Sport

India announces its T20 World Cup 2026 squad without star batter Shubman Gill due to poor T20 form. Axar Patel returns as vice-captain, while Suryakumar Yadav leads a 15-member team featuring Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ishan Kishan.

The Badminton Association of India conducts its inaugural Para Badminton Coaches Development Program in Raipur, led by Dronacharya Awardee Gaurav Khanna, aiming to strengthen coaching standards, disability awareness, and athlete support to sustain India’s global para-badminton success.

Mumbai Indians Head Coach Mahela Jayawardene praised the IPL 2026 auction outcomes, highlighting the team’s strengthened core, strategic additions, and role clarity. He emphasised flexibility, tactical depth, and the integration of key players like Shardul Thakur, Sherfane Rutherford, Mayank Markande, and Allah Ghazanfar.

Veer Chotrani and Suraj Chand advanced to the quarterfinals of the 80th CCI Western India Squash in Mumbai. Both top seeds won comfortably, as spectators witnessed high-quality squash marked by sharp movement, tactical awareness and resilience

Travis Head’s unbeaten 142 and Alex Carey’s 52 not out powered Australia to 271/4 at stumps on Day 3 of the Ashes third Test in Adelaide, giving the hosts a commanding 356-run lead over England

India defeated Sri Lanka by eight wickets in a rain-hit U19 Asia Cup semi-final in Dubai. Vihaan Malhotra and Aaron George scored unbeaten half-centuries to guide India into the final, where they will face Pakistan on Sunday

India defeated South Africa by 30 runs in the fifth T20I at Ahmedabad to clinch the series 3-1. Hardik Pandya’s whirlwind fifty, Tilak Varma’s fluent 73 and Varun Chakravarthy’s four wickets powered the hosts to victory

Dhakshineswar Suresh stunned Daniil Medvedev to take Aussie Mavericks Kites into the World Tennis League final. The Kites beat Falcons 24-19, while AOS Eagles topped the table. Indian stars Shrivalli and Nagal also impressed in Bengaluru

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty made history by becoming the first Indian men’s doubles pair to reach the semifinals of the BWF World Tour Finals. The duo beat Malaysia’s Aaron Chia and Soh Wooi Yik in a thrilling comeback

Hyderabad’s inter-school under-14 cricket knock-outs saw standout performances with five-wicket hauls from Nikil Sekhar, Dhruv and Ganesh Rao, and centuries by Shreyas Ande and Sai Suchit Reddy. DPS Nacharam posted 399, while women’s under-15 matches highlighted Sai Dhruvigna and Yamuna

Vritti Agarwal of Osmania University won gold in the 1500m freestyle at the All India Inter-University Swimming and Diving Championship in Chennai. Shirin of VTU took silver, while Ashmitha Chandra of Jain University claimed bronze

The ninth season of the Indian Women’s League begins on Saturday with eight teams competing in Kolkata and Kalyani. East Bengal defend their crown, Gokulam Kerala chase a fourth title, and newcomers Garhwal United and Sesa debut in top-tier football

Varsha Thirupothu of Satyam International School won the girls under-15 event at the UBS Athletics Kids Cup in Hyderabad. Telangana ministers attended the inaugural, while athletes from schools across the State excelled in long jump, throw and sprint events

Fabiano Caruana ended Alireza Firouzja’s winning run to help Alpine SG Pipers beat Triveni Continental Kings in the Global Chess League. Mumba Masters climbed to the top with victory over Ganges Grandmasters, while Alaskan Knights continued their revival with another win

Army’s Lakshita Bishnoi and Sharvan Kumar won gold in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team at the National Shooting Championship in Delhi. Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh pairs also claimed junior and youth gold medals, while Rajasthan secured bronze in seniors

Abhiraj Vashisht scored a brilliant 175 to help Haryana post 338 against Hyderabad’s 97 in the Vijay Merchant Trophy at Mulapadu. Hyderabad replied with 177 for 4, with Aditya Vardhan and Ram Charan batting well

Sports Authority of India Director General Hariranjan Rao inspected facilities at Gachibowli Stadium and expressed satisfaction with the infrastructure. Officials reviewed Khelo India programmes in Telangana and discussed the possibility of hosting national-level competitions in the State.

Sourav Ganguly has issued a Rs 50 crore defamation notice and filed a police complaint against Uttam Saha of the Argentina Football Fan Club for falsely linking him to Lionel Messi’s India tour and tarnishing his reputation

A Cessna C550 business jet crashed near Statesville, North Carolina, killing seven, including retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle, his wife, and children. The plane caught fire during a return attempt after takeoff. FAA and NTSB investigations are ongoing

India spinner Varun Chakravarthy says consistency comes from confidence, mindset and sticking to basics, as he underlines the importance of self-imposed pressure, bowling the right lengths and understanding opponents in his preparation for the upcoming World Cup.

A 23 year old woman shooter alleged she was raped at a Faridabad hotel while attending a competition. Police arrested three people, including her friend. The victim reportedly locked the accused in the room after the assault and alerted authorities.

The HCA Inter-school under-14 cricket tournament in Hyderabad saw standout performances, including J Amith Reddy’s nine-wicket haul, Mokshagna’s six-for, centuries by Jatin Sharma and Mirza Sulaiman Baig, and Utkarsh’s seven-for, as schools registered dominant wins across matches

Sumit Nagal clinched a golden-point decider to lead AOS Eagles past Aussie Mavericks Kites in the World Tennis League in Bengaluru. Paula Badosa and Gael Monfils also starred as the Eagles sealed a commanding 25-13 victory at S M Krishna Stadium

India face South Africa in the fifth and final T20I in Ahmedabad on Friday. With Gill injured and Suryakumar struggling for form, Samson may step in as India aim to finish the home series on a winning note