Sport

Saransh Jain made his Test debut as India elected to bat first against Sri Lanka in Colombo. India lead the two-match series 1-0 after their 165-run win in Galle, while Sri Lanka handed debuts to Kamil Mishara and Pasindu Sooriyabandara.

Jessica Pegula beat defending champion Iga Swiatek in three sets to reach the Cincinnati Open final, where she will face fellow American Coco Gauff. Frances Tiafoe and France's Arthur Fils also advanced to the men's final.

Carlos Espi scored a last-minute winner as Real Madrid beat Espanyol 2-1 to begin Jose Mourinho's second spell at the club with victory. Sevilla also won 3-1 at Athletic Club, while Valencia and Celta Vigo played out a goalless draw.

Newly promoted Hull City stunned Manchester United 2-0 in the Premier League opener. Tottenham Hotspur lost 3-0 at Brentford, while Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Sunderland also suffered defeats. Everton and Ipswich Town began their campaigns with victories.

Martin Demichelis began his RB Leipzig tenure with a 6-0 victory over fourth-tier Eintracht Trier in the German Cup first round. Brajan Gruda, Willi Orban, Conrad Harder, Antonio Nusa and Ezechiel Banzuzi scored for Leipzig.

Bayern Munich defeated Borussia Dortmund 2-1 to win the season-opening Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. Nathaniel Brown and Michael Olise scored for Bayern, while Fabio Silva pulled one back for Dortmund. The victory secured Bayern's record-extending 12th Supercup title.

Hyderabad-based shooter Mohammed Ashraf Ganyani won silver in the 300m Rifle Prone Men’s Individual event and bronze at the Telangana State Shooting Championship hel as part of the Deccan Elite Grand Prix. Former DGP Anjani Kumar presented prizes to the winners.

Indian hurdler Jyothi Yarraji won bronze in the 100m hurdles at the World Athletics Continental Tour event in Bhubaneswar. Her 13.24-second timing also helped her qualify for the 2026 Asian Games, with athletics officials congratulating her achievement

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa will face Germany’s Vincent Keymer in the Grand Chess Tour semifinals in St Louis. The Indian star, who topped the Sinquefield Cup standings, needs 15 points to enter the final in the mixed Classical, Rapid and Blitz format

Rising Australian all-rounder Liam Scott is targeting a return to the national squad across all formats after making his ODI debut during the Bangladesh tour. The 2025-26 Sheffield Shield Player of the Year is focused on improving his game and helping South Australia

Mohun Bagan face East Bengal in a high-stakes Durand Cup final as Kolkata’s two biggest clubs chase the title. Mohun Bagan seek an 18th crown, while East Bengal aim to draw level with their rivals and claim their 17th title

The Telangana Cricket Association has questioned HCA’s reported automatic selection mandate for the Men’s Senior Super League, alleging it compromises merit and selector independence. TCA urged a transparent process based on current form, fitness and performance

Sri Lanka captain Dhananjaya de Silva has urged his pacers to improve their performance as the hosts prepare for the second Test against India. After a heavy defeat in Galle, Sri Lanka aim to score big and take 20 wickets

The Hyderabad Cricket Association has invited entries for its Under-16 Inter-School and Inter-College Tournament 2026-27. A maximum of 120 teams will participate, with registrations opening on August 24 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Uppal

Three five-wicket hauls from Prateik Rajaneni, K Karthikeya and K Pradeep Kumar, along with C Siddhardha’s century, highlighted the HCA C-Division one-day league. Several teams produced strong performances as competitive matches unfolded across Hyderabad on Saturday

A2H Chess Academy will organise an open rapid chess tournament in Hyderabad on August 26. The six-round Swiss League event carries a total prize money of Rs. 15,000 and is open to rated, unrated and new players

Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand secured India’s maiden women’s doubles bronze at the World Championships after a fighting semifinal loss to defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. The Indian pair impressed with a spirited performance against the world No. 1 duo

South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj praised India’s young left-arm spinner Manav Suthar, calling him a “gem” after his impressive performances against Sri Lanka in Galle. Maharaj said Suthar’s control and variations could help him carry India’s spin legacy forward

Olympic bronze medallist Casey Kaufhold will make her Archery Premier League debut as 12 international stars from 10 countries join Season 2 in Hyderabad. The league will feature 48 athletes across six franchises, including Olympic medallists and world champions

Gautam Gambhir backed Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka, advising the spinner to focus on delivering quality spells rather than chasing wickets. The India coach also defended the five-bowler strategy and stressed building depth in red-ball cricket

George Russell won the Zandvoort Sprint on Formula One’s return after the summer break, collecting maximum points and reducing his championship deficit. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished second ahead of Lando Norris, while Kimi Antonelli retained the title lead

The BCCI is yet to finalise a title sponsor for India’s home matches after limited interest in the rights, reportedly due to the steep base price. Google Gemini, Spinny and SBI Life are among potential sponsors in discussions with the Board.

Gautam Gambhir dismissed criticism over India’s recent Test struggles, saying his priority remains winning trophies. The head coach backed Kuldeep Yadav and the five-bowler strategy, insisting India are undergoing a transition and rankings do not reflect their progress

Ben Stokes has criticised the exclusion of Headingley from the 2027 men’s Ashes schedule, calling the decision ‘shambolic’. The omission of northern venues has drawn backlash from players and commentators, with concerns raised over representation and accessibility of the iconic series