India A recovered from a dramatic batting collapse to finish Day 1 of the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A at 291/7 at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, on October 31. Captain Dhruv Jurel led the recovery with an unbeaten 99 off 155 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes. Devdutt Padikkal contributed 80, while Sai Sudharsan scored 41. India A slipped to 160/6 after losing crucial wickets in quick succession. Jurel then built important partnerships with Manav Suthar and Akash Deep, who remained unbeaten on 25. New Zealand's Fraser Sheat claimed four wickets. (PC: BCCI)

India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan’s struggles in overseas conditions have raised concerns ahead of two major ICC tournaments. His latest setback came against New Zealand in the fourth T20I at Auckland, where he was dismissed for a three-ball duck. Across 10 T20I innings in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA), Kishan has scored 177 runs at an average of 17.7. Overall, he has managed 192 runs in 12 international matches in these conditions. His performances could become a concern as India prepares for the 2027 ODI and 2028 T20 World Cups. (PC: ANI)

New Zealand defeated India by 87 runs in the fourth T20I in Auckland, taking a 3-1 lead in the series and claiming their first win. India were bowled out for 172 for nine while chasing 260, after Jacob Duffy dismissed Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan in the opening over. Duffy finished with four wickets for 23 runs. Earlier, New Zealand posted 259 for seven, their highest T20I total against India. Glenn Phillips struck 107 from 49 balls, while Michael Bracewell scored 65 off 25. Their 115-run fifth-wicket stand came from 41 deliveries. Phillips also completed his third T20I century in 46 balls. India’s defeat was their second-largest by runs in T20Is. (PC: BCCI)

Manisha Bhanwala made history on Friday by becoming the first Indian woman to win a world wrestling championship title. The 29-year-old defeated American wrestler A Elizabeth Nette 8-6 in the women's 59kg final in Astana. Although the 59kg category is not an Olympic weight class, her victory marks a landmark achievement for Indian women's wrestling. India's campaign also saw Neelam Sirohi (50kg) and Kajal Dhochak (76kg) reach finals in Olympic weight categories, winning silver medals. Before Bhanwala, Anshu Malik was the only Indian woman to reach a world championship final, claiming silver in 2021. Vinesh Phogat and Antim Panghal have each won two world championship bronze medals. (PC: HT)

India’s ODI and Test captain Shubman Gill has secured 13th place in SportsPro’s 2026 list of the 50 Most Marketable Athletes, ranking ahead of football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who stands 14th. Lionel Messi ranks 27th. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have dropped to 85th and 90th positions, respectively, while MS Dhoni ranks 83rd. Three other Indian cricketers—Rishabh Pant (36th), Jemimah Rodrigues (31st), Smriti Mandhana (37th) and Jasprit Bumrah (39th)—also feature in the top 50. Aryna Sabalenka tops the list, followed by Eileen Gu. (PC: X)

Cristiano Ronaldo defeated Lionel Messi in the inaugural Ballon d’Or of All Time (B.O.A.T.) fan vote, winning recognition for his 2008 season at Manchester United. Introduced to mark the Ballon d’Or’s 70th anniversary, the poll invited fans to select the greatest Ballon d’Or-winning season from 10 players who had won the award at least twice. However, the final rankings became a contest between Ronaldo and Messi, with the two footballers occupying all 10 positions. Several celebrated players, including Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Marco van Basten, Franz Beckenbauer and Ronaldo Nazario, failed to make the final rankings. Ronaldo scored 42 goals in 2008, helping Manchester United win both the Premier League and Champions League. (PC: AP)

Indian wrestler Neelam Sirohi won silver in the women’s 50kg category at the 2026 World Wrestling Championships on Wednesday, losing to Japan’s Yui Susaki in the final. Susaki, a Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, pinned Sirohi just before the first period ended to secure her fifth world title. The 26-year-old Sirohi became only the second Indian woman, after Anshu Malik in 2021, to win silver at the senior World Championships. She reached the final with a 7-3 semifinal victory over Kazakhstan’s Zeinep Bayanova. The edition also marked a milestone for Indian women’s wrestling, with two Indians reaching gold-medal bouts for the first time, alongside Kajal Dhochak in the 76kg category. (PC: UWW)

India’s Under-20 women’s rugby sevens team secured a historic 17–0 victory over New Zealand’s Māori invitational side at the Rajgir Sports Complex in Bihar on October 27, 2026. India dominated the match with effective attacking play and disciplined defence, scoring 12 points in the first half and keeping their opponents scoreless throughout. The match was part of the India–New Zealand U-20 Rugby Series, organised to celebrate 100 years of sporting relations between the two countries. However, New Zealand’s men’s team defeated India 32–0, highlighting the contrasting results of the series. (PC: X)

New Zealand batter Finn Allen praised India’s Abhishek Sharma and teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi after India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the third T20I on October 27, 2026. Chasing 199, India reached the target in just 13.2 overs, securing an unassailable 3–0 lead in the five-match series. Abhishek smashed 113 off 38 balls, including a century in 35 deliveries, while Sooryavanshi contributed 45. Allen admitted the Indian duo were difficult to stop once they started attacking. He said New Zealand would learn from the defeat and prepare for upcoming matches. (PC: ANI)

Indian para-athletics has been shaken by the death of Neeraj Yadav, a 42-year-old athlete and three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, who was found dead in Delhi on October 27, 2026. Yadav won gold in the F55 javelin throw at the 2018 Jakarta Games and secured two more gold medals in javelin and discus at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. Diagnosed with polio-related paralysis during childhood, he overcame physical challenges to build a successful sporting career. He was serving a doping suspension and missed the 2026 Asian Para Games. Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding his death. (PC: ANI)