Sport

Australian opener Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket after the fifth Ashes Test at the SCG, using the moment to reflect on his career and openly criticise racial stereotyping and criticism he faced as a Pakistan-born Muslim player

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open, marking her return to Melbourne Park at age 45 and making her the oldest woman to compete in the tournament’s main draw

Hindu spiritual leader Jagadguru Rambhadracharya criticised Shah Rukh Khan over KKR signing Bangladeshi pacer Mustafizur Rahman for IPL 2026, citing attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and urging the Indian government to take a firm stand.

Australia named an unchanged squad for the final Ashes Test at the SCG starting January 4. Usman Khawaja is set to play amid retirement rumours, while Beau Webster could replace Cameron Green as Australia aim to finish the series strongly

Ravichandran Ashwin has raised doubts about the survival of ODI cricket beyond the 2027 World Cup, citing the rise of T20 leagues and ICC’s frequent tournaments. He suggested limiting ODIs to the World Cup every four years to keep relevance

The National Sports Governance Act has partially come into effect, paving the way for the National Sports Board and Tribunal. The phased rollout introduces reforms in sports federations, elections, and athlete representation, with full implementation set for January 2026

Australia named an unchanged squad for the final Ashes Test at the SCG starting January 4. Usman Khawaja is set to play amid retirement rumours, while Beau Webster could replace Cameron Green as Australia look to finish the series strongly

Rishabh Pant’s ODI future looks uncertain ahead of the New Zealand series starting January 11 in Vadodara. With KL Rahul established, Ishan Kishan and Dhruv Jurel in contention, selectors face a tough call on Pant’s place in the squad

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé has been diagnosed with a knee sprain, with French reports suggesting he could miss at least three weeks. The striker has scored 29 goals this season and remains key to Madrid’s La Liga campaign

Pretoria Capitals crushed MI Cape Town by 85 runs to secure their first SA20 win with a bonus point, while David Miller’s unbeaten 71 powered Paarl Royals to a five-wicket victory over Sunrisers Eastern Cape in Gqeberha

The Telangana Cricket Association announced its 12th Annual Domestic Cricket Calendar to prepare state teams for the BCCI 2026–27 season. Covering 32 districts, the calendar focuses on grassroots cricket, transparent selection, and strengthening Telangana’s representation in national tournaments

Vadodara will host the WTT Youth Contender 2026 and WTT Feeder Series 2026 at Sama Indoor Sports Complex from January 2 to 11. Over 300 players from several countries will compete, with top Indian stars leading the challenge

Former world champion Vladimir Kramnik has filed a defamation suit against FIDE in a Swiss court after criticism over his cheating allegations against players. FIDE had opened an ethics inquiry, citing harmful conduct, while Kramnik denied wrongdoing and defended his actions

Virat Kohli welcomed 2026 with wife Anushka Sharma in a playful masked photo on Instagram. The 35-year-old, in superb ODI form after retiring from T20I and Tests, recently became the fastest to 16,000 List A runs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar

The 44th Junior National Kho Kho Championship began in Bengaluru with 1,000 athletes competing. Organised on a league-cum-knockout basis, the event runs till January 4. KKFI leaders said the championship is a key platform to identify and promote young talent

The Central Government has notified select provisions of the National Sports Governance Act, 2025, to come into force from January 1, 2026. The law will establish governance frameworks for national sports bodies, ensuring transparency, accountability, and timely resolution of disputes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Arjun Erigaisi for winning bronze at the World Blitz Championship in Doha. Erigaisi also won bronze in the World Rapid, becoming only the second Indian male after Viswanathan Anand to medal in World Blitz

Aryan Juyal’s unbeaten 150 guided Uttar Pradesh to a rain-hit win over Assam in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Bengal, Vidarbha and Baroda also registered victories, with Mukesh Kumar, Darshan Nalkande and Krunal Pandya starring in their respective matches

Arsenal ended the year top of the Premier League after a 4-1 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates. Goals from Gabriel Magalhães, Martín Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus sealed victory, keeping Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City

Magnus Carlsen defended his world blitz crown in Doha, winning a record ninth title after beating Nodirbek Abdusattorov. India’s Arjun Erigaisi settled for bronze, becoming only the second Indian male after Viswanathan Anand to win a World Blitz medal

Rudra Rao’s unbeaten 87 and Mahaprasada’s fluent 52 powered Pallavi Model School (Alwal) to an eight-wicket win over Gowtham Model School (Ameerpet) in the HCA Inter-schools and Districts under-14 cricket quarterfinal at Hyderabad

Aryan Mehta’s brilliant century of 137 helped Himachal Pradesh secure a draw against Hyderabad in the Vijay Merchant Trophy fifth-round match at Vijayawada. Hyderabad’s Aditya Vardhan scored 82, while Hardik Sharma claimed four wickets in the evenly fought contest

Five more Indian referees and assistant referees, including Rachana Kamani, Ashwin Kumar and Aditya Purkayastha, have been added to the FIFA International List of Match Officials 2026. With this, India now has 19 officials on the prestigious list

David Kripal’s unbeaten century and Abdul Rafeay’s fluent half-century guided Mahbubnagar to a commanding 10-wicket win over Hyderabad in the Kaka Venkatswamy Memorial Telangana Inter-district T20 cricket championship