Sport

Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has extended his Red Bull contract through 2030, ending speculation over a potential move to a rival team. The 28-year-old has yet to win this season but remains committed to Red Bull’s future

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has called the IPL generation’s ability to seamlessly transition from T20 cricket to Tests a “mystery”. Comparing the shift to pop singers attempting classical ragas, he praised modern players’ adaptability, technique and concentration

India all-rounder Riyan Parag has revealed that Cristiano Ronaldo inspired his passion for Manchester United. Parag also backed Chelsea’s Cole Palmer to excel this season and believes Manchester City striker Erling Haaland could adapt well to cricket if given the chance

The ICC appeals panel has rescinded the demerit point imposed on Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium after overturning its ‘Unsatisfactory’ pitch rating for the Pakistan-Australia ODI. The panel found no excessive unevenness or spin, leaving the venue with zero demerit points

The Premier League returns for 2026/27 with Arsenal defending their title, three promoted clubs returning to the top flight and nine English teams competing in Europe. Coventry, Hull and Ipswich bring fresh storylines as clubs battle for honours and survival

Ravindra Jadeja reflected on his decade-long India career after the team’s 165-run win over Sri Lanka in Galle. The veteran all-rounder recalled India’s 2017 triumph at the venue and said sustaining a career at the highest level requires hard work

Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi believes D Gukesh’s World Championship title defence against Javokhir Sindarov will test his mental strength more than his chess ability. Vidit said Gukesh must overcome his recent inconsistent run and rediscover the form he showed in 2024

Telangana’s Nayana Sri Talluri has become the first Indian girl to qualify for the Junior World Cup in short track ice speed skating, with events scheduled in Italy (2026) and Kazakhstan (2027).

The Telangana State Under-17 chess championship will be held at Vikas Concept School in Bachupalli on August 22 and 23. The top two players in the boys and girls sections will represent Telangana at the forthcoming Nationals

Gachibowli Hockey Stadium has received FIH Category-1 Field Certification after meeting international standards for playing surface, safety, lighting and infrastructure. The certification makes it India’s first and only Category-1 water-based synthetic turf hockey field

K Deepak Yadav, M Vamsi Reddy, P Ashwith, Mohammad Kamran and D Tanish Reddy struck centuries in the HCA C-Division one-day league championship on Wednesday. Southend Raymonds, Dhruv XI, Natraj, Boys Town and Lal Bahadur PG recorded wins.

Hyderabad district’s Harikrishna won the 60 years & above singles and doubles titles at the Gujarati Seva Mandal State-ranking seniors table tennis tournament. Several players emerged winners across men’s, women’s and mixed doubles age categories at the event.

Knight Chess Academy will organise the Independence Day Chess Cup 2026 at Sloka International School, Manneguda, on August 23. The tournament is aimed at beginners and unrated players, offering young participants an opportunity to gain experience and improve their skills

Young Indian table tennis players produced four competitive finals at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Kanpur. Kritika Saibo, Debanshu Chakraborty, Ariv Dutta and Ishani Gogoi emerged champions in their respective Under-11 and Under-13 categories

Kotak Mahindra Bank has launched the India Junior International Series 2026, a BWF-sanctioned tournament being held at the Kotak Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. More than 225 junior players from India and seven other countries are participating.

The Global Chess League has opened ticket sales for Season 4 on BookMyShow, with Bengaluru hosting six franchises from September 5 to 13. Chess stars including Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand and Arjun Erigaisi will feature in the league.

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty advanced to the next round of the BWF World Championships after Scotland’s Alexander Dunn and Adam Pringle withdrew from their opening fixture. The fifth-seeded Indians will next face Indonesia’s 12th-seeded Raymond Indra and Nicolas Joaquin.

Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto advanced to the third round of the BWF World Championships after defeating Macao’s Leong Iok Chong and Ng Weng Chi in straight games. They will next face sixth seeds Guo Xin Wa and Chen Fang Hui.

Manav Suthar claimed 6-55 in the second innings to help India beat Sri Lanka by 165 runs in the first Test at Galle. Suthar finished with 10 wickets as India took a 1-0 series lead.

PV Sindhu has revealed how Virat Kohli’s advice to simply “show up” helped change her perspective during a difficult phase of her career. The badminton star recalled their conversation as she competes at the 2026 BWF World Championships in New Delhi.

India moved closer to victory in the first Test against Sri Lanka after reducing the hosts to 175/6 at lunch on day five in Galle. Ravindra Jadeja and Prasidh Krishna struck as Sri Lanka's resistance weakened.

Aryna Sabalenka, Mirra Andreeva and Coco Gauff advanced to the fourth round of the 2026 Cincinnati Open. Sabalenka defeated Wang Xinyu in 54 minutes, while Andreeva and Gauff also secured straight-set victories to progress at the WTA 1000 tournament.

Indian martial artist Grandmaster Hanshi Shaswat Kumar has achieved his eighth world record by holding a 100-kg dumbbell with one hand for one minute. The feat was recognised by the Asian Book of World Records on August 18, 2026.

Champion shooter Dhanush Srikanth has been nominated for the prestigious Arjuna Award after winning gold with a world record at the 2025 Deaflympics. The 24-year-old shooter is now preparing for the senior World Cup and targeting the 2028 Olympics