Thursday, July 02
Nine-year-old Aarit Kapil drew against world champion Magnus Carlsen in an online chess tournament, showcasing his impressive skills. While Aarit competed in Georgia, V Pranav secured first place in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' event. Carlsen also achieved a historic 2900 rating in freestyle chess, surpassing his previous classical peak and demonstrating his dominance in the chess world.
Nitish Rana moved to Uttar Pradesh in 2023, and after a disastrous season, he is likely to return to Delhi. Rana had an underwhelming IPL 2025 with the Rajasthan Royals, who bought the southpaw for a whopping Rs 4.20 crore in the IPL auction.
Rishabh Pant's historic twin centuries at Headingley propelled him to seventh in ICC Test rankings, while Ben Duckett's stellar performance secured him eighth position. Shubman Gill climbed to 20th after a century. Jasprit Bumrah remains the top Test bowler. In T20Is, Michael Levitt and Brandon McMullen made significant gains, reflecting the growing competitiveness in international cricket.
Following India's defeat in the Leeds Test, former England captain Nasser Hussain critiqued Shubman Gill's captaincy debut, noting a lack of commanding presence compared to Kohli and Sharma. Hussain echoed Ravi Shastri's concerns about India's search for a seam-bowling all-rounder and highlighted issues with slip catching and lower-order batting collapses, which contributed to England's victory.
Despite India's loss to England in the first Test at Headingley, Rishabh Pant etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings. His remarkable feat included scores of 134 and 118, showcasing his aggressive batting style.
Despite India's loss to England in the first Test at Headingley, Rishabh Pant etched his name in history by becoming the first Indian wicketkeeper to score centuries in both innings. His remarkable feat included scores of 134 and 118, showcasing his aggressive batting style.
India's Test series under Shubman Gill started with a five-wicket defeat to England, raising concerns about managing Jasprit Bumrah's workload. Coach Gautam Gambhir confirmed Bumrah will play only three of the five Tests, regardless of the scoreline. England's historic win, chasing 371, highlighted India's batting collapses despite individual centuries.
England achieved a stunning five-wicket victory over India in the first Test at Headingley, chasing down a target of 371. Despite Rishabh Pant's twin centuries and India's mammoth score, batting collapses proved costly. Coach Gautam Gambhir emphasised the need to support the team and focus on collective improvement rather than blaming individuals, backing Shubman Gill's captaincy despite the loss.
England executed a brilliant run chase, securing a five-wicket victory against India in the Headingley Test and taking a 1-0 series lead. Ben Duckett and Zak Crawley's commanding opening stand laid the foundation for the chase of 371. Joe Root and Jamie Smith then calmly guided England home, showcasing a measured approach to secure the win.
Neeraj Chopra clinched the men's javelin title at the Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic with a throw of 85.29 metres. This victory follows his recent triumph at the Paris Diamond League. Douw Smit of South Africa secured second place, while Anderson Peters from Grenada finished third in the competition directed by Jan Zelezny.
