All 10 IPL teams announced their retained and released players ahead of the 2026 mini auction. Kolkata Knight Riders made the biggest move by releasing Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell. Chennai Super Kings let go of 10 players, including Devon Conway and Matheesha Pathirana. Mumbai Indians released nine players, while Delhi Capitals, RCB, SRH, PBKS, GT, LSG and RR also made major cuts. Several players, including Ravindra Jadeja, Sam Curran, Mohammed Shami and Mayank Markande, were traded. KKR now enter the auction with the highest purse of ₹64.3 crore. The auction will take place next month. (PC: PTI)

India’s top male tennis player, Sumit Nagal, successfully secured a Chinese visa to compete in the Australian Open Asia-Pacific wild-card playoff in Chengdu after an earlier unexplained rejection. He had publicly appealed on social media to China’s ambassador in India for urgent intervention. Late Thursday, he expressed gratitude to the Chinese Embassy, India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and other officials for their swift help. The playoff runs from November 24–29, and offers a pathway into the 2026 Australian Open. (PC: AP)

Rishabh Pant’s dismissal for 27 off 23 balls at lunch left the India national cricket team reeling at 132 for 4 in 43.4 overs on Day 2 of the first Test against South Africa national cricket team — following a dominant bowling performance from Jasprit Bumrah, who claimed his 16th five-wicket haul to skittle South Africa for 159. India’s momentum has stalled, with the top order faltering and the pitch offering little respite, raising serious questions about the team’s hold on the match. 

Mohammed Siraj admitted that after a shaky start—having conceded 43 runs in his first nine overs—he asked Shubman Gill, his captain, for “just one more over” and it paid off. In that extra over, Siraj trapped Kyle Verreynne lbw and cleaned up Marco Jansen four balls later—a pivotal double strike that reversed his fortunes and bolstered the home side’s attack. Behind the scenes, veteran pacer Jasprit Bumrah supported Siraj with simple advice: bowl at the stumps and the wickets will follow. Bumrah then backed it up with a five-wicket haul. Ultimately, the home team wrapped up the visitors for just 159, setting the stage for a strong opening day for India national cricket team. (PC: NDTV)

Jasprit Bumrah delivered a masterclass with figures of 5/27 as India bowled out South Africa for 159 on Day 1 of the first Test at Eden Gardens on Friday. Despite India fielding four spinners for the first time since 2012, Bumrah dominated with his 16th five-wicket haul, turning South Africa's solid 57/0 start into a collapse of 10 wickets for 102 runs. Mohammed Siraj took 2/47 while Kuldeep Yadav grabbed 2/29. India closed at 37/1 with KL Rahul (13*) and Washington Sundar (6*) unbeaten, trailing by 122 runs. A crowd of over 36,000 witnessed South Africa's second-lowest total after a fifty-plus opening stand since readmission.

Kylian Mbappe created history on Thursday by scoring his 400th career goal during France's 4-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Ukraine at Parc des Princes. The 26-year-old Real Madrid star netted a brace, breaking Lionel Messi's 21st-century world record to become the youngest player since Pele (62 years ago) to reach this milestone. Mbappe achieved the feat at 26 years and 338 days, surpassing Messi who was 27 years and 95 days old. His tally includes 255 goals for France, 262 for Real Madrid, 246 for PSG, and 27 for Monaco. Mbappe is second-quickest this century (537 games), just behind Messi's 525-game record. Erling Haaland could potentially break both records. (PC: X)

Vaibhav Suryavanshi created history by smashing a world record 32-ball century for India against UAE in the Rising Stars Asia Cup at Doha on Friday. The 14-year-old prodigy scored a blistering 144 off just 42 balls, featuring 11 fours and 15 sixes. This marked the joint second-fastest T20 century for India, equaling Rishabh Pant's record and surpassing Rohit Sharma. Remarkably, Suryavanshi became the first batter ever to score two T20 centuries in 35 deliveries or less, having previously achieved a 35-ball IPL century for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans. The youngest IPL centurion credited his strict father for keeping him disciplined and focused.

India’s cue-sports star Anupama Ramachandran made history by becoming the first woman to secure a major title on the Women’s Snooker League circuit. She clinched the milestone victory in the 2025 event, defeating top international competitors to claim the crown. The win is being hailed as a breakthrough for Indian women’s snooker and a sign of the sport’s growing global depth. Ramachandran credited years of disciplined training and strong support from her coaching team for her success, and expressed hope that her achievement inspires more young women into cue sports. (PC: Instagram)

Cristiano Ronaldo was shown the first red card of his international career during Portugal’s 2025 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Ireland. The incident occurred after Ronaldo’s high-intensity challenge was deemed dangerous by the referee, prompting a straight red that stunned fans and teammates. The match, already tense, shifted dramatically as Portugal had to continue with 10 men. Ronaldo protested the decision, but VAR upheld the call. Despite the setback, Portugal pushed on, relying on their midfield strength to maintain control. The red card has sparked widespread debate among analysts and supporters over its fairness and potential impact on future fixtures.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Mohsin Naqvi personally oversaw security arrangements at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium ahead of the second ODI against Sri Lanka on Friday. Following the Islamabad suicide blast that killed 12 people, eight of 16 Sri Lankan players wanted to return home. Naqvi revealed that Pakistan's Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir directly intervened, speaking with Sri Lanka's defence minister and secretary to convince the team to stay. Naqvi, accompanied by Sri Lankan High Commissioner Rear Admiral Fred Siriweera, inspected security measures and met the squad, assuring them "Your security is our responsibility." He praised their decision as "a victory for peace and defeat for terrorism," with the tri-nation T20I series also proceeding as planned. (PC: NDTV Sports & HT)