bbc-north.co.uk – Daily Features & Must-Read News

Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra supports the National Sports Governance Act, highlighting its potential to elevate Indian sports. Approved by both houses of Parliament and signed by the President, the act aims to revolutionize sports administration. Bindra emphasizes the act's athlete-centric approach, the establishment of a sports tribunal for dispute resolution, and the promotion of gender equality within sports bodies.

Rohit Sharma revealed that Rahul Dravid did not want to continue as coach following the heartbreak against Australia in the ODI World Cup, but the Indian skipper pushed him on to continue as they went on to win the T20 World Cup in Barbados.

Sanjay Manjrekar urges KL Rahul to display consistent Test performances as he steps into a senior role after Virat Kohli's and Rohit Sharma's retirements. While the former India star is confident of Rishabh Pant he wants KL Rahul to step up and maintain his form that he showed in the 1st Test.

Shubman Gill's captaincy is under scrutiny following India's dramatic Test defeat in Leeds, despite dominating earlier phases of the match. Critics like David Lloyd point to tactical inexperience, while Alastair Cook urges patience, drawing parallels with Ben Stokes' initial leadership challenges.

Ahead of the second Test against England, Mohammed Siraj practiced batting. Siraj found his bat broken. This caused a moment of surprise. The incident occurred during practice at Edgbaston. India aims to level the series after a defeat. Lower-order batting is a key concern for the team. Siraj's reaction to the broken bat showed his positive attitude.

Riyan Parag, the emerging Indian all-rounder, considers Virat Kohli his cricketing inspiration, fondly calling him "The king who gave me my India cap." Kohli presented Parag with his ODI cap in August 2024, acknowledging his potential as a match-winner. Despite a modest debut, Parag's IPL performances and Kohli's encouragement have fueled his international aspirations.

Despite earlier uncertainties due to India-Pakistan tensions, the Asia Cup is likely to commence around September 10 in the UAE, although official confirmation is pending. The ACC might release the schedule for the six-team T20 format tournament in early July, featuring India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the UAE.

England's women's cricket team has been fined a percentage of their match fee due to a slow over-rate during their first T20 International against India, where they suffered a significant 97-run defeat. The penalty issued by the ICC after the hosts were found to be two overs short of the required number.

Keshav Maharaj achieved a significant milestone, becoming South Africa's highest wicket-taking spinner in Test cricket during the ongoing match against Zimbabwe. He surpassed legends like Paul Adams and Hugh Tayfield, and breached the 200-wicket mark.

India's T20 World Cup victory over South Africa in Barbados, a moment etched in history, saw Rohit Sharma's team end a 11-year ICC title drought. Sharma recently revealed Rishabh Pant's clever tactic during South Africa's chase. Pant's strategic pause, feigning a knee issue, disrupted South Africa's momentum, leading to a crucial wicket.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi's explosive 86 off 31 balls propelled India U-19 to a four-wicket victory over England U-19. The 14-year-old's innings included nine sixes, setting a new record for an Indian batter in youth ODIs. His 20-ball fifty is the second-fastest by an Indian in this format, contributing significantly to India chasing down the target of 269 in a rain-shortened match.