New Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti said that his plan for the national team will not be based solely on flair, but also on grit and defensive organisation as he prepares for his debut against Ecuador in World Cup qualifying.

Ancelotti, who led Real Madrid to multiple titles including two Champions League crowns with several Brazilians in his squad, said the five-time World Cup champions must play a "complete game" if they are to meet expectations.

"You can't just do one good thing," Ancelotti told reporters. "I believe we will be fine in attack because of the creativity we have. In defense, we need to have a united team that competes, fights and works together."

The 65-year-old Italian declined to reveal his starting lineup before Thursday's match at Estadio Monumental in Guayaquil.

Sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic topped No.3 seed Alexander Zverev, last year’s finalist, in four sets 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach his record 51st career Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open.

The Serb's 51 major semifinals are already a record for men and just one behind Chris Evert for the overall mark — and his 13th at Roland-Garros. He is the second-oldest man in the Open era to reach the Roland-Garros semifinals after Pancho Gonzales in 1968.

The last time Djokovic faced Zverev, he was walking off the court solemnly after injury put a premature end to their Australian Open semifinal in January. But on Wednesday night in Paris, after more than three hours of battle on court Philippe-Chatrier, the 24-time Grand Slam champion rallied from a set behind to keep his quest for a record-setting 25th Grand Slam title going into the semifinals.

The Indian men’s national football team lost 0-2 against a clinical Thailand side in a FIFA International Friendly at the Thammasat Stadium here on Wednesday. It is a huge blow to the side as they get set to face Hong Kong in the AFC Asian Qualifiers 2027 up next.

India showed flashes of grit, only to be undone by moments of precision from their opponents. Goals from Benjamin Davis (8’) in the first half and Poramet Arjvilai (59’) in the second were enough to seal the win for the War Elephants, while India were left ruing missed opportunities and costly defensive lapses.

Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has confirmed premier batter Steve Smith will bat at number four in the upcoming World Test Championship final against South Africa, set to happen at Lord’s from June 11-15.

Smith, who has 23 centuries and 26 fifties while batting at number four in Tests, had slammed a first-innings century which set the stage for Australia to clinch the 2023 World Test Championship Final win over India at The Oval in London.

There were initial murmurs of Smith being asked to open the batting alongside Usman Khawaja, but Cummins has now shut it down. “I can confirm that Smudge will be batting at four. Everyone else, I’m not willing to, but I can confirm Steve Smith will be number four,” said Cummins to The Grade Cricketer on Prime Video Australia.

The cast of the much-anticipated laughter ride "Dhamaal 4" has received a new addition. Actress Esha Gupta has been paired opposite Ajay Devgn in Indra Kumar's directorial.

Refreshing your memory, Esha was also a part of the previous installment of the "Dhamaal" franchise, "Dhamaal 3", where she successfully made her presence felt in a special appearance as Prachi.

Director Indra Kumar was all praises for Esha as he called her a great actress and a fantastic person during an exclusive conversation with IANS.

Spilling his excitement about reuniting with the diva, Indra told IANS, “We are really happy that Esha Gupta is back in 'Dhamaal 4', as she was also a part of our franchise 'Dhamaal 3'. She is a great actor and a fantastic person. Working with her is a pleasure.

Arjuna Awardee rifle shooter Anjum Moudgil has expressed her delight at the introduction of the Shooting League of India (SLI) and said it will help unearth more talents and will be very helpful for the athletes to prepare for global events.

The inaugural edition of the Shooting League of India (SLI) was announced by the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) last month, and the tournament will have the window between November 20 and December 2. The competition will witness some of the prominent national and international names in action.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach Andy Flower was all praise for captain Rajat Patidar for calmness in carrying out the "tricky job" of captaining RCB and leading the team to their maiden IPL title.

This was the first time Patidar was leading an IPL team while his previous leadership experience was leading Madhya Pradesh to the final of the 2024/25 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. On his first rodeo as the franchise's skipper, he ended RCB's long wait of 18 years to get their hands on the trophy by beating Punjab Kings (PBKS) by six runs in the title clash.

"One of the most impressive things about what Rajat has done this year is, as an inexperienced captain, that he hasn't been affected by it. I don't think it has affected his batting because I've watched him really closely as a character, and he is still the lovely, gentle, polite Rajat Patidar that we knew last year. He hasn't changed at all in that regard," Flower said in a post-match press conference.

The ‘Universal Boss,’ Chris Gayle, rocked up to the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad while donning a turban and wearing RCB’s jersey. The former West Indies batter is hoping for a great game no matter who wins between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the summit clash.

Gayle played for both RCB and Punjab in his playing days and refused to cheer for only one side.

“Listen to me India, I am from Jamaica but it’s always ‘One India’.I have got my Turban, RCB shoes and jerseys. Thank you RCB for inviting me tonight. I love both teams and represent them. I will support each and everyone and have a good game tonight,” said Gayle in a video posted by RCB.

Investors on Tuesday largely ignored a recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report alleging new US prosecution scrutiny over Adani's potential Iran sanctions violations. Adani Group stocks demonstrated resilience, with the group's market capitalisation down a mere 1.8 per cent, against the broader Nifty's 0.7 per cent dip.

Adani Enterprises saw a 1.9 per cent decline, while ACC fell just 0.3 per cent.

The Adani Group swiftly dismissed the report as "baseless and mischievous." Analysts suggest the market is increasingly discounting such external pressures, viewing them as targeted attacks on Adani's crucial role in India's energy security.

Punjab Kings captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the all-important final of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.

With both teams hoping to win their maiden title in the league, the team managements decided to go in with the tried and trusted and remain unchanged for the final. RCB have decided to go ahead without Tim David, who had missed their last two matches with an injury.