Indian shooters Vanshika Chaudhary and Shiva Narwal secured a silver medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the ISSF Junior World Championship in Suhl, Germany. This achievement further boosted India's leading position in the medal standings with a total of 16 medals.
If winning the National Championship does not help a player make the national team, what exactly is the value of becoming India's national champion?
Two-time Commonwealth Games champion Mirabai Chanu will lead India's weightlifting contingent at the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games, which also features other medal winners and debutants, as India aims to continue its strong performance in the sport.
Prasidh Krishna was rewarded for his relentless effort in India's Sri Lanka Test series win, taking seven wickets and earning the Impact Player of the Series medal.
India is poised to secure its first overseas Test series victory in three years as they face Sri Lanka in the second and final match, with skipper Shubman Gill and opener Yashasvi Jaiswal under pressure to deliver substantial knocks.
Indian para archers have delivered a strong performance at the World Archery Para Series in Ahmedabad, assuring at least two medals in the Visually Impaired 1 category. World No. 1 Sheetal Devi topped the women's compound qualification, while Indian men's and women's teams secured top seeding, advancing directly to the semifinals. Several other Indian archers also progressed in individual and team events, highlighting the nation's growing prowess in para-archery.
India concluded its campaign at the inaugural Asian U23 Athletics Championships with a total of 16 medals, including two gold medals won by javelin thrower Anand Singh and the women's 4x400m relay team. Anand Singh achieved a personal best throw of 80.57m, while other Indian athletes secured multiple silver and bronze medals across various events.
Indian shooter Vidarsa Vinod, making her Asian Games debut at 27, secured a silver medal in the women's 10m air rifle team event. Despite missing an individual final, Vinod maintained a calm demeanour, treating the continental stage like any other competition. Her journey from an NCC cadet to an international medallist highlights her rapid progression and adaptability, especially as she only recently started training in the 10m air rifle discipline.
India vice-captain KL Rahul revealed that the team's aggressive approach in the Galle Test against Sri Lanka was driven by the knowledge of an impending heavy shower, which arrived just five minutes after their 165-run victory.
Indian batter Devdutt Padikkal, after scoring a magnificent maiden Test century against Sri Lanka in Galle, discussed the "slowish" nature of the wicket. He noted that the pitch aided left-handed batters against left-arm spinners and started turning significantly after the third day, contributing to India's 165-run victory.
Indian tennis player Dhakshineswar Suresh discusses the significant transition from collegiate tennis to the professional tour, highlighting the challenges of travelling alone, managing his body, and maintaining consistency. He shares insights on the importance of off-court preparation, physical fitness, and setting ambitious goals like breaking into the top 250.
Indian spinner Varun Chakravarthy emphasises the importance of focusing on the 'process' rather than 'results' to maintain consistency and mental fortitude in cricket, especially after a period of mixed performances.
Kartik Aaryan, Yami Gautam were honoured at the 72nd National Film Awards.
The Indian fencing team achieved remarkable success on the third day of the Commonwealth Championship in Lagos, Nigeria, securing three gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in senior individual events. This impressive performance boosted India's overall medal tally to 29, including 8 gold, 7 silver, and 14 bronze, showcasing the nation's growing dominance in the sport.
Former Asian Games gold medallist Shiv Kapur expresses strong confidence in India's golf squad for the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Games, stating that anything less than a gold medal would be a disappointment given the talent pool. He highlights the potential of both men's and women's teams, including top players like Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, to end India's long wait for a golf gold. The article also touches upon the healthy competition between Indian golf leagues.
Former England Test coach Brendon McCullum has apologised for the team's performance during his tenure, acknowledging that the 'Bazball' approach did not yield desired results in key series against Australia and India. His departure follows a home series defeat to New Zealand and mounting pressure after the Ashes loss.
India's under-21 men's and women's hockey teams are set to begin their AHF Junior Asia Cup campaigns in Moqi, China. The men's team aims for a record-extending sixth title, while the women's team seeks a hat-trick of trophies, both having undergone extensive preparations and exposure tours.
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.
Former Pakistan captain Salman Akbar attributes his country's hockey decline to the absence of a robust domestic structure, contrasting it with India's strategic investment in grassroots and domestic ecosystems after failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympics. He highlights India's subsequent success and calls for similar foundational changes in Pakistan.
Ayush Badoni rose to prominence with his performances for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL where he played under the mentorship of current India head coach Gautam Gambhir.
G Sathiyan played a pivotal role in Dabang Delhi TTC's 9-6 victory over UP Prometheans in the Ultimate Table Tennis' seventh season tie. Delhi secured the win after being tied 6-6, with Sathiyan's mixed doubles and men's singles performances proving decisive. The match also saw the introduction of the Table Tennis Review (TTR) system in UTT.
A Delhi hospital has successfully performed a robot-assisted splenorenal bypass surgery on a 67-year-old woman with a single functioning kidney, marking a first for India.
Veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has declared himself 'absolutely ready' for a potential recall to the Indian team, including for the World Cup, following spin legend Ravichandran Ashwin's endorsement for his return.
India's men's hockey team has experienced a varied journey in the World Cup, from winning bronze in 1971 and gold in 1975 to a prolonged period without a podium finish.
Indian hockey fans, including a significant diaspora presence and supporters from abroad, created a vibrant, festive atmosphere in Amstelveen for the World Cup opener against Wales on Independence Day, driven by increased expectations following recent Olympic successes.
The Indian mixed trap teams had a disappointing performance at the ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy, failing to qualify for medal matches. Despite this, the Indian contingent concluded the event with one gold medal, placing them joint third in the medal table alongside Australia. Italy topped the table with two golds.
India played an impressive opening match at the Women's Hockey World Cup, securing a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists China, with goals from Navneet Kaur and Deepika.
Both the Indian U-18 men's and women's hockey teams are set to compete in the semifinals of the Asia Cup. The men's team will face arch-rivals Pakistan, focusing on improving penalty corner execution, while the dominant women's team will take on China, aiming to continue their unbeaten run.
Ludhiana Lions' Krish Bhagat played an important Sher-E-Punjab T20 League match against Amritsar Soormas, dedicating a crucial wicket to his late grandfather, Chunni Lal Bhagat, a former Cabinet Minister. Krish shared how his grandfather's journey from Pakistan inspired him and spoke about his own early start in cricket, his family's support, and his focus on team goals in the league.
Indian left-arm spinner Manav Suthar faced a challenging day in the second Test against Sri Lanka, conceding over five runs an over initially, but impressed spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule with his resilience and ability to bounce back with two crucial wickets.
Quimcy Dsouza, a former Maharashtra footballer, made an unconventional journey to the Asian Games teqball semifinals after discovering the sport through Ronaldinho. Despite a defeat, she expressed pride in her performance and her role in pioneering teqball in India, highlighting the challenges of limited funding and her dedication to growing the sport.
Former Pakistan hockey players have expressed deep concern over the national team's poor performance at the World Cup, advocating for an immediate injection of fresh talent and a focus on the upcoming Asian Games. They attribute the sport's decline to cricket's dominance and a failure to adapt to modern hockey, urging the federation to prioritise competitive success to regain public interest.
Pakistan fast-bowling legend Wasim Akram has voiced his disappointment over the state of the country's cricket, particularly in Test matches. He attributes the team's struggles to a significant lack of quality batting talent emerging in recent years, despite the Pakistan Super League's existence. Akram also highlighted the need to revive club cricket and maintain consistency in team selections.
India's U20 football team secured a dominant 3-0 victory over Bangladesh in their final AFC U20 Asian Cup Qualifiers group match. Goals from Danny Meitei Laishram, Vishal Yadav, and Md Arbash sealed the win, bringing India's total to six points. The team's qualification for the main tournament, potentially after 20 years, now hinges on the outcome of the Syria-Uzbekistan match.
India's Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi was defeated in the second round of the US Open junior singles by Arina Malygina. This loss further diminished India's presence at the tournament, following earlier exits by Arnav Paparkar in both singles and doubles.
India's snooker team, featuring Pankaj Advani and Aditya Mehta, narrowly lost 3-2 to hosts China 'A' in the World Team Snooker Championship final. Despite Advani's strong performance, Aditya Mehta's loss in the decisive frame cost India the gold medal in a challenging, error-ridden contest.
Eran Wickramaratne, chairman of Sri Lanka Cricket's interim committee, has called for a revision of the ICC's Future Tours Programme to allow Sri Lanka to play more Test matches against cricketing powerhouses like India, England, and Australia, citing the financial dependence on India and the desire to excel in the format.
Ajit Agarkar, chairman of the senior men's selection committee, was notably absent from a BCCI review meeting discussing India's recent limited-overs tour performances against Ireland and England, citing travel issues. The meeting, attended by captains and coaches, did not address his contract extension, which is due to expire soon.
India's men's and women's table tennis teams both secured gold medals at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. The men's team, led by Manush Shah's heroic performance, overcame Malaysia 3-2 in a thrilling final, while the women's team comfortably defeated Malaysia 3-0.
Bangladesh achieved a historic milestone by defeating Australia by nine wickets in Darwin, marking their first-ever Test victory on Australian soil and becoming the fastest Asian team to do so.
