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New Delhi: India’s U18 men’s hockey team stormed into the final of the Asia Cup in Kakamigahara, Japan, after a commanding 5-3 win over Pakistan on Friday. Youngster Ashish Tani Purti stole the show with four goals in a dramatic comeback that saw India overturn a deficit in the final quarter. Notably, the match set up a title clash against hosts Japan on Saturday, capping a tense contest that swung repeatedly across all four quarters before India’s late surge decided the outcome. The Men in Blue struck first in the 12th minute after a penalty stroke was awarded following a…

Chandigarh: India will begin their 2026 Test calendar with a one-off match against Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh on June 6. It will also mark captain Shubman Gill’s return to the Test side after missing India’s last red-ball outing against South Africa in Guwahati due to a neck injury. His leadership will be monitored closely in this one-off affair. The coaching unit will feel the pressure as well, especially after losing two home series, to New Zealand and South Africa, respectively, in 2024 and 2025. If they suffer against Afghanistan, the think tank…

New Delhi: Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage became the first javelin thrower to cross the 90-metre mark in the 2026 season after recording a world-leading 92.62m at the Rome Diamond League on Thursday. It set a new meet record and a national record in the process. He also surpassed Neeraj Chopra’s record, who hit the 90.23-metre mark in the Doha Diamond League in 2025.  Meanwhile, the throw elevated him to eighth place on the all-time list. He became the second Asian, after Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, to feature in the elite list. Top 10 biggest javelin throws in history: Player Throw Year…

New Delhi: The International Cricket Council (ICC) suspended Canada Cricket over concerns regarding governance, financial oversight and administrative processes identified during a routine compliance review. However, Cricket Canada decided to act quickly, submitting a comprehensive corrective action plan to secure the swift reinstatement of its suspended associate membership. Canada has already presented a detailed roadmap outlining both immediate and long-term reforms aimed at bringing the organisation back into compliance. The plan includes an assessment of governance and financial shortcomings as well as measures designed to strengthen oversight and accountability. The current administration, led by board president Arvinder Khosa and a…

New Delhi: The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh will not affect the current standing of the World Test Championship. Even though it is being played during the ongoing 2025-27 championship cycle, the match is considered to be a bilateral affair as Afghanistan is currently not a part of the WTC structure.  Notably, the tournament has traditionally featured only the top nine-ranked Test nations, and Afghanistan are not part of that group. As a result, their bilateral Test matches are not included in the championship race. On the other…