'Now, the girls studying in schools will also want to take up cricket as their career...'
Virat Kohli, after becoming the second batter to reach 15,000 ODI runs and scoring his 55th ton, stated that personal milestones are not his primary focus.
The Korean national hockey team has arrived in Pakistan for a historic four-match series, marking their first visit in 20 years. This series is crucial for Pakistan's preparation for the upcoming World Cup, especially after their poor performance in the recent FIH Pro League.
India's men's hockey team head coach Craig Fulton believes the squad can defeat any country if they stick to their game plan, following confidence-boosting victories against Germany and the Netherlands in the FIH Pro League, despite finishing eighth overall. The team's improved performance and maturity are seen as crucial stepping stones for upcoming major tournaments like the World Cup and Asian Games.
Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 40, to lead Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over UAE in the T20 World Cup.
India's men's 10m air pistol team, comprising Kamaljeet, Aakash Bhardwaj, and Kedarling Uchaganve, failed to secure a medal at the Asian Games. Kamaljeet narrowly missed the final, while Kedarling's poor performance led to Japan clinching the bronze medal. This marks another disappointing day for Indian shooting, which has yet to win a gold medal after five days of competition, raising concerns about their performance at the event.
'But looking at our current performance, I'm confident that a medal in the World Cup is not far off.'
Chelsea, under new manager Xabi Alonso, has shown renewed attacking vigour with two Premier League wins and a League Cup victory, highlighted by a 4-3 win over Brighton, but defensive vulnerabilities persist, with the team failing to keep a clean sheet in 18 league games. The arrival of World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez is expected to bolster the backline.
A national shotgun coach, involved in India's Asian Games preparations, is under scrutiny by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for alleged conflict of interest. The complaint, filed by an unsuccessful bidder, concerns the coach reportedly seeking a contract to build a shooting range in Chennai. This probe could impact the coach's participation in the upcoming Asian Games, while the NRAI states it has no knowledge of such activities.
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi praised England's Harry Brook for his match-winning century in the T20 World Cup, acknowledging it as potentially the best innings of Brook's career. Afridi also discussed Pakistan's chances of reaching the semi-finals.
Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said the World champions will stick to the same winning formula that delivered glory at the Qatar 2022 World Cup after on Friday finding out their group opponents for next year's global tournament.
Veteran South Africa batter David Miller believes his experience and calmness will be crucial as the Proteas aim for their first ICC T20 World Cup title. He emphasizes the importance of guiding younger players and maintaining focus throughout the tournament.
Rashid Khan expresses his dream of hosting an international cricket match in Afghanistan, highlighting the challenges faced due to the country's situation and the lack of a strong domestic cricket system.
The Premier League once again led the global transfer market in 2026, with clubs making significant investments in top talent. This summer saw four major signings exceeding 100 million, including Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City, Bradley Barcola to Liverpool, Morgan Rogers to Chelsea, and Elliot Anderson also to Manchester City, highlighting the league's financial power and ambition.
India's men's and women's chess teams are set to defend their respective Chess Olympiad titles, with strong lineups featuring world champion D Gukesh and in-form R Praggnanandhaa for the men, and Koneru Humpy leading the top-seeded women's squad.
India's Esha Singh clinched the gold medal in the women's 25m pistol event at the ISSF World Cup in Hangzhou, outperforming Olympic-medallist Manu Bhaker, who secured the bronze. This marked a double-podium finish for India, with both shooters expressing confidence for upcoming major assignments.
England captain Harry Brook expresses confidence in his team's ability to defeat India in the T20 World Cup semifinal, highlighting their resilience and the potential of their top-order batters.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Tayyab Ikram has commended India's professional approach to hockey, urging other Asian nations to adopt similar strategies to improve their global standing. He highlighted India's journey from past Olympic glory to recent bronze medals, positioning it as a model for development in the sport.
Rohit Sharma's ODI future was a major point of discussion during the review meeting, while also considering the recent fitness woes of key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya.
India opener Shafali Verma acknowledged the team's batting unit needs to address its shortcomings on turning pitches, despite securing a 94-run victory against Thailand in the Women's Asia Cup opener. Verma, who scored a brisk 64, noted that while the new ball came on well, the older ball gripped and turned, causing difficulties for the middle order. She emphasised the need for adaptation and praised Thailand's improving performance.
New Zealand's middle-order faces a stern test against Pakistan's spin attack in their T20 World Cup Super Eight Group 2 match. The ability of the Kiwi batters to counter the spin will be crucial for their success.
India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, are coming into the showpiece event on the back of a hard-fought ODI series loss to Australia, where opener Smriti Mandhana slammed two back-to-back centuries and the spinners, led by Deepti Sharma, giving a good account of themselves.
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.
'I had a feeling from within that this tournament (Asia Cup) would be something special, but I did not think that I would become the player-of-the-tournament.'
Ambitious India out to match Hangzhou benchmark in Nagoya.
India's highly anticipated women's 10m air pistol team, featuring Manu Bhaker, Esha Singh, and Suruchi Inder Singh, failed to secure a medal at the Asian Games, with only Bhaker reaching the individual final and finishing fifth. Despite this setback, India managed to win two bronze medals in the men's and women's skeet events, bringing the total shooting tally to seven. The performance has raised questions about India's shooting selection policies and preparation, especially given the contrast with previous Games. Manu Bhaker also spoke about personal challenges, including the recent death of her coach.
Buoyed by her team's first win in the ongoing Women's World Cup in Guwahati on Friday, New Zealand captain Sophie Devine expressed hopes of a turnaround for the White Ferns in the tournament and cited South Africa's stunning victory over India.
The Women in Blue did more than just win a trophy -- they proved that hard work, and believing in themselves, can turn failure into success.
Will Jacks delivered a career-best bowling performance with 5-22 and an unbeaten 46 runs, leading England to an 89-run victory over Sri Lanka in the first One Day International. England posted 265, with Harry Brook scoring 67, before bowling out Sri Lanka for 176. This win extends England's recent strong form in the ODI format.
The Indian men's and women's chess teams delivered strong performances at the Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, with the men's team defeating Spain 3-1 and the women's team securing an identical 3-1 victory over Mongolia. World champion D Gukesh led the men's success with a clean win against Alexei Shirov, while Arjun Erigaisi also contributed significantly. In the women's section, B Savitha Shri and Divya Deshmukh were instrumental in their team's win.
Finn Allen's blistering century led New Zealand to a stunning nine-wicket victory over South Africa in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
Former Pakistan captain Sana Mir has criticised fans and critics for applying a 'sexist' tone to the national women's team's performance in the T20 World Cup. Mir highlighted the double standards in how men's and women's teams are judged, urging a change in mindset and more respect for female athletes.
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.
'Bernard Julien was one of the quiet legends of the 1975 World Cup, a tournament that fifty years ago brought this region joy like no other as the West Indies lifted the first men's world title in the history of the game.'
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza on Monday said that his side's upset win over Australia would count for nothing if they slip up in the next two matches of the T20 World Cup, and the focus is on staying grounded after the giant-killing act.
India will be overwhelming favourites against Afghanistan in the semi-final of the ICC Under-19 World Cup, in Harare, on Wednesday.
Already out of Super Eights contention, Australia beat Oman by nine wickets in their inconsequential final group clash of the T20 World Cup, in Kandy, on Friday.
The BCCI has summoned Gautam Gambhir, Ajit Agarkar and V V S Laxman to Mumbai on Thursday to review India's disappointing performances in Ireland and England.
The following is a list of teams that have qualified for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle present Rediff's Most Valuable Player Index of T20 World Cup 2026 after Game 48.
