The Times of India

India's Shafali Verma opens up about her transformation, the hard work she put in during 2025, her role as vice-captain and India's plans to play fearless yet smart cricket. She also discusses her bowling, batting improvements, team preparations and ambitions to win more trophies for India.

India's disappointing medal tally at the 2026 Asian Games prompted scrutiny from the Sports Ministry, with calls for National Sports Federations (NSFs) to take greater responsibility. In a meeting on Thursday, emphasis was placed on developing a pipeline of athletes rather than relying on a few stars. Preparations for future events, including the 2028 Olympics and 2030 Commonwealth Games, were also discussed, highlighting the need for better support systems.

During the fourth T20I in Hyderabad, West Indies defeated India by 24 runs to level the series. Sunil Gavaskar expressed criticism towards Shamar Joseph after a bouncer hit Arshdeep Singh on the shoulder. Despite pain, Arshdeep chose to continue batting, which raised concerns over his injury. Gavaskar also highlighted the need for India's batters to take more responsibility during their chase.

Sanju Samson acknowledges Jasprit Bumrah's unique talent while highlighting the potential of younger bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Prince Yadav. He mentions the challenges faced by India's bowlers in the ongoing T20I series against West Indies. Samson praises West Indies captain Shai Hope for his impressive form throughout the series. He expresses confidence in Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan despite the top order's recent struggles.

Jasprit Bumrah is unlikely to feature in India's five-match ODI series against New Zealand as the team management prioritises his red-ball workload. The pace spearhead could play one India A match before joining the Test squad. India's ODI and Test squads are likely to be announced in the next few days.

Keemo Paul struck at important moments during India's chase. He dismissed Nitish Kumar Reddy and Prince Yadav off successive deliveries before removing Axar Patel to seal the West Indies' victory. Explaining the bowling strategy, Paul said: The game plan was to keep bowling into the wicket for as long as possible and execute our yorkers when we knew they were going for the big shots.

The Pragyan Ojha-led selection committee has already picked Indias T20I squad for the five-match T20I series in New Zealand, which will start from Oct 22. The five-match ODI series will start on Nov 4 in Auckland. It's understood that Ojha met Team India captain Shubman Gill and head coach Gautam Gambhir, celebrating his 45th birthday, in Hyderabad on Wednesday, for the first time since the BCCI asked him to take over as the interim chairman of the national selection committee.

At 26, Prithvi Shaw is focused on rebuilding his cricket career after years of setbacks, criticism and limited international opportunities. He is prioritising cricket, family and discipline while avoiding public attention. Despite being dropped by Mumbai and missing IPL 2025, Shaw has regained form in domestic cricket. His ultimate ambition remains returning to Indias national team through consistent performances.

Parthiv Patel's decision to opt out has given rise to speculation that the head of the BCCIs Centre of Excellence (CoE), VVS Laxman, may have a greater say in selection affairs, with Pragyan Ojha continuing as the interim chairman of the selection committee. With the ODI World Cup less than a year away, will the BCCI choose to continue with the two?

West Indies captain Shai Hope praised his teams performance after scoring an unbeaten 102 off 50 balls against India in the fourth T20I. He said 247 was a competitive total, as the pitch proved challenging. West Indies won by 24 runs, levelling the series 2-2. Hope has enjoyed an outstanding India tour, scoring four centuries across formats.

Sanju Samson has made waves in the cricketing world by smashing his 100th six in T20 Internationals. This achievement came during a thrilling fourth T20I match against the West Indies, where he scored an impressive 56 runs off just 23 deliveries. Leading Indian cricketers in sixes, he showcases his stellar talent, having accumulated 687 runs in just 24 games in 2026.

Former India captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth criticised the team management for frequently changing the opening combination, saying it has hurt Sanju Samson and Vaibhav Sooryavanshis confidence. He questioned Samsons inconsistency and suggested giving both players more opportunities. Meanwhile, West Indies defeated India by 24 runs in the fourth T20I, with Shai Hope scoring an unbeaten century to level the series 2-2.

Laycock finished with career-best figures of 6/26, including a record of four wickets in four consecutive deliveries in South African T20 cricket.

Sanju Samson reflects on Indias defeat against West Indies in the 4th T20I, the turning point of the match, Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddys fightback, and the series decider in Bengaluru. He also speaks about Jasprit Bumrahs importance and Indias bowling talent.

Paul led the West Indies bowling effort, taking five wickets for 41 runs in his four overs to help seal the win.

Smriti Mandhana discusses her captaincy responsibilities, Indias preparations for the Zimbabwe series, and the areas the team needs to improve in T20 cricket. She also shares her thoughts on batting approach, team combination, and the road ahead for Indian womens cricket.

In a strategic move before the IPL season begins, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals have confirmed a player trade. T Natarajan, the left-arm pacer previously known for his significant contributions to SRH, is returning after a term with DC. Meanwhile, leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari is set to enhance DC's spin attack, having already demonstrated his skills in early matches at his current contract value.

The Mall, a wide red-paved road in the heart of London, is usually the setting for royal processions and public celebrations. On Tuesday, however, it hosted a game of tennis-ball cricket as William picked up a bat and faced deliveries from Ganguly.

The third T20I against the West Indies was another milestone match for Abhishek Sharma. He became the sixth Indian men's cricketer to score 2,000 runs in T20 internationals. He also became the fastest batter in men's cricket to reach the milestone in terms of balls faced.

WFI president Sanjay Singh criticised the US Embassy after nine Indian wrestlers were denied visas for the 2026 U23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, blaming the decision for costing India potential gold medals. While the mens freestyle team received clearance, Greco-Roman and womens wrestlers were affected. Vishvajit More reached the 55kg Greco-Roman final, keeping Indias gold medal hopes alive.

From a childhood incident that made her want to learn how to fight to winning an Asian Games bronze medal, Suchika Tariyals journey has been anything but ordinary.The 36-year-old combat athlete opens up on her journey through Judo, Kurash and MMA, the setbacks that almost made her quit, the sacrifices made by her husband, the support she finally received from the MMA federation, and why being told she was too old only motivated her further.In this TOISA Spotlight episode, Suchika also talks abou

Qais Ahmed grabbed attention in the closing stages of the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi. The Afghanistan batter's injury moment reminded fans of Gulbadin Naib's incident during the 2024 T20 World Cup. Afghanistan put up a determined batting effort to secure a draw at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. The hosts batted for 142 overs to avoid defeat against their Asian rivals.

India will look to seal the five-match T20I series when they face the West Indies in the fourth match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday. With India leading the series 2-1, the possibility of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi getting a chance has once again become a major talking point.