West Indies cricket legend Brian Lara has joined former cricketers calling for proper medical care and humane treatment for former Pakistan captain and Prime Minister Imran Khan. In an Instagram post on Saturday, Lara said he was shocked that Khan was not being cared for and called for independent medical attention. Khan, 73, has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi since 2023 after convictions in corruption cases. Concerns over his health have drawn criticism from his family and former cricketers. Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev, Greg Chappell and Pat Cummins have also spoken about Khan’s treatment and need for dignity. (PC: India Today)

India produced a dominant seven-wicket win over Pakistan in their Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A clash in Dubai on Saturday. Pakistan were bowled out for just 55 in 18.1 overs, their lowest-ever score in women’s T20I cricket. India’s spinners led the collapse, with Shree Charani and Prema Rawat taking three wickets each, while Deepti Sharma claimed two. India chased down the target in just 8.4 overs, finishing on 57/3 with 68 balls remaining. The victory gave India their third straight win and the top spot in Group A. Harmanpreet Kaur also became the first cricketer to captain 150 T20I matches. (PC: NDTV)

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has rejected the BCCI’s request for special accommodation for India’s cricketers at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The IOA said the BCCI must either accept the accommodation provided by organisers or arrange separate facilities at its own expense. BCCI concerns reportedly include room-sharing and player facilities. The board plans to send an advance team to Japan next week to inspect the arrangements before taking a final decision. The development highlights the IOA’s policy of equal treatment across India’s sporting contingent, while the BCCI weighs player comfort against additional logistical responsibilities and costs. (PC: AFP)

Indian powerlifter Keyaa Kunal Banerji, 21, has spoken out about severe online abuse following her silver-medal-winning 140kg deadlift at the 2026 IPF World Sub-Junior & Junior Classic Powerlifting Championships in South Africa. Her performance went viral, but the attention reportedly led to sexual harassment, impersonation, offensive comments about her identity, and thousands of AI-generated images using manipulated versions of her face and body without consent. Banerji created a new Instagram account after her private profile was suspended, saying she wants control over her identity and sporting story. She stressed that she simply wants to be known as a girl who enjoys deadlifting. 

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka briefly stopped her third-round US Open match against Kamilla Rakhimova after a strong cannabis smell drifted onto the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Sabalenka alerted chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore, saying the odour was unusually strong and distracting her during play. The interruption was brief, and the two-time defending champion resumed the match and defeated Rakhimova 6-3, 6-4 to reach the fourth round. Sabalenka later urged spectators not to smoke near the courts. Officials investigated the incident, while reports suggested the smell may have been carried from nearby Flushing Meadows-Corona Park by the wind.(PC: X)

Indian opener Smriti Mandhana created history during India’s Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Group A match against Hong Kong in Dubai, surpassing legendary Mithali Raj to become the highest-ever run-scorer in women’s international cricket across all formats. Mandhana crossed Raj’s career tally of 10,868 runs while producing a spectacular 124 off 64 balls, including 14 fours and seven sixes. She reached the landmark at 113 runs with a six in the 18th over. Her innings also delivered her 18th international century, moving her ahead of Meg Lanning. India posted 193/5 and defeated Hong Kong by 137 runs. (PC: NDTV)

Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman will coach India’s men’s cricket team at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. He returns to the role after guiding India to a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou. Laxman, currently associated with the BCCI Centre of Excellence, will be supported by former spinner Sunil Joshi, Hrishikesh Kanitkar and Subhadeep Ghosh. The appointment comes as head coach Gautam Gambhir will be unavailable because of India’s international commitments during the tournament. India will aim to defend its Asian Games cricket title, with the men’s competition scheduled for later this month. 

The Argentine Football Association (AFA) will honor Lionel Messi following his retirement from international football by pausing matches across the country this weekend. Every game, including men’s, women’s, futsal and beach football, will stop in the 10th minute for a 60-second round of applause, reflecting Messi’s iconic No. 10 shirt. Stadiums with video screens will also show a commemorative tribute before matches. Messi, 39, ended his Argentina career after 21 years, becoming the national team’s record appearance holder and top scorer with 125 goals in 207 games. He also led Argentina to the 2022 World Cup and two Copa América titles. (PC: Reuters)

The Nagaland Chief Minister’s Team, representing India, finished sixth in the Classic Tug of War World Championship at the 6th World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan. The 10-member team, led by captain Vechita Khesoh, defeated Brazil, South Korea, Great Britain and Turkey before losing to hosts Kyrgyzstan. India’s participation marked its first appearance in tug of war at the World Nomad Games. The competition is being held from August 31 to September 6 across Bishkek and Cholpon-Ata, featuring around 3,000 athletes from more than 100 countries across 43 traditional sporting disciplines. The Nagaland Tug of War Association praised the team’s performance.

The BCCI has dismissed speculation that Rohit Sharma is set to retire from ODI cricket following its review meeting in Mumbai on September 3. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said there was no reason to fuel retirement rumours, stressing that Rohit remains focused on playing cricket. The veteran batter recently strengthened his case with a century against England at Lord’s. The meeting also discussed India’s ODI roadmap, player fitness, injury management and preparations for the 2027 World Cup. With Rohit continuing to perform strongly, the BCCI’s comments suggest that retirement is not currently imminent, keeping his World Cup hopes alive. (PC: BCCI)