Sports

Ismaël Koné to undergo surgery; Saliba pays touching tribute (AP Photos) Canada celebrated a historic first FIFA World Cup victory with a stunning 6-0 demolition of Qatar, but the landmark occasion was overshadowed by a devastating injury to midfielder Ismaël Koné and an emotional tribute from his replacement Nathan Saliba.Koné suffered a gruesome left-leg injury…

L-R: Vozinha and Team India NEW DELHI: The opening round of group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered theatre of the highest order. From Morocco schooling Brazil with their silky, eye-pleasing football, to Lionel Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria, and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal failing to find a winner against Congo, the opening gameweek had…

Shreyanka Patil (Pic credit: ICC) NEW DELHI: India have suffered a major setback in their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign after off-spinner Shreyanka Patil was ruled out of the remainder of the tournament because of an ankle injury, forcing the team management to bring in uncapped leg-spinner Prema Rawat as her replacement.Patil sustained…

The official XIs are locked in at a rocking Estadio Guadalajara! Javier Aguirre has been forced to shuffle his cards due to Cesar Montes’ suspension, while Hong Myung-bo lets loose an unchanged, lethal counter-attacking side. Here is how the two teams shape up for this massive Group A encounter: Mexico XI (4-2-3-1)Goalkeeper: Raúl RangelDefenders: Jorge…

Shubman Gill (L) and Ishan Kishan (R) stitched a 224-run partnership during the second ODI between India and Afghanistan. (ANI) TimesofIndia.com in Lucknow: It is no secret that Team India‘s head coach Gautam Gambhir is a strong believer in the left-right batting combination.The foundation of India’s T20I template has been built around that principle. With…

India’s Ishan Kishan (AP Photo) Former India captain and ex-chief selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth believes Ishan Kishan possesses all the attributes needed to succeed in Test cricket, but feels the wicketkeeper-batter is currently a victim of India’s crowded red-ball setup.Kishan has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past few months. After spending nearly two years on…

Manika Batra (Image credit: PTI) MUMBAI: India’s most recognisable table tennis player, Manika Batra, has been left out of the squad for the upcoming Asian Games after failing to meet the selection criteria laid down by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).In Manika’s absence, India’s women’s team will be led by Sreeja Akula and…

NEW DELHI: One of the most recognisable faces of DR Congo football was missing from the stands when the African nation held Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening World Cup match on Wednesday.Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, better known as Lumumba Vea, could not attend the match in Houston because he is currently…

Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi (PTI Photo) Magnus Carlsen‘s recent struggles against India’s elite young grandmasters continued on Thursday as Arjun Erigaisi delivered a major upset at the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Team Championships in Hong Kong.Just weeks after suffering consecutive defeats against R Praggnanandhaa at Norway Chess, the world No. 1 found himself on…

Engalnd captain Ben Stokes (Getty Images) England Test captain Ben Stokes is set to return to competitive action after being included in Durham’s 15-man squad for their upcoming County Championship clash against Northamptonshire at Chester-le-Street, which begins on Friday.The all-rounder has not featured since being left out of England’s ongoing second Test against New Zealand…