Latest Reporting by Times of India — Sports
20 Stories Indexed
'Vaibhav Sooryavanshi doesn't have the technique': Ex-cricketer makes big claim
Former England cricketer Monty Panesar has expressed doubts regarding 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's technical readiness for Test cricket. In contrast, former Australia captain Michael Clarke defended the young player's abilities, expressing confidence in his potential to succeed across all formats of the game.
This discussion highlights the ongoing debate among elite athletes about how young players develop the distinct technical skills required to transition successfully between different formats of the sport.
Smriti Mandhana creates history, becomes leading run-scorer in Women's T20I
Smriti Mandhana became the highest run-scorer in women’s T20I cricket, surpassing Suzie Bates, and the first Indian woman to hit 100 sixes in the format during the Asian Games 2026 semi-final against Bangladesh. Her quickfire 37 off 19 balls, alongside Shafali Verma’s aggressive start, helped India race to 71/1 in the powerplay after Harmanpreet Kaur elected to bat.
At 12, she was eve-teased: Suchika is now India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist
Eve-teased at 12, Suchika Tariyal took up judo for self-defence, beginning a journey through judo, Ju-Jitsu and MMA. At 36, the Rohtak fighter became India’s first Asian Games MMA medallist after beating Mongolia’s Altanchimeg Baigalmaa 2-0 to reach the -60kg semifinals. A former eight-time national judo champion, Tariyal now hopes her journey inspires more young women.
Deepika's 8-goal blitz powers India to 19-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan at Asian Games
India began their Asian Games women's hockey campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Uzbekistan 19-0 in their Pool B opener. Deepika led the rout with eight goals, while Lalremsiami, Ishika, Baljeet Kaur, Neha, Navneet Kaur, Lalthantluangi and Sakshi Rana also found the net. Veteran goalkeeper Savita Punia earned her 320th international cap.
Japan’s Hojo scripts history, wins first gold of Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games
Japan’s Takumi Hojo clinched the first gold medal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, winning the men’s individual triathlon in 52:56 in Gamagori. After exiting the swim fourth and the cycling leg fifth, Hojo surged ahead in the final 5km run to beat China’s Zhang Xirui by nine seconds. Kazakhstan’s Arlan Zhanabay took bronze, while Hojo’s victory gave the host nation an early boost.
Arsenal lose PL top spot after Brighton shocker, Raphinha shines for Barcelona
Arsenal lost 3-0 to Brighton and surrendered top spot, while Tottenham fell 3-2 to Aston Villa. Barcelona extended its winning run with Raphinha’s hat-trick against Sevilla. Inter drew 2-2 with Roma after Lautaro Martinez scored twice. Dortmund moved top in Germany, while Lyon beat Rennes 4-0 and Paris FC remained unbeaten.
Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finishes 11th in Changquan final at Asian Games
Suraj Singh Mayanglambam finished strong in the men's Changquan Wushu final at the Asian Games, securing eleventh place with a score of 9.683 points. His performance was marked by excellent movement quality and difficulty, impressing judges in this exciting event. Twenty-one athletes took part, while the gold medal was awarded to Macau's Kuong Chi Hin, who scored a remarkable 9.723 points.
Denied by visa row in 2023, former Asia No. 1 Bayor finally gets her Games shot
Rupa Bayor, an Arunachal Pradesh taekwondo poomsae athlete, missed the 2023 Asian Games due to a visa issue. Since then, she has risen to Asia No. 5, becoming a strong medal contender. Now, she aims to win a medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Quimcy Dsouza's Asian Games heartbreak: Indian teqball star falls short
Quimcy Dsouza's quest for an Asian Games teqball bronze medal ended in a narrow defeat to Japan's Yuina Sakamoto. The match was tightly contested, with Dsouza having a set point in the opening game and maintaining a lead in the second before ultimately falling short. This loss concluded her first appearance at the Asian Games in a dramatic fashion.
Windies squad for India tour: Campbell returns; Pooran earns maiden T20I call-up
West Indies have recalled John Campbell for their ODI series against India, while Kamil Pooran earned his maiden T20I call-up after an impressive recent run. Shimron Hetmyer returns for the T20Is, with Jason Holder rested. The eight-match India tour will help West Indies prepare for the 2027 World Cup and build a strong core ahead of the next T20 World Cup.
Asian Games Live: India eye medals in teqball, shooting; hockey, cricket campaigns begin
Father-son duo makes history: Shigenobu and Koji light cauldron
Japan’s Shigenobu Murofushi and his son Koji Murofushi jointly lit the cauldron at the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, bringing the torch relay to a memorable end. Both Shigenobu and Koji are former Asian Games champions in hammer throw. The duo climbed the stairs to the podium together before lighting the cauldron.
‘Play well and shine’: PM Modi wishes Team India as Asian Games 2026 begins
As the Asian Games kicked off, Prime Minister Modi sent his heartfelt wishes to the Indian athletes. Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker and renowned kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat spearheaded the Indian team. Starting Sunday, these talented athletes will launch their pursuit of medals across multiple sports, with ambitions high to exceed their previous best from Hangzhou. A lineup of celebrated sports stars is set to compete for India’s glory.
'I'm interested in governance, not politics': Leander Paes on AITA presidency bid
As Leander Paes runs for the office of president of the All India Tennis Association, elections for which is stated to be held later this year, the tennis legend wants to turn around a sports body that has been in the news for playing truant. In New York for the US Open, he spoke to TOI about his plans and goals for Indian tennis.
England vs Sri Lanka: 3rd T20I Live Score
The article gives live score updates for the third T20I match between England and Sri Lanka.
India’s Asian Games 2026 schedule September 20: Events, timings
India’s medal campaign at the Asian Games 2026 will gather pace on Sunday, with several athletes and teams in action across different events. With medal events in teqball, a cricket semifinal, shooting action and the start of both hockey campaigns, Sunday will be an important day for the Indian contingent at the Asian Games 2026.
‘Expectation from Rohit, Virat is to keep scoring runs’: Ex-batter ahead of WI ODIs
An ex-cricket batter comments on the expectations for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to continue scoring runs in the upcoming West Indies One-Day Internationals. The article highlights the anticipation surrounding the Indian team's batting performance before the series.
Yuki Bhambri provides fitness certificate after missing Davis Cup tie
Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri has recovered from a thigh injury sustained at the US Open. He submitted his fitness certificate to the All India Tennis Association and is set to compete in the men's doubles event at the 2026 Asian Games, having previously missed a Davis Cup tie against South Korea.
