Australia have been dealt a major injury blow as their three key players will miss three-match ODI series against South Africa, that commences in Cairns on August 19.

Matt Short and Lance Morris both ruled out of the white-ball series with injuries, while Mitch Owen's potential ODI debut will have to wait with the rising star ruled out of the remainer of the white-ball series against South Africa with concussion.

Short hasn't recovered from the side injury he picked up at training during the recent white-ball series against the West Indies in the Caribbean, while Morris has reported back soreness and been sent back to Perth for further examination.

|| Shai Hope’s unbeaten century and Jayden Seales’ six-fer led West Indies to register their first series win over Pakistan since 1991 with an emphatic 202-run win the third and final ODI at the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium.

Hope led from the front with an unbeaten 120 to help the West Indies post 294/6 and pacer Seales collected six wickets in reply as Pakistan were bundled out for just 92 to ensure the home side registered a 2-1 series triumph for the first time since November 1991.

Hope's 18 century took him past former great Desmond Haynes (17) and into third place for the most ODI centuries by a West Indies men's player with only Chris Gayle (25) and Brian Lara (19) ahead of him.

Ben Shelton upstaged higher-ranked compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3 Wednesday night in Toronto to muscle his way into his first ATP Masters 1000 final at the Canadian Open on Thursday (IST).

Improving to 26-1 this season after winning the first set, the World No. 7 combined an expected service masterclass with a surprising baseline assault on return to declaw Fritz, who had dropped serve just once in his previous three matches heading into the semifinals, ATP reports.

The match started with a flurry of break point opportunities, five for Shelton and two for Fritz, but the set remained on serve. Shelton would get another chance in the ninth game and this time he converted, setting himself up to serve out the set.

Sunderland continues to strengthen its squad on the club's return to the Premier League with the signing of former FC Barcelona striker Marc Guiu on loan from Chelsea for the 2025-2026 season.

The 19-year-old made 16 appearances for Chelsea last season, netting six goals, but the club has sent him on loan to gain more top-flight experience with the club that returned to the top-flight after winning last season's play-off from the Championship.

Sunderland has spent big since assuring promotion, spending well over 100 million pounds on signings such as Enzo Le Fee, Habib Diarra, Noah Sadiki, Reinildo, Chemsdine Talbi, Simon Adingra, and Granit Xhaka, with the Swiss international returning to the Premier League from Bayer Leverkusen reprorts.

"I'm feeling great and really looking forward to the season ahead," said Guiu, who in 2023 briefly became the youngest Barcelona player to score a goal in La Liga.

New Zealand have suffered another injury blow, as the pace bowler Will O’Rourke has been ruled out of the second Test against Zimbabwe with a back injury, New Zealand Cricket said on Wednesday.

O’Rourke experienced back stiffness on day three of the New Zealand's nine-wicket win in the first Test last week after taking three for 28 from his 10 overs in the second innings.

NZC said O'Rourke has been sent home to undergo further assessment. Left-arm seamer Ben Lister, who was called in to provide additional pace-bowling cover, will remain with the squad for the series and could be in contention to win a Test debut for the second and final Test of the series that commences on Thursday.

Top seed Alexander Zverev ended Alexei Popyrin's title defence at the Canadian Open with a 6-7(8), 6-4, 6-3 victory and sailed into the semifinals.

Now into his 75th tour-level semi-final, Zverev joins Novak Djokovic (196) among the only two active men to reach that mark. By advancing to his 21st semi-final at the Masters 1000s, his first since last year's Rolex Paris Masters, Zverev moved ahead of Roddick for seventh-most in series history (since 1990), according to ATP.

Both men had minibreak leads and set points, but a generous netcord handed the opening frame to Popyrin. Zverev secured the first break of the match on his way to a 3-0 lead in the second and led the rest of the way. The defending champion did break back in the second but was broken to send the match to a decider, where Zverev again took a 3-0 lead which he did not relinquish.

Ahead of the Premier League 2025-26 season, Rayan Ait-Nouri reflected on joining Manchester City with pride and excitement. He discussed his playing style and experience, his eagerness to learn under Pep Guardiola, and shared his international career highlights alongside his ambitions to grow and win trophies with the club.

Rayan expressed his pride and happiness after signing for Manchester City. “To be honest, I’m very happy and proud. Playing for a club like Manchester City was

Second seed Taylor Fritz ousted the last remaining Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-4, 6-2 to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open.

Eyeing his second ATP Masters 1000 crown and first since his dream run at Indian Wells in 2022, Fritz will next face 19th seed Jiri Lehecka, the Czech who rallied past 15th seed Arthur Fils 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance.

Fritz broke to start the match and never really gave Diallo a chance to get back in it. The American was squeaky clean throughout, seemingly finding a way to come out on top on every big point. Once he broke to go up 3-1, the result began to feel inevitable and he added a second break late before serving out the match.

Elsewhere, fourth seed Ben Shelton registered a 6-7(8), 6-2, 7-6(5) win to improve to 5-0 in their ATP head-to-head series against Brandon Nakashima.

UAE will host Pakistan and Afghanistan in a seven-match T20I Tri-Series at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium from August 29. The three teams will play each other twice in the six-match group stage. The top two teams will then compete in the final on September 7.

Afghanistan will take on Pakistan in the tournament opener on August 29. Host UAE will open their campaign against Pakistan on August 30 followed by Afghanistan’s clash against UAE on September 1 and their second group-stage match against Pakistan on September 2.

Pakistan and UAE’s second group-stage match will be played on September 4 followed by the Afghanistan-UAE match on September 5.

The World Championship of Legends 2025 (WCL) is all set for its ultimate showdown as South Africa Champions, led by AB de Villiers, go head-to-head against Pakistan Champions in the grand finale on Saturday.

In 2024, Indian cricket fans witnessed Yuvraj Singh lead the India Champions to victory. This year, AB de Villiers stands at the forefront, ready to take the crown and secure the title for South Africa. Backed by a stellar line-up featuring Hashim Amla, Imran Tahir, Wayne Parnell and Chris Morris, the South Africa Champions earned their place in the final with a commanding win over Australia Champions in the semi-final.

Alexander Zverev overcame a spirited effort from Matteo Arnaldi at the Canadian Open, where the top seed battled to a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2 victory to claim his 500th tour-level match win.

The 28-year-old, now 37-14 on the season, is the first man born in 1990 or later to record 500 tour-level wins. Reaching the 500-win mark places Zverev in rarefied air alongside Djokovic, Marin Cilic, Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka as the only active players to achieve that feat. At 28, Zverev is the youngest among them, with his nearest peer in age, Cilic, seven years his senior.

Moreover, the German is the seventh fastest to have reached that milestone this century. Zverev is just the third German to reach 500 wins in the Open Era, joining the retired Boris Becker (713-214) and Tommy Haas (569-338) in an exclusive national club.

Two-time defending champion Jessica Pegula won her 11th straight match at the Canadian Open, taking down Maria Sakkari in two close sets in the second round.

Pegula pulled off a daring first-set escape as she fended off five set points at 5-4 in the opening set and collected a 7-5, 6-4 win over Sakkari.

Pegula converted all five of her break points on Wednesday, becoming the first woman to win 11 straight matches at this event since Serena Williams reeled off 14 straight between 2011 and 2014.

The American will next face veteran Anastasija Sevastova in the third round. Former World No. 11 Sevastova beat Pegula in Indian Wells qualifying back in 2016, but Pegula picked up a clay-court win over Sevastova at 2019 Charleston.

India's senior men’s national team, as part of their preparation for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifiers Final Round, will participate in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Nations Cup 2025, scheduled to be held from August 31 to September 8.

Central Asian Football Association has invited India to take part in the tournament after Malaysia withdrew from the tournament, which is outside the official FIFA calendar, due to logistical challenges and the unavailability of players.

India have been drafted into the biennial Central Asian tournament, jointly hosted by Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and have been placed in Group B, which will be played in Dushanbe. India will play hosts Tajikistan on August 29), Iran on September 1) and Afghanistan on September 4.

The top two teams from each group will progress to the play-off stage, which will see two matches being played on September 8. The third-place match will be played between the two group runners-up in Dushanbe, while the two group winners will play the final in Tashkent.

Top seed Alexander Zverev began his Canadian Open campaign by ousting Adam Walton 7-6(6), 6-4, during which the 28-year-old survived a lung-busting exchange to crucially earn set point in the opener.

After trailing 3/5 in the tie-break, Zverev seized momentum following that lengthy rally at 5/5 and found more rhythm from the baseline to advance. Zverev was broken when he served for the match at 5-3, yet quickly regrouped to close out the one-hour, 42-minute match the following game, ATP reports.

A seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, including a triumph in Canada in 2017, the No. 3 player in the ATP Rankings will continue his quest to add to that haul against 32nd seed Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated Australian Tristan Schoolkate 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Zverev leads Arnaldi 1-0 in their ATP head-to-head series, with their lone meeting coming in Acapulco this year.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has advocated for the introduction of injury replacements in Test cricket, suggesting that teams should be permitted to bring in a substitute player in the event of a serious external injury during a match, while England captain Ben Stokes expressed a contrasting viewpoint, calling it a 'ridiculous' idea.

India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant retired hurt on the first day of the drawn fourth Test in Manchester but courageously returned to the crease the next day with a broken right foot and added a further 17 runs to score a half-century. India were able to use Dhruv Jurel, a substitute, as their wicketkeeper in Pant's place, but he would not have been available to bat in their second innings.

Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas has revealed Lionel Messi is ‘very upset’ after being given a one-game ban for missing out on the Major league Soccer (MLS) All-Star game, a punishment which he believes is ‘draconian.’

Messi and Jordi Alba will miss the game against MLS Eastern Conference leaders FC Cincinnati on Sunday (IST) as MLS rules state that any player who does not participate in the All-Star Game without prior approval from the league is ineligible to compete in his club's next match.

"Lionel Messi is very upset, like we all are in the club, with the fact that they won't be able to play tomorrow night. But I think what we have to do as a club is to get together as one, have an attitude that is us against the world," Mas said at a news conference.

Inter Miami have announced the signing of Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. De Paul will initially join the Club on loan through the 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, with an option to make the transfer permanent through the 2029 season.

A FIFA World Cup winner and two-time Copa América winner, regarded as one of the best in the world in his position, brings world-class quality to the midfield and adds elite, title-winning experience to the squad. The 31-year-old, nicknamed El Motorcito (the little engine) for his tireless work rate, will join the squad and begin training with the team.

“What brings me to Inter Miami is the desire to compete, win titles, to write the pages in the Club’s history,” said De Paul. “It's a Club that is shaping up to be great, to have a long history, so that many people follow this incredible team.”

Former West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has credited the Indian Premier League (IPL) for playing a transformative role in his career and in shaping the modern era of cricket.

Reflecting on his IPL journey, Bravo said the league has significantly impacted players worldwide — both financially and in terms of skill development — transforming the landscape of professional cricket.

"IPL hasn’t only helped me; it has helped every cricketer playing the game today — financially and skill-wise," Bravo told IANS. "I’m proud to have played for two of the most successful franchises and to be remembered as one of the best."

The Indian men’s hockey team is set to tour Australia in August for a four-match series, set to be held at the Perth Hockey Stadium from August 15 to 21.

The series promises to be a highly competitive contest, featuring eighth-ranked India taking on sixth-ranked Australia. The matches will be played on August 15, 16, 19, and 21.

The two sides recently faced each other in the FIH Pro League 2024–25 in Europe, where Australia edged India 3–2 in both legs. However, India had earlier scripted a memorable 3–2 victory over the Kookaburras at the 2024 Paris Olympics — their first Olympic win over Australia since the 1972 Munich Games.

While recent encounters have been closely fought, Australia have historically held the edge in the rivalry, winning 35 of the 51 matches played between the two teams since 2013. India have won nine times, with seven matches ending in draws.

New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has been named as a replacement for injured Glenn Phillips for the first Test against Zimbabwe.

Phillips suffered the injury during the Major League Cricket (MLC) final and was assessed on arrival in Zimbabwe and required a number of weeks to rehabilitate.

Bracewell, who was not considered in the original squad due to his commitments with The Hundred overlapping with the two-Test series in Bulawayo, set to make a return in the BlackCaps red-ball lineup for the first time since 2023.

The 34-year old, who last featured in a Test match during Sri Lanka’s tour of New Zealand in 2023, will depart Zimbabwe after the conclusion of the first Test and join the Southern Brave ahead of their first game.

Vennala Kalagotla, Tanvi Sharma won their respective matches as India’s campaign at the Badminton Asia Junior Individual Championships 2025 began on a strong note, led by commanding performances in the singles events.

In women’s singles, Vennala Kalagotla impressed with two back-to-back wins — a swift 21-6, 21-10 win over Alissa Kuleshova in just 15 minutes, followed by a 21-18, 21-16 result against Indonesia’s Auberta Zerlina to enter the Round-of-32 on Thursday. Second seed Tanvi Sharma eased past UAE’s Vaidehi Kalidasan 21-6, 21-6, while Tanvi Reddy Andluri defeated Cheok Ian Ung 21-9, 21-10.

In men’s singles, Pranauv Ram Nagalingam beat Myanmar’s Lal Zuidika 21-15, 21-7. Ansh Negi overcame Ding Han Jin 21-16, 21-15, and there were straight-game wins for Hmar Lalthazuala and Rounak Chouhan.

Purani Dilli 6, the semi-finalists of the 2024 edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL), are set to kick off their Season 2 campaign on August 4 against the West Delhi Lions at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in the national capital.

The second edition of the Delhi Premier League (DPL) will begin on August 2. The League will commence with a grand opening ceremony followed by the first men’s match.

After their opening game against against West Delhi Lions, Purani Dilli 6 will play against New Delhi Tigers on August 6, Outer Delhi Warriors on August 8, South Delhi Superstarz on August 9. Their final group stage match against Central Delhi Kings on August 26.

West Indies power hitter Andre Russell bid farewell to international cricket on Wednesday (IST) in the second T20 against Australia at Sabina Park, where the visitors secured a massive eight-wicket victory.

Having confirmed the first two T20I’s of the five-game series will be his last and wanting to play his farewell game in his hometown, Russell walked out to bat when the hosts were 98/5 and raced away to score a vital 36 off 15 deliveries, while smacking six maximums and two boundaries.

The 37-year-old took the time to thank the fans for their support and admitted it was time to move on.

Ahead of the do-or-die Test against England in Manchester, India batter Ajinkya Rahane feels that visiting side should hand debut to Arshdeep Singh if Jasprit Bumrah has to be rested for the fourth Test.

England are leading the five-match Test series 2-1 after winning the Lord's Test by 22 runs.

To manage the workload of Bumrah, it was decided to make him play only three Tests on the tour. With the pacer already featured in Leeds and London, his participation at Old Trafford remains in doubt.

“I think so, yes. If Bumrah is not playing, Arshdeep is the guy. Because in England, you need a left-arm seamer who can swing the ball both ways, and also, with a different angle, he can create that rough for the spinners. So, if Bumrah doesn't play, Arshdeep should play the next one," Rahane said on his YouTube channel.

Watford have completed the signing of Australian forward Nestory Irankunda from Bayern Munich on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Irankunda burst onto the scene at Adelaide United during the 2021/22 season, making his debut and scoring his first goal directly from a free-kick when he was still just 15.

He would go on to make 61 appearances for the club over three seasons, scoring 16 goals and jointly winning the A-League’s Young Player of the Year award at the end of 2023/24.

Other personal accolades included Adelaide’s Rising Star award and a place in the A-League’s all-star squad for a game against Barcelona.

India batter Ruturaj Gaikwad has pulled out of a County Championship deal with Yorkshire due to personal reasons.

The Chennai Super Kings captain had agreed a five-match deal, starting with the game against reigning champions Surrey at Scarborough from July 22.

Yorkshire head coach Anthony McGrath said the county are assessing their options regarding a replacement, but there are other things to contend with as well ahead of the 10th round clash.

“Unfortunately Gaikwad’s not coming now for personal reasons,” said McGrath. “We’re not going to have him for Scarborough or for the rest of the season. So that’s disappointing.

“I can’t tell you anything about the reasons why, but we hope that everything’s ok. We’ve literally just found out.

Amidst high expectations and excitement, the first round of the MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 is set to commence at the refurbished Kari Motor Speedway here on Saturday, boasting of 75 entries across various categories.

The compact 2.3 Kms long circuit with 16 turns, will witness both single-seaters – the MRF F2000 and F1600, Formula LGB 1300 – and saloon cars that include the popular the Indian Touring Cars (ITC), the newly introduced ITC1625, Super Stock and the Indian Junior Touring Cars (IJTC) besides the Volkswagen Polo Cup.

Spells of rain that are forecast for the weekend could add spice to the proceedings that include 15 races besides official practice and qualifying sessions over two days.

Wolves have announced that Diogo Jota has been inducted into the club's Hall of Fame, paying tribute to both his outstanding contributions on the pitch and the profound impact his untimely passing has had on the footballing world.

The Hall of Fame, which is run independently by a committee chaired by Wolves legend John Richards, made this rare and heartfelt decision swiftly following the tragic deaths of Jota and his younger brother, Andre Silva, the Premier League club said.

Jota and his 25-year-old brother, Andre Silva - also a professional footballer - died in a car accident on July 3 in Zamora, Spain.

Inductions into the most coveted part of the club’s museum are typically the result of detailed discussions over many weeks or months, but in this case, the decision was unanimous - a reflection of the overwhelming emotion felt by supporters and the wider football community, and the remarkable legacy Diogo leaves behind.," Wolves said in a statement.

Gurumurthy Palani, Anurag Bhatnagar and Gurdeep Klair have been elected to the influential Chief Executives‘ Committee (CEC) of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Palani (France), Bhatnagar (Hong Kong), and Klair (Canada) won the elections for the three CEC spots ahead of incumbents Sumod Damodar (Botswana) and Sankar Renganathan (Sierra Leone). The trio winning the elections were confirmed by their respective boards’ social media handles.

Apart from Damodar and Renganathan, Tim Cutler (Vanuatu), Stella Siale (Samoa) and Sarah Gomersall (Jersey) were also in the fray in the CEC elections, whose voting process involved 40 associate members and five regional representatives from Americas, Asia, Africa, Europe, and East Asia-Pacific.

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery for a long-standing shoulder issue and is expected to be sidelined for at least six weeks, missing the start of the La Liga.

Bellingham has struggled with discomfort in his shoulder since November 2023, when he dislocated it during a LaLiga match, and he has played with a brace under his shirt since then. He had opted to hold off the operation until after the FIFA Club World Cup in order to feature for Madrid in that tournament, where his side was knocked out in the semifinals by eventual runner-up Paris Saint-Germain.

"Jude Bellingham has undergone successful surgery today to address recurrent dislocation of his left shoulder. The operation was carried out by doctors Manuel Leyes and Andrew Wallace, under the supervision of the Real Madrid Medical Services. Bellingham will now undergo a period of rehabilitation, prior to returning to training and starting his recovery," the La Liga club said in a statement.

Jorge Jesus has been appointed head coach of Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr Football Club, taking over the reins from Stefano Pioli. The Portuguese tactician has revealed that Ronaldo invited him to join the team.

Jesus was previously with Al Nassr’s Saudi Pro League rivals Al Hilal SFC for two seasons in what was his second stint with the Riyadh-based club.

“Without his invitation, I certainly wouldn't be there. The motivation will be great. I'm going to try to ensure that Al Nassr, which is one of the best clubs in Saudi Arabia, can win titles. Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who has always won everything he's played for. He hasn't won in Saudi Arabia yet. I'll see if I can help him,” Jesus told reporters.

While all the spotlight was on Mitchell Starc’s 100th Test match and 400th wicket in the format, Scott Boland stole the show towards the end of the third Test against West Indies at Kingston with a hattrick to round up the lower order and dismiss the hosts for 27, the second-lowest Test total ever.

Starc scripted history in the third Test against the West Indies in Jamaica as he claimed a five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the quickest in Test history,

Boland has only worn the baggy green on 14 occasions but has claimed 62 scalps to his name. Starc believes his partner would definitely have played many more Test matches had he been from a different team.

The U.S. men’s national football team will take on two World Cup-qualified sides, Ecuador and Australia, in October as anticipation builds ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil.

The matches against two teams ranked in the Top 25 in the world will provide the USMNT a valuable opportunity to compete against fellow World Cup-bound teams, offering a potential preview of the opponents and styles they could face next summer.

Ecuador will make its fifth World Cup appearance, joining Argentina and Brazil as one of the three teams from South America already confirmed for the tournament. Australia secured its spot by finishing second in its group during the third round of Asian Football Confederation qualifiers, marking the country’s sixth consecutive World Cup appearance.

The USA will first host Ecuador October 10 at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. has an even 5W-5L-5D record against Ecuador, with the series resuming for the first time since a 1-0 USA victory on March 21.

The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) has confirmed that New Delhi will host the combined shooting World Cup in 2027 and the combined 2028 Junior World Championships in 2028.

The ISSF said, "New Delhi will also host an ISSF World Cup leg for all three disciplines (rifle, pistol, and shotgun) next year, dates for which will be confirmed in due course."

The announcement came following the ISSF Executive Committee and Council meetings, which both took place on July 9 during the ISSF World Cup in Lonato del Garda.

Later this year, New Delhi will host the ISSF Junior World Cup from September 24 to October 2, the second Junior World Cup of the season, following the event held in Suhl, Germany, from May 19 to 27.

Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique urged his team to make one final push to complete a perfect season following their 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals on Thursday (IST).

In the blockbuster semifinal, PSG were 3-0 up by the half-hour mark, with Fabian Ruiz scoring either side of a breakaway goal from the returning Ousmane Dembele. Their victory was capped with a Goncalo Ramos effort three minutes from time.

"I feel great, it was difficult to play this kind of match against a team like Real Madrid, everything is good, and we are happy with the performance, we deserve to win," the 55-year-old said at the post-match press conference.