Sports Editor
97 articles · Writes about Sport, Opinion
Vikram Rao is the sports editor at The NE Times, following cricket, football and India's athletes across the leagues and international fixtures that matter most to fans.
India vs Zimbabwe 2nd T20I: Ishan Kishan's 81 off 44 and Tilak Varma's 60 not out off 29 took India to 219/5 in Harare on 25 July 2026, putting Shreyas Iyer's side on the brink of a series win.
When a complaint concerns people within a sports body, an inquiry run solely by the same organisation can face a real or perceived conflict of interest.
The International Cricket Council has approved significant format changes for the men's ODI World Cup in 2027 and the T20 World Cup in 2028.
A T20I collapse and an ODI masterclass, days apart, show India already have the players to win in England; what they lack is composure in the pressure overs.
India chased 259 at Edgbaston to beat England by six wickets, led by Axar Patel's 4/62 and unbeaten 57, Shubman Gill's 80 and Washington Sundar's 52 not out.
The BCCI's red-ball Emerging Men's Tournament, running at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru through July, is designed to give selectors a longer, harder look at India's next generation of Test cricketers.
England's win in the second T20I has shifted the series conversation from team combinations to India's response, with selection calls, death-over plans and finishing roles now firmly under the spotlight.
Jacob Bethell's 76 off 46 balls steered England past India's 190 at Old Trafford, spoiling Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's record-breaking debut and handing the hosts a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
World Badminton Day turned the spotlight on PV Sindhu, with fresh coverage placing the two-time Olympic medallist on the brink of another historic first and underlining how far Indian badminton has travelled.
The BCCI's emerging men's tournament gives selectors, franchises and fans a structured look at the young Indian cricketers pushing to move from domestic promise into national contention.
Fans tracking the second India-England T20I are watching the skies as much as the pitch, with rain forecasts, streaming details and playing XI questions shaping expectations before the first ball.
India have locked in their Twenty20 squad for the five-match England tour starting 1 July, with Shreyas Iyer captaining, Jasprit Bumrah rested and Suryansh Shedge a surprise injury replacement.
Jasprit Bumrah's preparation for India's ODI series against England has become the bowling attack's biggest storyline, as the pace spearhead looks to rebuild rhythm and confidence after a career-worst IPL campaign.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's India debut in the second T20I against England brought two sixes, a 14-run cameo and an instant national debate after Sunil Gavaskar questioned the 15-year-old's shot selection.
Axar Patel reached 100 T20 international wickets in the second T20I against England, becoming the first Indian spinner to hit the mark and cementing his standing as one of India's most durable white-ball performers.
Indian junior Arnav Paparkar has moved into the second round of the Wimbledon boys' singles with a commanding serving display, handing Indian tennis a rare and encouraging grass-court result at the sport's biggest stage.
The teenage batter's India Under-19 debut has made him one of the week's most-followed cricket stories, reviving the perennial question of how India should nurture prodigies without burying them in expectation.
A reported ICC proposal for a World Club T20 competition could redraw the global cricket calendar, deepen franchise power and raise big questions for the IPL, players and smaller cricketing nations.
Groups A, B and C reached their conclusions on 24 June with Mexico maintaining a perfect record, Morocco edging a six-goal thriller, and goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa making World Cup history.
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar will serve as the decisive selection gate for athletes chasing places at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
India held their nerve through a tense final quarter to edge arch-rivals Pakistan 4-3 in a men's FIH Pro League hockey clash at London's Lee Valley centre on June 23.
The Meghalaya Sports Conclave 2026 set out a roadmap to use sport as an engine of youth development, infrastructure growth and community participation across the state's hill and tribal regions.
The BCCI has drafted young all-rounder Suryansh Shedge into India's T20I squads for the Ireland and England series after a quadriceps injury ruled out Nitish Kumar Reddy.
India's men's foil fencers left the Asian Senior Fencing Championships without a medal, but their performance earned direct qualification for the Asian Games, marking a significant milestone for a sport still building its base in the country.
India's ODI squad for the England tour brings back Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah, but Yashasvi Jaiswal's omission despite strong form has become the central talking point.
World champion D Gukesh has been advised to improve his calculation speed and defensive accuracy ahead of his World Championship title defence against Uzbekistan's Javokhir Sindarov.
The India Rising Road to the Esports World Cup gives Indian competitive gamers a structured route to the global stage, marking esports' shift from niche pastime to organised national sport.
Vrinda Rathi has become the first Indian woman to umpire an ICC final, a landmark for Indian cricket that puts officiating pathways for women firmly in the spotlight.
India's women's cricket team has secured qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, opening a new Olympic cycle that could reshape funding, visibility and player development in the women's game.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi turned emotional on receiving his senior India jersey ahead of a possible T20I debut, capping a rapid rise and raising questions of careful handling.
The BCCI's plan for an emerging men's multi-day tournament is being seen as a deliberate move to widen India's long-format talent pool beyond the established Ranji Trophy spotlight.
The global governing body has issued a structured framework covering recovery, mental wellbeing and monitored return, a milestone for women who choose both motherhood and elite cricket careers.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has called for a planned one-month rest window for Indian cricketers and stronger protection of the India cap, reigniting the debate over workload in a crowded calendar.
Neeraj Chopra withdrew from the Doha Diamond League with a back injury, while compatriot Sachin Yadav finished eighth on his Diamond League debut in Rome.
India will stage the BWF World Championships for the first time since 2009, with New Delhi's Indira Gandhi Arena hosting the showpiece from 17 to 23 August and tickets starting at just Rs 499.
The IPL has confirmed a marquee trade sending Rishabh Pant back to Delhi Capitals and left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav to Lucknow Super Giants.
Commonwealth Sport confirms Ahmedabad's centenary Games will host 17 sports at roughly 60 per cent lower cost, testing Gujarat's ability to stage a major multi-sport event efficiently.
Half-centuries from Tilak Varma, Priyansh Arya and Kumar Kushagra, backed by a disciplined spin attack led by Nishant Sindhu, carried India A past Afghanistan A and into the tri-series final in Dambulla.
One up after a comfortable chase in Dharamsala, India arrive at the Ekana Stadium on 17 June with the chance to seal the three-match ODI series, while a wounded Afghanistan must win to stay alive.
India's women's quartet edged China in a thrilling 4x100m final at the Asian Relays Championships 2026, clocking a season-best 43.85 seconds to seal a statement sprint gold.
India's struggling Pro League campaign heads to London for two charged clashes with Pakistan, as the men's hockey team chases form and momentum before a demanding World Cup year.
The National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar doubled as Asian Games trials, with Jyothi Yarraji, Animesh Kujur and Praveen Chithravel clearing qualifying marks and Sindhushree G setting a national record.
All-rounder Suryansh Shedge has received his first India call-up, named as replacement for the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in the T20I squads for the Ireland and England series.
Kai Havertz struck twice as Julian Nagelsmann's four-time champions overwhelmed the smallest nation ever to reach the finals, with the Caribbean debutants taking one historic consolation.
The BCCI Centre of Excellence has rolled out a year-round performance block for centrally contracted cricketers, and Hardik Pandya is among the first big names using it to script his return.
Georgia Wareham struck a brisk 32 and then ripped through the chase with 3 for 13 as Australia opened their Women's T20 World Cup with a 65-run win over South Africa, a familiar warning to the rest of the field that the perennial favourites mean business.
R Praggnanandhaa dismantled world champion D Gukesh in just 34 moves at Norway Chess 2026, climbing to second and keeping the pressure on leader Wesley So.
India ran riot against arch-rivals Pakistan with a 7-1 rout at Lee Valley in their FIH Pro League finale, a result that sealed Pakistan's relegation and capped India's European leg in style.
Harschit Damodaran and Akshat Bajaj seized gold and silver in the men's vault at the Junior Asian Championships, a rare apparatus double that signals India's quiet rise in Olympic-discipline gymnastics.
The Delhi High Court has directed the All India Tennis Association to complete fresh elections by September 30, thrusting Indian tennis governance back under judicial scrutiny.
The European champions hammered 27 shots at goal but could not break down the islanders, whose 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha produced seven saves to earn the nation its first point at a World Cup.
Kimi Antonelli claimed his fourth win of the season in a chaotic Montreal race, inheriting the lead after team-mate George Russell retired and holding off a charging Lewis Hamilton.
Shubman Gill's unbeaten 84 steered India to a seven-wicket win in a rain-shortened first ODI against Afghanistan in Dharamsala, overshadowing Rahmanullah Gurbaz's blazing hundred.
The Sports Authority of India has asked national federations to hold back Asian Games squad announcements until official clearance, putting selection discipline and athlete communication under scrutiny.
Shreyas Iyer will captain a refreshed 16-man India side across two T20Is in Belfast and a five-match series in England, with Tilak Varma as deputy and teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi retained for the white-ball trip.
Dilpreet Singh and Sukhjeet Singh found the net but the Indian men could not overturn the Dutch lead in a 2-3 defeat to open their European leg in Rotterdam.
A six-wicket loss to South Africa has thrown India's Women's T20 World Cup semifinal qualification into the balance, leaving Harmanpreet Kaur's side reliant on results, run rate and nerve.
GodLike Esports completed a stunning last-to-first comeback to lift the BMPS 2026 BGMI title in Jaipur, as India's biggest mobile esports LAN peaked at a record 729,000 concurrent viewers.
With the next mega-auction cycle approaching, the BCCI's working group is debating retention slots, a revived Right-to-Match rule and a higher salary cap, decisions that will shape franchise squads and the November auction.
With Shubman Gill installed as India's one-day captain and veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retained as specialist batters, the selectors are quietly engineering a generational handover before the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The FIH Pro League 2026-27 men's season is set to open with an India-Pakistan hockey clash in London, handing the competition a marquee fixture and a global audience from day one.
Actor Deepika Padukone has welcomed the ICC's new post-pregnancy return-to-play guidelines, calling them a landmark step for women in sport that pairs motherhood with elite competitive careers.
A wave of national-record performances across events has lifted Indian athletics, but converting a deeper domestic talent pool into medals on the world stage remains the sport's defining challenge.
Ruturaj Gaikwad's composed 101 and a death-overs spell from Arshad Khan gave India A a winning start to the Dambulla tri-series before their fortunes turned.
Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashed a stunning 94 off 29 balls, with a reported List A record 11-ball fifty, as India A crushed Sri Lanka A by 66 runs in the Dambulla tri-nation final.
GodLike Esports has won the Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series 2026 final in Jaipur, a marquee result that underlines how mobile esports is maturing into a serious competitive and media business in India.
Buoyed by a 64-run win over Pakistan, India's women must win at least three of their four remaining group games to secure a place in the Women's T20 World Cup semi-finals in England.
India launched their ICC Women's T20 World Cup campaign with a commanding 64-run win over Pakistan at a sold-out Edgbaston, Deepti Sharma's 5 for 10 dismantling the chase.
The Board has announced a sprawling 2026-27 domestic season of nearly 1,800 matches, opening with the Duleep Trophy on 23 August and splitting the Ranji Trophy into two phases to protect player workloads.
A reported proposal to rename the All India Football Federation as the Football Federation of Bharat has revived a wider debate over identity, FIFA recognition and the sport's pressing reform priorities.
India crushed Afghanistan by an innings and 300 runs in the one-off Test at New Chandigarh, their biggest margin in the format, with debutant spinner Manav Suthar claiming six wickets.
The All India Football Federation has agreed in principle to a two-year, club-led model for the Indian Super League, ending months of uncertainty over the top tier's future.
India's premier fast bowler is set to sit out the limited-overs matches against the West Indies, with the BCCI prioritising his availability for the Test series and the World Test Championship cycle that lies ahead.
Danni Wyatt-Hodge's unbeaten 105 helped England post the highest total in Women's T20 World Cup history in the tournament opener at Edgbaston, a statement of intent that India and the rest of the field will have noted closely.
India's opening-round demolition of Pakistan, played before a record group-stage attendance, has installed Harmanpreet Kaur's side among the favourites at the Women's T20 World Cup.
Lakshya Sen's first-round loss and PV Sindhu's defeat to An Se-young at the Indonesia Open underline the work ahead as India's singles stars eye the Asian Games.
A police complaint involving cricketer Abishek Porel has drawn public attention, with authorities set to examine statements and evidence in a case that remains firmly at the allegation stage.
Donna Vekic completed a remarkable run from qualifying defeat to champion, holding off a spirited Emma Raducanu fightback in the Queen's Club final.
As established names drift away from English county stints and a new Test top order beds in, the conversation around India's red-ball batting pipeline has sharpened in mid-2026.
India have completed their chess contingent for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 in Riyadh, with Grandmaster Mitrabha Guha topping a regional qualifier to join Nihal Sarin in the two-player squad.
Secretary Devajit Saikia says the BCCI wants a clear path and adequate 50-over practice for the 2027 ODI World Cup, with selector Ajit Agarkar and coach Gautam Gambhir shaping a settled one-day core.
Japan twice came from behind to hold the Netherlands 2-2, with Daichi Kamada's 89th-minute equaliser capping a high-quality World Cup encounter.
A composed chase under pressure and a sparkling all-round display handed the hosts a memorable win in front of a packed stadium.
R Praggnanandhaa became the first Indian to win Norway Chess, surging from near the bottom of the table to the title on the back of four straight classical wins, including two over Magnus Carlsen.
Shemaine Campbelle produced the innings of her career to guide West Indies past New Zealand by seven wickets in Southampton, one of the highest successful chases in Women's T20 World Cup history and a result that blew the group wide open.
India have named a 12-member tennis squad for the Asian Games, with Sumit Nagal and Sahaja Yamalapalli leading singles hopes as the country eyes medals in Aichi-Nagoya.
India A posted 349 but were undone by a rain-interrupted chase, Afghanistan A sneaking home by four runs on the DLS method in the Sri Lanka tri-series.
The Olympic champion and world No. 1 saw off Japan's Akane Yamaguchi in straight games in Jakarta, while home favourite Victor Lai stunned Jonatan Christie in the men's final.
The teenage IPL sensation has become the youngest player named in a senior India squad, eclipsing a mark set by Sachin Tendulkar, after a record-breaking franchise season.
India's top men's doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty retired from their opening match at the Indonesia Open after Satwik aggravated a shoulder problem.
The substitute settled a tense Group E opener in Philadelphia, lifting Ivory Coast to victory on their first World Cup appearance in a dozen years and halting Ecuador's long unbeaten sequence.
The American claimed his first top-10 win since 2024 with a straight-sets victory over Flavio Cobolli, as second seed Felix Auger-Aliassime survived a tough opener on the road to Wimbledon.
Australia's Kurtis Marschall ended Mondo Duplantis's long unbeaten run on home soil, Switzerland's Audrey Werro became the first woman under 1:54 in 43 years, and a 17-year-old lit up the 800m at the BAUHAUS-Galan.
A clutch of experienced Indian bowlers are spending the English summer in the County Championship, with Yuzvendra Chahal, Jaydev Unadkat and Rahul Chahar testing themselves in unfamiliar conditions as the domestic season hits its stride.
A late collapse and a Super Over loss left Tilak Varma's India A reeling to back-to-back defeats in Dambulla, despite a steadying third-wicket stand.
Two stunning long-range strikes from Yasin Ayari bookended goals from Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres and Mattias Svanberg as Graham Potter's Sweden opened their World Cup with a statement win in Monterrey.
The BCCI named Shreyas Iyer as India's new T20I captain for the England and Ireland tours, with Tilak Varma as his deputy, ending Suryakumar Yadav's tenure.