The Indian men's hockey team defender Jarmanpreet Singh expressed his elation after receiving the Arjuna Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday and said, "Nothing comes closer to this feeling". Jarmanpreet was instrumental in the Indian team's second successive bronze medal finish at the Olympics in Paris last year. India beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match, coming back from a goal down.

The Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh was also awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award along with fellow Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists - Manu Bhaker (shooting) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) and World Chess Champion Gukesh D. at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Jarmanpreet said this recognition will inspire youngsters to play hockey and dedicated his accolade to his family and supporters.

India skipper Niki Prasad said her team’s objective is to win the 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and successfully defend the title they won under Shafali Verma’s leadership in 2023. India are the defending champions in the tournament starting in Malaysia on Saturday, after having won the first edition in South Africa in 2023. They also come in on the back of winning the inaugural U19 Women’s Asia Cup in Malaysia last month.

“The objective is very clear. To win this tournament and successfully defend the title which India won in the previous edition. It also happened to be the first edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. We are here to play a brand of cricket which will help us win the trophy and make our country and supporters proud,” said Niki in an ICC statement.

England, runners-up from the 2023 edition, are looking to go one step further in 2025. “As a team, we are looking to play with positive intent throughout the competition, along with enjoying the ride and taking every opportunity that is thrown at us to maximise the experience and obviously with the intent to win!” said captain Abi Norgrave.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Baroda, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Mumbai will be the venues for the 2025 edition of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), with Brabourne Stadium to host the Eliminator and Final. In the tournament’s short history, it will be the first time four venues will host matches.

WPL 2025 will begin with BCA Stadium in Baroda, where the Gujarat Giants (GG) will face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on February 14, followed by Mumbai Indians opening their campaign against Delhi Capitals on February 15.

Former winners Mumbai Indians on Thursday revealed their new team jersey for Women's Premier League (WPL) 2025, featuring a distinctive design that pays homage to Mumbai's coastal heritage while embracing modernity.

The jersey maintains the team's signature blue and gold while introducing striking coral accents, creating a perfect blend of tradition and contemporary style.

The design draws inspiration from Mumbai's iconic coastline, incorporating a unique pattern that symbolises the steadfast rocks along the Arabian Sea. This element represents the team's unwavering determination and resilience, qualities that define both the city of Mumbai and its cricket team.

Ireland have been fined 10 per cent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their third and final ODI of their recently concluded series against India at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said in a statement that as per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences players are fined five percent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl within the allotted time.

The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Kim Cotton and Akshay Totre, along with third umpire Virender Sharma and fourth umpire Vrinda Rathi. Match Referee G S Lakshmi of the ICC International Panel of Match Referees imposed the sanction after Ireland was found to be two overs short of the required target, even after accounting for time allowances.

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan has expressed his excitement about returning to the field and making every moment count in the upcoming Legend 90 League, saying he set to "bring his legendary form to the field". Dhawan will represent the Delhi Royals in the Legend 90 League, slated to take place next month.

"I'm super excited to share some big news with you all. This season of Legend 90 League, I'll be playing for the Delhi Royals. I'm all set to bring my legendary form to the field and make every moment count. Thank you to my fans for the continued support," said Dhawan.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Royals have bolstered their lineup with the inclusion of new players following the recently concluded players' draft for Legend 90 League. The team, already headlined by cricketing stalwarts like Dhawan and Ross Taylor, welcomes a host of talented players to its ranks.

Rising star Lhuan-dre Pretorious is fast making himself an instant SA20 hero, scoring blazing half-century in Paarl Royals’ Cape derby win over neighbours MI Cape Town at Boland Park.

Pretorius smashed three sixes and eight boundaries in a 52-ball 83 to follow up his 97 on debut at the same ground. The 18-year-old has certainly become a fan favourite of the Royals in quick time.

Chasing down MI Cape Town’s 158/4, Pretorius benefitted from two dropped catches to power the home team to victory by six wickets to avenge Monday night’s defeat at Newlands.

The powerful left-hander struck the ball sweetly all around Boland Park but was particularly severe on left-arm spinner George Linde with a couple of sixes over the leg-side boundary.

Fresh from their historic 157-point annihilation of South Korea, the Indian women's Kho Kho team secured its place in the quarterfinals with another commanding performance, overwhelming Iran by 84 points in the women's section of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday.

The Women in Blue, demonstrating their tournament favourites' status, dominated proceedings from the opening seconds to cement their position atop their group, as they scored 100-16 at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Wednesday night.

The match began with India's trademark aggressive start, as they eliminated Iran's first batch within 33 seconds. Ashwini spearheaded the attack, while Meenu continued her brilliant form with multiple touchpoints, helping India amass an impressive 50 points in Turn 1. The onslaught continued through all four Turns, highlighted by a remarkable 6-minute-8-second Dream Run in Turn 3, which effectively sealed the match.

Led by Wazir Nirmala's tactical brilliance and contributions from skipper Priyanka Ingle, Nirmala Bhati, and Nasreen, Team India demonstrated their championship credentials with another emphatic victory, establishing themselves as the team to beat in the tournament.

Hina Bano and Sonam found the back of the net as Soorma Hockey Club continued their strong start to the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 with a 2-1 win against Odisha Warriors at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium here on Wednesday.

Hina Bano (6’) opened the account for Soorma Hockey Club and Sonam (47’) doubled their lead in the last quarter. Freeke Moes (57’) brought the Warriors back in contention with a goal towards the end of the game but failed to change the outcome any further.

Odisha Warriors began the game on the front foot with Baljeet Kaur blazing into the opposition circle and forcing Soorma’s goalkeeper Savita into action. But soon after, Soorma Hockey Club initiated a counterattack through Ajmina Kujur on the left wing and found Hina Bano, who deflected the ball past Jocelyn Bartram to score the first goal of the game.

Haryana Gladiators have bolstered their squad following the players' draft ceremony held here ahead of the Legend 90 League, which is set to take place in February 2025. The franchise has added several key players to its roster, including Rikki Clarke, Peter Trego, Chadwick Walton, Manan Sharma, Abu Nechim, Imran Khan, Ishank Jaggi, and Nagendra Chaudhary.

These new additions join former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh, former Australian cricketer Ben Dunk, Sri Lankan all-rounder Asela Gunaratne, bowler Pawan Suyal, and Indian players Anureet Singh and Praveen Gupta in the Haryana Gladiators lineup. The Haryana Gladiators franchise is owned by Shubh Infra, a leading real estate firm committed to excellence and innovation.

Speaking about the players' draft, Harish Garg, Director, Shubh Infra said, "We are thrilled to welcome these talented players to the Haryana Gladiators family. The inclusion of these experienced and dynamic players enhances the balance of our squad and will make us a formidable force in the Legend 90 League."