Former tennis world number one Simona Halep announced her retirement on Tuesday after suffering a first-round loss at the WTA Cluj-Napoca tournament in her native Romania. The 33-year-old Halep was defeated 6-1, 6-1 by 72nd-ranked Italian Lucia Bronzetti."I don't know if it is with joy or sadness that I speak to you but I made this decision in my soul and conscience," Halep told the crowd. "My body no longer follows, but today I wanted to play and say my goodbyes on the cou

Spanish tennis star Carlos Alcaraz faced a tough challenge in his first match since his quarter-final loss at the Australian Open. In the opening round of the Rotterdam Open, the top seed battled against local hero Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked 81 places below him, to secure a hard-fought 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-1 victory. The match lasted nearly three hours.Alcaraz admitted to feeling nervous at the start, which led to some early mistakes and allowed van de Zandschulp to take control of the matc

The BCCI has announced an updated squad for India’s three-match ODI series against England, set to begin on Thursday. The major change includes the inclusion of Varun Chakaravarthy, who was a standout performer in the recent T20I series against England, taking 14 wickets, including a five-wicket haul. His exceptional performance earned him the title of "Player of the Series." However, a major omission is that of Jasprit Bumrah, who has been named only for the third ODI, with H

The integrity of the Taekwondo competition at the National Games has been questioned after allegations emerged that results were fixed in advance for 10 out of the 16 weight categories. In response to these claims, the National Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) has replaced the director of competition, T Praveen Kumar, with S Dinesh Kumar following strong recommendations made by a three-member committee formed to prevent manipulation of the event. The GTCC chairperson, Sunaina Kumari,

Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed for the ATP Rotterdam tournament, shared his admiration for Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner ahead of his first match since his quarter-final loss to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne. Alcaraz was in high spirits despite the loss, acknowledging Sinner's "crazy" form and calling him the best player at the moment. Alcaraz praised Sinner’s consistency, noting his impressive record over the past year with only a handful of losses. The Spaniard reco

Chelsea staged a remarkable 2-1 comeback victory against West Ham in their Premier League clash on Monday, climbing into the top four of the league. The match marked Graham Potter’s first return to Stamford Bridge since being sacked by Chelsea in 2023. West Ham initially took the lead when Jarrod Bowen scored in the 42nd minute after a defensive error from Chelsea. Despite a lackluster first half, Chelsea bounced back after the break to level the score with a goal from Pedro Neto in the

The Indian badminton contingent, featuring top players such as PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen, is gearing up for the 2023 Badminton Asia Mixed Team Championships. To help sharpen their skills ahead of the prestigious competition, they will take part in a five-day preparatory camp, starting Tuesday in Guwahati. The team is determined to surpass their previous bronze medal finish from the 2023 event and aim for an improved result in the championships set to take place in Qingdao, China, from Februar

India’s emphatic 4-1 series win over England was a testament to their aggressive, fearless brand of cricket, with head coach Gautam Gambhir praising his players for adopting a high-risk, high-reward approach. Gambhir emphasized the team's intention to regularly post 250-plus scores in T20Is, recognizing that such an aggressive strategy would occasionally lead to lower totals but ultimately set them up for greater rewards in the long run. India’s mindset to keep attacking, rega

India wrapped up the T20I series with a resounding 150-run victory over England at Wankhede, securing an emphatic 4-1 series win. The final match saw an explosive performance by Abhishek Sharma, whose fiery 135(54) propelled India to an imposing total of 247/9. England's response was lackluster, folding for just 97 in 11 overs against a sharp bowling display from the hosts. This comfortable win came after a tense series, where emotions ran high, and heated remarks were exchanged between t

In a dramatic conclusion to the 2025 Tata Steel Masters, R Praggnanandhaa emerged victorious after a tense tiebreaker against fellow Indian player D Gukesh. Both players finished the 13th and final round tied at the top with 8.5 points each, despite suffering surprising losses in the final round—Gukesh lost to Arjun Erigaisi, and Praggnanandhaa fell to Vincent Keymer. This set the stage for an exc

India’s U19 Women’s cricket team triumphed in the final of the T20 World Cup, defeating South Africa by 9 wickets to win their second consecutive title. Playing in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday, India showcased an outstanding all-round performance. South Africa, batting first, were bowled out for a mere 82 runs in 20 overs, thanks to disciplined bowling from the Indian team.   The bowlers made an immediate impact, taking back-to-back wickets early, which set the

India's strong performance in the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup semifinal saw them defeat England by 9 wickets, with G Kamalini scoring a match-winning 56* off 50 balls. India successfully chased down England's total of 113/8 in just 15 overs. Spinners shine for India: The standout performers for India were left-arm spinners Parunika Sisodia and Vaishnavi Sharma

Sachin Tendulkar, a cricket legend whose records continue to inspire, will be awarded the BCCI's C K Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024. With an unmatched career of 664 international games, Tendulkar holds the records for the most Test and ODI runs. He played 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, accumulating 15,921 runs in Tests and 18,426 in ODIs, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest players in cricket history. Tendulkar, who made his debut at 16 in 1989, will be the 31st rec

Himanshu Sangwan, the 29-year-old pacer from Railways, is set to become a memorable name in Indian cricket after his stunning performance in the Ranji Trophy match between Delhi and Railways. The highly-anticipated return of Virat Kohli to domestic cricket was spoiled by Sangwan, who dismissed the former India captain for just 6 runs in his first innings. Kohli's brief stay at the crease lasted only 15 balls, much to the disappointment of the thousands who gathered at the Arun Jaitley Sta

In a thrilling semi-final clash at the U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Parunika Sisodia’s inspiring spell has been pivotal in India’s effort to bring England back from a strong start. England, opting to bat first, had a solid beginning with Davina Perrin leading the charge. She scored 45 off 40 balls, helping her side reach 37/0 by the end of the powerplay. However, India’s spinners, led by Sisodia and Aayushi Shukla, soon triggered a dramatic collapse in t

Ahead of their Davis Cup 2025 World Group I Playoff tie against Togo, Team India has made extensive preparations, ensuring that the squad is well-acclimatized and sharp for the upcoming matches at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi. The team, led by Captain Rohit Rajpal, consists of seasoned players like N Sriram Balaji, Ramkumar Ramanathan, and Mukund Sasikumar, alongside debutants Rithvik Bollipalli and Karan Singh. Captain Rajpal emphasized the importance of team cohesion and getting used to th

The captains' meet ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, which was to bring together the leading figures of all participating teams, has been called off. According to reports from Cricket Pakistan, the cancellation came after the delayed arrival of several teams, including England and Australia, who are now expected to reach Pakistan later than originally planned. England is due to arrive in Lahore on February 18, and Australia will follow a day later, making the captains' meet logistic

Mumbai took a commanding position on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A clash against Meghalaya, thanks to Shardul Thakur's historic hat-trick and impressive batting performances. Thakur led the charge with the ball, dismantling Meghalaya’s top order and claiming a memorable hat-trick – the fifth in Mumbai’s Ranji history. Thakur’s early breakthrough, combined with his fiery spell, reduced Meghalaya to a staggering 2/5, before the visitors could mu

At the 38th National Games in Dehradun, Narmada Nithin Raju delivered an outstanding performance in the women’s 10m air rifle event, securing the gold medal while setting a new national record. Representing Tamil Nadu, Narmada finished with a score of 254.4, surpassing the previous national mark of 252.9, set by Olympian Apurvi Chandela in 2019. Her performance was nothing short of remarkable, as

Massive Fan Turnout at Kohli's Return to Domestic Cricket: Virat Kohli's much-anticipated return to domestic cricket after 12 years created a buzz, with the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi packed with excited fans. The free entry for spectators led to a huge turnout, with fans arriving early in the morning to witness Kohli in action. His presence has significantly revitalized the Ranji Trophy, underscoring his immense popularity and influence in Indian cricket, e