Author: robin24

Jasprit Bumrah with head coach Gautam Gambhir during a training session ahead of the first Test match between India and South Africa, at Eden Gardens, in Kolkata. The match is scheduled to be held from November 14 to 18, 2025. (PTI) Ahead of the vital two-match Test series against South Africa, the Indian men’s cricket team began their practice session on Tuesday at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens, where the first match of the series will be played from November 14 to 18.Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah, Sai Sudharsan, Ravindra Jadeja, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy took part in the…

Spain and Lamine Yamal, France and Kylian Mbappé plus Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo are close to confirming their places at the 2026 World Cup. Erling Haaland’s 12 goals so far have Norway even nearer to sealing the team’s first World Cup qualification since before he was born, and edging Italy toward the playoffs where the four-time champion was shockingly eliminated in the past two editions. Germany also risks not advancing directly as a European group winner. The Germans have a possible showdown game on Monday against Slovakia in Leipzig. World Cup qualifying in Europe resumes on Thursday and…

England captain Ben Stokes with coach Brendon McCullum during a net session at The Kia Oval on July 30, 2025 in London, England. (Getty Images) Ahead of the much-anticipated men’s Ashes series in Australia, a heated debate has erupted over the limited preparation for the Three Lions, with England great Ian Botham warning that Ben Stokes’s side could find themselves underprepared for the challenges of Australian conditions.”Well, it’s not the way I would prepare,” he said, speaking in Melbourne on Tuesday.Botham, a stalwart in the history of English cricket, was a part of two victorious tours of Australia in 1978-79…

File image of Eren Elmali (right)© AFP More than 1,000 players were suspended by the Turkish Football Federation in a widening betting scandal, including national team defender Eren Elmali who has been a Champions League regular for Galatasaray this season. Elmali published a statement late Monday to explain his involvement in the case after he was pulled from the Turkey squad preparing to play World Cup qualifying games against Spain and Bulgaria. The 25-year-old Elmali posted on Instagram that he bet on a game about five years ago that did not involve his own team. He joined Galatasaray…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi bats during the Men’s U19 One Day International series match between Australia and India at Ian Healy Oval on September 21, 2025 in Brisbane, Australia. (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the India A U19 and India B U19 squads for the upcoming U19 Triangular Series, which will include Afghanistan U19 as the third team. The Junior Cricket Committee made the selections for the tournament scheduled to begin on November 17 at the BCCI COE in Bengaluru.A Father’s Pride: How RR, Dravid & Vikram Shaped Vaibhav SuryavanshiHowever, teenage…

File photo of Lamine Yamal© AFP Lamine Yamal has been released from the Spain squad for their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches after undergoing treatment, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) announced Tuesday. The federation’s medical team announced “their surprise and upset” after discovering on Monday that the 18-year-old “had undergone an invasive radiofrequency procedure to treat his pubic discomfort that same morning”, a statement Tuesday said. Yamal had been due to report for international duty on Monday for the start of the Spain team’s training camp. “This procedure was performed without prior notification to the national team’s…

Former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has shared his insights on Shubman Gill’s workload while playing all three formats and endorsed Dhruv Jurel’s potential inclusion in the upcoming Test match against South Africa.Ashwin discussed Gill’s ability to handle playing across all three formats in a recent video on his YouTube channel Ash ki Baat.No off days as captain Shubman Gill, coach Gautam Gambhir arrive in Kolkata for Test series”It is slightly easier for Shubman Gill because he is playing all three formats. Obviously, in red-ball it will be challenging. The ball will move. You will have to give respect to the…

File photo of Cristiano Ronaldo© AFP Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday said next year’s World Cup would be his last as he winds down one of the all-time great careers. The 40-year-old forward, with more than 950 club and international goals, also said he would retire from football in “one or two years”. “Definitely, yes,” he told a Saudi forum by video link, when asked if 2026 would be his World Cup swansong. “I’m gonna be 41 years old and I think it will be the moment.” Ronaldo, who began a lucrative stint at Saudi Arabia’s Al…

Xavier Bartlett of Australia (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images) NEW DELHI: When a 6-foot-2-inch tall, broad-shouldered, fire-breathing Xavier Bartlett grabbed the ball during the second ODI at the Adelaide Oval, most of the world still remembered him as a champion swimmer who had won numerous accolades. But destiny had other plans. Bartlett fell in love with cricket and traded the pool for the pitch, swapping water for willow. A talented backstroke specialist, he had once dominated state-level swimming competitions, collecting medals with ease.Just as he used to slice through the water, Bartlett tore through India’s batting lineup in only his…

NEW DELHI: Indian pacer Mohammed Siraj exuded confidence ahead of India’s upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) series against defending champions South Africa, calling it a “crucial” contest in the new WTC cycle.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!India, placed third on the WTC points table, will host South Africa in a two-Test series starting Friday. While the Proteas began their title defence with a 1-1 draw in Pakistan, India are buoyed by their recent success — a drawn series in England followed by a home win over the West Indies.No off days as captain Shubman Gill, coach…