Indian hockey teams will return to the iconic blue jerseys at the 2026 Asian Games after wearing saffron and white at both World Cups. Hockey India’s president Dilip Tirkey said the saffron jersey was never permanent and confirmed blue for the Asian Games. The colour change had drawn criticism from hockey enthusiasts and former players, including ex-captain Viren Rasquinha, who said blue represented the team’s legacy and identity. Hockey India said saffron could improve player identification on blue turf and claimed players were consulted, but five players told The Indian Express they were not consulted. Tirkey also said he was kept uninformed. The women finished fifth, while the men finished eighth. (PC: AP & Hockey India)

Hockey India has reversed its decision to make saffron the primary colour of the national team’s jersey. For the 2026 Asian Games, blue will be the main colour, while saffron will be used as the secondary colour. Hockey India treasurer Shekar Manoharan confirmed that the choice was shared with the Indian Olympic Association. The earlier saffron jersey had sparked criticism from former players and political leaders. Hockey India had said the change was based on player feedback about visibility on blue turf. India’s teams will now focus on the Asian Games and qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.  

Former India cricketer Ashish Nehra has said he is not interested in becoming Team India’s head coach. Speaking at a Cricket Association of Bengal event, Nehra said coaching the national team would be an “honour” and “privilege”. However, he said he is happy with his current role. “I never plan things like that,” Nehra said. He also joked that he would first ask his wife if he received an offer because the job involves eight to nine months of travel. Nehra has enjoyed success with Gujarat Titans. He guided them to the IPL title in 2022 and later to more strong seasons.  

Pakistan’s troubled England tour has taken another turn after reports that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) seized mobile phones from some players amid an internal disciplinary inquiry. Pakistani outlet 365 News reported that the devices would remain with the board until the third Test at Edgbaston on September 9. However, the PCB has not confirmed that the inquiry is linked to the reported phone seizure or to match-fixing, and no player has been publicly accused of an integrity offence. The development follows major changes to Pakistan’s squad and coaching staff after England took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-Test series at Lord’s. (PC: The Telegraph)

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has been fined 10 per cent of her match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during the Asia Cup match against India in Dubai. She breached Article 2.5, concerning actions or gestures that could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter after dismissal. The incident occurred when Fatima, after dismissing Shafali Verma in the second over, gestured towards the pavilion. She admitted the offence and accepted the sanction, avoiding a formal hearing. One demerit point was added to her record, taking her total to two within 24 months. Her earlier demerit point came during a T20I against Ireland in Dublin in August 2025.

Sheetal Devi, born without arms in Loidhar village in Jammu and Kashmir, was diagnosed with phocomelia and had never seen a bow until around age 15. After a prosthetic arm failed, she chose archery in 2021 following an assessment that found strong upper-body strength. Within 11 months, she won two golds and a silver at the 2022 Asian Para Games, rising to world No. 1 in the women’s compound open category. She won World Championship silver in 2023, Paralympic bronze at Paris 2024, and World Championship gold in 2025, becoming the first female armless archer to win the title. World Archery named her Para Archer of the Year 2025 in 2025.  

Pakistan captain Fatima Sana has been fined 10% of her match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during the Women’s Asia Cup match against India. The incident happened after Sana dismissed India opener Shafali Verma. Sana made a gesture towards the pavilion after the dismissal. The ICC said the action could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter. Sana admitted the offence and accepted the punishment. She also received one demerit point. This takes her total to two points in 24 months. Sana had received her first demerit point during a T20I match against Ireland in August 2025.  

Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji has revealed that she faced sexual harassment, impersonation and unauthorised AI-generated images after her viral performance at the 2026 IPF World Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Competing in the Junior Women’s 47kg category, the 21-year-old lifted 140kg in the deadlift to win silver. She weighed 45.70kg and recorded a 90kg squat and 50kg bench press, finishing with a 280kg total and fifth overall. Banerji said social media attention increasingly focused on her appearance and alleged that offensive comments targeted her ethnicity, ancestry and caste. She described discovering AI-generated images using her face and body without consent as particularly disturbing and said she chose to speak out.

Seventeen-year-old Madhura Kar from Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, won four gold medals and the world champion title at the IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Competing in the Sub-Junior Women’s 52kg category at a body weight of 49.35kg, she recorded a 292.5kg total. Madhura won gold in the squat with 107.5kg, bench press with 60kg, deadlift with 125kg and overall total. A Class XII student, she won the National Powerlifting Championship in 2024 and defended her title in 2025, besides winning national bench press gold earlier this year. She also won silver at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in China. Her achievement marks a remarkable rise.

Star Indian men’s doubles pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty finally broke their China Masters jinx, winning the Super 750 title for the first time. The Indians produced a stirring comeback in Sunday’s final, recovering from a game down to defeat China’s He Ji Ting and Ren Xiang Yu in a gruelling three-game thriller. Satwik and Chirag lost the opening game 11-21 but responded strongly to take the second 21-13 before sealing the deciding game 21-17. The contest lasted 1 hour and 10 minutes. The victory came after three China Masters finals, including two heartbreaking defeats, making their successful fightback against the home favourites a significant breakthrough for the Indian pair. (PC: India Today)