Ravichandran Smaran's unbeaten 126 propelled the Rest of India to a commanding 265-run lead against Jammu and Kashmir on Day 3 of their Irani Cup match in Srinagar, despite early setbacks for India batters Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan.
Rest of India were bowled out for 237 by a spirited Jammu and Kashmir attack on Day 1 of the Irani Cup. Skipper Rishabh Pant and Sarfaraz Khan failed to convert starts, while Shikhar Mohan and Ravichandran Smaran scored half-centuries. J&K ended the day at 21 for 2, losing two early wickets.
Rest of India defeated Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs to win the Irani Cup, providing a perfect birthday gift for Captain Rishabh Pant. Despite Pant being sidelined with fever, the team's pacers, led by Mukesh Kumar, secured a sensational victory by adjusting their bowling strategy in the second innings. Young batter Ravichandran Smaran also played a crucial role with a superb century.
Rest of India defeated reigning Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir by 167 runs to clinch the Irani Cup, with pacers Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep sharing nine wickets in a sensational bowling performance.
Rishabh Pant, recently excluded from India's white-ball squad, has been appointed captain of the Rest of India team for the upcoming Irani Cup match against Ranji Trophy champions Jammu and Kashmir.
'It is possible that the attackers might have been ordered not to kill.'
Sprinter Simran Sharma has been named India's new flag bearer for the Para Asian Games opening ceremony, replacing table tennis player Bhavina Patel. The change was made to ensure Patel gets adequate rest ahead of her crucial quarter-final match on October 19, as the journey to the venue is physically demanding.
The BCCI is committed to improving player preparation for major series in South Africa, England, New Zealand, and Australia (SENA countries) by ensuring adequate rest, acclimatisation, and practice matches, according to secretary Devajit Saikia.
Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the first two India A matches against New Zealand due to a left side strain, with Kumar Kushagra named as his replacement.
A strong India A squad, featuring senior team members like KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal, will play New Zealand A in a four-day match starting Saturday, serving as crucial preparation for the senior team's upcoming two-Test series.
IBM India and South Asia MD Sandip Patel stated that India is at a defining moment with a unique opportunity to shape exponential technologies like artificial intelligence, emphasizing that "when India builds, it builds for billions," leading to scalable impact. Speaking at the IBM Think 2026 event, Patel highlighted that the AI revolution is still in its early stages, requiring enterprises to redesign their operations around agents, real-time data, automation, hybrid architecture, and trust. He also introduced the concept of "digital swaraj" or sovereignty in the Indian context, stressing the importance of control over operating environments, data, technology, and AI execution. IBM also announced an MoU with MeitY Startup Hub to accelerate India's deep tech innovation and startup ecosystem, providing startups access to IBM's technology expertise and platforms like watsonx and Sovereign Core.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer lauded all-rounder Naman Dhir for his crucial role in India's record-breaking 226-run chase against New Zealand in the first T20I. Iyer highlighted Dhir's versatility and calm demeanour under pressure. Sanju Samson's explosive start and the team's adaptation to changing pitch conditions were also key factors in India's highest-ever T20 chase.
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.
The real victory in New Zealand is not about winning every match but returning from it knowing exactly what kind of team India should have for the future, points out K R Nayar.
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir indicated that top batters might be rested from white-ball cricket to prepare for Tests during the upcoming New Zealand tour. He emphasised the importance of Test cricket, the challenge of multi-format players, and discussed preparations for the 2027 World Cup, highlighting the crucial roles of Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah, and praising Shubman Gill's captaincy.
India's Sandeep won a gold medal in the men's 400m T64 final at the Asian Para Games, setting a new world record. Compatriot Ajay Kumar secured a bronze in the same event. Additionally, Nimisha Chakkungalparambil and Parmod Bijarnia each claimed silver medals in women's long jump T47 and men's 1500m T46, respectively, contributing to India's strong performance.
Sanju Samson continued his superb form with the bat, smashing a blistering 67 off 33 balls to power India to their highest chase in T20 cricket, overcoming a mid-innings stumble for a four-wicket win in the series-opener against New Zealand.
Legendary Formula One driver and two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen advocates for the sport's return to India, citing its massive fan base and business opportunities.
New Zealand fast bowler Will O'Rourke has been officially ruled out of the highly anticipated home series against India and is expected to return in late December.
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.
New Zealand all-rounder Glenn Phillips acknowledged India's successful chase of 226 in the first T20I, attributing their win to strong execution and adaptation. Phillips highlighted areas for improvement for his team, specifically the need to take more wickets in the middle overs and enhance fielding performance, despite defending their overall effort.
India has strongly rejected a report by a UN human rights expert, Gina Romero, which claimed that young people in India face retaliation or stigmatisation for discussing mental health or gender justice. India's First Secretary Anuj Swarup labelled the report as "hearsay" based on "anonymous and unverified claims," asserting that it does a disservice to the expert's mandate. Swarup highlighted India's constitutional freedoms, independent judiciary, and government's proactive engagement with youth, citing examples like the amendment to the Public Examinations Act and the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue.
Shreyas Iyer-led India, unbeaten in their last two T20 series in New Zealand, will rely on their formidable batting lineup to overcome the relatively inexperienced New Zealand side in the upcoming five-match T20I series, despite having minimal time to acclimatise.
India has issued a fresh advisory for its nationals in Saudi Arabia, urging them to take precautions due to heightened security concerns following drone and missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The advisory includes instructions on what to do during an aerial attack and notes flight disruptions, with Indian carriers suspending services until late October.
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.
Asian Games champions India will commence their Asian Champions Trophy Hockey campaign against Bangladesh on October 27 in Jalandhar. The tournament, featuring six top Asian teams, will run from October 27 to November 5 across Jalandhar and Mohali, Punjab. India, five-time ACT winners, aim to continue their strong record as hosts.
India's spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule confirmed that Kuldeep Yadav's absence from bowling in the second innings of the warm-up game against Sri Lanka Cricket XI was a precautionary measure to assess his body after a significant workload, allaying fitness concerns.
Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi made his international debut for India in the second ODI against West Indies in Guwahati, becoming the third player from J&K to play for India in ODIs.
After India's defeat despite scoring 249, Gautam Gambhir says only the openers are permanent in T20 cricket and backs a flexible batting order.
A two-day weekend would help employees recover physically and mentally. They would return better prepared for branch work that demands patience, judgment, and accuracy, asserts Tamal Bandyopadhyay.
Abhishek Sharma joined India's 2,000-run T20I club with a blistering 69 off 30 balls, equalling Suryakumar Yadav's calendar-year sixes record and registering his seventh powerplay fifty.
India may rest Jasprit Bumrah for the New Zealand ODIs to keep him fresh for the crucial Test series as they chase a place in the World Test Championship final.
Former India fast bowler Parvinder Awana has been appointed as the chairman of the newly constituted BCCI junior selection committee. The Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) also named Krishna Das, Rakesh Patel, and N. Arjun Yadav as members, with a fifth member to be announced soon. The committee members bring extensive experience from their playing careers and coaching roles at various levels.
Harmanpreet Kaur, India's only World Cup-winning women's cricket captain, has stepped down from her leadership role across all three formats, stating she is now 'ready to play for the love of the game again' after fulfilling her duty as a leader.
India's title defence at the Chess Olympiad suffered a setback after a loss to hosts Uzbekistan, leaving them two points behind the leaders.
'Eastern Ladakh set the relationship back by about 10 steps. So far, especially since Galwan, we may have taken just 4 steps forward.'
Artificial intelligence major Anthropic has launched AI inference capabilities in India through Amazon Bedrock, allowing its Claude AI models to process data within the country's jurisdiction. This strategic move addresses the growing demand from Indian entities, particularly in regulated sectors, for compliance with local data processing norms as per the Digital Personal Data Protection Act. The initiative strengthens Anthropic's commitment to the Indian market, enabling secure and compliant AI deployment for sensitive workloads and fostering trust among major enterprises like Reliance, CRED, and NPCI.
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 International Olympic Committee (IOC) has invited India, Germany, Qatar, and Turkiye, among others, to present their bids for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games to its Future Host Commission next month. Ahmedabad is India's preferred city for the mega-event, with negotiations led by the Indian Olympic Association in collaboration with the Gujarat government and Union Sports Ministry. The host will be announced in mid-2029, following a streamlined selection process focusing on venue master-plan, funding, public support, and athlete experience.
Former national badminton coach Prakash Padukone expressed disappointment over India's performance at the recent Asian Games, where the country secured only a team bronze.
