Sports

NEW DELHI: A week before India begins their five-match Test series against England in Leeds, head coach Gautam Gambhir has flown back home due to a family emergency. Gambhir had been with the Indian team at Beckenham ahead of their intra-squad practice match starting on Friday.

MUMBAI: Kiwi legend Scott Curry and Spanish captain Pol Pla Vegue have been named co-captains for the Bengaluru Bravehearts in the upcoming Rugby Premier League starting on June 15 at the Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai.

LODNON: Former Australia opener Matthew Hayden highlighted Pat Cummins' pivotal role in restricting South Africa in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord's, saying the Aussie skipper does everything right and lauded the right-arm pacer for completing 300 Test wickets despite not playing the format for over five years after his debut.

CALIFORNIA: Finn Allen stole the show on the opening night of Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 with a historic innings, smashing a 51-ball 151 to power the San Francisco Unicorns to a massive 123-run victory over defending champions Washington Freedom.

LONDON: Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has lauded South Africa towering pacer Marco Jansen for his ultra competitive streak and opined that he will be the best all-rounders in Test match cricket in the world in the next couple of years.

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur have announced the appointment of Thomas Frank as a new head coach on a contract that runs until 2028.

NAGPUR: Bharat Rangers chased down 200 runs to beat Nagpur Titans by 5 wickets and set up a semifinal clash with NECO Master Blaster in the Vidarbha Pro T20 League (VPTL) 2025 played at the VCA Stadium, Jamtha, near here on Thursday.

DHAKA: As Bangladesh embark on their new World Test Championship (WTC) journey with a two-Test series in Sri Lanka, skipper Najmul Hossain Shanto isn't just concerned about who walks out to open the innings. Instead, he’s focused on long-term growth, leadership continuity and building a team that can punch above its weight in red-ball cricket.

MUMBAI: All-rounder Radha Yadav will replace injured Shuchi Upadhyay in India's squad for the upcoming white-ball tour of England, starting later this month.

NEW DELHI: India batter Karun Nair, who is making his comeback to the red-ball team after a hiatus of eight years, is excited to make the most of the opportunity in the upcoming five-match Test series against England starting on June 20.

NEW DELHI: Ahead of commencing the upcoming England tour, India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Test captain Shubman Gill had a brief but impactful address to the team, which will be without the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin, who have retired from the format.

NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has expressed his excitement for the upcoming five-Test series against England, sharing a picture of himself donning a Test jersey on social media.

LONDON: Former South Africa fast bowling great Dale Steyn lavished praise on Proteas' pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada for his scintillating bowling show on the opening day of the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's, saying once the right-armer gets an opportunity, he bags the wicket.

The Punjab Kings have never lacked talent. What they’ve lacked is direction. Season after season, fans hoped. Players changed, captains rotated, but results barely budged. They’ve been a side full of sparks, never quite catching fire. In 2025, though, something’s different. You can feel it. Not in the flashy signings or new kits—but in the dugout.

GWALIOR: The second edition of the Madhya Pradesh League (MPL) T20 is set to kick off in Gwalior from June 12 to June 24 at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium. The excitement is set to go up a notch with the announcement of a commentary panel that will lead the tournament coverage across television and digital platforms.

LONDON: Former captain Ricky Ponting has heaped praise on Beau Webster, who came to the rescue in Australia’s first innings of the World Test Championship final against South Africa at Lord's, saying the allrounder "looked completely ready" as the scorecard looked "a whole lot different" with his knock of 70.

RAJKOT: In a thrilling contest, Aryan Sorath Lions defeated Zalawad Strikers in a Super Over in a Saurashtra Pro T20 League match played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday. Jay Gohil’s century, the first of the event, went in vain as his team lost the match even after competing till the last ball of the game.

There’s something about a run chase that gets the blood pumping. You feel it in the crowd’s roar, in the batters’ urgency, and in the rising tension as every over ticks down. In the IPL—cricket’s boldest, brashest stage—run chases aren’t just a part of the game. They’re the climax, the moment everything builds toward.

GWALIOR: The second season of the Madhya Pradesh League is set to begin with a blockbuster opening clash between Gwalior Cheetahs and debutants Chambal Ghariyals on June 12 at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium.

MUNICH: Arjun Babuta will renew his chase of Sheng Lihao, China’s reigning Olympic champion and world record holder and Sandeep Singh returns to the international fold after his Paris Olympics outing as India continue their quest for coveted World Cup medals on Day 3 of competitions at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup (Rifle/Pistol) on Thursday.

AHMEDABAD: U Mumba TT will have their sights set on a semi-final berth when they take on playoffs-bound Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) on Thursday. There is a lot on the line for Delhi, too, who are aiming to become the first team in history to pass through the league stage unbeaten.

MANCHESTER: Manchester City have announced the signing of Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders on a five-year deal. The 26-year-old Netherlands international joins from AC Milan, where he has spent the last two seasons.

NEW DELHI: After India’s 0-1 loss to Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers, former India captain Bhaichung Bhutia strongly criticised the All India Football Federation (AIFF) for reportedly offering players a USD 50,000 bonus had they won the game.

ANTIGUA: Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced its 16-member squad for the three-match home Test series against Australia, which begins on June 25 at Kensington Oval in Barbados for the coveted Sir Frank Worrell Trophy, bringing back Shai Hope and John Campbell.

NEW DELHI: West Indies dynamic batter Nicholas Pooran, who has announced his retirement from international cricket, has been named the MI New York captain ahead of the 2025 season of the Major League Cricket.

RAJKOT: Commanding performances both with the bat and ball helped Dita Gohilwad Titans to register their second win in the Saurashtra Pro T20 League, beating MD Kutch Riders by 18 runs at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

MUMBAI: Fueled by Akash Parkar's all-around play and Ishan Mulchandani's impressive half-century, Shreyas Iyer's SoBo Mumbai Falcons secured a spot in the T20 Mumbai League 2025 final with a five-wicket victory over the Bandra Blasters. They will face Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals on Thursday in the final.

NEW DELHI: Hockey India on Tuesday announced the Indian junior men’s team for the upcoming Four Nations Tournament, scheduled to be held in Berlin, Germany from June 21-25. The prestigious competition will feature four strong contenders - India, Spain, Australia and hosts Germany.

MANCHESTER: Manchester City have appointed Pepijn Lijnders as assistant coach, while James French joined as set-piece coach as part of Pep Guardiola’s first team coaching set-up.

LEEDS: Division One County Championship side Yorkshire County Cricket Club have announced the overseas signing of Indian batter Ruturaj Gaikwad on Tuesday.

AHMEDABAD: Placed third at the time of writing, Jaipur Patriots will take on seventh-placed PBG Pune Jaguars in a must-win tie for both outfits in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Wednesday.

LONDON: South Africa fast bowler Lungi Ngidi has lauded his teammate Keshav Maharaj's work ethic and was willing to "put the house" on left-arm spinner being the first cricketer to arrive at Lord’s and commence his preparations for the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, starting on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: India pacer Arshdeep Singh, who is eyeing his potential Test debut in the upcoming England series, is sweating hard to get into the groove and make things difficult for the home batters whenever he gets the opportunity.

NEW DELHI: The Indian men’s hockey team has not had the best start to the European leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024/25. While the narrow defeats against the Netherlands are now in the past, the team is now preparing for its next challenge against Argentina in Amsterdam.

PARIS: Formula 1 and the FIA have announced the calendar for the 2026 Formula One World Championship, with drivers and teams set to embark on another 24-round campaign as new technical regulations and 100% advanced sustainable fuels come into play.