India produced a record-breaking batting display to beat New Zealand by 6 wickets in the 3rd T20I in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27. Chasing 199, India reached 199/4 in just 13.2 overs, taking an unassailable 3-0 lead in the 5-match series. Abhishek Sharma smashed 113 off 38 balls, hitting 9 fours and 11 sixes, and completed his century in just 35 balls. Young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi added 45 off 19 balls as the pair shared 133 runs. India scored 118 without losing a wicket in the powerplay, setting a new T20I record. (PC: HT)

England captain Harry Kane won the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or in London on Monday, becoming the first English player to claim the award since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich striker scored 73 goals for club and country last season, finishing ahead of Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal. Spain dominated the ceremony, winning 8 of the 13 awards. Alexia Putellas claimed her third Women’s Ballon d’Or, while Yamal won the men’s young player award. Barcelona was named Women’s Club of the Year, Paris Saint-Germain took the men’s honour, and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work. (PC: HT)

Harry Kane became the first Englishman since Michael Owen in 2001 to win the men’s Ballon d’Or, beating Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal at a ceremony in London on Monday. The 33-year-old Bayern Munich striker earned football’s prestigious individual honour after scoring 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country during the 2025–26 season. Kane also claimed the European Golden Shoe after finishing as the leading goalscorer across Europe’s domestic leagues. He became the fifth Englishman to win the award, joining Stanley Matthews, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Owen. Lionel Messi, who won in 2012 aged 25, remains the last player aged 27 or younger to claim the men’s prize. (PC: Reuters)

Indian tennis stars Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi have filed nominations for the Sports Person of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections in the All India Tennis Association (AITA), ahead of the November 7 polls. Their entry signals a push for greater representation of prominent players in the federation’s administration. Leander Paes, whose presidential candidature was backed by the Bengal Tennis Association, is absent from the nominees’ list. His omission effectively ends his prospects of contesting for the top post under the current eligibility rules. Paes, the only player in Tier I of the 40-member roster, needed to qualify through the SOM process because he lacked the required tenure as an office-bearer. (PC: PTI)

New Zealand head coach Rob Walter expressed disappointment after his team suffered consecutive defeats against India in the five-match T20I series. India secured both matches by four wickets, taking a 2-0 lead. Walter said New Zealand performed well for nearly 80% of both games but failed to capitalise on crucial opportunities. He also highlighted fielding mistakes and a no-ball that proved costly. Despite the setbacks, Walter praised his players’ efforts, including Glenn Phillips’ batting and Mitchell Santner’s bowling. New Zealand will aim to bounce back in the third T20I in Wellington. (PC: ANI)

India’s PV Sindhu lost to South Korea’s world No. 1 An Se Young in the women’s singles final of the French Open 2026 on Sunday. Sindhu started strongly, winning the opening game 21-16, but An Se Young fought back to take the second game 21-11 and the decider 21-12. The match lasted three games, with the South Korean extending her winning record against Sindhu to 11-0. The victory also secured An Se Young’s third consecutive French Open title. Despite the defeat, Sindhu put up a strong fight against the top-ranked player in world badminton. (PC: NDTV Sports)

Indian-origin British chess player Bodhana Sivanandan has become the youngest female International Master (IM) at the age of 11, breaking a record held by Hungarian chess legend Judit Polgar since 1988.   Bodhana achieved the milestone after defeating Sweden’s Woman International Master Viktoria Johansson at the European Women’s Chess Club Cup in Budva, Montenegro, on Friday. The victory secured her third and final IM norm and helped her cross the required 2,400 rating mark. She scored 5.5 points from 7 games while playing on the top board for her team, She Plays to Win Lionesses. Bodhana is now among the 10 youngest players to achieve the title. (PC: The Hindu)

Indian squash player Anahat Singh’s impressive campaign at the 2026 Silicon Valley Open ended with a semifinal defeat against Malaysia’s Sivasangari Subramaniam in Redwood City, California. The 18-year-old Indian lost 5-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-7 after winning the opening game. Sivasangari recovered strongly to win the next three games and secure her place in the final. Despite the loss, Anahat achieved a major milestone by reaching her maiden PSA Gold-level semifinal. Earlier, she defeated Egyptian stars Nour El Sherbini and Salma Hany, marking a significant breakthrough in her international squash career. (PC: PTI)

India added multiple gold medals at the Asian Para Games on Friday, with Harvinder Singh and debutant Vijay Sundi winning the men’s recurve doubles archery title by defeating China’s Yun Duo and Zhao Lixue 5-1. Nitesh Kumar beat compatriot Pramod Bhagat 21-18, 21-16 in the men’s singles SL3 badminton final, securing gold and leaving Bhagat with silver. Naveen Sivakumar also won men’s SL4 badminton gold after defeating Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9, 21-17. Sandeep claimed gold in the men’s 400m T64, setting a record of 52.28 seconds. India’s tally reached 25 gold, 32 silver and 42 bronze medals, according to Hindustan Times. (PC: AFP)

India swept gold, silver and bronze in the men’s combined F42-44/61-64 javelin event at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Friday. Two-time Paralympic champion Sumit Antil won gold with a throw of 72.46 metres, earning 1,112 points. Mahendra Gurjar secured silver with 59.03 metres and 1,066 points, while Sandip Sanjay Sargar claimed bronze with 64.48 metres and 1,006 points. Both Gurjar and Sargar established new Games Records in their respective categories. Gurjar finished ahead of Sargar on RAZA points, used to rank athletes in combined-class competitions. Antil, a world record holder, could not surpass his personal best of 74.82 metres, set in May. (PC: X)