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Jannik Sinner clinched his third Grand Slam title at 23, beating Zverev in Australian Open. Despite facing doping controversy, he shows unmatched talent and potential.

Jannik Sinner: Truly ‘Sin-sensational’!

At 23, Jannik Sinner wins his third Grand Slam, beating Zverev in the Australian Open final. Despite doping appeal challenges, his on-court prowess is unmatched.

Jannik Sinner claimed his third Grand Slam title. Challenges loom with doping appeals in 2024, but his prowess on the court continues to impress.

Jannik Sinner is making tennis history with every tournament he plays. At just 23, the world number one won his third Grand Slam title by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the Australian Open final. With this win, he became the first Italian man to win three major titles, cementing his place as one of the sport&rsquo;s brightest stars.&nbsp;
15 Months of Dominance
Sinner&rsquo;s rise over the past 15 months has been incredible. Many fans will remember the moment in October 2023 when he was visibly sick and vomiting courtside during a match at the China Open. Despite this, Sinner won that match...the tournament, and has been almost unstoppable ever since.
His maturity has been a big part of his success. Co-coach Darren Cahill praised him, saying, &ldquo;Sometimes you don&rsquo;t believe he&rsquo;s only 23. He&rsquo;s more mature than his age.&rdquo;
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/679737cf5b1f0_1737963471.jpeg" width="365" height="205">
His stats say the same story. &nbsp;In 2024, Sinner saved 73.7% of break-points and ranked second for tie-break wins (75%). His serve has also improved significantly, with a 29% increase in aces compared to the year before.
What truly sets Sinner apart is his ability to shine in big moments. He hasn&rsquo;t faced a single break point in his last 10 straight-set wins against top-10 opponents&mdash;a record unmatched since ATP rankings began in 1973.
What&rsquo;s Next for Sinner?
However, Sinner&rsquo;s future isn&rsquo;t entirely certain. In 2024, he tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol. While an independent tribunal cleared him of any wrongdoing, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision. A hearing in April will determine if he faces a ban.
Despite the uncertainty, Sinner continues to thrive under pressure. His coach Simone Vagnozzi believes Sinner performs best in challenging situations, saying, &ldquo;He likes to be in a storm.&rdquo; As tennis legend Pat Cash put it, &ldquo;Sinner, if he&rsquo;s not already, is going to be one of the greatest players we&rsquo;ve ever seen.&rdquo; While questions linger off the court, Sinner&rsquo;s dominance on it leaves no doubt about his potential to shape the future of men&rsquo;s tennis.

The IPL 2026 will be held from March 26 to May 31, with RCB’s home opener at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pending safety clearance following fan fatalities during 2025 celebrations.

IPL 2026: Uncertainty Over Opening Match Venue Amid Safety Concerns

The IPL 2026 will be held from March 26 to May 31, with RCB&rsquo;s home opener at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium pending safety clearance following fan fatalities during 2025 celebrations.

The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League will be held between the March 26 to May 31 window but it remains to be seen if Bengaluru, the home of RCB, holds the opening match.&nbsp;
As per the norms, the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium should host the tournament opener given the home side, Royal Challengers Bengaluru won the IPL 2025 title.&nbsp;
While the venue has received conditional clearance from the Karnataka state government, it also needs to meet the necessary safety and security standards following the death of 11 fans in a stampede during RCB's victory celebrations in June this year.&nbsp;
The mini-auction for IPL 2026 will be held in Abu Dhabi today with three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders coming in with the biggest purse

Veteran Usman Khawaja misses out on Australia’s playing XI for the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald leading the top order.

Khawaja Out as Australia Retains Head for Third Ashes Test

Veteran Usman Khawaja misses out on Australia&rsquo;s playing XI for the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval, with Travis Head and Jake Weatherald leading the top order.

Veteran Usman Khawaja has missed selection to Australia's team for the third Ashes test against England, with Travis Head kept at the top of the batting lineup alongside Jake Weatherald.
Just two days away from his 39th birthday, Khawaja was a notable omission Tuesday from Australia's XI for the test beginning Wednesday at Adelaide Oval. Australia leads the five-test series 2-0 and can retain the Ashes with a win or draw in Adelaide. England named its team Monday.
Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon will return to the bowling attack at the expense of Brendan Doggett and Michael Neser, while the top seven is unchanged. That means Josh Inglis will remain in the side at No. 7, while Khawaja was not included after missing the Brisbane test with back spasms.
Khawaja had enjoyed one of the great late-career resurgences since his recall to the test team at the start of 2022, starring at the top of the order. He averaged 58.7 in his first two years back in the side, but has now passed 50 just twice in his past 27 test innings.
Cummins said he doesn't feel Khawaja is finished as a test player. &ldquo;The selectors have been quite adamant about picking a side each week,&rdquo; Cummins said. "It doesn't necessarily mean it's got to be exactly the same team as the previous week. We do that with bowlers.
&ldquo;One of Uzzy's great strengths is he's scored runs at the top. He's scored runs in the middle. So absolutely, I can see a path back at some point, if needed.&rdquo;
Steve Smith was the first in the nets to bat on Tuesday after missing Monday's session due to an unspecified illness. Smith captained Australia in the first two test victories due to Cummins' injury absence.
Lineups:
Australia: Jake Weatherald, Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith (captain), Cameron Green, Alex Carey, Josh Inglis, Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Scott Boland.
England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith, Will Jacks, Josh Tongue, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer.

England and Australia players will wear black armbands and flags will fly at half-staff during the Ashes Test in Adelaide to honour victims of the Bondi beach shootings.

Cricket Teams Pay Tribute to Bondi Beach Shooting Victims

England and Australia players will wear black armbands and flags will fly at half-staff during the Ashes Test in Adelaide to honour victims of the Bondi beach shootings.

England and Australia players will wear black armbands and flags at Adelaide Oval will be flown at half-staff on Wednesday in an Ashes tribute to the victims of the Bondi beach shootings.
On Sunday night, two gunmen killed 15 people and injured dozens more at the iconic beach in Sydney. Their target was members of Sydney's Jewish community celebrating the start of Hannukah in what authorities said was an antisemitic act of terrorism.
Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board issued a joint statement saying: "All of our thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, the Jewish community and the people of Australia at this deeply distressing time. Our condolences go out to all those affected. We stand with you.&rdquo;
Australia captain Pat Cummins said "my heart goes out to the victims, their families, the people of Bondi and our Jewish community during this time. If you can, please book an appointment to donate blood.&rdquo;
Cricket Australia said Tuesday that veteran Australian folk singer John Williamson would join tributes to the victims at the start of Wednesday's match, the third in the five-test series which Australia leads 2-0.
Williamson will perform his fabled song &ldquo;True Blue&rdquo; before play begins. Williamson will follow a moment's silence and precede the Indigenous &ldquo;Welcome to Country&rdquo; and the Australian and England anthems.
&ldquo;This is a tragic time for all Australians and the thoughts of everyone in the cricket world are with the victims of this terrible event, their families, friends and the Jewish community," Cricket Australia chief executive Todd Greenberg said in a statement Tuesday.
&ldquo;While sport can seem insignificant at times like this, we have the unusual opportunity to bring millions of people together to pay tribute, to console and to contemplate what we want our nation to be. I'm grateful John has agreed to perform True Blue' which has at its essence the ideal of Australians from all backgrounds sharing the same hopes and aspirations."

Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer, Liam Livingstone and other all-rounders are set to dominate the IPL 2025 mini-auction, with KKR and CSK expected to make aggressive bids.

Cameron Green, KKR, CSK Eye IPL Mini-Auction Windfall

Cameron Green, Venkatesh Iyer, Liam Livingstone and other all-rounders are set to dominate the IPL 2025 mini-auction, with KKR and CSK expected to make aggressive bids.

Cameron Green could well be the biggest beneficiary of IPL's skewed demand-supply market dynamic surrounding seam-bowling all-rounders during the mini-auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday with Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings seemingly ready to break the bank for the Australian.
The 10 teams need to fill up 77 slots with a cumulative purse of Rs 237.55 crore and among them, Mumbai Indians (Rs 2.75 crore) will hardly have any role to play save picking a few uncapped players at their base price. Green, along with out-of-favour India all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer and English dasher Liam Livingstone, is likely to enjoy a handsome payday.
Kolkata Knight Riders, with a purse of 64.30 crore and an eye on rebuilding the outfit with 13 slots to fill, can only be challenged by Chennai Super Kings, who enter the mini-auction with a purse of Rs 43.40 crore.
The mini-auction is always more intriguing than the mega auction as franchises come with specific choices and are always ready to go the distance to procure the services of players with distinct skill-sets.
Pace bowling all-rounders always come at a premium and therefore, the troika of Green, Venkatesh Iyer and West Indies' Jason Holder, all coming at the highest base price of Rs 2 crore (USD 220,000), are set to headline the bidding war. If one looks at their IPL stats, Green, especially, has middling numbers -- 704 runs and 16 wickets in the 29 matches -- but the mini-auction is more demand-driven activity and an Australian all-format regular is certain to get traction.
When it comes to Venkatesh, everyone save KKR CEO Venky Mysore, believed that an auction bid of Rs 23.75 crore was way too high and the player had his worst season trying to justify the price.
Having also released Andre Russell, who is the team's new "Power Coach", KKR are in need of at least two good top order batters and one all-rounder. The third of three pace-bowling all-rounders, Holder, may be a low key name but he is equally adept at using the long handle and bowl those heavy balls, making him useful in a smaller auction with lesser options.
Green will get only Rs 18 crore
There is buzz that Green might surpass countryman Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the overseas player with the highest price tag at an IPL auction but there would still remain a catch.
Even if Green's bid goes northwards of Rs 25 crore, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (USD 1.9 million). The bid amount and players' salary would be mutually exclusive with the former being deducted from team's annual player purse.
The reason being IPL's "maximum-fee" rule which states that a foreign player's maximum fee at a mini auction will be the lower value between the highest retention slab (Rs 18 crore) and the highest price at the previous mega auction (Rs 27 crore for Rishabh Pant in 2025).
In case of Venkatesh, it will be interesting if his bid value goes over and above Rs 10 crore (USD 1.1 million), which is a fair deal given his skill-set and capabilities. In a mini-auction, there is no scope for using the Right To Match (RTM) card and hence KKR, if they want to get back Venkatesh, will have to make some smart calls.
Livingstone, De Kock could be in high demand
England swashbuckler Liam Livingstone, who can also bowl handy spin is another player, who can hit the million dollar mark (Rs 9 crore) along with Quinton de Kock, who has time and again shown that he is a match-winner with the bat aside from being safe as a house behind the stumps. For Livingstone, destroying Rashid Khan's mystery by smashing him for 26 runs in a 'Hundred' game for Birmingham Phoenix is likely to make him sought-after name.
Uncapped Indians Prashant Veer, and Mukul Choudhary will attract bidders while Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan would also hope that their low base price of Rs 75 lakh finds takers.
Pathirana, Duffy and uncapped Ashok Sharma&nbsp;
Matheesha Pathirana was released by CSK but teams like Lucknow Super Giants (purse of Rs 22.95 crore) might bid aggressively as their fast bowling resources look depleted despite the presence of Mohammed Shami and a perennially injured Mayank Yadav. However, Pathirana is believed to have remodelled his action but whether CSK will be interested in him is a big question.
Also on the list is Jacob Duffy, the New Zealand paceman who has already made a name for himself in the T20I circuit and is one of the top-rated players in the ICC rankings. Among uncapped Indians, Ashok Sharma, who has previously been a part of IPL teams and is in the midst of a fine Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign, is expected to attract very good bids.

India’s fast bowlers produced a stunning swing bowling display before Abhishek Sharma’s brisk knock powered a comfortable seven-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at Dharamsala.

Pacers shine bright in India's seven-wicket win over SA in 3rd T20I

India&rsquo;s fast bowlers produced a stunning swing bowling display before Abhishek Sharma&rsquo;s brisk knock powered a comfortable seven-wicket win over South Africa in the third T20I at Dharamsala.

Abhishek Sharma played a sparkling little innings after the pacers produced a riveting exhibition of swing bowling, powering India to a smooth seven-wicket victory in the third T20I in Dharamsala on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 118 for a 2-1 lead in the five-match series, vice-captain Gill (28, 28 balls) and his opening partner Abhishek (35, 18 balls) added 60 runs in 5.2 overs as India achieved their target without much effort in 15.5 overs.
The lone point of interest in India&rsquo;s chase was whether the South African pacers could emulate their Indian counterparts with the new ball, and make the opponents&rsquo; task tougher. However, Abhishek and Gill never allowed the South African bowlers to settle, as the former carted Lungi Ngidi for 16 runs in the first over. In fact, the very first ball of the chase went for a six -- an early indicator of the Indian openers&rsquo; intention.
In the second over, Gill too joined his partner to garner 16 runs as India sped to 32 for no loss in the initial two overs. Abhishek, as is his wont, batted in a single gear and it required a gem of a catch by Aiden Markram in the deep off Corbin Bosch to snap his stay.
Once the left-hander was dismissed, India's chase of the remaining 58 runs settled into a much more sedate rhythm as Gill, who was saved by a DRS call early in his innings, and Tilak Varma (26 not out) did not look for any adventure. Gill's run-a-ball 28 will certainly not rank among his fluent ones, but it might have boosted his confidence after two lukewarm outings in the first two matches of the series.
He eventually dragged a Marco Jansen delivery back on to his stumps, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav too failed to remain till the end. But those were the minor aberrations on the night.
All the credit for this canter should go to India&rsquo;s pacers, who produced a mesmerizing spell of swing bowling to bundle out South Africa for a below-par 117. Leading India&rsquo;s show with early wickets were Arshdeep Singh (2/13), Harshit Rana (2/34) and Hardik Pandya (1/23) after the hosts chose to bowl.
Skipper Markram offered a tiny spark for South Africa with a spirited 46-ball 61. Undoubtedly, the brightest stars under a cool sky were India&rsquo;s quick bowlers, who procured lethal swing and lateral movement with the new ball. It had its effect on the low-key power play effort of South Africa -- 25 for three -- and the phase contained just two fours.
Arshdeep, who had a horror outing at Mullanpur a couple of days back, redeemed himself with a dream first spell (3-0-9-1). He bowled three deliveries which angled away from Reeza Hendricks and then jagged one back to trap the South African opener leg before with the help of DRS.
Rana did precisely the same to Quinton de Kock, a nip-backer, trapping the frozen-legged left-hander inside the crease. Dewald Brevis was slightly unfortunate to get castled while attempting a release shot off a wide delivery from Rana.
South Africa suddenly found themselves at 7 for 3 in 3.1 overs, and it was always going to be an uphill climb for them from there. Markram crunched a couple of sweet drives in between to keep the board moving but Tristan Stubbs and Bosch departed in quick succession to further derail South African innings.
Stubbs&rsquo; wicket helped all-rounder Pandya to complete 100 wickets in T20Is, the third Indian bowler to do so after Arshdeep and Jasprit Bumrah, who did not play this match after returning home to attend to a personal situation. The BCCI said his availability for the remainder of the series will be announced in due course.
Kuldeep Yadav too came into the eleven for an unwell Axar Patel. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2/11 in 4 overs) too reached a milestone, capturing his 50th T20I wicket while flattening the stumps of Donovan Ferreira (20, 15 balls).
The big-hitting Ferreria was dropped on 13 by Arshdeep at long-on off Shivam Dube, but that did not hurt India. Chakravarthy cut open the lower-order with his bottomless bag of tricks as the pitch also continued to offer good pace and carry. The spinner also added the wicket of Jansen to keep South Africa pinned to the mat.
Markram completed his fifty off 41 balls with a slashed six off Rana, as the 18th over produced 19 runs. But the South African surge came tad too late.

Vinesh Phogat announces her return to wrestling, saying the “fire never left,” as she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with renewed motivation.

Vinesh Phogat Returns from Retirement for LA 2028 Olympics

Vinesh Phogat announces her return to wrestling, saying the &ldquo;fire never left,&rdquo; as she prepares for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics with renewed motivation.

Star Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat on Friday announced that she would be coming out of retirement to take another shot at an elusive Olympic medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as the "the fire never left" her and was merely buried under "exhaustion and noise".
The 31-year-old had walked away from the sport after the heartbreak of the Paris Games last year, where she was dramatically disqualified for being 100 grams over the permissible weight limit ahead of her 50kg category gold medal bout.
She had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a joint silver medal, but the verdict remained unchanged, leading her to announce her retirement and join politics to be elected as an MLA from Haryana's Julana constituency.
"People kept asking if Paris was the end. For a long time, I didn't have the answer. I needed to step away from the mat, from the pressure, from the expectations, even from my own ambitions. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to breathe," Vinesh posted on her social media accounts.
"I took time to understand the weight of my journey the highs, the heartbreaks, the sacrifices, the versions of me the world never saw. And somewhere in that reflection, I found the truth, I still love this sport. I still want to compete."
She along with her husband Somvir Rathee welcomed a baby boy into their family in July.
"In that silence, I found something I'd forgotten 'the fire never left'. It was only buried under exhaustion and noise. The discipline, the routine, the fight... it's in my system. No matter how far I walked away, a part of me stayed on the mat."
Vinesh said she will begin her journey towards LA28 with renewed spirit and her son by her side.
"So here I am, stepping back toward LA28 with a heart that's unafraid and a spirit that refuses to bow. And this time, I'm not walking alone my son is joining my team, my biggest motivation, my little cheerleader on this road to the LA Olympics," she added.
Vinesh had already scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic gold-medal bout.
A three-time Olympian, she has won gold medals at both the Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games.

India’s batting faltered again as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav continued their lean run, handing South Africa a 51-run win in the second T20. Quinton de Kock’s blistering 90 powered the visitors to 213/4 before Indian batters collapsed.

South Africa level series after de Kock special; Gill, SKY misfire again

India&rsquo;s batting faltered again as Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav continued their lean run, handing South Africa a 51-run win in the second T20. Quinton de Kock&rsquo;s blistering 90 powered the visitors to 213/4 before Indian batters collapsed.

The lean run of Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav was extended as Indian batters stumbled on a good batting surface to lose the second T20 against South Africa by 51 runs in Mullanpur on Thursday.&nbsp;
Quinton de Kock made an effortless 90 of 46 balls, pushing South Africa to a challenging 213 for four after India opted to field.
India were expected to chase down the steep target but South Africa removed Indian trio of Abhishek Sharma (17), Gill (0) and Suryakumar Yadav (5) inside the powerplay to put the hosts on the backfoot. India were eventually bowled out for 162 in 19.1 overs with Tilak Varma (62 off 34) playing a lone hand.
The five match series now stands at 1-1 with the third match scheduled in Dharamsala on December 14. The local crowd was expecting their home heroes, Gill and Abhishek, to fire but it was not to be.
Yet to realise his potential in the shortest format, vice-captain Gill, facing his very first ball, got a beauty from Lungi Ngidi that seamed away from length to take a thick outside edge. Abhshek was caught behind in the following over from Marco Jansen. Next to depart was skipper Suryakumar who too got a faint edge after Jansen angled it away from the India skipper.
Batting at three, Axar Patel (21 off 21) was pouched at cover with Reeza Hendricks just about managing to have his fingers under the ball. From thereon, Tilak batted at a high tempo but lack of partnerships and soaring run rate pushed the game out of India's reach..
Earlier, de Kock entertained the crowd with his remarkable strokeplay. When in full flow, De Kock is among the most attractive batters in the game and he flaunted his special skills on a true pitch. He was mainly dealing in sixes in the middle and majority of his seven maximums came in the deep square leg region.
De Kock, who recently reversed his ODI retirement and was not sure about his T20 future post the World Cup last year, is back with a renewed purpose and remains on top of his game. An innings like this just less than a week before the mini auction will also create the buzz among the franchises, who might indulge in a bidding war for the multi-skilled cricketer.
Arshdeep Singh, who had De Kock caught behind in the series opener, was at the receiving end on Thursday. De Kock began the assault with a pick up shot for six off Arshdeep before pulling the left-arm pacer for a maximum over deep mid-wicket.
Jasprit Bumrah too conceded 16 runs in his second over after being disdainfully pulled for six by Reeza Hendricks. The right-hander missed a skidder from Varun Chakravarthy in the following over to give India a welcome breakthrough but De Kock maintained the pressure on the opposition, taking his team to 53-1 in the powerplay.
Brought back into the attack in 11th over, Arshdeep lost his usual calm under pressure after being smashed for a six down the ground by De Kock. The Indian pacer tried to bowl wide yorkers from thereon but failed miserably and ended up bowling as many as seven wides in a 18-run over.
The South African opener looked certain to cross the 100-run mark for the second time in his T20 career but was run out in a bizarre fashion by wicket-keeper Jitesh Sharma after attempting a non existent single.
The big hits kept coming even after de Kock's fall with Donavan Ferreria (30 not off 16) and David Miller (20 not out off 12) doing the damage in the death overs.
Arshdeep's new ball partner Bumrah too had an off day and conceded 18 runs in the 20th over after being hammered for two towering sixes by Ferreira. India leaked 123 runs in the last 10 overs.

Travis Head scores his fourth straight Test century at Adelaide Oval as Australia takes a 356-run lead over England, putting Ashes series out of England’s reach.

Ashes 2025: Travis Head slams unbeaten 142 to crush England's Ashes hopes

Travis Head scores his fourth straight Test century at Adelaide Oval as Australia takes a 356-run lead over England, putting Ashes series out of England&rsquo;s reach.

Danger man Travis Head crunched his fourth century in as many Tests at Adelaide Oval Friday as Australia built a 356-run lead over England to stand on the brink of retaining the Ashes.
The hosts were 271-4 at stumps on day three of the third Test with Head on 142 and first-innings century-maker Alex Carey not out 52, taking the five-match series out of England's reach.
England must win after crashing inside two days at the first Test in Perth and inside four in Brisbane, both by eight wickets.
But it appears to be an impossible task with the highest run chase at the ground 316 by Australia against England in 1902.
Head said the job was not finished yet and Australia had to "rock up again" on Saturday.
"We've had another really, really good day today.
"Tomorrow will be another huge day, the wicket is deteriorating and starting to spin.
"The goal is to try and put on as many as we can in the morning and get to work and try to win the Test match."
Head's crucial ton, his 11th, came off a composed 146 balls although he almost didn't get there, dropped on 99 by Harry Brook as impatience got the better of him.
He has now scored a century in four consecutive Tests on his home ground, following 140 against India last year and 119 and 175 against the West Indies.
 - 'It calls for heroes' -
"The way Head has batted is next level, and he has shown us how to go about it," conceded England spin coach Jeetan Patel.
"Every game of Test cricket we play, especially out here in Australia, calls for heroes.
"And we haven't had them just yet, but maybe we will have them tomorrow and the day after."
Australia suffered an early setback in a tense 20 minutes before lunch after England were all out for 286 on the back of Ben Stokes's gritty 83 in response to Australia's first innings 371.
Bryson Carse trapped Jake Weatherald lbw for one and he did not review although replays showed the ball was pitching outside leg stump.
It gave England a glimmer of hope, but after the break Head slammed the door shut, cutting and chopping boundaries all around the ground.
Marnus Labuschagne went for 13 when he edged Josh Tongue to Harry Brook at slip, with reviews showing it carried.
Usman Khawaja, who hit a defiant 82 in the first innings after his last-minute call-up for the ill Steve Smith, was a perfect foil for the more aggressive Head.
But on 40 he was caught behind off Will Jacks and Cameron Green followed soon after for seven, edging Tongue to Brook.
After getting through the nervous 90s, Head finally brought up his century with a four off Joe Root, taking off his helmet and kissing the turf before pumping his fists.
While not in the same vein as his match-winning 69-ball century in Perth, it was a critical knock, supported by Carey and aided by Stokes not bowling.
 - Gutsy Stokes -
Patel said Stokes, who batted for two sessions on Thursday in 40 Celsius heat, was not injured.
"From what I understand he is fit to bowl," said Patel.
"He's just knackered, he's taken a lot out of himself to get to this point in the game."
On Friday's resumption, Stokes and Jofra Archer kept England's dreams just about alive with a stirring 106-run ninth-wicket stand.
They began at 213-8 in muggy conditions with Stokes not out 45 and Archer on 30.
Stokes, who suffered leg cramps and dehydration during his gutsy rearguard action on Thursday, brought up his slowest ever 50 in Tests, off 159 balls.
He finally fell when Mitchell Starc took the new ball and bowled him, with Stokes one of the few players who showed the fight he had demanded before the game.
Archer was another, ably helping his captain.
The fast bowler was the last man out when caught by Labuschagne off Scott Boland for 51 -- his highest Test score and a maiden half-century
Boland ended with 3-45 while Pat Cummins took 3-69 in his first Test since July.

Sports

Alex Carey slammed a heartfelt 106, Usman Khawaja scored 82, as Australia reached 326-8 on day one of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.

Emotional Carey slams ton to give Australia upper hand in 3rd Ashes Test

Alex Carey slammed a heartfelt 106, Usman Khawaja scored 82, as Australia reached 326-8 on day one of the third Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.

An emotional Alex Carey slammed a majestic 106 on his home ground and Usman Khawaja hit a defiant 82 Wednesday to put Australia in the driving seat of the third Ashes Test against England.
Batting after captain Pat Cummins won the toss as temperatures topped 36 Celsius at Adelaide Oval, the hosts were 326-8 at stumps on day one after the shock of Steve Smith being ruled out with illness.
Mitchell Starc was not out 33 and Nathan Lyon yet to score.
"To make a hundred here in front of home fans and family was special," an emotional Carey told Australian TV.
As he celebrated his maiden Ashes ton, Carey gestured towards the sky in a nod to his father Gordon, who died from cancer in September.
"I guess you know as well why I was looking to the heavens. I'm trying not to tear up. But, no, it was great."
The wicketkeeper's wife Eloise was spotted in tears by TV cameras as he celebrated.
"To have, mum, brother, sister, Eloise, the kids (here), it was a special moment," Carey added.
A tireless Jofra Archer ended with 3-29 on a tough day for England's bowlers in the field.
"I thought it was a good performance from our bowlers, the heat took us a bit by surprise," said England bowling coach David Saker.
"The boys toiled away.
"(Archer) had a point to prove, he sustained his pace and bowled at the stumps, and he was well supported."
 - Khawaja reprieve -
Australia lead the five-Test series 2-0 and will retain the Ashes if they win or draw, after back-to-back eight-wicket thumpings in Perth and Brisbane.
Smith, who has more than 10,000 runs, had been feeling unwell in the lead-up but was on Tuesday named in the side.
He was on the field during the morning warm-up but left 20 minutes before the toss shaking his head.
His absence gave an unexpected reprieve to Khawaja, who turns 39 on Thursday and had been overlooked as opener in favour of Travis Head and Jake Weatherald.
Khawaja, who missed Brisbane after suffering back spasms in Perth, grabbed his chance in a stoic knock.
He was eventually out just before tea, slog-sweeping to Josh Tongue in the deep off the spin of Will Jacks.
Carey picked up the mantle, first alongside Josh Inglis (32), then Pat Cummins (13), and latterly Starc, who once more showed his prowess with the bat.
Carey hit eight fours and a six in his third Test century, bringing up the milestone in front of family, friends and 56,298 fans -- the biggest cricket crowd ever at the venue.
 - Archer burst -
A blistering first over after lunch from Archer had left Australia reeling at 94-4.
He removed Marnus Labuschagne for 19 with his first ball after the interval.
Two deliveries later Cameron Green was gone, with Brydon Carse collecting catches at midwicket to dismiss both.
Inglis and Cummins fell in the final session to Tongue and Carse respectively.
Players from both teams wore black armbands as a mark of respect to the victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting.
A moment of silence was held before the game with security tightened and flags flying at half-mast.
At the start, Weatherald raced to 18 off 27 balls but his gung-ho approach cost him against the pace of Archer, who fired down a bouncer and induced a top edge to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith.
Head followed next over for 10, with Zak Crawley taking a sensational instinctive catch low to his left off Carse.
Khawaja, on five, was fortunate to survive when Harry Brook dropped a sitter at second slip and went on to bring up his 28th Test 50 to big cheers.
Carey had a life on 52 when Carse put down a difficult chance in the covers and the 34-year-old made the most of it before falling when he top-edged Jacks to Smith just before the close.

The 2025 Ashes series between Australia and England promises high drama, historic rivalries, and key battles featuring stars like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc, across five Tests starting in Perth.

The Ashes: What to know about cricket's most storied rivalry

The 2025 Ashes series between Australia and England promises high drama, historic rivalries, and key battles featuring stars like Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Steven Smith, and Mitchell Starc, across five Tests starting in Perth.

Few sporting contests carry the history, drama, and aura of the Ashes.&nbsp;
Born from a mock newspaper obituary in 1882 and symbolized by a tiny urn, the rivalry between Australia and England has shaped more than a century of Test cricket.&nbsp;
Ahead of one of the biggest contests on the cricket calendar, here's what to know about the upcoming five-match series.
<h3> The Origins</h3>
The Ashes is one of the oldest and most iconic rivalries in international sport, featuring Test cricket contests between Australia and England. Cricket tests between English and Australian teams started in 1877.
According to the Marylebone Cricket Club, the Lord's-based custodian of the laws of the game, the term &ldquo;Ashes&rdquo; was first used in August 1882 in a satirical obituary for English cricket printed in The Sporting Times after the representative team lost on home soil to Australia for the first time.
The obituary reported that the body of English cricket would be cremated and the Ashes taken to Australia.
English captain Ivo Bligh led a team to Australia later that year with a vow to reclaim &ldquo;the ashes.&rdquo;
A fan presented Bligh with a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the Ashes after an England victory &mdash; and that's how the Ashes and the urn became intrinsically connected.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c03853da10_1763443589.jpg" width="576" height="523">
Bligh met his future wife on that day. The couple moved to England and took the urn with them, keeping it in the family until after Bligh died, when it was bequeathed to the MCC.
The Ashes series has evolved into a regular event, held approximately every two years and alternating between the two countries.
<h3> Some Classic Moments</h3>
1932&ndash;33 &ldquo;Bodyline&rdquo; Series: England used hostile &ldquo;fast leg theory&rdquo; bowling tactics to intimidate Australian batters, especially Don Bradman. England reclaimed the Ashes, but the rules were later modified to restrict similar tactics.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c04265d4fe_1763443750.png" width="575" height="320">
&nbsp;
Shane Warne&rsquo;s &ldquo;Ball of the Century&rdquo; (1993): At Old Trafford, Warne&rsquo;s first Ashes delivery for Australia drifted and spun almost incomprehensibly to bowl Mike Gatting, announcing Warne as a generational star.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c04922a6e8_1763443858.png" width="570" height="317">
&nbsp;
Ben Stokes&rsquo; Headingley Innings (2019): His unbeaten 135, mixing supreme composure with fearless hitting, dragged England to an improbable one-wicket victory and etched a new legend into Ashes folklore.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c057bbba75_1763444091.jpg" width="565" height="315">
&nbsp;
Jonny Bairstow Controversy (2023): England&rsquo;s Jonny Bairstow was controversially stumped at Lord's after wandering out of his crease, believing the ball to be out of play.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c0605be560_1763444229.jpg" width="567" height="316">
While entirely within the laws, the incident sparked fierce debate over the spirit of cricket, igniting a storm across the cricketing world.
<h3> Recent History</h3>
Australia has held the Ashes since 2017, retaining the urn with series wins at home and drawn series in England, including a 2-2 result in a highly charged tour two years ago.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/691c06e08fe61_1763444448.jpg" width="562" height="313">
England has not won an Ashes Test in Australia since 2011 &mdash; also the last time it won a series in Australia. That span includes a 5-0 loss in 2013-14, and 4-0 defeats in 2017-18 and 2021-22.
The 3-1 series loss to England in 2010-11 was Australia&rsquo;s only Ashes series loss at home since it reclaimed the urn in England in 1989.
<h3> England Players to Watch</h3>
Joe Root: No. 1-ranked batter and second-highest scorer in Test cricket, but he has never scored an Ashes century in Australia. His average of 35.68 in 14 Tests here lags far behind his career mark of 51.29.
Ben Stokes: England&rsquo;s talismanic captain and &ldquo;Bazball&rdquo; figurehead. Stokes can win matches almost single-handedly. Despite being Test cricket's leading six-hitter, he averages just 28.61 with the bat and 41 with the ball in Australia.
Jofra Archer: Playing his first Ashes in Australia but already famous for his express pace, including the 2019 blows to Smith and Labuschagne. Injuries have stalled his career since his 22-wicket breakout series, and England will hope he stays fit.
<h3> Australia Players to Watch</h3>
Steven Smith: Australia&rsquo;s premier batter for more than a decade and anchor of an unsettled lineup. With 10,447 runs, 36 centuries, and an average of 56.02, he sits just behind Bradman among Australia&rsquo;s Test greats. Smith has 12 Ashes hundreds, including a best of 239 at Perth.
Mitchell Starc: The last fit member of Australia&rsquo;s first-choice pace trio, with Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood sidelined due to injuries. Starc has 402 wickets in 100 Tests, placing him fourth on Australia&rsquo;s all-time list.
Scott Boland: A cult hero since his remarkable 6-7 on debut at the MCG in 2021. His 62 wickets at 16.53 in 14 Tests would make him an automatic pick, though the 36-year-old has often been squeezed out behind Cummins, Starc, and Hazlewood.
<h3> The Schedule</h3>
The five-Test series starts Friday in Perth, Western Australia.
Second Test: Day-nighter at the Gabba in Brisbane, starting Dec. 4.
Third Test: Adelaide Oval, Dec. 17&ndash;21.
Fourth Test: Melbourne Cricket Ground, Boxing Day Test, starting Dec. 26.
Fifth Test: Sydney, starting Jan. 4.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar will be honored with the prestigious C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the BCCI’s annual gala on Saturday.

Sachin Tendulkar to get BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award

Tendulkar, known for his iconic career and record-breaking runs in Test and ODI formats, continues to be a symbol of excellence in international cricket.

The legendary Sachin Tendulkar, renowned for his iconic batting records and profound impact on international cricket, will be honored with the BCCI&rsquo;s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Board's annual gala on Saturday.&nbsp;
At 51 years old, Tendulkar has played 664 international matches for India and holds the record for the most Test and ODI runs in cricket history.&nbsp;
"Yes, he will be the recipient of the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2024," a Board source confirmed to PTI. His 200 Test appearances and 463 ODIs remain unmatched in the history of the game. Over his illustrious career, he accumulated 15,921 runs in Tests and a staggering 18,426 in ODIs.
Though he played only one T20 International, Tendulkar&rsquo;s career is defined by his remarkable achievements across formats.&nbsp;
In 2023, the award was presented to former India head coach Ravi Shastri and wicketkeeping great Farokh Engineer.&nbsp;
Regarded as the greatest batter of his era, Tendulkar was not just known for his run-scoring feats but also for being a symbol of cricketing excellence.&nbsp;
He made his debut at the age of 16 in 1989 against Pakistan and went on to enjoy a career that spanned more than two decades.&nbsp;
Apart from his batting records, Tendulkar was also a pivotal figure in India&rsquo;s 2011 World Cup-winning team, marking his sixth and final appearance in the prestigious tournament.
At his peak, the sight of Tendulkar walking out to bat was enough to captivate an entire nation. His wicket was the most coveted among opposition teams, many of whom admitted that Tendulkar was the only Indian batter capable of intimidating them.&nbsp;
Tendulkar will be the 31st recipient of the C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, which was established in 1994 in honor of India&rsquo;s first captain, Col. C K Nayudu, who also made significant contributions as a cricket administrator.&nbsp;
Nayudu&rsquo;s extraordinary 47-year-long first-class career, which spanned from 1916 to 1963, remains a world record.

Virat Kohli's much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended early with a dismissal for just six runs. Himanshu Sangwan claimed the prized wicket as Kohli's brief stay at the crease left Delhi trailing Railways.

Virat Kohli dismissed for six runs in Ranji Trophy return leaving fans disappointed

Virat Kohli's much-anticipated return to the Ranji Trophy ended early with a dismissal for just six runs. Himanshu Sangwan claimed the prized wicket as Kohli's brief stay at the crease left Delhi trailing Railways.

Virat Kohli's return to the Ranji Trophy was cut short as he was dismissed for just six runs on Friday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.&nbsp;
Kohli's brief innings was ended by Himanshu Sangwan, who claimed the prized wicket after Kohli had faced only 15 deliveries.
Kohli displayed a brief moment of brilliance, playing a beautiful straight drive off Sangwan, but the very next delivery proved his downfall.&nbsp;
The ball, angled in on a fullish length just outside off, seamed in sharply as Kohli attempted another drive but missed, leaving a gap between his bat and pad. The ball clipped the off-stump, sending the bails flying.
The dismissal was a significant moment for Sangwan, whose wicket of Kohli seemed to deflate the stadium, as thousands of fans who had gathered to witness a Kohli masterclass were left disappointed. Following Kohli's exit, Delhi was at 87/3, still trailing Railways by 140 runs.
However, there may still be a chance for redemption. If Delhi gets a second innings, Kohli will have another opportunity to shine.&nbsp;
On Day 1 of the match, the stadium was buzzing with excitement as fans turned out in large numbers to support their cricketing icon, whose recent performances have been below expectations.
Over 15,000 fans attended the match, with additional gates opened and increased security. In a dramatic turn, a fan managed to breach security, rushing onto the field to meet Kohli.&nbsp;
The fan touched Kohli&rsquo;s feet before being escorted off by security personnel. Kohli, displaying his characteristic calm, requested security to handle the fan gently and avoid any harsh treatment.&nbsp;
Meanwhile, Delhi's opening bowlers, Navdeep Saini and Siddhant Sharma, had put Railways in trouble at 21/3, showing promise for the remainder of the match.

Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the prestigious ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024 and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after an exceptional performance across formats.

Jasprit Bumrah named ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year 2024, wins Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy

Jasprit Bumrah has been awarded the prestigious ICC Men&rsquo;s Cricketer of the Year 2024 and the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy after an exceptional performance across formats.

Jasprit Bumrah has added another incredible achievement to his already impressive career, being named the ICC Men&rsquo;s Cricketer of the Year for 2024.&nbsp;
Following his win as the ICC Men&rsquo;s Test Cricketer of the Year, Bumrah also claimed the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, solidifying his status as one of the world&rsquo;s best fast bowlers.
Bumrah triumphed over fellow nominees Travis Head, Joe Root, and Harry Brook to secure the award, becoming the fifth Indian player to receive this recognition.&nbsp;
Previous Indian recipients include Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016), and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
The ICC highlighted Bumrah&rsquo;s exceptional performances across formats in 2024, describing his year as a &ldquo;masterclass in skill, precision, and relentless consistency,&rdquo; with the fast bowler continuing to break records and establish himself as the world&rsquo;s premier pacer.
Bumrah had a stellar year in both T20Is and Tests. He played a pivotal role in India&rsquo;s triumph at the T20 World Cup 2024, finishing as the Player of the Tournament with 15 wickets at an extraordinary average of 8.26 and an economy rate of just 4.17.
In Tests, Bumrah took 71 wickets, outpacing England&rsquo;s Gus Atkinson, who claimed 52 wickets in 11 matches. Bumrah's average was a phenomenal 14.92, and his strike rate was just 30.1 for the year.&nbsp;
His 71 wickets made him only the fourth Indian bowler in history to take more than 70 Test wickets in a calendar year, joining the ranks of Ravichandran Ashwin, Anil Kumble, and Kapil Dev.
Bumrah&rsquo;s year began with a stellar performance in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, where he took eight wickets across two innings, helping India to victory. He then dominated England at home, claiming 19 wickets in four Tests as India won 1-4. H
owever, his finest performance came during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) tour of Australia, where he bagged an incredible 32 wickets in five Tests and was named Player of the Series.
Bumrah&rsquo;s remarkable year saw him surpass the milestone of 200 Test wickets, becoming the 12th Indian bowler to achieve this feat. He also became the fastest Indian pacer to reach this mark, with a bowling average of less than 20, the best in history.
Bumrah&rsquo;s dominance was further reflected in his ICC Test Bowling Rankings, where he surpassed 900 rating points, ending the year with an unprecedented 907 points&mdash;setting a new record for the most points by any Indian bowler in history.

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) set a new Guinness World Record for the 'Largest Cricket Ball Sentence,' using 14,505 balls to form the phrase "Fifty Years of Wankhede Stadium."

Mumbai Cricket Association commemorates 50 years of Wankhede Stadium with a Guinness World Record

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) set a new Guinness World Record for the 'Largest Cricket Ball Sentence,' using 14,505 balls to form the phrase "Fifty Years of Wankhede Stadium."

The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) on Thursday achieved a monumental milestone by securing the Guinness World Records title for the 'Largest Cricket Ball Sentence.'
This accomplishment was part of the celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the iconic Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
The record was set on the anniversary of the first-ever international match held at the stadium in 1975, when India faced the West Indies in a memorable Test match from January 23 to 29.
<img src="https://cdn.editorji.com/6792270190d05_1737631489.jpg" width="581" height="306">
MCA dedicated this extraordinary feat to the late Eknath Solkar, who scored a century in that historic match, and to other departed Mumbai players who made significant contributions to the sport.
The MCA, known for its unwavering commitment to excellence, arranged 14,505 leather cricket balls on the Wankhede Stadium field to create the sentence: "Fifty Years of Wankhede Stadium."
The record-breaking arrangement was achieved in the presence of MCA President Ajinkya Naik, alongside office-bearers and Apex Council Members. The breakdown of the balls used for each word is as follows:
<ul>
<li>FIFTY: 1,902 balls</li>
<li>YEARS: 2,831 balls</li>
<li>OF: 1,066 balls</li>
<li>WANKHEDE: 4,990 balls</li>
<li>STADIUM: 3,672 balls</li>
<li>FULL STOP (.): 44 balls</li>
<li>Total: 14,505 balls</li>
</ul>
The MCA will donate the balls used in this record to aspiring cricketers from schools, clubs, and NGOs across the city, encouraging them to be inspired by this achievement and aim for even greater milestones in their cricketing careers.
"Mumbai cricket has contributed significantly to the sport and it holds a special place in cricket's history. The city has produced some of the greatest cricketers the world has ever seen. Wankhede Stadium is the pride of Mumbai and has witnessed countless historic moments. This Guinness World Records title is a reflection of Mumbai cricket's passion, legacy, and relentless pursuit of excellence. It is also a special tribute to all the players, officials, and unsung heroes who have contributed to Mumbai's cricketing legacy," said Ajinkya Naik, President of the Mumbai Cricket Association.
In addition to this achievement, the MCA had hosted a series of events earlier to commemorate the stadium's golden jubilee. These included honoring the captains of Mumbai&rsquo;s men's and women&rsquo;s teams, the members of the Mumbai team that played the first-ever first-class match at Wankhede Stadium in 1974, and former Elected Managing Committee members.
The Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai and the association&rsquo;s groundsmen were also felicitated, with a special Polly Umrigar Health Camp and lunch organized for them in recognition of their invaluable contributions.
The grand celebrations on January 19 were attended by cricket legends such as Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri, Diana Edulji, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane, in front of a packed stadium.
The evening also featured mesmerizing performances by Ajay-Atul and Avadhoot Gupte, followed by a stunning laser show that capped off the event.

Rishabh Pant, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a record Rs 27 crores in the IPL 2025 auction, has been named captain of the franchise. 

Rishabh Pant named Lucknow Super Giants captain for IPL 2025

Rishabh Pant, sold to Lucknow Super Giants for a record Rs 27 crores in the IPL 2025 auction, has been named captain of the franchise.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant, the trailblazing wicketkeeper, has been appointed as the captain of the Lucknow Super Giants for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, the franchise announced on Monday.
The 27-year-old, who made history during the IPL auction in November by being sold to Lucknow for Rs 27 crores ($3.2 million), joins the team for the upcoming edition of the lucrative T20 tournament.
Pant, known for his flamboyant left-handed batting, returned to captain Delhi Capitals last season after a 14-month hiatus from elite cricket due to a car accident. However, he parted ways with the Capitals after the team finished sixth in the 2024 IPL season standings.
"I see a born leader in Rishabh Pant. From my point of view, he will be probably the best captain IPL has seen," said Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of Lucknow, during a special TV broadcast. "Surely Rishabh Pant will play for at least 14-15 years for us, we hope at least five IPL titles in these years."
Pant has represented India in 150 international matches across all three formats, amassing 5,028 runs, including seven centuries.
The 18th edition of the IPL is set to commence on March 21, with the opening match scheduled to be held in Kolkata, while the final will take place on May 25, according to reports from Indian media.
The IPL continues to be a major revenue generator for Indian cricket, contributing more than $11 billion annually to the economy. It has also played a pivotal role in popularizing T20 cricket globally, inspiring similar events worldwide.

Cricket

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test, with Matthew Kuhnemann taking career-best figures of 9-149. Sri Lanka’s batting collapse saw them lose their last five wickets for just nine runs, sealing the heavy defeat.

Australia crushes Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in historic Test victory

Australia defeated Sri Lanka by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test, with Matthew Kuhnemann taking career-best figures of 9-149. Sri Lanka&rsquo;s batting collapse saw them lose their last five wickets for just nine runs, sealing the heavy defeat.

Sri Lanka suffered their heaviest defeat in Test cricket history on Saturday as Australia flexed their muscles to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series with a crushing victory by an innings and 242 runs.
The contest was wrapped up before tea on day four, with rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann's match-winning spell delivering him career-best figures of 9-149 over both innings.
"We were put under pressure," Sri Lanka skipper Dhananjaya de Silva said afterwards. "The batters should have put up a better show."
Kuhnemann underwent surgery only two weeks ago on a broken right thumb sustained during the Big Bash League and battled through the match in pain, requiring constant medical attention.
He was well-supported by the ever-dependable Nathan Lyon, who spun a web around the Sri Lankan batters to finish with seven match wickets.
Sri Lanka's heaviest defeat before Saturday was in Nagpur in 2017, when India hammered them by an innings and 239.
Sri Lanka resumed on 136 for five overnight but their first innings folded for 165, losing their last five wickets for a mere nine runs.
Put straight back in to bat chasing 489, they lost three wickets before lunch and then capitulated in the second session -- a humiliating finish for a team once renowned for its prowess on turning tracks.
Dinesh Chandimal had waged a lonely battle in the first innings to top-score with 72 and, with Angelo Mathews, stitched together one of only two 50-plus partnerships in the second.
However, he was sent back for 31 on the last ball before lunch when he gloved Lyon to Travis Head at short leg.
Oshada Fernando failed to make an impact in his return to the side, undone by a sharp inswinger from Mitchell Starc that trapped him plumb in front for six to go with his first innings seven.
Former skipper Dimuth Karunaratne's horror run with the bat continued after an avoidable dismissal for nought by Todd Murphy.
 - 'Tough place to play' -
Rain forced an early lunch on day three before washing out the final two sessions.
Australia declared on 654-6 late on the second day after opener Usman Khawaja's career-best 232.
"Galle is a tough place to play cricket and we are very happy with this win," Khawaja said.
"I've played a lot of cricket in Sri Lanka, this being my fifth tour. I've made lot of mistakes before. I guess all that experience came in handy in this game."
Stand-in skipper Steve Smith also had a game to remember, becoming only the fourth Australian to breach the 10,000-run mark in Test cricket on the first ball he faced.
He finished his innings with a masterful 141, while wicketkeeper Josh Inglis hit a century on debut.
Galle will host the second and final match of the series next week before a two-match ODI series in Colombo.

Steve Smith was sidelined from the third Ashes Test in Adelaide due to a potential vestibular issue but is expected to return for the fourth Test on Boxing Day.

Steve Smith Aims Ashes Return; Misses Third Test Due to Health

Steve Smith was sidelined from the third Ashes Test in Adelaide due to a potential vestibular issue but is expected to return for the fourth Test on Boxing Day.

Steve Smith is aiming to be back in Ashes action for Australia on Boxing Day after being ruled out shortly before play started Wednesday in the third test at Adelaide.
Smith was talking to Australian coach Andrew McDonald on the field in the hour before the toss of the coin, when it appeared the final decision was made to leave him out of the XI so he can continue recovering from dizziness and nausea.
That allowed Usman Khawaja an unexpected recall for Australia, batting at No. 4 to replace Smith rather than opening the innings.
Australian team management later said Smith was being treated for a &ldquo;potential vestibular issue&rdquo; in the inner ear, ruling out speculation that the star batter had sustained a concussion during a net practice session.
He practiced with the Australia squad on Saturday and Sunday, skipped Monday's session, but returned on Tuesday and batted again in the nets on Wednesday morning.
&ldquo;Steve is feeling a little bit unwell the last couple of days,&rdquo; returning captain Pat Cummins said at the coin toss. "He came and gave it a crack this morning but didn't think he was going to get up for this one, so he's headed off home. But we're pretty lucky we have got someone like Usman who can step right in.&rdquo;
Team management said Smith, who has dealt with vertigo symptoms in the past, is likely to return for the fourth test starting Dec. 26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
&ldquo;He was assessed and monitored closely and was close to being available to play," Australian team management said in a statement. &ldquo;However, given the persistence of symptoms, a decision was made not to proceed.&rdquo;
Smith led Australia to eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane in the absence of Cummins. He hit the winning runs in Brisbane as Australia took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first in Adelaide, his first test since sustaining a back injury in July. England needs a victory in the third test to have any chance of reclaiming the Ashes.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill face intense scrutiny over poor form as India aim to seal the T20I series against South Africa in Lucknow.

India vs South Africa T20I: Suryakumar's Form in Focus

India captain Suryakumar Yadav and vice-captain Shubman Gill face intense scrutiny over poor form as India aim to seal the T20I series against South Africa in Lucknow.

Shubman Gill's lean patch has been the talking point but an equally "out of runs" skipper Suryakumar Yadav is also under intense scrutiny as India look to find the right balance and seal the five-match series against South Africa in the fourth T20I in Lucknow on Wednesday.
The third game was an ideal opportunity for Suryakumar to rediscover his touch while India chased a modest 118-run target, but the ease that once made him the top ranked batter in the world was noticeably missing. Shots that defined his dominance have been producing erratic results and the match in Dharamsala was no different as he fell to his trademark pick-up stroke, highlighting a continued struggle.
But he was defiant when it came to self-assessment. "The thing is, I've been batting beautifully in the nets. I'm trying everything that's in my control. When the runs have to come, they'll definitely come. I'm not out of form, but definitely out of runs," Suryakumar confidently said at the post-match presentation ceremony after India's win in Dharamsala on Sunday.
However, the numbers tell a worrying story. The Indian captain has been searching for fluency for over a year, averaging under 15 in the format this season. Additionally, he's still without a half-century in 2025, the longest such phase of his career. Only twice during this period has he managed to bat beyond 20 balls.
With the T20 World Cup less than two months away, the defending champions would want their leader and premier batter to rediscover his rhythm sooner rather than later.
Vice-captain Shubman Gill's struggles are as bad if not worse. His elevation to the opening slot has seemingly unsettled India's top order. Gill replaced a well-settled Sanju Samson. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was first pushed down the order and eventually dropped despite forming a promising partnership with Abhishek Sharma earlier.
Gill has shown his class in other formats, but in T20Is he is yet to come across the assured batter that he is in Tests and ODIs. While he survived during Sunday's low-target chase, his scratchy run-a-ball 28 did little to ease concerns with seven matches to go before the World Cup.
India have added Shahbaz Ahmed to the squad following Axar Patel's illness-enforced exit from the series, a move that could open the door for Kuldeep Yadav to get an extended run. Jasprit Bumrah's availability remains uncertain after missing the previous match for personal reasons. In his absence, Arshdeep Singh returned to form with a player-of-the-match performance, while Harshit Rana complemented him well in Dharamsala.
South Africa seek consistency
India currently lead the five-match series 2-1. Fortunes have swung wildly so far in the series. While South Africa dominated and the Indians looked completely out of sorts in the lung-opener, the roles were reversed in the next match.
South Africa have been comprehensively beaten twice so far and would be eager to win on Wednesday to keep the series alive. Since the T20 World Cup final last June, the Proteas have lost 18 of the 28 matches in the shortest format, highlighting a prolonged phase of inconsistency.
Still searching for a settled combination, the South African team management continues to ring in changes. The constant chopping and changing has contributed to a lack of rhythm in the players and has ultimately cost them many games.
The last edition's runners-up side has five matches remaining -- two against India and three at home against the West Indies -- to finalise the playing XI before its T20 World Cup opener on February 9. Whether the Proteas persist with rotation at the expense of results remains to be seen.
Teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, NT Tilak Verma, Shahbaz Ahmed, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Sanju Samson (wk), Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Lutho Sipamla, Ottniel Baartman, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde. Match starts at 7 pm.

IPL 2026 auction saw uncapped Indian players make history, Cameron Green emerge as costliest buy, and franchises spend over ₹215 crore on 77 players.

IPL 2026 auction wrap: Complete team squads and salary details

IPL 2026 auction saw uncapped Indian players make history, Cameron Green emerge as costliest buy, and franchises spend over ₹215 crore on 77 players.

The IPL 2026 auction threw up several notable patterns, with uncapped Indian players emerging as some of the biggest beneficiaries.&nbsp;
While Australia all-rounder Cameron Green ended as the most expensive buy at ₹25.20 crore, it was Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma who grabbed attention by becoming the joint costliest uncapped Indian players in IPL history, securing ₹14.20 crore each from Chennai Super Kings at the auction held in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
Overall, the 10 franchises collectively spent ₹215.45 crore to pick 77 players, including 29 overseas cricketers, reflecting a strong mix of domestic investment and international recruitment. Chennai Super Kings
Players bought: Kartik Sharma (₹14.20 cr), Prashant Veer (₹14.20 cr), Rahul Chahar (₹5.20 cr), Akeal Hosein (₹2 cr), Matt Henry (₹2 cr), Matthew Short (₹1.50 cr), Aman Khan (₹40 L), Sarfaraz Khan (₹75 L), Zakary Foulkes (₹75 L) Retained: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Ayush Mhatre, M.S. Dhoni, Dewald Brevis, Urvil Patel, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Ramakrishna Ghosh, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Shreyas Gopal, Mukesh Choudhary, Nathan Ellis
Traded in: Sanju Samson (from RR)
Purse remaining: ₹2.40 crore
------------------------------------------- Mumbai Indians
Players bought: Quinton de Kock (₹1 cr), Mohammad Izhar (₹30 L), Danish Malewar (₹30 L), Atharva Ankolekar (₹30 L), Mayank Rawat (₹30 L) Retained: Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ryan Rickleton, Robin Minz, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Naman Dhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Trent Boult, Allah Ghafanzar, Ashwani Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Will Jacks, Raghu Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa Traded in: Sherfane Rutherford (from GT), Mayank Markande (from KKR), Shardul Thakur (from LSG) Purse remaining: ₹55 lakh
------------------------------------------- Kolkata Knight Riders
Players bought: Cameron Green (₹25.20 cr), Matheesha Pathirana (₹18 cr), Mustafizur Rahman (₹9.20 cr), Tejasvi Singh (₹3 cr), Finn Allen (₹2 cr), Tim Seifert (₹1.50 cr), Rahul Tripathi (₹75 L), Kartik Tyagi (₹30 L), Daksh Kamra (₹30 L), Sarthak Ranjan (₹30 L), Prashant Solanki (₹30 L), Akashdeep (₹1 cr), Rachin Ravindra (₹2 cr) Retained: Ajinkya Rahane, Sunil Narine, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Manish Pandey, Varun Chakravarthy, Ramandeep Singh, Ankul Roy, Rovman Powell, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Umran Malik Purse remaining: ₹45 lakh
-------------------------------------------
Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Players bought: Venkatesh Iyer (₹7 cr), Mangesh Yadav (₹5.20 cr), Jacob Duffy (₹2 cr), Satwik Deswal (₹30 L), Jordan Cox (₹75 L), Vihaan Malhotra (₹30 L), Kanishk Chouhan (₹30 L), Vicky Ostwal (₹30 L) Retained: Rajat Patidar (c), Virat Kohli, Devdutt Padikkal, Phil Salt, Jitesh Sharma, Krunal Pandya, Swapnil Singh, Tim David, Romario Shepherd, Jacob Bethell, Josh Hazlewood, Yash Dayal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Nuwan Thushara, Rasikh Salam, Abhinandan Singh, Suyash Sharma Purse remaining: ₹25 lakh
-------------------------------------------
Punjab Kings
Players bought: Cooper Connolly (₹2 cr), Ben Dwarshuis (₹4.40 cr), Praveen Dubey (₹30 L), Vishal Nishad (₹30 L)
Retained: Prabhsimran Singh, Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer, Shashank Singh, Nehal Wadhera, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen, Harpreet Brar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Musheer Khan, Pyala Avinash, Harnoor Pannu, Suryansh Shedge, Mitchell Owen, Xavier Bartlett, Lockie Ferguson, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Yash Thakur, Vishnu Vinod Purse remaining: ₹3.50 crore
------------------------------------------- Gujarat Titans
Players bought: Jason Holder (₹7 cr), Ashok Sharma (₹90 L), Luke Wood (₹75 L), Prithvi Raj Yarra (₹30 L), Tom Banton (₹30 L) Retained: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Kumar Kushagra, Anuj Rawat, Jos Buttler, Nishant Sindhu, Washington Sundar, Arshad Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Kagiso Rabada, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Ishant Sharma, Gurnoor Singh Brar, Rashid Khan, Manav Suthar, Sai Kishore, Jayant Yadav, Glenn Phillips Purse remaining: ₹1.95 crore
------------------------------------------- Rajasthan Royals
Players bought: Ravi Bishnoi (₹7.20 cr), Ravi Singh (₹95 L), Sushant Mishra (₹90 L), Vignesh Puthur (₹30 L), Yash Raj Punja (₹30 L), Aman Rao (₹30 L), Brijesh Sharma (₹30 L), Kuldeep Sen (₹75 L), Adam Milne (₹2.40 cr) Retained: Shubham Dubey, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Lhuan-Dre Pretorius, Shimron Hetmyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Jofra Archer, Tushar Deshpande, Kwena Maphaka, Nandre Burger Traded in: Ravindra Jadeja (from CSK), Sam Curran (from CSK) Purse remaining: ₹2.65 crore
------------------------------------------- Sunrisers Hyderabad
Players bought: Salil Arora (₹1.50 cr), Shivang Kumar (₹30 L), Sakib Hussain (₹30 L), Onkar Tarmale (₹30 L), Krains Fuletra (₹30 L), Praful Hinge (₹30 L), Amit Kumar (₹30 L), Shivam Mvi (₹75 L), Liam Livingstone (₹13 cr), Jack Edwards (₹3 cr) Retained: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Aniket Verma, R. Smaran, Ishan Kishan, Heinrich Klaasen, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harsh Dubey, Kamindu Mendis, Harshal Patel, Brydon Carse, Jaydev Unadkat, Eshan Malinga, Zeeshan Ansari Purse remaining: ₹5.45 crore -------------------------------------------
Lucknow Super Giants
Players bought: Josh Inglis (₹8.60 cr), Mukul Choudhary (₹2.60 cr), Akshat Raghuwanshi (₹2.20 cr), Anrich Nortje (₹2 cr), Wanindu Hasaranga (₹2 cr), Naman Tiwari (₹1 cr) Retained: Abdul Samad, Ayush Badoni, Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Himmat Singh, Rishabh Pant (c), Nicholas Pooran, Mitchell Marsh, Shahbaz Ahmed, Arshin Kulkarni, Mayank Yadav, Avesh Khan, Mohsin Khan, Manimaran Siddharth, Digvijay Rathi, Prince Yadav, Akash Singh Traded in: Mohammed Shami (from SRH), Arjun Tendulkar (from MI) Purse remaining: ₹4.55 crore -------------------------------------------
Delhi Capitals
Players bought: Auqib Nabi Dar (₹8.40 cr), Pathum Nissanka (₹4 cr), Ben Duckett (₹2 cr), David Miller (₹2 cr), Lungi Ngidi (₹2 cr), Sahil Parakh (₹30 L), Prithvi Shaw (₹75 L), Kyle Jamieson (₹2 cr) Retained: Axar Patel (c), KL Rahul, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Karun Nair, Sameer Rizvi, Ashutosh Sharma, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari, Tripurana Vijay, Ajay Mandal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mitchell Starc, T. Natarajan, Mukesh Kumar, Dushmantha Chameera Traded in: Nitish Rana (from RR) Purse remaining: ₹35 lakh

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visited Premanand Ji Maharaj at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj Ashram in Vrindavan, seeking spiritual guidance and blessings.

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visit Premanand Ji Maharaj in Vrindavan

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visited Premanand Ji Maharaj at Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj Ashram in Vrindavan, seeking spiritual guidance and blessings.

Star Indian cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma visited Premanand Ji Maharaj at his Ashram Shri Hit Radha Keli Kunj, Varah Ghat in Vrindavan.&nbsp;
In a video shared by Bhajan Marg's official Instagram handle, Kohli and Sharma were seen engaging in a spiritual conversation (Ekantik Vartalaap) with the Maharaj.
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During the interaction, Premanand Ji Maharaj advised the couple to treat their work as a service to God. He said, "Apne karyakshetra ko bhagwan ka seva smajhiye. Gambhir bhav se rahiye. Vinamra rahiye. Aur khub naam jap kijiye. (Treat your work as your service to God. Be serious and humble. And pray to the Almighty)."
This marked the couple&rsquo;s third visit to Vrindavan this year. They had returned to India last week from the UK. Earlier, in January, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma, and their children visited Vrindavan to seek the blessings of Premanand Ji Maharaj.
The couple also sought blessings from the spiritual leader a day after Kohli announced his retirement from Test cricket in May this year.

Kolkata Knight Riders broke records by bidding Rs 25.20 crore for Australia all-rounder Cameron Green at the IPL mini-auction, while Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold.

Cameron Green Becomes IPL's Most Expensive Overseas Player

Kolkata Knight Riders broke records by bidding Rs 25.20 crore for Australia all-rounder Cameron Green at the IPL mini-auction, while Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold.

Kolkata Knight Riders splurged a record-breaking Rs 25.20 to land top Australian all-rounder Cameron Green even as Prithvi Shaw and Sarfaraz Khan went unsold in the Indian Premier League mini auction in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.&nbsp;
Green surpassed compatriot Mitchell Starc (Rs 24.75 crore) to become the most expensive overseas buy at an IPL auction. This was after Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings were involved in an intense bidding war for him before the latter emerged winner.
However, his salary for the season would still be Rs 18 crore (USD 1.9 million) as the rest of the amount will go towards the BCCI's player development programme as per the rules of the auction for foreign players.&nbsp;
Green, who previously turned up for Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, has so far played 29 matches in the IPL to aggregate 707 runs and take 16 wickets.&nbsp;
Shaw, however, went unsold despite his fine run of form in the domestic circuit lately, and so was the case with Sarfaraz, who smashed a 22-ball 73 in a Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy match for Mumbai on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Lionel Messi thanked India for its warm hospitality during his three-day tour and expressed hope for a bright future for football in the country, visiting Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Lionel Messi's Memorable India Tour: Football Hopes & Promises

Lionel Messi thanked India for its warm hospitality during his three-day tour and expressed hope for a bright future for football in the country, visiting Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

Lionel Messi hoped that football has a "bright future" in India and expressed gratitude for the "generous hospitality" that he received during a whirlwind three-day tour, which had thousands of fans jostling to catch a glimpse of the Argentine star in four different cities.
Messi, after extending his stay by a day to visit the Anant Ambani-founded Vantara wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation centre in Jamnagar, left for his base in Miami on Wednesday.
Taking to Instagram, the 38-year-old posted a one-minute highlights clip of the tour, featuring his interactions with Indian cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Kareena Kapoor Khan, and several young footballers.
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"What amazing visits to Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. Thank you for the warm reception, generous hospitality, and all the feelings of love with which you surrounded me throughout my tour. I hope that football has a bright future in India," he wrote underneath the video.
His good wishes come at a time when Indian football finds itself at its lowest ebb. The domestic season has been brought to a halt for the want of a commercial partner, and the national team's fortunes have been in a free-fall following a string of poor results. An ongoing court case over administrative issues has further deepened policy paralysis.
The superstar striker, who is among the most recognisable and adored sportspersons in the world, did not play any competitive football during the trip. He was accompanied by Uruguay great and close friend Luis Suarez and Argentina teammate Rodrigo de Paul.
Messi made stadium appearances for ticketed events in all four cities, starting with Kolkata, where things turned ugly after politicians and officials surrounded him, denying fans who had paid thousands for a seat a clear view of the icon. Agitated by this, the gathered spectators indulged in vandalism at the Salt Lake Stadium, prompting Messi to be whisked away sooner than originally planned.
However, his visits to Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi passed off smoothly as he charmed fans by posing for pictures, showcasing some of his warm-up routines, and playing briefly with young players.
"...we carry all this love with us, and we will definitely return, hopefully one day to play a match or on another occasion, but we will definitely return to visit India," he said after the final leg of the tour in Delhi.

Football

FIFA has reduced World Cup ticket prices for loyal fans, offering $60 seats for all games, including the final, following criticism over high prices and limited access for supporters.

FIFA Cuts World Cup Ticket Prices, Faces Global Criticism

FIFA has reduced World Cup ticket prices for loyal fans, offering $60 seats for all games, including the final, following criticism over high prices and limited access for supporters.

FIFA slashed the price of some World Cup tickets for teams' most loyal fans following a global backlash, with some fans now able to get $60 seats for the final instead of paying $4,185.
It was a rare climbdown by the soccer body and its president Gianni Infantino after facing waves of criticism for World Cup strategies, including top-dollar prices and closer political alignment with U.S. President Donald Trump.
FIFA said Tuesday that $60 tickets will be made available for every game at the tournament in North America, going to the national federations whose teams are playing. Those federations decide how to distribute them to loyal fans who have attended previous games at home and on the road.
The number of $60 tickets for each game is likely to be from 400 to 750 per team, in what FIFA is now calling a &ldquo;Supporter Entry Tier&rdquo; price category. FIFA is using 16 host cities, including 11 NFL stadiums in the United States, plus two in Canada and three in Mexico.
FIFA did not specify exactly why it so dramatically changed strategy, but said the lower prices are &ldquo;designed to further support traveling fans following their national teams across the tournament.&rdquo; However, the Football Supporters Europe (FSE) group, which represents grassroots fan groups, said the limited price cut was &ldquo;an appeasement tactic due to the global negative backlash.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This shows that FIFA's ticketing policy is not set in stone, was decided in a rush, and without proper consultation,&rdquo; the group said in a statement.
The World Cup in North America will be the first edition that features 48 teams &mdash; up from 32 &mdash; and is expected to earn FIFA at least $10 billion in revenue while being the most expensive ever for fans.
Despite the outcry over prices, FIFA says it has already received more than 20 million ticket requests in its latest sales phase.
The FSE group said that even with Tuesday's announcement, &ldquo;the vast majority would still have to pay extortionate prices, way higher than at any tournament before.&rdquo;
Initial pledge for cheap tickets
Fans worldwide reacted with shock and anger last week on seeing FIFA's ticketing plans that gave participating teams no tickets in the lowest-priced category. Their standard allocation is 8% of stadium capacity per team.
The cheapest prices ranged from $140 to $265 for group-stage games that did not involve co-hosts the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The $265 games involve Lionel Messi's Argentina, Portugal with Cristiano Ronaldo, and well-supported teams like Brazil and England.
FIFA had set those prices despite the co-hosts having pledged eight years ago &mdash; when they were bidding for the tournament &mdash; that hundreds of thousands of $21 tickets would be made available for games before the knockout rounds.
The hospitality program in modern NFL venues, now managed in-house instead of outsourced to an agency, is expected to earn FIFA billions of dollars rather than hundreds of millions.
European criticism
Criticism from fans, especially in Europe, had been increasing for several months over plans for &ldquo;dynamic pricing&rdquo; plus extra fees on a FIFA-run resale platform &mdash; both features common in the U.S. entertainment industry but not to soccer fans worldwide.
Fan anger intensified last week when it became clear loyal supporters would have no access to the cheapest category tickets, and fans who wanted to reserve a ticket for all of their team's potential games &mdash; through the final &mdash; would not get refunded until after the tournament.
In another climbdown Tuesday, FIFA said it would waive its administrative fees when refunds are made after the July 19 final.
Fans with disabilities Even before the FIFA statement, the supporter group FSE called Tuesday for a re-think on World Cup policy for fans with disabilities.
It said FIFA's resale platform was offering disability access seats at multiple times face value with no assurances those tickets actually would be sold to people with a disability. Those fans also can no longer get free tickets for companions as they could at the last World Cup in Qatar.
In Qatar, Infantino started an eve-of-tournament speech with a tirade at perceived critics of the host nation, FIFA, and himself that included the line &ldquo;today I feel disabled.&rdquo;
&ldquo;True inclusion requires action,&rdquo; FSE said Tuesday, reminding Infantino of that speech. &ldquo;It's time for FIFA to move away from populistic statements and respect its own commitments.&rdquo;

Argentine football star Lionel Messi arrives in Delhi for the last leg of his G.O.A.T India tour following a delayed Mumbai flight. He will attend a meet-and-greet, ticketed event, and photoshoot before returning to Miami.

Lionel Messi Wraps Up G.O.A.T India Tour With Delayed Arrival in Delhi

Argentine football star Lionel Messi arrives in Delhi for the last leg of his G.O.A.T India tour following a delayed Mumbai flight. He will attend a meet-and-greet, ticketed event, and photoshoot before returning to Miami.

Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Delhi on Monday for the final leg of his G.O.A.T India Tour after his flight from Mumbai was delayed considerably due to inclement weather.&nbsp;
Messi, who was in Mumbai for the second day of his three-day whirlwind trip to India, was to land in the national capital around 10:45am but his charter flight was held up due to foggy conditions. He landed at the Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport around 2:30pm, and straightaway proceeded to the Leela Palace Hotel where he will have a Meet and Greet session for around an hour with a select group of people.&nbsp;
His final set of engagements includes an appearance at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium for a ticketed event and a photo-shoot programme at Purana Qila before leaving for the airport for the return to Miami, his current base.&nbsp;
The World Cup winner regaled fans in Mumbai last evening, posing alongside cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and a bevy of Bollywood stars and politicians.&nbsp;
Before Mumbai, he also made similar appearances in Hyderabad and Kolkata. The Kolkata leg was marred by chaotic scenes at the venue as frustrated fans ripped apart seats and stormed the Salt Lake Stadium pitch after failing to catch a glimpse of the superstar, who was surrounded by politicians and officials.&nbsp;

Cristiano Ronaldo could miss Portugal’s opening match at the 2026 World Cup after receiving a red card for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O’Shea during a crucial qualifier in Dublin.

Cristiano Ronaldo Faces Possible World Cup Opening Match Ban

Cristiano Ronaldo could miss Portugal&rsquo;s opening match at the 2026 World Cup after receiving a red card for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O&rsquo;Shea during a crucial qualifier in Dublin.

Cristiano Ronaldo is at serious risk of being banned for the first game of the 2026 World Cup if Portugal qualifies as expected.
The soccer superstar was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O'Shea in the second half of a qualifying game Thursday that Portugal lost 2-0 in Dublin.
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal hosts Armenia on Sunday knowing a win will secure a place at the World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
FIFA disciplinary rules require its judges to impose a ban of &ldquo;at least two matches for serious foul play.&rdquo; The ban should be &ldquo;at least three matches for violent conduct&rdquo; or &ldquo;at least three matches or an appropriate period of time for assault, including elbowing.&rdquo; A FIFA ban would apply to competitive games and could not be served in pre-tournament exhibitions.
Ronaldo spun round and swung his right elbow into O'Shea's back as they waited for the ball to be crossed around the hour mark at Aviva Stadium with Ireland holding a surprise 2-0 lead.
The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review at the pitchside monitor.
Ronaldo curled his lips in a wry look as he walked off the field being jeered and mocked by Ireland fans. He stopped and looked at the fans, clapped his hands toward them and raised two thumbs up in an apparent sarcastic gesture.
Ronaldo, who turns 41 in February, is aiming to play at a record sixth World Cup tournament. The tournament draw is made Dec. 5 in Washington DC when Portugal, if it qualifies, will learn its schedule of three opponents in the group stage.
Ireland forward Troy Parrott had scored twice in the first half Thursday to revive Irish hopes of qualification likely through the playoffs ahead of facing second-place Hungary on Sunday.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.

Kylian Mbappé’s brace sent France to the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 win over Ukraine, while Cristiano Ronaldo received his first international red card in Portugal’s 2-0 loss to Ireland, delaying their qualification.

France qualifies for 2026 World Cup; Ronaldo sent off as Portugal loses to Ireland

Kylian Mbapp&eacute;&rsquo;s brace sent France to the 2026 World Cup with a 4-0 win over Ukraine, while Cristiano Ronaldo received his first international red card in Portugal&rsquo;s 2-0 loss to Ireland, delaying their qualification.

Kylian Mbapp&eacute; and France are going to the 2026 World Cup. And Cristiano Ronaldo might be banned from Portugal's first game there if his team finally wins its European qualifying group.
Two goals from star striker Mbapp&eacute; helped two-time champion France qualify with a 4-0 home win against Ukraine on Thursday. But Ronaldo was ejected for the first time in his international career, and Portugal will have to wait until Sunday to secure a qualifying spot for the seventh straight time after it was stunned 2-0 by Ireland in Dublin.
Midfielder Michael Olise and substitute forward Hugo Ekitik&eacute; added the other goals in a dominant second half from France, the World Cup runner-up in 2022.
Mbapp&eacute; sent the penalty straight down the middle to break the deadlock in the 55th minute before Olise turned inside the penalty area to curl home the second goal in the 76th at Parc des Princes in western Paris.
Mbapp&eacute; poked in France's third goal from close range in the 83rd following a goal-mouth scramble. He moved onto 55 goals &mdash; just two behind Olivier Giroud as France's all-time top scorer.
&ldquo;The French national team will always be better with him in it,&rdquo; coach Didier Deschamps said about Mbapp&eacute;. &ldquo;He makes things easier for us. He performed his role perfectly this evening, as both a player and the captain of the national team.&rdquo;
Mbapp&eacute; went close to a hat trick moments later but blazed over after going clean through.
France has won Group D with 13 points. Ukraine and Iceland are tied on seven points and will play for second place when they meet on Sunday.
Ronaldo's 1st international red card
Portugal will host last-place Armenia in the final qualifying game on Sunday, when Hungary hosts Ireland at the same time.
Portugal tops Group F with 10 points, two ahead of Hungary. Ireland is third with seven points.
Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ireland defender Dara O'Shea on the hour. The referee issued a yellow card but minutes later upgraded it to red after a video review.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said he thought the ejection was &ldquo;a bit harsh,&rdquo; pointing out that Ronaldo "has never been sent off before in 226 games.&rdquo;
Ronaldo will serve a mandatory one-game ban imposed for any red card when Portugal plays Armenia. FIFA disciplinary rules require judges to impose a ban of &ldquo;at least two matches for serious foul play.&rdquo;
Troy Parrott put the hosts ahead with a close-range header following a corner in the 17th minute against the run of play, with Portugal dominant. Parrott added his second in the final minute before the break, beating Diogo Costa with a low shot from inside the area. Haaland's double
Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway moved closer to qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998 by beating Estonia 4-1 in Oslo.
The win virtually secures a spot for the high-scoring Norwegians in next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Italy had to rely on late goals from Gianluca Mancini and substitute Francesco Pio Esposito to win 2-0 at Moldova and is second in Group I, trailing leader Norway by three points.
Italy will likely have to settle for the playoffs, where the four-time World Cup champion was eliminated in the past two editions. It hosts Norway on Sunday and would have to win by a nine-goal margin to directly qualify because of Norway's vastly superior goal difference.
Haaland has scored 14 of Norway's European-best 33 goals in seven group-stage games. The Manchester City striker was born two years after Norway last reached the World Cup.
&nbsp; Still perfect England Already-qualified England continued to cruise.
It beat Serbia 2-0 at Wembley Stadium to keep a perfect record in Group K and is yet to concede a goal.
Bukayo Saka fired England ahead on a rebound with a left-foot volley in the 28th minute after an initial shot by Nico O'Reilly was blocked. Substitute forward Eberechi Eze added the second in the 90th off a pass from another substitute, Phil Foden.
Albania beat Andorra 1-0 in the same group to secure the runner-up spot.

Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, says the 2026 World Cup will mark the end of his illustrious career. The Portuguese superstar plans to retire from football in the next one to two years while continuing at Al Nassr.

Cristiano Ronaldo confirms 2026 World Cup will be his last

Cristiano Ronaldo, 40, says the 2026 World Cup will mark the end of his illustrious career. The Portuguese superstar plans to retire from football in the next one to two years while continuing at Al Nassr.

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 final World Cup. "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 Nassr in 2023, also elaborated on comments last week when he said he would retire "soon".
"Let's be honest, when I mean soon, it's probably one or two years I'll still be at the game," he said.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is hoping to play at a sixth World Cup next year. He came closest to lifting the trophy on debut in 2006, when Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals.
Portugal have yet to qualify for the 2026 tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but can secure their spot if they beat Ireland on Thursday.
Last month, Ronaldo became the top goalscorer in World Cup qualifying history when he netted twice against Hungary to reach 41 goals, overtaking retired Guatemalan international Carlos Ruiz's 39.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus forward is also the all-time leading international goalscorer with 143 strikes.
During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored last week, Ronaldo opened up further about the realities of his looming retirement.
"It will be difficult? Yes. Probably will cry, yes. I'm an open person. It will be very, very difficult, yes," he said.
Ronaldo joined Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United for a second time in late 2022, a move that heralded a influx of late-career stars to the oil-rich kingdom.
Ronaldo initially signed for 200 million euros a year, according to a source close to Al Nassr at the time, and inked a two-year contract extension in June.
Last month, he was named by Bloomberg as the sport's first billionaire, and topped the Forbes list of highest-paid footballers for the sixth time in a decade.
With on-and off-field earnings of an estimated $280 million, Ronaldo will earn more than double that of second-placed rival Lionel Messi during the upcoming season, according to Forbes.
Saudi Arabia, which is spending big on sports and entertainment as part of its economic diversification plan, was named as host of the 2034 World Cup last December.

PSG’s Ousmane Dembele lifted the 2025 Ballon d’Or after his Champions League heroics, while Spain’s Aitana Bonmati secured the women’s prize for the third straight year.

Dembele beats Yamal to Ballon d'Or as Bonmati retains women's award

PSG&rsquo;s Ousmane Dembele lifted the 2025 Ballon d&rsquo;Or after his Champions League heroics, while Spain&rsquo;s Aitana Bonmati secured the women&rsquo;s prize for the third straight year.

Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele won the Ballon d'Or on Monday as a reward for his starring role in the club's Champions League triumph last season, while Spain's Aitana Bonmati claimed the women's prize for the third year in a row.
Dembele, 28, edged out Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal to succeed Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri, who took the trophy in 2024, as the winner of the most prestigious individual prize in football -- an award that for many years had been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona forward Dembele, who was part of the France team that won the World Cup in 2018, scored 35 goals in all competitions as PSG claimed a French league and cup double as well as winning the Champions League.
With Dembele converted into a centre-forward following Kylian Mbappe's departure for Real Madrid, PSG went on to hammer Inter Milan 5-0 in the final in Munich to win the European Cup for the first time in their history.
"I really don't have the words. It was an incredible season with PSG," an emotional Dembele said on the stage at the Theatre du Chatelet in central Paris.
He added that his boss Luis Enrique -- who won the award for club coach of the year -- had been "like a father" to him.
"It is an individual trophy but it was really the collective that won it," insisted Dembele, who was one of nine members of the triumphant PSG team from last season to be nominated for the prize.
"The Ballon d'Or has not really been an objective for me in my career but I worked hard for the team to win the Champions League."
The 18-year-old Yamal, who was a teammate of Dembele's at Barcelona when he first broke through in 2023, did earlier win the Kopa Trophy for the best player aged under 21 -- the second year running he has taken that award.
Dembele was at the ceremony to pick up his prize while his PSG teammates were losing 1-0 in a Ligue 1 game in Marseille at the same time -- that match had been scheduled for Sunday but was put back 24 hours due to bad weather in the south of France.
 - Three in a row -
Barcelona and Spain midfielder Bonmati won the women's prize by edging out her international teammate Mariona Caldentey, with whom she played in the Spain side who were beaten on penalties by England in the Women's Euro 2025 final.
Bonmati, 27, also lost the Women's Champions League final with her club last season, at the hands of Caldentey's Arsenal.
Bonmati was named player of the tournament at the Euros, despite not starting either of Spain's first two matches as she recovered from a bout of viral meningitis.
"I am very proud," said Bonmati, who credited her teammates for their role in her personal triumph.
"I think I am here for the third consecutive time because of the teams I play in, so all of this is because of them."
Alessia Russo, one of the nominees from the triumphant England European Championship team and also of Arsenal, came third.
Bonmati's run of three in a row follows back-to-back victories for her Barcelona and Spain teammate Alexia Putellas.
Norway's Ada Hegerberg and USA star Megan Rapinoe are the only other players to have won the Women's Ballon d'Or since it was introduced in 2018.
The Ballon d'Or is voted for by a panel of journalists, one from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings for the men, and from the top 50 for the women.
Vicky Lopez, the 19-year-old forward who is a teammate of Bonmati's with Barcelona and Spain, was named best young women's player.
Gianluigi Donnarumma, who excelled in the PSG team that swept all aside last season before moving to Manchester City, claimed the Yashin trophy for best goalkeeper.
England's Euro winner Hannah Hampton claimed the best women's goalkeeper award, while her international manager Sarina Wiegman was named best women's coach.

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