Sport

Chaos broke out at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium after fans protested over not getting a clear glimpse of Lionel Messi despite buying expensive tickets. Angry spectators damaged property and hurled objects as police struggled to contain the unrest.

Heading for the Uppal stadium to watch Messi football match. Know where to park your vehicle. Here are the map coordinates for parking on Saturday

India slipped to sixth in the World Test Championship standings after New Zealand’s nine-wicket win over West Indies in Wellington. The Kiwis climbed to third, while Australia and South Africa remain top. India’s next WTC assignment is against Sri Lanka in August

Lionel Messi’s GOAT India Tour 2025 will be high on glamour but low on football action. Unlike his 2011 visit, this promotional roadshow spans Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, featuring fashion events, celebrity matches and meetings with leaders

Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said Shubman Gill must bat freely in T20s, like he does in the IPL, instead of trying to justify his place. He also backed Suryakumar Yadav and admitted India’s bowlers had a poor outing against South Africa

The Indian men’s hockey team finished its South Africa tour unbeaten, winning two matches and drawing one. India defeated South Africa 5-2 in the opener, drew 2-2 in the second Test, and sealed the tour with a 4-1 victory

Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed 171 off 95 balls as India crushed UAE by 234 runs in the U19 Asia Cup opener in Dubai. India posted a record 433/6 before restricting UAE to 199/7, assuring a dominant start to their campaign

Nitish Kumar Reddy’s hat-trick gave Andhra hope, but Madhya Pradesh recovered from 14/3 to chase down 113 and win by four wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League stage. KS Bharat top-scored with 39 for Andhra

Indian shuttlers dominated the Odisha Masters in Cuttack, with Unnati Hooda, Tasnim Mir, Isharani Baruah, Kiran George and Rounak Chouhan reaching the semifinals. India assured multiple medals as all four women’s singles semifinalists are Indians, alongside strong doubles and mixed doubles performances

Swaritsinh Nakum struck a fine century to help Saurashtra post 245 against Hyderabad on the opening day of the Vijay Merchant Trophy under-16 second-round match at Mulapadu. Hyderabad replied with 64 for three at stumps, with Satvik scoring 35

Hyderabad defeated Mumbai by nine wickets in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Super League Group B match at Pune. Mohd Siraj and Chama Milind starred with the ball, while Aman Rao and Tanmay Agarwal powered the chase with a 127-run stand

Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan felicitated the Indian blind women’s cricket team after their World Cup victory. The ACA organised the event, acknowledging his personal contribution to support the players. Senior ACA officials attended the felicitation ceremony in Hyderabad

The Indian women’s kabaddi team was felicitated in Mumbai by PKL and JioStar after winning the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka. India defeated Chinese Taipei in the final to claim their second consecutive title, remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament

The Retired Employees Association of State Bank of Hyderabad felicitated K Srinivas for winning silver in men’s singles at the World Cup Carrom Championship in Maldives. Srinivas also won two gold medals in team and doubles, and a bronze in Swiss League

Telangana skaters bagged five medals at the National Roller-Skating Championship in Visakhapatnam. Mokshit Ram Reddy won gold and silver, Raddhe Loya secured silver, and Kamenani Shank Reddy earned a medal in skateboarding. All train under SATG coach Jitender Gupta

Amit Kumar topped the men’s Indian Olympic round with a set score of seven at the NTPC Senior National Archery Championship in Hyderabad. Ravi Rajesh and Vikas Kumar finished second and third, while Chhattisgarh and Assam impressed in team events

Alankrit Rapole will captain Hyderabad in the Cooch Behar Trophy under-19 fifth round match against Saurashtra at Rajkot from December 16 to 19. The squad includes Vikash Gupta, Syed Mohd Hussain and Shrey Singh, with five players named as reserves

The Telangana Cricket Association criticised the Hyderabad Cricket Association for violating High Court orders and BCCI directives during the under-14 selections. TCA alleged mismanagement, lack of facilities and unfair trials, while announcing plans for the Telangana Premier League and Telangana Gold Cup

G Ramesh defeated Hemanshu in the 45 years & above singles quarterfinal of the GVK-AISTA Senior National Tennis Championship at LB Stadium, Hyderabad. Players across age categories advanced, with strong wins recorded in the 35, 55, 65 and 70 years sections

Hyderabad shuttlers Arjun Reddy and Achutaditya Rao won four international medals — gold in Mexico, silver in Trinidad & Tobago and Zambia, and bronze in South Africa. For Arjun, it marked a triumphant return to professional badminton after a decade-long break

The deployment includes law and order units, traffic police, TSSP/AR platoons, Octopus teams, Mounted Police and specialised wings

Lionel Messi returns to India for a high-profile, non-competitive tour across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi, featuring promotional events, celebrity interactions, and philanthropy. Fans anticipate spectacle, though former footballers critique the visit for lacking actual football action and engagement 

PV Sindhu will return to competitive action as she leads India at the Badminton Asia Team Championships in Qingdao from February 3–8, 2026. India, defending women’s champions, have announced strong squads featuring Lakshya Sen and Satwik-Chirag in the men’s lineup.

Australia named its 15-member squad for the U-19 World Cup in Namibia and Zimbabwe, featuring Indian-origin players Aryan Sharma and John James. The team, led by Oliver Peake, also includes players of Sri Lankan and Chinese heritage