Sport

Mumbai Indians begin their IPL 2026 campaign against a depleted Kolkata Knight Riders. Led by Hardik Pandya and Rohit Sharma, MI aim to end a five-year title drought. KKR face injuries and bowling challenges in the opening match

Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 to reach the Miami Open final. The Italian is aiming for the Sunshine Double after winning Indian Wells and will face Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s title clash

Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah is under PCB scrutiny after a deleted social media post criticised Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz. The board issued a show-cause notice while he remains available for PSL selection amid strict tournament security measures

Telangana hosted India’s first Sports Hackathon in Hyderabad, with 2,000 participants across 24 disciplines. The two-day event aimed to explore fitness and technical challenges faced by athletes and promote technology-driven solutions, making Telangana a leading Sports Innovation Hub

Devdutt Padikkal’s 26-ball 61 and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 69 powered Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2026 opener. RCB chased 202 in 15.4 overs with a brilliant second-wicket stand

Maheshwari Chauhan narrowly missed a place in the final as Indian shooters failed to secure top-eight finishes in the skeet event of the ISSF World Cup Shotgun in Morocco, with several competitors delivering competitive performances

Telangana Cricket Association has urged the State Government to act on alleged illegal privatisation of 17 GHMC cricket clubs, citing findings of a Supreme Court-appointed committee and raising concerns over HCA’s electoral roll and representation

Indian women’s hockey forward Navneet Kaur was named Player of the Year at the Hockey India Annual Awards after a strong season, including key performances in major tournaments and achieving 200 international caps

Punjab Kings batter Shashank Singh praised the fearless approach of young players and credited coach Ricky Ponting and captain Shreyas Iyer for building a strong team environment, adding that the squad is motivated to improve after last season’s final loss

B Radhakrishna and S Nikhil Kumar delivered impressive five-wicket hauls in the HCA B-Division Institution one-day league, guiding Air India and Canara Bank to strong performances in their respective matches in Hyderabad

Indian relay teams delivered record-breaking performances at the National Open Relay Competition in Chandigarh, securing qualification for the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana. India B and the mixed relay team set new marks, highlighting the country’s rising strength in relay events.

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has picked his preferred Sunrisers Hyderabad playing XI for their IPL 2026 opener against RCB, backing Eshan Malinga as Pat Cummins’ replacement and urging the team to bat Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 5.

The Andhra Pradesh women’s team won the 7th IDCA Women’s T10 National Cricket Championship for the Deaf, defeating Delhi by five runs in the final in Gurugram. D Kanthamma starred with multiple awards, including Player of the Series.

Director Anil Ravipudi will reunite with Venkatesh for their fifth film, which will also star Nandamuri Kalyan Ram. Produced by Shine Screens, the big-budget family entertainer is slated for a worldwide Sankranthi release next year.

Bangladesh has lifted restrictions on telecasting the IPL, with Information Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan saying sports should not be mixed with politics. Broadcasters are free to apply to air the tournament as the government adopts a commercial approach.

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni will miss the first two weeks of IPL 2026 after sustaining a calf strain. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter is undergoing rehabilitation, forcing CSK to rely on Sanju Samson behind the stumps in the opening matches.

Former HCA secretary T Shesh Narayan has urged corrective steps to prevent misuse of IPL tickets and wasteful expenditure. He alleged irregularities in ticket distribution and catering costs, and called for action against Apex Council members

JioStar has announced an expanded broadcast plan for TATA IPL 2026, featuring over 20 feeds, 12 language options, and more than 150 experts. New features include multi-camera viewing, sign language feeds, and a dedicated watch-along experience with former players

S. Loknath and Lokesh Myaka scored centuries to guide Imperial Cricket Club to a thrilling one-wicket win over Charminar in the HCA B-Division final, successfully chasing 397 in a closely contested two-day league championship match

Navneet Kaur, Hardik Singh and Zafar Iqbal were named Players of the Year at the Hockey India annual awards, while Zafar Iqbal received the lifetime achievement honour. Several players were recognised for milestones and performances across major international tournaments

Sunrisers Hyderabad has announced partnerships with Jindal Stainless as its Official Stainless Partner and Navi UPI as the official payments partner for the upcoming T20 season. The collaborations aim to enhance fan engagement and build stronger connections across audiences

Hyderabad’s Y. Sai Dedeepya and Arthi Muniyan of TN won the women’s doubles title at Ash Tennis Academy, Hyderabad, defeating Saijayani Banerjee and Dhanvi Kale. The duo progressed through semifinals and pre-quarterfinals with strong victories

G. Naishik Reddy of Telangana won the singles title at the Rs 1 lakh AITA tennis tournament in Hyderabad, defeating M. Theertha Shashank. In doubles, Krishna Teja Raja and Pranav Mahesh emerged champions, while Naishik trains under Olympian J. Vishnuvardhan

Chennai Super Kings enter IPL 2026 with a revamped, youth-focused squad led by Sanju Samson and Ruturaj Gaikwad. Strong batting and spin depth boost their chances, but concerns over death bowling and inexperience could shape their campaign