Liverpool manager Arne Slot faces mounting pressure after the Reds' recent poor form, but reports confirm he'll remain in charge for the upcoming Champions League clash against Inter Milan. The hierarchy hasn't considered replacing him yet, though they demand results. Liverpool sits ninth in Premier League standings with six defeats from 15 fixtures after conceding a 2-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Leeds United. Mohamed Salah expressed deep disappointment after being benched for the third time, stating he feels the club has "thrown me under the bus." Reports suggest Liverpool is eyeing Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner as a potential replacement if Slot is sacked. (PC: Reuters)

Indian opener Abhishek Sharma emerged as Pakistan's most-searched athlete in 2025, surpassing even Pakistani cricketers and generating more searches there than in India. Hassan Nawaz, Irfan Khan Niazi, Sahibzada Farhan, and Muhammad Abbas followed him. His popularity stems from stellar Asia Cup performances against Pakistan, scoring 31 off 13 in the group stage and 74 off 39 in Super-Four. In India, he ranked third in searches behind teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Priyansh Arya. The top-10 included women's stars Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, plus three uncapped CSK players. IPL dominated overall Indian searches, with cricket tournaments occupying four of five top sports searches alongside Pro Kabaddi League. (PC: News18)

Indian women’s cricket vice-captain Smriti Mandhana returned to training just a day after announcing the cancellation of her wedding to composer Palash Muchhal. Her brother Shravan shared a photo of her batting in the nets, which quickly went viral, with fans praising her resilience and professionalism, noting that “most people would take months” to recover emotionally. Mandhana has stated that her priority remains cricket, especially with the upcoming five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka later this month. Her quick return to preparation reflects her strong commitment to the national team and her mental strength in difficult times. (PC: X)

India women’s cricket star Smriti Mandhana confirmed that her wedding to music composer Palash Muchhal has been called off. The couple was originally set to marry on November 23, but family health emergencies caused delays. Mandhana asked for privacy and urged fans to respect both families. Throughout this period, teammate Jemimah Rodrigues has stood by her, leaving her Women’s Big Bash League campaign to support Mandhana. Rodrigues posted an Instagram story featuring the song Man I Need, signaling her emotional support. Mandhana emphasized that cricket remains her focus and expressed determination to continue representing India at the highest level. (PC: X)

A former BCCI selector has warned the board against dropping Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma from the 2027 World Cup plans. Gautam Gambhir has said that both seniors are not automatic picks, but Devang Gandhi disagrees. He believes the team must be built around Kohli and Rohit to avoid past mistakes. Gandhi warned that India used too many players before the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, which hurt team balance. He said India must fix the middle order and pick a stable group of 20 players. He added that ignoring the seniors could lead to a “catastrophic” outcome. (PC: HT)

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana announced her wedding to musician Palash Muchhal has been cancelled, requesting privacy without revealing reasons. The World Cup winner confirmed the decision on Instagram after weeks of speculation, stating her focus remains on representing India and winning trophies. Muchhal separately confirmed the split, slamming "baseless rumours" circulating since their November wedding postponement following Mandhana's father's heart attack symptoms. He warned of legal action against those spreading "false and defamatory content," calling it the "most difficult phase" of his life. Both emphasized the relationship's sacred nature and urged society to avoid judgment based on unverified gossip.

India Pickleball Association partnered with DUPR, the world's leading pickleball rating system, marking significant progress toward global integration. All IPA events and match results will now feed into DUPR's platform, which evaluates players on a 2.000-8.000 scale. Starting 2026, IPA tournaments become DUPR Verified Events requiring stricter score reporting, player authentication, and DUPR+ subscriptions for participants. DUPR CEO Tito Machado called it a major Asian milestone, while IPA President Suryaveer Singh Bhullar emphasized enhanced competitive standards and community connectivity. The collaboration ensures fairness, transparency, and unified ratings for India's rapidly growing pickleball community, aligning with DUPR's mission of providing one consistent global rating standard.(PC: Times Now)

Music composer Palash Muchhal and cricketer Smriti Mandhana have officially called off their wedding. Both shared separate statements on Instagram, asking for privacy. The couple had postponed their November wedding after Smriti’s father fell ill and Palash was also hospitalised a day later. Rumours of cheating spread online, but Palash called them “baseless” and said this was the hardest phase of his life. Smriti said she wanted to end the speculation and focus on her cricket career. After their statements, both unfollowed each other on Instagram. Smriti also deleted all wedding-related photos, while Palash kept their proposal video. (PC: HT)

Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding to Palash Muchhal has been cancelled, ending a two-week period of rumours and confusion. The couple, who began dating in 2019, had planned to marry on November 23. Their engagement took place at DY Patil Stadium after India’s World Cup win. But the wedding was first postponed when Mandhana’s father was hospitalised, followed by Palash’s sudden hospitalisation the next day. Fans were shocked as videos earlier showed celebrations underway. On December 7, Mandhana issued a statement asking for privacy and said it was time to “move forward” and focus on cricket again. (PC: X)

Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana has confirmed that her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal has been called off. Posting on Instagram, she said, “Over the past weeks, there has been plenty of speculation. I feel it is important to speak out. The wedding is called off.” The ceremony was postponed in November after her father faced a medical emergency and reports surfaced of Muchhal’s stress-related hospitalisation. Mandhana added, “I would like to close this matter here and request privacy for both families.” She stressed her focus remains on cricket, saying, “Representing my country is my highest priority.” (PC: NDTV)