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The United States made a stunning rally to capture an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup on Sunday, defeating the Internationals 17-13 in a victory dedicated to US President Donald Trump. Jacob Bridgeman secured the clinching point at Medinah Country Club by sinking a four-foot par putt at the 18th hole to defeat Australian Min Woo Lee 1-up.Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-india-vs-afghanistan-quarterfinal-rain-washout-rules-predicted-xi-1790501105330">Asian Games: What happens if rain washes out India vs Afghanistan quarterfinal?</a>"I'm just so damn proud of this team," US captain Brandt Snedeker said. "All these guys, they fought for each other. They fought for this country. They fought for this team."Snedeker said Trump -- who visited the Chicago-area course for Sunday's final day -- should take credit for the win."He told me (he) was going to bring some energy today for you guys. You guys need it," Snedeker said. "And I told him if we did this, he gets all the credit. So thank you, President Trump."The Americans improved to 14-1-1 in the biennial rivalry after trailing 10.5-7.5 entering 12 concluding singles matches, the Internationals poised to end a 28-year win drought but failing."It was on a knife edge all day," Internationals captain Geoff Ogilvy of Australia said. "It's a very difficult thing to beat the US in singles in the US. They all played great."The Americans had nine wins and a draw on the final day."I don't think I'd do anything differently," Ogilvy said. "It sort of drifted the wrong way all day."The non-European side's lone win was in 1998 at Australia with a shared trophy at South Africa in 2003.The Americans, boasting eight of the world's 11 top-ranked golfers, won on the same suburban Chicago layout where Europe took the 2012 Ryder Cup with the famed "Miracle at Medinah" fightback."These guys never lost faith," Snedeker said. "I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah's got a history of funny things happening, and sure enough, they went out there and played their asses off. I'm so damn proud of those guys."Drama built with every match and ended with Bridgeman, who won his second PGA Tour title last week, falling behind for the first time with a bogey at 15 only to win 16 and 18 with pars."It was the coolest moment," he said. "I felt like I held in my emotions all day. To let it out on the last hole is pretty sweet."Cameron Young secured the first US point, beating Japan's Ryo Hisatsune 3&amp;2. He won holes 11-13 for his first lead and made a 32-foot birdie putt at 16 to win.Justin Thomas, 0-3 in Cup singles, won the first four holes and never trailed in beating Canada's Corey Conners 5&amp;3, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at 15 to win.South Korea's Tom Kim answered with a 3&amp;2 victory over reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark."I was second off. I really felt it was a &nbsp;responsibility to put a point up," said Kim, who will fly to Japan for the Asian Games.Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, 3-1 this week, birdied five of the first 10 holes and never trailed in beating Colombian Nico Echavarria 2&amp;1.South Korean Im Sung-jae rattled in birdies on four of the last six holes to beat Sam Burns 3&amp;1, while Chris Gotterup beat South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1-up.The Americans seized a 13.5-12.5 lead when Patrick Cantlay edged Australian Adam Scott 2&amp;1 and moments later Collin Morikawa beat Japan's Hideki Matsuyama 1-up.Cantlay was never behind but needed a 57-foot birdie putt at 16 and a seven-foot par putt at 17 to win.Morikawa tied his match at 15 on a 30-foot birdie putt and won when Matsuyama missed a 15-foot par putt at 18."I'm happy about that closing point," Morikawa said. "That was huge."Jackson Koivun, a 21-year-old rookie, beat South Korean 2-up.Canada's Nick Taylor tied Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele edged New Zealand's Ryan Fox 2&amp;1 after the Cup was decided.

The Americans improved to 14-1-1 in the biennial rivalry after trailing 10.5-7.5 entering 12 concluding singles matches, the Internationals poised to end a 28-year win drought but failing.

The United States made a stunning rally to capture an 11th consecutive Presidents Cup on Sunday, defeating the Internationals 17-13 in a victory dedicated to US President Donald Trump. Jacob Bridgeman secured the clinching point at Medinah Country Club by sinking a four-foot par putt at the 18th hole to defeat Australian Min Woo Lee 1-up. Also Read - Asian Games: What happens if rain washes out India vs Afghanistan quarterfinal? "I'm just so damn proud of this team," US captain Brandt Snedeker said. "All these guys, they fought for each other. They fought for this country. They fought for this team." Snedeker said Trump -- who visited the Chicago-area course for Sunday's final day -- should take credit for the win. "He told me (he) was going to bring some energy today for you guys. You guys need it," Snedeker said. "And I told him if we did this, he gets all the credit. So thank you, President Trump." The Americans improved to 14-1-1 in the biennial rivalry after trailing 10.5-7.5 entering 12 concluding singles matches, the Internationals poised to end a 28-year win drought but failing. "It was on a knife edge all day," Internationals captain Geoff Ogilvy of Australia said. "It's a very difficult thing to beat the US in singles in the US. They all played great." The Americans had nine wins and a draw on the final day. "I don't think I'd do anything differently," Ogilvy said. "It sort of drifted the wrong way all day." The non-European side's lone win was in 1998 at Australia with a shared trophy at South Africa in 2003. The Americans, boasting eight of the world's 11 top-ranked golfers, won on the same suburban Chicago layout where Europe took the 2012 Ryder Cup with the famed "Miracle at Medinah" fightback. "These guys never lost faith," Snedeker said. "I told the guys last night that funny stuff happens here. Medinah's got a history of funny things happening, and sure enough, they went out there and played their asses off. I'm so damn proud of those guys." Drama built with every match and ended with Bridgeman, who won his second PGA Tour title last week, falling behind for the first time with a bogey at 15 only to win 16 and 18 with pars. "It was the coolest moment," he said. "I felt like I held in my emotions all day. To let it out on the last hole is pretty sweet." Cameron Young secured the first US point, beating Japan's Ryo Hisatsune 3&2. He won holes 11-13 for his first lead and made a 32-foot birdie putt at 16 to win. Justin Thomas, 0-3 in Cup singles, won the first four holes and never trailed in beating Canada's Corey Conners 5&3, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at 15 to win. South Korea's Tom Kim answered with a 3&2 victory over reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark. "I was second off. I really felt it was a responsibility to put a point up," said Kim, who will fly to Japan for the Asian Games. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, 3-1 this week, birdied five of the first 10 holes and never trailed in beating Colombian Nico Echavarria 2&1. South Korean Im Sung-jae rattled in birdies on four of the last six holes to beat Sam Burns 3&1, while Chris Gotterup beat South Africa's Christiaan Bezuidenhout 1-up. The Americans seized a 13.5-12.5 lead when Patrick Cantlay edged Australian Adam Scott 2&1 and moments later Collin Morikawa beat Japan's Hideki Matsuyama 1-up. Cantlay was never behind but needed a 57-foot birdie putt at 16 and a seven-foot par putt at 17 to win. Morikawa tied his match at 15 on a 30-foot birdie putt and won when Matsuyama missed a 15-foot par putt at 18. "I'm happy about that closing point," Morikawa said. "That was huge." Jackson Koivun, a 21-year-old rookie, beat South Korean 2-up. Canada's Nick Taylor tied Russell Henley and Xander Schauffele edged New Zealand's Ryan Fox 2&1 after the Cup was decided.

The Americans improved to 14-1-1 in the biennial rivalry after trailing 10.5-7.5 entering 12 concluding singles matches, the Internationals poised to end a 28-year win drought but failing.

USA wins 11th consecutive Presidents Cup with 17-13 win over Internationals

India came close to adding another gold medal to its Asian Games tally on Sunday, with Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare leading their respective finals for extended periods before finishing with silver. Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra also secured bronze medals, making it a productive day for India in athletics.<h2>Ancy Sojan misses gold by two centimetres</h2>Ancy Sojan appeared to be on course for gold in the women’s long jump after producing a best effort of 6.53m on her fifth attempt. However, China’s Huang Yingying responded with a 6.55m effort to move into first place with her final attempt. The two-centimetre difference left Ancy with the silver medal. India’s Shaili Singh also came agonisingly close to the podium. Her best jump of 6.42m had placed her in medal contention, but China’s Mengyi Tan moved ahead with a 6.46m effort to claim bronze.<h2>Sarvesh Kushare takes high jump silver</h2>Sarvesh Kushare was also in gold-medal contention for much of the men’s high jump final before Chinese Taipei’s Chao Hsuan-Fu moved ahead. Both athletes cleared 2.25m, but Kushare’s first-attempt failure at the height proved decisive. Chao cleared 2.25m on his first attempt, while Kushare managed it on his second. As a result, Kushare had to settle for silver despite clearing the same height as the champion.<h2>Parul Chaudhary, Harita Bhadra add bronze medals</h2>Parul Chaudhary secured her second consecutive Asian Games bronze in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, improving on her previous performance with a personal best of 9:08.67. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi won gold, while Kazakhstan’s Norah Jeruto Tanui took silver in 9:06.82. Harita Bhadra added another athletics medal for India by finishing third in the women’s 200m final in 23.20 seconds. Singapore’s Shanti Pereira won gold with a season-best 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93 seconds. Harita finished just ahead of Japan’s Ido Abigeirufuka, who clocked 23.21 seconds. India’s Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland finished sixth in 23.48 seconds. With four medals from athletics, India’s overall tally moved to 37 medals, including four gold and 16 bronze.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/olympic-inclusion-is-our-major-target-wpa-president-ishaun-singh-on-pool-s-global-ambitions-1790520641487">‘Olympic inclusion is our major target’: WPA President Ishaun Singh on pool’s global ambitions</a><h2>Squash: Two silver medals, but no Olympic berth</h2>India had hoped Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh would secure Olympic berths by winning squash gold, but both players had to settle for silver after straight-game defeats in their respective finals. Abhay Singh, ranked 24th in the world, lost 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to defending champion Ng Eain Yow in a 44-minute final. After a closely fought opening game, the Malaysian took control of the pace and length of rallies, repeatedly forcing Abhay into difficult retrievals.&nbsp;Abhay admitted that the Malaysian’s experience in major matches made a difference and said he would return to the drawing board, while also stressing that another route to Olympic qualification remains available. Anahat Singh, 18, also finished with silver after losing 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to Malaysia’s world no. 5 and defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam in 27 minutes.The results extended India’s wait for an individual Asian Games squash gold. Saurav Ghosal had also won silver at the 2014 and 2023 editions.<h2>Boxing assures India of three more medals</h2>Indian boxing continued its strong run, with Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal advancing to the semifinals and assuring India of three additional medals. Parveen defeated Uzbekistan’s world championships silver medallist Navbakhor Khamidova 5-0 in the women’s 65kg quarterfinal. It was her first bout of the Games after receiving a walkover in the previous round. Parveen has moved up from 57kg to 65kg following a 22-month suspension imposed by the International Testing Agency for a whereabouts failure. She said she was gradually rebuilding her confidence after her long absence.&nbsp;Ankush, making his Asian Games debut after winning Commonwealth Games gold last month in Glasgow, also recorded a 5-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal. Narender, a bronze medallist at the previous Asian Games, needed less than two minutes to progress in the +90kg category after a referee stoppage against Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep. The Indian heavyweight’s sustained attack resulted in three standing counts before the contest was stopped. However, Commonwealth Games champion Sachin Siwach was eliminated in the men’s 60kg quarterfinal after losing 0-5 to Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto.<h2>India’s individual badminton campaign ends</h2>India’s individual badminton campaign ended without a medal after PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda were eliminated in their respective women’s singles quarterfinals. Sindhu lost to Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 after playing her third match in less than 24 hours. Nineteen-year-old Unnati Hooda also put up a strong fight but lost 16-21, 21-14, 17-21 to three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi.&nbsp;Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, also suffered quarterfinal defeats. India had won three badminton medals at Hangzhou, but this time the men’s team bronze was the country’s only medal from the competition, with none of the individual players or pairs progressing to the semifinals.<h3>Indian women’s hockey team reaches semifinals</h3>The Indian women’s hockey team maintained its unbeaten record with a dominant 7-0 win over Singapore. The result helped India finish at the top of Pool B after five wins and secure a place in the semifinals, where the team will face Korea.

Asian Games: India added four athletics medals as Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare won silver, while Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra claimed bronze

India came close to adding another gold medal to its Asian Games tally on Sunday, with Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare leading their respective finals for extended periods before finishing with silver. Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra also secured bronze medals, making it a productive day for India in athletics. Ancy Sojan misses gold by two centimetres Ancy Sojan appeared to be on course for gold in the women’s long jump after producing a best effort of 6.53m on her fifth attempt. However, China’s Huang Yingying responded with a 6.55m effort to move into first place with her final attempt. The two-centimetre difference left Ancy with the silver medal. India’s Shaili Singh also came agonisingly close to the podium. Her best jump of 6.42m had placed her in medal contention, but China’s Mengyi Tan moved ahead with a 6.46m effort to claim bronze. Sarvesh Kushare takes high jump silver Sarvesh Kushare was also in gold-medal contention for much of the men’s high jump final before Chinese Taipei’s Chao Hsuan-Fu moved ahead. Both athletes cleared 2.25m, but Kushare’s first-attempt failure at the height proved decisive. Chao cleared 2.25m on his first attempt, while Kushare managed it on his second. As a result, Kushare had to settle for silver despite clearing the same height as the champion. Parul Chaudhary, Harita Bhadra add bronze medals Parul Chaudhary secured her second consecutive Asian Games bronze in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, improving on her previous performance with a personal best of 9:08.67. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi won gold, while Kazakhstan’s Norah Jeruto Tanui took silver in 9:06.82. Harita Bhadra added another athletics medal for India by finishing third in the women’s 200m final in 23.20 seconds. Singapore’s Shanti Pereira won gold with a season-best 22.78 seconds, while China’s Chen Yujie took silver in 22.93 seconds. Harita finished just ahead of Japan’s Ido Abigeirufuka, who clocked 23.21 seconds. India’s Unnathi Aiyappa Bolland finished sixth in 23.48 seconds. With four medals from athletics, India’s overall tally moved to 37 medals, including four gold and 16 bronze. Also Read: ‘Olympic inclusion is our major target’: WPA President Ishaun Singh on pool’s global ambitions Squash: Two silver medals, but no Olympic berth India had hoped Anahat Singh and Abhay Singh would secure Olympic berths by winning squash gold, but both players had to settle for silver after straight-game defeats in their respective finals. Abhay Singh, ranked 24th in the world, lost 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to defending champion Ng Eain Yow in a 44-minute final. After a closely fought opening game, the Malaysian took control of the pace and length of rallies, repeatedly forcing Abhay into difficult retrievals. Abhay admitted that the Malaysian’s experience in major matches made a difference and said he would return to the drawing board, while also stressing that another route to Olympic qualification remains available. Anahat Singh, 18, also finished with silver after losing 4-11, 4-11, 7-11 to Malaysia’s world no. 5 and defending champion Sivasangari Subramaniam in 27 minutes. The results extended India’s wait for an individual Asian Games squash gold. Saurav Ghosal had also won silver at the 2014 and 2023 editions. Boxing assures India of three more medals Indian boxing continued its strong run, with Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal advancing to the semifinals and assuring India of three additional medals. Parveen defeated Uzbekistan’s world championships silver medallist Navbakhor Khamidova 5-0 in the women’s 65kg quarterfinal. It was her first bout of the Games after receiving a walkover in the previous round. Parveen has moved up from 57kg to 65kg following a 22-month suspension imposed by the International Testing Agency for a whereabouts failure. She said she was gradually rebuilding her confidence after her long absence. Ankush, making his Asian Games debut after winning Commonwealth Games gold last month in Glasgow, also recorded a 5-0 victory over Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the men’s 80kg quarterfinal. Narender, a bronze medallist at the previous Asian Games, needed less than two minutes to progress in the +90kg category after a referee stoppage against Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep. The Indian heavyweight’s sustained attack resulted in three standing counts before the contest was stopped. However, Commonwealth Games champion Sachin Siwach was eliminated in the men’s 60kg quarterfinal after losing 0-5 to Japan’s Shunsuke Kitamoto. India’s individual badminton campaign ends India’s individual badminton campaign ended without a medal after PV Sindhu and Unnati Hooda were eliminated in their respective women’s singles quarterfinals. Sindhu lost to Olympic champion Chen Yu Fei 21-11, 18-21, 10-21 after playing her third match in less than 24 hours. Nineteen-year-old Unnati Hooda also put up a strong fight but lost 16-21, 21-14, 17-21 to three-time world champion Akane Yamaguchi. Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand, along with the mixed doubles pair of Dhruv Kapila and Tanisha Crasto, also suffered quarterfinal defeats. India had won three badminton medals at Hangzhou, but this time the men’s team bronze was the country’s only medal from the competition, with none of the individual players or pairs progressing to the semifinals. Indian women’s hockey team reaches semifinals The Indian women’s hockey team maintained its unbeaten record with a dominant 7-0 win over Singapore. The result helped India finish at the top of Pool B after five wins and secure a place in the semifinals, where the team will face Korea.

India won four athletics medals at the Asian Games as Ancy Sojan and Sarvesh Kushare claimed silver, while Parul Chaudhary and Harita Bhadra won bronze

Asian Games 2026 Day 9 wrap | From Ancy to Anahat, Sarvesh to Parul: India’s silver linings and near misses

As cue sports continue their push for greater global recognition, the road to Olympic inclusion remains one of the biggest challenges for the sport. From unifying different disciplines and expanding into emerging markets to improving prize money and creating a sustainable career path for players, the World Pool Association (WPA) is attempting to reshape the sport at the highest level. In an exclusive conversation, WPA President Ishaun Singh spoke about the organisation’s Olympic ambitions, the significance of India and a potential 2036 Games, the rapid rise of heyball, efforts to bring different cue-sport disciplines under one umbrella, and why financial stability for professional players could be crucial to the sport’s future. He also discussed the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad and why the event’s return to India carries wider significance for the global growth of cue sports.<h3>Q1. What do you believe is the biggest obstacle standing between cue sports and permanent inclusion in the Olympic Games, and what is the WPA doing to overcome it?&nbsp;</h3>The biggest obstacle is technically nothing on our end, it's the design of the Olympics itself. This isn't just about billiards, many sports struggle to get in because of the Olympic system's core sports. Some of those core disciplines have multiple medal events that, frankly, don't carry the same viewership, interest, media coverage or finances that our sport does, take some of the longer distance athletics events as an example, where even the stadium crowd checks out until the finish. We believe some of those medals should be redistributed. There's a real campaign for the IOC to review this, and the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has made statements that they will in time review all the codes. At this stage, only a host country can request our inclusion, getting an existing code removed to make room for us is extremely difficult, because everyone protects their sport. So we can only try to find a spot through hosts. We ran a big campaign for Brisbane 2032, hoping the Australian public would recommend us, especially since our junior world champion this year came from Australia, that showed people there that Australia could realistically win a medal in our sport by 2032. Our bigger hope, though, is India for 2036. We're aware India has an excellent chance of winning that bid, and we're putting in the work, as many events here as possible, because the sport originated in India, which makes it an easier story to tell the public and the IOC. If India wins the bid, I believe they'd seriously consider including us. It would be a massive story.&nbsp;<h3>Q2. Under your leadership, how is the WPA working to expand the global reach, commercial appeal and professional ecosystem of pool, particularly in emerging markets?&nbsp;</h3>&nbsp;For the last four years we've focused on showing the professional side of our sport and a career path, especially in schools in emerging markets like Africa and South America. Kids are limited in the number of sports they can take up, and pool suits athletes who might not be built for soccer or cricket, our players come in all shapes and sizes. We've signed cooperation agreements with school and university sporting bodies to get billiards included in their structures, and I expect us to be included in the next editions of the university and school games. At the continental level, we've pushed into the African Games, South American Games, and Pan American Games. We were previously in the Asian Games until around 2010 to 2012, lost that spot, but have now regained it after fixing a lot internally, we'll be included in Qatar 2030, though the official announcement comes after this year's Asian Games. We've also increased prize funds significantly, no major event today offers less than $10 million across the board for professional players.<h3>Q3. Pool has historically been divided across different disciplines, formats and governing structures. How important is greater unification, and what steps are being taken to achieve it?&nbsp;</h3>We compare ourselves to athletics in structure, they have the 100m, 200m, 400m, we have 8 ball, 9 ball, 10 ball, heyball, black ball, and so on, plus regional variations across all 206 countries that play pool. About six or seven years ago, we decided at the world level to bring all disciplines under our banner, which is a big reason heyball has grown the way it has. We've made real progress, most associations now appear on our website. There are still two or three fairly large independent organizations we're in talks with to merge, because having every federation under one banner is going to be massive for our numbers with the IOC. Heyball in particular is our fastest growing discipline, over the last ten years it's gone from a small footprint to being played in more than 90 countries. We compare its trajectory to how people talk about padel and pickleball.<h3>Q5. What changes are needed to give professional pool players greater financial security, better competitive opportunities and a clearer career pathway?&nbsp;</h3>Right now the biggest concern for professional athletes is income stability, it's essentially 100% performance driven. For example, a runner up might win $30,000, while our biggest tournament pays $1.5 million to the winner, so athletes often need to win a few rounds just to cover their costs. Unlike tennis, where a handful of legends dominate most tournaments, our sport is much harder to predict, in a field of 64, any of 32 players realistically could win, so we get different winners constantly, which makes surviving on the pro circuit tougher. We're working on a model, similar to what professional snooker does, to guarantee top ranked players a fixed minimum income, so if you're in the top rankings, you know you'll survive at least a year regardless of a single tournament's results. That should help convince more people that this can genuinely be a career.&nbsp;<h3>Q6. Looking five to ten years ahead, what would you like the global pool landscape to look like, and what would you consider the biggest achievement of your tenure as WPA President?&nbsp;</h3>For the professional athletes, the biggest concern is income stability, which is why we're working on a fixed income model for top ranked players. Beyond that, I see our path forward built on, continuing to unify all disciplines and associations under one banner so our numbers are strongest with the IOC, heyball continuing its rapid growth, more than 90 countries now, up sharply in the last decade, deepening our schools and universities pipeline in emerging markets like Africa, South America, and India, and ultimately, Olympic recognition, which India winning the 2036 bid would make a realistic, powerful story given the sport originated here.&nbsp;<h3>Q7. Tell us about the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad, why was the city chosen, what disciplines and how many nations/athletes will compete, and why does this return to India matter?&nbsp;</h3>The Commonwealth coming here was originally part of the hundred year celebration too, but it's combined with our ambitions for the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games, knowing India has an excellent chance for 2036. We received the permission and blessings of the Commonwealth Federation last year to run our own championship under the Commonwealth banner, and we held the first edition in Mauritius, that's where we had our initial talks with India for this year. About 34 or 35 countries participated in Mauritius, which showed the Commonwealth Federation the interest in our sport, and we intend to run these championships every year until we get into the Games itself. This year, our second year, we've increased from four disciplines to five, ten ball, heyball, black ball, snooker, and now English billiards, added largely because of the Indian population and market. All five are medal events, in both men's and women's categories, with 16 athletes per gender per discipline in ten ball, heyball, black ball &amp; snooker, and 8 ahtletes per gender in English billiards. As of now we're sitting on 45 different countries entered, with another week or two before entries close. Every Commonwealth country gets one guaranteed unranked entry to ensure their spot, and the rest of the field is drawn from the world rankings, so we're getting the best of the elite athletes from Commonwealth countries."

WPA President Ishaun Singh discusses pool’s Olympic ambitions, India’s 2036 hopes, heyball’s global rise, player income and cue sports’ future

As cue sports continue their push for greater global recognition, the road to Olympic inclusion remains one of the biggest challenges for the sport. From unifying different disciplines and expanding into emerging markets to improving prize money and creating a sustainable career path for players, the World Pool Association (WPA) is attempting to reshape the sport at the highest level. In an exclusive conversation, WPA President Ishaun Singh spoke about the organisation’s Olympic ambitions, the significance of India and a potential 2036 Games, the rapid rise of heyball, efforts to bring different cue-sport disciplines under one umbrella, and why financial stability for professional players could be crucial to the sport’s future. He also discussed the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad and why the event’s return to India carries wider significance for the global growth of cue sports. Q1. What do you believe is the biggest obstacle standing between cue sports and permanent inclusion in the Olympic Games, and what is the WPA doing to overcome it? The biggest obstacle is technically nothing on our end, it's the design of the Olympics itself. This isn't just about billiards, many sports struggle to get in because of the Olympic system's core sports. Some of those core disciplines have multiple medal events that, frankly, don't carry the same viewership, interest, media coverage or finances that our sport does, take some of the longer distance athletics events as an example, where even the stadium crowd checks out until the finish. We believe some of those medals should be redistributed. There's a real campaign for the IOC to review this, and the new IOC president, Kirsty Coventry, has made statements that they will in time review all the codes. At this stage, only a host country can request our inclusion, getting an existing code removed to make room for us is extremely difficult, because everyone protects their sport. So we can only try to find a spot through hosts. We ran a big campaign for Brisbane 2032, hoping the Australian public would recommend us, especially since our junior world champion this year came from Australia, that showed people there that Australia could realistically win a medal in our sport by 2032. Our bigger hope, though, is India for 2036. We're aware India has an excellent chance of winning that bid, and we're putting in the work, as many events here as possible, because the sport originated in India, which makes it an easier story to tell the public and the IOC. If India wins the bid, I believe they'd seriously consider including us. It would be a massive story. Q2. Under your leadership, how is the WPA working to expand the global reach, commercial appeal and professional ecosystem of pool, particularly in emerging markets? For the last four years we've focused on showing the professional side of our sport and a career path, especially in schools in emerging markets like Africa and South America. Kids are limited in the number of sports they can take up, and pool suits athletes who might not be built for soccer or cricket, our players come in all shapes and sizes. We've signed cooperation agreements with school and university sporting bodies to get billiards included in their structures, and I expect us to be included in the next editions of the university and school games. At the continental level, we've pushed into the African Games, South American Games, and Pan American Games. We were previously in the Asian Games until around 2010 to 2012, lost that spot, but have now regained it after fixing a lot internally, we'll be included in Qatar 2030, though the official announcement comes after this year's Asian Games. We've also increased prize funds significantly, no major event today offers less than $10 million across the board for professional players. Q3. Pool has historically been divided across different disciplines, formats and governing structures. How important is greater unification, and what steps are being taken to achieve it? We compare ourselves to athletics in structure, they have the 100m, 200m, 400m, we have 8 ball, 9 ball, 10 ball, heyball, black ball, and so on, plus regional variations across all 206 countries that play pool. About six or seven years ago, we decided at the world level to bring all disciplines under our banner, which is a big reason heyball has grown the way it has. We've made real progress, most associations now appear on our website. There are still two or three fairly large independent organizations we're in talks with to merge, because having every federation under one banner is going to be massive for our numbers with the IOC. Heyball in particular is our fastest growing discipline, over the last ten years it's gone from a small footprint to being played in more than 90 countries. We compare its trajectory to how people talk about padel and pickleball. Q5. What changes are needed to give professional pool players greater financial security, better competitive opportunities and a clearer career pathway? Right now the biggest concern for professional athletes is income stability, it's essentially 100% performance driven. For example, a runner up might win $30,000, while our biggest tournament pays $1.5 million to the winner, so athletes often need to win a few rounds just to cover their costs. Unlike tennis, where a handful of legends dominate most tournaments, our sport is much harder to predict, in a field of 64, any of 32 players realistically could win, so we get different winners constantly, which makes surviving on the pro circuit tougher. We're working on a model, similar to what professional snooker does, to guarantee top ranked players a fixed minimum income, so if you're in the top rankings, you know you'll survive at least a year regardless of a single tournament's results. That should help convince more people that this can genuinely be a career. Q6. Looking five to ten years ahead, what would you like the global pool landscape to look like, and what would you consider the biggest achievement of your tenure as WPA President? For the professional athletes, the biggest concern is income stability, which is why we're working on a fixed income model for top ranked players. Beyond that, I see our path forward built on, continuing to unify all disciplines and associations under one banner so our numbers are strongest with the IOC, heyball continuing its rapid growth, more than 90 countries now, up sharply in the last decade, deepening our schools and universities pipeline in emerging markets like Africa, South America, and India, and ultimately, Olympic recognition, which India winning the 2036 bid would make a realistic, powerful story given the sport originated here. Q7. Tell us about the Commonwealth Cue Sports Championships in Ahmedabad, why was the city chosen, what disciplines and how many nations/athletes will compete, and why does this return to India matter? The Commonwealth coming here was originally part of the hundred year celebration too, but it's combined with our ambitions for the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games, knowing India has an excellent chance for 2036. We received the permission and blessings of the Commonwealth Federation last year to run our own championship under the Commonwealth banner, and we held the first edition in Mauritius, that's where we had our initial talks with India for this year. About 34 or 35 countries participated in Mauritius, which showed the Commonwealth Federation the interest in our sport, and we intend to run these championships every year until we get into the Games itself. This year, our second year, we've increased from four disciplines to five, ten ball, heyball, black ball, snooker, and now English billiards, added largely because of the Indian population and market. All five are medal events, in both men's and women's categories, with 16 athletes per gender per discipline in ten ball, heyball, black ball & snooker, and 8 ahtletes per gender in English billiards. As of now we're sitting on 45 different countries entered, with another week or two before entries close. Every Commonwealth country gets one guaranteed unranked entry to ensure their spot, and the rest of the field is drawn from the world rankings, so we're getting the best of the elite athletes from Commonwealth countries."

WPA President Ishaun Singh discusses pool’s Olympic ambitions, India 2036 hopes, heyball’s growth, player finances and the Commonwealth Championships

‘Olympic inclusion is our major target’: WPA President Ishaun Singh on pool’s global ambitions

11 days after their last T20I face-off in Delhi, India and Afghanistan meet again at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan. The two Asian T20 powerhouses will play in the second quarterfinal on Monday (Sep 28), with persistent rain in Japan threatening to wash out this knockout match.&nbsp;Rain has already hampered several results in the men’s competition and threatens to worsen during the four quarterfinals. Pakistan and Hong Kong will meet in the first quarterfinal before the India-Afghanistan match on Monday, and the remaining two quarterfinals will take place on Tuesday. Although the forecast remains the same for Tuesday, it is likely to change for the semifinals (Thursday) and the medal playoffs (Saturday).&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-cricket-quarterfinal-schedule-india-afghanistan-pakistan-hong-kong-1790418018707">Asian Games 2026: India face Afghanistan in quarterfinal on Sep 28; Pakistan clash with Hong Kong</a><h2>What Happens if Rain Washes out IND-AFG Match?</h2>If rain washes out the second Asian Games quarterfinal between India and Afghanistan, India will qualify for the semifinal, as the laws suggest the higher-ranked T20I team, per the ICC rankings, will advance through to the next round in such a case.&nbsp;India is atop the T20I team rankings with 269 rating points, and Afghanistan is 10th.<h3>Stark Difference in Squads</h3>While the BCCI men’s selection committee picked the first-team squad for the Asian Games competition, including T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and premium quick Jasprit Bumrah, Afghanistan has sent their second-string side for the continental tournament. 13 of the 15 squad members were not part of the concluded T20I series against India, with only two retained: Darwish Rasooli (captain) and Abdollah Ahmadzai.&nbsp;Afghanistan squad features six uncapped players and five others with fewer than 10 international appearances. Their combined T20I experience of 262 matches is only a fraction (30%) of India’s 872 games. There is no Rashid Khan, no Rahmanullah Gurbaz and no Mohammad Nabi, but Nabi's 20-year-old son Hassan Eisakhil is part of the squad.<h3>Check out the predicted playing XIs of both teams –</h3>India - Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah&nbsp;Afghanistan - Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Ismat Alam, Nangeyalia Khan, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai and Arab Gul.

Rain threatens the India vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal in Japan. Check what happens if the match is washed out, squad details, and predicted XIs.

11 days after their last T20I face-off in Delhi, India and Afghanistan meet again at the ongoing Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan. The two Asian T20 powerhouses will play in the second quarterfinal on Monday (Sep 28), with persistent rain in Japan threatening to wash out this knockout match. Rain has already hampered several results in the men’s competition and threatens to worsen during the four quarterfinals. Pakistan and Hong Kong will meet in the first quarterfinal before the India-Afghanistan match on Monday, and the remaining two quarterfinals will take place on Tuesday. Although the forecast remains the same for Tuesday, it is likely to change for the semifinals (Thursday) and the medal playoffs (Saturday). Also read| Asian Games 2026: India face Afghanistan in quarterfinal on Sep 28; Pakistan clash with Hong Kong What Happens if Rain Washes out IND-AFG Match? If rain washes out the second Asian Games quarterfinal between India and Afghanistan, India will qualify for the semifinal, as the laws suggest the higher-ranked T20I team, per the ICC rankings, will advance through to the next round in such a case. India is atop the T20I team rankings with 269 rating points, and Afghanistan is 10th. Stark Difference in Squads While the BCCI men’s selection committee picked the first-team squad for the Asian Games competition, including T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and premium quick Jasprit Bumrah, Afghanistan has sent their second-string side for the continental tournament. 13 of the 15 squad members were not part of the concluded T20I series against India, with only two retained: Darwish Rasooli (captain) and Abdollah Ahmadzai. Afghanistan squad features six uncapped players and five others with fewer than 10 international appearances. Their combined T20I experience of 262 matches is only a fraction (30%) of India’s 872 games. There is no Rashid Khan, no Rahmanullah Gurbaz and no Mohammad Nabi, but Nabi's 20-year-old son Hassan Eisakhil is part of the squad. Check out the predicted playing XIs of both teams – India - Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah Afghanistan - Mohammad Akram, Hassan Eisakhil, Karim Janat, Darwish Rasooli (captain), Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Ishaq (wk), Ismat Alam, Nangeyalia Khan, Abdollah Ahmadzai, Faridoon Dawoodzai and Arab Gul.

Rain threatens the India vs Afghanistan Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal in Japan. Check what happens if the match is washed out, squad details, and predicted XIs.

Asian Games: Rain threat looms over India-Afghanistan QF; what happens if match is washed out?

For Tilottama Sen, the road to an Asian Games medal was never about carrying the weight of what others expected from her.Even before she stepped onto the range in Japan, the young Indian shooter was clear about the approach she wanted to take: stay in the present, trust her preparation and, above all, enjoy the competition. That mindset has now produced an Asian Games silver medal.&nbsp;Sen, along with Ashi Chouksey and Vidarsa Vinod, helped India secure silver in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event in Aichi-Nagoya. The Indian trio finished behind China with a total of 1,763 points. Sen was also India's top performer in the team qualification, shooting 590. Yet when Sen spoke ahead of her Asian Games campaign, the focus was not on medals or expectations. Her immediate priority was much simpler. “My next goal is to play the Asian Games,” she said. “I would just want to take one match at a time and just focus on what's immediately right now.”&nbsp;It was a revealing insight into the mindset of a shooter who has been under the spotlight since a very young age. Sen had already competed at major stages early in her career and was once regarded as one of India's brightest young shooting prospects. But she said she had never spent much time wondering whether she had lived up to the expectations attached to that tag. “All that I feel is that just giving my best and just enjoying what I'm doing,” she said.&nbsp;That ability to separate the moment from the noise has become central to her approach. Shooting offers little room for distraction. A single poor shot can alter the complexion of an entire competition, but Sen said she does not allow disappointing performances to linger for too long. “Yes, I do feel bad that I missed the medal or the match, but I don't replay it for a very long time,” she said. “I can't hold back on things that didn't go well because then I wouldn't be able to focus on what's ahead.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-odi-toss-update-naman-dhir-debut-playing-xis-1790496560381">IND vs WI 1st ODI: Naman Dhir debuts as India bowl first in Trivandrum; check playing XIs</a>&nbsp;That philosophy has also shaped her transition from junior to senior competition. Rather than viewing the two levels as fundamentally different, Sen said she treats every competition simply as a competition, regardless of the age category or stage.For her, the key is not to become consumed by the significance of the event. The same principle carries into her training.&nbsp;Preparing for both 10m and 50m rifle, Sen described a routine built around warm-ups, breathing exercises and visualisation before moving into the technical demands of kneeling, prone and standing positions. Kneeling, she admitted, took the most adjustment. But perhaps the most important part of her preparation has been returning to the basics. “Whether it's a good match or a bad match, once the match is over, we always come back and work on our basics from the beginning,” she said, crediting her coach Manoj Kumar for helping reinforce that approach.&nbsp;It is a philosophy that also extends to the biggest question surrounding her future: the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Sen knows the Olympic cycle is already on the horizon, but before the Asian Games she was determined not to let that future goal become an additional source of pressure. “LA is definitely going to be there,” she said. “But I don't want to take too much pressure about LA right now.”&nbsp;Instead, there was one thought she wanted to carry onto the range. “I've got this opportunity and I would just give my best and enjoy the whole competition.” In Japan, that mindset has already delivered a medal. And with her Asian Games campaign still having been underway at the time of the conversation, Sen's focus remained exactly where she said it would be, on the next shot, the next competition and the process in front of her.

Tilottama Sen won Asian Games 2026 silver in shooting. Before her event, she spoke about pressure, preparation, staying present and her Olympic ambitions

For Tilottama Sen, the road to an Asian Games medal was never about carrying the weight of what others expected from her. Even before she stepped onto the range in Japan, the young Indian shooter was clear about the approach she wanted to take: stay in the present, trust her preparation and, above all, enjoy the competition. That mindset has now produced an Asian Games silver medal. Sen, along with Ashi Chouksey and Vidarsa Vinod, helped India secure silver in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event in Aichi-Nagoya. The Indian trio finished behind China with a total of 1,763 points. Sen was also India's top performer in the team qualification, shooting 590. Yet when Sen spoke ahead of her Asian Games campaign, the focus was not on medals or expectations. Her immediate priority was much simpler. “My next goal is to play the Asian Games,” she said. “I would just want to take one match at a time and just focus on what's immediately right now.” It was a revealing insight into the mindset of a shooter who has been under the spotlight since a very young age. Sen had already competed at major stages early in her career and was once regarded as one of India's brightest young shooting prospects. But she said she had never spent much time wondering whether she had lived up to the expectations attached to that tag. “All that I feel is that just giving my best and just enjoying what I'm doing,” she said. That ability to separate the moment from the noise has become central to her approach. Shooting offers little room for distraction. A single poor shot can alter the complexion of an entire competition, but Sen said she does not allow disappointing performances to linger for too long. “Yes, I do feel bad that I missed the medal or the match, but I don't replay it for a very long time,” she said. “I can't hold back on things that didn't go well because then I wouldn't be able to focus on what's ahead.” Also Read: IND vs WI 1st ODI: Naman Dhir debuts as India bowl first in Trivandrum; check playing XIs That philosophy has also shaped her transition from junior to senior competition. Rather than viewing the two levels as fundamentally different, Sen said she treats every competition simply as a competition, regardless of the age category or stage. For her, the key is not to become consumed by the significance of the event. The same principle carries into her training. Preparing for both 10m and 50m rifle, Sen described a routine built around warm-ups, breathing exercises and visualisation before moving into the technical demands of kneeling, prone and standing positions. Kneeling, she admitted, took the most adjustment. But perhaps the most important part of her preparation has been returning to the basics. “Whether it's a good match or a bad match, once the match is over, we always come back and work on our basics from the beginning,” she said, crediting her coach Manoj Kumar for helping reinforce that approach. It is a philosophy that also extends to the biggest question surrounding her future: the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Sen knows the Olympic cycle is already on the horizon, but before the Asian Games she was determined not to let that future goal become an additional source of pressure. “LA is definitely going to be there,” she said. “But I don't want to take too much pressure about LA right now.” Instead, there was one thought she wanted to carry onto the range. “I've got this opportunity and I would just give my best and enjoy the whole competition.” In Japan, that mindset has already delivered a medal. And with her Asian Games campaign still having been underway at the time of the conversation, Sen's focus remained exactly where she said it would be, on the next shot, the next competition and the process in front of her.

Indian shooter Tilottama Sen opens up about pressure, preparation, staying present and why she chooses to enjoy every competition

WION Exclusive | ‘One match at a time’: How Tilottama Sen kept pressure away before her Asian Games silver

Indian captain Shubman Gill has won the toss and elected to bowl first in the first ODI against the West Indies in Trivandrum on Sunday (Sep 27). India handed a debut cap to Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir, with ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also returning to the playing XI for the first time in eight months. India picked two specialist pacers in Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna, with Kuldeep Yadav leading the spin attack. India is also playing three all-rounders, including Nitish Kumar Reddy.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">🚨 Toss 🚨<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> have won the toss &amp; will bowl first in the 1️⃣st <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/INDvWI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvWI</a> ODI. Updates ▶️ <a href="https://t.co/O2cs86p4gq">https://t.co/O2cs86p4gq</a> <a href="https://t.co/8LiQXHqslM">pic.twitter.com/8LiQXHqslM</a>&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://x.com/BCCI/status/2104120753524453556?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>Here are the playing XIs of both teams –</h2>India - Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Gurnoor Brar, Kuldeep Yadav and Prasidh Krishna

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Nothing tops this feeling 🤌💙 📸 Naman Dhir receives his maiden ODI cap from skipper Shubman Gill 🧢 Drop a 💙 in the replies to wish him the very best on his international debut 👇🇮🇳<a href="https://x.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/INDvWI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvWI</a> <a href="https://t.co/qgCRZN7ujo">pic.twitter.com/qgCRZN7ujo</a>&mdash; BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://x.com/BCCI/status/2104123043157262459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

West Indies - John Campbell, Justin Greaves, Keacy Carty, Shai Hope(wk/captain), Amir Jangoo, Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Gudakesh Motie, Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales<h3>Check out what the two captains said at the toss –</h3>Shubman Gill, Indian Captain -&nbsp;“We’re gonna bowl first. Looks a pretty good surface. Looks like a decent surface, very hot, so I think it’ll come a little bit better under lights, so we’ll try to chase,” Gill said at the toss.&nbsp;Speaking on the 2027 ODI World Cup build-up, Gill said, “I think 20-odd matches to go before the World Cup starts, so I think this is the time to see what combination suits us the best and then give that combination as much time in the middle as possible.”&nbsp;“[On the playing XI] We are going with four bowlers and then two all-rounders with Reddy and Naman, who makes his debut.”&nbsp;Shai Hope, West Indies Captain -&nbsp;“Well, it (toss) doesn’t really matter now, does it? We’d have probably batted today,” Hope said after losing the toss.&nbsp;“It’s been a quick turnaround for us,” Hope said on the preparation. “We play a lot of cricket; different format from CPL, but it’s been going pretty well. I think the guys have been playing some good cricket in the last couple of years, just about for us now to come to India and try to replicate that.”&nbsp;On facing a potent Indian team, Hope said, “Yeah, for sure, and something I always mention, we want to play against the best teams in the world, and no better place to do it here in India. So, I think the guys are really looking forward to this challenge.&nbsp;Speaking on the playing XI, Hope noted, “We’ve got five bowlers: one all-rounder, three seam and two spin. So hopefully that combination is the right one for us today.”&nbsp;Meanwhile, a few of India’s ODI mainstays, including T20I captain Shreyas Iyer and keeper-batter Ishan Kishan, are away for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 in Japan. India will face Afghanistan in the second quarterfinal on Monday (Sep 28).

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in the 1st ODI at Trivandrum. Naman Dhir makes his debut; check full playing XIs.

Indian captain Shubman Gill has won the toss and elected to bowl first in the first ODI against the West Indies in Trivandrum on Sunday (Sep 27). India handed a debut cap to Punjab all-rounder Naman Dhir, with ace all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja also returning to the playing XI for the first time in eight months. India picked two specialist pacers in Gurnoor Brar and Prasidh Krishna, with Kuldeep Yadav leading the spin attack. India is also playing three all-rounders, including Nitish Kumar Reddy.

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in the 1st ODI at Trivandrum. Naman Dhir makes his debut; check full playing XIs.

IND vs WI 1st ODI: Naman Dhir debuts as India bowl first in Trivandrum; check playing XIs

After announcing that the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-confirms-2027-odi-world-cup-last-tournament-for-india-1790412961801">2027 ODI World Cup will be his last tournament for India</a>, veteran batter Virat Kohli outlined the ideal scenario for the showpiece event in Africa in 2027. Kohli was instrumental in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at home, and 16 years on, he wants to cap off his decorated international career with another title. With India set to begin its quest for cricket’s grandest event with the home ODI series against the West Indies on Sunday (Sep 27), Kohli reveals his plans, painting the perfect picture.&nbsp;Drawing parallels with his maiden IPL win in 2025 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Kohli explained how, when he had not won an IPL title, he used to dream about doing it; similarly, having lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad three years ago, Kohli wants to make amends and pull off match-winning knocks in the knockouts of the 2027 World Cup.&nbsp;"Before we [Royal Challengers Bengaluru] won the IPL in 2025, I used to get flashbacks of the 2016 final [which they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad]. I feel the same about the World Cup final as well," Kohli said in a chat on JioStar.&nbsp;"I was playing on 54 and had set myself up for a big hundred; like, if I got 140-150, we would be in a great position to win that game, because you're getting 300-plus in a big final, and with our bowling, we will get them. But as soon as I played on [to Pat Cummins], it was very tough to process for many days. And you keep thinking about it,” he continued.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-sets-sights-on-2027-odi-world-cup-business-not-finished-1790414881759">‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup</a>&nbsp;Sharing his thoughts on the last ODI World Cup at home, where India were the frontrunners for the title, Kohli said the whole environment was phenomenal. Kohli added that the camaraderie inside the dressing room was commendable, and that unit looked poised to taste ultimate success, only to fall at the final hurdle.&nbsp;"That whole World Cup was great; the environment was phenomenal. Within the team, you could see the camaraderie; everyone was happy playing for each other. Even losing someone like Hardik [Pandya] early on [to injury], we never spoke about what would happen next, although it was a big loss in terms of what he brings. But [Mohammed] Shami came and tap-tap-tap [to indicate picking up wickets] - you know what he can do. So, everyone had a feeling that it was our World Cup. There was a different energy altogether, and then when the game shifts like that, it's very difficult to process,” he continued.<h2>Winning Final Knock is Ultimate Goal: Kohli</h2>Having finished countless matches in winning causes of his own, Kohli wants to do it on the biggest stage, when it matters the most.&nbsp;"I've always been someone who, every game that we play, I want to be the guy who wins us the game - so that's never going to go away from me. I am made that way. So, my goal [at the World Cup] is to win as many games as I can for the team - 60-70% of the games would be phenomenal. My dream is to play a match-winning, finishing knock in the finals, like chasing a score. That's the ideal scenario. If it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, we win the World Cup, I'll be as happy.&nbsp;"It's the last time you're getting to play a World Cup. So just getting that trophy is the most important thing. If I have the opportunity to do it as an individual, staying there out in the middle, there's nothing more satisfying as a batsman. That drives us - to be the guy who makes an impact. Situation difficult; you visualise yourself pulling the team out of trouble. And that's what makes you compete. So, I don't want to let go of that competitiveness,” he continued.

Virat Kohli outlines his dream for the 2027 ODI World Cup, targeting a match-winning knock in the final to cap off his decorated international career for India.

After announcing that the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last tournament for India, veteran batter Virat Kohli outlined the ideal scenario for the showpiece event in Africa in 2027. Kohli was instrumental in India’s 2011 World Cup triumph at home, and 16 years on, he wants to cap off his decorated international career with another title. With India set to begin its quest for cricket’s grandest event with the home ODI series against the West Indies on Sunday (Sep 27), Kohli reveals his plans, painting the perfect picture. Drawing parallels with his maiden IPL win in 2025 for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Kohli explained how, when he had not won an IPL title, he used to dream about doing it; similarly, having lost the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia in Ahmedabad three years ago, Kohli wants to make amends and pull off match-winning knocks in the knockouts of the 2027 World Cup. "Before we [Royal Challengers Bengaluru] won the IPL in 2025, I used to get flashbacks of the 2016 final [which they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad]. I feel the same about the World Cup final as well," Kohli said in a chat on JioStar. "I was playing on 54 and had set myself up for a big hundred; like, if I got 140-150, we would be in a great position to win that game, because you're getting 300-plus in a big final, and with our bowling, we will get them. But as soon as I played on [to Pat Cummins], it was very tough to process for many days. And you keep thinking about it,” he continued. Also read| ‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup Sharing his thoughts on the last ODI World Cup at home, where India were the frontrunners for the title, Kohli said the whole environment was phenomenal. Kohli added that the camaraderie inside the dressing room was commendable, and that unit looked poised to taste ultimate success, only to fall at the final hurdle. "That whole World Cup was great; the environment was phenomenal. Within the team, you could see the camaraderie; everyone was happy playing for each other. Even losing someone like Hardik [Pandya] early on [to injury], we never spoke about what would happen next, although it was a big loss in terms of what he brings. But [Mohammed] Shami came and tap-tap-tap [to indicate picking up wickets] - you know what he can do. So, everyone had a feeling that it was our World Cup. There was a different energy altogether, and then when the game shifts like that, it's very difficult to process,” he continued. Winning Final Knock is Ultimate Goal: Kohli Having finished countless matches in winning causes of his own, Kohli wants to do it on the biggest stage, when it matters the most. "I've always been someone who, every game that we play, I want to be the guy who wins us the game - so that's never going to go away from me. I am made that way. So, my goal [at the World Cup] is to win as many games as I can for the team - 60-70% of the games would be phenomenal. My dream is to play a match-winning, finishing knock in the finals, like chasing a score. That's the ideal scenario. If it happens, great. If it doesn't happen, we win the World Cup, I'll be as happy. "It's the last time you're getting to play a World Cup. So just getting that trophy is the most important thing. If I have the opportunity to do it as an individual, staying there out in the middle, there's nothing more satisfying as a batsman. That drives us - to be the guy who makes an impact. Situation difficult; you visualise yourself pulling the team out of trouble. And that's what makes you compete. So, I don't want to let go of that competitiveness,” he continued.

Virat Kohli outlines his dream for the 2027 ODI World Cup, targeting a match-winning knock in the final to cap off his decorated international career for India.

‘Dream is to play match-winning knock in final’: Kohli outlines ultimate goal for 2027 World Cup

Australian ODI captain Pat Cummins is set to return to play his first 50-over match in two years. With the Aussies set to play South Africa in the second ODI on Sunday (Sep 27) in Johannesburg, where Cummins made his international debut as a teenager 15 years ago, the ace quick could return to the pitch for the must-win match. Cummins missed out on the playing XI in the series opener, which Australia lost in Durban, but could boost Australia’s pace attack with his possible inclusion at the Wanderers.&nbsp;Cummins sweated it out in training on the eve of the match with a lengthy, multi-effort session, indicating his participation in the remaining two ODIs. If not on Sunday, Cummins will be a sure starter for the final match on Wednesday (Sep 30) in Potchefstroom. Besides, pace bowler Xavier Bartlett is also in contention for a call-up to the playing XI, should Australia decide to manage Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-odi-yashasvi-jaiswal-sitanshu-kotak-shubman-gill-1790480716632">‘No Unfair Treatment’: Kotak tells Jaiswal to wait for his turn in IND vs WI ODIs</a>&nbsp;However, the bigger concern for the visitors is keeper-batter Josh Inglis’ broken finger, which ruled him out of the final two ODIs and casts doubts over his participation in the Test series that follows.&nbsp;Australia’s best batter in the middle order since the 2023 ODI World Cup, Inglis scored a hundred against Zimbabwe last week, his second, and as many as the rest of the No. 3-7 batters have scored in this format in the past three years.&nbsp;Inglis’ absence leaves Australia without a member of their World Cup-winning squad in those positions in their middle order, with leg-spinner Adam Zampa also highlighting this weak link. He also emphasised how the opening pair, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, like to take the onus on them by providing blistering starts, making things easier for an inexperienced middle order.&nbsp;"When you look at our team from afar, it's still very inexperienced through the middle order in particular. There's no hiding behind the fact that Mitch and 'Heady' try and get off to a fast start. If that comes off, it obviously makes it easier for the middle order,” Zampa said, as quoted by cricket.com.au.&nbsp;Meanwhile, either Cameron Green or Matt Renshaw, who also scored a hundred on the Zimbabwe tour, will take up Inglis’ place at number four for the second ODI. In that case, Ollie Peake should return to the playing XI at number seven and bat over Jack Edwards, while Australia could also look at Joel Davis as a backup option.

Pat Cummins is set to return for Australia's must-win 2nd ODI against South Africa at the Wanderers, as Josh Inglis' broken finger exposes a green middle order.

Australian ODI captain Pat Cummins is set to return to play his first 50-over match in two years. With the Aussies set to play South Africa in the second ODI on Sunday (Sep 27) in Johannesburg, where Cummins made his international debut as a teenager 15 years ago, the ace quick could return to the pitch for the must-win match. Cummins missed out on the playing XI in the series opener, which Australia lost in Durban, but could boost Australia’s pace attack with his possible inclusion at the Wanderers. Cummins sweated it out in training on the eve of the match with a lengthy, multi-effort session, indicating his participation in the remaining two ODIs. If not on Sunday, Cummins will be a sure starter for the final match on Wednesday (Sep 30) in Potchefstroom. Besides, pace bowler Xavier Bartlett is also in contention for a call-up to the playing XI, should Australia decide to manage Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc. Also read| ‘No Unfair Treatment’: Kotak tells Jaiswal to wait for his turn in IND vs WI ODIs However, the bigger concern for the visitors is keeper-batter Josh Inglis’ broken finger, which ruled him out of the final two ODIs and casts doubts over his participation in the Test series that follows. Australia’s best batter in the middle order since the 2023 ODI World Cup, Inglis scored a hundred against Zimbabwe last week, his second, and as many as the rest of the No. 3-7 batters have scored in this format in the past three years. Inglis’ absence leaves Australia without a member of their World Cup-winning squad in those positions in their middle order, with leg-spinner Adam Zampa also highlighting this weak link. He also emphasised how the opening pair, Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head, like to take the onus on them by providing blistering starts, making things easier for an inexperienced middle order. "When you look at our team from afar, it's still very inexperienced through the middle order in particular. There's no hiding behind the fact that Mitch and 'Heady' try and get off to a fast start. If that comes off, it obviously makes it easier for the middle order,” Zampa said, as quoted by cricket.com.au. Meanwhile, either Cameron Green or Matt Renshaw, who also scored a hundred on the Zimbabwe tour, will take up Inglis’ place at number four for the second ODI. In that case, Ollie Peake should return to the playing XI at number seven and bat over Jack Edwards, while Australia could also look at Joel Davis as a backup option.

Pat Cummins is set to return for Australia's must-win 2nd ODI against South Africa at the Wanderers, as Josh Inglis' broken finger exposes a green middle order.

SA vs AUS 2026: Pat Cummins set for ODI return as broken finger clouds Inglis’ Test hopes

A day after the veteran batting pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli confirmed their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also brought Ravindra Jadeja’s name into the conversation, saying that the ace all-rounder remains ‘in the mix’ for the showpiece event in Africa 2027. With the three in their late 30s, questions were raised about their reflexes and ability to give 100% on the field in the lead-up to the World Cup, only for them to squash such chatter and put forward their ambitions to win the tournament.&nbsp;Having last featured in an ODI earlier this year, Jadeja was named in the squad for the three-match series against the West Indies starting in Thiruvananthapuram.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-wi-1st-odi-yashasvi-jaiswal-sitanshu-kotak-shubman-gill-1790480716632">‘No Unfair Treatment’: Kotak tells Jaiswal to wait for his turn in IND vs WI ODIs</a>&nbsp;"I think he is obviously in the mix," Kotak said during a media briefing on the eve of the series opener on Sunday (Sep 27). "I am not part of the selection [committee], so I don't know what their thinking is. I just think whoever is coming and playing for India, they are obviously part of the 20-25 players who possibly can be in the team.&nbsp;"Jadeja is an outstanding all-rounder. We all know. You see his records. How the team will be set up and what kind of combination selectors, captain and head coach will go with is secondary. And there is time for that. But Jadeja, to me, is one of the best fielders we still have on a world level.&nbsp;"He bowls, he bats and the experience he has, and I actually firmly believe that experience is something you cannot beat. So, like we see Rohit, we see Virat, [the same way] we see Jadeja. And that brings a lot to the team. Jadeja is obviously a very useful member of the team,” Kotak continued.&nbsp;With the ODI World Cup almost a year away, India will begin its quest for their third world title with the West Indies ODIs, and Kotak looks forward to it.&nbsp;"West Indies as a team, they have skills," Kotak said. "There are some very good batters, some very good bowlers. So, it is a good series for us. For us, looking one year ahead, we have approximately about 30-31 One-Dayers. They are all important for us because we want to execute the way we want. Forget the opposition. If we can successfully do that, within a year's time, we should be ready for any challenges on any wicket,” he said.

Ravindra Jadeja remains firmly "in the mix" for the 2027 ODI World Cup, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed ahead of the West Indies series opener.

A day after the veteran batting pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli confirmed their plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak also brought Ravindra Jadeja’s name into the conversation, saying that the ace all-rounder remains ‘in the mix’ for the showpiece event in Africa 2027. With the three in their late 30s, questions were raised about their reflexes and ability to give 100% on the field in the lead-up to the World Cup, only for them to squash such chatter and put forward their ambitions to win the tournament. Having last featured in an ODI earlier this year, Jadeja was named in the squad for the three-match series against the West Indies starting in Thiruvananthapuram. Also read| ‘No Unfair Treatment’: Kotak tells Jaiswal to wait for his turn in IND vs WI ODIs "I think he is obviously in the mix," Kotak said during a media briefing on the eve of the series opener on Sunday (Sep 27). "I am not part of the selection [committee], so I don't know what their thinking is. I just think whoever is coming and playing for India, they are obviously part of the 20-25 players who possibly can be in the team. "Jadeja is an outstanding all-rounder. We all know. You see his records. How the team will be set up and what kind of combination selectors, captain and head coach will go with is secondary. And there is time for that. But Jadeja, to me, is one of the best fielders we still have on a world level. "He bowls, he bats and the experience he has, and I actually firmly believe that experience is something you cannot beat. So, like we see Rohit, we see Virat, [the same way] we see Jadeja. And that brings a lot to the team. Jadeja is obviously a very useful member of the team,” Kotak continued. With the ODI World Cup almost a year away, India will begin its quest for their third world title with the West Indies ODIs, and Kotak looks forward to it. "West Indies as a team, they have skills," Kotak said. "There are some very good batters, some very good bowlers. So, it is a good series for us. For us, looking one year ahead, we have approximately about 30-31 One-Dayers. They are all important for us because we want to execute the way we want. Forget the opposition. If we can successfully do that, within a year's time, we should be ready for any challenges on any wicket,” he said.

Ravindra Jadeja remains firmly "in the mix" for the 2027 ODI World Cup, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak confirmed ahead of the West Indies series opener.&nbsp;

'He's very much in our plans': Ravindra Jadeja ‘in mix’ for 2027 ODI World Cup, says batting coach

Yashasvi Jaiswal has to wait for his turn in the ODI team, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak suggested on the eve of the series opener against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (Sep 27). With One-Day captain Shubman Gill ‘good to go’ after being hit on the elbow several times during the nets on Saturday (Sep 26), Jaiswal’s chances of making a return to 50-over cricket are down to zero. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also set to be back for the first ODI, Jaiswal might have to wait longer for his chance.&nbsp;A Test mainstay, Jaiswal hasn’t been able to fix his spot in India’s white-ball sides due to intense competition at the top of the order. Even though he scored a hundred in his last ODI appearance against Afghanistan in June this year, the left-hander has been asked to wait for his turn in this format.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-sets-sights-on-2027-odi-world-cup-business-not-finished-1790414881759">‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup</a>&nbsp;"I think there is so much competition [for spots in the team] and so many players are performing. Jaiswal is one of the best, and whenever he gets an opportunity, he performs. So, he is part of the team. As support staff, obviously we look after his skills, his practice and his mindset. But sometimes you see, say, there are three very good wicketkeepers in a team; only one will play.&nbsp;"So, it is not that somebody has been unfair to him. I just think it is part of the game. He should keep working hard and wait for his opportunity. And so far, whenever the team needed him, he has performed. But I think we do look after his skills and his practice. We follow up on where he is, how he is doing and when he is with the team. That's all we can do, and that's what we do,” he continued.&nbsp;Since making his ODI debut in 2025, Jaiswal has featured in only six One-Dayers, three of which were against Afghanistan this year. Kotak notes how challenging it is to juggle between handing game time to newcomers and getting the job done, for which the captain and team management step into the picture.&nbsp;"There is a very thin line between trying new players and trying to get the results," Kotak said. "It's the captain and head coach's job to give opportunities, but at the same time, we have to see that we get the desired results also."

Yashasvi Jaiswal will have to wait for his turn in the ODI team as Shubman Gill is fit for the 1st ODI vs WI. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addresses top-order competition.

Yashasvi Jaiswal has to wait for his turn in the ODI team, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak suggested on the eve of the series opener against the West Indies in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday (Sep 27). With One-Day captain Shubman Gill ‘good to go’ after being hit on the elbow several times during the nets on Saturday (Sep 26), Jaiswal’s chances of making a return to 50-over cricket are down to zero. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli also set to be back for the first ODI, Jaiswal might have to wait longer for his chance. A Test mainstay, Jaiswal hasn’t been able to fix his spot in India’s white-ball sides due to intense competition at the top of the order. Even though he scored a hundred in his last ODI appearance against Afghanistan in June this year, the left-hander has been asked to wait for his turn in this format. Also read| ‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup "I think there is so much competition [for spots in the team] and so many players are performing. Jaiswal is one of the best, and whenever he gets an opportunity, he performs. So, he is part of the team. As support staff, obviously we look after his skills, his practice and his mindset. But sometimes you see, say, there are three very good wicketkeepers in a team; only one will play. "So, it is not that somebody has been unfair to him. I just think it is part of the game. He should keep working hard and wait for his opportunity. And so far, whenever the team needed him, he has performed. But I think we do look after his skills and his practice. We follow up on where he is, how he is doing and when he is with the team. That's all we can do, and that's what we do,” he continued. Since making his ODI debut in 2025, Jaiswal has featured in only six One-Dayers, three of which were against Afghanistan this year. Kotak notes how challenging it is to juggle between handing game time to newcomers and getting the job done, for which the captain and team management step into the picture. "There is a very thin line between trying new players and trying to get the results," Kotak said. "It's the captain and head coach's job to give opportunities, but at the same time, we have to see that we get the desired results also."

Yashasvi Jaiswal will have to wait for his turn in the ODI team as Shubman Gill is fit for the 1st ODI vs WI. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak addresses top-order competition.

‘No Unfair Treatment’: Kotak tells Jaiswal to wait for his turn in IND vs WI ODIs

Mikel Oyarzabal gave world champions Spain a 3-2 victory over error-prone England in the Nations League on Saturday as Luka Modric helped Croatia beat the Czech Republic 2-1. Oyarzabal struck 16 minutes from time in an entertaining back-and-forth contest in which England captain Harry Kane missed a penalty. Victory at Wembley in Nations League A, Group 3 extended Spain's unbeaten run to 39 matches and prolonged England's difficulties against the world's top teams.&nbsp;"This team is very ambitious and doesn't want to stop winning," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Teledeporte. "There were moments where we had to suffer and counter the talent of England's players, but I think we've seen a Spain which is reinventing itself."&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rodri-defends-manchester-city-114-premier-league-charges-1790391806550">‘I believe in the club’s innocence’: Rodri reacts as Man City found guilty of 114 Premier League charges</a>&nbsp;Oyarzabal was also the match-winner two years ago when Spain beat England in the European Championship final.&nbsp;"I think it was a bit of a missed chance," England goalscorer Anthony Gordon told ITV Sport. "I thought it was a great game to watch and to play in, some of the attacking play was at the highest level.&nbsp;“But I think in a game like that mistakes cost you.”<h2>Costly penalty miss&nbsp;</h2>Lamine Yamal gave Spain the lead inside two minutes after a horror error from Marc Guehi, who played a blind pass which the Barcelona forward intercepted before shooting into the corner.&nbsp;Spain largely controlled the first period in a game of contrasting styles but England turned things around just before half-time. Jude Bellingham teed up another Barca winger in Gordon to finish crisply beyond Unai Simon. And then Harry Kane headed home a Nico O'Reilly chip five minutes before the interval.&nbsp;Kane had a chance to put daylight between the hosts and the world champions 10 minutes into the second period after Rodri was harshly judged to have brought down Bellingham in the box after a VAR review.&nbsp;But Kane slipped as he went to take the penalty and crashed his strike against the bar.&nbsp;Gordon said he thought England would have gone on to win if that had gone in.&nbsp;"I think it puts us in a great position to go and get more" if Kane scores, he said. "We were hungry for more. We came out for the throat, for the kill, and we did that.&nbsp;"Penalties happen. He never really misses so we'll let him off with that one."&nbsp;England were made to pay after another defensive howler as O'Reilly gave the ball away and Dani Olmo teed up Alex Baena to finish brilliantly.&nbsp;And Mikel Oyarzabal compounded England's misery by dinking the ball over James Trafford after combining with Baena 16 minutes from time.&nbsp;Croatia captain Modric showed no signs of slowing down even at 41 as he gave Croatia the lead in Prague just after half-time.&nbsp;Adam Karabec equalised seven minutes later for the hosts but Croatia substitute Mario Pasalic netted the winner 13 minutes for time for the visitors.

Mikel Oyarzabal struck late as Spain beat England 3-2 at Wembley in the Nations League after Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty. Plus, Luka Modric scores in Croatia's 2-1 win over Czechia.

Mikel Oyarzabal gave world champions Spain a 3-2 victory over error-prone England in the Nations League on Saturday as Luka Modric helped Croatia beat the Czech Republic 2-1. Oyarzabal struck 16 minutes from time in an entertaining back-and-forth contest in which England captain Harry Kane missed a penalty. Victory at Wembley in Nations League A, Group 3 extended Spain's unbeaten run to 39 matches and prolonged England's difficulties against the world's top teams. "This team is very ambitious and doesn't want to stop winning," Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Teledeporte. "There were moments where we had to suffer and counter the talent of England's players, but I think we've seen a Spain which is reinventing itself." Also read| ‘I believe in the club’s innocence’: Rodri reacts as Man City found guilty of 114 Premier League charges Oyarzabal was also the match-winner two years ago when Spain beat England in the European Championship final. "I think it was a bit of a missed chance," England goalscorer Anthony Gordon told ITV Sport. "I thought it was a great game to watch and to play in, some of the attacking play was at the highest level. “But I think in a game like that mistakes cost you.” Costly penalty miss Lamine Yamal gave Spain the lead inside two minutes after a horror error from Marc Guehi, who played a blind pass which the Barcelona forward intercepted before shooting into the corner. Spain largely controlled the first period in a game of contrasting styles but England turned things around just before half-time. Jude Bellingham teed up another Barca winger in Gordon to finish crisply beyond Unai Simon. And then Harry Kane headed home a Nico O'Reilly chip five minutes before the interval. Kane had a chance to put daylight between the hosts and the world champions 10 minutes into the second period after Rodri was harshly judged to have brought down Bellingham in the box after a VAR review. But Kane slipped as he went to take the penalty and crashed his strike against the bar. Gordon said he thought England would have gone on to win if that had gone in. "I think it puts us in a great position to go and get more" if Kane scores, he said. "We were hungry for more. We came out for the throat, for the kill, and we did that. "Penalties happen. He never really misses so we'll let him off with that one." England were made to pay after another defensive howler as O'Reilly gave the ball away and Dani Olmo teed up Alex Baena to finish brilliantly. And Mikel Oyarzabal compounded England's misery by dinking the ball over James Trafford after combining with Baena 16 minutes from time. Croatia captain Modric showed no signs of slowing down even at 41 as he gave Croatia the lead in Prague just after half-time. Adam Karabec equalised seven minutes later for the hosts but Croatia substitute Mario Pasalic netted the winner 13 minutes for time for the visitors.

Mikel Oyarzabal struck late as Spain beat England 3-2 at Wembley in the Nations League after Harry Kane missed a crucial penalty. Plus, Luka Modric scores in Croatia's 2-1 win over Czechia.

Nations League: Spain sink England at Wembley; Modric shines for Croatia

The men’s cricket competition is already underway at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, with four quarterfinal matches confirmed. Defending gold medalist India will face Afghanistan in a repeat of last time’s final on September 28, and medal contender Pakistan is ready to clash with Hong Kong in theirs on the same date. Nepal and Sri Lanka will take on each other in the third quarterfinal on September 29, and Bangladesh and Malaysia are scheduled for the fourth quarterfinal later in the day.&nbsp;<ul><li>1st Quarterfinal: Hong Kong vs Pakistan on September 28</li><li>2nd Quarterfinal: Afghanistan vs India on September 28</li><li>3rd Quarterfinal: Nepal vs Sri Lanka on September 29</li><li>4th Quarterfinal: Bangladesh vs Malaysia on September 29</li></ul>While Nepal and Afghanistan qualified for the quarterfinals from Group A, eliminating hosts Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong advanced through Group B, with Oman crashing out.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Saturday’s rain that prevented the Japan vs Nepal match and the Malaysia-Oman contest is also expected to be around the quarterfinal matches. The AccuWeather forecast for Monday mentions a 91% chance of rain during the match time, including a 22% chance of thunderstorms. The forecast is similar for Tuesday: 89% chance of rain and 18% chance of thunderstorms.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-sets-sights-on-2027-odi-world-cup-business-not-finished-1790414881759">‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup</a>&nbsp;Should rain play spoiler in a knockout game and the match is called off without a ball being bowled, the higher-seeded team, based on the ICC official T20I rankings, will advance through to the next stage. As things stand, the weather is expected to be favourable during the semifinals (Thursday) and medal playoffs (Saturday).&nbsp;The Men in Blue are defending Asian Games champions, having beaten Afghanistan in the gold medal match in Hangzhou in October 2023. Bangladesh finished third after beating Pakistan in the bronze-medal match.

Defending champions India face Afghanistan in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals on Sep 28, while Pakistan clash with Hong Kong. Read schedule & rules.

The men’s cricket competition is already underway at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026, with four quarterfinal matches confirmed. Defending gold medalist India will face Afghanistan in a repeat of last time’s final on September 28, and medal contender Pakistan is ready to clash with Hong Kong in theirs on the same date. Nepal and Sri Lanka will take on each other in the third quarterfinal on September 29, and Bangladesh and Malaysia are scheduled for the fourth quarterfinal later in the day. 1st Quarterfinal: Hong Kong vs Pakistan on September 28 2nd Quarterfinal: Afghanistan vs India on September 28 3rd Quarterfinal: Nepal vs Sri Lanka on September 29 4th Quarterfinal: Bangladesh vs Malaysia on September 29 While Nepal and Afghanistan qualified for the quarterfinals from Group A, eliminating hosts Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong advanced through Group B, with Oman crashing out. Meanwhile, Saturday’s rain that prevented the Japan vs Nepal match and the Malaysia-Oman contest is also expected to be around the quarterfinal matches. The AccuWeather forecast for Monday mentions a 91% chance of rain during the match time, including a 22% chance of thunderstorms. The forecast is similar for Tuesday: 89% chance of rain and 18% chance of thunderstorms. Also read| ‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup Should rain play spoiler in a knockout game and the match is called off without a ball being bowled, the higher-seeded team, based on the ICC official T20I rankings, will advance through to the next stage. As things stand, the weather is expected to be favourable during the semifinals (Thursday) and medal playoffs (Saturday). The Men in Blue are defending Asian Games champions, having beaten Afghanistan in the gold medal match in Hangzhou in October 2023. Bangladesh finished third after beating Pakistan in the bronze-medal match.

Defending champions India face Afghanistan in the Asian Games 2026 quarterfinals on Sep 28, while Pakistan clash with Hong Kong. Read schedule &amp; rules.

Asian Games 2026: India face Afghanistan in quarterfinal on Sep 28; Pakistan clash with Hong Kong

The former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has also set his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit and Virat, the two cornerstones of Indian cricket since the 2011 World Cup-winning campaign, are key to India’s chances in what will be their last appearance at the 50-over showpiece event. Kohli has also confirmed his participation, saying he will do whatever it takes to lift the trophy in Africa. Rohit also ruled out any retirement talks, saying he has ‘unfinished business’ with the One-Day World Cup.&nbsp;While Kohli was part of the triumphant squad in 2011, Rohit narrowly missed out on the cut. The two, however, have featured together in three ODI World Cups since, coming agonisingly close to winning it at home the last time around in 2023, only for Pat Cummins’ Australia to beat them by six wickets in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-confirms-2027-odi-world-cup-last-tournament-for-india-1790412961801">‘Goal is to win it’: Virat Kohli confirms 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final tournament for India</a>&nbsp;Meanwhile, chatter around Rohit Sharma’s potential retirement did the rounds before the conclusion of the ODI series against England in July this year. With reports suggesting that Rohit could hang up his international boots following the third and final ODI at Lord’s, he shut all those rumours with a brilliant hundred at the Mecca of Cricket, although in a losing cause.&nbsp;Ahead of the ODI series against the West Indies, which starts on Sunday (Sep 27) in Trivandrum, Rohit shared his thoughts on cricket’s showpiece event, scheduled in Africa in October 2027. The right-handed opener said he always has something to look forward to as long as he is playing.&nbsp;"The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you're playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I'm looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me. When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues. So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way, and that is the challenge,” Rohit said in a chat with JioStar.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Rohit’s ODI numbers make him one of the format’s greatest batters. Having scored 11,895 runs in 288 appearances, Rohit averages 48.95 with the bat, with 34 ODI tons and three double hundreds to his name.

Rohit Sharma rules out retirement talks, setting his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup and declaring he still has unfinished business. Read more.

The former Indian captain Rohit Sharma has also set his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup. Rohit and Virat, the two cornerstones of Indian cricket since the 2011 World Cup-winning campaign, are key to India’s chances in what will be their last appearance at the 50-over showpiece event. Kohli has also confirmed his participation, saying he will do whatever it takes to lift the trophy in Africa. Rohit also ruled out any retirement talks, saying he has ‘unfinished business’ with the One-Day World Cup. While Kohli was part of the triumphant squad in 2011, Rohit narrowly missed out on the cut. The two, however, have featured together in three ODI World Cups since, coming agonisingly close to winning it at home the last time around in 2023, only for Pat Cummins’ Australia to beat them by six wickets in Ahmedabad. Also read| ‘Goal is to win it’: Virat Kohli confirms 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final tournament for India Meanwhile, chatter around Rohit Sharma’s potential retirement did the rounds before the conclusion of the ODI series against England in July this year. With reports suggesting that Rohit could hang up his international boots following the third and final ODI at Lord’s, he shut all those rumours with a brilliant hundred at the Mecca of Cricket, although in a losing cause. Ahead of the ODI series against the West Indies, which starts on Sunday (Sep 27) in Trivandrum, Rohit shared his thoughts on cricket’s showpiece event, scheduled in Africa in October 2027. The right-handed opener said he always has something to look forward to as long as he is playing. "The thought will never cross my mind that the business I had is finished. As long as you're playing, there is always something to look forward to. And I'm looking forward to the World Cup, looking at what lies ahead for me. When the World Cup is played, when we play an ICC tournament, it has its own unique challenge, because you face different opponents, you play at different venues. So, you have to prepare differently, think in a different way, and that is the challenge,” Rohit said in a chat with JioStar. Meanwhile, Rohit’s ODI numbers make him one of the format’s greatest batters. Having scored 11,895 runs in 288 appearances, Rohit averages 48.95 with the bat, with 34 ODI tons and three double hundreds to his name.

Rohit Sharma rules out retirement talks, setting his sights on the 2027 ODI World Cup and declaring he still has unfinished business. Read more.

‘Business is not finished’: Rohit Sharma sets sights on 2027 ODI World Cup

Indian cricket’s poster boy Virat Kohli has confirmed his participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa, saying it will be the last tournament he will represent India in, and that he aims to win it.&nbsp;Kohli is the only active member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team, having played a handy role in the final against Sri Lanka. Kohli and India’s current head coach Gautam Gambhir stitched a crucial 83-run stand for the third wicket, before Gambhir and then-Indian captain MS Dhoni clinched the world title for India with 97 and 91*, respectively. Sixteen years on, he wants to finish his career with another ODI World Cup to his name.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hardik-pandya-ruled-out-new-zealand-tour-australia-a-series-shin-injury-1790402647648">Hardik Pandya ruled out of New Zealand T20Is, Australia A series with shin injury</a>&nbsp;Kohli has been India’s standout batter alongside veteran opener and fellow former captain Rohit Sharma, with the two likely to carry the seasoned batting unit into the showpiece event in October 2027.&nbsp;Kohli has featured in four ODI World Cups since making his tournament debut in 2011, and will cap off his decorated One-Day career with his fifth appearance, one less than his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s appearance tally. With India’s home season beginning with the white-ball series against the West Indies on Sunday (Sep 27), Kohli, who is part of the ODI squad, reflected on his thoughts of featuring in the 50-over World Cup.&nbsp;Known for expressing his passion for the game his way, Kohli said the intensity of an ODI World Cup is greater than everything else. Kohli confirmed he doesn’t see himself playing any tournament for India beyond this event, and winning it remains his final aim.&nbsp;"The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it's about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament, and the World Cup is a big deal. Also, now it's in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you. For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. And that is my motivation. Like, you know, to leave everything out there. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready,” Kohli said while speaking to JioStar ahead of the series opener against the West Indies in Trivandrum.&nbsp;Kohli has played 314 ODIs, scoring 14,941 runs at 58.59, including 54 hundreds.

Virat Kohli confirms the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last tournament for India, setting his sights on ending his career with a world title.

Indian cricket’s poster boy Virat Kohli has confirmed his participation in the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa, saying it will be the last tournament he will represent India in, and that he aims to win it. Kohli is the only active member of the 2011 ODI World Cup-winning team, having played a handy role in the final against Sri Lanka. Kohli and India’s current head coach Gautam Gambhir stitched a crucial 83-run stand for the third wicket, before Gambhir and then-Indian captain MS Dhoni clinched the world title for India with 97 and 91*, respectively. Sixteen years on, he wants to finish his career with another ODI World Cup to his name. Also read| Hardik Pandya ruled out of New Zealand T20Is, Australia A series with shin injury Kohli has been India’s standout batter alongside veteran opener and fellow former captain Rohit Sharma, with the two likely to carry the seasoned batting unit into the showpiece event in October 2027. Kohli has featured in four ODI World Cups since making his tournament debut in 2011, and will cap off his decorated One-Day career with his fifth appearance, one less than his idol Sachin Tendulkar’s appearance tally. With India’s home season beginning with the white-ball series against the West Indies on Sunday (Sep 27), Kohli, who is part of the ODI squad, reflected on his thoughts of featuring in the 50-over World Cup. Known for expressing his passion for the game his way, Kohli said the intensity of an ODI World Cup is greater than everything else. Kohli confirmed he doesn’t see himself playing any tournament for India beyond this event, and winning it remains his final aim. "The intensity of a 50-over World Cup is greater than anything. Because now, it's about 10 games at a T20 level of intensity. But you are playing 2.5 T20 games in one day. And to maintain that intensity for 10 games in a big tournament, and the World Cup is a big deal. Also, now it's in foreign conditions. It takes a lot out of you. For me, it's the last World Cup I'm going to play for India. And that is my motivation. Like, you know, to leave everything out there. And of course, the goal is absolutely to win the World Cup. And whatever it takes, I'm absolutely ready,” Kohli said while speaking to JioStar ahead of the series opener against the West Indies in Trivandrum. Kohli has played 314 ODIs, scoring 14,941 runs at 58.59, including 54 hundreds.

Virat Kohli confirms the 2027 ODI World Cup will be his last tournament for India, setting his sights on ending his career with a world title.

‘Goal is to win it’: Virat Kohli confirms 2027 ODI World Cup will be his final tournament for India

The Indian women’s kabaddi team dug in deep in the second half to edge out Iran 37-34 in the final on Saturday to win the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. A close win at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium raises India’s gold medal tally at the competition to three. The Indian women’s kabaddi team has now won four out of the five Asian Games gold medals contested since the event debuted at the continental meet in 2010. Iran, however, won the title in 2018 in Jakarta, beating India in the final.&nbsp;For Iran, their star raider and captain Zahra Karimi started on the bench, whereas the defending champions India made a bright start with raiders Pooja, Sanju Devi and Nikita Hathwala bagging early points and racing to a 5-2 lead. Iran levelled the score with a super tackle and took a 7-5 lead. India bounced back with the first all-out of the match on Iran to open up a 13-10 advantage.&nbsp;Nikita Hathwala followed up with a two-point raid soon after to make it 15-10.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/sawan-barwal-wins-historic-silver-marathon-asian-games-2026-1790397782293">Sawan Barwal smashes national record to win Asian Games silver in men's marathon</a>&nbsp;Iranian captain Karimi was back on the mat and tried to inspire a turnaround with Atena Madedi aiding the cause, only for the Indian defence to keep a lid on Iran’s star raider Saniya Naeimi, not allowing her any breathing space.&nbsp;After Sanju Devi executed another multi-point raid – a bonus and two touch points, pushing India’s lead into the double digits, the final two minutes before the halftime belonged to Iran. A super tackle followed by a bonus and a brilliant ankle hold by Madedi saw Iran cut the deficit to 22-16 at the break.&nbsp;Iran looked stronger in the second half, with the defence dictating terms. Saniya Naeimi found her groove, much to Iran’s cheering as they further reduced the deficit to 23-20. India’s Ritu Negi executed a brilliant thigh hold on Saniya for a super tackle when India was down to just two on the mat. Pooja also kept picking up decisive points, keeping India from being cleaned out.&nbsp;With just four minutes left on the clock, India worked its way to a 34-28 lead, eventually sealing the game with a 37-34 win to defend its gold medal.&nbsp;"We never thought we might lose; our plan was to fight right till the end and win," India captain Pushpa Rana said after the match. "We have played them before and knew they can pose a tough challenge," she said, applauding the Iran team for a close match.&nbsp;Meanwhile, India and Iran will face off in the men’s kabaddi final at the Asian Games later in the day.

India women’s kabaddi team edges Iran 37-34 in a thriller at Asian Games 2026 to defend their title and claim India's 3rd gold medal. Read more.

The Indian women’s kabaddi team dug in deep in the second half to edge out Iran 37-34 in the final on Saturday to win the gold medal at the Asian Games 2026. A close win at the Tokai Citizens Gymnasium raises India’s gold medal tally at the competition to three. The Indian women’s kabaddi team has now won four out of the five Asian Games gold medals contested since the event debuted at the continental meet in 2010. Iran, however, won the title in 2018 in Jakarta, beating India in the final. For Iran, their star raider and captain Zahra Karimi started on the bench, whereas the defending champions India made a bright start with raiders Pooja, Sanju Devi and Nikita Hathwala bagging early points and racing to a 5-2 lead. Iran levelled the score with a super tackle and took a 7-5 lead. India bounced back with the first all-out of the match on Iran to open up a 13-10 advantage. Nikita Hathwala followed up with a two-point raid soon after to make it 15-10. Also read| Sawan Barwal smashes national record to win Asian Games silver in men's marathon Iranian captain Karimi was back on the mat and tried to inspire a turnaround with Atena Madedi aiding the cause, only for the Indian defence to keep a lid on Iran’s star raider Saniya Naeimi, not allowing her any breathing space. After Sanju Devi executed another multi-point raid – a bonus and two touch points, pushing India’s lead into the double digits, the final two minutes before the halftime belonged to Iran. A super tackle followed by a bonus and a brilliant ankle hold by Madedi saw Iran cut the deficit to 22-16 at the break. Iran looked stronger in the second half, with the defence dictating terms. Saniya Naeimi found her groove, much to Iran’s cheering as they further reduced the deficit to 23-20. India’s Ritu Negi executed a brilliant thigh hold on Saniya for a super tackle when India was down to just two on the mat. Pooja also kept picking up decisive points, keeping India from being cleaned out. With just four minutes left on the clock, India worked its way to a 34-28 lead, eventually sealing the game with a 37-34 win to defend its gold medal. "We never thought we might lose; our plan was to fight right till the end and win," India captain Pushpa Rana said after the match. "We have played them before and knew they can pose a tough challenge," she said, applauding the Iran team for a close match. Meanwhile, India and Iran will face off in the men’s kabaddi final at the Asian Games later in the day.

India women’s kabaddi team edges Iran 37-34 in a thriller at Asian Games 2026 to defend their title and claim India's 3rd gold medal. Read more.

Asian Games 2026: India women’s kabaddi team edge Iran 37-34 to clinch 3rd gold medal

Ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming series against Australia A in Puducherry, and subsequently from the New Zealand T20Is, with a fresh shin injury. Pandya was set to return to competitive cricket for the first time since IPL 2026 but experienced pain in his right shin earlier this week and underwent scans. The BCCI’s medical team monitored him and advised him to rest for three weeks.&nbsp;Just as he neared full fitness ahead of his anticipated India A call-up, the recurring shin issue derailed the progress he had made at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE).&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-could-not-sleep-gautam-gambhir-reveals-toughest-decision-to-pick-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-over-sanju-samson-1790335656692">'I could not sleep': Gautam Gambhir reveals 'toughest decision' to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over Sanju Samson</a>&nbsp;A similar shin issue had previously delayed his return during the Afghanistan T20Is. Meanwhile, a Times of India (TOI) report claims the BCCI men’s selection committee also considered roping in Pandya for the Asian Games cricket competition, before an unfortunate turn of events closer to the selection date ruled out that possibility.&nbsp;With no cricket and minimal physical activity in the next two weeks, Pandya’s participation in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand is out of the question, forcing selectors to look at alternative all-round options. The selectors, however, would be careful in making calls on his selection for the five ODIs that follow.&nbsp;Although the BCCI hasn’t made it official yet, Suryansh Shedge, one of the two seam-bowling all-rounders alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, is currently training at BCCI’s CoE and could well be drafted in as Hardik Pandya’s replacement for the three A games against Australia A.<h2>Reddy Ready to Take All-Rounder’s Spot: Morkel</h2>Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel believes that Nitish Reddy could fight for that all-rounder’s spot in the Indian team. After impressing with his maiden Test hundred at the MCG in December 2024, Reddy began emerging as a prospect across formats, with his bowling building on that momentum.&nbsp;In Pandya’s absence, India is keen on having a seam-bowling all-rounder in their ranks, and Reddy’s gradual rise keeps him ahead of his contemporaries.&nbsp;"I think Nitish, if we just rewind to the T20s, the way he bowled in different situations has been very impressive," Morkel said of Reddy’s talent. "The message to him all the time is just to keep things simple and do the basics as well as possible. I think he's a very talented guy when it comes to bat, ball and field. He always wants to be the guy who wants to create opportunities, and having that mindset is fantastic."&nbsp;"I think the role that we want him to play in certain situations is: how can we ask him to be as consistent; how well can he fulfil just doing the basics as best as possible. I think that is another thing where we need to give him those opportunities to learn and grow.&nbsp;"Luckily, we do have a bit of time now, and it will be great for Indian cricket if we can keep on developing him and for him to compete for that allrounder spot. He's got all the talent and all the ability to do that, but for us it's just important to manage him quite well, to give him quite a simple role in terms of what he needs to do for the team,” he continued.

Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India's tour of New Zealand and Australia A series due to a shin injury. Nitish Kumar Reddy set to step up.

Ace Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the upcoming series against Australia A in Puducherry, and subsequently from the New Zealand T20Is, with a fresh shin injury. Pandya was set to return to competitive cricket for the first time since IPL 2026 but experienced pain in his right shin earlier this week and underwent scans. The BCCI’s medical team monitored him and advised him to rest for three weeks. Just as he neared full fitness ahead of his anticipated India A call-up, the recurring shin issue derailed the progress he had made at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE). Also read| 'I could not sleep': Gautam Gambhir reveals 'toughest decision' to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over Sanju Samson A similar shin issue had previously delayed his return during the Afghanistan T20Is. Meanwhile, a Times of India (TOI) report claims the BCCI men’s selection committee also considered roping in Pandya for the Asian Games cricket competition, before an unfortunate turn of events closer to the selection date ruled out that possibility. With no cricket and minimal physical activity in the next two weeks, Pandya’s participation in the five-match T20I series against New Zealand is out of the question, forcing selectors to look at alternative all-round options. The selectors, however, would be careful in making calls on his selection for the five ODIs that follow. Although the BCCI hasn’t made it official yet, Suryansh Shedge, one of the two seam-bowling all-rounders alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, is currently training at BCCI’s CoE and could well be drafted in as Hardik Pandya’s replacement for the three A games against Australia A. Reddy Ready to Take All-Rounder’s Spot: Morkel Team India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel believes that Nitish Reddy could fight for that all-rounder’s spot in the Indian team. After impressing with his maiden Test hundred at the MCG in December 2024, Reddy began emerging as a prospect across formats, with his bowling building on that momentum. In Pandya’s absence, India is keen on having a seam-bowling all-rounder in their ranks, and Reddy’s gradual rise keeps him ahead of his contemporaries. "I think Nitish, if we just rewind to the T20s, the way he bowled in different situations has been very impressive," Morkel said of Reddy’s talent. "The message to him all the time is just to keep things simple and do the basics as well as possible. I think he's a very talented guy when it comes to bat, ball and field. He always wants to be the guy who wants to create opportunities, and having that mindset is fantastic." "I think the role that we want him to play in certain situations is: how can we ask him to be as consistent; how well can he fulfil just doing the basics as best as possible. I think that is another thing where we need to give him those opportunities to learn and grow. "Luckily, we do have a bit of time now, and it will be great for Indian cricket if we can keep on developing him and for him to compete for that allrounder spot. He's got all the talent and all the ability to do that, but for us it's just important to manage him quite well, to give him quite a simple role in terms of what he needs to do for the team,” he continued.

Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of India's tour of New Zealand and Australia A series due to a shin injury. Nitish Kumar Reddy set to step up.

Hardik Pandya ruled out of New Zealand T20Is, Australia A series with shin injury

Sawan Barwal creates history at the ongoing 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya by winning a historic silver medal in the men’s marathon, India’s first medal in this discipline in 44 years. Sawan smashed the national record, which was also his personal best of 2:11:37, to finish second behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who won gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze with 2:12:13.&nbsp;19 runners competed in the medal event, with Barwal and Kartik Karkera among the two Indians. Barwal established himself among the leaders and was placed second at the halfway mark with a time of 1:05:54. Barwal held onto his position as the race entered its final stages. With close to seven kilometers left, Barwal continued to chase Yamashita.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-india-win-silver-womens-50m-rifle-3p-team-1790394004829">Asian Games: Shooting spree continues as India win silver in women’s 50m rifle 3P team event</a>&nbsp;While the Japanese marathon runner eventually opened up a gap, Barwal maintained his pace and stayed firmly in the silver-medal position. He eventually finished second to secure India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since the 1982 Delhi Games, and the country’s first medal in this event on foreign soil. Kartik Karkera, however, finished 17th among 19 competitors with 2:22:41.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a silver medal win added to Barwal’s rising record tally. In April, he broke a piece of history by breaking Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national marathon record at the NN Marathon Rotterdam.&nbsp;Read More| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-we-always-want-to-improve-suruchi-kamaljeet-after-winning-asian-games-gold-1790347185865">Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold</a>&nbsp;Barwal’s silver medal win is India’s fourth Asian Games marathon medal after Chhota Singh’s gold and Surat Singh Mathur’s bronze at the inaugural 1951 Games. 31 years later, at the 1982 Games, Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won a bronze medal, making it three medals for India in this discipline.

Sawan Barwal wins a historic silver in the men’s marathon at Asian Games 2026, breaking the national record to end India's 44-year wait. Read more.

Sawan Barwal creates history at the ongoing 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya by winning a historic silver medal in the men’s marathon, India’s first medal in this discipline in 44 years. Sawan smashed the national record, which was also his personal best of 2:11:37, to finish second behind Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita, who won gold in 2:10:49. China’s Peiyou Feng took bronze with 2:12:13. 19 runners competed in the medal event, with Barwal and Kartik Karkera among the two Indians. Barwal established himself among the leaders and was placed second at the halfway mark with a time of 1:05:54. Barwal held onto his position as the race entered its final stages. With close to seven kilometers left, Barwal continued to chase Yamashita. Also read| Asian Games: Shooting spree continues as India win silver in women’s 50m rifle 3P team event While the Japanese marathon runner eventually opened up a gap, Barwal maintained his pace and stayed firmly in the silver-medal position. He eventually finished second to secure India’s first Asian Games marathon medal since the 1982 Delhi Games, and the country’s first medal in this event on foreign soil. Kartik Karkera, however, finished 17th among 19 competitors with 2:22:41. Meanwhile, a silver medal win added to Barwal’s rising record tally. In April, he broke a piece of history by breaking Shivnath Singh’s 48-year-old national marathon record at the NN Marathon Rotterdam. Read More| Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold Barwal’s silver medal win is India’s fourth Asian Games marathon medal after Chhota Singh’s gold and Surat Singh Mathur’s bronze at the inaugural 1951 Games. 31 years later, at the 1982 Games, Hosur Kukkappa Seetharan won a bronze medal, making it three medals for India in this discipline.

Sawan Barwal wins a historic silver in the men’s marathon at Asian Games 2026, breaking the national record to end India's 44-year wait. Read more.

Sawan Barwal smashes national record to win Asian Games silver in men's marathon

Indian shooters continue to make the country proud at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The trio of Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa K. Vinod and Ashi Chouksey clinched a silver medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event early on Sunday (Sep 26), adding to India's burgeoning shooting medal count. India registered 1,763 points to finish second, while China equalled their Games record with 1,773 points to claim the coveted gold.&nbsp;Riding on the team success, Tilottama and Vidarsa qualified for the individual final after finishing third and sixth, respectively. Ashi, however, missed out on the top-eight cut despite contributing to the team’s silver.<h2>Tilottama leads from the front</h2>Tilottama was India’s leading performer in the qualification, finishing third with 590 points. The Indian shooter claimed 197 in the kneeling position before registering 198 in prone. Tilottama held her nerve in standing next, registering a series of 97 and 98 to secure a place in the final. Two Chinese shooters attained the top two spots with 594 and 591 finishes.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-we-always-want-to-improve-suruchi-kamaljeet-after-winning-asian-games-gold-1790347185865">Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold</a>&nbsp;Vidarsa produced a stunning comeback following a difficult start to her qualification campaign. After starting with a score of 193 in kneeling, Vidarsa bounced back with an excellent 199 in prone to climb the standings. In the standing position, she shot a consecutive series of 98s to accumulate 588 points, which lifted her to the sixth position and secured India’s second spot in the individual final.&nbsp;By finishing 15th with 585 points, Ashi Chouksey missed out on the individual berth despite contributing massively to the team medal. After scoring 196 in kneeling and a stunning 199 in prone, Ashi was placed well heading into the standing position. A 93 in her opening standing series proved costly. Although she did recover with a 97 in her final series, Ashi failed to break into the top eight.

Indian trio Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa Vinod, and Ashi Chouksey win silver in women's 50m rifle 3P team event at Asian Games 2026. Read details.

Indian shooters continue to make the country proud at the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The trio of Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa K. Vinod and Ashi Chouksey clinched a silver medal in the women’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event early on Sunday (Sep 26), adding to India's burgeoning shooting medal count. India registered 1,763 points to finish second, while China equalled their Games record with 1,773 points to claim the coveted gold. Riding on the team success, Tilottama and Vidarsa qualified for the individual final after finishing third and sixth, respectively. Ashi, however, missed out on the top-eight cut despite contributing to the team’s silver. Tilottama leads from the front Tilottama was India’s leading performer in the qualification, finishing third with 590 points. The Indian shooter claimed 197 in the kneeling position before registering 198 in prone. Tilottama held her nerve in standing next, registering a series of 97 and 98 to secure a place in the final. Two Chinese shooters attained the top two spots with 594 and 591 finishes. Also read| Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold Vidarsa produced a stunning comeback following a difficult start to her qualification campaign. After starting with a score of 193 in kneeling, Vidarsa bounced back with an excellent 199 in prone to climb the standings. In the standing position, she shot a consecutive series of 98s to accumulate 588 points, which lifted her to the sixth position and secured India’s second spot in the individual final. By finishing 15th with 585 points, Ashi Chouksey missed out on the individual berth despite contributing massively to the team medal. After scoring 196 in kneeling and a stunning 199 in prone, Ashi was placed well heading into the standing position. A 93 in her opening standing series proved costly. Although she did recover with a 97 in her final series, Ashi failed to break into the top eight.

Indian trio Tilottama Sen, Vidarsa Vinod, and Ashi Chouksey win silver in women's 50m rifle 3P team event at Asian Games 2026. Read details.

Asian Games: Shooting spree continues as India win silver in women’s 50m rifle 3P team event

Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri backed the club to ultimately win a legal battle with the Premier League despite reports on Friday that the English giants have been found guilty on 114 charges. The ruling has not yet been published and no sanctions decided.&nbsp;However, the news has already sent shockwaves through English football with speculation over whether City could be relegated via a severe points deduction or have previous titles stripped.&nbsp;The club are accused of breaking regulations by failing to provide accurate information and details of payments to players and coaches, as well as breaches of financial sustainability rules.&nbsp;City were also initially found guilty by UEFA in 2020 of breaking financial fair play rules and given a two-year European ban before winning an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-found-guilty-of-breaching-115-premier-league-financial-rules-1790352168679">Manchester City found guilty of breaching 115 Premier League financial rules</a>&nbsp;"We went through an identical process in 2020," Rodri said at a press conference ahead of Spain's Nations League clash against England on Saturday. "The club always reassured us that we would be cleared of wrongdoing, that we would face no penalties—because nothing improper had been done. We trusted the club, and ultimately, the club was acquitted."&nbsp;Rodri scored the winning goal when City won their only Champions League title in 2023, among 12 major trophies with the club.&nbsp;"I have faith that the club, which I know very well, will be cleared, given the reassurance they gave us back then that they had done everything by the book."&nbsp;Rodri's final two seasons at City were hampered by injuries, but he was back to his best at the World Cup to lead Spain to glory.La Roja's victory at Euro 2024 saw Rodri claim the Ballon d'Or that year and he is again among the candidates to be named the world's best player.&nbsp;Unlike some of the other contenders such as Kylian Mbappe and international team-mate Lamine Yamal, he does not believe in the need to openly promote his case for the award.&nbsp;"Do you think I don't want to win it? I know it’s an award that doesn't depend on what you say publicly. It depends on what you’ve shown on the pitch," said the 30-year-old. "Individual titles are a reward for collective effort...nothing players like me have achieved makes sense without teammates."&nbsp;Despite winning two major tournaments in two years, Rodri insisted Spain "are hungry for more" as they begin their Nations League campaign in front of 90,000 at Wembley.&nbsp;"We are motivated to win another title," he said.

Former Man City midfielder Rodri backs his former club following reports of a guilty ruling on 114 Premier League financial charges. Read details.

Former Manchester City midfielder Rodri backed the club to ultimately win a legal battle with the Premier League despite reports on Friday that the English giants have been found guilty on 114 charges. The ruling has not yet been published and no sanctions decided. However, the news has already sent shockwaves through English football with speculation over whether City could be relegated via a severe points deduction or have previous titles stripped. The club are accused of breaking regulations by failing to provide accurate information and details of payments to players and coaches, as well as breaches of financial sustainability rules. City were also initially found guilty by UEFA in 2020 of breaking financial fair play rules and given a two-year European ban before winning an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Also read| Manchester City found guilty of breaching 115 Premier League financial rules "We went through an identical process in 2020," Rodri said at a press conference ahead of Spain's Nations League clash against England on Saturday. "The club always reassured us that we would be cleared of wrongdoing, that we would face no penalties—because nothing improper had been done. We trusted the club, and ultimately, the club was acquitted." Rodri scored the winning goal when City won their only Champions League title in 2023, among 12 major trophies with the club. "I have faith that the club, which I know very well, will be cleared, given the reassurance they gave us back then that they had done everything by the book." Rodri's final two seasons at City were hampered by injuries, but he was back to his best at the World Cup to lead Spain to glory. La Roja's victory at Euro 2024 saw Rodri claim the Ballon d'Or that year and he is again among the candidates to be named the world's best player. Unlike some of the other contenders such as Kylian Mbappe and international team-mate Lamine Yamal, he does not believe in the need to openly promote his case for the award. "Do you think I don't want to win it? I know it’s an award that doesn't depend on what you say publicly. It depends on what you’ve shown on the pitch," said the 30-year-old. "Individual titles are a reward for collective effort...nothing players like me have achieved makes sense without teammates." Despite winning two major tournaments in two years, Rodri insisted Spain "are hungry for more" as they begin their Nations League campaign in front of 90,000 at Wembley. "We are motivated to win another title," he said.

Former Man City midfielder Rodri backs his former club following reports of a guilty ruling on 114 Premier League financial charges. Read details.

‘I believe in the club’s innocence’: Rodri reacts as Man City found guilty of 114 Premier League charges

India put up a strong fight to hold world No. 44 Panama to a 1-1 draw in a FIFA international friendly in Bengaluru on Friday (Sep 25). The result will give India plenty of confidence, especially against a Panama side that featured several players who were part of their FIFA World Cup campaign just a few months ago. It is also likely to be one of India’s most encouraging results under head coach Khalid Jamil.&nbsp;Ryan Williams gave India the lead in the 41st minute, but Omar Valencia equalised for Panama in the 68th minute.&nbsp;Despite the result, India showed that they were willing to attack instead of simply sitting deep and defending. The performance will also boost their confidence ahead of two major friendlies against five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata on Oct 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on Oct 6.&nbsp;India’s defence, particularly Anwar Ali, produced a solid performance throughout the match.&nbsp;India looked dangerous down the left flank and one such move led to their opening goal. Akash Mishra played a quick exchange with Bijoy Verghese before sending a long ball forward. Williams made a smart run behind the Panama defence and finished the move with a precise left-footed shot past Marcos Reyes.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-we-always-want-to-improve-suruchi-kamaljeet-after-winning-asian-games-gold-1790347185865">'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold</a>&nbsp;Panama responded strongly after the break, with coach Thomas Christiansen making changes to his team. Their efforts paid off in the 68th minute when Valencia scored with a powerful, dipping left-footed strike.&nbsp;Lalengmawia tried to close him down but arrived slightly late. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had little chance as Valencia’s effort found the back of the net.&nbsp;India, however, did not retreat completely after conceding. Ashique Kuruniyan continued to trouble Panama with his runs on the left, while Williams also helped maintain pressure from the inside-left position.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/baranica-elangovan-creates-history-with-india-s-first-asian-games-pole-vault-bronze-1790344177114">Elangovan creates history with India's first Asian Games pole vault bronze</a>&nbsp;India came close to restoring their lead in the 79th minute when Ashique sent a low cross into the box, but Edmund failed to make the most of the opportunity.&nbsp;India ultimately held on for a well-earned draw, giving Jamil’s side a confidence boost ahead of their upcoming high-profile fixtures.

India earned a significant draw against World Cup-bound Panama, providing a timely boost ahead of clashes with Brazil and Uruguay.

India put up a strong fight to hold world No. 44 Panama to a 1-1 draw in a FIFA international friendly in Bengaluru on Friday (Sep 25). The result will give India plenty of confidence, especially against a Panama side that featured several players who were part of their FIFA World Cup campaign just a few months ago. It is also likely to be one of India’s most encouraging results under head coach Khalid Jamil. Ryan Williams gave India the lead in the 41st minute, but Omar Valencia equalised for Panama in the 68th minute. Despite the result, India showed that they were willing to attack instead of simply sitting deep and defending. The performance will also boost their confidence ahead of two major friendlies against five-time world champions Brazil in Kolkata on Oct 3 and two-time world champions Uruguay on Oct 6. India’s defence, particularly Anwar Ali, produced a solid performance throughout the match. India looked dangerous down the left flank and one such move led to their opening goal. Akash Mishra played a quick exchange with Bijoy Verghese before sending a long ball forward. Williams made a smart run behind the Panama defence and finished the move with a precise left-footed shot past Marcos Reyes. Also Read - 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold Panama responded strongly after the break, with coach Thomas Christiansen making changes to his team. Their efforts paid off in the 68th minute when Valencia scored with a powerful, dipping left-footed strike. Lalengmawia tried to close him down but arrived slightly late. Gurpreet Singh Sandhu had little chance as Valencia’s effort found the back of the net. India, however, did not retreat completely after conceding. Ashique Kuruniyan continued to trouble Panama with his runs on the left, while Williams also helped maintain pressure from the inside-left position. Also Read - Elangovan creates history with India's first Asian Games pole vault bronze India came close to restoring their lead in the 79th minute when Ashique sent a low cross into the box, but Edmund failed to make the most of the opportunity. India ultimately held on for a well-earned draw, giving Jamil’s side a confidence boost ahead of their upcoming high-profile fixtures.

India earned a significant draw against World Cup-bound Panama, providing a timely boost ahead of clashes with Brazil and Uruguay.

India hold Panama to historic 1-1 draw in Bengaluru

Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 Premier League charges brought against them for alleged financial regulation breaches. The Athletic reported on Friday that no punishment has been decided yet, with City expected to appeal the findings. The decision comes after an independent hearing that began more than two years ago. Its outcome could have major consequences for English football and raise questions over the legacy of City’s highly successful era.&nbsp;The Premier League charged City in 2023 following an investigation into alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018.&nbsp;Manchester City has consistently denied the allegations, which include claims of providing inaccurate financial information on payments to players and coaches and breaching financial sustainability rules.&nbsp;Since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group took over the club in 2008, City have established themselves as one of the most successful teams in English football.&nbsp;They have won eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups, seven League Cups and one Champions League over the past 15 years.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/exclusive-we-always-want-to-improve-suruchi-kamaljeet-after-winning-asian-games-gold-1790347185865">Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold</a>&nbsp;The allegations first came under scrutiny after leaked documents were published by German outlet Der Spiegel in 2018.&nbsp;Emails allegedly exchanged between senior City officials appeared to suggest that the club had overstated sponsorship income from Abu Dhabi-based companies Etihad and Etisalat. The documents claimed that money invested by Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group was presented as sponsorship revenue.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-gulveer-singh-bags-silver-in-men-s-10-000m-as-india-s-medal-tally-rises-to-22-1790340530141">Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22</a>&nbsp;Other documents reportedly suggested that former manager Roberto Mancini received payments through consultancy fees from an Abu Dhabi-based club.&nbsp;If City are found guilty, possible sanctions could include a significant points deduction and even expulsion from the Premier League.&nbsp;Everton and Nottingham Forest were both handed points deductions during the 2023/24 season for breaches of profit and sustainability rules.&nbsp;A major punishment could also create uncertainty around the futures of several City players, including striker Erling Haaland.&nbsp;Other Premier League clubs could also seek compensation or ask for titles to be reconsidered if City are found to have gained an unfair advantage through financial wrongdoing.&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

According to a report, City could appeal against any sanction handed down to the club.

Manchester City have been found guilty of all but one of the 115 Premier League charges brought against them for alleged financial regulation breaches. The Athletic reported on Friday that no punishment has been decided yet, with City expected to appeal the findings. The decision comes after an independent hearing that began more than two years ago. Its outcome could have major consequences for English football and raise questions over the legacy of City’s highly successful era. The Premier League charged City in 2023 following an investigation into alleged breaches between 2009 and 2018. Manchester City has consistently denied the allegations, which include claims of providing inaccurate financial information on payments to players and coaches and breaching financial sustainability rules. Since Sheikh Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group took over the club in 2008, City have established themselves as one of the most successful teams in English football. They have won eight Premier League titles, four FA Cups, seven League Cups and one Champions League over the past 15 years. Also Read - Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold The allegations first came under scrutiny after leaked documents were published by German outlet Der Spiegel in 2018. Emails allegedly exchanged between senior City officials appeared to suggest that the club had overstated sponsorship income from Abu Dhabi-based companies Etihad and Etisalat. The documents claimed that money invested by Mansour’s Abu Dhabi United Group was presented as sponsorship revenue. Also Read - Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22 Other documents reportedly suggested that former manager Roberto Mancini received payments through consultancy fees from an Abu Dhabi-based club. If City are found guilty, possible sanctions could include a significant points deduction and even expulsion from the Premier League. Everton and Nottingham Forest were both handed points deductions during the 2023/24 season for breaches of profit and sustainability rules. A major punishment could also create uncertainty around the futures of several City players, including striker Erling Haaland. Other Premier League clubs could also seek compensation or ask for titles to be reconsidered if City are found to have gained an unfair advantage through financial wrongdoing. With inputs from agencies

According to a report, City could appeal against any sanction handed down to the club.

Manchester City found guilty of breaching 115 Premier League financial rules

Indian shooters Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet delivered a strong performance to win the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday (Sep 25). The duo also bounced back after missing out on medals in their respective individual events. Speaking to WION’s Aditya Bhatia, Suruchi and Kamaljeet said they were happy with their performance in the final and felt that their preparation helped them execute their plans well.&nbsp;“We always look to improve because there are some mistakes in every match. We will continue working on those areas and keep improving as long as we compete,” the duo said.&nbsp;They also felt that their performance in the final went according to plan, with their practice routine helping them stay consistent under pressure.&nbsp;“We did not face any major problems in the final. Everything went according to plan, just like we had practised. What we did on the range during training was exactly what we tried to do in the match,” they added.&nbsp;The gold marked India’s first shooting medal at the ongoing Asian Games 2026, with Suruchi and Kamaljeet also setting a new Asian Games record in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/baranica-elangovan-creates-history-with-india-s-first-asian-games-pole-vault-bronze-1790344177114">Baranica Elangovan creates history with India's first Asian Games pole vault bronze</a>&nbsp;It is India’s second gold medal at the continental event, following the women’s cricket team’s title. Before this victory, Indian shooters had won five silver and three bronze medals in shooting.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-gulveer-singh-bags-silver-in-men-s-10-000m-as-india-s-medal-tally-rises-to-22-1790340530141">Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22</a>&nbsp;National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Singh Deo congratulated the pair for their achievement.&nbsp;“This is a remarkable achievement by Suruchi and Kamaljeet. To deliver under pressure, win gold and rewrite the Asian Games Record on the Asian Games stage speaks volumes about their talent, preparation and composure. Their performance is a proud moment for Indian shooting, and I congratulate both shooters on this outstanding achievement.”&nbsp;The result comes after a difficult individual campaign for several Indian shooters. Paris 2024 double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was among those expected to challenge for gold but finished without a medal in her individual event.

Speaking to WION’s Aditya Bhatia, Suruchi and Kamaljeet said they were happy with their performance in the final and felt that their preparation helped them execute their plans well.

Indian shooters Suruchi Singh and Kamaljeet delivered a strong performance to win the gold medal in the 10m air pistol mixed team event at the Asian Games 2026 in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday (Sep 25). The duo also bounced back after missing out on medals in their respective individual events. Speaking to WION’s Aditya Bhatia, Suruchi and Kamaljeet said they were happy with their performance in the final and felt that their preparation helped them execute their plans well. “We always look to improve because there are some mistakes in every match. We will continue working on those areas and keep improving as long as we compete,” the duo said. They also felt that their performance in the final went according to plan, with their practice routine helping them stay consistent under pressure. “We did not face any major problems in the final. Everything went according to plan, just like we had practised. What we did on the range during training was exactly what we tried to do in the match,” they added. The gold marked India’s first shooting medal at the ongoing Asian Games 2026, with Suruchi and Kamaljeet also setting a new Asian Games record in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Also Read - Baranica Elangovan creates history with India's first Asian Games pole vault bronze It is India’s second gold medal at the continental event, following the women’s cricket team’s title. Before this victory, Indian shooters had won five silver and three bronze medals in shooting. Also Read - Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22 National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) President Kalikesh Singh Deo congratulated the pair for their achievement. “This is a remarkable achievement by Suruchi and Kamaljeet. To deliver under pressure, win gold and rewrite the Asian Games Record on the Asian Games stage speaks volumes about their talent, preparation and composure. Their performance is a proud moment for Indian shooting, and I congratulate both shooters on this outstanding achievement.” The result comes after a difficult individual campaign for several Indian shooters. Paris 2024 double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker was among those expected to challenge for gold but finished without a medal in her individual event.

Speaking to WION’s Aditya Bhatia, Suruchi and Kamaljeet said they were happy with their performance in the final and felt that their preparation helped them execute their plans well.

Exclusive | 'We always want to improve': Suruchi, Kamaljeet after winning Asian Games gold

India’s Baranica Elangovan made history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday (Sep 25), winning bronze in the women’s pole vault to become the first Indian athlete to win an Asian Games medal in the event. Baranica cleared 4.15m to finish joint third with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova, as both athletes cleared the same height and had identical attempts before failing to clear 4.25m. As a result, they shared the bronze medal.&nbsp;The medal is a landmark moment for Indian athletics, as Baranica became the country’s first-ever Asian Games medallist in pole vault across both the men’s and women’s events.Her bronze took India’s medal tally to 23, including two gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals.&nbsp;Earlier, Gulveer Singh won silver in the men’s 10,000m after clocking 28:29.38 to finish second. Manpreet Kaur also secured bronze in the women’s shot put with a best throw of 17.17m on her fourth attempt.&nbsp;In shooting, Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar claimed silver in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-2026-gulveer-singh-bags-silver-in-men-s-10-000m-as-india-s-medal-tally-rises-to-22-1790340530141">Asian Games 2026: Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22</a>&nbsp;Manush Shah and Diya Chitale added a bronze in table tennis mixed doubles after losing their semi-final to China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha.&nbsp;In squash, Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar secured a medal by reaching the mixed doubles semi-finals. Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh also progressed to their respective singles semi-finals.&nbsp;India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams reached the finals after defeating Thailand and Nepal respectively in their semi-final matches.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-could-not-sleep-gautam-gambhir-reveals-toughest-decision-to-pick-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-over-sanju-samson-1790335656692">'I could not..': Gambhir on 'toughest decision' to pick Sooryavanshi over Samson</a>&nbsp;The Indian women’s hockey team continued its winning run with a 3-1 victory over Japan in Pool B.&nbsp;Meanwhile, swimmer Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men’s 200m backstroke final, while weightlifter Seram Nirupama Devi came seventh in the women’s 61kg category. Boxer Preeti was knocked out in the round of 16 after a 0-5 defeat to North Korea’s Pang Chol Mi.&nbsp;&nbsp;With inputs from agencies

Baranica Elangovan made history at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday, winning India’s first-ever pole vault medal with a 4.15m clearance for bronze in the women’s event.

India’s Baranica Elangovan made history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya on Friday (Sep 25), winning bronze in the women’s pole vault to become the first Indian athlete to win an Asian Games medal in the event. Baranica cleared 4.15m to finish joint third with Kazakhstan’s Polina Ivanova, as both athletes cleared the same height and had identical attempts before failing to clear 4.25m. As a result, they shared the bronze medal. The medal is a landmark moment for Indian athletics, as Baranica became the country’s first-ever Asian Games medallist in pole vault across both the men’s and women’s events. Her bronze took India’s medal tally to 23, including two gold, nine silver and 12 bronze medals. Earlier, Gulveer Singh won silver in the men’s 10,000m after clocking 28:29.38 to finish second. Manpreet Kaur also secured bronze in the women’s shot put with a best throw of 17.17m on her fourth attempt. In shooting, Kamaljeet and Suruchi Inder Singh won gold in the 10m air pistol mixed team event. Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil and Niraj Kumar claimed silver in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions team event. Also Read - Asian Games 2026: Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22 Manush Shah and Diya Chitale added a bronze in table tennis mixed doubles after losing their semi-final to China’s Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha. In squash, Joshana Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar secured a medal by reaching the mixed doubles semi-finals. Abhay Singh and Anahat Singh also progressed to their respective singles semi-finals. India’s men’s and women’s kabaddi teams reached the finals after defeating Thailand and Nepal respectively in their semi-final matches. Also Read - 'I could not..': Gambhir on 'toughest decision' to pick Sooryavanshi over Samson The Indian women’s hockey team continued its winning run with a 3-1 victory over Japan in Pool B. Meanwhile, swimmer Rishabh Das finished sixth in the men’s 200m backstroke final, while weightlifter Seram Nirupama Devi came seventh in the women’s 61kg category. Boxer Preeti was knocked out in the round of 16 after a 0-5 defeat to North Korea’s Pang Chol Mi. With inputs from agencies

Baranica Elangovan made history at the Asian Games in Nagoya on Friday, winning India’s first-ever pole vault medal with a 4.15m clearance for bronze in the women’s event.

Baranica Elangovan creates history with India's first Asian Games pole vault bronze

India’s Gulveer Singh won the silver medal in the men’s 10,000m event at the Asian Games 2026 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Friday (Sep 25). The 28-year-old clocked 28:29.38 to finish second behind Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who claimed gold with a late push and a time of 28:27.51. Balew’s compatriot Albert Kiptoo took bronze after finishing in 28:34.38.&nbsp;Gulveer, a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, stayed among the leading runners for most of the race and remained in medal contention until the final stages. Balew managed to pull away towards the finish, while Gulveer comfortably secured second place.&nbsp;The silver is an improvement on Gulveer’s performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he won bronze in the same event.&nbsp;Gulveer has been in strong form in recent years, as he won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea.&nbsp;At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he became the first Indian to win two track medals at a single edition of the Games, claiming silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-could-not-sleep-gautam-gambhir-reveals-toughest-decision-to-pick-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-over-sanju-samson-1790335656692">'I could not sleep': Gautam Gambhir reveals 'toughest decision' to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over Sanju Samson</a>&nbsp;He had earlier won bronze in the men’s 5,000m at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok.&nbsp;Meanwhile, India’s Pooja finished sixth in the women’s heptathlon 800m with a time of 2:16.43, while Anamika Aneesh finished eighth.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-hockey-india-women-strengthen-semifinal-hopes-with-3-1-win-over-japan-1790332244850">Asian Games Hockey: India women beat Japan 3-1, boost semifinal hopes</a> &nbsp;India also added another athletics medal on Friday, with Manpreet Kaur winning bronze in the women’s shot put. She recorded a best throw of 17.17m, while Krishna Jayasankar Menon finished fifth with 16.57m.&nbsp;At the time of writing, India had won 22 medals at the Asian Games, including two gold, nine silver and 11 bronze and were 12th in the standings.

The silver marks another major medal for Gulveer Singh this year, following his second-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

India’s Gulveer Singh won the silver medal in the men’s 10,000m event at the Asian Games 2026 at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium on Friday (Sep 25). The 28-year-old clocked 28:29.38 to finish second behind Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who claimed gold with a late push and a time of 28:27.51. Balew’s compatriot Albert Kiptoo took bronze after finishing in 28:34.38. Gulveer, a Naib Subedar in the Indian Army, stayed among the leading runners for most of the race and remained in medal contention until the final stages. Balew managed to pull away towards the finish, while Gulveer comfortably secured second place. The silver is an improvement on Gulveer’s performance at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where he won bronze in the same event. Gulveer has been in strong form in recent years, as he won gold in both the 5,000m and 10,000m at the 2025 Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. At the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, he became the first Indian to win two track medals at a single edition of the Games, claiming silver in the 10,000m and bronze in the 5,000m. Also Read - 'I could not sleep': Gautam Gambhir reveals 'toughest decision' to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over Sanju Samson He had earlier won bronze in the men’s 5,000m at the 2023 Asian Athletics Championships in Bangkok. Meanwhile, India’s Pooja finished sixth in the women’s heptathlon 800m with a time of 2:16.43, while Anamika Aneesh finished eighth. Also Read - Asian Games Hockey: India women beat Japan 3-1, boost semifinal hopes India also added another athletics medal on Friday, with Manpreet Kaur winning bronze in the women’s shot put. She recorded a best throw of 17.17m, while Krishna Jayasankar Menon finished fifth with 16.57m. At the time of writing, India had won 22 medals at the Asian Games, including two gold, nine silver and 11 bronze and were 12th in the standings.

The silver marks another major medal for Gulveer Singh this year, following his second-place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Asian Games 2026: Gulveer Singh bags silver in men's 10,000m as India's medal tally rises to 22

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the emotional challenge of leaving Sanju Samson out of the playing XI during the T20I series in England, revealing that the decision kept him awake at night. Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, was dropped after the opening match of the five-game series in England in July. India lost the first T20I, after which teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was handed his international debut in Manchester.&nbsp;Gambhir admitted that the decision was particularly difficult because of Samson’s contribution to India’s World Cup-winning campaign. Speaking to JioStar ahead of India’s home season against the West Indies, he explained the thinking behind the selection call.&nbsp;“In two years of my journey, that was the only night I could not sleep and I told this to Sanju because I knew that it was probably the toughest decision in my coaching tenure in a T20 format because someone who was player of the tournament, and then you have to leave him out after three or four games."&nbsp;And the reason was probably Vaibhav was in that kind of form as well and we had to win the series.&nbsp;“Because ultimately you are there and when you are playing for India, or when you are coaching India, you want to win each and every series possible. I had a very, very honest conversation with him and I told him that that is one of the reasons why, because Vaibhav was in that kind of form, and we needed someone to score runs at the top, we needed that little bit of a platform at the top as well. And he was fine with it. And that’s a conversation which me and Sanju had, and he took it in good spirits,” said Gambhir.&nbsp;The decision was later reversed when India returned home for their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Samson replaced Sooryavanshi and responded with back-to-back fifties as India completed a 3-0 series sweep.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/asian-games-hockey-india-women-strengthen-semifinal-hopes-with-3-1-win-over-japan-1790332244850">Asian Games, Hockey: India women strengthen semifinal hopes with 3-1 win over Japan</a>&nbsp;Gambhir also explained why strong recent form does not always guarantee a player a place in India’s playing XI.&nbsp;“I know, it is (tough). But then, I made him understand that I know you’re in good form, but sometimes with the players who have done well for a long time, you will have to wait for your opportunity."&nbsp;“There’s one more thing - social media or outside noise doesn’t decide the playing eleven. Playing eleven who, in that dressing room, or who the coach and captain feel can win us the match, or what is the best playing eleven, and who have done well for such a long time because if Vaibhav plays today, then it’s going to be a tough conversation between me and whoever we leave out, whether it’s Abhishek or Sanju." he added.&nbsp;Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-liverpool-forward-mohamed-salah-banned-from-driving-in-united-kingdom-for-six-months-1790323354898">Ex-Liverpool forward Salah banned from driving in United Kingdom for six months</a> &nbsp;Sooryavanshi’s emergence has added another challenge to India’s T20I selection plans. Although the teenager impressed on his international debut in Manchester, Gambhir stressed that India’s established combination cannot be changed simply because a young player is in good form.&nbsp;The India coach said continuity remains important given the team’s recent success. He also pointed to India’s quick turnaround between World Cup victories while urging the team not to overreact to a few poor performances. “For two years, imagine, you imagine we won the World Cup - which team in the history of sport has gone undefeated from one World Cup to the other and gone on to win the World Cup?&nbsp;“It didn’t take these guys 17 years to win the second World Cup. It took these guys only 17 months to win the third World Cup. Suddenly one bad series or three bad games here and there does not make them a bad player or does not make us a bad side. So it was very important for us to have that continuity," he concluded.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said dropping in-form opener Sanju Samson was the toughest decision of his coaching career and left him unable to sleep.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the emotional challenge of leaving Sanju Samson out of the playing XI during the T20I series in England, revealing that the decision kept him awake at night. Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, was dropped after the opening match of the five-game series in England in July. India lost the first T20I, after which teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was handed his international debut in Manchester. Gambhir admitted that the decision was particularly difficult because of Samson’s contribution to India’s World Cup-winning campaign. Speaking to JioStar ahead of India’s home season against the West Indies, he explained the thinking behind the selection call. “In two years of my journey, that was the only night I could not sleep and I told this to Sanju because I knew that it was probably the toughest decision in my coaching tenure in a T20 format because someone who was player of the tournament, and then you have to leave him out after three or four games." And the reason was probably Vaibhav was in that kind of form as well and we had to win the series. “Because ultimately you are there and when you are playing for India, or when you are coaching India, you want to win each and every series possible. I had a very, very honest conversation with him and I told him that that is one of the reasons why, because Vaibhav was in that kind of form, and we needed someone to score runs at the top, we needed that little bit of a platform at the top as well. And he was fine with it. And that’s a conversation which me and Sanju had, and he took it in good spirits,” said Gambhir. The decision was later reversed when India returned home for their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Samson replaced Sooryavanshi and responded with back-to-back fifties as India completed a 3-0 series sweep. Also Read - Asian Games, Hockey: India women strengthen semifinal hopes with 3-1 win over Japan Gambhir also explained why strong recent form does not always guarantee a player a place in India’s playing XI. “I know, it is (tough). But then, I made him understand that I know you’re in good form, but sometimes with the players who have done well for a long time, you will have to wait for your opportunity." “There’s one more thing - social media or outside noise doesn’t decide the playing eleven. Playing eleven who, in that dressing room, or who the coach and captain feel can win us the match, or what is the best playing eleven, and who have done well for such a long time because if Vaibhav plays today, then it’s going to be a tough conversation between me and whoever we leave out, whether it’s Abhishek or Sanju." he added. Also Read - Ex-Liverpool forward Salah banned from driving in United Kingdom for six months Sooryavanshi’s emergence has added another challenge to India’s T20I selection plans. Although the teenager impressed on his international debut in Manchester, Gambhir stressed that India’s established combination cannot be changed simply because a young player is in good form. The India coach said continuity remains important given the team’s recent success. He also pointed to India’s quick turnaround between World Cup victories while urging the team not to overreact to a few poor performances. “For two years, imagine, you imagine we won the World Cup - which team in the history of sport has gone undefeated from one World Cup to the other and gone on to win the World Cup? “It didn’t take these guys 17 years to win the second World Cup. It took these guys only 17 months to win the third World Cup. Suddenly one bad series or three bad games here and there does not make them a bad player or does not make us a bad side. So it was very important for us to have that continuity," he concluded.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said dropping in-form opener Sanju Samson was the toughest decision of his coaching career and left him unable to sleep.

'I could not sleep': Gautam Gambhir reveals 'toughest decision' to pick Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over Sanju Samson

From Hashim Amla to Viv Richards, here's a look at the top five players fastest to 5000 runs in One Day Internationals. This list also includes Virat Kohli, Shai Hope and Babar Azam

From Hashim Amla to Viv Richards, here's a look at the top five players fastest to 5000 runs in One Day Internationals. This list also includes Virat Kohli, Shai Hope and Babar Azam

Meet top 5 players fastest to 5000 ODI runs

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Meet top 5 players fastest to 5000 ODI runs