Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, a three-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh, has become the youngest chess player to earn an official FIDE rating. Born in 2022, he received a rapid rating of 1572, well above the minimum 1400. Sarwagya won five of the eight rated games he played, defeating opponents much older than him. He began playing chess at two-and-a-half and now spends four to five hours a day practising, plus coaching sessions and video lessons. His father said the boy learned quickly and showed strong focus. Chess players and fans online have praised his achievement, calling it “incredible.” (PC: X)

Smriti Mandhana made her first public appearance after calling off her wedding. She said she “doesn’t love anything in life more than cricket” while speaking at an event with captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana recently helped India win the Women’s World Cup and has now been named vice-captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. She said wearing the India jersey makes her forget all personal problems. “You have a responsibility when India is written on it,” she said. Mandhana also said team disagreements are normal and show passion. She and composer Palash Muchhal cancelled their wedding on December 7.

Virat Kohli is now second in the ICC ODI rankings for batters. The Indian star scored 302 runs in the three-match series against South Africa. His performance included centuries in Ranchi and Raipur. Kohli’s rating is now 773, just eight points behind teammate Rohit Sharma, who leads with 781. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran are third and fourth. Kohli was last ranked No.1 in March 2021. He was named Player of the Series as India won the series 2-1. Kohli’s rise shows he is in top form and ready to reclaim the top spot. (PC: India Today)

India's women's cricket team announced their squad for the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, marking their return after winning the Women's Cricket World Cup in November. Star opener Smriti Mandhana was included alongside two uncapped players: 17-year-old wicket-keeper Gunalan Kamalini and 19-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, both U-19 World Cup winners. Kamalini, who played for Mumbai Indians in WPL, scored 143 runs in seven U-19 matches. Vaishnavi was the top wicket-taker in multiple domestic tournaments with impressive performances. The squad sees three changes from England series: injured Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, and Sayali Satghare miss out. The series begins December 21 in Visakhapatnam.(PC: Times Now & The Statesman)

Hardik Pandya delivered a match-winning all-round performance in his comeback game after three months, leading India to a crushing 101-run victory over South Africa in Cuttack. Scoring an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls when India struggled at 78/4, he propelled the team to 175/6 before claiming a wicket in South Africa's collapse to 74. Returning from injury sustained during the Asia Cup, Pandya revealed he spent 50 days at the National Cricket Academy, away from loved ones, working on his fitness. When asked about his bowling role, he emphasized his team-first mentality: "It's not about what Hardik Pandya wants; it matters what India wants. That's my biggest USP."(PC: NDTV Sports)

India crushed South Africa by 101 runs in their T20 World Cup preparation match in Cuttack, but the dominant win masks a critical flaw. Shubman Gill's inclusion has significantly weakened India's aggressive top-order approach. Since his return during the Asia Cup, India has crossed 200 just once in 13 matches, compared to six 200+ scores in 12 matches with the Abhishek-Sanju Samson opening pair. Despite scoring three T20I centuries last year, Samson sits out while Gill, the vice-captain struggles to justify his spot. India collapsed to 17/2 before Hardik Pandya's late assault saved them. With the World Cup approaching, India must decide: Does Gill truly belong, or is hierarchy trumping performance? (PC: India Today)

Jasprit Bumrah made history in Cuttack by becoming the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He reached the milestone in the first T20I against South Africa by dismissing Dewald Brevis. Bumrah is now the fifth bowler in world cricket to achieve this record. He has 234 Test wickets, 149 ODI wickets and 101 T20I wickets. India dominated the match, scoring 175 for 6 before bowling out South Africa for just 74, their lowest T20I total. Hardik Pandya hit an unbeaten 59, while Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy also took key wickets. (PC: India Today)

The BCCI has added nine new players to the IPL 2026 auction list, taking the total number of players to 359. Earlier, the board had released a list of 350 names from over 1300 registrations. The new additions include IPL winner Swastik Chikara and Malaysia’s Virandeep Singh, the only Associate-nation player in the pool. Other names are Manisankar Murasingh, Chama Milind, K.L. Shrijith, Ethan Bosch, Chris Green, Rahul Raj Namala and Virat Singh. Out of 359 players, only 77 will get contracts. BCCI also corrected an error after listing BBL-contracted Nikhil Chaudhury as an Indian instead of an overseas player. (PC: BCCI)

Hardik Pandya's unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and crucial wicket powered India to a dominant 101-run victory over South Africa in Cuttack's series opener. Returning after 74 days from quadricep injury, Pandya rescued India from 48/3, propelling them to 175/6 with late fireworks, 71 runs in the final six overs. South Africa collapsed to their lowest-ever T20I total of 74 in 12.3 overs, surpassing their previous low of 87 against India in 2022 Rajkot. Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, and Axar Patel each claimed two wickets. Lungi Ngidi took 3/31 exploiting the challenging red-soil surface, but India's ruthless bowling secured the 1-0 series lead.(PC: X)

India demolished South Africa by 101 runs in the opening T20I at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium. Chasing 176, South Africa collapsed to 74 all-out in just 12.3 overs against India's disciplined bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, and Varun Chakravarthy all claimed wickets. Player of the Match Hardik Pandya praised his fitness work over the last seven months, emphasizing team-first mentality. South Africa captain Aiden Markram acknowledged the sticky pitch with "tennis-ball bounce" but lamented batting collapse, stating they would've backed themselves chasing 175. Markram stressed the importance of building partnerships, vowing quick turnaround for the next match.