India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra qualified for the men’s javelin final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo with his very first throw. Chopra crossed the automatic mark of 84.50m, registering 84.85m to seal his spot. The 2023 world gold medalist and 2022 silver medalist will now aim to defend his crown against tough rivals including Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem, Germany’s Julian Weber, and Czech thrower Jakub Vadlejch. Three other Indians—Sachin Yadav, Rohit Yadav, and Yash Vir Singh—also competed in the qualifiers. The final is scheduled for Thursday, where Chopra looks to make history by defending his world title. (PC: X)

India’s 7-wicket win over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 was overshadowed by fresh controversy. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and his team refused the post-match handshake, drawing criticism from Pakistan and a formal PCB complaint. Former cricketer Suresh Raina claimed, “No Indian player wanted to play the Asia Cup. They are forced because BCCI agreed.” He added that if players were asked personally, “they would have said no.” Raina’s remarks highlight growing unease among Indian cricketers about playing Pakistan. With Pakistan players fuming and Indian players reportedly unhappy, the tournament has turned into a political and emotional flashpoint. (PC: X)

Pakistan cancelled their pre-match press conference before their Asia Cup 2025 clash with the UAE, raising fresh boycott fears. The move came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) rejected Pakistan’s demand to remove match referee Andy Pycroft. The controversy began with the “no handshake” incident during the India-Pakistan game, where Pakistan alleged Pycroft stopped their captain from greeting India’s Suryakumar Yadav. The PCB also complained to the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). Reports say PCB chief Mohsin Naqvi even sacked cricket operations director Usman Walha over the mishandling. Pakistan now face UAE in a crucial group game. (PC:  India Today)

BCCI announced Apollo Tyres as Team India's new lead sponsor after parting ways with Dream11, marking Apollo's first-ever foray into Indian cricket. The partnership, secured through rigorous bidding, spans two and a half years until March 2028. Apollo Tyres' logo will feature on Indian men's and women's national team jerseys across all formats. BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia praised the partnership as testament to teams' consistent performance, while Vice-President Rajeev Shukla highlighted bringing together cricket's spirit with Apollo's pioneering legacy. Apollo Vice-Chairman Neeraj Kanwar emphasized cricket's unmatched popularity and the honor of supporting Indian sport at the highest level. The competitive bidding process demonstrates strong market confidence in BCCI and Team India's global brand value. (PC: BCCI, Siasat.com & Trading View)

Indian Grandmaster Vaishali Rameshbabu clinched her second consecutive FIDE Women’s Grand Swiss title in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, scoring 8/11 and edging Kateryna Lagno on tiebreaks. Her final round draw against Tan Zhongyi secured her spot in the 2026 Women’s Candidates Tournament. Vaishali’s journey from defeating Magnus Carlsen at 12 to earning multiple titles reflects her resilience and strategic brilliance. She becomes the only player to defend the Grand Swiss title and joins Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh in the Candidates. Leaders, including PM Modi, praised her achievement. Her brother Praggnanandhaa also qualified for the Open Candidates, marking a historic moment for Indian chess and the Rameshbabu siblings.

The ICC has rejected Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft over a “no handshake” controversy during the Asia Cup 2025 match against India. PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi, also head of the ACC, accused Pycroft of violating the Spirit of Cricket and demanded his removal. The ICC denied the plea, prompting PCB to consider boycotting their next match against UAE. The controversy stemmed from PCB’s Director Usman Walha failing to inform captain Salman Agha of the “No Handshake” policy, leading to Walha’s dismissal. Pakistan must beat UAE to reach the Super 4 stage and potentially face India again, with Pycroft still officiating.

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned former India cricketers Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa in a money-laundering probe involving illegal online betting platforms. Uthappa will appear on September 22, while Yuvraj faces questioning on September 23 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. This follows earlier interrogations of Suresh Raina (August 13) and Shikhar Dhawan (September 4). The ED is also questioning TMC MP Mimi Chakraborty, Bengali actor Ankush Hazra, and expected Bollywood actress Urvashi Rautela. The probe examines celebrity endorsements of banned betting apps that violate tax, money-laundering, and FEMA laws. Despite government advisories prohibiting such advertisements, platforms continue operations by changing names, with approximately 220 million Indian users engaged across various betting applications. (PC: CNBC & Daily Excelsior)

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly publicly criticized Pakistan's cricket standards during a Kolkata event, revealing he switched from the India-Pakistan Asia Cup match to Manchester Derby after just 15 overs. Ganguly stated Pakistan is "no longer competitive" and lacks the quality of past legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Javed Miandad. He expressed preference for watching India play Australia, England, South Africa, or even Afghanistan over Pakistan. Calling the current comparison "chalk and cheese," Ganguly emphasized India's dominance even without stalwarts Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Regarding the controversial no-handshake incident, he deferred to captain Suryakumar Yadav's explanation while mentioning terrorism must stop during the public interaction.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has defended Team India after the handshake row in the Asia Cup 2025. Following India’s 7-wicket win over Pakistan, captain Suryakumar Yadav and his players did not shake hands with their rivals. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) filed a complaint with the Asian Cricket Council and demanded the removal of match referee Andy Pycroft. A senior BCCI official clarified that handshakes are a goodwill gesture, not a rule. “There is no law forcing players to shake hands,” he said, citing strained India-Pakistan relations as the reason. (PC: NDTV)

Indian skater Anandkumar Velkumar created history by winning India's first-ever gold medal at the Speed Skating World Championships in Beidaihe, China. The 22-year-old champion secured the senior men's 1,000m sprint title with a time of 1:24.924 seconds on Monday. This triumph followed his historic bronze medal in the 500m sprint event days earlier, marking India's first senior world championship medal in speed skating. Adding to India's success, junior competitor Krish Sharma claimed gold in the 1,000m sprint category. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and PM Modi praised Velkumar's achievement, with Rijiju calling it "a glorious moment for Indian sports." The championships run from September 13-21.