Sports

Doha: World No.1 chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen was once again seen losing his temper following a defeat—this time at the hands of India’s rising star Arjun Erigaisi. The incident occurred during the FIDE World Blitz Championship in Doha, and the moment, captured on video, has quickly gone viral. Carlsen’s Frustration on Display Carlsen, who holds the World Blitz and World Rapid titles, has previously displayed frustration in high-stakes matches. Earlier this year, he reacted similarly after losing to India’s D. Gukesh at the Norway Chess tournament. In Doha, his recent loss to Erigaisi saw him slam his hand on the table in anger, reflecting his high expectations and competitive intensity. Erigaisi Outplays the Champion Arjun Erigaisi has been in remarkable form throughout th...

New Delhi: With the T20 World Cup 2026 set to begin on 7 February in India and Sri Lanka, Australia has received a major setback. Explosive batter Tim David has been ruled out of the ongoing Big Bash League (BBL) due to a hamstring injury, raising concerns ahead of the global tournament. David Out of Big Bash Tim David, representing Hobart Hurricanes, suffered a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring while running between the wickets during a match against Perth Scorchers. The Hurricanes confirmed the injury, stating, “Tim David has sustained a Grade 2 strain in his right hamstring during a recent Big Bash match and will be unavailable for the remaining games of the tournament.” Experience in Indian Conditions Despite the setback, hopes remain that David will recover in time for...

New Delhi: Indian off-spinner Deepti Sharma is on the verge of making history in women’s T20 International cricket. With just one wicket needed, Sharma can surpass Australia’s Megan Schutt to become the highest wicket-taker in T20Is. India’s Bowling Legend in the Making The record for most wickets in women’s ODIs belongs to India’s own Jhulan Goswami, who retired in 2022 with 255 wickets. In T20Is, Australia’s fast bowler Megan Schutt currently holds the record with 151 wickets in 123 matches. Deepti Sharma, with 151 wickets from 132 matches, has equaled Schutt’s tally and is poised to surpass it in the final match of the T20 series against Sri Lanka today. Sharma made her international debut for India in 2016 and has maintained an impressive economy rate of 6.11 in T20Is. Only on...

New Delhi: Actress and model Khushi Mukherjee has made headlines once again, this time for her comments about Indian T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav. Known for her bold statements and fashion choices, Khushi revealed that several cricketers had shown interest in her, and that Yadav used to message her frequently. Khushi stated, “Many cricketers were after me. Suryakumar Yadav used to message me often, but we don’t talk much now. I don’t want to get involved, and I prefer not to have any link-ups. So, essentially, there’s no link-up.” Who is Khushi Mukherjee? Born on 24 November 1996 in Kolkata, Khushi Mukherjee started her acting career in 2013 with the Tamil film Anjal Thurai. She later appeared in Telugu films such as Donga Prema and Heart Attack, and in the Hindi film Shringar. He...

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have found a promising candidate to fill the void left by Matheesha Pathirana in the death overs for IPL 2026. Pathirana, who had been CSK’s go-to bowler at the death for several seasons, was released ahead of the IPL 2025 auction. Despite attempts, CSK could not acquire a specialized death-over bowler during the mini-auction. Nathan Ellis: The New Death Overs Threat Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has endorsed Australian pacer Nathan Ellis as a strong contender to handle CSK’s death overs. Ellis, who plays for Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League, impressed with his precise yorkers and slower deliveries. Ashwin highlighted Ellis’ performance against Melbourne Renegades on social media, noting, “4-0-30-3 overall, and crucially 2-0-15...

Mumbai: Ahead of the 2026 season of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), former Australian leg-spinner Kristen Beams has joined the defending champions Mumbai Indians as their spin bowling coach. The franchise officially announced her appointment on Monday. In a video shared on Instagram, Beams said, “This is my first role as a coach here. Working alongside legends like Jhulan Goswami, against whom I’ve played cricket, is an incredible opportunity.” Excited to Join a Winning Environment Beams added, “It’s amazing to see how this team has maintained a winning culture over such a long period. Everyone talks about how connected the players are—it truly feels like a family. As a coach, that’s exactly the kind of environment you want to be part of. Joining a team that knows how to win is ...

New Delhi: Indian opener Smriti Mandhana is on the verge of a historic milestone. In the fifth and final ODI against Sri Lanka today, if Mandhana scores 62 runs, she will surpass Shubman Gill to become the highest run-scorer in international cricket in 2025 across both men’s and women’s formats. Mandhana’s Stellar Year Mandhana has been in sensational form throughout 2025. While her T20 series against Sri Lanka started modestly, she delivered a commanding 80-run performance in the fourth match. With this innings, she also crossed the 10,000-run mark in international cricket. Heading into the final ODI, Mandhana has accumulated 1,703 runs across formats this year. Currently, Shubman Gill leads the international run charts for 2025 with 1,764 runs. Mandhana is just 62 runs shy of ov...

New Delhi: Indian cricket has been abuzz with speculation about the future of Test team head coach Gautam Gambhir following the team’s recent struggles. Amid reports suggesting that Gambhir might be replaced, possibly by VVS Laxman, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has firmly denied any such plans. BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla clarified in a statement to ANI, “I want to put to rest all rumors regarding Coach Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI has no plans to remove him or appoint a new coach in his place.” BCCI Secretary Devjit Saikia also dismissed the speculation as baseless, stating, “This news is completely false and speculative. Some major news agencies have circulated it, but there is no truth to it. The BCCI strongly denies these claims. People may speculate, but th...

Jaipur: Chennai Super Kings’ uncapped all-rounder Ramakrishna Ghosh has announced himself on the big stage with a sensational bowling performance in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. Representing Maharashtra against Himachal Pradesh at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Ghosh claimed 7 wickets for just 42 runs in 9.4 overs, marking the best bowling spell by any Maharashtra bowler in the tournament’s history. The previous record was held by Dominic Muthuswami, who had taken 6 wickets for 25 runs against Mumbai in 2014. CSK’s Strategic Retention Pays OffCSK retained 16 players ahead of IPL 2026, including Ghosh, who was bought for ₹30 lakh in the IPL 2025 auction but did not get a single match opportunity that season. His stellar domestic performance now justifies CSK’s faith in him and highlights why the fr...

December 29 marks the birthday of one of cricket’s most explosive and, for India, most ‘unlucky’ opponents—Australia’s Travis Head. The left-handed powerhouse stunned Indian fans twice in 2023 by scoring centuries in two ICC tournament finals, denying India major trophies in the same year. World Cup Heroics Despite InjuryBorn on December 29, 1993, in Adelaide, Head had suffered a fractured hand just before the 2023 ODI World Cup. Initially sidelined, he returned mid-tournament, plaster removed, to face New Zealand and smashed a brilliant 109 off 67 balls. Though he struggled in the next three matches, including a duck, he rose to the occasion in the semifinals against South Africa. Chasing a modest 213, Australia was 5 wickets down for 137, looking defeated, but Head scored 62 runs off ...