Category: Sports

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has stated he will continue playing until he scores his 1,000th career goal. This announcement came after he received the Best Middle East Player Award at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.

Ronaldo has netted 956 goals for club and country, making him Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 143 goals, and Real Madrid’s top scorer with 450. He remains unique as the only player to record over 100 goals for four different clubs: Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr.

Continued Success at Al Nassr

The star forward is consistently breaking scoring milestones at Al Nassr, recently contributing twice to their 3-0 victory over Al Akhdoud. This season, he has already scored 12 times in the Saudi Pro League, sitting just behind his Portuguese teammate Felix.

“It’s hard to continue playing, but I am motivated. My passion is high and I want to continue. It doesn’t matter where I play, whether in the Middle East or Europe. I always enjoy playing football and I want to keep going,” Ronaldo expressed.

Ambitions and Achievements

Ronaldo, 40, joined Al-Nassr in 2022 and signed a new two-year deal with the Saudi Arabian club last July. He boasts an impressive record of 112 goals in 125 appearances for the team.

Last month, the Portuguese superstar indicated that next year’s World Cup would be his last, announcing his intention to retire from football in “one or two years.”

In October, Ronaldo became the outright leading marksman in World Cup qualifying history, enhancing his record as the top scorer in World Cup Qualifiers with 41 goals.

The India Open will take place from January 13 to 18, 2026, at the renowned Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, which can seat over 8,000 people—more than twice the capacity of the previous location. This event highlights the growing significance of India’s premier international badminton tournament.

Organised by the Badminton Association of India (BAI) under the Badminton World Federation (BWF), the Super 750 tournament will once again welcome the world’s top shuttlers to India. Fans can look forward to witnessing international stars like An Se-young, PV Sindhu, Kunlavut Vitidsarn, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy, Chirag Shetty, and Lakshya Sen, alongside India’s emerging talents such as Unnati Hooda and Ayush Shetty, competing over six days of intense matches.

Official Statement

Sanjay Mishra, the general secretary of the Badminton Association of India, remarked, “Moving the India Open to the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium this year marks an important step in the tournament’s evolution. The larger venue allows us to accommodate significantly more fans while delivering a better on-ground experience for players and spectators alike. As Indian badminton continues to grow in stature, it is essential that our flagship events evolve in step, creating spaces where the sport, the athletes and the fans can all thrive together.”

Tournament Details

As a key event on the BWF World Tour schedule, the India Open awards up to 11,000 ranking points and features a total prize purse of USD 950,000. The 2026 edition aims to deliver a larger, more exciting, and more engaging experience for both players and fans.

Ticket Information

Tickets for the India Open 2026 will be sold exclusively online. Prices start at Rs. 400, with premium seats capped at Rs. 1,750, providing options across various categories. The initial ticketing phase, which runs until the end of December, offers the greatest discounts for matchdays, including the knockout rounds. The later phases, starting in early January, will still provide lower prices, making tickets accessible for spectators throughout the tournament, right up to the finals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Indian Grandmasters Humpy Kuneru and Arjun Erigaisi for winning bronze in the open section of the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship, held in Doha.

Historic Achievement for Erigaisi
Erigaisi claimed a historic bronze medal at the FIDE World Rapid Championship in Doha, scoring 9.5 points—just one point behind world champion Magnus Carlsen. With his bronze medal, he became only the second Indian male player, after five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand, to secure a podium finish at a World Rapid Championship. “Proud of Arjun Erigaisi for winning the bronze medal in the open section at the FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha. His grit is noteworthy. Wishing him the very best for his future endeavours,” PM Modi shared on X.

Koneru’s Continued Success
In the women’s World Rapid Championship being held simultaneously, Humpy secured bronze, adding to the gold medals she won twice in 2019 and 2024. “Congratulations to Koneru Humpy, who finished strongly at the 2025 FIDE World Rapid Chess Championship in Doha, securing the bronze medal in the women’s section. Her dedication towards the game is commendable. Best wishes for the endeavours ahead,” PM Modi said in another X post.

Final Round Insights
In the Women’s Rapid, three players were tied for the lead going into the final round: Zhu Jiner, Aleksandra Goryachkina, and defending champion Humpy Koneru, all on 8/10 points. In Round 11, both Zhu and Goryachkina drew their games. Koneru, the only leader with a chance to take sole first place, had a winning endgame against compatriot Shri B. Savitha but misplayed in time trouble, allowing Savitha to escape with a draw.

Humpy finished tied for the top spot with eventual winner Aleksandra Goryachkina, a two-time World Junior Girls’ Champion, and China’s Zhu Jiner, scoring 8.5 points from 11 rounds. According to the regulations, in the event of a tie for first place, only the top two players (based on tiebreaks) advanced to the playoff finals. To Koneru’s misfortune, she wasn’t one of them.

In the tie-break, Zhu was placed at the top, with Goryachkina second, and Humpy ended third. Goryachkina and Zhu played a tie-breaker, with the former winning to claim the gold medal.

Left-arm spin bowling all-rounder Shams Mulani achieved his maiden List A five-wicket haul as Mumbai secured a comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Chhattisgarh in their Vijay Hazare Trophy Elite Group C match at the Jaipuria Vidyalaya ground.

After winning the toss and electing to field first in conducive conditions, Mumbai captain Shardul Thakur dismantled Chhattisgarh’s top order with four wickets. The right-arm seamer struck twice in the opening over, leaving the opposition in trouble at 9/3 within five overs. He then captured the wickets of Ashutosh Singh and Sanjeet Desai, both caught at slip by Sarfaraz Khan, putting Mumbai firmly in control.

Chhattisgarh’s captain Amandeep Khare (50) and Ajay Mandal (46) mounted a spirited counterattack, forming a 105-run partnership for the fifth wicket that helped them surpass the 100-run mark. Khare, recording his third consecutive half-century of the tournament, played with poise until Mulani broke the partnership, trapping Mandal lbw.

Once the partnership was broken, Mulani tightened his grip on the innings as Chhattisgarh’s lower order collapsed. Musheer Khan took the important wicket of Khare, and the tail crumbled, with the last five wickets falling for just 37 runs, leaving Chhattisgarh all out for 143.

In response, Mumbai chased down the modest target with ease, as Angkrish Raghuvanshi scored an unbeaten 68 off 66 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes. The young player, who had recently suffered a concussion and required medical clearance to play, led the chase with maturity.

Veteran batter Siddhesh Lad provided solid support with an unbeaten 48 off 42 deliveries, forming an unbroken 93-run partnership for the second wicket. Despite losing debutant opener Ishan Mulchandani early to Harsh Yadav, Mumbai comfortably completed their chase in just 24 overs.

Brief Scores:
Chhattisgarh 142 all out in 38.1 overs (Amandeep Khare 63, Ajay Mandal 46; Shams Mulani 5-31, Shardul Thakur 4-31) lost to Mumbai 144/1 in 24 overs (Angkrish Raghuvanshi 68 not out, Siddhesh Lad 48 not out; Harsh Yadav 1-44) by nine wickets.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Mohsin Naqvi has reiterated that if India wants the T20 Asia Cup 2005 trophy, they will have to accept it from him in Dubai.

“There is a status quo on trophy handing. If India wants the trophy, they must send their captain to Dubai and receive it from me,” Naqvi told Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net).

The trophy has been lying in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) office in Dubai since India captain Suryakumar Yadav refused to accept it from Naqvi during the presentation ceremony following India’s victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup final.

Naqvi claimed he was entitled to hand over the trophy as president of the ACC. He mentioned that Pakistan will write to the International Cricket Council (ICC) regarding the rude behaviour of Indian Under-19 players in the Junior Asia Cup. “We will be writing a letter to the ICC to complain about the behaviour of Indian Junior players during the final of the Junior Asia Cup which was not acceptable.”

Naqvi stated that there will be no compromise with India, and if they do not want to shake hands with Pakistani players, everything will be dealt with on equal terms. “If India does not allow their players to shake hands with our players then it will be dealt with on equal terms, and there will be no compromise,” Naqvi said in response to a question from Telecom Asia Sport (www.telecomasia.net). “We have no interest in shaking hands with them.”

The controversy arose when Indian T20 captain Yadav did not shake hands with his Pakistani counterpart, Salman Agha, at the toss, a situation that persisted throughout all three matches in the Asia Cup held in September in Dubai. A handshake between rivals is customary in international matches.

This trend also continued during the Women’s World Cup in Sri Lanka in November, the Rising Star Asia Cup in Doha that same month, and the Under-19 Asia Cup in Dubai.

Tensions between the two countries have been heightened following a four-day military conflict in May, triggered by a deadly militant attack on tourists in Pahalgam, J&K. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge denied by Islamabad.

Pakistan team mentor Sarfaraz Ahmed expressed concerns about the Indian Junior players’ behaviour, calling it “Uneducated and unacceptable.”

Pakistan won the heated final by a significant 191-run margin last Sunday.

In other news, Naqvi announced that former legendary paceman Wasim Akram will be the brand ambassador of the Pakistan Super League. “We have appointed Wasim Akram as the brand ambassador of the PSL, and we will handle the Multan Sultans franchise on our own next year before a new owner is found,” said Naqvi. Multan’s owner, Ali Tareen, had a falling out with the PCB and has stepped away from the franchise.

As the Men’s Hockey India League (HIL) embarks on another thrilling season, the HIL Governing Council Team (HIL GC) and Kalinga Lancers are keen to make strong starts in their quest for playoff berths. Each team features a blend of seasoned international stars and experienced Indian players.

Ahead of the 2026 season, the HIL Governing Council Team took operational control from the UP Rudras franchise to ensure stability for both players and support staff.

HIL Governing Council Team’s Campaign Launch

The HIL Governing Council Team will begin their campaign on January 5 against SG Pipers, led by Captain Hardik Singh. The squad features a mix of youth and experience, with reliable goalkeeping backed by James Mazarelo from England and Prashant Kumar Chauhan. The defensive lineup is anchored by veterans like Surender Kumar, who boasts 178 international caps, and Kane Russell, who has over 200 senior caps for New Zealand. Additional support in the defense comes from James Albery (Great Britain) and Indian players Prasant Barla, Jasjit Singh Kular, Mohammad Harris, and Talem Priyobarta.

In midfield, Hardik Singh will command the team alongside Manmeet Singh, who recently scored six goals in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup. Rahul Yadav and Ireland’s experienced midfielder Daragh Walsh will complete the midfield.

The attack is bolstered by experienced names like Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and British forward Sam Ward, who have tallied 67 and 216 senior international goals, respectively. They will be joined by Gurjot Singh, Sudeep Chirmako, and Ajeet Yadav, along with Belgium’s Tanguy Cosyns and New Zealand’s Simon Yorston, adding more firepower to the forward line.

Kalinga Lancers’ Season Outlook

Kalinga Lancers are banking on a strong defensive core and international expertise as they aim to build on their sixth-place finish from last season. In goal, they have options like India’s top goalkeeper Krishan B Pathak and Australia’s Jed Snowden, ensuring reliable coverage.

The defense features a notable Belgian trio: co-captain Arthur Van Doren, Alexander Hendrickx, and Antoine Kina, each bringing significant top-level experience. They are partnered with co-captain Sanjay, whose leadership and drag-flicking capabilities are crucial to the team’s strategy. Sunil PB, Pratap Lakra, and Rohit Kullu provide additional strength to the backline.

In midfield, Australian youngsters Liam Henderson and Craig Marias will be joined by India’s Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem, Amit Kumar Toppo, and Rosan Kujur. The attacking line for the Lancers includes some of India’s finest players—Dilpreet Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Angad Bir Singh, and Gursahibjit Singh—complemented by Australia’s Cooper Burns.

Kalinga Lancers will launch their HIL campaign against Ranchi Royals on January 4, 2026, in Chennai.

HIL Governing Council Team Squad:

• James Mazarelo (Great Britain)
• Prashant Kumar Chauhan
• James Albery (Great Britain)
• Jasjit Singh Kular
• Mohammad Haris
• Surender Kumar
• Kane Russell (New Zealand)
• Prasant Barla
• Talem Priyobarta
• Hardik Singh
• Manmeet Singh
• Rahul Yadav
• Daragh Walsh (Ireland)
• Simon Yorston (New Zealand)
• Ajeet Yadav
• Sudeep Chirmako
• Sam Ward (Great Britain)
• Tanguy Cosyns (Belgium)
• Gurjot Singh
• Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.

Kalinga Lancers Squad:

• Jed Snowden (Australia)
• Krishan B Pathak
• Sunil PB
• Antoine Kina (Belgium)
• Pratap Lakra
• Arthur Van Doren (Belgium)
• Rohit Kullu
• Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium)
• Sanjay
• Craig Marais (Australia)
• Rabichandra Singh Moirangthem
• Amit Kumar Toppo
• Liam Henderson (Australia)
• Rosan Kujur
• Gursahibjit Singh
• Cooper Burns (Australia)
• Angad Bir Singh
• Deepak Pradhan
• Dilpreet Singh
• Boby Singh Dhami.

Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa believes that leadership will be the defining factor for the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League.

The franchise has emerged with a formidable squad bolstered by key trades and acquisitions, including Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, following the IPL 2026 mini-auction. However, the captaincy remains uncertain, as the team traded their former captain Sanju Samson to the Chennai Super Kings.

Speaking to JioStar, Uthappa praised RR’s bowling arsenal, emphasizing the advantage of having around 10 fast bowlers for varied options. “The advantage Rajasthan Royals have is the fact that they have 10 fast bowlers, offering a lot of options. If they bowl in the right areas at SMS Stadium, Jaipur, they can be very successful. With spinners like Bishnoi and Jadeja, support from Shimron Hetmyer and Donovan Ferreira, and depth in the batting order with Dhruv Jurel and Riyan Parag, they now have a well-rounded team,” he stated.

On the team’s captaincy, he mentioned, “The only question is leadership. My feeling is the captaincy will likely be between Riyan Parag and Ravindra Jadeja, while Jaiswal might need to wait a bit longer.”

Legendary spinner Anil Kumble echoed the sentiment regarding the squad’s balance, highlighting talented youngsters, proven performers, and versatile all-rounders. He also pointed out fitness concerns for key pacers like Jofra Archer but stressed the importance of leadership.

“When you look at this lineup, the captaincy will be the most decisive factor. If you want to replicate the kind of personality Sanju Samson brought to Rajasthan Royals, Dhruv Jurel is probably the closest match. Beyond that, the squad is strong, with talented youngsters, proven players, and all-rounders. The fitness of key players like Jofra Archer at the start of the IPL is also crucial. Ultimately, the management needs to identify and communicate who the captain will be,” Kumble asserted.

India’s vice-captain Smriti Mandhana believes that focusing on the World Cup after a successful campaign will not aid in their preparations for the next one. She emphasized that the Indian team has significant room for improvement as they gear up for the global T20 event scheduled for next year.

Historic Performance in T20I

Mandhana delivered a standout performance in the recently concluded fourth T20I against Sri Lanka in Trivandrum on Sunday, scoring 80 runs off 48 balls after struggling in the first three matches. With this achievement, she became the fastest female cricketer to reach 10,000 international runs, joining an elite group that includes Charlotte Edwards, Mithali Raj, and Suzie Bates.

“In cricket, you have to start from zero. The scoreboard is always zero for zero. It’s never what you’ve done in the last match or previous series as well. Internal expectations for me in all three formats are very different. Of course, T20 is slightly in a way where you can’t be extremely hard on yourself after getting out because you’re playing at a pace where there are days when it’ll come off,” Mandhana stated in a video shared by the BCCI.

Maintaining Focus and Progress

She stressed that the current team is a “work in progress,” cautioning against dwelling on their recent ODI World Cup triumph. “Like, if I had thought a lot about the first three matches, we only had one day before this one. So it’s about just prepping your mind around how you want to go about your cricket. The One Day World Cup was the biggest thing for women’s cricket, and we did take off that one. So it’s a big, big win. But again, you know, you can’t be thinking about only successes.”

Mandhana acknowledged the missed opportunities this year, underscoring the team’s youth and development phase. “If you keep thinking about the World Cup, the next one won’t come. If I had to review it more critically, I would give it 7 out of 10. We have many areas to improve as a team,” she remarked.

Gratitude to Fans

In closing, Mandhana expressed her gratitude to fans for their unwavering support during the 50-over World Cup campaign and hopes to maintain their backing moving forward. “We keep talking about it in terms of where we want to see ourselves fitness-wise, feeling-wise, and running-wise. And then, of course, power hitting now with T20s.”

She added, “I feel as an Indian team, all the fans who’ve supported us throughout the year, especially the One Day World Cup and post that kind of support we’ve got, I feel it’s just been a fantastic year for women’s cricket. I hope we just keep making them proud, and I hope they keep turning up and support us.”

The pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where the fourth Ashes Test was held, has been rated as ‘unsatisfactory’, earning the venue one demerit point under the ICC Pitch and Outfield Monitoring Process.

Match summary

England triumphed in the fourth Ashes Test in under 32 hours, with a total of 36 wickets falling for 572 runs across 142 overs. England secured a victory by four wickets, marking a rare occurrence where no player from either team reached a half-century—a feat not seen in a Test match in Australia since 1932.

Pitch assessment

Jeff Crowe from the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees detailed the pitch evaluation. He noted, “The MCG pitch was too much in favour of the bowlers. With 20 wickets falling on the first day, 16 on the second day and no batter even reaching a half-century, the pitch was ‘Unsatisfactory’ as per the guidelines and the venue gets one demerit point.”

James Allsopp, CA Chief of Cricket, expressed disappointment, stating, “We were disappointed for the fans holding tickets for days three and four, and also the millions of fans excited to watch the action in Australia and around the world, that the pitch did not provide the MCG’s customary balance between bat and ball. We appreciate the outstanding work the MCC staff have done over recent years, producing excellent Test match pitches.”

Match highlights

• England won the toss and chose to bat, setting early pressure with a formidable pace attack.
• Josh Tongue was instrumental, leading the bowling effort with figures of 5/45 as Australia was dismissed for 152.
• Struggling to adapt to the challenging conditions, the visitors managed only 110 runs inside 30 overs.

The fourth Ashes Test concluded in just two days, reminiscent of the Perth Test, with spectators witnessing a total of 36 wickets fall in only 142 overs.

Despite England’s victory being their first Test win on Australian soil since 2011, the hosts have already retained the Ashes, having won the first three Tests. The series currently stands at 3-1.

The final Test of the series is scheduled at the Sydney Cricket Ground, beginning on January 4.

The Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) is offering concessionary tickets for students and a dedicated ticketing initiative for specially-abled spectators for the final match of the three-match ODI series between India and New Zealand at the Holkar Stadium.

MPCA has confirmed that tickets for the final ODI, scheduled for January 18, will be sold exclusively online. Concession tickets for students will be available for the East Stand (Lower/II floor), with one ticket per student, on a first-come, first-served basis via the online system only, as a high volume of applications is expected.

“MPCA has engaged ‘District by Zomato’ as the official online ticketing agency. The tickets shall be available only by online mode,” the association stated in a release.

The registration window opens at 11 am on December 31, 2025, and will remain open until the ticket quota is filled or until 5.00 pm on January 1, 2026. The process to obtain concession tickets involves two stages: first, uploading the necessary documents, followed by verification and approval by MPCA.

Upon approval, applicants will receive a WhatsApp message or email with a link to purchase the ticket and make payment. After successful payment, a ticket booking confirmation will be sent, and the ticket will be delivered by courier.

The ticket rates for the student concession category are Rs 750 for the East Stand lower and Rs 950 for the East Stand (II floor).

A similar process is established for specially-abled spectators, with tickets priced at Rs 300 allocated in the North-East Gallery. “Only one ticket can be purchased by a person having a ‘duly valid’ certificate of incapacity from the competent government authority (civil surgeon). This certificate will need to be uploaded for MPCA records. Those requiring wheelchairs should purchase a ‘wheelchair ticket’. The wheelchair must be arranged by the purchaser on the match day,” MPCA specified.

General ticket prices for the match range from Rs 800 to Rs 7,000 across various stands and pavilion levels, with additional payment gateway charges, convenience fees, courier charges, and applicable taxes.

MPCA has appointed ‘District by Zomato’ as the official online ticketing agency.

The three-match ODI series begins on January 11 at the Kotambi Stadium in Vadodara, with the second match on January 14 at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot. The final ODI on January 18 will mark the 29th ODI hosted by MPCA and the eighth at Holkar Stadium.