Sports

New Delhi: The IPL 2026 mini-auction is scheduled to take place on December 16 in Abu Dhabi, featuring only 350 players from an initial pool of 1,355 who registered for the auction. Nearly 1,000 names have already been excluded following extensive discussions between the BCCI and franchises. Final List Includes 35 New NamesThe final auction list includes 35 new entrants who were not part of the initial spreadsheet. Among these, South African wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock has made a surprising return. Having recently come out of international retirement, de Kock’s previous IPL season was underwhelming, leading Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to release him. His base price for this auction has been set at ₹1 crore, half of last season’s amount, and he will feature in the third lot of t...

Cuttack: All eyes will be on India’s star fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah as the team takes the field against South Africa in the first T20 match of the series at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack. Bumrah has a chance to achieve a historic milestone that no Indian bowler has accomplished so far—becoming the first Indian to take 100 wickets across all three international formats. Bumrah’s T20 Record and OpportunityBumrah currently has 99 wickets in T20 Internationals, having made his debut in this format for India in 2016. Over 80 T20 matches, he has maintained an impressive average of 18.11, with his best performance being 3 wickets for just 7 runs. While Arshdeep Singh currently holds the record for most T20I wickets for India with 105 dismissals in 68 matches, Bumrah is just one wicket away from j...

New Delhi: WWE legend and India’s first major WWE superstar, The Great Khali, is set to return to the wrestling ring in January 2026 after an eight-year hiatus. Standing at an imposing 7 feet, Khali made his WWE debut in 2006 at Judgment Day, defeating The Undertaker and creating a massive impact in the wrestling world. Stellar WWE Career and World Heavyweight ChampionshipKhali’s WWE career was marked by several high-profile victories. After being drafted to RAW, he defeated Kane at WrestleMania 23 and later faced then-champion John Cena. In June 2007, Khali won a 20-man Battle Royal on RAW, claiming his first and only World Heavyweight Championship, which he held for three months. Over the years, Khali also portrayed entertaining characters, such as the Punjabi Playboy. His contract wi...

New Delhi: Indian left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the star of the three-match ODI series against South Africa, taking 9 wickets at an average of 20.78, and earning the Impact Player of the Series award. His brilliant bowling performance played a pivotal role in India clinching the series 2-1. Kuldeep Yadav’s Stellar Performance Kuldeep Yadav dominated with the ball across all three ODIs: 1st ODI (Ranchi): 4 wickets for 68 runs 2nd ODI: 1 wicket for 78 runs 3rd ODI: 4 wickets to seal the series This stellar display took Kuldeep’s career ODI tally to 191 wickets in 117 matches, at an average of 26.29. He emerged as the highest wicket-taker in the series against South Africa. A Light-Hearted Moment with Virat Kohli Following the award ceremony, a video share...

New Delhi: Ahead of the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26, Indian cricket icons Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have announced their participation in the domestic one-day tournament. Their decision has sparked widespread debate, with media reports suggesting that the senior players were under pressure to play. Former cricketers had appealed to the BCCI to allow the veteran duo—popularly known as Ro-Ko—to make the decision themselves. After remaining silent, the BCCI has now clarified the matter. Allegations of Pressure Some media reports claimed that the BCCI instructed Rohit and Virat to play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy if they wanted to feature in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Following India’s poor performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia earlier this year, the board d...

New Delhi: The India vs South Africa T20 series kicks off on 9 December in Cuttack, featuring five exciting matches. With the T20 World Cup 2026 just around the corner, this series carries immense significance for both teams. Ahead of the first match, here’s a look at the top five run-scorers in T20 Internationals between India and South Africa. 1. David Miller – 524 Runs South Africa’s explosive batsman David Miller leads the charts, scoring 524 runs in 25 T20Is against India at an average of 35 and a strike rate of 147. His tally includes one century and two fifties, making him a consistent threat for the Indian bowling attack. 2. Rohit Sharma – 429 Runs India’s opener Rohit Sharma has scored 429 runs in 18 matches against South Africa. He marked his first T20I century agains...

Hyderabad: Baroda’s young opener Amit Passi created history in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring a century on his T20 debut. The 26-year-old smashed a record-breaking 114 runs off just 55 balls, including 10 fours and 9 sixes, becoming only the third Indian cricketer to achieve a T20 century on debut. Explosive Debut Knock Passi reached his century in just 44 balls, displaying aggressive stroke play and commanding the opposition bowlers. His innings featured a 75-run partnership in 33 balls with captain Vishnu Solanki, who contributed 25 runs. Following Passi, Bhanu Puniya added a quick-fire 28* off 15 balls, further bolstering Baroda’s Top T20 Debut Centuries by Indian Players PlayerScoreTeamOpponentYearAmit Passi114BarodaIndian Army2025Shivam Bhandari106ChandigarhHimachal ...

Curated By: Rishikesh Kumar | Navbharat Times | 8 Dec 2025, 10:57 AM IST Hyderabad: In a stunning performance during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Baroda’s young opener Amit Passi made history by scoring a century on his T20 debut. The 26-year-old struck a record-breaking 114 runs off just 55 balls, including 10 fours and 9 sixes, making him only the third Indian player to score a T20 century on debut. Record-Breaking Knock Playing for Baroda, Passi reached his century in just 44 balls, showcasing explosive stroke play and dominance over the opposition bowling attack. His innings included a 75-run partnership in 33 balls with captain Vishnu Solanki, who contributed 25 runs. Following Passi, Bhanu Puniya played a quick 28* off 15 balls to further boost the team’s total. T20 Debut...

Bhubaneswar: The Indian cricket team has arrived in Bhubaneswar ahead of the first T20 International against South Africa at the Barabati Stadium on Tuesday. Shubman Gill, who missed the earlier matches due to a neck injury, has also joined the squad and been declared fully fit by the BCCI Centre of Excellence. Gill Back in Action Shubman Gill, sidelined since the Kolkata Test due to a neck injury, had also missed the ODI series. On arrival in Bhubaneswar, he is expected to participate in net practice on Monday. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir confirmed that Gill is fully ready for international cricket. "Shubman is fit, fine, and eager to play. That’s why he has been selected for the T20 series," Gambhir said after India’s third ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday night. Gill ...

Bengaluru: Ahead of IPL 2026, there were speculations that Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) might have to shift their home matches from the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. The stadium had been under scrutiny after a tragic stampede in 2025 that claimed 11 lives during celebrations of RCB’s IPL 2025 title win. As a result, several major events, including Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 matches, had to be relocated. Deputy CM Assures Fans Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister R.D.K. Shivakumar has reassured RCB fans that all IPL home matches will continue at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. Shivakumar said, "Moving IPL matches from Chinnaswamy Stadium is out of the question. This is a matter of pride for Bengaluru and Karnataka. We will ensure that IPL matches remain here. I am a cricket fan m...