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Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday directed officers to ensure foolproof arrangements for the fourth season of 'Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan -- 2026', which will commence on September 5 in Bathinda with the participation of nearly 10 lakh players. Chairing a meeting to review preparations, the Chief Minister said Khedan Watan Punjab Diyan is the best platform to identify, promote and nurture hidden sporting talent from every village, town and city of

Nishant Sindhu: All-rounders Nishant Sindhu and Anshul Kamboj arrested the slide for North Zone as South Zone bowlers threatened to run away with the game on the third day of the second semifinal of the Duleep Trophy at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 in Bengaluru. North Zone were going strong with opener Sanat Sangwan (76) and Ayush Doesja (52) having put up a 104-run stand for the second wicket, and Ayush Badoni (32) also scoring a crucial 31. But South bowlers Shreyas Gopal and MD Nidh

Afghanistan T20Is: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Afghanistan to be played at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi from September 13. Fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshit Rana and all-rounders Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy have been picked, but the participation of all four players is subject to fitness clearance, the BCCI confirmed. Shreyas Iyer will keep leading the Men in Blue,

The Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad remains confident of forcing his way back into the Indian team, saying his focus is on maintaining his run-scoring form and being ready when another opportunity comes his way. The Chennai Super Kings skipper, who has been working his way back into contention through domestic cricket, was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Coimbatore on Tuesday when he was asked about his prospects of returning to the national side. Very much confident.

International Cricket Council: International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman Jay Shah congratulated Lionel Messi on his international journey on Tuesday, following the Argentine legend's retirement. Shah took to social media to hail the Argentine World Cup winner, reflecting on their meeting when Messi came to India last year with Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. An era-defining international journey comes to an end. Reflecting on our meeting during your historic visit to India, your profound hum

Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy: Indian trap shooter Manisha Keer is preparing for another major international challenge, but her journey to representing the country began with an unlikely discovery. Growing up in a modest family in a village near Bhopal, Manisha knew little about shooting until her elder sister introduced her to the sport that would eventually shape her career. I didnt even know what shooting was. I only knew cricket, volleyball and football. I didnt even know about shoot

Punjab T20 League: Bathinda Royals kicked off their Sher-E-Punjab T20 League 2026 with a win, beating Mohali Kings by seven wickets at the I.S. Bindra Stadium, Mohali, on Monday. The Royals chose to bowl first and quickly made an impact, causing Mohali Kings to fall to 34/3 by the seventh over. Gourav Choudhary took the initial breakthrough, getting Gurmehar Sara out for a duck on the very first ball. Sumit Sharma then dismissed Manpreet Johal for 11 off 19 balls, followed by Anmolpreet Singh, w

Joe Root believes a new batch of Dukes balls are the reason why there have been few big scores in Test cricket in England this season. Neither England nor Pakistan have managed an individual century in the first two Tests of an ongoing three-match series, where the hosts have established an unbeatable 2-0 lead. Pakistan have yet to pass 200 as a team in four innings so far. There have only been two totals above 400 all summer -- the first by New Zealand in their series-deciding win over England

Punjab T20 League: Amritsar Soormas captain Abhishek Sharma has promised that his side will maintain their aggressive, entertaining brand of cricket despite opening their 2026 Sher-E-Punjab T20 League campaign with a dramatic five-wicket defeat to Mohali Kings. The Soormas produced a blistering batting display at Mohali on Sunday, posting 258 after Abhishek smashed a rapid 77 off 26 deliveries. However, Mohali Kings overhauled the massive target with an extraordinary run-chase, completing it wit

South Delhi Superstarz: Batting all-rounder Ankit Dabas said he was thrilled to see youngsters step up, crediting team unity and skipper Tejasvi Dahiya's exceptional leadership for South Delhi Superstarz's 2026 Delhi Premier League (DPL) title win, a seven-wicket victory over Central Delhi Kings in the title clash. Chasing a target of 183 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, South Delhi completed the chase in 18.2 overs. Anmol Sharma laid the platform with a fluent 64 off 42 balls before Dabas smashed a

Odisha T20 League CM Trophy: Odisha cricket enthusiasts can look forward to an engaging tournament as the Odisha T20 League CM Trophy makes a comeback. Six franchises will compete for the title at the historic Barabati Stadium in Cuttack from September 20 to 29. The tournament, titled the CM Trophy to symbolise the dedication and backing of Honble Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi for the growth and promotion of cricket and sports in Odisha, will serve as a significant platform for the stat

England thrashed Pakistan by 194 runs to win the second Test at Lord's on Sunday and so take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in a three-match campaign. Below AFP Sport looks at three talking points that emerged as England completed their first multi-match Test series win in over a year. Relentless Robinson The present England management have sometimes given the impression the only thing that matters in a pace attack is sheer speed. But Ollie Robinson has demonstrated the importance of accuracy and moveme

Ni Putu Ayu Nanda Sakarini: Twelve years ago, Indonesia had no Women's T20I status, no turf ground, and, the federation admits, barely a cricket structure outside expatriate clubs. On Monday, at Dubai International Stadium, the Indonesia senior women's team will walk out for their first-ever Women's Asia Cup match against Bangladesh. They will also take on defending champions Sri Lanka and hosts UAE. For Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world with over 17,000 islands, it's a mi

Mitchell Santner delivered a captains performance with the ball as Edinburgh Castle Rockers secured a commanding four-wicket victory over Dublin Guardians in Match 8 of the European T20 Premier League at Sportpark Westvliet. Dublin Guardians won the toss and elected to bat, but Edinburghs bowling attack quickly turned the decision into a difficult day for the Guardians. The Rockers struck regularly throughout the innings, preventing Dublin from building any substantial partnerships and eventuall

What threatened to be another washout instead turned into an explosive contest with both teams getting 5 overs to bat, as Belfast Wolves chased down Amsterdam Flames 56-run total in just 3.5 overs to seal a nine-wicket victory at Sportpark Westvliet. With persistent rain threatening to wipe out the seventh match of the ETPL, the teams eventually managed to get on the field for a five-over-a-side contest. Belfast Wolves won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision that immediately put the pressur

Adani Delhi Premier League T20: South Delhi Superstarz produced a commanding batting performance to clinch the Adani Delhi Premier League T20 2026 title, defeating Central Delhi Kings by seven wickets in the final. Chasing 183 for victory, South Delhi Superstarz reached 186/3 in 18.2 overs, completing a comfortable run chase and sealing the championship in style. The foundation of the chase was laid by Ankit, who remained unbeaten on a brisk 62 off 34 balls, while Anmol also struck an unbeaten 6

Dubai International Stadium: India opened their Womens Asia Cup 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, registering a thumping 94-run victory over Thailand at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, with Shafali Verma's 19th T20I half-century setting up the win before the bowlers dismantled the Thai batting line-up. In pursuit of 160 to win the match, Thailand were all out for only 65 in 16.1 over, with wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Koncharoenkai, being the only player to offer any real resistance

Ollie Robinson led the way once more as England clinched a series win over Pakistan with a thumping 194-run win in the second Test at Lord's on Sunday despite Saud Shakeel's fine 97. Pakistan were dismissed for 194, having been set an improbable victory target of 389, to give England an unbeatable 2-0 lead in a three-match series. This was England's first multi-match Test series win since a 2-1 success in New Zealand more than a year ago. Robinson finished with figures of 4-24 in 14 overs follow

Dubai International Cricket Stadium: A middle-order collapse triggered by leg-spinner Suleeporn Laomi saw India squander a blazing start to be restricted to 159/9 by Thailand in their 2026 Womens Asia Cup Group A game at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday. India appeared firmly in control at 101/2 at the halfway mark, but collapsed spectacularly to score just 58/6 in the final ten overs, as a spirited Thailand attack produced a disciplined bowling and fielding effort to stay alive

Test Cricket Team: The Pakistan men's cricket team will have an official meeting with King Charles later this week ahead of the third Test against England, Buckingham Palace has confirmed, following recent off-field friction over a broadcast interview involving former captain Imran Khans sons. The engagement was planned prior to the start of the series, as part of the Monarch's role within the Commonwealth. It will take place during the break between the second game, which is currently underway

Dubai International Cricket Stadium: Thailand have won the toss and elected to field first against India in their 2026 Womens Asia Cup Group A fixture at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, with top-order batter Pratika Rawal handed her T20I debut by the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side. India, the seven-time winners, are opening their campaign against Thailand, who are coming after beating Hong Kong China in a nervy finish. The two sides have met three times in T20Is, with India winning

Central Delhi Queens Women: North Delhi Strikers produced a composed batting performance to defeat Central Delhi Queens Women by six wickets to reach the final of 2026 Delhi Premier League (DPL) womens competition at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a modest target of 123 for victory, North Delhi Strikers paced their innings well to complete the chase in 18.4 overs. Batter Archana anchored the successful run-chase with an unbeaten knock of 49 off 44 balls, including hitting four bound

Barring Rinku Singh: A relentless bowling display led by Tripura medium-pacer Abhijit Sarkar alongside the Bengal seam bowling duo of Mukesh Kumar and Mohammed Shami helped East Zone bundle out Central Zone for 266 on day one of the Duleep Trophy semi-final at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground 2 on Sunday. Electing to bowl on a green-tinged surface offering generous pace and bounce, East Zone's pace attack exploited the favourable conditions from the outset to keep Central Zone under pressure

Cricket South Africa: South Africa fast bowler Lutho Sipamla has been ruled out of the ongoing T20I tri-series featuring Namibia and Zimbabwe after sustaining a left hamstring injury, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced on Sunday. Seam-bowling all-rounder Andile Simelane, who has represented South Africa in 10 T20Is, has been named as Sipamla's replacement in the Proteas squad for the remainder of the tour. Sipamla suffered the injury during South Africas opening match against hosts Namibia, wh

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Kashi Rudras captain Karan Sharma feels the UPT20 league has given the states cricketers an unprecedented platform which provides them with crucial match-time and exposure in order to make the cut for big tournaments like the Indian Premier League (IPL). Sharma, who has experience in the IPL ecosystem via spending IPL 2022 and 2023 seasons with Lucknow Super Giants, is amongst those players from the state who have made the cut in heaps for the ten-team league. Absolutely

Big Bash League: Australias fast bowling all-rounder Michael Neser has signed a two-year contract extension with Brisbane Heat, which commits him to the franchise until the end of the 17th edition of the Big Bash League, the club announced on Sunday. Neser, 36, has been a foundation player for the Heat since the inaugural 2011/12 season, and will now return for his seventh summer with the Brisbane-based side. The extension strengthens a formidable pace attack that includes his fellow national te

Former South Africa: South Africas premier fast bowler Kagiso Rabada has been ruled out of the sides home Test series against Australia after suffering a grade-three tear to his right hamstring. Rabada, 31, is expected to be sidelined for up to two months after picking up the injury, which disrupted his winter conditioning programme. Former South Africa fast bowler Allan Donald, whos the bowling coach of Lions, Rabadas domestic team, said the medical assessment has totally ruled him out of the h

County Championship Division One: Jammu & Kashmir fast bowler Auqib Nabi is likely to turn out for English county side Surrey for a brief stint in the ongoing County Championship Division One season. Nabi, who finished as the leading wicket-taker in the last Ranji Trophy season with 60 wickets at an average of 12.56 to lead J&K to their maiden championship triumph, is expected to be available for Surreys upcoming fixture against Yorkshire, starting on September 2 at The Oval. It is followed by g

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya: Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday led over 5,000 participants, including Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir and representatives of BRICS partner nations, at the 88th edition of Fit India Sundays on Cycle at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here. The special edition, organised as part of the BRICS Run & Ride 2026 initiative, was held across more than 25,000 locations nationwide and came a day after National Sports Day, adding a strong fi

The East Zone: Teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi got his first captaincy role in senior first-class cricket when he took over as the stand-in captain of the East Zone side for their Duleep Trophy semifinal against Central Zone on Sunday. Sooryavanshi, the incumbent vice-captain of the East side, donned the captain's hat on Day 1 of the semifinal when regular skipper Ishan Kishan walked off the field. Kishan picked up a blow to his right thumb while keeping wickets during Central Zone's batt

The Fit India Movement: Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir on Sunday called the governments Fit India initiative a movement rather than merely an event, stressing that a fitter India would be stronger and more self-reliant. Gambhir was speaking on the sidelines of the Sunday on Cycle with BRICS Run and Ride event in Delhi, where he joined Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya and actress Madhurima Tuli for the cycling initiative. This Fit India event organised by the government is such a

The Jamaica Kingsmen recorded their fourth win of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a 7-run win via DLS over the Trinbago Knight Riders, as the rain halted play just shy of 15 overs into the Kingsmens chase. It was an unfortunate end to a match that was set for a thrilling conclusion as the Queens Park Oval provided plenty of runs for the crowd to enjoy. Vitel Lawes might have bowled the over of the tournament with a three-wicket maiden that eventually helped his side to stay the right sid

Dan Lawrence's unbeaten fifty on Saturday left Pakistan needing to rewrite the record books in their quest for a series-levelling win against England in the second Test at Lord's. Only 24.5 overs were possible on a third day cut short by several rain delays and finally finished off by bad light, despite the floodlights shining under increasingly sunny skies. England still reached stumps on 177-7 in their second innings -- a huge overall lead of 357 runs -- with Lawrence exactly 50 not out to fol

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha has said that the state government is committed to taking the state's sports infrastructure to international standards while providing better training, facilities and financial assistance to talented sportspersons. The Chief Minister also added on Saturday that the state government is laying special emphasis on promoting sports to help build a healthy, disciplined and drug-free society. Chief Minister Saha said this while addre

Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer: IPL franchise Punjab Kings has extended its support to the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League, backing the tournament as it looks to provide a strong platform for emerging cricketers from across Punjab to showcase their talent and take their first steps towards the professional game. Punjab Kings support for the Sher-E-Punjab T20 League underlines the franchises commitment to the growth of cricket in Punjab and its efforts to strengthen the states talent pathway. For Punjab Kings

Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy: Top Indian cricketers, including T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, opener Yashasvi Jaiswal, and veteran left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, have completed their pre-season testing at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) state-of-the-art Centre of Excellence (CoE) facility. The screening and testing routines were conducted to evaluate player fitness levels and establish baseline physical metrics ahead of an intense, packed international and domestic

Central Delhi Kings: Central Delhi Kings captain Jonty Sidhu said he was glad his match-winning performance arrived when his team needed it the most, as he smashed an unbeaten 106 off 46 balls to lead his side into the final of the 2026 Delhi Premier League (DPL). After that sensational batting performance, Sidhu also picked 3-25 to help his team get a 72-run victory over Purani Dilli 6 in Qualifier 2 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and take them into Sunday's summit clash against South Delhi Supers

Dehradun T20 League CEO Navneet: The excitement for the debut Dehradun T20 League 2026 is at its highest, with all six franchise teams announcing their captains before the tournament starts on September 2 at the Abhimanyu Cricket Academy in Dehradun. The eight-day tournament, set from September 2 to 9, will feature IPL experience, domestic cricket excellence, and emerging local talent, as six franchises compete for the first-ever title. Doiwala Kings will be led by TNR Mohit, and Mussoorie Thund