Sport

'Local' man Shami, a fine exponent of straight seam bowling and movement, will relish the conditions at Eden Gardens and could emerge as a key threat for KKR

Delhi Capitals finish agonisingly short on 209 for 8 in pursuit of 211; KL Rahul adjudged player of the match

The Indian men’s national football team will participate in the Unity Cup 2026, a four-nation friendly tournament in London featuring Nigeria, Jamaica, and Zimbabwe. India will play Jamaica in the semi-final on May 27, marking its first international outing in the UK since 2002.

The Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy district Under-7 and Under-11 boys’ and girls’ chess selection tournaments will be held on April 11 and 12 at LB Stadium Yoga Hall. Selected players will represent the districts in the forthcoming State Championship.

Ayush Shetty stunned World No.7 Li Shi Feng to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Championships, while PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy also advanced after hard-fought wins. Lakshya Sen, Kidambi Srikanth and others exited in the opening round.

Secunderabad Blues FC registered a commanding 6-0 victory over Reserve Bank of India in the TFA C-Division Football League Championship at Gymkhana Ground, with Likith, Roshan, Prem Paul and Tarakeshwar contributing goals in a one-sided contest.

India’s Under-20 women defeated Chinese Taipei 3-1 in the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers in Thailand, with Sibani Devi scoring twice. The win keeps India’s knockout hopes alive, depending on the outcome of the Jordan vs Uzbekistan match.

Former Proteas seamer Rory Kleinveldt praised Rajasthan Royals pacer Nandre Burger’s relentless mindset after his match-winning spell against Chennai Super Kings in the IPL opener, highlighting his ability to attack with every delivery.

India’s Under-19 girls secured a dominant 3-0 win over Sri Lanka as matches continued in the regional qualification event for the ITTF-ATTU Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships in Shimla, with strong performances also coming from India’s Under-15 boys.

Indian shooters failed to reach the final of the 10m Air Pistol Men’s event at the ISSF World Cup in Spain, with Mukesh Nelavalli finishing 14th. Rhythm Sangwan and Divya TS made a promising start in the 25m Pistol Women’s event.

Brilliant Chess Academy will organise the 239th Brilliant Trophy Chess Tournament on April 11 and 12 at Brilliant Grammar High School, Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad. Junior players across multiple age categories will compete for prizes worth Rs 10,000.

Ribhav Verma maintained his dominance at the IGU Hyderabad Amateur Golf Championship, carding a three-under 69 in windy conditions to extend his lead to four shots after two rounds at Boulder Hills Golf & Country Club.

Fifteen-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s fearless IPL performance against Jasprit Bumrah has reignited debate about fast-tracking him into the Indian senior team, with mentors like V.V.S. Laxman and Rahul Dravid already recognising the youngster’s immense potential.

India’s Under-12 football team, represented by Conscient Sports, clinched the Real Madrid Foundation World Challenge title in Spain with a commanding 3-0 win over Brazil, marking a major milestone for Indian grassroots football on the global youth stage.

India’s young badminton star Ayush Shetty pulled off a major upset by defeating world No. 7 Li Shi Feng in straight games at the Badminton Asia Championships, advancing to the pre-quarterfinals after a dominant performance in the latter stages of both games.

Anil Kumble praised Vaibhav Suryavanshi for outsmarting Jasprit Bumrah with smart batting. He also pointed out Mumbai Indians’ lack of intent during the run chase, while highlighting Rajasthan Royals’ disciplined bowling and strong all-round performance.

Rajasthan Royals defeated Mumbai Indians by 27 runs in a rain-curtailed IPL clash at Guwahati. Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77 and Sooryavanshi’s fiery 39 powered Royals to 150, before their bowlers restricted MI to 123 for nine

Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa lost to Anish Giri in round eight of the Candidates chess tournament, slipping to 3.5 points. Uzbek Javokhir Sindarov leads with 6.5 points, while R Vaishali drew her game to stay in contention

The Delhi High Court directed the Union of India to review all NSF applications afresh, giving AIPA a fair chance in its bid for recognition as India’s pickleball federation. The case highlights transparency issues in sports governance

Yashasvi Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77 off 32 balls and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s fiery 39 powered Rajasthan Royals to 150/3 in a rain-curtailed 11-over IPL 2026 clash against Mumbai Indians at Guwahati, with Allah Ghazanfar taking two wickets

Delhi Capitals, led by KL Rahul, aim for a third straight win in IPL 2026 against Gujarat Titans. Sameer Rizvi’s batting form and disciplined bowling have boosted Delhi, while Gujarat seek revival with Shubman Gill’s return and Rashid Khan’s consistency

The Mumbai Cricket Association will unveil the Ravi Shastri Stand and dedicate stadium gates to Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar and Diana Edulji at Wankhede Stadium on April 9, honouring their contributions to Mumbai and Indian cricket

India’s mixed doubles pair Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto opened their Badminton Asia Championships campaign with a 21-14, 11-21, 21-15 win over Thailand’s Phuwanat Horbanluekit and Benyapa Aimsaard. They now face Malaysia’s Cheng Tang Jie and Toh Ee Wei

Devdutt Padikkal has emerged as a key player for RCB in IPL 2026, scoring quick runs and showing maturity. He credits past failures for motivating him to work harder, with Dinesh Karthik praising his evolution as a complete T20 batter