The highly anticipated semi-final clash between India Champions and Pakistan Champions in the World Championship of Legends has been cancelled. India Champions withdrew from the match, leading to Pakistan Champions advancing directly to the final. Pakistan will now await the winner of the South Africa Champions versus Australia Champions semi-final.

Ayush Mhatre will captain India U19 in Australia, starting September 21, for a multi-format tour. The squad includes 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi, known for his impressive performances in England. The team will play three Youth ODIs and two multi-day games, carrying forward the core group that excelled in England, where Mhatre and Suryavanshi shone with their batting prowess.

The Yuvraj Singh-led India Champions have refused to play Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends semifinals, mirroring their earlier group-stage boycott. This decision, supported by legends like Shikhar Dhawan and Harbhajan Singh, stems from the Pahalgam terror attack. An insider emphasised the team's unwavering commitment to the nation, echoing Dhawan's sentiment that the country comes first.

Gautam Gambhir's reported clash with The Oval's curator has stirred memories of a similar incident from 2014, when he argued with a Delhi curator over pitch conditions before a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. Marcus Couto, a former BCCI umpire, recalled Gambhir's aggressive behavior then.

India skipper Shubman Gill is on the cusp of reaching 6,000 international runs as Team India prepares to face England in the decisive fifth and final Test. Gill has already had a remarkable series, scoring 722 runs with four centuries, equalling records held by legends like Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar.

The England and Wales Cricket Board has finalised deals with six strategic partners for The Hundred, injecting over 500 million into English and Welsh cricket, including 50 million for grassroots development. These partnerships mark a historic moment, making The Hundred the first UK sports competition to secure franchise partnerships of this scale.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj is on the cusp of reaching 200 international wickets as the team prepares for the crucial fifth Test against England at The Oval. Despite a tough outing in the previous match, Siraj has been a key bowler in the series, tied with Jasprit Bumrah as India's highest wicket-taker.

Tensions flared ahead of the crucial fifth Test at The Oval as India captain Shubman Gill addressed a controversy involving head coach Gautam Gambhir and curator Lee Fortis over pitch access. Gill questioned Fortis's conduct and restrictions, while Ben Stokes criticiced the demanding schedule. With England leading the series 2-1, the final Test is poised to be a dramatic conclusion.

Will Jasprit Bumrah play in the crucial fifth Test against England at The Oval? Skipper Shubman Gill remained tight-lipped, citing a green wicket as a factor. Bumrah's form dipped in the drawn Manchester Test, with his pace noticeably reduced. Despite this, he remains a key bowler, tied with Siraj for most wickets.

India Champions will not play Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends semi-final. The team had earlier refused to play Pakistan in the league stage. A key sponsor, EaseMyTrip, withdrew support for the semi-final. They cited concerns about normalising relations with a country that promotes terrorism. India Champions had a mixed tournament, losing matches to South Africa, Australia, and England.

Ben Stokes press conference: On Gautam Gambhir fight, injury update, workload, Manchester handshake

Ben Stokes' shoulder injury sidelines him for the final Test against India, prompting him to criticise the series' demanding schedule and inconsistent gaps between matches. Stokes emphasised the physical and mental toll on both teams. He addressed the handshake controversy and praised the series' competitive spirit, while also commenting on the Oval's seam-friendly pitch.

England captain Ben Stokes addressed the controversy surrounding his handshake offer to Indian batsmen Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar during the drawn Old Trafford Test. Stokes, who will miss the final Test due to injury, defended his offer, stating he didn't want to bowl his main bowlers.

Gautam Gambhir pitch controversy | England Inspect Oval Pitch Freely, While India Were Kept away

India and England will play the series-deciding final Test at the Kennington Oval. England leads the series 2-1. India aims to level the series. Dhruv Jurel will replace the injured Rishabh Pant. Ben Stokes is out due to injury. Ollie Pope will captain England. England has made four changes to their team.

As Team India prepares for the decisive fifth Test against England at The Oval, all eyes are on Shubman Gill's team, trailing 1-2. The selection of the playing XI is under scrutiny, especially regarding Jasprit Bumrah's availability and Arshdeep Singh's potential debut. Experts like Michael Vaughan suggest Arshdeep should play unless the pitch heavily favours spin, potentially sidelining Kuldeep Yadav.

Ben Stokes' shoulder injury forces him to miss the final Test against India, leading to four changes in England's playing XI. Ollie Pope will take over the captaincy, while Ollie Pope will be the stand-in captain. Jacob Bethell, Gus Atkinson, Jamie Overton, and Josh Tongue are included, aiming to bolster the team's performance at The Oval.

Bayern Munich have secured the services of Colombian winger Luis Diaz from Liverpool for a fee potentially reaching 75 million euros. Diaz, who won multiple titles with Liverpool, signed a contract until 2029. He is expected to fill the void left by the injured Jamal Musiala and the departures of Thomas Mueller and Leroy Sane, bolstering Bayern's forward line.

Ben Stokes and Ravindra Jadeja have surged in the ICC Test rankings following their strong performances in the drawn England-India Test. Stokes is now third among all-rounders, while Jadeja leads with 422 points. Joe Root has extended his lead in batting, and in T20Is, Abhishek Sharma claims the top spot among batters, with several Australians also making significant gains.

Bharat Arun, the former bowling coach for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), is poised to join Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the same role. Sources confirm Arun's move after his departure from KKR, where he served since 2022. LSG's coaching staff already includes Justin Langer as head coach, Zaheer Khan as mentor, and Lance Klusener as assistant coach.

A controversy involving Gautam Gambhir and Lee Fortis has surfaced before the crucial fifth Test match between India and England. The incident occurred during India's practice session. Parthiv Patel supported Gambhir and criticised England's behaviour. Patel also highlighted the importance of domestic leagues and praised young Indian wicketkeepers Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel.

Mirabai Chanu becomes the chairperson of the Athletes Commission. She aims to improve weightlifting for women. The Khelo Bharat Niti and Sports Governance Bill support athletes. The Bill ensures women's representation in sports bodies. Focus shifts to women in sports globally. India emphasizes infrastructure and sports science. The 'Safe Sports Policy' is crucial for athlete protection.

Indian wrestler Reetika Hooda faces a potential four-year ban after waiving her right to a 'B' sample test following a positive result for banned substances. The former junior world champion's sample, collected on March 15, 2025, revealed the presence of anabolic androgenic steroids.

Olympics bronze medalist Vijender Singh is set to mentor the Indian boxing team for the upcoming World Championships in Liverpool. He will visit training camps for both men and women, offering pep talks and technical guidance.

Former England captain David Gower talks to TOI on the future of the longest format, the contrasting ways of modern batters & why he wont change his mind on Mike Gattings infamous reverse sweep.

Sitanshu Kotak press conference: Inside details of Gautam Gambhir fight, India Playing XI, Bumrah

India faces key decisions before the final Test at the Oval. Jasprit Bumrah's participation hinges on workload management. Arshdeep Singh is likely to debut after recovering from injury. Kuldeep Yadav might feature, given concerns over Shardul Thakur's bowling. Rishabh Pant's foot fracture necessitates a batting order reshuffle. Team management will discuss and finalize the playing eleven soon.

Tensions flared between India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and Oval curator Lee Fortis ahead of the crucial fifth Test. A heated exchange, caught on camera, arose after Fortis allegedly behaved rudely towards India's support staff and restricted the team's pitch inspection.

Twice in the five-match series, Dhruv Jurel was asked to don the wicketkeeping gloves and the 24-year-old didnt disappoint his captain. In the third Test, after coming on as a substitute keeper, he took three catches. In the fourth Test, he displayed sharp reflexes behind the stumps, effecting two stumpings and taking two catches.

Hockey India introduces an internship program aimed at developing homegrown coaches, envisioning them as crucial for future success, particularly with the potential 2036 Olympics bid. Harendra Singh emphasizes the importance of providing opportunities for Indian coaches to contribute at a higher level. Former goalkeeper Baljit Singh and coach P Shanmugam join the national setup, adding valuable expertise.

Koneru Humpy, a veteran of Indian chess, continues to inspire after securing a silver medal at the Womens Chess World Cup and qualifying for the 2026 Candidates tournament.

Speaking exclusively with TOI from Batumi airport in Georgia, Divya talked at length and shared her thoughts on how it feels to be a Grandmaster, how she turned things around in her favour and the favourite dress she wore during all her tiebreak games to script history.

Divya Deshmukh made history by winning the FIDE Women's World Cup in Batumi. The 19-year-old defeated Grandmaster (GM) Koneru Humpy in a tense tie-break. Spectators were absent during the final moments due to FIDE regulations. Divya's victory marks a significant moment for Indian women's chess. She also became Indias 88th Grandmaster.

India Champions secured a semi-final berth in the World Championship of Legends, triumphing over West Indies Champions at Grace Road. They chased down 145 runs in 14.1 overs, fuelled by Stuart Binny's unbeaten 50 and Yusuf Pathan's explosive finish. India's bowlers, led by Piyush Chawla, restricted West Indies, despite Kieron Pollard's powerful 74 not out.

KL Rahul is close to breaking Sunil Gavaskar's record. This is for the most runs by an Indian opener in England. Rahul has 1108 runs, needing 45 more. In the fourth Test, India struggled early. Rahul and Shubman Gill formed a crucial partnership. Rahul scored 90, while Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar hit centuries.

EaseMyTrip has withdrawn its sponsorship from the World Championship of Legends semi-final match between India Champions and Pakistan Champions, citing its policy against supporting events involving Pakistan due to concerns over terrorism. The decision follows a previous cancellation of a league stage match between the two teams.

Las Vegas will host the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw on December 5. The draw will determine the groupings for the expanded 48-team tournament. United States, Canada, and Mexico will jointly host the tournament. Teams will be organized into 12 groups. Las Vegas previously hosted the draw for the 1994 World Cup.

Manoj Tiwary, former Indian cricketer, strongly opposes the India-Pakistan Asia Cup 2025 match, citing recent terror attacks and military operations. He believes playing Pakistan sends the wrong message amidst heightened tensions, referencing the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. While condemning terrorism, Sourav Ganguly offered a contrasting view, emphasizing that sport should continue.

The Manchester Test ended in a draw, but debate continues. England offered a draw, but India played on. Dale Steyn criticised India's decision, alleging pursuit of personal milestones. Tabraiz Shamsi defended India's choice. Steyn and Shamsi debated the spirit of the game. A fan accused Steyn of double standards. The final Test begins July 31 amid ongoing tension.

Tensions flared ahead of the final Test between India and England as a heated argument erupted between India's coach, Gautam Gambhir, and pitch curator Lee Fortis over pitch access. Irfan Pathan's social media post ignited a debate about double standards, questioning why England's coach had pitch access while Gambhir did not.

Australia have revealed their squads for the South Africa series. Matt Short returns, and Mitch Owen earns his first call-up. Mitchell Marsh will captain the ODI side in Pat Cummins's absence. Travis Head and Josh Hazlewood are back. Select players have been dropped from the previous West Indies series. The team is gearing up for the T20 World Cup.

In a World Championship of Legends 2025 match, John Hastings bowled a strange over. The over included 12 wides and a no-ball. Pakistan Champions were chasing a small target. Saeed Ajmal took six wickets, dismantling Australia Champions. Sharjeel Khan and Sohaib Maqsood easily secured a 10-wicket victory for Pakistan. Hastings's over became a talking point among fans.

India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak hinted at Jasprit Bumrah's potential participation in the fifth Test against England, citing his current fitness based on workload assessments. Despite initial plans to limit Bumrah's appearances, his availability is under consideration.

Jos Buttler believes Joe Root isn't actively chasing Sachin Tendulkar's Test runs record, despite climbing to second on the all-time list, surpassing Ricky Ponting. Buttler highlights Root's exceptional form, especially since COVID, and his unwavering love for the game. While acknowledging the challenge, Buttler anticipates Root's hunger and fitness will keep him in contention to potentially reach the top spot.

Stuart Broad defends Ben Stokes' offer to shake hands in the drawn fourth Test, acknowledging both sides' perspectives. Stokes, exhausted after 143 overs, sought to end the match, while Jadeja and Sundar, nearing centuries, rightfully pursued their milestones. Broad highlights the unique situation where both captain and batters had valid reasons for their actions in the game's final moments.

The India-England Test series heads to a decisive finale at The Oval, where the toss could heavily influence the match, given the venue's recent high-scoring history. Surrey's mammoth 820/9 declared against Durham, featuring multiple centuries, raises questions about batting first.

Veteran batter Ajinkya Rahane lauded young wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel for his solid performance in the fourth Test against England, stepping in after Rishabh Pant's injury. Rahane highlighted the difficulty of wicketkeeping in English conditions, praising Jurel's composure and valuable suggestions to captain and players.

Tensions flared ahead of the final India-England Test as Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir engaged in a heated exchange with Oval curator Lee Fortis. The disagreement arose from restrictions placed on the Indian team's access to the pitch, specifically regarding the distance they were allowed to stand and the curator's objections to their presence.

Monty Panesar has criticized Ben Stokes' conduct during the fourth Test against India, labeling his attempt to prematurely call a draw as classless. Stokes approached Ravindra Jadeja for a handshake, but Jadeja refused and completed his century, along with Washington Sundar. Panesar believes Stokes' gesture contributes to a negative perception of the England team.

The Kolkata Knight Riders have reportedly parted ways with their head coach Chandrakant Pandit and bowling coach Bharat Arun. Arun, formerly with the Indian team, is rumored to be joining the Chennai Super Kings, though CSK officials deny this. Despite leading KKR to an IPL title in 2024, Pandit's team finished eighth in 2025, leading to the changes.