Afghanistan’s rising star Azmatullah Omarzai has capped off a stellar ICC Champions Trophy campaign by reaching the summit of the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings.

At just 25, Omarzai has dethroned his own teammate, veteran Mohammad Nabi, to claim the No. 1 spot, highlighting his meteoric rise on the international stage.

Omarzai’s all-round brilliance in the Champions Trophy, which included a maiden five-wicket haul against England and a crucial fifty against Australia, propelled him to the top with a career-high 296 rating points. His impact wasn't limited to the all-rounder charts—he also surged 12 places in the batting rankings to No. 24 after scoring 126 runs in the tournament.

India’s Axar Patel was another notable riser in the all-rounder category, leaping 17 spots to 13th, registering a career-best 194 rating points.

Australia's star batter Steve Smith has announced his retirement from One-Day Internationals, bringing an end to a remarkable 14-year career in the 50-over format. He will continue to be available for Test and T20I selection.

Smith's decision came just after Australia’s semi-final defeat to India by four wickets in the ICC Champions Trophy, where Smith top-scored with 73 runs in what turned out to be his final ODI innings.

The 35-year-old batter has played 170 ODIs, scoring 5800 runs at an average of 43.28 and a strike rate of 86.96, including 12 centuries and 35 half-centuries. He finished his career as the 12th highest run-getter for Australia in ODIs. Having made his debut as a legspinning allrounder, he also picked 28 wickets and took 90 catches.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will attend the official send-off ceremony of the 49-member Indian team for the Special Olympics World Winter Games here at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in the national capital on Wednesday.

The Special Olympics World Winter Games are scheduled to be held from March 7 to 17 in Turin, Italy.

The Indian team, comprising 30 athletes, three officials, and 16 support staff including coaches, is the largest contingent. The special athletes will be competing in six disciplines – Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Floorball, Short Speed Skating, Snowboarding, and Snow Shoeing.

The Entertainers Cricket League (ECL) after a phenomenal debut season, is set to return with its second edition, which will be broadcast live on Prasar Bharati’s Waves OTT platform.

It will be starting from March 5 and running until March 16. The influencer-driven cricket event promises to be more competitive, with 150 top digital influencers taking center stage.

The tournament will kick off with a grand opening ceremony at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi. The inauguration ceremony will be led by the Chief Minister of Delhi Rekha Gupta on Wednesday.

The first match will have a clash between Haryanvi Hunters and Rajasthan Rangers. This year’s edition sees the addition of three new teams, expanding the competition and raising the stakes. The new entrants are the Rajasthan Rangers, led by popular YouTuber Zayn Saifi; Kolkata Superstars, captained by Pushkar Raj Thakur; and Chennai Smashers, with Mahesh Keshwala at the helm.

Reigning champions Real Madrid overcame Atletico 2-1 in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 tie to claim the upper hand in the tie.

Rodrygo gave Ancelotti’s side the lead after just four minutes and Julian Alvarez drew level in the 32nd minute. In the second half, Brahim made it 2-1 with a wonderful piece of skill.

Madrid raced into an early lead in the tie. After just four minutes, Valverde caught Galan by surprise with a precise pass to Rodrygo, who beat the Atletico defender on the run, cut inside from the right wing and fired home a beautifully struck left-footed strike. Two minutes later, Rodrygo again beat Galan for pace and when he entered the area he was pulled down by the defender, Real Madrid reports.

Arsenal delivered a historic performance on Wednesday (IST), defeating PSV 7-1 in Eindhoven in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League last-16 tie, and became the first team to score seven goals away from home in a knockout stage match of the competition.

The result is Gunners' biggest away win in our European Cup and Champions League history, surpassing the famous 5-1 win against Inter Milan at the San Siro in 2003 as well as the drubbing of Sporting Lisbon back in November, which were our previous best efforts on the road in Europe's premier club competition.

When it comes to all European competitions, Arsenal's win in the Netherlands sits third on their all-time biggest away wins, with the 7-0 rout of Standard Liege in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winner’s Cup still top of the tree, and is indeed the largest win on our travels in any competition

Vani Kapoor, who grabbed the top honours in the fourth leg last month, will be looking to add to that as she tees up in the fifth leg of the Women’s Pro Golf Tour at the Classic Golf & Country Club. The field of 38 includes five amateurs and carries a purse of Rs 16 lakh.

The experienced Vani, who won a thriller in the fourth leg, will be challenged by other established stars like Sneha Singh, who has already won twice this season and leads the Order of Merit, Amandeep Drall, who is trying to find the form that once made her a contender on the Ladies European Tour, Gaurika Bishnoi and Ridhima Dilawari.

Sneha Singh and Ridhima Dilawari shot 66 and 67, respectively, in the final round of the previous event to finish in the top three and signalled that they are finding their form at the right time.

Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports in collaboration with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Yogasana Bharat has announced the staging of the 2nd Asian Yogasana Championship from March 29 to 31, 2025 here at the Indira Gandhi Arena.

A minimum of 16 countries will be participating, with more expected to join, in the championship that aims to promote Yogasana as a sport on an international platform while embracing its rich heritage and deep-rooted cultural significance.

The aim is to promote Yogasana as a sport globally and create a roadmap towards inclusion in the Olympics as a competitive sport.

The championship is supported by leading organisations, including the Olympic Council of Asia, World Yogasana, Asian Yogasana and Yogasana Indraprastha. With a vision to establish Yogasana as a mainstream global sport, the event will offer a display of balance, strength, and flexibility, highlighting the immense potential of the sport.

Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz could play five-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells Open as the draw for ATP 1000 event was made on Tuesday (IST).

The two superstars last met in a blockbuster quarter-final at the Australian Open, which was won by Djokovic in four sets. Both men will have to be ready to roll early in the event with tricky draws.

Alcaraz will begin his title defence against Frenchman Quentin Halys or a qualifier. The Spaniard has never played Halys. The first seeded opponent the 21-year-old could battle is in-form 27th seed Denis Shapovalov, who claimed his maiden ATP 500 crown in Dallas.

Djokovic could take on Nick Kyrgios in the second round. The Australian, who played Djokovic in the 2022 Wimbledon final, will open against a qualifier.

Former skipper Ricky Ponting backed youngster Jake Fraser-McGurk to replace injured Matt Short at the top of Australia’s batting order for their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final clash against India on Tuesday.

Short was ruled out due to an injury to his left quadriceps which he sustained during Australia's washed out Group B game against Afghanistan. His absence promotes travelling reserve Cooper Connolly into the squad.

Connolly is a powerful hitter and also a capable off-spin bowler, proving to be a like-for-like replacement but Ponting is putting his faith in Fraser-McGurk, who has so far made seven appearances for Australia in ODIs, hitting at a strike-rate of 132l, averaging just 14 runs with a top score of 41.

Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders have unveiled a new-look jersey for the upcoming 18th edition of the Indian Premier League on Monday. As part of an unprecedented campaign, KKR released the official jersey launch video, where fans of the team are seen being obsessed with “Number 3”.

The video culminates into 'Three Stars' being woven into the fabric of the new jersey, depicting the three titles in KKR’s trophy cabinet. Cricketers Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer, Ramandeep Singh, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Mayank Markande and Luvnith Sisodia feature in the video, sporting the new kit.

Apart from the newly added third star on top of the team crest, KKR’s jersey also carries a special golden IPL badge on the arm this year, introduced by the tournament to recognise the defending champions of the 2025 edition.

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu believes the clash between talismanic batter Virat Kohli and Australia leg-spinner Adam Zampa will be a key battle to watch out for in the all-important Champions Trophy semifinal at the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.

Kohli has been dismissed five times by Zampa in ODIs since 2017, making this a keenly contested match-up on the slow pitches of Dubai. The India star has been dismissed five times by leg-spinners since the start of 2024, while amassing only 37 runs against them at a strike-rate of 48.68.

"It’s going to be Adam Zampa versus Virat Kohli (a key battle in the semi-final). Virat has struggled a bit against leg-spinners lately, but the kind of form he has shown in this tournament will serve him well against Australia," said Rayudu to JioHotstar.

Former India cricketer Ambati Rayudu believes Varun Chakaravarthy’s 5-42 in the 44-run win over New Zealand in the 2025 Champions Trophy has created a serious selection dilemma for the team management ahead of the semifinal clash against Australia.

Replacing Harshit Rana in India’s playing eleven for their final Group A game, Chakaravarthy bamboozled New Zealand with his variations to pick a five-wicket haul in just his second ODI and lead India to the top of the points table in their group.

“Varun was great. Early in his career, he wasn’t very consistent with his lines and lengths. But now, his bowling makes him a very difficult bowler to face. His action naturally makes it look like he’s delivering left-arm spin, but 90 per cent of his deliveries are googlies, making it tough for batsmen who haven’t faced him before.

Spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly has been approved as a replacement for injured opener Mattew Short in Australia’s squad for the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy.

Connolly, who has played three ODIs since his debut in England last year, was named as a replacement after Short was ruled out due to an injury to his left quadriceps which he sustained during Australia’s washed out Group B game against Afghanistan.

Connolly, 21, was initially named as a travelling reserve for the tournament, and him being drafted into the main squad was approved by the ICC Event Technical Committee comprising of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Sarah Edgar (ICC Senior Manager – Events), Usman Wahla (PCB Director – International Cricket Operations), Shaun Pollock (Independent Representative).

Karim Adeyemi showcased his acting talent in an emotional moment for Borussia Dortmund, freezing in place after scoring while Black and Yellow fans erupted into celebration.

The 23-year-old's reaction highlighted his growing confidence as Dortmund secured back-to-back league wins for the first time this season with a 2-0 victory at St. Pauli, reports.

The win comes at an ideal time ahead of Dortmund's last-16 UEFA Champions League clash with French side Lille.

"We have gained confidence, but the thing needs further improvements," said the German under-21 international, reflecting on Dortmund's league form following their successful Champions League playoffs against Sporting.

Adeyemi represents the newfound stability under head coach Niko Kovac, whose approach is beginning to bear fruit.

"We saw Karim pushing through and not giving up because of the opponent's resilience. The team wanted to win, so did he," sporting director Sebastian Kehl said, praising Adeyemi's robustness.

Haryana Sports Minister, Sh Gaurav Gautam, said that Haryana has become a sports powerhouse. To ensure that players win more medals at global events like the Olympics, World Championships, Asian, and Commonwealth Games, the government is ramping up efforts to provide more advanced sports facilities.

The Kila Raipur Rural Olympics 2025, one of Punjab’s premier sporting events, on Friday got off with Tourism and Cultural Affairs Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond inaugurating games in the Kila Raipur stadium.

360 ਡਿਗਰੀ ਪਾਰ ਮਾਰਨ ਦੀ ਆਪਣੀ ਯੋਗਤਾ ਲਈ ਮਸ਼ਹੂਰ, ਸੂਰਿਆਕੁਮਾਰ ਯਾਦਵ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੀ ਟੀ-20ਆਈ ਟੀਮ ਦਾ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਵਧੀਆ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਹੈ, ਜਿਵੇਂ ਕਿ ਆਈਸੀਸੀ ਪਲੇਅਰ ਆਫ ਦਿ ਈਅਰ 2024 ਜਸਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਬੁਮਰਾਹ ਟੈਸਟ ਟੀਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਹੈ, ਸਾਬਕਾ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਬੱਲੇਬਾਜ਼ ਸੰਜੇ ਮਾਂਜਰੇਕਰ ਦਾ ਮੰਨਣਾ ਹੈ। ਸੂਰਿਆ ਭਾਰਤੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਕਟ ਦੀਆਂ ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਪ੍ਰੇਰਨਾਦਾਇਕ ਕਹਾਣੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਇੱਕ ਹੈ, ਇੱਕ ਅਜਿਹੇ ਖਿਡਾਰੀ ਦੀ ਜਿਸਨੇ 30 ਸਾਲ ਦੀ ਉਮਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਪਣੀ ਰਾਸ਼ਟਰੀ ਟੀਮ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ੁਰੂਆਤ ਕੀਤੀ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰਤ ਦੀ ਟੀ-20ਆਈ ਟੀਮ ਦਾ ਕਪਤਾਨ ਬਣਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਤਿੰਨ ਸਾਲ ਲੱਗੇ ਹਨ।

Renowned for his ability to hit across 360 degrees, Suryakumar Yadav is the best player in India's T20I team, just like ICC Player of the Year 2024 Jasprit Bumrah is in the Test team, opines former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar. Surya is one of the most inspiring stories in Indian cricket, of a player who made his national team debut at age 30 and is just three years rose to be the captain of India's T20I team.

The Delhi vs Railways Ranji Trophy match, initially excluded from the broadcast schedule, saw a shift in attention once Virat Kohli’s participation was confirmed.

Suryansh Shedge, a rising star for Punjab Kings, is eager to showcase his skills in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The right-handed batter is confident that playing alongside Shreyas Iyer again will make his adjustment to the IPL smoother.

India squad for England ODI series and Champions Trophy: Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill (vc), Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Harshit Rana (England ODIs only).

Rising star Lhuan-dre Pretorious is fast making himself an instant SA20 hero, scoring blazing half-century in Paarl Royals’ Cape derby win over neighbours MI Cape Town at Boland Park.

Pretorius smashed three sixes and eight boundaries in a 52-ball 83 to follow up his 97 on debut at the same ground. The 18-year-old has certainly become a fan favourite of the Royals in quick time.

Chasing down MI Cape Town’s 158/4, Pretorius benefitted from two dropped catches to power the home team to victory by six wickets to avenge Monday night’s defeat at Newlands.

Following the resounding success of its inaugural season, Gujarat Titans have announced the second season of 'Junior Titans', its unique initiative dedicated to nurturing a passion for outdoor sports among children under 14.

‘Junior Titans,’ embodying the ethos of ‘Let’s Sport Out’ will rekindle the excitement of outdoor activities for young children, giving them exposure to various sports and making it a delightful experience for them. Junior Titans events will be held in five key cities of Gujarat --Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Bhavnagar, Bharuch, and Palanpur.

La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish football league, continues their association for the second season of the program, undertaking the football workshops at these events. This season will see La Liga's expert technical coaches offering young talents a chance to learn from the best in the field. This collaboration will provide the participating children with invaluable insights and expand their sporting horizons.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant has confirmed his availability to play for Delhi in the next Ranji Trophy match Saurashtra.

Pant, who last played in the Ranji Trophy was during the 2017-2018 season, may join the team in Rajkot directly, where the match is scheduled to take place from January 23.

"Rishabh Pant has confirmed his availability for Delhi’s next Ranji Trophy game against Saurashtra," DDCA chief Rohan Jaitley told IANS.

The wicketkeeper batter had a dismal run in the five-Test Border-Gavaskar Trophy series against Australia where India suffered a 1-3 loss to end decade-long dominance. He accumulated 255 runs including one half-century at an average of 28.33.

Former World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna and his new Colombian partner Nicolas Barrientos suffered exit in the opening round of men's doubles at the Australian Open on Tuesday.

The Indo-Colombian suffered a 5-7, 6-7 (5) loss to the Spanish duo Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in a one hour and 54-minute battle.

Bopanna won the season's first Grand Slam with Australia’s Matthew Ebden in 2024, achieving a historic victory as he became the oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title at the age of 43.

However, the Bopanna-Ebden partnership concluded after the Turin ATP Finals in November last year, and the Indian ace teamed up with Colombia’s Barrientos this year.

Fast bowling duo of Anrich Nortje and Lungi Ngidi have made a return to South Africa's ODI squad for the 2025 Champions Trophy, starting on February 19. South Africa are in Group B of the Champions Trophy alongside Afghanistan, Australia and England.

The duo’s return to the Proteas ODI squad comes after they missed the entire home international season with injuries. While Nortje has made a full recovery from a left toe injury, Ngidi is back to action after recovering from a groin injury.

South Africa’s 15-man squad will be led by Temba Bavuma and includes ten players who were part of the squad that qualified for the semi-finals of the 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup in India. Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, and Wiaan Mulder have been selected for their first senior 50-over ICC tournament.

Liverpool advanced to the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup with an impressive 4-0 win over Accrington Stanley on Saturday afternoon at the Anfield Stadium. The Reds dominated the match, showcasing their attacking flair and solid defense.

The breakthrough came in the 30th minute when a quick counter-attack turned an Accrington corner into a Liverpool goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold, captaining the side for the day, played a precise ball down the right flank to Darwin Núñez. The striker surged forward and squared the ball for Diogo Jota, who calmly tapped it in from close range.

Alexander-Arnold, who has been under scrutiny in recent games, unleashed a stunning strike from outside the box, curling the ball into the top corner to give the Reds a comfortable cushion heading into the break.

Ahead of the first ODI against Australia, England captain Heather Knight said it will be "really tough" to beat the world champions in the 50-over format.

Knight feels that the drawn Ashes series in 2023 will give them a huge confidence boost to topple the hosts this time.

"They're going to be really tough for us to beat out here in one-day cricket but we're really confident with where we're at. We've had some brilliant wins over the last year and that 2023 series will give us a lot of confidence," Knight told reporters at North Sydney Oval on the eve of the first ODI.

"We know that the Aussies were probably a bit scarred by that and they're going to come out really hard, and we've got to be prepared for that and have our plans ready to face that, and to try and counteract that ourselves," she added.

Knight's comments echoed those of England spinner Charlie Dean, who a day earlier stated that her team "doesn't have as many scars" from past Ashes defeats. Last year's draw marked a significant turnaround for England after Australia had secured back-to-back victories.

Steve Smith equaled the record for most centuries in the Big Bash League (BBL) history, playing for Sydney Sixers against Perth Scorchers on Saturday. The 35-year-old Australian maestro scored an unbeaten 121 off just 64 balls, hammering 10 fours and seven towering sixes to equal the feat.

His innings propelled the Sixers to an imposing total of 222/3 in their 20 overs, laying the foundation for a thrilling contest.

Smith’s century came off 58 deliveries, marking his fourth T20 century and his third in the history of the BBL. With this feat, he equaled Ben McDermott’s record for the most centuries in the competition. Notably, Smith achieved this milestone in just his 32nd BBL innings, a stark contrast to McDermott, who has played 100 matches in the league.

Marcus Rashford’s representatives have opened talks with AC Milan about loaning the Manchester United forward in the January transfer window.

According to a report by The Athletic, Dwaine Maynard, Rashford’s brother and agent, flew to Milan on Tuesday to hold discussions with recruitment staff at the Serie A side.

Rashford’s contract with the Red Devils expires in the summer of 2028 which makes a deal in the winter transfer window unlikely. Alongside AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund are hoping to sign him on a season-long loan. A deal similar to what the German club had struck with United for Jadon Sancho in the 2023/24 season.

Rashford has not featured for the side since December 1 when he scored a brace in the 4-0 win against Everton, which was Amorim’s first league win at the club.

Former Australia captain Michael Clarke has hailed Jasprit Bumrah as the greatest fast bowler across all formats after the Indian spearhead delivered a sensational Player of the Series performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Bumrah was a standout performer in the series, claiming 32 wickets at an average of 13.06 and his devastating bolwing left Australia reeling in multiple occasions in the series. The India pacer's 32 wickets in the series brought him tantalisingly close to breaking Sydney Barnes' 1911-12 record of 34 wickets in a series by a touring pace bowler in Australia. However, his injury in the SCG Test prevented him from equalling or surpassing the historic feat.

"The thing I've thought about Bumrah, after the series finished and I was sitting and thinking about his performances, I actually think he's the best fast bowler ever across all three formats," Clarke said on ESPN's Around the Wicket.

Yet to score their first outright win in the event, Delhi SG Pipers face a keen contest when they take on second-paced Shrachi Rarh Bengal Warriors in their third match of the Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 at the Birsa Munda Stadium here on Saturday.

Delhi SG Pipers have drawn both their matches so far and have come from behind in both games. The Pipers defeated Team Gonasika 4-2 in a shootout after the opening game of the tournament ended 2-2 at the end of regulation time. Delhi went down 4-5 against Hyderabad Toofans in sudden death after overturning a 0-2 deficit at the end of the first quarter.

Argentine striker Tomas Domene has been Delhi SG Pipers' star player until now, scoring both goals against Gonasika in regulation time. Gareth Furlong scored from a penalty corner and Dilraj Singh scored from a field goal against the Hyderabad Toofans. The Bengal Tigers are on a roll after winning both their matches and are one of two teams with a one hundred percent record. UP Rudras are currently leading the standings by virtue of a better goal difference than the Bengal Tigers. Delhi SG Pipers are currently third with three points from two games.

Top seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev of Russia suffered a surprising defeat to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in the second round of the ATP Hong Kong Open on Thursday. The world No. 8 fell to 58th-ranked Marozsan 5-7, 6-3, 3-6 after a match that lasted one hour and 58 minutes at Victoria Park.

Marozsan will face China's Shang Juncheng in the quarterfinals. 19-year-old Shang advanced comfortably, defeating seventh seed Pedro Martinez of Spain 6-3, 6-1.

In the day's other action, second seed Lorenzo Musetti of Italy triumphed over qualifier Gabriel Diallo of Canada, while Spain's Jaume Munar upset fifth seed Nuno Borges of Portugal 6-3, 7-5, reports.

The year 2024 was a good one for Rublev as he won his first title of the season in Hong Kong, defeating Liam Broady, Arthur Fils, Shang Juncheng, and Emil Ruusuvuori in the process.

Australian legend Glenn McGrath believes that Mitchell Starc would leave no stone unturned to be match-fit for the crucial New Year’s Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG), starting on January 3.

Starc suffered rib and back soreness during the Boxing Day Test. The 34-year-old, a crucial cog in Australia’s pace attack, was seen battling through the pain to help his team win the Boxing Day Test.

"It will be up to Mitch and the powers to be (whether he plays). He will be doing everything possible to be out in the middle. He is such a massive part of this Australian team, and when he is on fire, he is as good as anyone going around.