Sport

India, already through to the Women’s Asia Cup semi-finals, face Pakistan in their final Group A clash in Dubai on Saturday. Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma are in form, while India will look to address middle-order concerns.

Former India cricketer Yuvraj Singh wished his mentee Abhishek Sharma on his 26th birthday, celebrating his growth as an international cricketer. Yuvraj shared a humorous video highlighting their close bond as Abhishek continues to establish himself as a T20I star.

Smriti Mandhana says inspiring young girls to play cricket matters more to her than personal records. The India vice-captain made history with 124 against Hong Kong China, becoming women’s international cricket’s leading run-scorer and recording several milestones.

Kidambi Srikanth’s China Masters campaign ended in the quarterfinals after he lost 16-21, 16-21 to Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu. It was Srikanth’s first Super 750 quarterfinal appearance in three years, while Satwik-Chirag remained India’s final challenge.

Elena Rybakina advanced to the US Open third round, moving closer to the world No. 1 ranking. Defending hopes continue for Coco Gauff, who also advanced, while both players face tough opponents in the next round

Karen Khachanov stunned World No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the US Open third round. The World No. 50 claimed his first Top 10 win of the year and leads their head-to-head 3-2.

Two-time US Open champion Naomi Osaka defeated Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 to reach the third round in New York. The Japanese star will face No. 20 seed Elise Mertens next as she targets another deep Grand Slam run.

Indian squash star Anahat Singh stunned World No. 11 Nele Gilis 13-11, 4-11, 11-8 to reach the London Squash Classic quarterfinals. The 18-year-old became the first Indian woman since 2021 to reach the last eight of a PSA Gold event.

Indian boxers are undergoing a multinational training camp in Patiala ahead of the Asian Games, with athletes from Iran and the Dominican Republic participating. The squad will train in Nagoya from September 9 before facing strong contenders Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

The sixth Hockey India Senior Men’s Inter-Department National Championship will begin in Hyderabad on Friday, with 20 departmental teams competing for the title. Defending champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board headline Pool A, while the tournament will conclude with the final on September 14

KL Rahul, Devdutt Padikkal and Mohammed Siraj have been asked to play the Duleep Trophy final for South Zone against East Zone in Chennai. Head coach Gautam Gambhir will decide on Tilak Varma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan’s participation

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said India is fully prepared to host the inaugural Women’s Champions Trophy after the ICC shifted the six-team tournament from Sri Lanka. Matches will be played in Mumbai and Vadodara from February 14 to 28

Centuries from Sai Vikas Reddy, Aryan Krishna and Pranav Suryadevara highlighted Thursday's HCA cricket action. Sai Vikas scored 115, Aryan made 150 not out and Pranav hit 177, while several other batters and bowlers produced notable performances

F1 2026 title leader Kimi Antonelli said he is ready to help Mercedes teammate and title rival George Russell during Monza qualifying if the team asks. Antonelli will start Sunday's Italian Grand Prix from the back after taking a grid penalty

The BCCI dismissed speculation over Rohit Sharma's ODI future, saying the veteran opener remains in top form. Secretary Devajit Saikia also ruled out discussions on Ajit Agarkar's tenure, selection committee changes or a director of cricket for the men's team

World No. 20 Anahat Singh defeated eighth seed Nele Gilis 13-11, 4-11, 11-8 to reach the London Squash Classic quarterfinals. The reigning world junior champion secured the win in 39 minutes in her first tour meeting against Gilis

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said the board is working on a better Future Tours Programme to address the challenge of a packed cricket calendar. He said players would be given adequate rest, acclimatisation and practice matches before major SENA series

Hyderabad paddler Hitesh Dolwani won the World Para Future table tennis tournament in Finland, defeating France's Julien Cigolloti in the final

India’s Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty defeated France’s Christo and Toma Junior Popov 21-17, 22-24, 21-9 to enter the China Masters quarter-finals. The fourth seeds recovered from a second-game setback to dominate the decider and seal victory.

India all-rounder Deepak Hooda is set to return to Baroda's domestic team after five years, following his departure amid a feud with Krunal Pandya. BCA CEO Snehal Parikh said past issues have been resolved as Baroda strengthens its squad

Home favourite Vishesh Sharma extended his lead to four shots after a six-under 64 in the third round of the Telangana Golconda Masters. He reached 20-under 190, with Amardeep Malik second, while Saptak Talwar climbed to fifth with 61

Sri Lanka Cricket has accepted the ICC's decision to shift the Women's Champions Trophy to India and pledged full support for the tournament. Sri Lanka's women's team retains qualification, with six teams set to compete in Mumbai and Vadodara

Telangana is exploring an NCAA-inspired collegiate sports ecosystem to create a structured pathway for athletes from schools to universities and elite competition. Sports officials and stakeholders discussed athlete development, scholarships, academic eligibility, governance and institutional partnerships with former NCAA executive Kevin Lennon

VVS Laxman will coach India’s men’s cricket team at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, with Gautam Gambhir staying back for the West Indies series. Laxman will be assisted by three coaches, while Amol Muzumdar will lead the women’s team