Today's Sports News Highlights: Yash Dayal denied bail in alleged rape case

Former India captain Ashok Kumar believes modern hockey has moved far away from its classical roots, evolving into a power-driven sport dominated by physicality and costly infrastructure. Speaking after attending the Sangram Singh Hockey Cup as chief guest, the Arjuna Awardee said the era of wrist-based, artistic hockey has largely faded.

The son of hockey legend Dhyan Chand compared the sport’s challenges with cricket, noting that while cricket can still be played with minimal equipment, hockey now depends heavily on astroturf facilities that are missing in many cities and colleges. A member of India’s Hockey World Cup-winning team, Ashok Kumar urged governments to provide synthetic grounds in every district to revive grassroots hockey.

Recalling his playing days in Kota, he stressed the importance of local clubs and small tournaments in producing champions, calling hockey a vital part of India’s sporting heritage shaped by success at the Olympic Games.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has outlined an ambitious plan to turn the state into a leading sports hub by 2047, with modern sports complexes set to come up in every assembly constituency in a phased manner. Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Vishwas Sarang said the push is aimed at boosting sports tourism, attracting investment and generating employment across allied sectors such as hospitality and transport.

Addressing the media, Sarang highlighted that athletes from Madhya Pradesh have won 57 international and 391 national medals, while over 1,300 sportspersons are currently training across 11 academies covering 18 disciplines. He also pointed to major infrastructure projects, including an international-level sports complex in Bhopal costing around Rs 985 crore.

Under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the state plans to strengthen grassroots development, expand sports quotas in government jobs and prepare athletes for future global events such as the Asian Games and the Olympic Games.

After Rohit Sharma's hundred in Jaipur, some Rohit loyalists taunted Gautam Gambhir in Jaipur.

The fans chanted: Gautam Gambhir, dekh raha hai na?

Many have been of the opinion that Gautam Gambhir was the catalyst behind Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring from Test cricket. And they let Gambhir have it after one of their heroes made a magnificent return to domestic cricket.

You can read more about it here.

Returning to the Vijay Hazare Trophy after nearly 15 years, Virat Kohli marked the occasion in trademark fashion, producing a commanding century to remind everyone of his enduring quality in the 50 over format. (Read Here)

Rohit got to his hundred and now Kohli follows suit with a quick-fire fifty against Andhra Pradesh at the BCCI COE. Kohli is batting on 54 off 45 balls at the moment with seven boundaries and a six as Delhi are chasing 299 to win the match. 

Rohit Sharma has marked his return to domestic cricket and the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a sensational 62-ball hundred against Sikkim. Rohit's innings consisted of eight boundaries and eight sixes as he put the Sikkim bowlers to the sword. 

Rohit Sharma has raced past 80. He has hit six sixes and eight fours in his innings. Mumbai has raced past 100 in 17 overs in their chase of 237. Rohit is now 84 off 51 balls.

The Rohit Sharma show in Jaipur is on top gear at the moment, with the hitman announcing his arrival at the Vijay Hazare Trophy with a 27-ball fifty for Mumbai vs Sikkim. 

Kohli, on the other hand, is also pushing himself into attack mode.

 The Sawai Mansingh crowd is loving what has been Rohit Sharma at his hitman best. 

The Mumbai opener is closing in on a quickfire fifty, with an attacking intent from the very get go.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are on a roll early as they are out in the middle. Rohit has already scored 28 off 16 balls with four boundaries and two sixes, while Kohli is in the middle after Delhi lost an early wicket. The Indian star is six off three balls with a boundary already to his name. 

Can both men get big scores on their return to VHT?

It has been a record-shattering opening day of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, with a barrage of centuries rewriting the Indian List A fastest-hundreds leaderboard and setting the tone for a tournament that has exploded into life from ball one.

Fastest List A centuries by an Indian:

• 32 balls: Sakibul Gani (Bihar)
• 33 balls: Ishan Kishan (Jharkhand)
• 35 balls: Anmolpreet Singh (Punjab)
• 36 balls: Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Bihar)
• 40 balls: Yusuf Pathan (Baroda)
• 41 balls: Urvil Patel (Gujarat)
• 42 balls: Abhishek Sharma (Punjab)

Ishan Kishan is clearly in no mood to slow down.

Days after a match-winning century for Jharkhand in the SMAT final and earning a spot in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, the left-hander has now exploded with a 33-ball hundred in Jharkhand’s Vijay Hazare opener against Karnataka.

What a start to Day 1 of the tournament — and Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are yet to even take guard.

Just when it felt like Vaibhav Suryavanshi had drained the Arunachal bowlers of every last ounce of hope, Sakibul Gani walked in and turned the carnage up another notch. 

The Bihar captain blasted his way to a breathtaking 128* off 40 balls, racing to a 32-ball hundred, the fastest List A century in the state’s history. 

With 10 fours and 12 sixes raining down, Gani ensured Bihar’s momentum never dipped as they piled up a staggering 574/6, rewriting the record books in style.

Bihar shatters record books, registering the highest ever score in List A cricket. They've surpassed Tamil Nadu's highest score of 506 from 2022. They're on 520/4 after 46.3 overs.

After Vaibhav Suryavanshi's heroics, Ayush Loharuka also slammed a quick-fire century as Bihar eyes the highest ever List A score. They've crossed 480 in 44 overs and are just 23 runs behind Tamil Nadu's highest score of 506 from 2022.

This is not going well for England. 

Jofra Archer, their premier pacer, has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series due to a side strain. And, as expected, they have dropped Ollie Pope after a horror series with the bat. 

"Fast bowler Jofra Archer has been ruled out for the remainder of the tour with a left side strain and Surrey batter Ollie Pope misses out. Warwickshire’s Jacob Bethell comes into the side and will bat at number three. Surrey seamer Gus Atkinson returns after missing the third Test," the England board said. 

ENG XI FOR 4TH ASHES TEST

 1.⁠ ⁠Zak Crawley
 2.⁠ ⁠Ben Duckett
 3.⁠ ⁠Jacob Bethell
 4.⁠ ⁠Joe Root
 5.⁠ ⁠Harry Brook
 6.⁠ ⁠Ben Stokes (Captain)
 7.⁠ ⁠Jamie Smith (WK)
 8.⁠ ⁠Will Jacks
 9.⁠ ⁠Gus Atkinson
10.⁠ ⁠Brydon Carse
11.⁠ ⁠Josh Tongue

The fans at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur are soaking in every moment of watching Rohit Sharma in action in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

As the match unfolds, Rohit has repeatedly acknowledged the crowd with waves, each gesture sparking loud cheers from the packed stands.

With England already 3-0 down and the urn out of reach, captain Ben Stokes has come out strongly in defence of his players amid allegations of excessive drinking during a mid-series break in Noosa. (Read Here)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi continues his record-breaking spree as he slamed a 36-ball century in the opening game for Bihar in the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 against Arunachal Pradesh. The 14-year-old registered the second fastest century in the tournament behind Anmolpreet Singh. (Read Here)

Tennis legend Serena Williams congratulated her sister Venus Williams on her wedding to Italian actor and producer Andrea Preti, sharing a heartfelt message celebrating their bond and Venus’ new chapter in life. (Read Here)

Just like Virat Kohli, fans will also have to wait a bit longer to catch Rohit Sharma in full batting action at the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Mumbai. 

Sikkim has won the toss and have elected to bat against Mumbai.

Manchester City are shaping up as frontrunners for Antoine Semenyo, with reports suggesting the Bournemouth forward prefers a move to Pep Guardiola’s side over Manchester United.

With his release clause ticking into focus, this transfer story could heat up very quickly.

IT IS CONFIRMED!

Virat Kohli in the Delhi Playing XI for their first Vijay Hazare Trophy clash against Andhra at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. 

Rishabh Pant leads the Delhi XI with Ayush Badoni as vice-captain. However, fans will have to wait for Kohli's batting show, with Delhi having won the toss and opting to field first. 

A tough U19 Asia Cup final loss to Pakistan was followed by an even tougher spotlight on 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi. One reaction, one viral clip — and suddenly a teenager found himself being judged far beyond the game.

This is youth cricket, not a courtroom. Mistakes, emotions and learning curves are part of the journey. Moral policing won’t help the player, the team or the sport.

For a sharper, calmer take on why the noise is unnecessary, Amar Sunil Panicker puts it best.

Ishan Kishan has returned to team India after two years of silence. After taking a break for personal reasons in December 2023, he also lost his central contract. During this period, he continued to perform consistently in domestic cricket and stormed his way back into the team. However, will he get the much-deserved long rope in the team? (Read Here)

India women’s rising wicketkeeper-batter Yastika Bhatia was left starstruck after meeting Virat Kohli in Bengaluru, as the men’s team icon geared up for his Vijay Hazare Trophy return for Delhi against Andhra. Bhatia shared a picture from the meeting on social media, sending fans into a buzz.

The Emirates held its breath as Arsenal edged past Crystal Palace on penalties in a Carabao Cup thriller that refused to be decided in 90 minutes. When it came down to spot-kicks, Kepa Arrizabalaga stepped into the spotlight, delivering the decisive save to push the Gunners into the semi-finals.

Late drama, frayed nerves and a goalkeeper’s moment of redemption — it was classic knockout football. Arsenal march on, momentum intact, and another trophy dream very much alive. Stay tuned, there’s plenty more coming.

The Vijay Hazare Trophy gets a serious shot of stardust today as Virat Kohli turns out for Delhi and Rohit Sharma lines up for Mumbai, putting the spotlight firmly on India’s 50-over tournament. It’s a rare sight in modern times — senior India stars stepping back into domestic whites, driven by the BCCI’s push for international players to stay connected to the domestic grind.

Delhi face Andhra, Mumbai take on Sikkim, and while the venues may be familiar, the stakes feel anything but routine. With limited broadcast access at some centres, fans will be glued to score updates, waiting for every run, every milestone, every talking point.

Stay tuned as we track the big names, the small moments and everything in between.

Grab your chai, the action’s already brewing!

From Virat Kohli dusting off the Delhi colours for his Vijay Hazare Trophy return, to Arsenal holding their nerve in a nail-biting penalty shootout win over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, the sports world has wasted no time getting into full swing today.

It’s one of those mornings where cricket, football and everything in between are all demanding your attention, and we’re here to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Stay locked in as we bring you the biggest updates, sharp reactions and all the moments that matter, the India Today way.