The Times of India

Ben Stokes posted Sack him... on social media, reigniting retirement speculation. The International Cricket Council is investigating the England and Wales Cricket Board over footage. This footage was filmed inside the dressing room before Stokes announced his retirement. The ICC alleges the ECB breached regulations by releasing the video early. The investigation occurs as the ECB searches for a new Test captain.

Afghanistan cricket bid an emotional farewell to former fast bowler Shapoor Zadran. He passed away in India at the age of 38 after a prolonged illness. Zadran represented Afghanistan in 44 ODIs and 36 T20Is between 2009 and 2020. He had been undergoing treatment in New Delhi for a rare life-threatening condition. His contributions and fighting spirit will remain an important part of cricket history.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 final will feature a historic halftime show. Justin Bieber joins Madonna, Shakira, and BTS as co-headliners for this event. Chris Martin is curating the eleven-minute performance which supports children's education. Burna Boy and Gustavo Dudamel will also perform during the groundbreaking show. This landmark event aims to unite sport, music, and social impact globally.

Chasing a modest target of 144, the young South African wicketkeeper-batter remained unbeaten on 102 off just 52 balls, hitting 10 fours and five sixes. He reached his maiden T20 hundred at a strike rate of 196.15 and guided the Unicorns home in just 15.4 overs. Pretorius was adjudged Player of the Match. The massive victory helped San Francisco Unicorns move to the top of the points table.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani voiced support for Egypt after their World Cup loss. He stated that the African team was obbed during their match against Argentina. This remark quickly gained attention amid ongoing officiating debates. Egypt's players and fans also alleged unfair refereeing decisions favoured Argentina. FIFA's head of refereeing defended the VAR interventions and warned against unfounded claims.

Texas Super Kings pacer Abhimanyu Lamba opens up on leaving Rajasthan to pursue cricket in the USA, overcoming homesickness, working as a part-time coach, and earning his place in the Major League Cricket (MLC). He also discussed cricket's rapid growth in America and his dream of one day representing the USA.

Shreyas Iyer's sister has supported him after recent T20I losses. She believes he will become one of India's greatest captains. India suffered their biggest T20I defeat by runs against England. Iyer's captaincy has seen one win and ten defeats in twelve matches. India must win the next match to keep the series alive.

India's 98th Grandmaster, Aswath S, achieved the coveted title after securing his final GM norm at the Pune International GM Round Robin 2026. The Tamil Nadu teenager overcame a four-month break for his Class 10 board exams, drawing inspiration from his family of chess coaches and mentors, and now has his sights set on breaking into the world's elite.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino faces a formal ethics complaint to the IOC. This complaint stems from alleged breaches of political neutrality rules. The issue arose after Folarin Balogun's World Cup suspension was overturned. US President Donald Trump publicly claimed credit for influencing FIFA's decision. FairSquare organisation lodged the complaint, citing Infantino's conduct and ties.

Rohit Sharma is aware of the challenges of playing in these conditions and wants to be fully prepared before action gets underway. The 39-year-old enjoys playing in England and has a phenomenal ODI record. In the 27 matches, the right-hander has accumulated 1428 runs at an average of 64.9 and hit seven hundreds - the most by a visiting batter.

Morocco's forward Ismael Saibari is out of the France quarter-final match due to a hamstring injury. Coach Mohamed Ouahbi confirmed the influential player's absence before the crucial game. Despite this setback, Ouahbi stated Morocco will maintain their established playing style against France. France enters the match with a perfect record and aims for a third consecutive semi-final appearance.

Following a troubling series of defeats, the Indian T20 cricket team faces a critical juncture. Team captain Shreyas Iyer has criticized the current batting efforts, labeling them unacceptable. In light of recent lineup changes, head coach Gautam Gambhir describes this phase as a vital 'reset.' The team must overcome difficulties in adjusting to international playstyles while shedding IPL habits for enhanced future performance.

Paraguayan senator Celeste Amarilla intensified her verbal attacks on Kylian Mbappe. She accused the French captain of disrespecting Paraguay's goalkeeper after their match. Amarilla refused to apologise for her earlier racist and dehumanising remarks. The controversy has drawn condemnation from French and international bodies. Mbappe remains focused on the World Cup despite the ongoing off-field dispute.

Young Indian tennis player Arnav Paparkar reached the Wimbledon boys' singles quarterfinals. He became the first Indian in 36 years to achieve this prestigious feat. Paparkar defeated Japan's Ryo Tabata in a dominant performance on Wednesday. This historic achievement places him among elite Indian tennis players. He will now face American qualifier Jordan Lee in the next round.

British wildcard Arthur Fery has reached the Wimbledon semifinals in a remarkable achievement. He defeated Flavio Cobolli to become only the second men's singles wildcard in history to do so. Fery's surprising run has earned the nickname Ferytale among fans and media. He will now face second seed Alexander Zverev in the next round.

Cristiano Ronaldo's FIFA World Cup journey concluded after Portugal's Round of 16 loss to Spain. He shared an emotional message on Instagram, stating Portugal Forever after the match. Ronaldo became the oldest player to appear in a World Cup knockout game at 41. He also set a record for most shots without creating a chance. This marked the end of his illustrious World Cup career.

Priya Punia's selection for the one-off Test against England comes on the back of an excellent series for India A against England A. She scored 23 in the opening match before following it up with 87 and 61 in the next two games. She finished as India A's highest run-scorer in the three-match One-Day series with 171 runs and played a key role in India's 2-1 series victory.

In an exclusive conversation with Timesofindia.com, Sandhagen discusses how Bautista has evolved since their first meeting, why he dismisses the wrestling narrative, the lessons from his latest title defeat, and why he believes a showdown with Sean O'Malley makes the most sense if he gets past Bautista.

Amol Muzumdar on historic Lords Test, Pratika Rawal injury & Indias red-ball challenge

India left-arm spinner R. Sai Kishore has joined Gloucestershire for the final six matches of the 2026 County Championship season, starting against Worcestershire on August 20. After a successful spell with Surrey in 2025, Kishore said he was excited to test himself in English conditions. Gloucestershire coach Jon Lewis backed the Indian spinner to make a significant impact.

India's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Ashwini Ponnappa has criticised badminton's new 15x3 scoring system, saying it removes the drama, momentum shifts and memorable comebacks of the traditional 21-point format. While acknowledging players must adapt, she suggested adding extra breaks instead of changing the scoring system, arguing shorter matches could hurt the sport's appeal.

The Chennai Grand Masters 2026 will be held from July 16-22 in Chennai, featuring World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju, Arjun Erigaisi, Hans Niemann and other top grandmasters. The eight-player single round-robin tournament offers a Rs 75 lakh prize pool and crucial FIDE Circuit points. Organisers have confirmed there will be no Challengers section this year.

The 35-year-old will bring the curtain down on an international career that began in 2009.

ISL clubs set for big test on and off the field

Argentina looked on the verge of elimination after falling 2-0 behind in the 67th minute. But the defending champions scored three goals in the final 13 minutes, with Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez finding the net to complete the turnaround.

Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran has died aged 38 after battling the rare immune disorder HLH. The Afghanistan Cricket Board and ICC Chairman Jay Shah paid tribute, hailing him as a pioneer of Afghan cricket. Shah remembered Zadran's match-winning heroics in Afghanistan's first-ever World Cup victory in 2015. He played 80 international matches between 2009 and 2020.

The strike came just before what was expected to be a major occasion for football fans in Gaza, where many had gathered to watch Egypt face defending champions Argentina.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni broke down in tears after his side's dramatic 3-2 World Cup comeback win over Egypt, walking away from a live TV interview after apologising. Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit with late goals from Cristian Romero, Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernndez. Scaloni later said, I cried because I'm too emotional, praising his team's fighting spirit.

The AIFF has clarified that signing Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) players for the 2026-27 ISL season is optional, with any OCI recruit counting towards the six-player foreign quota. It also confirmed that fielding an Indian striker for the full 90 minutes is only a recommendation, not a mandate, leaving team selection and tactics entirely to individual clubs and coaches.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have agreed to a four-year club-led model for India's top football league, with a special purpose vehicle managing its commercial operations. The AIFF will receive annual administration fees and 10% of net profits while overseeing governance matters. The agreement resolves key disputes, includes a two-year exit option for clubs, and leaves the door open for Genius Sports' involvement.

The Egyptian camp was unhappy with several refereeing decisions during the match. These included a goal ruled out after a VAR review and a penalty appeal that was not reviewed in the build-up to Argentina's winning goal.

Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma hold the top two T20I batting rankings. Shreyas Iyer surged 425 places to joint 93rd in the batting rankings. England's Jacob Bethell climbed seven places to number eight in the rankings. Sam Curran rose twelve places to number 108 among batters. Adil Rashid returned to the top three T20I bowling rankings.

In the last six months, Ashok Sharma has caught everyone's attention with his raw pace. He shattered an 11-year-old Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy record by picking up 22 wickets for Rajasthan. He impressed everyone in the IPL with his pace for Gujarat Titans. A couple of weeks ago, he was picked for India A as an injury replacement, and now he has earned his maiden India call-up for the Zimbabwe tour, starting on July 23.

'Virat, AB adapt across formats, Bumrah's skillset is special': Wiaan Mulder Exclusive

In today's Offside, we see Lionel Messi give us the footballing version of the Book of Exodus while Switzerland down Colombia in a shootout.

Novak Djokovic won a record-breaking Wimbledon quarterfinal match. He joked about Lionel Messi's shorter football games after his own marathon. Messi inspired Argentina to a dramatic 2026 FIFA World Cup comeback victory. Djokovic battled for over five hours to reach his eighth semifinal. Both sporting icons proved their enduring high-level competition.

Neymar leaves as Brazil's greatest goalscorer, one of the finest footballers the country has produced and perhaps the last great Brazilian superstar whose game was built as much on joy as on efficiency. He never won the trophy that defines footballing immortality, but he gave Brazil moments that will endure for generations.

Argentina achieved a remarkable comeback victory against Egypt in their World Cup match. The team overturned a two-goal deficit in the final thirteen minutes of play. Lionel Messi and his teammates celebrated the intense and emotional win extensively. This incredible revival keeps Argentina's World Cup dream alive for now. The team now prepares for their next quarter-final match against Switzerland.

Dinesh Karthik questioned the team management's batting order choice. Harshit Rana was promoted ahead of Shivam Dube during a batting collapse. India suffered their biggest T20I defeat by runs against England. The team's performance was described as atrocious by the captain. India now trails England two-nil in the series.

Four defeats into India's new T20I cycle, Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has once again leaned on the idea of a eset and transition to explain the team's struggles. As results worsen, the head coach's recurring narrative has returned, raising questions about India's direction after their World Cup triumph.

Jofra Archer feels English conditions offer a return to normal cricket. He believes bowlers have a larger margin for error here. England secured a significant 125-run victory over India in the third T20I. Archer dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after their IPL rivalry resurfaced. India seek their first T20I win in the ongoing series.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stre met at a NATO summit. The leaders exchanged light-hearted banter while wearing their national football team jerseys. They discussed their countries' upcoming FIFA World Cup quarterfinal match. Norway's Prime Minister recalled a past victory against England in qualification. Both leaders anticipate a great and exciting football match.

Ticket prices for the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarterfinals have seen a notable decrease. This decline follows the unexpected eliminations of co-host United States and Portugal from the tournament. Spain's quarterfinal match against Belgium now has significantly lower ticket prices available. France's game against Morocco is currently the least expensive last-eight fixture. Other quarterfinals include Norway versus England and Argentina against Switzerland.

Thierry Henry believes Cristiano Ronaldo has nothing left to prove. His football legacy is considered untouchable and will stand the test of time. Ronaldo's dedication to fitness and professionalism serves as an example. He concluded his World Cup career with 27 appearances and 11 goals. His impact extends beyond trophies and records in the sport.

Lionel Messi achieved a historic World Cup milestone by scoring in six consecutive knockout matches. Argentina secured a dramatic 3-2 victory against Egypt after trailing by two goals. Messi's equaliser in the 83rd minute ignited a remarkable turnaround for his team. Enzo Fernandez then completed the stunning comeback in stoppage time to advance Argentina.

Gautam Gambhir explosive press conference: On dropping Sanju Samson, losing four and more