Sport

India face multiple selection dilemmas ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. Pant’s place is uncertain, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy vie for the all-rounder slot, while Tilak and Gaikwad add intrigue to the middle-order puzzle

St Michael’s School (Alwal) defeated Secunderabad Public School 5-0 in the under-16 final of the Subramaniam Memorial Inter-school Football Tournament in Hyderabad. Jaison scored a hat-trick, while Akhil and Riyan added one goal each for the winners

India’s U20 women’s team will play two friendlies against Uzbekistan on November 29 and December 2 at FC Madras Academy, Mahabalipuram. The matches are part of preparations for the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup 2026, where India face Japan, Australia and Chinese Taipei

Avina, Thaswika and Lasya Sri emerged champions in the UBS Athletics Kids Cup held in Hyderabad. With 500 schools participating, the winners now move to the Grand Finale scheduled for December 19 at GMC Balayogi Stadium in Gachibowli

Basheer’s six-wicket haul and Parthiv Varma’s century were the highlights of the HCA under-16 probables matches in Hyderabad. In the B-Division T20 league, Nikhil Parwani’s 110 powered Telangana, while Khammam and Mahbubnagar also registered notable wins

Tanvi Sharma entered the semifinals of the Syed Modi International Super 300 in Lucknow after beating Hong Kong’s Lo Sin Yan Happy. Unnati Hooda, Kidambi Srikanth, Mithun Manjunath, Gayatri Gopichand and Treesa Jolly also progressed to the last four

India bowling coach Morne Morkel stressed the need to regain momentum in the ODI series against South Africa after a 0-2 Test defeat. He highlighted Ranchi conditions, updates on Gill and Iyer, and opportunities for young bowlers like Arshdeep and Harshit

Aston Villa beat Young Boys 2-1 in the Europa League as Donyell Malen scored twice despite being hit by a cup from the stands. Roma, Lyon, Celtic and Nottingham Forest also registered wins in a busy night of European football

Hyderabad’s Aaron George, who guided the State to victory in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy, has been named in India’s under-19 squad for the ACC Asia Cup in Dubai starting December 12. India will face Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others

The Global Chess League, jointly organised by Tech Mahindra and FIDE, opens ticketing for Season 3 in Mumbai. Matches will be held at the Royal Opera House from December 13 to 24, featuring world champions and rising stars

Lionel Messi has confirmed Hyderabad as part of his GOAT Tour of India 2025. The World Cup-winning captain will visit Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and New Delhi between December 13 and 15, with events including celebrity matches, clinics and musical programmes

Telangana swimmer Mittapalli Rithvika won a gold in 50m breaststroke and two bronze medals in relay events at the Khelo India University Games in Rajasthan. The 18-year-old, currently training with the SAI camp in Bengaluru, will next compete in Dubai and Chennai.

The Global Chess League Season 3, co-hosted by Tech Mahindra and FIDE, opens ticketing as Mumbai turns into a citywide chessboard. The Royal Opera House hosts stars like Anand, Gukesh, and Praggnanandhaa from December 13–24, with fans able to book via District.

Hyderabad cricketer Aaron George, who recently led the State to a Vinoo Mankad Trophy title, has been named in the India Under-19 squad for the ACC Asia Cup in Dubai from December 12. India will play in Group A alongside Pakistan and two qualifiers.

The five-match IDFC First Bank Women’s T20 series between India and Sri Lanka will begin in Visakhapatnam on December 21. Vizag will host the first two fixtures, while Thiruvananthapuram will stage the remaining three matches on December 26, 28 and 30.

The Boxing Federation of India has appointed Santiago Nieva as Head Coach of the Indian Women’s National Boxing Team. Returning after his 2017–21 stint, Nieva will guide India’s women boxers through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle, strengthening long-term high-performance systems.

Bengal defeated Hyderabad by 22 runs in the Women’s U-23 T20 championship. Telangana State-ranking chess tournament will be held on November 30. Bhavan’s Vivekananda College won the Osmania University basketball trophy, while Royal United FC beat Deccan Dynamos 5-1

The 79th National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy will conclude in Assam in January 2026. Thirty-five teams will play group stages across nine venues from December 15 to 26, with Dhakuakhana and Dhemaji hosting the final round

Deepti Sharma became the costliest buy at the 2026 WPL mega auction, retained by UP Warriorz for Rs 3.20 crore. Amelia Kerr, Shree Charani, Laura Wolvaardt and Meg Lanning also landed big deals as franchises strengthened their squads

India vice-captain Rishabh Pant apologised for the team’s 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa, saying players will regroup and refocus to come back stronger. The defeat has intensified scrutiny on coach Gautam Gambhir’s strategy of relying on all-rounders

Sunil Gavaskar defended India head coach Gautam Gambhir after the Test series loss to South Africa, saying coaches can only prepare teams but players must deliver. R Ashwin also backed Gambhir, stressing players should take responsibility instead of blaming the coach

Kylian Mbappé scored four goals, including the second-fastest hat trick in Champions League history, as PSG and Arsenal recorded big wins. Teenagers Viktor Dadason and Geovany Quenda impressed, while veteran David Luiz became the second-oldest scorer in the competition

India’s Test selectors, led by Ajit Agarkar, may turn to seasoned domestic stars like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rajat Patidar and Rinku Singh after the South Africa whitewash. Experts stress the need for specialists over all-rounders to strengthen the batting line-up

KVG 1 achieved a double by winning both the boys under-14 and girls trophies in the Col CK Nayudu Trophy floodlit cricket tournament at Sports Coaching Foundation, Hyderabad. Junaid, Venkat, Kirthi and Sabiha starred in the finals