Serena Williams calls Sharapova ‘a friend forever’
Serena Williams was given the responsibility of introducing former rival Maria Sharapova for her induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday night. The American emerged from behind the stage, surprising everyone, calling Sharapova a ‘former rival, a former fan and the friend for ever’. Speaking on the stage, Serena said, “In 2004, when Maria was just 17 years old, she stunned the world and won Wimbledon. To this day, she calls it the highlight of her career. Today, I call it one of my hardest losses. The match didn’t just make her a champion. It actually made her a star and launched one of the most talked about and controversial rivalries in tennis.” “For more than a decade and a half, every time we took on each other, the atmosphere shifted. The tension was real, the fire was real, and honestly, you could feel it, and by the way, you could hear it, with all Maria’s grunting,” she added. In response, Sharapova could be seen pointing her finger at Serena, and the American responded, “No, not mine, yours! I was just copying you”. Meanwhile, in her acceptance speech, the Russian said, “It’s a gift to have someone who motivates you to reach those heights. And I’ll forever be grateful for bringing out the best in me.” “We both knew no other way than to fight our hearts out. We both hated to lose more than anything on this earth, and we both knew that the other was the biggest obstacle between ourselves and the trophy,” she added. Sharapova was the first-ever Russian woman to reach the No. 1 spot in the rankings and one of 10 women to complete the career Grand Slam. During her introductory speech, Williams also said, “She changed how women not only approached tennis, but sports and opportunity. She showed us that you can be fierce on the court and strategic off the court, and unapologetically herself the entire time.”
Pujara says goodbye to all forms of cricket
Cheteshwar Pujara has announced his retirement from all forms of Indian cricket. In an emotional statement, he said wearing the Indian jersey, singing the national anthem, and giving his best every time he stepped on the field was an experience beyond words. His announcement marks the end of a significant chapter in Indian cricket. Thanking fans for their constant love and support, Pujara expressed his immense gratitude as he brings this chapter to a close. Reflecting on his remarkable tenure, he served as a pillar of India’s Test team for over a decade; Pujara’s calm presence and unwavering focus made him one of the most dependable batters of his generation. His achievements stand tall among his peers. Like most great batsmen of his era, Cheteshwar Pujara conserved his finest for Australia. Against them, home and away, he averaged 49.38 and made five hundreds. Rahul Dravid, a great No.3, mustered 38.67 and two hundreds. He aggregated 43.47 in matches India won overseas; Kohli’s corresponding average was 40.57.
NorthEast United FC humiliate Diamond Harbor FC 6-1 to retain the Durand Cup title
NorthEast United FC retained its Durand Cup title after thrashing Diamond Harbour FC 6-1 in the 134th final of the tournament at the Yuba Bharati Krirangan in Kolkata on Saturday. The defending champion were leading by a brace after the first 45 minutes. Asheer and Parthib Gogoi gave the lead, scoring one each. Thoi Singh made the scoreline 3-0 in the 50th minute. The forward made a darting run down the right and showed excellent vision to find Thoi Sngh at the far-post, but with a measured pass across the face of the goal. It is the easiest of finishes for Thoi, who lashes the ball inside the net from point-blank range to score the third goal for NorthEast. Diamond Harbor FC pulled one back, and it came from a set-piece. A corner is delivered into the box, and Joby Justin had an initial touch. Kortazar also offered the telling touch in the end as the ball crept inside the net with Gurmeet completely out of the equation. But by the time Diamond Harbor’s morale was seen sinking already. NorthEast’s newest foreign signing, Jairo Bustara, struck the fourth goal in the 81st minute. Gaitan and Ajaraie sealed the opposition’s fate by scoring the fifth and sixth goal, respectively.
MBSG eyes for Parthib Gogoi this season
Mohun Bagan Super Giants management seems keen on roping in Parthib Gogoi, the country’s one of the potential forwards for his season. The striker from Assam who joined NorthEast United FC from Indian Arrows in 2022 has already become the top scorer of NEUFC last season, scoring 16 goals across all competitions. The 22-year-old striker scored five goals in the ISL last season, and provided four assists in his 17 appearances in the League last season. The striker even struck once in his team’s 6-1 drubbing of Diamond Harbor FC in the Durand Cup final on Saturday at the Salt Lake Stadium. It is believed that Gogoi has already been shortlisted by the top bosses of Mohun Bagan Super Giants since the last season. The striker who also represented the country twice in 2022 and 2023 once revealed while speaking to the media that he was nurturing two dreams. One is playing for country and the other was donning shirts of two Kolkata giants.
Messi to play in Kerala ultimately in November!
The uncertainty seems to be over. The Lionel Messi-led Argentine national team is coming to Kerala to take part in a friendly match in November this year! The friendly match is likely to take place during FIFA’s November-window, between 10th and 18th November. This visit will mark the first time an Argentine side will be playing in Kerala. The official confirmation came through the team’s social media handles earlier today. The opponents for the fixtures are yet to be announced. “The Argentine national team, led by Lionel Scaloni, will have two FIFA friendly matches in the remainder of 2025. The first, in October, from the 6th to the 14th, will be played in the United States (opponents and cities to be determined). The second, a FIFA friendly in November, from the 10th to the 18th, will be played in Luanda, Angola, and Kerala, India (opponents to be determined),” the statement read. Kerala Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman first revealed that the Argentine national team, led by Messi would be taking part in a friendly match this year. But the much-awaited trip got a big blow following disagreements between the Kerala government, event sponsors, and the Argentine Football Association (AFA). Doubts were created over whether the friendly would actually go ahead. At one point, Kerala’s Sports Minister announced that the Argentine national team’s Kerala-tour would be cancelled. Then, Reporting Broadcasting, the commercial partner of the Kerala state sports ministry, warned of legal action against the AFA. However, the situation now seems to have been resolved, and Argentina are set to play in India later this year. This will be the reigning world champions’ second visit to the country. Their first appearance came in 2011, when Lionel Messi led the side in a friendly against Venezuela at Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium.
India’s under-23 national football team will travel to Malaysia without key MBSG players!
Naushad Moosa’s dreams of making history by reaching the finals have suffered a big blow, as the Indian squad, traveling to Malaysia to take part in the under-23 Asian Cup qualifiers, are likely to miss talented footballers from Mohun Bagan Super Giants! The talented youngsters of Bagan, such as Suhail Bhat, Dippendu Biswas, and Tekcham Abhishek Singh are likely to miss out. The selected footballers from NorthEast United FC are expected to join the national squad after their Durand Cup Final, which takes place on 23rd August against Diamond Harbor FC. However, AIFF are still trying to convince the ISL winner to release the players before the official FIFA window, scheduled to start on 1st September. With Mohun Bagan kicking off their ACL 2 matches on 16th September the club raised concerns over the fitness issues of players. Head Coach Naushad Moosa had to start the preparatory camp in Bangalore without the presence of 16 key footballers, who are from Punjab FC, Jamshedpur, Mohun Bagan, NorthEast United, and FC Goa. Only 10 footballers who participated in the friendly matches against Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan had reported to the camp. Moosa was forced to call upon 15 trialists to get the number to 25 for a full squad to start training. Among the absentees were FC Goa’s Ayush Chhetri, Sanatomba Singh, and Alan Saji, who joined the squad right after Goa’s AFC Champions League 2 preliminary round tie against Al Seeb on 13th August. The 16 of the initial players who were unavailable for the camp were mostly players who would have walked straight into the playing XI or the match-day squad. Despite bringing in new footballers for the selection trials the absence of such players for the preparatory camp left Moosa worried. On the positive note, players from Punjab FC and even Jamshedpur FC have joined the squad.
Supreme Court asks AIFF and FSDL to decide on conducting ISL within five days; Verdicts expected on 28th August.
Indian football fans remain uncertain about the future of the Indian Super League (ISL). The Supreme Court, during a scheduled hearing on Friday, instructed the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and league organizer, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), to meet and decide how to proceed with the league this year. Supreme Court has asked both the major stakeholders to submit their proposal on the matter in the next hearing scheduled on 28th August. The expiry of the 15-year MRA between AIFF and FSDL on 8th December has been the biggest impediment to getting the 2025-26 ISL season started. While marketing partners FSDL want to extend the contract and a guarantee from the AIFF, the national body has cited the impending SC judgment on its new constitution as the reason behind not signing an extension. In the AIFF Constitution case, the SC bench of Justice Sri Narasimha and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said that the judgment in the matter is ready, but they want to review the new National Sports Governance Bill before delivering a final verdict. All in all, the positive developments in the Supreme Court hint that if everything goes well, the issues related to ISL may get sorted soon, and the league could start in the next few months. Earlier on Thursday, the eleven Indian Super League clubs on Thursday urged the Amici curiae Gopal Sankaranarayanan and Samar Bansal to mention the ongoing crisis in front of the SC as they face an “existential crisis.”
Ajit Agarkar’s two senior national selectors lose jobs
The BCCI on Friday invited applications to fill two vacancies in the five-member senior men’s national selection committee, as well as four positions in the women’s panel. The eligibility criteria remained unchanged from previous years. Applicants must have played either a minimum of seven Test matches or 30 first-class games. Alternatively, candidates with experience in at least 10 One Day Internationals (ODIs) or 20 first-class matches will also be considered. “The contracts of selectors are renewed annually. We have not yet identified which selectors will be replaced, but that process will be undertaken soon,” a BCCI official told PTI. The current men’s selection committee, which recently picked the squads for next month’s Asia Cup, is currently headed by former India pacer Ajit Agarkar and comprises SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra, and S Sharath. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has officially invited applications for positions across its national selection committees, including the high-profile Senior Men’s Selection Committee. The announcement confirms that two members of the current men’s panel, led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar, will be replaced, with one of them being South Zone selector S Sharath, who has already completed his four-year term. In a press release issued on Thursday, the BCCI called for applications to fill two vacancies on the Senior Men’s Selection Committee. The eligibility criteria for these roles include having played a minimum of seven Test matches, or 30 First-Class matches, or a combination of 10 ODIs and 20 First-Class games. Additionally, applicants must have retired from professional cricket at least five years prior and must not have served on any BCCI cricket committee for a cumulative period of five years. Earlier media reports suggested that the current selection committee — comprising Ajit Agarkar, SS Das, Subroto Banerjee, Ajay Ratra, and S Sharath — was under scrutiny. It was reported that changes to the panel could be made at the BCCI’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in September. According to a report in Hindustan Times, Sharath is likely to be replaced by former India spinner Pragyan Ojha. Sharath, in turn, is expected to take over as the chief of the junior men’s selection committee. While two members of the senior men’s committee are set to be replaced, Ajit Agarkar is likely to receive an extension on his tenure till 2026. Agarkar’s Tenure and Achievements Appointed in July 2023, Agarkar has overseen several key achievements for the national team, including: • Reaching the final of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup • Winning the ICC T20 World Cup in 2024 • Winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025 These milestones are believed to be major reasons behind the BCCI’s decision to retain him. “Under his tenure, the Indian team won titles and saw transitions in the Test and T20 formats too. The BCCI extended his contract till June 2026, and he accepted the offer a few months back,” a BCCI official told The Indian Express. In addition to the men’s selection roles, the BCCI has also opened four positions in the women’s national selection committee, and one position in the junior men’s cricket selection committee.
Iyer as ODI captain? BCCI says discussion not yet made
A day after reports suggested that the BCCI was considering Shreyas Iyer as the successor to Rohit Sharma in ODIs, the board has firmly dismissed such claims. On Thursday, a report in Dainik Jagran alleged that Iyer was the frontrunner to take over once Rohit decided on his future in the format. However, BCCI officials have clarified that no such discussion has taken place and instead highlighted Shubman Gill as the natural choice for the role. It is a period of transition for the Indian national cricket team, with a young coach and a team that has seen wholesale changes in the last 12 months as many of its veterans step away and make space for fresh blood. This has been particularly true when it comes to the leadership contingents of the team across the board, with the decisions regarding who the leader of India’s brave new world will be holding a lot of importance for its immediate future; this is not a string of decisions to be taken lightly. If the first half of the year was dedicated to question marks over the Test captaincy for India’s men’s national team, the second half has begun with questions regarding captaincy in ODI cricket. With rumours swirling regarding the oncoming retirement of incumbent ODI captain Rohit Sharma, a fair few names have been thrown around as candidates for limited-overs leadership in recent days. High amongst those is Shreyas Iyer, whose stock as a captain in white-ball cricket is at an all-time high after reaching two consecutive IPL finals with two different franchises. Iyer’s mixture of experience, leadership, and x-factor has made him a sudden crowd favourite to take over the captaincy mantle from Rohit, as and when Team India reaches that bridge. According to the report, a BCCI source told Hindustan Times that there is no reason why Shubman Gill should not be the frontrunner to lead India in ODIs when the time comes. The 25-year-old opener, who was recently appointed as India’s Test captain, also served as vice-captain in the Champions Trophy and is deputy to Suryakumar Yadav in the Asia Cup T20 squad. For now, India continues with a three-captain setup: Rohit Sharma in ODIs, Gill in Tests, and Suryakumar in T20Is. “He averages 59 in ODI cricket and is already the vice-captain of the team. There is no way someone who has recently been appointed Test captain, found some success and has age on his side should not take over leadership in ODI cricket, when the time comes,” stated the source. Whichever player is chosen will have to wait, with Rohit holding on to captaincy as India head to Australia for a three-match series this October.
Rugby-centric Bronco Test for Indian cricketers
The BCCI has reportedly introduced a rugby-centric Bronco fitness test for Indian players in an effort to ensure consistently high fitness standards. It will now be used alongside the established Yo-Yo test and 2-kilometer time trial to assess players’ readiness for international competition. To ensure top Indian cricketers maintain a high level of fitness and improve their aerobic capacity, the rugby-centric Bronco Test — involving multiple shuttle runs of 20 metres, 40 metres and 60 metres — has been introduced. the Indian team’s strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux who also wants the fast bowlers to clock more running miles instead of being gym-focused. Head coach Gautam Gambhir is also on the same page. For starters, the Bronco test does not replace the existing Yo-Yo test and the 2-kilometre time trial. India head coach Gautam Gambhir and strength and conditioning coach Adrian le Roux have instead introduced the Bronco test, originally developed for rugby which measures aerobic endurance and pushes cardiovascular limits. What is the Bronco test? The Bronco test is a high-intensity aerobic running drill which involves shuttle runs of 20, 40 and 60 metres respectively. So an athlete must run 20 metres and cover as much distance on the way back, totaling 40 metres. Going by this rule, the player effectively covers 80m and 120m respectively for the other two shuttle runs. The three distances form a set, and in the Bronco test, a player must complete five sets, effectively covering 1,200 metres, without taking rest. The time taken to complete the five sets is then noted as a measure of a player’s fitness, with the team currently setting six minutes as the benchmark. Why the Bronco Test? “The Bronco Test has been introduced at the Centre of Excellence. Some of India’s contracted players have travelled to Bengaluru and have taken the test. The Bronco Test is being used to ensure there are clear fitness standards. Also, it was noticed that Indian cricketers, more so the fast bowlers, were not running enough and spending too much time in the gym. Players have been told that they will have to do more running,” a source said. In the 2-km time trial, the benchmark for fast bowlers was 8 minutes and 15 seconds. For batsmen, wicket-keepers and spinners, it was 8 minutes and 30 seconds. The Yo-Yo-Test involves running between markers placed 20 meters apart, at increasing speeds, with a 10-second break between each 40-metre run. The minimum Yo-Yo level for the Indian team was set at 17.1. According to The Indian Express, several players have already undergone the Bronco test at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. Additionally, le Roux had recommended the test in response to concerns over players, especially fast bowlers, spending too much time in gyms instead of endurance training. Le Roux had rejoined the Indian team as their s&c coach in June this year, having previously worked with the Indian team from January 2002 and May 2003 under then-captain Sourav Ganguly and head coach John Wright. He has also worked with Cricket South Africa as well as Indian Premier League franchises Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings.
