The Times of India

Reigning World Chess Champion D Gukesh visited Tirumalas Sri Venkateswara Temple to seek blessings ahead of his title defence against Uzbekistans Javokhir Sindarov. The 14-game championship will take place in Geneva from November 24 to December 12. Both players will be 20, making it the youngest World Championship clash in chess history. The tournament carries a USD 2.5 million prize fund.

India's batting struggles came under the spotlight in Wellington as New Zealand exposed key weaknesses in the Indian batting line-up. A closer look at the concerns, missed opportunities and warning signs for Team India.

Indian fast bowler Mohammed Shami announces his retirement from Test cricket through an emotional Instagram message, exactly 13 years after making his debut against the West Indies in Kolkata on November 6, 2013.

India's low-scoring ODI thriller against New Zealand highlighted the challenges of batting on a seaming, bouncy pitch. Despite a modest 135-run target, India's top order struggled against Kyle Jamieson's aggressive bowling. The decision to promote Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul also raised questions, while Rahul's composure stood out amid a collapse. The contrasting performances exposed India's batting vulnerabilities.

Andorra goalkeeper Jess Owono is reportedly considering retiring from professional football after being left deeply traumatised by the death of Tenerife striker Jess de Miguel following an on-field collision on November 2. The 30-year-old forward died in hospital the next morning. Owono is receiving psychological support from his club as he struggles to process the tragedy, according to Mundo Deportivo.

India secured a narrow victory against New Zealand by four runs in the second ODI match. The Indian pace attack restricted New Zealand to a mere 134 runs in their innings. After a shaky start, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul helped stabilize India's chase before the rain interruption. The match concluded early due to rain, but India had managed to stay ahead on the DLS par score.

Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket, concluding a notable 13-year career. Bengal coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla expressed disappointment over Shami's inability to return to the Indian side. Shami last represented India in the 2023 World Test Championship final against Australia. Despite retiring from Tests, Shami will continue to play white-ball cricket for Bengal in upcoming tournaments.

Virat Kohli achieved a significant milestone by surpassing Ricky Ponting's run record against New Zealand in ODIs. He moved past Ponting during the second ODI in Wellington, scoring 1,975 runs overall. Kohli's performance included a valuable innings of 74 in the first ODI. India's bowlers excelled, bowling out New Zealand for just 134 runs in a rain-affected match. Gurnoor Brar was particularly impressive, taking four wickets to lead the attack.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri is disappointed that Mohammed Shami did not get another chance in India's Test team before announcing his retirement from the format. Shastri said playing in the gym and bowling in an actual match were two different things. According to him, a bowler's ability to bowl 10-12 overs in a match should be a better test of fitness.

With the publication of Usman Khawaja's autobiography, the spotlight has returned to the 2018 ball-tampering scandal that shook Australian cricket. Khawaja reveals that discussions about tampering were commonplace among players during their time in South Africa. In response, Michael Vaughan sarcastically remarked that these suspicions were already widely acknowledged in the cricketing world. Cricket Australia, however, reaffirms its findings regarding player knowledge, keeping the scandal alive

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first. Arshdeep Singh and Auqib Nabi made full use of the conditions and kept the New Zealand batters under pressure. India are leading the five-match ODI series 1-0.

Former New Zealand pacer Kyle Mills joins TOI Sports for an exclusive interview, discussing India's tour of New Zealand, Jasprit Bumrah's impact, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's future, and Gautam Gambhir's demanding coaching style. Mills also shares his insights on India's challenges and what to expect from the series.

Mohammed Shami has officially announced his retirement from Test cricket, marking the end of a distinguished twelve-year journey. Over his career, he participated in 64 Tests, claiming 229 wickets for India, with standout performances particularly against South Africa and Australia. Manoj Tiwary, his fellow cricketer, honored Shami's impact on the sport, calling him a true warrior. Shami plans to remain active in limited-overs formats.

Usman Khawaja has shed light on the extent of discussions regarding ball tampering among Australian cricketers. He revealed that these conversations were not only prevalent but also conducted openly during their contentious 2018 tour in South Africa. This revelation casts doubt on the integrity of Cricket Australia's previous investigation, which insists it considered all pertinent information before drawing its conclusions.

India's cricket team is experiencing a transition under coach Gautam Gambhir while maintaining stability in the ODI format. Senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma play crucial roles in this transition. Former New Zealand bowler Kyle Mills commends Gambhir's tactical approach and acknowledges the scrutiny faced by the Indian team. New Zealand's cricket has improved significantly with upgraded infrastructure and a rich talent pool.

Mohammed Shami announced his retirement from Test cricket on Friday, exactly 13 years after making his debut against West Indies in 2013. The 36-year-old fast bowler signed off with 229 wickets from 64 Tests, including six five-wicket hauls. Shami last played a Test in June 2023 against Australia, sharing an emotional farewell message on Instagram.

The Olympic Games once awarded gold medals for poetry, music, architecture, painting and sculpture alongside traditional sporting events. Introduced at Pierre de Coubertins insistence in 1912, the artistic competitions even saw the Olympic founder secretly win a literature gold medal under two assumed names. However, amateurism rules and declining interest eventually brought the unusual tradition to an end after the 1948 London Olympics.

Kylian Mbappe's comments referencing Mao Zedong have stirred considerable controversy in China, jeopardising his sponsorship ties. This prompted Real Madrid and LaLiga to extend apologies to the Chinese community. Consequently, Chinese businesses have severed connections with Mbappe and put a hold on LaLiga broadcasts. Talks continue between Chinese officials and Spanish football organisations to foster clarity.

Indian Grandmaster Pranav Venkatesh won the Open title at the FIDE World Junior Blitz Championship in Al Ain, UAE, scoring 10.5 points from 13 rounds. The 20-year-old finished a point clear of his closest rivals, adding blitz gold to the rapid silver he won earlier. Indias Aamuktha Guntaka finished fifth in the Girls section, while Savitha Shri placed seventh.

At just 15 years old, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been named the captain of the senior cricket team for Bihar. The Bihar Cricket Association revealed the squad for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, featuring 17 players, with Suraj Kashyap as vice-captain. The team's journey kicks off on November 14, following Sooryavanshi's standout performances in both the Indian Premier League and international T20 cricket.

R Praggnanandhaa expects an exciting World Chess Championship battle between D Gukesh and Javokhir Sindarov, highlighting their recent form and long-standing familiarity. He also said defending the world title brings pressure he cannot fully understand without experiencing it. Meanwhile, Gukesh visited Neem Karoli Babas ashram ahead of the November 24 title clash in Geneva

The Delhi High Court ruled that the film Doosra violated Sourav Ganguly's personality rights, compelling producers to provide a bank guarantee. Despite this, the court allowed the film to continue its theatrical release, underscoring the importance of Ganguly's rights in the narrative. Producers are mandated to add disclaimers clarifying Ganguly's lack of consent for using his persona.

Aaryavir Sehwag and Lakshya Raichandani remained unbeaten as India chased down the target of 129 in just 19.1 overs, with 30.5 overs to spare. Sehwag scored 70 off 52 balls, hitting seven fours and four sixes, while Raichandani made 53 off 63 balls, including seven boundaries.

The incident took place in the 78th over of West Indies' first innings when Shadman chased a ball played towards fine leg by Amir Jangoo. The opener slipped while trying to stop the ball and immediately went down in pain near the boundary.