Tag: Sports

New Delhi (TIP)- Their remarkable World Cup-winning campaign was not the only topic covered when India’s women cricketers sat down for a light-hearted conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence where tattoos and even skin care routine came up for discussion.
India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final to lift their first ever global title in Navi Mumbai last week, following which the squad, along with head coach Amol Muzumdar and BCCI president Mithun Manhas, met the Prime Minister here on Wednesday.
“I still remember when we met you in 2017. At that time, we did not come with a trophy. But it is a matter of great honor for us that this time, for something we have been working so hard for so many years, we have brought the trophy here,” skipper Harmanpreet Kaur said in the video of the interaction shared by the PM on Thursday.
“Our aim is that we meet you again and again in the future and take photos with you and your team again and again.”
In the Women’s World Cup final in 2017, India had lost to England by a mere nine runs after which the squad had met the Prime Minister. PM Modi replied, “You have done a great job. In India, cricket is not just a game. In a way, it has become the life of the people of India. If there is good happening in cricket, India feels good and even if there is a little bit of wrong happening in cricket, the whole of India feels bad.”
The PM then went on to ask Player of the Tournament Deepti Sharma about her Lord Hanuman tattoo that has gone viral on social media.
“I believe in him more than I believe in myself. Whenever I am in a difficult situation, I take his name and I feel like I can overcome it. I have so much belief in him,” she responded.
“And you have written ‘Jai Shree Ram’ on your Instagram account (bio) as well?” Modi asked. “Yes, I do,” the all-rounder replied.
But the moment which had the entire room in splits was when top-order batter Harleen Deol asked Modi about his skin care routine. “I do not think about all that,” the PM responded with a hearty laugh.
Star batter Smriti Mandhana recalled the 2017 meeting and how it inspired them.
“When we came here in 2017, we couldn’t get the trophy. But I remember we asked you a question about expectations and that answer still helps us a lot,” Mandhana said.
Jemimah Rodrigues highlighted the team’s unity and resilience. “The unity in this team is the best I have seen because whenever anyone was doing well, everyone was happy and everyone was clapping, as if they themselves had scored runs or taken wickets,” she said.
President Murmu lauds world champion team
President Droupadi Murmu lauded the World Cup-winning Indian women’s cricket team for its exemplary performance during a meeting with the players at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday and was presented a jersey signed by the entire squad.

Carrara (TIP)- India defended a modest total with a stifling bowling performance for a 48-run win over Australia in the fourth T20 International to grab an unassailable 2-1 lead in the five-match series here on Thursday, November 6.
The architects of India’s win were Axar Patel and Shivam Dube who shared two wickets each to put Australia on the backfoot in the run chase.
Washington Sundar struck thrice towards the end as India comfortably defended 168 with Australia folding up for 119 in 18.2 overs after being 91/3 at one stage.
The final T20 will be played in Brisbane on November 8. The opening match of the series was washed out in Canberra.
Openers Matthew Short (30 off 24) and Mitchell Marsh (25 off 19) got Australia off the blocks smoothly in the run chase but a flurry of wickets in the middle overs pushed the hosts to a point of no return.
After Axar trapped Short in the powerplay, Dube removed Marsh and Tim David (14 off 9) in successive overs to make a telling impact on the game. The wicket of Marsh came off his second ball before he surprised David with a short ball in the following over.
Arshdeep Singh too picked a wicket in the middle overs and the game seemed done and dusted when Glenn Maxwell saw his exposed stumps disturbed off the last ball of Varun Chakaravarthy’s fourth over.
The stellar performance came after a middling batting effort. India never got the momentum they needed after a wicket-less powerplay to end with an underwhelming 167 for eight. Abhishek Sharma (28 off 21) and Shubman Gill (46 off 39) put on 56 for the opening wicket before India lost their way.
Promoted to number three to counter Adam Zampa, Shivam Dube (22 off 18) could not make a big impact while skipper Suryakumar Yadav (20 off 10) departed after hitting a couple of sixes.
Pacer Nathan Ellis (3/21 in 4 overs) was the pick of the Australian bowlers, using his variations effectively.
Zampa leaked 45 runs in his four overs but more importantly, he got three wickets including the dangerous Abhishek.
Abhishek stepped out to Zampa in the second ball of his opening spell and dispatched it down the ground for a maximum. The southpaw tried to hit another one out of the park two balls later but was caught at long on.
Abhishek could have been out off the game’s second ball by left-arm pacer Ben Dwarshuis but Xavier Bartlett grassed the early opportunity.
Abhishek’s friend and opening partner Gill, who is yet to make an impact in the series, had to work hard for his runs.
He released some pressure with a massive hit off Marcus Stonis in the cow corner region before falling to a back of the hand slower one from Ellis.
The wickets kept falling thereafter, robbing the innings of any flow. Axar Patel (21 not out off 11) got the much needed boundaries towards the end to push the total past 160.
India lost four wickets for 42 runs in the last five overs but a stellar bowling performance carried them over the line.
India skipper Suryakumar Yadav credited his players’ tactical awareness with bat and ball
“I feel credit goes to all the batters. The way Shubman and Abhishek started, they knew this was not a 200-220 wicket. They batted very smartly. It was a complete team effort from the batters,” Suryakumar said at the post-match presentation.

Melbourne (TIP)- Australia posted a commanding victory over India in the second T20I at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday, October 31, as the visitors failed to perform with the bat except for a swashbuckling 68 from Abhishek Sharma and a useful 35 from Harshit Rana.
Skipper Surya Kumar Yadav failed to perform with the bat as the Indian team folded up on 126 without batting the full quota of 20 overs. Josh Hazlewood was the pick of the Australian bowlers and bagged three wickets for 13 runs. He removed Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma.
Australia had an easy task on hand and smoothly cruised to the target with captain Mitchell Marsh scoring 26-ball 46. The hosts reached the target with 6.4 overs to spare and are now 1-0 up in the five-match T20 series, with the first T20 having been washed out due to rain.
Most Indian batters struggled to get to double digits. Eight Indian batters contributed only 19 runs, with Abhishek and Harshit putting up 103 runs.
Suryakumar Yadav scored only one run. In the recently concluded T20 Asia Cup in September, Yadav scored 72 runs in seven matches at an average of just 18.00.
Chasing 126, Australian openers Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head bashed Indian bowlers all over the park as the duo completed a 50-run stand for the opening wicket in just 25 balls. The power play set it up for Australia. Head and Marsh went on the attack and didn’t give India a chance.
Head, after playing a fiery innings of 28 runs off 15 balls, was removed by Varun Chakaravarthy in the 5th over, and Josh Inglis joined Marsh in the middle.
Marsh slammed Kuldeep Yadav in his first over for 20 runs before holding out on long off while trying to smash another six. At the time of his dismissal, Australia were 87-2 in eight overs. Chakaravarthy showcased his mystery as he squared up Tim David for just one in the following over, as he chipped the ball back to Varun for an easy caught and bowl chance.
Australia reached the 100-run mark in the 10th over, after Mitchell Owen pushed the ball for a run towards deep backward square-leg.
In the same over, Owen was dropped by Harshit Rana, who was running in from deep mid-wicket. However, Yadav, in his next over, removed Inglis for run a ball 20 runs, and Marcus Stoinis joined Owen in the middle.
In the 13th over, Jasprit Bumrah took two back-to-back wickets, removing Owen and Matthew Short on 14 and 0, respectively.
Earlier in the match, Abhishek Sharma came to India’s rescue with Harshit Rana in the supporting role to propel the visitors to 125.
Abhishek, the number one T20I batter in the world, hammered 68 off 37 while Harshit held the other end with a sturdy 33-ball 35.
The duo forged a 56-run partnership to keep India’s hopes of posting a competitive total alive. Abhishek and Harshit were India’s only two batters who managed to cross the double-digit mark.
Under the gloomy sky of Melbourne, Australia’s mainstay Josh Hazlewood ran rampant with his blistering pace after India was put to bat by the hosts.
While Abhishek went about the business with his usual belligerent mindset, vice-captain Shubman Gill struggled to churn out runs in seaming conditions.

Navi Mumbai (TIP) – Determined, focused, unrelenting, combative… Words would fall short if one wanted to describe India Women’s incredible five-wicket win over Australia Women in the Women’s ODI World Cup semi-final on Thursday, Oct 30.
In a chase of dreams, the hosts knocked out the defending champions by chasing down a record 339-run target and earned themselves a shot at glory. They will take on South Africa Women in the final on Sunday. Women’s cricket is all set to have new champions this time.
An impressive turnout of almost 35,000 at the DY Patil Stadium cheered not just the fall of every Australian wicket, but even the dot balls the Indian bowlers bowled and the runs their batters scored. Jay Shah, the ICC chairman, and BCCI president Mithun Manhas were also there, in the VIP box. So were Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan and former Women’s captain Mithali Raj. Barring the Australians, India Women disappointed nobody.
Jemimah Rodrigues (127 not out off 134 balls) played the innings of her career, while Harmanpreet Kaur (89 off 88 balls) too played a captain’s knock as India achieved the extraordinary feat of prevailing over the strong Australian bowling group and securing their third Women’s ODI World Cup final berth.
What makes the win in this second semi-final even more special for India is that the chase turned out to be their highest-ever in the format and also the highest-ever in an ODI World Cup. What’s sweeter? They bettered the Australians’ feat (331) which the visitors had achieved a few days ago against the Indians in the group-stage game in Visakhapatnam.
Australians seldom choke, but this was one rare occasion when the invincibles made mistakes. The two regulation catches that keeper-batter and opener Alyssa Healy and Tahlia McGrath dropped when Jemimah was on 82 and 106 proved that the pressure had got on to the otherwise steely Australians.
Precisely, it was the 167-run third-wicket stand in 26 overs between Jemimah and Harmanpreet, which had put the pressure back onto the Australians. A bit of dew had also made batting a tad easier.
Jemimah, though, deserves all the kudos for her brilliant temperament and composure. For a moment or two, she looked as if she was tiring a little bit as the boundaries too had dried up from her bat since Harmanpreet’s departure. But she refused to give in and hung on.

Mumbai (TIP)-Team India bounced back in style after three consecutive defeats, registering a commanding 53-run (DLS method) win over New Zealand in Navi Mumbai on Thursday, Oct 23,  to seal their place in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup.

It was a complete team effort from the Women in Blue as all the bowlers chipped in with crucial wickets to restrict New Zealand to 271/8 in 44 overs while chasing a revised target of 325. Renuka Singh (2/25) and Kranti Goud (2/48) were the leading wicket takers of the match for India.

Renuka also achieved a major career milestone during the game, completing 100 international wickets, 40 in ODIs, 58 in T20Is, and 2 in Tests, marking consistency across formats.

New Zealand’s chase got off to a shaky start when veteran Suzie Bates was dismissed for just 1, leaving the team at 1/1 in 1.3 overs. Skipper Sophie Devine’s early departure for 6 further dented the innings, with the scoreboard reading 59/3 in 11.3 overs.

Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday then steadied the ship with a 56-run stand, as Sneh Rana struck to remove Kerr for 45. Maddy Green tried to build on the momentum but fell for 18 to Pratika Rawal, who earlier in the match had scored a century.

Brooke Halliday fought valiantly, scoring a fine 81 off 84 balls with nine fours and a six, while Isabella Gaze played a resilient knock of 65* off 51 balls, laced with ten boundaries. The duo added 72 crucial runs together, but their efforts were not enough as India sealed the game comprehensively.

Earlier, India put up a commanding 340/3 in 49 overs against New Zealand. Centuries from Pratika Rawal (122) and Smriti Mandhana (109) laid the foundation for India’s strong first win, while Jemimah Rodrigues (76*) added further momentum with a brisk knock to help India post their highest total of the tournament so far.

For New Zealand, Suzie Bates (1/40 in 7 overs), Amelia Kerr (1/69 in 10 overs) and Rosemary Mair (1/52 in 8 overs) claimed a wicket each. Still, India’s top order proved too strong, helping the hosts reach a formidable total.

Brief Scores: India Women 340/3 in 49 overs (Pratika Rawal 122, Smriti Mandhana 109; Suzie Bates 1/40) vs New Zealand Women 271/8 in 44 overs (Brooke Halliday 81, Isabella Gaze 65*; Renuka Singh 2/25).   Source: ANI

Adelaide (TIP)- Australia continued their domination over India with a two-wicket victory in the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, Oct 23. The Aussies chased down the 265-run target with 22 balls to spare and two wickets in hand.

Though Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana dismissed Mitchell Marsh (11) and Travis Head (28) early in the run-chase, a 55-run stand between Matthew Short (74) and Matt Renshaw (30) kept the Aussies in the hunt. After their dismissals, Mitchell Owen, in his first ODI innings, hit 3 sixes and 2 fours in his 23-ball 36 before Washington Sundar had him caught by Arshdeep Singh at long-on. Owen put up a 59-run stand off 39 balls with Cooper Connolly to take the match away from India’s grasp.

The dismissals of Xavier Bartlett and Mitchell Starc added a late twist in the innings but Connolly, who reached his maiden ODI fifty off 42 balls, stayed unbeaten on 61 off 53 balls, with a six and 5 fours, to take his team to victory and an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

Earlier, Rohit Sharma combined a lot of grit with some grace to produce a potentially career-extending 73 on a spicy track that served as the foundation for India’s total of 264/9.

Despite losing captain Shubman Gill (9) and Virat Kohli (0) in quick succession, India managed a respectable total thanks to Rohit’s 97-ball effort and his 118-run partnership for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer (61 off 77 balls).

Axar Patel (44 off 41 balls) also added some crucial runs before Arshdeep Singh (13) and Harshit Rana (24 not out) put up 37 off 29 balls for the ninth wicket, pushing the team total beyond 260.

Adam Zampa took 4 for 60 while most of the batters who attempted to attack him were dismissed. Additionally noteworthy was Xavier Bartlett (3/39 in 10 overs), who claimed a maiden over and the valuable scalp of Kohli.

In the Powerplay, Rohit had to weather many nerve-wracking moments as Josh Hazlewood (0/29 in 10 overs, including two maidens) made the ball talk, thus the Indian innings was all about his tenacity. At one point, Rohit played 17 straight dot balls off Hazlewood, and the lateral movement and underlying dampness made both him and Iyer appear extremely cautious.

While Kohli was preparing to play an outswinger, Bartlett’s delivery caused one to move in swiftly, and the maestro was caught plumb in front. As he left the field, he said thanks to the fans in Adelaide, where he had amassed several Test hundreds and a World Cup century against Pakistan. Kohli departed the field, waving his gloves for the Adelaide fans who were most likely seeing his last moments, while Rohit was given much-needed breathing room.

Rohit focused on consolidation and keeping the bat close to his body throughout the first fifty or so balls. He tried to leave the deliveries on the length and took a few on the body. Mitchell Starc’s flicked boundary over square leg was the only successful shot of that phase.

Playing back-to-back traditional pick-up pulls off Mitchell Owen’s amiable medium pacers was the first time one saw Rohit getting into his zone. With Iyer rotating the strike and India scoring 17 from that over, the scoreboard began to move and gain pace.

The swivel he lost off his hips while attempting to put Starc over the square leg boundary proved to be his undoing, but there was still time for a 33rd ODI hundred.

Riyadh (TIP)

World number one Carlos Alcaraz has defended his participation in exhibition tournaments, insisting that players are often misunderstood when they choose to play alongside the demanding professional tennis calendar.

Alcaraz, 22, is currently in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for this year’s edition of the Six Kings Slam, a lucrative exhibition event that began in 2024. The Spaniard has previously voiced concerns about the intense workload in Asia, where several players struggled physically, and said he would consider skipping mandatory events to prioritise his health.

The Six Kings Slam, scheduled from 15 to 18 October, features six top players: Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz, and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The event offers a reported $4.5 million (£3.4 million) in prize money, with some players reportedly receiving seven-figure sums simply to appear. Reports suggest the winner could take home as much as $6 million (£4.5 million).

Despite the high stakes, Alcaraz believes that shorter-format exhibitions like the Six Kings Slam are far less demanding than official tour competitions.

He said: “A lot of players are talking about the calendar, how tight it is with a lot of tournaments, tournaments of two weeks, and then making excuses with exhibitions. It’s a different format, different situation playing exhibitions than the official tournaments, 15, 16 days in a row, having such a high focus and demanding physically. We’re just having fun for one or two days and playing some tennis, and that’s great, and why we choose the exhibitions. I understand [the criticism], but sometimes people don’t understand us, our opinions. It’s not really demanding mentally [compared with] when we’re having such long events like two weeks or two and a half weeks.”

Alcaraz claimed his eighth title of the season in Tokyo last month, despite an ankle injury in his opening match that forced him to withdraw from the Shanghai Masters. He will compete in Saudi Arabia despite the injury not being fully healed. “Everything’s OK,” he said. “I’ve been recovering the ankle as much as I can. I don’t feel 100% – the doubts are there when I’m moving on court, but it improved a lot and I’m going to compete and perform well in the Six Kings Slam.”

Alcaraz has a bye to the semi-finals, which will be broadcast on Netflix, and is set to face Fritz on Thursday after the American defeated Zverev 6-3, 6-4 in the quarter-finals. In the other quarter-final, world number two Sinner beat Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3 and will face Djokovic in the semi-finals.

Prominent members of the Indian ODI team, including star batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and new captain Shubman Gill, arrived here early on Thursday, October 16, for a three-match series against Australia starting on October 19.

Apart from Kohli, Rohit and Gill, the others to land here after a delayed flight were K L Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, along with some members of the support staff.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir and the rest of the coaching staff will join the squad later in the day as they had boarded an evening flight from Delhi on October 15.

The series will begin here on Sunday before moving to Adelaide (October 23), and Sydney (October 25). It will be followed by a five-match T20 International series starting October 29. The one-dayers have generated a buzz as it is Rohit and Kohli’s first international outing after India’s Champions Trophy triumph in March earlier this year. The future of the two stalwarts has become a subject of intense speculation especially after Gill’s elevation to ODI captaincy.

Mumbai (TIP)- Ahmedabad will likely host the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in 2030, as the competition’s executive board on Wednesday recommended the Gujarat city for the centenary edition of the event. Now, only a final greenlight during the organisation’s general assembly next month, a process expected to be a formality, remains before the CWG’s return to India is ratified.

Nigeria’s capital Abuja was the only other contender in fray.

The proposal will be before the general assembly of the Commonwealth Sport, the event’s governing body, in Glasgow on November 26.

This will not only bring CWG back to India after two decades – New Delhi hosted the 2010 edition – but may also be a significant boost in the country’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics, for which Ahmedabad has been put through a significant sporting infrastructure transformation.

Union home minister Amit Shah said it was a “day of immense joy and pride for India”.

“… It is a grand endorsement of PM Shri @narendramodi Ji’s relentless efforts to place India on the world sports map,” he said on X.

Sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya termed it “a huge moment for Indian sports”. “Grateful to Commonwealth Sport’s Executive Board for recommending Ahmedabad as the proposed host city for the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a proud milestone for our nation,” he added on X. Backed by the Union cabinet, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) had launched the bid to bring CWG to the country earlier this year. Officials of the Commonwealth Sport also visited Ahmedabad a few times to inspect the infrastructure. Once India entered the race, it was always going to be the frontrunner to host an event that has, in the recent past, found few takers.

In a statement, Commonwealth Sport said Ahmedabad had been recommended after “a detailed process overseen by the Commonwealth Sport Evaluation Committee, which assessed candidate cities against a wide range of criteria including technical delivery, athlete experience, infrastructure, governance, and alignment with Commonwealth Sport values”.

Even before India’s ambitions of hosting the 2030 CWG and 2036 Olympics were made public, Ahmedabad was being ramped up with multi-sport infrastructure. The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, which includes the gigantic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium that hosted the ODI World Cup final in 2023, is being looked at as the central venue for the CWG, apart from the newly completed Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura.

“Ahmedabad will be ready to host the Commonwealth Games,” ID Nanavati, secretary of the Gujarat State Olympic Association, said. “Almost all the stadiums that are being newly built are either ready or will be soon. The state government is fully behind this project

Ahmedabad (TIP)-KL Rahul’s 11th hundred grounded the West Indies before Dhruv Jurel and Ravindra Jadeja followed the suit with stylish tons as India literally batted the visitors out of the opening Test taking a huge lead of 286 runs at the end of second day’s play. At stumps, India were 448 for 5 and with the West Indies spinners getting appreciable turn and bounce off the rough, the hosts will like to finish the game by the end of the third day itself and consolidate their position in the World Test Championship points table. Rahul (100 off 197 balls), Jurel (125 off 210 balls) and Jadeja (104 batting off 178 balls) had their own distinct approach to Test match batting and even interesting ways of celebrations.
Rahul’s was for his infant daughter while Jurel’s gun salute was for the Indian Army while Jadeja’s now familiar sword celebration is something people wait for.
The West Indies bowling was insipid and there was lack of energy on the field which also enabled India to actually increase their stranglehold on the opposition.
India through 128 overs scored at 3.50 runs per over which is reminiscent of Test cricket from a bygone era but also hit 45 boundaries and eight sixes—five of them by Jadeja, same shot in the same region.
While Rahul brought an end to his century drought at home by hitting his second century since December 2016, Jurel brought up his maiden Test century in only his sixth Test for India having made his debut last year.
Jadeja, whose purple patch saw the venerable all-rounder notching up his seventh score in last six Tests in excess of 50 including two hundreds since the England tour, brought up his sixth century in the format.
Jurel and Jadeja put on 206 runs for the fifth wicket for an imposing fifth-wicket stand, but they also narrowly missed breaking the record for highest fifth wicket partnership for India against West Indies, which belonged to VVS Laxman and Sachin Tendulkar who put on 214 runs at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens in October 2002.
The partnership ended when Jurel, who smacked 15 fours and three sixes got an inside edge off Khary Pierre late in the day to be caught behind for the West Indies debutant’s maiden wicket in Tests.
On the second day, India opted for a traditional approach with the bat to pile up immense pressure on the West Indies, who, at the best, remained disciplined but could not put pressure back on the hosts.
Gill and Rahul resumed India’s innings at 121 for 2 and by drinks in the first session, the deficit of 41 runs was erased with the two batters going about their jobs with ease.
In the 56th over off Pierre, Rahul reverse-swept a ball for a four which was enjoyed thoroughly by the Indian captain who tried to emulate his partner in the next. However, Roston Chase’s (2/90) delivery, which pitched on off, took a leading edge and Justin Greaves in first slip was nimble to move in direction of the ball to grab an easy catch. Gill, who added 98 runs for the third wicket with Rahul, fell immediately after completing his half-century. His innings had five boundaries.
But Rahul carried on to bring up only his second century at home in nine years and 11th overall. The right-handed batter had scored 199 in the Chennai Test against England in December 2016 and since then a triple-figure score had remained elusive.
Rahul also had his share of luck early on in the first over of the morning when an outside edge of Jayden Seales flew between the wicketkeeper and wide first slip, with neither of the fielders reacting.

Lionel Messi on Thursday, October 2, confirmed his participation in the much-anticipated GOAT Tour of India 2025, calling it an “honour” to revisit the “passionate football nation” country where he last played 14 years ago. “It is such an honor for me to make this trip. India is a very special country, and I have good memories from my time there 14 years ago — the fans were fantastic.
“India is a passionate football nation, and I look forward to meeting a new generation of fans while sharing the love I have for this beautiful game,” Messi said in an official statement.
The organisers had already unveiled the itinerary on August 15, and Messi’s statement on Thursday marked the first time the football icon himself confirmed the visit.
Messi will begin his whirlwind four-city tour in Kolkata on December 13 before travelling to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. The trip will end with a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 15. During the tour, the Argentine superstar will headline concerts, meet-and-greet sessions, food festivals, football masterclasses, and even a padel exhibition at Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium.

Texas (TIP)-In a dramatic legal gambit, USA Cricket filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy just minutes before a scheduled preliminary-injunction hearing in Colorado on its dispute with American Cricket Enterprises. The move automatically pauses the proceedings and shifts key decisions to the federal bankruptcy court. This adds a twist to the entire incident in a governance saga that has roiled American cricket for months. (reported by Cricbuzz)
This is the first instance known globally of an ICC member board declaring itself bankrupt. The filing arrived after weeks of boardroom unrest, ICC pressure over reforms, and a public rupture with ACE, the entity that backs Major Cricket League.
Under Chapter 11, USA Cricket seeks protection while it restructures its obligations. The Colorado hearing, where ACE sought a preliminary injunction, has now been effectively paused, pending the bankruptcy process. For the stakeholders, this means the bankruptcy court will now oversee immediate questions that would have been aired in Colorado.
Early bankruptcy schedules offer a first look at US Cricket’s finances: modest assets and unsecured claims of just over half a million dollars. The current player contracts, including those of several senior internationals, appear on the executory contracts schedule with end dates of December 31, 2025. This means that those deals now sit under Chapter 11 oversight and could face delays or renegotiation, subject to the approval of the court. ACE condemned the timing and intent of the filing. As quoted by Cricbuzz, an ACE representative said, “USAC could not bear for the preliminary injunction hearing to even begin, and knew the result was a forgone conclusion. It had no basis to terminate the parties’ agreement and was recklessly imperiling the success of cricket in the US. USAC has zero regard for the best interest of cricket and its players, and is only motivated by politics and its directors’ personal agendas.”
The report further claims that ACE offered to continue payments if USAC accepted a voluntary preliminary injunction, allowing the commercial agreement to run while the dispute proceeded to arbitration; however, USAC did not accept it.
The filing follows months of pressure from the ICC and USOPC, who repeatedly urged the USAC board to resign to pave the way for reforms and restart ICC clash flows, which the board declined. A separate flashpoint saw director Anj Balasu recalled by leagues amid arguments that bankruptcy was being used as leverage over the ICC. For players and pathways, the near-term picture is uncertainty around payments and planning cycles until the court sets a path forward.

Dubai (TIP)-Pakistan’s bowling unit came to the party when it mattered the most as they defended a modest 135 with all its might against Bangladesh here on Thursday, winning the Super 4s match by 11 runs to set up a maiden Asia Cup title clash with arch-rivals India.

Taking into account the simmering off-field tension between India and Pakistan, no one would be more happier than the Asian Cricket Council and the tournament’s official broadcasters, who would be laughing their way to the bank after Bangladesh made a hash of their chase.
They came close in the end though, managing 124 for nine in 20 overs.
The target could have been chased with a bit of common sense and some proper cricketing shots, but the Bangladeshi batters found every possible way to get dismissed after Shaheen Shah Afridi (3/17 in 4 overs) bowled a brilliant opening spell, taking two wickets in the powerplay.
Once Haris Rauf (3/23 in 3 overs) got rid of the opposition danger-man Saif Hassan (18), who had warmed up with two sixes, none of the other batters showed the stomach for a fight. Rauf later polished off the tail with couple of express deliveries and kept his cool to bowl the final two deliveries on spot.
The saddest part was that none of the Bangladeshi batters had a clue as to how to play the spin troika of off-break bowler Saim Ayub (2/16 in 4 overs), slow left-arm orthodox Mohammed Nawaz (1/14 in 3 overs) and wrist spinner Abrar Ahmed (0/23 in 3 overs), who put the brakes on them during the middle overs.
Shamim Hossain (30 off 26 balls) played a horrible flat-batted reverse shot off a Afridi back-of-the-hand slower ball in his final over, and Bangladesh had no chance of scoring 39 in three overs.
Earlier, Bangladesh bowlers gave a fine account of themselves in humid conditions for the second day in a row as they restricted a fancied Pakistan batting line-up to 135 for eight in the winner-takes-it-all clash.
Senior Bangladesh bowlers Mustafizur Rahaman (1/33 in 4 overs), Taskin Ahmed (3/28 in 4 overs) and leg-spinner Rishad Hossain (2/18 in 4 overs) made full use of a tacky turner as none of the top-order Pakistan batters could make significant contributions. Mohammed Haris (31 off 23 balls), their best batter in the tournament, once again kept them in the fight, with a plucky knock while Shaheen Shah Afridi (19) with a couple of sixes and a lucky Mohammed Nawaz (25 off 15 balls) also did their bit after a total of even 100 looked improbable.
It started with controversial opener Sahibzada Farhan (4) slashing a rising delivery from Taskin Ahmed and Rishad Hossain at backward point snapping it. Sahibzada was Taskin’s 100th wicket in T20 Internationals.
Saim Ayub (0), the over-rated Pakistani youngster, got his fourth duck as he couldn’t clear the mid-on against off-spinner Mahedi Hasan (2/28 in 4 overs)’s bowling.

New Delhi (TIP)- The 12th edition of the World Para Athletics Championships kicked off on September 25 at the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here, marking the first time India is hosting this prestigious global event. Scheduled from September 27 to October 5, the championship has attracted 2,200 athletes from 104 countries, competing in 184 events — 100 men’s, 83 women’s, and one mixed event.
The inauguration ceremony began with a spectacular parade of nations, followed by cultural performances that showcased the vibrancy and diversity of India. The championship’s official mascot “Viraaj” — a spirited young elephant with a blade prosthesis symbolising strength, optimism, and resilience — and the specially designed logo were unveiled, embodying India’s rich heritage and the spirit of para athletics.
Paul Fitzgerald, head of World Para Athletics, hailed the moment as historic. “It’s a historic moment, the largest para Olympics sport ever held in India. This is an important step for the development of sports. This event is about excellence but it is also about something more. Beyond its immediate physical benefits, sports can be a vehicle for physical wellbeing, tolerance and the means for raising awareness,” Fitzgerald said.
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya expressed India’s pride in hosting the championships. “It is a matter of great pride for India to host the World Para Athletics Championships for the very first time. This event reflects our commitment to empowering para athletes and providing them with the best possible platform to shine,” he said.
As the world’s eyes turn to New Delhi, the championship promises not only fierce competition but also a celebration of resilience, inclusivity, and the unifying power of sport. With athletes ready to showcase their talent and determination, the event is set to inspire millions and create lasting memories for India as a host nation.