Sport

The Netherlands and Argentina will meet in the FIH Hockey World Cup final after both secured 1-0 semifinal victories. The Dutch defeated Belgium, while Argentina edged Australia, setting up a rematch of the 2022 World Cup final in Amsterdam.

The Premier League’s second round begins on Friday with Manchester City visiting Crystal Palace, while Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal face challenging fixtures. Several sides will look to build on opening-day results as the new season gathers pace.

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, top seed Jessica Pegula and Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova headline the top half of the 2026 US Open women’s singles draw, while Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek and other Grand Slam champions feature in the bottom half

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev headline the 2026 US Open men’s singles draw, with Jannik Sinner absent through injury. Defending champion Alcaraz occupies the second half alongside Novak Djokovic, while Zverev tops the draw and American contenders seek a breakthrough

M. Abhishek smashed a match-winning 216 off 142 balls as Sagar XI posted 372/9 before bowling out Satyam Colts for 87 in the HCA C-Division one-day league. Several other matches across the A, B and C divisions produced decisive results

India’s Under-17 women’s team were held to a goalless draw by Uzbekistan in the first of two closed-door friendlies in Tashkent on Thursday. The Young Tigresses will face Uzbekistan again on August 30 ahead of the AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers.

India secured their best Hockey World Cup finish since 1974 after beating world No. 5 Germany 3-1 in the fifth-place match. Navneet Kaur scored twice and Ishika added another as India ended their campaign with two wins, three draws and one defeat

India remained fifth in the World Test Championship standings despite winning their series against Sri Lanka 1-0. A draw in the second Test after Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 saw India’s Points Percentage fall from 53.33 to 51.52

India T20 vice-captain Tilak Varma backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for a drug-free youth population after attending the Khelo India Dialogue. Modi also stressed wider Olympic participation and early identification of sporting talent ahead of the 2036 Games.

India captain Shubman Gill called the drawn second Test against Sri Lanka “frustrating” but praised his team’s effort and intent. He also dismissed injury concerns over Mohammad Siraj, lauded Prasidh Krishna and backed India’s chances of reaching the WTC final

India will host two-time FIFA World Cup champions Uruguay in an international friendly at Kolkata’s Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan on October 6. The fixture follows India’s matches against Panama and Brazil, giving fans three high-profile international encounters

Indian chess star Divya Deshmukh will make her Global Chess League debut with defending champions Alpine Pipers in Bengaluru on September 5. The 20-year-old will team up with Magnus Carlsen and other top players in the rapid chess format

Andabatla Satvik won the Open category at the BS Chess Academy Champions Cup in Pragathi Nagar, while Rishi Pallagani claimed the Under-15 title. V. Aarush Reddy won the Below 1600 category, with G.V. Srinivasa Rao taking Veteran honours

Angad Cheema retained his two-shot lead in the Telangana Open 2026, firing a seven-under 65. Rashid Khan matched the score to stay second, while Jairaj Singh Sandhu surged to third with a nine-under 63 at Vooty Golf County in Vikarabad

Shaik Parvez and P. Bhuvaneshwari won the boys’ and girls’ Under-14 titles at the A2H Chess Academy children’s chess tournament. P. Nachikethan and P. Nandana Reddy emerged champions in the respective Under-12 boys’ and girls’ sections

The Women’s Selection Committee has announced India A squads for the upcoming multi-format tour by Australia A. The tour features three T20s in New Chandigarh, three One-Day matches in Mohali and a Multi-Day fixture in Dharamshala

Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 helped Sri Lanka fight back from 229/6 to force a draw against India in the second Test. India won the series 1-0, but failed to dismiss the final four Lankan wickets on a tiring fifth-day pitch

Sonal Dinusha's gritty 98 and a stubborn lower order frustrated India as Sri Lanka reached 383/8 at tea on the fifth day of the second Test. The hosts extended their second-innings lead to 170 runs after following on

Former BCCI vice-president Mahim Verma believes the inaugural Dehradun T20 League will accelerate the growth of young cricketers in Uttarakhand. The six-team tournament, featuring 18 matches, aims to provide emerging players with exposure, professional standards and opportunities to perform under pressure

New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has revealed his admiration for Manchester City, saying he enjoys their controlling style of football. Ravindra recalled his Etihad Stadium experience and also picked former England pacer Chris Woakes as a potential centre-back

India’s Under-17 men’s football team has been drawn in Group E alongside Malaysia, Palestine, Singapore, and Guam for the AFC U17 Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2027 Qualifiers.

India’s Men’s Selection Committee has named the Under-19 squads for the upcoming home series against Australia Under-19 and sons of former cricketers Virender Sehwag and Rahul Dravid are among the selected players.

Aaryavir Sehwag and Anvay Dravid have been named in India’s Under-19 15-member ODI squad for the three-match series against Australia U-19 in Rajkot. Lakshya Raichandani will captain the side, while Yashbardhan Chauhan will lead the subsequent multi-day fixtures

Indian para hockey chief coach Daljender Singh credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Mallika Nadda and Special Olympics Bharat for supporting the team’s first FIH World Cup appearance. He said training camps, infrastructure and international exposure helped India perform well and secure 11th place globally