Sport

Former Andhra Ranji cricketer K. Naga Gangadhar has been appointed South Zone manager for the Duleep Trophy 2026, with fellow former Andhra player Vikram Verma named head coach. South Zone, led by Tilak Varma, has directly qualified for the semi-finals

The Hyderabad Cricket Association has doubled the capacity of its Under-16 Inter-School & Inter-College Tournament to 240 teams following an overwhelming response. Registrations will reopen on August 27 and close on August 30 or when the capacity is reached

India spin bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule has jokingly suggested introducing free-hits in Test cricket to curb no-balls, after Indian spinners overstepped 10 times in the ongoing second Test against Sri Lanka, while stressing that work is underway to rectify the issue

Roger Federer has hinted at another US Open appearance after making an emotional return to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a Legends exhibition. The 20-time Grand Slam champion said John McEnroe’s longevity inspires him to consider playing again before fans

The Telangana Cricket Association has urged the BCCI to consider its long-pending Associate Membership request at the September 18 AGM, arguing that Telangana’s districts deserve greater representation in domestic cricket and that administrative barriers should not restrict local talent

Hyderabad rally driver Naveen Puligilla and co-driver Musa Sherif will compete in the WRC3 class of Rally del Paraguay from August 27 to 30. The Indian duo will drive a Ford Fiesta Rally3 as they begin a back-to-back WRC campaign

Pasindu Sooriyabandara scored 92 as Sri Lanka reached 229/6 after being forced to follow on by India in the second Test. Kamindu Mendis made 55 as Sri Lanka erased the 213-run deficit, but India remained firmly in control

K. Skandan and C. Sheershika Chowdam won the boys’ and girls’ under-10 titles at the A2H Chess Academy children’s chess tournament. M. Vaibhav and D. Riya emerged winners in the under-8 sections, while Achyuth and Abhigna topped the under-6 categories

India pacer Arshdeep Singh is keen to make a case for his Test debut after returning to first-class cricket in the Duleep Trophy. The 27-year-old said the outing helped him assess his bowling stamina and showcase his red-ball skills

Former Sri Lankan batter Roy Dias believes Test and ODI cricket remain relevant despite the T20 boom. He urged young cricketers to develop strong fundamentals in longer formats, saying a sound technical base will help them adapt across all three formats

Former India captain Anjum Chopra believes winning the Women’s Asia Cup should be India’s immediate priority, while using the tournament to assess combinations ahead of the Champions Trophy. She also backed greater opportunities for fringe players before the major event

Pasindu Sooriyabandara’s unbeaten 90 and Kamindu Mendis’ 55 helped Sri Lanka fight back against India in the second Test. After being forced to follow on, Sri Lanka reached 199 for three at tea, trailing India by just 14 runs

Shooter Suruchi Inder Singh Phogat has come a long way from a 13-year-old trainee in Bhiwani to an Asian Games medal contender. The junior world record holder credits disciplined training and coaching support for her rise and remains focused on every shot

India’s men will begin their Asian Games cricket campaign from the quarter-final stage on September 28, while the women face Japan on September 18. Both defending champions are seeded and among the favourites for gold in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan

Australia pacer Mitchell Starc has become the No. 1 Test bowler in the ICC rankings for the first time after his 10-wicket haul against Bangladesh. Jasprit Bumrah slipped from the top spot, while several Indian and international players made significant gains

Three-time Olympian Mirabai Chanu is focused on staying injury-free as she targets a maiden Asian Games medal in Aichi-Nagoya. After winning her third Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow, the weightlifter says the Asian Games remain her sole priority.

India’s decision to enforce the follow-on paid dividends as Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj struck to reduce Sri Lanka to 83/2 at lunch on day four. Sri Lanka still trail by 130 runs after being bowled out for 290.

Mohammed Siraj said he relishes the responsibility of leading India’s pace attack and is focused on building pressure on Sri Lanka despite struggling for rhythm after a two-month break. He also explained his approach to fast bowling in challenging conditions.

AIFF has appointed East Bengal FC head coach Anthony Andrews as assistant coach of the India U17 women’s national team. Andrews, a four-time IWL champion, will join the squad in Tashkent for friendlies against Uzbekistan.

Tennis players Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev reached the US Open mixed doubles semifinals after defeating the two-time defending champions. Andreeva revealed she once had a crush on Rublev as a teenager, calling it a dream to play alongside her favorite player

Indian skeet veteran Mairaj Ahmad Khan continues to focus on one target at a time after a career spanning more than three decades. A two-time Olympian and World Cup gold medallist, he is now targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Akshay Sharma and Manu Gandas carded seven-under 65s to share the opening-day lead at the Telangana Open 2026 in Vikarabad. Vishesh Sharma and Rashid Khan were one shot behind, while play was suspended due to fading light

Olympian G Sathiyan called for sustained collaboration among the government, corporates and sports industry to make India a global sporting powerhouse. At SPORTSCOM's Delhi conclave, policymakers and industry leaders discussed sports investment, manufacturing, technology, employment and grassroots development

Prakaash Sarran defeated Pradnyesh Shelke 4-2, 4-2 in the boys' singles preliminary round of the Raja Narsimha Rao Memorial ITF Juniors at Lake View Tennis Academy. G Vishwak Reddy and other players also registered wins in Hyderabad