Bodhana Sivanandan, a nine-year-old schoolgirl from Harrow, London, of Indian descent, has made history by being the youngest individual to be chosen to represent England internationally in any sport. In September, she will compete in the Chess Olympiad in Budapest, Hungary, with the England Women's Team. "My dad told me, and I was happy," she said. Her manager, Malcolm Pein, of the England chess team, described her as one of the most amazing British chess prodigies. Her father, Siva Sivanandan, an engineering graduate, was astounded by Bodhana's skill when she started playing with a chess
On Wednesday, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) organised a special flight for the Indian cricket team, which was captained by Rohit Sharma, to depart Barbados finally. After winning the T20 World Cup 2024, they were originally going to leave on Sunday, but cyclone Beryl changed their plans, causing them to stay in their hotel for three days instead. The chartered flight, which also carried Indian media personnel who were stuck because of the hurricane, was arranged by BCCI Secretary Jay Shah. The team was forced to their hotel rooms when the hurricane reached Barbados, caus
Hardik Pandya is now the top all-round player in the ICC Men's T20I Rankings after his outstanding performance in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Pandya joins Wanindu Hasaranga at the top of the rankings after playing a significant part in India's campaign, which included taking important wickets in the match against South Africa. Pandya has shown his versatility by collecting 11 wickets and hitting 144 runs at a strike rate above 150 during the competition. His bowling spell and a crucial wicket in the final turned the tide of the match to India's advantage. With this accomplishment, Pandya
For the past six years and five months, Naomi Osaka has been unable to win a match at Wimbledon. She became a mother last year and was off the tour. On Monday, Osaka defeated Diane Parry 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in Monday's opening round match at the All England Club. Andy Murray was contemplating playing soon after spinal surgery, and Aryna Sabalenka and Victoria Azarenka both withdrew due to shoulder injuries. Osaka has not fared well on grass, failing to make it past Wimbledon's third round despite her dominance on hard courts. After a 15-month break, she is back in the rankings at No. 113. The
Three Indians have cracked the top ten in FIDE's world chess rankings as of July 1st, a first in the sport. The winner of the Leon Masters, Arjun Erigaisi, is currently ranked number 4 in the world with 2,778 Elo points, putting him in close proximity to the 2,800 threshold. Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa, two chess prodigies competing in the Grand Chess Tour's Superbet Classic, both finished in the top ten. With 2766.4 points, Gukesh is ranked seventh in the world, and Praggnanandhaa, with 2762.4 points, who gained 10 Elo points and is now ranked eighth, is in the top ten for the first time.
Sneh Rana, an Indian spinner, became the first female Indian spinner to take ten wickets in a Test match at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The dominant position was India's due in the one-off women's test against South Africa, thanks to Rana's outstanding performance. When India declared their first innings at 603/6, Rana swiftly destroyed South Africa's top order by dismissing the captain Laura Wolvaardt, the opener Anneke Bosch, Delmi Tucker, and Delmi Bosch. With five wickets in the opening hour of the third day, spin bowling maestro Rana reduced South Africa from 236/4 to 266 all out.
The International Chess Federation (FIDE) has announced that the world championship match for classical chess between Gukesh D, an Indian teenager, and Ding Liren, the reigning champion from China, will take place in Singapore from November 20 to December 15. Singapore was selected instead of Chennai and New Delhi in India. Gukesh qualified for the match by winning the Candidates Tournament in April. Ding, whose performance has suffered since winning the title in 2023 over Ian Nepomniachtchi, will face Gukesh. According to FIDE, Gukesh is ranked seventh in the world as of June 2024. Guk
On Friday, Shafali Verma's double century (205 runs off 194 balls) helped India defeat South Africa and set a record for the highest-ever single-day total in Test cricket. She reached this mark after hitting two sixes off Delmi Tucker and finishing her innings with a single. The previous record for most runs scored in a single day of Test cricket was held by the Sri Lankan men's side; however, the Indian women’s team broke that mark across both men’s and women’s cricket. Along with Smriti Mandhana (149 not-out off 161 balls), the pair put up a tremendous opening partnership of 292
Hockey India has unveiled the 16-member Indian Men’s Hockey Team set to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Five fresh faces and seasoned athletes like PR Sreejesh and Manpreet Singh, who are competing in their fourth Olympics, make up the team, which is under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh. Important defender Harmanpreet captains the team, along with vice-captain Hardik Singh. Manpreet Singh and Hardik Singh play in a dynamic midfield alongside players like Amit Rohidas and Jarmanpreet Singh in a strong defensive lineup for the team, which is currently putting in a lot of training
After their nail-biting final victory over South Africa at the ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados, India celebrated with fireworks and joy throughout the country. Celebrations erupted late into the night, with fans pouring into the streets to express their joy. Fireworks lit up the sky, the tricolour fluttered proudly, and videos flooded the internet showcasing jubilant crowds dancing and chanting patriotic slogans. From Mumbai's Shivaji Park to Hyderabad's RTC X Road, the nation resonated with the collective euphoria of this momentous win. The win ended India's 13-year trophy drou