Be it the jam-packed stadiums at the UEFA Champions League, the intense trans-Tasman rivalry in cricket, there are certain events that enthralls fans. Brendon McCullum blasting into history with the fastest Test hundred in his farewell Test; but that wasn't enough as Australia completed a 2-0 clean sweep of the Kiwis. Rohit Sharma, yet again showing why is considered to be a special talent in limited-overs cricket as India thrashed host Bangladesh in the Asia Cup opener. In Champions League football, Lionel Messi's Barcelona proving too hot for old-rivals Arsenal. Be ready to be amazed as Rediff.com encapsulates all the sporting action from the past week in this super photo feature.
After scoring, Messi stopped and pointed from the field at the team co-owner David Beckham, who was watching the game. The gesture was met with a wide smile from the former Manchester United great who helped lure Messi to the MLS despite a massive counter offer from Saudi Arabia.
With pacer Mohammed Shami in menacing form, India holds the edge in the bowling department against Australia, reckons batting great Gundappa Viswanath, who wants skipper Rohit Sharma to convert his aggressive starts to a big hundred in the World Cup final.
India won all the seven gold medals on offer in the SAF Games badminton tournament.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton promised on Thursday to stay "squeaky clean" for the rest of the Formula One season after being stripped of victory in Belgium last weekend.
David De Gea has left Manchester United following the end of his contract after 12 seasons with the Old Trafford side.
Max Verstappen celebrated a record 10th win in a row by leading Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez one-two at Ferrari's home Italian Grand Prix
Olympian shooter Manu Bhaker, sprinter Dutee Chand and swimmer Srihari Nataraj are some of the big names to feature in the Khelo India University Games to be held in Bengaluru from April 24 to May 3.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
With the Board of Control for Cricket in India's image taking a beating in the wake of Bombay High Court declaring its IPL spot-fixing probe "illegal and unconstitutional", Sports Minister Jitendra Singh advised the BCCI to work towards "restoring the trust" of the fans.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
Kerala's election discourse operates surreptitiously. Its explicit face focuses on important national and local issues. At the same time, it seeks to secure apt communal equations to ensure votes, notes Shyam G Menon.
With its verdict, the Supreme Court has strengthened the spirit of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' and has reminded us that what define us are bonds of unity and a shared commitment to good governance.
IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Tuesday.
World chess champion Magnus Carlsen said on Monday he believed Hans Niemann had "cheated more - and more recently - than he has publicly admitted", adding he no longer wanted to play against the American and any rivals who repeatedly cheated in the past.
UEFA President Michel Platini was discharged from a Johannesburg hospital on Saturday and given a clean bill of health after fainting in a restaurant on Friday night.
'RCB is the world's first carbon neutral cricket team and the foremost cricket franchise in the world.'
Becomes first player to pick a hat-trick in the Women's Premier League.
The World Anti-Doping Agency is not fit for purpose and should be replaced, Britain's double Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson has said following its decision last month to lift a ban on Russia's anti-doping body.
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday
Indonesia's Juniansyah Rizki 349kg(155kg+194kg) put up a spectacular performance, breaking the junior world record in all three events to win the gold medal, while Russia's Serobian Gevorg 308kg (143kg+165kg) took home the bronze.
Miss World 2024 will be crowned in India soon. Long before Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mukhey and Diana Hayden, a beautiful woman from Bombay was crowned Miss World. In 1966. Reita Faria was India's first Miss World. Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/ Rediff.com met the 80 year old in Dublin recently, still as elegant, still as attractive as she was all those years ago.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
It all started to go from bad to worse when controversial former All India Football Federation (AIFF) president Praful Patel, whose third term in office ended in December 2020, stayed in office citing a pending Supreme Court case.
Roads are being expanded, bridges are being built, hotels are springing up, and the crowds are pouring in. Bringing with them promise of unforeseen economic boom. Ayodhya, it seems, has opened up its heart, Saisuresh Sivaswamy/Rediff.com discovers on his first day in the city.
England were 7-1 at stumps with Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (3) batting together
IMAGES from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Images from the ICC Men's ODI World Cup match between Sri Lanka and Australia at the Ekana Sports City Stadium in Lucknow.
Not used to playing singles anymore, India's Rohan Bopanna found rhythm in nick of time to edge past Hong Chung before Yong-Kyu Lim prevented a Korean whitewash with a gritty win over Ramkumar Ramanathan in the Davis Cup Asia Oceania Group I tie, in Chandigarh, on Sunday.
Clearly disappointed with her show, the national federation chief said that the lifter competed with an injury to her knee.
Sukanya Verma looks at all the significant bald imagery of Bollywood through the years.
Punam was in the silver medal winning position after snatch where she lifted 98kg in her third attempt.
Chanu ended India's over two-decade-long wait for a weightlifting medal at the Olympics.
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Singh's event was off to a dodgy start as he initially struggled to gain balance in his opening snatch lift. The Indian stopped just short of the end of the board with one out of the three judges giving him a red light but the 137kg lift was eventually deemed legit.
Villarreal can prevent Barcelona from completing a clean sweep over their closest challengers when the runaway Primera Liga leaders visit the Madrigal on Sunday.
She began the clean and jerk with a confident 110kg lift, leading the Indian coaches to increase her second attempt by six kilograms.
The former world champion ended with a total lift of 201kg (88kg+113kg), which is far from her personal best.
India won nine gold, as many silver and two bronze medals in total.
The World Anti-Doping Agency cut the doping ban on Russian Liliya Shobukhova by seven months on Monday, saying the marathon runner had provided "substantial assistance" and was eligible for a lighter sentence.
