Sports

Afghanistan’s Mohammad Saleem, left, looks heavenwards, after taking five wickets. (AP Photo) TimesofIndia.com in Mullanpur: Three years ago, when Rana Naved-ul-Hasan arrived at Afghanistan’s high-performance centre in Kabul as bowling coach, one young fast bowler immediately grabbed his attention. Mohammad Saleem Safi, a lanky pacer from Baghlan province, was bowling with genuine pace and troubling…

Virat Kohli and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image: RCB/Screengrab) Rajasthan Royals sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has opened up on his memorable interaction with Virat Kohli after the IPL 2026 final, admitting that speaking to his childhood idol felt “like a dream” and how he admired the cap signed by him.The 15-year-old batting prodigy, who enjoyed a record-breaking season…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Photo by @BCCI on X) NEW DELHI: The BCCI has decided to allow teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s parents to accompany him on the upcoming tours of Ireland and England, with the board set to bear all expenses in a bid to help the 15-year-old adjust to life in the senior Indian team.BCCI secretary…

Rishabh Pant (Image credit: X) NEW DELHI: Afghanistan missed a golden opportunity to dismiss the in-form Rishabh Pant on Day 2 of the one-off Test at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.The incident occurred in the 89th over of India’s innings when Azmatullah Omarzai induced a loud caught-behind appeal against…

R Praggnanandhaa and Magnus Carlsen (Freestyle Chess | Lennart Ootes) Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa completed a remarkable comeback to win the Norway Chess 2026 title, earning praise from none other than World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen after a stunning finish to the tournament.The 20-year-old scripted history in Oslo by becoming the first Indian to win…

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s skipper Rajat Patidar. (ANI Photo) Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has openly questioned the national selectors after Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Rajat Patidar was left out of India’s latest T20I squad despite another stellar Indian Premier League campaign.The BCCI officially announced India’s squad for the upcoming T20I series against Ireland, England and…

Yashasvi Jaiswal replace Virat Kohli (AP Photo) Atul Wassan, former India cricketer believes Virat Kohli‘s absence from the upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Team India. According to Wassan, the break will help manage Kohli’s workload ahead of the 2027 ODI World Cup while also…

Afghanistan’s biggest weakness turned out to be their spin resources. With their established stars unavailable due to T20 league commitments around the world, the responsibility fell on Nangeyalia Kharote and off-spinner Abdul Malik. However, the pair lacked the penetration required to challenge a batting line-up of India’s calibre. Kharote conceded 95 runs in 20 overs…

Three months after leading India to the T20 World Cup title, Suryakumar Yadav has not only lost the captaincy but also his place in India’s T20I setup, with the selectors deciding that the 35-year-old no longer fits into the team’s plans for the next cycle.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar revealed that the decision was driven by…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi surpasses Sachin Tendulkar (Image: X) Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has emerged as the biggest talking point from India’s latest squad announcements after earning his maiden senior national call-up and moving closer to becoming the youngest debutant in Indian men’s cricket history.The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has named the 15-year-old batting sensation…