The Times of India

Sri Lanka emerged victorious in a dramatic four-wicket win against Pakistan during the Women's Asia Cup semi-final. Despite a rocky start, they rallied impressively to chase down the target. Fatima Sana, Pakistan's captain, delivered a commendable performance, yet her efforts fell short. This thrilling victory sets the stage for Sri Lanka to challenge India in the forthcoming tournament finale.

Jasprit Bumrah joined Indias full-squad training session ahead of their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. The players went through warm-ups, fielding drills and an extended net session. Ishan Kishan briefly raised concerns after going down, but later walked off without apparent discomfort.

Former chief selector of Pakistan cricket, Haroon Rasheed, identifies the setbacks in the sport to Imran Khan's reforms. Rasheed highlighted that Khan dismissed a hybrid model for the domestic cricket structure, significantly diminishing the first-class teams in Pakistan. He pointed out that India's layered domestic system promotes talent depth, advocating for Pakistan to decentralise its cricket governance to enhance the game.

In a remarkable feat, Ollie Robinson has achieved a bowling average of under nineteen after his 20th match, making him the first bowler to do so since the iconic Sydney Barnes in 1914. With two crucial wickets during Pakistan's second innings at Edgbaston, Robinson joins a select group of five bowlers with this outstanding record, positioning himself among the top wicket-takers in cricket history.

Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi and Antonina Sushkova secured a significant victory in New York.The Indo-Ukrainian pair defeated the fourth-seeded Russian team in straight sets.They demonstrated strong serving and saved crucial break points during the match.This win follows their earlier upset against the fifth seeds in the second round.Next, the duo will face American twins Kristina and Annika Penickova in the semi-finals.

In 1939, England and South Africa played a Timeless Test match without any time limit. South Africa batted for nearly three days, scoring 530 runs in their first innings. England replied with 316 runs, and South Africa then added 481 more. England chased a massive 696-run target, reaching 654/5 after ten days of play.

The AI-generated pictures have given MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer vintage hairstyles, colourful outfits and classic 1980s settings. The trend has now spread across the cricket world, with IPL teams and several cricketers joining in and sharing their own 1980s avatars.

After months of rehab at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), Jasprit Bumrah and Nitish Kumar Reddy were declared fit to join the team which will fly to Japan for the Asian Games two days after the series. Also on Thursday morning, the Indian cricket board (BCCI) announced that Harshit Rana had suffered another injury during his match simulation test at the CoE on Tuesday. Pacer Yash Thakur was named as his replacement.

Magnus Carlsen says Gukesh should not view his upcoming World Championship match against Javokhir Sindarov as a title defence, but as an opportunity to gain. Carlsen believes Gukeshs peak level matches or exceeds Sindarovs, though early momentum will be crucial. He also highlights chesss psychological nature, suggesting confidence and pressure could significantly influence the short match

India secured a dominant 40-run victory over Bangladesh to advance into the Women's Asia Cup 2026 final. Shafali Varma's explosive 64-run innings provided a strong foundation for India's competitive total. India's bowlers applied sustained pressure, restricting Bangladesh to 109 runs in their chase. Deepti Sharma was instrumental with the ball, claiming crucial wickets throughout the match. This win extends India's unbeaten streak and sends them to their tenth consecutive final.

Shree Charani has made history by becoming the fastest Indian bowler to take fifty wickets in women's T20 internationals, completing this achievement in her twenty-ninth T20I appearance. This pivotal moment elevates her status among the world's top bowlers. Furthermore, India's journey in the Asia Cup semifinal has added to the excitement surrounding her performance in international cricket.

Rohit Sharma acknowledged that the 2027 ODI World Cup is quite a way off and hasn't made any promises regarding his participation in the global event. His current form keeps alive the possibility of an international cricket return. Additionally, the BCCI has played down any speculation surrounding his future, with Rohit mentioning that a bus parade celebration could be out of the question.

Karnataka hurdler Krishik M encountered a setback after being excluded from the Asian Games squad, despite achieving the qualifying standards on three occasions. His third-place finish at the recent Inter-State meet was used by the Athletics Federation of India as the basis for his exclusion. While other athletes faced leniency, Krishik is resolute in his pursuit of future competitions and securing his qualification marks.