Sports

New Delhi: With the year 2025 coming to a close and India’s international fixtures completed across formats, it’s time to look back at the standout bowlers for Team India. Here’s a look at the five bowlers who took the most wickets for India across Tests, ODIs, and T20s this year. 1. Kuldeep Yadav – Leading the ChartsSpinner Kuldeep Yadav topped the charts in 2025, claiming 60 wickets in 25 matches. His consistent performances with the ball made him India’s most successful wicket-taker of the year. 2. Varun Chakravarthy – The Mystery SpinnerVarun Chakravarthy, renowned for his mystery spin, impressed once again with 46 wickets in 24 matches. His variations troubled batsmen across formats, cementing his place as a key bowler for India. 3. Jasprit Bumrah – Experienced PacerIndia’s f...

New Delhi: India continued its dominant run in the ongoing five-match Women’s T20 series against Sri Lanka with a 7-wicket victory in the second game at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. While young opener Shafali Verma starred with a storming 69* off 34 balls, veteran batter Smriti Mandhana struggled once again, getting out cheaply for 14 runs from 11 balls. Shafali Verma Steals the ShowShafali Verma’s explosive batting helped India chase down the modest target of 129 in just 12 overs, earning her the Player of the Match award. Her aggressive stroke play ensured India maintained control throughout the chase. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and other batters contributed in supporting roles, but it was Shafali’s innings that made the difference. Smriti Mandhana Faces Setback in Ra...

New Delhi: New Zealand is set to tour India in January, featuring a 3-match ODI series followed by a 5-match T20 series. The tour is scheduled to begin on January 11, promising high-octane cricket action between the two nations. Squad Announcements and CaptainsNew Zealand has announced its squads for both formats. Michael Bracewell will lead the ODI side, while Mitchell Santner will captain the T20 team. Why Is Williamson Missing from the ODI Squad?Former New Zealand captain and star batter Kane Williamson, who has retired from T20 internationals but continues to play ODIs, will miss the ODI series against India. Williamson’s absence is due to his commitment to the SA20 League in South Africa. New Zealand Cricket confirmed, “Due to his participation in the SA20 League, Kane Williamso...

Visakhapatnam: India continued its dominant run in the ongoing five-match Women's T20 series against Sri Lanka with a convincing 7-wicket victory in the second game at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam. Having won the first match by 8 wickets, Team India now leads the series 2-0. The third T20 is scheduled to be played on December 26 in Thiruvananthapuram. Shafali Verma’s Explosive KnockIndia’s dynamic opener, Shafali Verma, played a storming innings, scoring an unbeaten 69 runs off just 34 balls at a strike rate of 202.94. Her aggressive batting powered India to chase down the target of 129 in just 11.5 overs, losing only 3 wickets. Jemimah Rodrigues contributed 26 runs, while Smriti Mandhana and captain Harmanpreet Kaur added 14 and 10 runs respectively. For Sri Lanka, Malsh...

India’s all-rounder Deepti Sharma has achieved yet another milestone, becoming the world’s No.1 T20I bowler in the latest ICC rankings. The announcement came on Tuesday, bringing changes for several Indian players in both batting and bowling categories. Deepti Tops Bowling Rankings With a rating of 737 points, Deepti Sharma narrowly edged out Australia’s pacer Annabel Sutherland, who has 736 points, to claim the top spot. Deepti’s rise to No.1 is credited to her excellent performance in India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka, where she picked up 1 wicket for just 20 runs in the opening match. The 28-year-old off-spinner had previously played a match-winning role in India’s historic victory at the 2025 Women’s World Cup, scoring a crucial fifty and taking 5 wickets in the final agai...

In a stunning feat that has rewritten T20 International cricket history, Indonesia’s fast bowler Gede Priandana achieved what even legends like Lasith Malinga, Rashid Khan, and Jason Holder could not—taking five wickets in a single over while conceding just one run. Priandana’s Record-Breaking Spell The 28-year-old part-time pacer delivered the extraordinary performance against Cambodia in Bali. On a memorable day, Priandana dismantled the opposition in just six balls, claiming five wickets and entering the record books as the first bowler in T20I history to achieve this feat. Priandana’s over began with a hat-trick—he dismissed Shah Abrar Husain, Nirmaljit Singh, and Chanthouyun Rathanak in his first three deliveries. After one dot ball, he struck again, sending Mongdara Sok and ...

India’s star athlete Neeraj Chopra and his wife Himani Mor recently met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. The Prime Minister shared photographs of the meeting on his popular social media platform X, writing: "Today, I had the pleasure of meeting Neeraj Chopra and his wife Himani Mor at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg. We discussed sports as well as several other topics." Neeraj Chopra tied the knot with Himani Mor earlier this year, on 25 January 2025. Neeraj’s Sporting Milestones 2025 has been a remarkable year for Neeraj, who surpassed the 90-meter mark in javelin throw at the Doha Diamond League, recording an impressive throw of 90.23 meters. Neeraj first rose to global prominence during the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he won India’s first-ever Olympic gold in at...

New Delhi: Afghanistan’s cricket star Rashid Khan, one of the most famous personalities in his country, cannot move freely on the streets like ordinary citizens. For his safety, he travels in a bulletproof car—a fact he revealed in an interview with former England captain Kevin Pietersen. Why Rashid Travels in a Bulletproof CarSpeaking to Pietersen, Rashid explained, “I cannot walk on the streets in Afghanistan. I have a bulletproof car. It’s for safety. No one will shoot me, but you don’t want to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. This is normal in Afghanistan. Everyone well-known has it.” The current situation in Afghanistan, under Taliban rule since 2021, remains precarious. Following the withdrawal of U.S. forces and the fleeing of then-president Ashraf Ghani, Rashid, who w...

December 23 is etched in Indian cricket history for the extraordinary performance of leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, a member of India’s legendary spin quartet. Afflicted by polio in his right arm as a child, Chandrasekhar turned his physical limitation into a unique bowling weapon, combining spin with unexpected pace, leaving the world’s best batsmen bewildered. 8 Wickets Against England at Feroz Shah KotlaOn December 23, 1972, during the third day of the first Test against England at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla, India found itself struggling at 173 in the first innings. Chandrasekhar’s brilliance shone through as he bowled 41.5 overs for just 79 runs, claiming 8 wickets. This remains his career-best performance in a Test innings, placing him among the elite bowlers with eight wickets ...

Scoring 150 or more runs in a single One Day International (ODI) innings is a remarkable feat, yet there are some cricketing legends who, despite stellar careers, never reached this milestone. Here’s a look at five such players: 1. Mahela Jayawardene – Sri LankaMahela Jayawardene, second only to Sachin Tendulkar in appearances for Sri Lanka, scored 12,650 runs in ODIs with 19 centuries and 77 fifties. However, his highest ODI score remained 144, and he never crossed the 150-run mark. 2. Shikhar Dhawan – IndiaOne of India’s premier ODI batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan amassed 6,793 runs in 167 matches at an average of over 44, including 17 centuries and 39 fifties. His highest ODI score stands at 143. 3. Jacques Kallis – South AfricaThe legendary South African all-rounder scored 11,579 runs...