Thursday, April 30
Rohit Sharma lauded Suryakumar Yadav's crucial role in the Indian cricket team. Sharma highlighted Yadav's consistent performance and unique batting style as vital for the team's strength. He also commended Abhishek Sharma's smart and impactful opening batting. These players are set to be key for India's upcoming T20 World Cup campaign.
Rohit Sharma and Harmanpreet Kaur are set to receive the prestigious Padma Shri for their significant contributions. Sharma's leadership saw India clinch the 2024 T20 World Cup and 2025 Champions Trophy, while Kaur captained the historic Women's World Cup victory on home soil. Their achievements mark a new era for Indian cricket.
Former India cricketer Atul Wassan slammed PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi’s remarks on possibly skipping the 2026 T20 World Cup, calling it “foolish bravado.” He said dragging politics into cricket hurts players, not administrators. Wassan felt Pakistan was backing Bangladesh for political mileage. His comments followed Naqvi’s criticism of the ICC after Bangladesh were replaced by Scotland for refusing to follow the tournament schedule.
Indian teenagers Maaya Rajeswaran Revathi and Arnav Vijay Paparkar faced early exits in the Australian Open junior singles. Maaya lost to Russia's Anna Pushkareva, struggling with her second serve. Arnav was defeated by Indian-American Vihaan Reddy, despite having a stronger serve. In doubles, Arnav and Roshan Santosh also fell to the top seeds.
Novak Djokovic advances to the Australian Open quarter-finals without playing after opponent Jakub Mensik withdrew due to an abdominal injury. The young Czech star expressed sadness at missing the chance to face his idol. Djokovic, seeking to break Sinner and Alcaraz's recent Grand Slam dominance, now awaits either Lorenzo Musetti or Taylor Fritz.
Former India all-rounder R Ashwin has urged Team India to stay patient with Sanju Samson despite his twin failures against New Zealand. With Ishan Kishan’s strong knock increasing competition and Tilak Varma set to return, Ashwin warned against frequent changes, saying it could hurt team balance. He backed Samson’s attacking intent, while Aakash Chopra called the next match crucial for his future.
Aryna Sabalenka reached the Australian Open quarterfinals after beating Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6. She dominated the match and won her 20th straight Grand Slam tiebreak, breaking Novak Djokovic’s Open Era record. Djokovic reacted jokingly, saying, "I'm upset right now." Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, continues her strong run as other top seeds also competed for quarterfinal spots.
