Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the upcoming Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday is going to be the "mother of all battles".

The veteran commentator added the team that will perform better under pressure has the chance of winning the blockbuster encounter.

"It is the mother of all battles. There’s nothing bigger than this. I think it's the tension that holds everybody together. When 150 crore people expect a win from you, they will never swallow a defeat. There is a culture of retribution. This game is played more between the ears than between the hands - it's a psychological battle. There’s plenty of nervous energy floating around, but the side that converts it into positive energy is the side that will win," Sidhu said on a special episode of JioHotstar’s Greatest Rivalry Returns.

Pakistan have been fined five percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their opening encounter against New Zealand in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. The penalty was imposed after Mohammad Rizwan’s side was found to be one over short of the required rate despite time allowances being considered.

"Pakistan have been fined 5 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday," ICC said in a statement.

Andy Pycroft, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, handed down the sanction under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. As per ICC regulations, players are fined five percent of their match fee for each over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time.

Afghanistan will make their Champion Trophy debut against South Africa at the renovated National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. Led by Hashmatullah Shahidi, Afghanistan has developed a reputation for being the surprise package in global tournaments, having impressed in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, South Africa, captained by Temba Bavuma, boasts a powerful and dynamic batting lineup, making them strong contenders for the title despite recent inconsistencies in form.

Afghanistan and South Africa have faced each other five times in ODIs, with the Proteas leading the head-to-head 3-2. However, Afghanistan made history last year by securing their maiden ODI series win over South Africa, clinching a 2-1 victory in Sharjah.

India have brought in Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami as Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto won the toss and elected to bat first in their first Group A match of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

India enters as one of the favourites to win the eight-team competition, though Bangladesh can spring a surprise. After winning the toss, Shanto said he is very happy with the preparation and said their bowling combination is three seamers and two spinners.

“Looks a good wicket so we want to put runs on the board. We have play good cricket today and the boys are confident,” he said.

India skipper Rohit Sharma said he would have fielded first. As for team changes, he says Jadeja and Shami come back in place of Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh.

The National Paralympic Athletics Championship, organized by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and the Tamil Nadu Paralympic Sports Association, witnessed stellar performances as India's top para-athletes showcased their talent.

In the men’s F57 shot put event, national record holder Soman Rana delivered a stunning performance, defeating Paris Paralympics gold medallist Hokato Sema. Rana secured the gold with a throw of 14.42m, while Sema claimed silver with 13.53m. Shubhan Juyal from SSCB bagged the bronze with a throw of 13.39m.

Paris Paralympics bronze medallist and reigning world champion Deepthi Jeevanji dominated the women’s 400m T20 category, clinching gold with an impressive time of 57.85 seconds. Pooja from Haryana secured silver at 1:08.21s, while Bhuvi Agrawal, also from Haryana, took home bronze with 1:09.24s.

India’s journey at the 2025 Champions Trophy will begin on Thursday with the 2013 winners set to take on Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium. Ahead of their first game Indian skipper Rohit Sharma revealed India’s "secret to success" depends on their top order firing on full cylinders.

Although India’s campaign at the 2023 ICC World Cup ended in heartbreak, the host nation had completely dominated all opposition on their way to the final in Ahmedabad and much of that success relied on their heavy firing top order.

Virat Kohli and Rohit were the two highest scorers at the tournament with 765 and 597 runs respectively and Shreyas Iyer, with 530 runs in the tournament, perfectly complemented the Indian top order.

Their respective teams may not have ideal buildup to the Champions Trophy 2025 but Eoin Morgan and Shane Watson are hopeful that England and Australia would do well in the event while picking India as the top favourite.

England, under a new coach in Brandon McCullum, were hammered by India in both the T20I and ODI series while Australia have been besieged by injuries losing four top players -- Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Starc -- to injuries while Marcus Stoinis has announced a sudden retirement from the national team.

Australia also lost 0-2 to Sri Lanka in the ODI series preceding the Champions Trophy.

India won their second match in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 (Men) season on Wednesday after beating World Champions Germany 1-0 at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Gurjant Singh scored the only goal of the match as India climbed to seventh in the standings.

It was a good response from India after they had succumbed to a 4-1 loss to Germany on Tuesday. The Indian defence, marshalled by Captain Harmanpreet Singh, put in a solid display to secure an important win.

After a bright start, India took the lead four minutes into the match as Gurjant Singh scored in back-to-back matches.

After becoming the youngest debutant in the history of Women’s Premier League (WPL) by playing for Mumbai Indians against Gujarat Giants, G Kamalini said the first ball she hit for a boundary in the successful chase of 120 turned out to be exciting for her.

At 16 years and 213 days, Kamalini not only became the youngest WPL player - she also becomes the youngest player ever to feature for Mumbai Indians across all its five franchise T20 teams in the world.

On her first ball, Kamalini, who won the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup with the Indian team last month in Malaysia, got off the mark with a well-timed cut off leg-spinner Priya Mishra to pick a boundary with ease.

“I was really nervous, but it was one of the most memorable days of my life. I felt really happy. I put in a lot of hard work and I was waiting for the chance, so I am happy that I was given the opportunity. When I went to the crease, it was an enjoyable time with Sajana akka (older sister in Tamil). Then I wasn’t nervous at all. While fielding I get nervous, but while batting I didn’t get nervous at all. The first ball I hit for a boundary was exciting – the first boundary of my WPL career,” said Kamalini in a release issued by the franchise on Wednesday.

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto exuded confidence ahead of his team’s Champions Trophy opener against India, emphasising that his side has the firepower to challenge the two-time champions.

With a blend of quality fast bowlers and dependable all-rounders, Shanto believes Bangladesh has what it takes to make a strong start in the tournament.

“All departments have to click if we are to beat India. We have good memories against them, and if we execute our plans well, we have a good chance,” Shanto said in the pre-match press conference.

"We have some quality all-rounders, and we are depending on them. We are not overthinking. All teams in the tournament are capable of winning, and we fancy our chances," he added.