Mumbai: At just 23, Rutuja Dadaso Pisal has already established herself as a regular in the senior Indian Women’s Hockey Team, emerging as an influential presence in the midfield and has been included in the squad for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 Qualifiers Hyderabad, Telangana, scheduled from March 8 to 14.   Hailing from Phaltan, a small village in the Satara district in Maharashtra, Rutuja’s journey into hockey began somewhat unexpectedly. “Before hockey, we used

The victorious strategist wins first and then goes to battle Mumbai: Two years ago in Barbados, the scars of India’s crushing ODI World Cup final defeat still lingered and the drought of ICC titles weighed heavily. India had seized control in the middle overs, only to see it slip under Heinrich Klaasen’s fierce assault. With South Africa needing 30 off 30 balls and their in-form batter at the crease, momentum appeared lost. That was when he stepped in to halt the Proteas’ su

Sikandar Raza In the often unforgiving world of international cricket, where associate nations like Zimbabwe grapple with financial woes, administrative chaos, and sporadic glimpses of glory, few players embody resilience quite like Sikandar Raza. Born in Sialkot, Pakistan, in 1986, Raza’s journey to becoming Zimbabwe’s cricketing talisman is a tale of migration, adaptation, and unyielding determination. Moving to Harare at age 16 in 2002, he traded a potential career in the

Jammu & Kashmir’s march into the Ranji Trophy final sends a larger message beyond sport. It says that after decades, the state is finally aligning with India’s political and civic mainstream. History has a habit of announcing itself in strange ways. In Jammu & Kashmir, it now announces itself by wearing cricket whites. As the once-turbulent state plays its first Ranji Trophy final in 67 years against Karnataka in Hubballi, the moment matters far more than a mere sporting mira

In every ICC tournament cycle, India walks in branded as a batting superpower. The aura is built around depth, firepower and the assumption that any total is chaseable and any platform can be converted into a match-winning score. Yet in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup, a troubling pattern has resurfaced: when the batters fail, India appears to have no safety net. The question is no longer whether India possesses talent with the bat, they undeniably do, but whether an exce

Oh, the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry – that age-old spectacle where borders blur, families feud over flat screens, and street vendors hawk flags like they’re going out of style. Remember when it was the stuff of legends? Tense chases, nail-biting finishes, and enough drama to make Bollywood blush. But let’s be honest, folks: at the World Cup stage, this so-called “epic clash” is starting to feel less like a thriller and more like a predictable rom-com where one side always

In late January 2026, KL Rahul sat down with Kevin Pietersen and spoke with rare honesty about retirement. At 33, the elegant Karnataka batsman admitted the thought had crossed his mind. “I don’t think it’s gonna be that difficult,” he said. “If you’re honest with yourself, when it’s time, it’s time. And there’s no point dragging it. Obviously, I’m some time away.” Those words landed like a quiet full stop on a career that has been anything but quiet. Rahul has not retired ye

In the high-octane world of T20 cricket, where every ball can swing fortunes and aggression reigns supreme, India faces a perennial wicketkeeper-batter conundrum: Ishan Kishan or Sanju Samson? Both are prodigiously talented, capable of dismantling bowling attacks on their day, and have donned the gloves for the national side. Yet, as we approach the T20 World Cup 2026, the scales tip decisively toward Ishan Kishan as the better choice. His explosive form, tactical fit, and re

Pakistan’s decision to avoid playing India at the T20 World Cup signals a shrinking space for even symbolic engagement between two hostile neighbours. Cricket has long been described as the last remaining civil language between India and Pakistan, a rare arena where dialogue, however competitive, was still possible. The Pakistan Cricket Board’s reported decision to not allow its national team to play against India in the T20 World Cup is therefore not just a sporting withdraw

RCB's bowling attack enters IPL 2026 as a pace-dominant unit that powered their maiden title win in 2025, but defending the crown demands addressing spin vulnerabilities and injury risks. This SWOT analysis reveals a transformed attack capable of contending, yet not invincible against evolving T20 tactics. Strengths RCB's pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal forms a world-class core, blending swing, bounce, and left-arm angle variation. Hazlewood's 2

Shubman Gill’s rapid rise to India’s ODI captaincy in late 2025 was billed as the beginning of a bold new chapter for Indian cricket. At just 26, the elegant Punjab batsman had already carved out an impressive resume: a Test average above 50, consistent big scores in white-ball cricket, and a reputation as one of the most technically sound stroke-makers in the modern game. His appointment came on the heels of Rohit Sharma’s retirement from limited-overs formats following Indi

Celebrating National Youth Day today, we look at three young chess stalwarts - World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi. After performing well in the Global Chess League in Mumbai held from December 14-23, 2025, at the Royal Opera House, they participated in the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships held in Doha, Qatar, from December 26-30, 2025 where Arjun won a bronze medal in each category. Gukesh Dommaraju from Chennai became the yo

One of the most technically perfect batsman the world cricket has produced, Rahul Sharad Dravid was born on January 11, 1973, and as he celebrates his 53rd birthday on Sunday, Indian cricket pauses to honour a man whose career embodied the spirit of the gentleman’s game. In an era defined by flamboyance, noise and instant gratification, Dravid stood apart—calm, composed and unyielding. Aptly nicknamed “The Wall,” he was not merely a cricketer but a moral compass for the sport

Mumbai: The launch of the CIDCO Open 2025 presented by Larsen & Toubro marks a significant moment in the evolution of professional golf in India, not merely as a sporting event but as a statement of intent. Scheduled from December 16 to 19 at the Kharghar Valley Golf Course in Navi Mumbai, the tournament enters the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) calendar with a prize purse of Rs 1 crore, instantly positioning itself among the more consequential domestic events on the

As the cradle of Indian cricket, Mumbai has churned out legends like Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, and Sachin Tendulkar, the Little Master himself. Tendulkar, born in 1973, debuted at 16 and redefined batting with his 24-year odyssey of 100 international centuries. But in an era of T20 dominance, IPL glamour, and global distractions, will Mumbai's fabled maidans—Wankhede, Shivaji Park, Cross Maidan—birth another such phenomenon? My view: it's unlikely in the near future,

In the high-stakes theatre of ODI cricket, where India’s quest for a third World Cup title looms large—likely in 2027, but with eyes already on the 2025 Champions Trophy as a dress rehearsal—few players embody the blend of aggression, experience, and leadership quite like Rohit Sharma. The “Hitman”, as he’s aptly nicknamed, isn’t just an opener; he’s the spark that ignites India’s batting engine. With whispers of retirement post-T20 World Cup 2024 and a lean patch in bilatera

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team has been a rollercoaster of triumphs and tribulations. Appointed in July 2024 following Rahul Dravid’s successful stint, Gambhir brought a reputation for tactical brilliance from his IPL mentorship, where he guided Kolkata Knight Riders to a title in 2024. Yet, despite notable successes in white-ball cricket, including leading India to victories in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2025 Asia Cup, he re

Ah, the Ashes. That venerable old urn, stuffed with more history than a dusty attic, where England and Australia pretend to hate each other over five days of polite savagery. But spare a thought for the first Test in Perth, November 21-22, 2025. What was billed as a grand reopening of the rivalry turned into a slapstick comedy of errors, wrapped up in under 48 hours. Eight wickets to Australia, they say. Eight hours of therapy for England, more like. Welcome to the debacle wh

IPL 2026 – where defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) strut into the arena like prom kings fresh off a fairy-tale win, only to realise the crown’s made of kryptonite. After shattering an 18-year curse with that nail-biting 2025 triumph – Virat Kohli’s beard practically glowing under the Ahmedabad lights – the big question isn’t “Will they?” but “Can they without imploding like a bad sequel?” Picture this: The squad that finally cracked the code now faces the

There comes a point in every sporting career when statistics stop defining a player, and character begins to speak louder. For Ajinkya Rahane, that moment may already be here. The elegant middle-order batsman, who once stood as the very embodiment of composure and grace under pressure, now finds himself staring into the twilight of his illustrious career. The question is no longer whether Rahane can make another comeback, but whether he should. And even more profoundly—what d