unlikely.'
'...as we believe with the adoption of AI, our IT services companies' revenue models will have to undergo a reset, which may in turn impact their potential for earnings growth.'
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated that the "intent of infiltrators" remains unchanged since the 1999 Kargil conflict, but assured that the Indian Army is "fully prepared" to meet any such challenges, emphasising the government's focus on armed forces modernisation.
Operation Safed Sagar is prime purpose may be to honour IAF warriors but it is an inadvertent reminder of how we went from a nation of Jung na hone denge to Ghar mein ghus ke marenge, observes Sukanya Verma.
Five young Indian women's hockey players - Ishika, Lalthantluangi, Sakshi Rana, Shilpi Dabas, and Sunelita Toppo - are set to make their World Cup debut, having overcome various challenges and long waits to reach this significant milestone.
A US federal judge has permanently dismissed the criminal securities-fraud case against Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar, closing nearly two years of prosecution without a trial. Gautam Adani stated, "Truth has prevailed," in response to the ruling.
