Sport

After potting the red to the centre pocket in the fourth frame to signal victory, Sourav looked heavenwards and seemed to gesture ‘this one was for you dad’

The decision follows an extensive process undertaken by the ICC to address concerns raised by the BCB regarding the hosting of its scheduled matches in India

In the doubles final, second-seeded Grigoriy Lomakin of Kazakhstan and Ishaque Eqbal of India defeated fourth-seeded Jeffrey Von Der Schulenburg of Switzerland and Vanshelboim Eric of Ukraine 6-2, 6-3 to clinch the honours

After finishing the third day at 166 for seven, Hyderabad still trailing by 127 runs in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match

Former India captain MS Dhoni has started training for the IPL 2026 season, with a video of him batting in the nets shared by the Jharkhand State Cricket Association. The 44-year-old will represent Chennai Super Kings for the 17th time.

India’s top women’s squash player Anahat Singh moved into the second round of the PSA Platinum Tournament of Champions in New York, while Abhay Singh lost a close five-set opener. Anahat continues her strong run following an impressive 2025 season.

India have named a 15-member squad for the one-off Women’s Test against Australia in Perth, to be played from March 6 to 9, 2026. Harmanpreet Kaur will captain the side, with Smriti Mandhana as vice-captain.

Sakshi Padekar and Shahu Mane bettered national record scores in the 10m Air Rifle events at the National Selection Trials in Delhi. Arjun Babuta won the men’s final, Sakshi the women’s, while Rahi Sarnobat claimed gold in the 25m Pistol

PV Sindhu and Virat Kohli hailed Saina Nehwal’s legendary career after she confirmed retirement. The former world No 1 won Olympic bronze, Commonwealth gold, and became India’s first woman shuttler to reach world No 1, inspiring generations of Indian badminton players

Shilanand Lakra scored a brace as Hyderabad Toofans defeated HIL GC 2-0 in the Men’s Hockey India League Eliminator at Bhubaneswar. Arthur De Sloover made crucial saves as Toofans booked their place in Qualifier 2, keeping their final hopes alive

Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 82 and Ishan Kishan’s fiery 76 powered India to a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in Raipur, chasing 209 in just 15.2 overs. India now lead the five-match T20I series 2-0

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Corentin Moutet in straight sets at the Australian Open but admitted losing the drop-shot battle. Aryna Sabalenka survived a tough test against Anastasia Potapova, while Daniil Medvedev rallied from two sets down to beat Fabian Marozsan

Bangladesh’s appeal to the ICC’s Dispute Resolution Committee over hosting T20 World Cup matches in India cannot be heard as it is outside the committee’s remit. With the ICC Board voting 14-2, Scotland is expected to be named as replacement

India’s world champion D Gukesh will meet joint leader Nodirbek Abdusattorov in round six of the Tata Steel Masters after his win over Thai Dai Van Nguyen. Arjun Erigaisi slipped to joint seventh, while Praggnanandhaa and Aravindh Chithambaram remain on 1.5 points

India’s Karan Singh defeated Switzerland’s Jeffrey Von Der Schulenburg 6-4, 6-4, while USA’s Keshav Chopra stunned sixth seed Aziz Ouakaa of Tunisia 6-3, 6-3 to move into the semifinals of the Hyderabad Open ITF men’s tennis tournament

Akhileshwar (121) and B Gowtham Reddy (119 n.o.) cracked centuries, while K Abhinav Kumar (5/28) and T Umesh (5/56) impressed with the ball in the HCA under-14 probables matches played in Hyderabad on Friday

Hyderabad pacer Eddla Srujana has joined Delhi Capitals for the Women’s Premier League after M Mamata’s injury. The 20-year-old, trained at St John’s Coaching Foundation, says Azharuddin-inspired discipline and her pace are her strengths as she dreams of playing for India

Mumbai batter Sarfaraz Khan scored a brilliant double century in the Ranji Trophy against Hyderabad, crediting former India captain Mohd Azharuddin for his guidance. Sarfaraz said Azhar’s tips on handling reverse swing helped him prepare for the challenging pitch conditions

Sarfaraz Khan smashed 227 and Suved Parkar added 75 as Mumbai piled up 560 against Hyderabad in the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D match. G Rahul Singh’s unbeaten 82 helped Hyderabad reach 138 for two at stumps on day two

World No. 3 Coco Gauff overcame a stiff challenge from Hailey Baptiste to reach the Australian Open fourth round, while teenager Iva Jovic stunned seventh seed Jasmine Paolini to record the biggest upset of the tournament so far.

India pacer Jasprit Bumrah completed a decade in international cricket, reflecting on defying assumptions throughout his journey. From his 2016 debut to becoming the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, Bumrah has emerged as one of the finest fast bowlers across formats.

Assam has become the first State to integrate Olympic-calibre expertise into the Small Khelo India programme by hosting an international coach education camp in Guwahati. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots coaching by equipping former athletes with global best practices.

The ICC has expressed satisfaction with Eden Gardens facilities ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup starting February 7. The stadium will host multiple matches, though Bangladesh’s participation remains uncertain amid security concerns, with Scotland as a possible replacement

Sri Lanka spinners led by Vandersay and Wellalage defended 271 to beat England by 19 runs in the first ODI at Colombo. Kusal Mendis’ unbeaten 93 and Janith Liyanage’s 46 helped set a competitive total