Sports

Virat Kohli, amidst the excitement of the India-Australia ODI series, made a grand entrance to the Sydney Cricket Ground for a warm-up, touching the ground and his forehead three times, evoking euphoria among the thousands of Indian fans already gathered in the stands. The cricketer's inability to open his account in the last two matches of the series, which India lost to Australia, may not matter today or whether he scores. However, at SCG, with no tickets left, the smiles and cheers reflect the undying love for cricket and cricketers. The lightrail at Moore Park station, near SCG, is filled with blue people, many wearing the No. 18 Virat jersey. Avinash Patel, a civil engineer from Rajkot, predicts India will win today, regardless of their series loss. He believes the first match ...

Two Australian women cricket players were allegedly stalked and one of them groped by a man riding a motorcycle in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, during the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup. This unsettling occurrence has sparked grave worries about player safety. The event happened on October 23, two days prior to Australia's match versus South Africa for the top spot in the league. The two cricket players were going toward a local café on Khajrana Road after leaving their hotel, the Radisson Blu, when a man on a motorcycle started to pursue them, according to the police. Aqeel Khan, the accused, is accused of improperly touching one of the players before driving off. The cricket players promptly notified their team security officer, Danny Simmons, who notified local liaison officers and made a...

Pradeep Rawal apologized for being late for a meeting before the ICC Women's World Cup, stating he had errands to run. He ordered banners for venues to display during the tournament, including one featuring Pratika Rawal's "100* – Pratika Rawal: Proud Moment of Father." The banner was broadcast globally after Rawal scored her first century in the tournament against New Zealand. Rawal's performance showcased her copybook technique, contributing to India's win and securing the semi-finals. Pradeep visits their West Patel Nagar residence and finds a terrace filled with potted plants and green nets. Pratika practiced there during the pandemic, which was a challenging phase for her career, as it delayed her rise to prominence. Pradeep, a former bowler, and his wife Pratika, a former dome...

Lakshya Sen of India lost to Nhat Nguyen of Ireland in straight games in the men's singles opening round of the French Open Super 750 badminton competition in Paris, resulting in a dismal early departure. The 29th-ranked Nhat, who exacted revenge for losing to the Indian in the Denmark Open only a week ago, defeated the World No. 16 7-21, 16-21 after the player appeared unprepared for the match. After a successful run to the Hong Kong Open final earlier this month, Lakshya entered the match as the favorite but failed to maintain any consistency. His timing and shot choice failed him right away, and he made a lot of unforced mistakes that let his opponent take the lead. Lakshya's deep throws kept missing the lines, but Nhat, who was renowned for his steep smashes and keen anticipation, ...

Former captain Rohit Sharma gave all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy his first India ODI cap prior to the series opener against Australia at the Optus Stadium. Curiously, Reddy made his Test debut at the same location in Perth during India's historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy series tour of Australia last year. The star player for India at the time, Virat Kohli, gave him his Test cap. The only four Test matches Nitish has played after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy are two from the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England and two from the most recent series against the West Indies. His time in England was cut short when he suffered a left knee injury in a bizarre gym accident in Manchester.

The globe Boxing Cup Finals 2025, which will be held from November 14–21 at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida, will feature the best fighters in the globe vying for glory. The week-long event, which is being hosted by India for the first time, will feature top boxers, including the champions of the 2025 stage, vying for the famous World Boxing Cup trophy. Male and female competitors in ten weight classes will compete for the top Olympic-style boxing titles. With 17 medals, including four golds, six silvers, and seven bronzes, India enters this year's finals ranked inside the top five in the global medal standings, building on the success of the first edition in 2024, which included stages in England, the USA, and Mongolia before the Finals in England. "Hold...

The world's top player in each of the three current forms will be crowned the FIDE World Combined Champion in 2027, marking the start of a fourth World Championship title in chess. On Wednesday, the Norwegian Chess organizers revealed the Total Chess World Championship Tour, which has been approved by FIDE, the world chess regulatory body. The Norwegian Chess organizers told The Indian Express that they had already discussed the idea with a few players, including world champions Magnus Carlsen, D Gukesh, and Ding Liren, who gave encouraging comments and stated that they planned to participate. There are currently three chess world championships: the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship event, which selects the World Rapid Champion and the World Blitz Champion annually in December...

After a gap of several months, first-class cricket is returning to the scenic hills of Meghalaya, with the Ranji Trophy once again set to be hosted in Shillong. The excitement among cricket fans is palpable as Meghalaya take on Mizoram in their Plate Group opener at the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) Ground, Polo, starting October 15. The match will commence at 8:30 am, with the organisers welcoming spectators to witness the much-awaited home fixture. Cricket lovers in Shillong are eagerly anticipating the resumption of domestic red-ball action in the city, which has steadily become a growing hub for cricket in the Northeast. The picturesque MCA Ground, surrounded by lush green hills and a cool autumn breeze, is once again ready to host top-class cricket after a long wait. Leading...

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first football player to achieve billionaire status, as per the most recent Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Portugal great's estimated net worth is $1.4 billion. After reportedly agreeing to a new deal worth over $400 million with Saudi team Al Nassr in June, the 40-year-old striker's fortunes began to rise. In addition to a ten-year Nike contract for around $18 million a year, Ronaldo made over $550 million in compensation between 2002 and 2023, according to Bloomberg. He also received lucrative endorsement deals with Armani, Castrol, and other brands, which increased his wealth by more than $175 million. With an annual salary of 177 million pounds ($237.52 million), incentives, and an estimated 15% stake in his Saudi Arabian club, Ronaldo was already t...

At the National Hockey Centre in Canberra, the Indian junior women's hockey team lost to their U21 squad by a slim margin of 2-3 in their opening game of the Australia trip. India's goals came from Lalthantluangi (47') and Sonam (54'), whereas Australia's goals came from Bianca Zurrer (36'), Evie Sransby (45'), and Sammy Love (59'). Both teams were unable to break the impasse in the close match, and the first half ended without a goal. Bianca Zurrer's successful penalty corner gave Australia the lead in the 36th minute. Then, in the 45th minute, Evie Sransby gave Australia another penalty corner goal to increase their lead. India recovered the match with two important goals to tie the score in the fourth quarter. Lalthantluangi first reduced the deficit in the 47th minute by converting...