Sport

Indian women boxers are targeting early Olympic qualification at the 2027 World Championships in Kazakhstan after a successful 2026 season. Head coach Santiago Nieva said securing quotas early would allow the team more time for focused preparation ahead of the Los Angeles Games

New India captain Smriti Mandhana and batter Jemimah Rodrigues paid tribute to outgoing skipper Harmanpreet Kaur after she stepped down from leadership across formats. Smriti hailed Harmanpreet’s decade-long leadership, while Jemimah thanked her for her contribution

JioStar has launched ‘Beyond Boundaries’, an initiative aimed at connecting advertisers with regional-language cricket audiences through live feeds and pre- and post-programming partnerships. The company highlighted rising regional-language consumption and strong digital engagement during TATA IPL 2026

Newly appointed Delhi Capitals head coach Sourav Ganguly said he was excited about his new role and vowed to give his best to make the franchise successful. Ganguly said the squad has enough talent to compete with the best teams

Paralympic champions Pramod Bhagat and Bhavina Patel will be India’s flag bearers at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Para Games Opening Ceremony on October 18. The duo has won eight Asian Para Games medals and will lead India’s contingent.

The Indian Olympic Association has welcomed the IOC’s process to select a host for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games. India’s bid, centred on Amdavad, Gujarat, aims to use the Games to drive sporting participation and wider social transformation.

Naman Dhir described his T20I debut against the West Indies as “very satisfying” after taking three wickets in India’s eight-wicket win. The all-rounder credited honest hard work, preparation and faith for his rapid rise to international cricket

Suresh Raina has welcomed Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s return to India’s T20I squad for the five-match series against New Zealand. Raina praised the veteran seamer’s discipline, hard work and resilience after his recall following a prolonged absence from international cricket

India captain Shreyas Iyer climbed 18 places to a career-best seventh in the ICC Men’s T20I Batting Rankings after his unbeaten maiden century against the West Indies. India now have four batters in the format’s top 10, led by Ishan Kishan.

Sunil Gavaskar recalled facing deliveries at nearly 150 kmph without a helmet during his playing days on The Great Indian Kapil Show. Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri also shared cricketing anecdotes, discussed his retirement and reflected on the IPL’s impact

Ellyse Perry has expressed disappointment over Australia women’s limited home schedule this summer, with the team set for a five-month international hiatus after six white-ball matches. Perry said the packed global calendar has made it difficult to play before home fans

Virat Kohli’s spokesperson has rejected an allegation that the former India captain was paid Rs 5 crore for visiting Premanand Maharaj’s Vrindavan ashram. The claim circulated on social media, but no publicly available documentary evidence has emerged to substantiate the alleged payment.

Tanmay Baloda took 14 wickets, including 8-41 in the second innings, as India Under-19 beat Australia Under-19 by 10 wickets in Ahmedabad. The victory sealed a 2-0 red-ball series win after India had already swept the one-day series 3-0.

Ishan Kishan said his time outside the Indian team helped him address shortcomings in his fitness and batting. After returning to the national setup, he said he has shifted his focus from selection worries to preparation, performance and contributing to India’s success.

BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia said Centre of Excellence head VVS Laxman will attend all senior men’s selection meetings to ensure selectors receive accurate information on players’ fitness and injuries. The decision followed a comprehensive review meeting held in Mumbai last month.

The Indian Racing Festival has announced its 2026 calendar, with Buddh International Circuit hosting Rounds 4 and 5 on October 31-November 1 and November 28-29. Navi Mumbai will stage the season finale as a night race on December 5-6.

India batter Tilak Varma says vice-captaincy has brought greater responsibility, particularly off the field. The Hyderabadi also spoke about learning leadership from Rohit Sharma, adapting to middle-order roles and mentally preparing for opposition bowlers.

Lionel Messi ended his Argentina career with a goal in a 3-0 win over Benin at the Monumental Stadium. Nicolas Otamendi and Nicolas Paz also scored as Argentina celebrated Messi’s farewell with tributes, music, fireworks and an emotional address.

Smriti Mandhana will begin her full-time tenure as India women’s captain during the Zimbabwe series, leading the T20I and ODI squads. Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma have been named deputies, while Niki Prasad and Jintimani Kalita receive maiden T20I call-ups

Novak Djokovic won a record-extending seventh China Open title after Alex de Minaur retired during the second set of their final in Beijing. The victory took Djokovic to 102 tour-level trophies and extended his unbeaten China Open record to 34-0

Vamsi Reddy smashed 202 off 175 balls for Dhruv XI in the C-Division one-day league, but Young Citizen won by 28 runs. Youth also posted a commanding 413/6, while several bowlers claimed five-wicket or six-wicket hauls

Shreyas Iyer smashed an unbeaten 102 off 43 balls while debutant Naman Dhir claimed three wickets as India defeated West Indies by eight wickets in the first T20I. India chased 172 in just 14.4 overs to take a 1-0 series lead

Harmanpreet Kaur has stepped down as India women’s captain across formats after a decade-long leadership journey. The BCCI praised her contribution, including India’s 2025 Women’s Cricket World Cup triumph, while Harmanpreet said she would continue playing for India

Bhavan’s Vivekananda College, Sainikpuri, won the OU Inter-College Carroms Championship for Men, defeating MJ College of Engineering 2-0. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar College also registered a 2-0 victory over MJPTBCWREI, Medak, in the tournament