Sport

Devdutt Padikkal’s assured batting at No. 3 and Manav Suthar’s impressive adaptation to conditions emerged as major positives for India from their 1-0 Test series win in Sri Lanka, while Dhruv Jurel also strengthened the team’s middle-order options

Australia captain Pat Cummins has backed a petition by 21 former international captains seeking dignified treatment, independent medical care and family access for jailed former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan amid concerns over his health.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised his team’s mental resilience despite the second Test ending in a draw, while giving a special shoutout to Sri Lanka’s Sonal Dinusha. Dinusha scored an unbeaten 133 to deny India a series sweep

South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp has criticised Cricket Australia’s decision to clear transgender cricketer Anaya Bangar for community cricket. Bangar can compete in Premier Cricket until March 2027 and could pursue elite cricket subject to additional eligibility requirements

Mumbai-born Indian youth international Yohaan Benjamin has joined Portuguese club Guarda FC on a two-year deal, subject to clearance and visa formalities. The midfielder previously represented NK Bravo U19 in Slovenia and featured in the UEFA Youth League.

Sri Lanka head coach Gary Kirsten hailed Sonal Dinusha’s unbeaten 133 against India as one of the country’s great Test saves. He praised the young batter’s temperament and urged Sri Lanka to develop balanced pitches and stronger pace-bowling support.

Devdutt Padikkal said he was delighted to prove his ability to score big runs in Test cricket after a stellar Sri Lanka series. The India batter scored 328 runs, including two centuries, and credited his first-class experience for his consistency

Neeraj Chopra has qualified for the Diamond League Finals in Brussels after securing 12 points from two second-place finishes in Doha and Lausanne. He is also in contention for the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest next month

India captain Shubman Gill praised young players Devdutt Padikkal and Manav Suthar after India’s 1-0 Test series win over Sri Lanka. Padikkal scored 328 runs, while Suthar took 16 wickets as Gill reflected on the team’s positives.

Indian chess star R Praggnanandhaa made history by becoming the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour, defeating Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in St Louis. He overcame a classical defeat with dominant rapid performance before securing the title in blitz

Defending champions Barcelona maintained their perfect start to the La Liga 2026/27 season with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao. Raphinha and Fermin Lopez scored for Hansi Flick’s side, while new goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic completed his move from Fenerbahce.

Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win the Grand Chess Tour title after staging a remarkable comeback to beat Fabiano Caruana 15-13 in St. Louis, rallying from six points behind to clinch the USD 200,000 winner's purse

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