Sports

Uzbekistan GM Nodirbek Yakubboev comes up with ‘Namaste’ gesture against Harika Dronavalli (Screengrab) NEW DELHI: In this digital age, when every gesture is scrutinised under the microscopic lens of social media, a fleeting exchange at the recently-concluded Grenke Freestyle Open snowballed into a large-scale social media debate.As India’s Grandmaster (GM) Harika Dronavalli extended her hand…

India’s Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Bikas Das) Sanju Samson has been crowned the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for March following his extraordinary performances during the knockout stages of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The honour marks the first time Samson has received the award, capping off a remarkable campaign that ended with India lifting…

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Sunil Narine (ANI Photo) Kolkata Knight Riders’ start to the season has been far from ideal. Still chasing their first victory, they have just a single point to show for their efforts, earned from a rain-hit clash against Punjab Kings. For a side with three IPL titles to its name, the early…

Harika Dronavalli qualifies for FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship (Special arrangements) NEW DELHI: Indian women’s chess today tells two very different stories. In Cyprus, Vaishali Rameshbabu and Divya Deshmukh are locked in a fierce battle at the Women’s Candidates, chasing the right to challenge the reigning World Champion. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away, another Indian…

Captained by Babar Azam, Peshawar Zalmi on Monday defeated Multan Sultans by 24 runs to register their fifth win of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2026 season in six matches. Zalmi sit on top of the points table with five wins and one no result and 11 points in 6 matches.Kusal Mendis continued his run…

Indonesia’s Janice Tjen (ANI Photo/Naveen Sharma) New Delhi: Indonesia’s rising tennis star Janice Tjen has rapidly become one of the sport’s most compelling breakout stories. After a stunning 2025 season, she made history by winning the Chennai Open, ending a 23-year wait for an Indonesian WTA singles champion, and surged into the top 50, the…

Rajasthan Royals’ captain Riyan Parag (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag played down his side’s heavy defeat to Sunrisers Hyderabad, calling it just a minor setback and urging his team to move on quickly. RR were handed a crushing 57-run loss after being blown away early in the chase of 217. The damage…

Rameshbabu Vaishali (File Photo/Getty Images) Joint-leader R Vaishali (7 points) needs to beat last edition’s winner Tan Zhongyi in the 13th and penultimate round on Tuesday, with black pieces, to give herself a good shot at the women’s candidates chess title in Cyprus after Monday’s rest day. However, that will be easier said than done.Of…

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, 15, was dismissed for a golden duck as Rajasthan Royals lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by 57 runs on Monday, with debutants Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain making an impact.The teen prodigy has been the flavour of this season in the T20 tournament with two 15-ball fifties including in the previous match and key…

Praful Hinge and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (Image credit: BCCI/IPL) NEW DELHI: Praful Hinge announced himself on the grand stage by dismantling Rajasthan Royals’ top order and putting their run chase in complete disarray at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Monday. The young pacer broke the backbone of RR’s batting by removing their top three batters…