As Australia gear up to defend their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) title at Lord’s from June 11, veteran spinner Nathan Lyon has cautioned his team against underestimating South Africa’s powerful batting line-up.

While Australia enter the one-off final as favourites, Lyon is not taking anything for granted, especially given the Proteas’ red-hot form during the WTC cycle.

Speaking during Australia’s training session in Beckenham, Lyon acknowledged that while past experience in major finals could benefit his side, it won’t count for much once play begins.

"Having the experience of the guys who have won three (50-over) World Cups and T20 World Cups and obviously the World Test Championship final a couple of years ago, that experience and that pressure in those higher games, it's going to be, it's on our side isn't it but it doesn't mean anything when you come to the game," Lyon was quoted by ICC as saying.

Shubman Gill-led Indian team arrived in London on Saturday ahead of the all-important five-match Test series against England starting on June 20.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) posted the video of team arriving in London on its social media accounts. "Touchdown UK. Team India have arrived for the five-match Test series against England," the BCCI captioned the post.

Jasprit Bumrah, Gill, Arshdeep Singh, Rishabh Pant and Prasidh Krishna were in all smiles during the travel. The squad looked charged-up and upbeat for the long tour on English conditions.

Before departing the country, newly-appointed Test captain Gill reflected on the challenges of playing without stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli following their retirements from the format last month.

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner notched a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6(3) triumph against three-time champion Novak Djokovic in a heavyweight semifinal clash at the French Open on Friday, and will meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the final.

Djokovic, the men's record 24-time Grand Slam champion, was overwhelmed by Sinner's power and precision from the baseline and on serve on Court Philippe-Chatrier, reports.

Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion.

"It was such a special occasion for me, playing against Novak in the semifinal of a Grand Slam," said Sinner. "It's just amazing, and I had to step up and play the best tennis I could. I'm very happy how I handled the situation, but this shows again what a role model he is for all of us and especially for us young players."

Excitement for the upcoming Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025 has certainly increased after the organisers gathered a star-studded lineup that will take part in the tournament.

Paris Olympic bronze medallist and two-time world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada, along with Rio Olympic silver medallist and former World Champion Julius Yego of Kenya, are among the top stars who will be participating in the competition in India. The Tokyo Olympic Games gold medallist and the 2023 World Champion, Neeraj Chopra, will be the top attraction in the one-day event named after him. Kishore Jena will join Rohit Yadav, Sachin Yadav, and Sahil Silwal to complete the Indian lineup for the event.

Australia’s fast-bowling spearhead Mitchell Starc said he was comfortable with his decision to leave IPL 2025, when it was paused for a week following growing cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan.

Starc had picked 14 wickets in 11 games for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, before the competition paused. After that, he and fellow Australia player Jake Fraser-McGurk, who came to New Delhi along with other DC and Punjab Kings players, as well as other important stakeholders, via a bus and train trip from Dharamshala. Subsequently, Starc didn’t come back for the remainder of IPL 2025, and DC failed to enter the playoffs.

“I’m comfortable with my decision and how I felt about the whole situation and how it was handled. That’s why I made my decision post-that, and my focus changed to red-ball cricket for about a week prior to coming over here. Time will tell with repercussions or how it looks with guys that didn’t return.

Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen and Chilean Cristobal Del Solar set the early pace at the RBC Canadian Open as each player carded a nine-under-par 61 to share a one-stroke lead during first-round play of the national championship in Ontario.

The United States' Cameron Champ was third on 62, one shot ahead of compatriot Jake Knapp on 63 at the 9.8 million U.S. dollars PGA Tour event at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley North Course. The par-70, 7,389-yard public course, 40 minutes northwest of the provincial capital, is hosting the national championship for the first time.

Denmark's Rasmus Hojgaard, Trey Mullinax of America and Ireland's Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, were equal fifth on 64. Scotsman Robert MacIntyre, the defending champion, was five shots back on 65 in a group of nine players that included Taylor Pendrith, the top Canadian, and England's Danny Willett, the 2016 Masters winner.

Shubman Gill and Gautam Gambhir are embarking on their first tour of England on Thursday night -- Gill on his maiden tour as Test captain, while Gambhir will be going there for the first time as head coach. And to make matters worse for both of them, Team India is taking up the big challenge of a five-Test tour without players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, both of whom have announced their retirement from Test cricket just before the tour.

So, the first question thrown at the new India captain was whether he is facing any extra pressure because it is his first tour as captain, and that too without stalwarts like Rohit and Virat.

But Gill met it with a straight bat. He said he is not under any extra pressure and expressed confidence that his team will do well on the tour, which starts with the first Test at Headingley, Leeds, on June 20.

Riding on a dominant all-round display from Sairaj Patil, Eagle Thane Strikers continued their dominant run in the T20 Mumbai League 2025 with a commanding 97-run victory over Bandra Blasters at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

After powering Thane to a formidable total with a brisk unbeaten half-century, Patil returned to make an impact with the ball, picking up two key wickets in a superb all-round display. His efforts proved decisive as the Strikers decimated the Blasters’ batting line-up to seal their second straight victory, building on their opening-day win over Triumph Knights Mumbai North East.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer is in contention to play for England in their second Test against India at Edgbaston, said national selector Luke Wright. He added that an exact idea of Archer’s fitness will come when Sussex play Durham in a County Championship game at Chester-le-Street happening in two weeks’ time.

Archer hasn’t played red-ball cricket for four years due to multiple injuries in elbow and back. He was set to make a red-ball comeback for England Lions in their series against India A, but a thumb injury picked while fielding for Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 has kept him out of action.

"Jof's also trucking along really well actually. The plan is for him to play a few second-team games, loading up in the second team for Sussex. Then the idea for him is to play for Sussex against Durham during the first Test (when it begins in Leeds on June 20)."

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) have announced a financial support of Rs 10 lakh to each of the eleven families of the deceased, who lost their lives in a stampede outside M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

To celebrate RCB's maiden IPL title, a plethora of supporters gathered outside the venue to get a glimpse of the winning side including Virat Kohli, who has been with the franchise since the inception of the cash-rich tournament in 2008.

The situation turned painful when fans tried to break the stadium gate to enter the venue as RCB were celebrating their maiden title. The team landed in Bengaluru in the afternoon before they had a special welcome at Vidhan Soudha by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The team then headed to the stadium where the incident happened. The celebrations were curtailed and turned into sorrow with the loss of lives outside the stadium.

"The unfortunate incident in Bengaluru yesterday has caused a lot of anguish and pain to the RCB family. As a mark of respect and a gesture of solidarity, RCB has announced a financial support of INR 10 lakh to each of the eleven families of the deceased. In addition, a fund called RCB Cares is also being created to support fans injured in this tragic incident," the RCB said in a statement.