Sports

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (ANI Photo) NEW DELHI: India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has expressed surprise over Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s omission from the T20I series against Ireland, saying the teenage batting sensation should have been handed his international debut before the tougher assignment in England.The 15-year-old, who enjoyed a sensational IPL 2026 campaign, remained on the bench throughout…

Ben Stokes’ shock retirement from international cricket during the third Test against New Zealand continues to dominate headlines, with former England captain Michael Vaughan suggesting that a breakdown in trust between Stokes and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) may have played a significant role in the all-rounder’s decision.Stokes has not spoken publicly since…

Avesh Khan picked up 13 wickets for the Chambal Ghariyals in the 2026 Madhya Pradesh Premier League. NEW DELHI: Two years ago, Avesh Khan was among the standbys during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign in 2024. Since then, hampered by injuries and subsequent loss of form, his international career has gone haywire.Now, after a…

Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes under police investigation (Image: X) Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup campaign has been overshadowed by a serious off-field development, with captain Ryan Mendes currently under investigation by New Zealand Police following an allegation of rape made by a Brazilian woman.The allegation was first reported by Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte,…

France’s Kylian Mbappe, left, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, center, and Norway’s Erling Haaland. (AP Photo) The FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially moved into its knockout phase after the conclusion of a record-breaking group stage, with Canada setting the tone by winning the opening Round of 32 match on Sunday in dramatic fashion.Stephen Eustáquio’s stoppage-time winner…

Serena Williams during a practice session. (AP Photo) Serena Williams has launched a stinging criticism of tennis’ anti-doping system ahead of her long-awaited Wimbledon comeback, branding parts of the current testing protocol “unprofessional” and “unreasonable” while admitting the rules almost convinced her not to return to professional tennis.The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who re-entered…

Grandmaster Harshavardhan GB with his parents (Designed by TimesofIndia.com) NEW DELHI: As India moves one step closer to the landmark of producing 100 Grandmasters, Chennai, long hailed as the “Mecca of Indian chess”, has found itself as the protagonist again.On Sunday, Harshavardhan GB became India’s 97th Grandmaster (GM) from the very land. Pulling off three…

Carlo Ancelotti outlines Brazil’s knockout mantra (Image: X) Five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil booked their place in the Round of 32 as Group winners with seven points and will now face Japan in Houston. Ahead of the knockout clash, head coach Carlo Ancelotti stressed that his side must rely on “mind, heart, and a…

KOCHI/BHUBANESWAR: When Ancy Sojan overhauled a 22-year-old national record in the women’s long jump on Saturday, it shook awake Nattika, a tiny fishing hamlet in Kerala’s Thrissur district.Some 2,000 km away from the sand pit in Bhubaneswar where she had landed with 6.88m, two local auto-rickshaw drivers vicariously fulfilling their own sporting dreams as Kerala…

Kemar Roach (Pic credit: WI Cricket) Kemar Roach etched his name alongside some of West Indies’ greatest fast bowlers as the veteran seamer claimed his 300th Test wicket during a dominant innings-and-217-run victory over Sri Lanka in the opening Test, a result that also went down as one of the biggest wins in the Caribbean…