Former Indian captain Dilip Vengsarkar has expressed faith in the performances of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli during the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 but has raised eyebrows over the Indian team’s bowling unit. In the absence of ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Vengsarkar emphasized that the team’s success will depend on how well the bowlers play. Vengsarkar also emphasized the importance of team balance by the inclusion of all-rounders. Indian batting has always proved consistent, but Vengsarkar opines that the Indian team’s bowling unit must play well constantly if it has to emerge victorious in the high-stake competition.  

Viacom18 and Star India have unveiled subscription plans for their newly launched streaming service, JioStar, ahead of IPL 2025. Unlike previous seasons, free streaming of IPL matches will not be available. Subscribers must choose from various paid plans to access live IPL content. These plans cater to diverse viewing preferences and budgets, ensuring fans can enjoy the IPL experience through the platform. The move marks a significant shift from the free streaming model of past seasons, reflecting the evolving landscape of sports broadcasting and streaming services.

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has clarified that middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer was always a key component of the team's plans during the recent ODI series against England. Addressing speculations that Iyer played only due to Virat Kohli's injury, Gambhir emphasized that the team intended to rotate players to assess various combinations ahead of the Champions Trophy. He highlighted Iyer's consistent performance, noting his crucial innings of 59, 44, and 78 runs in the series, underscoring his importance to the squad's strategy.  

  Siddharth Singh, a professional practitioner of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and one of India's top MMA coaches, is working to push India's MMA forward. He began at age 12 in a box ring and continued during his time in London, learning Muay Thai. As wonderful a vision it is to dream of an Indian UFC champion, Singh is realistic enough to know it won't be overnight. His work ethic in his training and in his coaching is working to shape India's martial arts future. His forward-thinking style is working to sharpen talent and push India ahead in the world of MMA.  

In the 5-8 classification game of the Freestyle Grand Slam Tour in Germany's Weissenhaus, India's chess prodigy D Gukesh suffered a hard loss to World No. 3 Hikaru Nakamura. The game proceeded to rapid tiebreaks after initial draws, in which Nakamura triumphed 1.5-0.5. Afterward, Nakamura was complimentary of Gukesh's time trouble, stating that his intuition is not that great. He also took a shot at Gukesh's independent analysis of games, stating that working without cooperation of colleagues such as Fabiano Caruana is a huge handicap. Gukesh is to play Alireza Firouzja in the seventh-place playoff in his quest for his first win in the tournament.  

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has acknowledged the impact of Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy due to a lower back injury sustained during the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. Gambhir emphasized focusing on the available talent, highlighting the opportunity for young pacers like Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh to make significant contributions. He also noted the importance of experienced bowler Mohammed Shami's return to the squad. Gambhir expressed confidence in the team's depth and readiness to compete in the tournament, which runs from February 19 to March 9.   

  Virat Kohli, former captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), has expressed his support to Rajat Patidar after he was appointed captain of RCB for IPL 2025. Kohli wished Patidar luck, saying, "We will be right behind you." Kohli also praised Patidar's improvement in his game, commenting on his potential to take the team to triumph. Kohli's motivational message is a reflection of his belief in Patidar's leadership potential, promising a great future for the team under their new captain. Fans of RCB are hopeful of a winning season in the next IPL season with this leadership change.  

Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto has made a confident statement ahead of their Champions Trophy 2025 opener against India on February 20th in Dubai. He asserted that Bangladesh isn't just participating, but aiming to win the tournament. Shanto highlighted their strengthened bowling and well-rounded team, expressing his belief that they can beat anyone if they play to their potential. Following the India match, Bangladesh will play New Zealand and Pakistan in the group stage.  

Shubman Gill reached a milestone in the 3rd ODI of the series against England in Ahmedabad, scoring a century in his 50th match. His seventh ODI century also became the fastest by an Indian batter in 50 innings. Gill's 112-run innings off 102 balls, adorned with 14 fours and 3 sixes, also became the fifth player to score centuries in all formats at the same venue. He is continuing to expand his stellar ODI career, having also reached the fastest to 2,500 runs.

Harshit Rana's unexpected selection to replace Jasprit Bumrah for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy has raised eyebrows. Despite being inexperienced, Rana was chosen over established players like Mohammed Siraj, sparking fan outrage on social media. Some critics allege favoritism, citing Indian coach Gautam Gambhir’s ties to Kolkata Knight Riders, as both Rana and Varun Chakravarthy are KKR players. Fans questioned whether Rana’s selection was influenced by Gambhir's connections, noting Siraj’s strong ODI record. The debate has fueled claims of bias and "politics" in team selection.