So it has come to this. Mahela Jayawardene, the man who once turned Mumbai Indians into a trophy-hoarding machine with the clinical efficiency of a Swiss watch, has mutually agreed to bring in a “fresh perspective.” That’s corporate for “we’ve decided the perspective of three IPL titles is looking a bit stale next to four wins and a ninth-place finish.” The announcement landed with all the drama of a polite email marked “FYI.” No dramatic press conference, no slammed doors, j

While applause celebrates champions, sustained investment gives every para-athlete a fair chance to succeed. As the Asian Para Games begin on October 18, the spotlight will once again turn to athletes who have overcome formidable challenges to compete at the highest level. Their performances will inspire millions. Every medal will be celebrated as a testament to courage, discipline and determination. But beyond the podium celebrations lies a question that deserves equal atten

Congratulations, West Indies. You’ve done it again. You’ve reminded the world that when the music is loud, the boundaries are short, and nobody has to bat longer than it takes to finish a Red Stripe, you remain an absolute force of nature. Chasing 250 against India in Ranchi with Shai Hope smashing an unbeaten 102 off 45 balls and Sherfane Rutherford going berserk for 84 off 37? Pure Caribbean swagger. Second-highest successful chase in T20 history. Cue the fireworks, the Ins

India’s sporting landscape is expanding, creating new opportunities for disciplines beyond the traditional favourites. For decades, cricket and hockey occupied prominent places in India’s sporting imagination. Cricket grew into a national obsession, while hockey became closely associated with the country’s Olympic legacy. Other disciplines produced accomplished athletes and international champions but rarely enjoyed comparable public attention. The recently concluded 2026 Asi

Somewhere in the dusty corridors of cricket history, a lonely footnote just sat up and demanded a raise. Abhishek Sharma, the left-handed wrecking ball from Punjab, has returned to form with the subtlety of a firework display in a library. One moment he was enduring the kind of lean patch that makes even your most loyal aunt start muttering about “maybe trying a different grip,” and the next he was turning Afghanistan’s bowlers into unwilling extras in a highlight reel that b

If you had told the average Pakistan cricket supporter at the start of this series that their side would spend the third evening of the final Test at Edgbaston looking like they were auditioning for a highlight reel rather than limping towards another three-day defeat, they would have checked your temperature and possibly your passport. Yet here we are. A 21-year-old from Mardan with the name Razaullah, barely enough first-class matches to fill a short film, and the sort of

In the grand tradition of Pakistan cricket administration – a body that has long treated dysfunction as a competitive advantage – the Pakistan Cricket Board has once again outdone itself. Reports emerging this weekend reveal that PCB officials in London have taken the mobile phones of several national team players into “custody.” The devices will remain locked away until the final ball is bowled in the third Test against England at Edgbaston, which begins on September 9. One

Imam-ul-Haq Pakistan cricket has once again found itself in the middle of a controversy. But beyond the latest changes in the squad, questions over injuries and the manner in which they are being handled raise a larger issue, one that concerns not just the Pakistan Cricket Board, but the players themselves. For, the spirit of cricket cannot survive on rules alone. It also depends on the integrity of those who play the game. International cricket has evolved into a highly regu

Mumbai: Mumbai girl Jiya Rai can’t speak, but when she dived into the waters of Manhattan last week, she had a loud message that the world listened to. Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Jiya, 18, has become the world’s first female para-swimmer to complete and bag the prestigious Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. With this she has conquered the English Channel, Catalina Channel and now the formidable 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan, a distance of 48 kms – al

India sit fifth in the 2025-27 World Test Championship standings with 68 points from 11 matches and a points percentage of 51.52. That figure places them behind Australia (80 per cent), South Africa (75), New Zealand (72.22) and Bangladesh (55.56). Only the top two teams at the end of the cycle will contest the 2027 final. With seven Tests remaining — two away to New Zealand in November and five at home against Australia from late January to early March — the path is narrow,

Bombay Gymkhana President Sanjiv Saran Mehra with past president Khalid Ansari during the unveiling of Bombay Gymkhana’s Coffee Table Book The Journey So Far at the book launch. Mumbai: Marking a monumental milestone in India's sporting history, the historic Bombay Gymkhana has unveiled a commemorative coffee table book titled "The Journey So Far." Launched at the club's Dining Hall, the 284-page publication chronicles the institution's remarkable 150-year legacy, celebrating

AI Generated Image The Pakistan Test team - that glorious institution where hope goes to die a slow, bureaucratic death, and every series feels like a carefully choreographed exercise in national disappointment. As of August 2026, they sit somewhere between seventh and eighth in the ICC Test rankings, clinging to respectability with the same grip a drowning man might apply to a brick. Their recent form has been less “proud cricket nation” and more “why do we even bother turni

Sarfaraz Khan has been recalled to India’s Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, replacing the injured Sai Sudharsan. In the grand tradition of Indian cricket, opportunity has arrived not through sustained brilliance or careful planning, but because someone’s toe decided it had better things to do. One man’s stress reaction is another man’s second chance. How very democratic. For those who have followed Sarfaraz’s career with the weary patience of a Mumbai local train passenge

For nearly a century, Indian hockey, or for that matter any team representing the country, has been synonymous with one colour, ok blue. It is the shade that witnessed eight Olympic gold medals, the artistry of Dhyan Chand, the revival under Harmanpreet Singh, ICC ODI and T20 World Cups, and countless moments when the tricolour rose above the podium. The jersey was never merely a piece of fabric; it became part of India’s sporting identity. Now, Hockey India’s decision to rep

The Commonwealth Games showed that India's sporting rise now extends far beyond its traditional medal-winning disciplines. The Commonwealth Games are more than a competition for medals; they reflect a country’s sporting culture, talent development, sports science, training ecosystem and long-term sports policy. Held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 23 July to 2 August, the Games concluded for India with notable achievements and encouraging prospects. The Indian contingent finished

Ajit Agarkar took charge as chairman of the BCCI’s senior men’s selection committee in mid-2023, stepping into one of Indian cricket’s most thankless jobs. Nearly three years later, his record is a study in contrasts: glittering white-ball success on one side, grinding Test struggles and recurring controversies on the other. Any honest assessment must hold both in view. The results in limited-overs cricket under Agarkar’s watch have been exceptional. India reached four ICC to

Remember Prithvi Shaw? Of course you do. The boy wonder. The U-19 World Cup-winning captain. The youngest Indian to smash a Test century on debut, a tidy 134 against West Indies at the tender age of 18 years and 319 days. Back in 2018, the cricket world collectively clutched its pearls and declared the next big thing had arrived. Fast forward to 2026, and that next big thing is currently the next big afterthought. How delightful. Let us start with the international CV, becaus

Mumbai: In an era when cricket increasingly celebrated swagger, sound bites and larger-than-life personalities, Ajinkya Rahane chose a different path. He let his bat whisper, his actions inspire and his character define him. As the curtains come down on his international career, Indian cricket bids farewell to one of its finest gentlemen, a cricketer whose greatest triumphs were built not on flamboyance, but on quiet resilience. There are players who dominate headlines and th

Ben Stokes has retired from international cricket, and English cricket feels suddenly smaller. The announcement came in the middle of a Test match against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in late June 2026, mid-spell, with the series still alive. No carefully staged farewell tour, no lingering goodbye. Just a private message to teammates that the well had run dry, followed by a public confirmation that his 15-year England career was ending. At 35, after 122 Tests, 114 ODIs and 43

Kolhapur: Former Asian Games gold medallist Rahi Sarnobat believes earning a place in the Indian shooting team remains one of the toughest challenges in the sport, as intense domestic competition continues to raise India’s international standards. Fresh from topping the women’s 25m sports pistol event in the T4 National Selection Trials, the seasoned shooter said consistency and composure under pressure would be crucial as she shifts her focus to the ISSF World Cup in China a