Sports

VIZAG: Captain Suryakumar Yadav’s decision to go with specialist bowler Arshdeep Singh in place of batter Ishan Kishan, who had suffered a niggle, didn’t produce the desired result in the fourth T20I against New Zealand on Wednesday. India suffered a 50-run loss at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium chasing 216 but the captain was unperturbed, knowing…

Following the squad announcement, Naqvi addressed the Pakistan players and head coach Mike Hesson, clarifying the board’s stand. “We are waiting for the government’s advice and whatever the government tells us to do we will do it,” he told the team. He added that if the government advises against participation, the PCB will comply. During…

NEW DELHI: After hours of confusion, concern and meme-fuelled speculation, Virat Kohli’s Instagram account is back online. India’s most-followed Instagram handle, which had suddenly disappeared earlier on Friday, reappeared without any official explanation from either the former India captain or Instagram, bringing relief to millions of cricket fans who had feared something was amiss.Go Beyond…

Bangladesh’s campaign at the Under-19 ongoing World Cup has ended amid criticism from the country’s cricket board over match scheduling and travel arrangements. The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) has accused the International Cricket Council (ICC) of unfair scheduling, saying repeated travel affected the team during the tournament.The issue comes at a time when the BCB…

India’s Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) Indian leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal has delivered a blunt assessment of Sanju Samson’s prolonged dip in form, insisting that pressure cannot be cited as a justification for the wicketkeeper-batter’s repeated failures. Samson’s struggles continued in the fourth T20I against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam, further clouding his prospects ahead of the…

Pakistan’s Salman Ali Agha (AP Photo) Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has softened his earlier stance on calling for a boycott of the upcoming T20 World Cup, admitting that the moment for such a move has passed. While ruling out a full withdrawal, the former wicketkeeper-batsman floated a different form of protest, suggesting Pakistan could…

Melbourne: Aryna Sabalenka’s shoes told the story long before the scoreboard did. Their silver, star-like sparkles glittered under the lights of the Rod Laver Arena as she stamped her authority on the Australian Open semi-finals.There was nothing restrained about the world No.1’s performance as the 27-year-old quelled the challenge of Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3…

Aryna Sabalenka, right, of Belarus walks past Elina Svitolina of Ukraine during their semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo) Belarusian world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka beat Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-3 in the Australian Open semi-final on Thursday to set up a title clash with…

NEW DELHI: In what comes as an encouraging development for India ahead of next month’s T20 World Cup, India’s dependable batter in T20Is, Tilak Varma, is close to being cleared by the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru.Tilak is expected to be cleared after taking part in a simulation match on Friday. The left-handed…

GREATER NOIDA: India made a strong start to the five-match mixed disability T20 series against England with a seven-wicket victory here on Thursday.Put in, England put up a competitive 173 for five in their allotted 20 overs. In response, India chased down the target in 18.5 overs. ‘Indian cricket no less than Bollywood abroad’ |…