A Ramlila committee in Pitampura, Delhi, will burn a 30-foot-tall "cockroach" effigy this year, alongside those of Ravan, Kumbhkaran, and Meghnad. The committee states this symbolises "filth and dirt" and supports the "Swachh Bharat" and "Swachh Delhi" campaigns. This decision comes amidst protests by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) in the capital.
Para archer Sheetal Devi concluded her Asian Para Games campaign with two gold medals and a silver, including defending her individual compound title.
The Mighty Marathas have won Archery Premier League Season 2, defeating Kakatiya Knights 6-2 in the grand final. Led by exceptional performances from Dhiraj Bommadevara and Mike Schloesser, the Marathas showcased resilience and strategic substitutions to claim the championship after bouncing back from an earlier qualifier loss.
Teenager Alphadjo Cisse became the youngest Italian to score a hat-trick in European club competition, leading AC Milan to a resounding 4-0 victory over RB Salzburg in the Europa League, marking Milan's first continental treble in 24 years.
Scott Boland struck twice in successive deliveries to reduce South Africa to 20 for two on a rain-hit opening day, giving Australia the early advantage in the second Test.
Divyanshu defeated Sharad Kumar 3-2 in a closely contested final to win the East Zone title at the Raja Randhir Singh Memorial 49th Delhi State Senior Snooker (15 Red) Championship. The match saw Divyanshu take an early lead, Sharad stage a comeback, and Divyanshu ultimately secure victory in the deciding fifth frame.
Iga Swiatek's left-leg injury paved the way for Maja Chwalinska's stunning Wuhan upset, while Sonay Kartal defeated error-prone Jelena Ostapenko to reach her maiden WTA 1000 final.
Asian Games gold medallist Pranavi Urs is set to compete in the Hero Women's Indian Open starting October 22 in Gurugram. Fresh off her success in Aichi-Nagoya, Urs is confident and aims to leverage her "home turf" advantage at the DLF Golf and Country Club, even expressing a desire to challenge defending champion Shannon Tan.
Nishad Kumar secured India's first para-athletics gold at the Asian Para Games, winning the men's long jump T47 event.
India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 in their final Pool D match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, with Harmanpreet Singh and Abhishek scoring two goals each. Vice-captain Hardik Singh also contributed to India's victory, while Pakistan managed to reduce the margin with goals from Hannan Shahid and Sufyan Khan.
India's Women's T20 team secured a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the first match of the bilateral series on Friday, overcoming an early batting collapse thanks to a crucial partnership between debutant Niki Prasad and veteran Deepti Sharma. Zimbabwe, led by Kelis Ndhlovu and Sharne Mayers, posted 114 for five.
India Women secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, winning the second match by nine wickets. Opener Shafali Verma scored a rapid 55, while captain Smriti Mandhana remained unbeaten on 47, chasing down Zimbabwe's target of 103 in just 8.5 overs. Indian bowlers had earlier restricted Zimbabwe to a low total.
India's P V Sindhu, a double Olympic medallist, overcame a strong challenge from Thailand's Supanida Katethong in a three-game thriller at the French Open Super 750 badminton tournament on Wednesday. Sindhu won 21-14, 8-21, 23-21, admitting it was not her best performance but expressing relief at advancing. In other matches, Unnati Hooda exited, while Ayush Shetty defeated Kidambi Srikanth, and Lakshya Sen gave a walkover.
Maja Chwalinska overcame early nerves and a first-set deficit to defeat Sonay Kartal 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, capturing her maiden WTA Tour title at Wuhan.
India's Amruta Pujari has stormed into the women's 72kg final at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships, while Komal secured a bronze medal in the 59kg category. Sweety and Vaishnavi Patil are also in contention for bronze through repechage, adding to Vishvajit More's earlier silver medal.
Kerala Blasters FC defeated Inter Kashi 2-0 in their Indian Super League season opener on Sunday. Goals from Vibin Mohanan in the 18th minute and Andre Green in stoppage time secured the victory for the Blasters.
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.
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.
B B Nimbalkar is the only one in the 400-plus club never to have played Test cricket. Will Chinmay Sutar have better luck?
Pacer Keemo Paul discusses how West Indies bowlers effectively used slow balls on a gripping pitch and the absence of dew to secure a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. He also highlighted captain Shai Hope's crucial century and strong team planning as key factors in their success.
Kagiso Rabada and Steve Smith's intense rivalry has reignited as South Africa and Australia head into a decisive third Test in Cape Town. Rabada's recent dismissal of Smith in the second Test, coupled with their history from the 2018 series marked by controversy, sets the stage for a thrilling encounter. Both players acknowledge the competitive spirit, with Smith reflecting on his past ban.
Matt Renshaw's outstanding performance in Australia's Test victory over South Africa has solidified his middle-order spot, but the team still faces uncertainty regarding its opening batting combination. Travis Head's suitability at the top of the order is questioned, while Nic Maddinson's inconsistent debut adds to the dilemma. The article also highlights strong bowling performances from Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc, and the team's challenging schedule ahead.
Australia's veteran bowling attack, featuring Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Nathan Lyon, delivered a decisive performance in the first Test against South Africa in Durban. Their combined effort led Australia to a 214-run victory, with Hazlewood taking career-best figures. Captain Cummins lauded the bowlers' rigorous preparation and team-first approach, highlighting their continued effectiveness despite their age.
Tamil Nadu's ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, strengthening its minority government. Concurrently, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured emphatic victories in West Bengal's Nandigram and Muslim-majority Rejinagar, consolidating its post-TMC rule position. The BJP also established a significant lead in Assam's Nagaon Lok Sabha bypoll, and its ally AINRC retained Thattanchavady in Puducherry.
Indian para-athletes Sandeep and Haney delivered stellar performances at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, securing gold medals and setting new world records in the men's 400m T64 and men's javelin throw F37/38 events respectively. Their achievements, alongside silver medals for Nimisha Chakkungalparambil and Parmod Bijarnia, propelled India's total medal tally to 100 in the ongoing Games.
England skipper Harry Brook scored a historic double century, becoming the first Englishman to achieve the feat in an ODI, but his efforts were in vain as Sri Lanka successfully chased down a massive target of 430 runs. Pavan Rathnayake, Avishka Fernando, Dasun Shanaka, and Janith Liyanage led Sri Lanka's record-breaking chase, securing a stunning victory.
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.
Abhinay Deo's Doosra attempts to weave together the cricketing triumphs of Sourav Ganguly's 2001 Indian team with the poignant coming-of-age narrative of a young woman navigating the suffocating patriarchy of Rajasthan, observes Deepa Gahlot.
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale extended an invitation to Abhijeet Dipke to join his Republican Party of India-Athawale.
Armand Duplantis won the Lausanne Diamond League pole vault with a 6.21-metre jump, showcasing a strong return to form after recent setbacks.
Indian cueists, including Paras Gupta and Dhvaj Haria, had a successful opening day at the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad. Several players advanced across various disciplines like men's heyball, snooker, women's billiards, 10-Ball, and blackball, showcasing a strong performance by the Indian contingent. However, some Indian players also faced defeats in their respective categories.
India defeated West Indies by 14 runs in Indore to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match Twenty20 International series. Chasing 224, West Indies fell short despite efforts from Shimron Hetmyer, with Arshdeep Singh being India's top bowler. India's innings was powered by Abhishek Sharma's explosive 69.
Manchester City silenced hostile Anfield with a 3-0 win over 10-man Liverpool, as Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki scored to extend their perfect league start.
Churchill Brothers SC kicked off their Indian Super League 2026-27 campaign with a 2-1 victory against Mumbai City FC in their first home game. Gaurav Bora scored the club's inaugural ISL goal, followed by Sebastian Gutierrez, securing a significant win despite a late penalty from Sergio Llamas for Mumbai City.
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.
Some people leave behind a business. A rare few leave behind a place in people's hearts. Appa leaves behind both.
England closed in on a first home Test series win for two years as Pakistan slumped to 53/3 at lunch on the fourth day of the second Test at Lord's on Sunday.
Despite recent electoral losses to the newly formed Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in both the April Assembly election and October 6 by-polls, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has demonstrated a robust and independent vote bank. Electoral data indicates that the DMK maintained significant voter support, securing its position as the principal opposition party and potentially a key challenger to the TVK in future elections, including the 2029 Lok Sabha elections.
Former England all-rounder Samit Patel has called for patience and support for Indian teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, highlighting his immense talent and the need for Indian cricket to nurture him without undue pressure.
Keemo Paul's exceptional five-wicket haul led the West Indies to a 24-run victory over India in the fourth T20 International in Hyderabad. This win, built on Shai Hope's unbeaten century, levels the five-match series at 2-2, setting up a decider in Bengaluru. India's chase, despite a strong start from Sanju Samson, faltered against Paul's decisive bowling.
