Sports

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...

India advanced to the Asia Cup final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here after defeating Bangladesh by 41 runs in a Super 4 stage match. India swept out Bangladesh for 127 in 19.3 overs after they had scored 168 in the allotted overs. Varun Chakaravarthy and Jasprit Bumrah each took two wickets, but Kuldeep Yadav took three. Saif Hassan used 51 balls to score 69 runs. Earlier, Abhishek Sharma ignited India's batting attack against Bangladesh with a scorching performance, scoring 75 off just 37 balls to help the side reach 168/6 in 20 overs. In addition to giving India a strong start, the left-hander's assault broke the record held by his guru, Yuvraj Singh, for the most T20I innings by an Indian player with five or more sixes. Abhishek now has six of these knocks, second on...

In the Super 4s match between India and Malaysia at the Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025, Hockey India celebrated the legendary drag flicker Harmanpreet Singh on reaching 250 international caps. Earlier in the day, Harmanpreet said, "This is a very special and emotional moment for me," after being ecstatic to reach this milestone in front of the home crowd and get his 250th shirt from the team's head coach Craig Fulton. So far in my career, I have been showered with love from hockey fans, and I am thankful for all of the support. "In addition to the fact that we have won consecutive Olympic medals, the past few years have been particularly memorable since my daughter has been supporting me at some of the games. So far, the experience has been very unforgettable, and I hope to keep adding to In...

World Champion Neeraj Chopra finished second in the season-ending Diamond League Final here night after making his highest throw of the evening on his sixth and final turn, throwing the javelin to 85.01. Chopra ended third at 84.35 after three fouls and two legal throws, but he beat Keshorn Walcott on his last-second attempt. With his runner-up result, the Indian legend and current World Champion was able to continue his incredible record of 26 consecutive top-two performances on the international circuit. A few weeks prior to the World Championships in Tokyo in October, Chopra lost the championship he had won the previous year in a match. He fell short of his personal best of 90.23 meters in this Swiss city, finishing third in a field of seven athletes with a best effort of 84.35 mete...

The Head of Sports Science and Medicine position at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru is up for grabs, the organization said. The role has been unfilled since Nitin Patel departed the CoE in March of this year, following a nearly three-year successful tenure. Jasprit Bumrah, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, and Mohammed Shami were all under the supervision of Patel, a former Indian team physiotherapist. A master's degree (or, ideally, a PhD) in sports science or a similar field, together with at least five years of experience leading multidisciplinary performance teams, are requirements for the ideal applicant, according to the BCCI.

In the fifth and final Test match played here, India defeated England by six runs, tying the series, thanks to the tenacious Mohammed Siraj's warrior spirit. It was a fitting conclusion to one of the most fiercely contested and dramatic matches in recent memory. Before play began, England had the upper hand with four wickets and 35 runs remaining, but Siraj, the gladiator, made life miserable for the rival batsmen from the first delivery. India's Ravindra Siraj and Prasidh Krishna's performances in a five-match rubber left England short by the thinnest margins, allowing India to secure a 2-2 score. Despite missing Jasprit Bumrah because of workload management, Siraj's nine-wicket performance earned him the title of player of the match. The series-decider went to the final day, with bot...

From August 21 to 23, Srinagar's famous Dal Lake will host the inaugural Khelo India Water Sports Festival. Here on Thursday, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports, made the announcement. The first Khelo India Beach Games were conducted in Diu in May, and the first Water Games in Jammu and Kashmir are part of the expanding Khelo India schedule. Kayaking and canoeing, rowing, water skiing, shikara racing, and dragon boating are the five sports that will be featured at the water sports event.

On Day 3 of the competition, Minakshi (48 kg) and Pooja Rani (80 kg) gave confident performances to secure two medals for India, continuing the boxing team's remarkable run at the World Boxing Cup - Astana 2025. In the quarterfinals, Minakshi was the first to establish herself with a commanding performance against Chinese Taipei's Guo Yi-Xuan. To secure a convincing 5:0 unanimous decision victory, the Indian fighter displayed excellent ring awareness, accurate punches, and deft footwork. She secured her spot in the semifinals and guaranteed herself at least a bronze by controlling the tempo of the fight and scoring cleanly from range, leaving the judges in little doubt. One of India's most seasoned boxers, Pooja Rani, followed suit in the 80kg division, putting on a tough fight against...