India's men's cricket team sent heartfelt messages to the Women's team ahead of their ICC Women's World Cup final against South Africa in Mumbai on November 2. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, currently in Australia for the T20I series, led the wishes: "Be fearless, don't be scared of making mistakes, you've already made the entire country proud." T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Sanju Samson, and Shubman Gill also contributed encouraging messages. India seeks their first ICC trophy after heartbreaks in 2017 and 2023. The team's stunning semi-final victory over Australia, featuring Jemimah Rodrigues' unbeaten 127 and Harmanpreet Kaur's 89, has ignited hopes for a historic win.

Cricket fans expressed outrage Friday after ICC Women's World Cup Final tickets were marked "Sold Out" on BookMyShow before any official sale announcement. The ticketing page reportedly switched from "Coming Soon" to "Sold Out" within minutes, prompting allegations of mismanagement and black marketing against BCCI and organizers. BookMyShow responded claiming tickets sold out due to "overwhelming response" but didn't specify when sales went live. An earlier "Exclusive Pre-Sale with Google Pay" ran October 22-24, followed by general sale October 24 at 7 PM IST, but no subsequent updates were issued. The India vs. South Africa final will be held at DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Neither BCCI nor BookMyShow has issued formal clarification.

Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna announced his retirement on Saturday, ending a celebrated 20-year professional career. The 45-year-old's final appearance was at the Paris Masters 1000 with Alexander Bublik, losing 5-7, 6-2, 10-8 to John Peers and James Tracy in Round of 32. The two-time Grand Slam champion won the 2017 French Open mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski and achieved his crowning glory in 2024, capturing the Australian Open men's doubles title and reaching World No. 1 at age 43. Bopanna reached five Grand Slam finals throughout his career. In an emotional social media post, he thanked his family, coaches, and fans, vowing to help young Indian tennis dreamers pursue their ambitions. (PC: X)

The FIDE World Cup trophy was renamed the "Viswanathan Anand Trophy" during Friday's opening ceremony in Goa, honoring India's five-time World Champion. Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and FIDE chief Arkady Dvorkovich attended the unveiling. World Women Chess Cup holder Divya Deshmukh conducted the draw of lots, with odd numbers playing black pieces in round one. The $2 million prize money tournament features 206 players from 80 countries competing across eight knockout rounds of classical games. The FIDE World Cup 2025 will award three qualifying spots to the Candidates 2026, which serves as the gateway to the next World Championship match.

BCCI is escalating the Asia Cup trophy dispute at ICC's November 4 quarterly meeting, over a month after India's victory. Joint Secretary Devajit Saikia expressed frustration, confirming BCCI wrote to ACC chairman ten days ago without response. He hopes the trophy reaches Mumbai within two days, warning formal ICC escalation otherwise. The controversy began after India's September 28 final victory when they refused accepting the trophy from ACC president Mohsin Naqvi, also Pakistan's interior minister and PCB chairman. The trophy was removed from the presentation stage, leaving India celebrating without silverware. Naqvi demands India send a representative to receive it from him. Saikia assured fans: "The trophy will come back to India." (PC: NDTV Sports & X)

Jemimah Rodrigues became a national hero after her unbeaten 127 led India to victory over Australia and into the Women’s ODI World Cup final. The 24-year-old star’s stunning innings came just a year after she faced a major setback when her gymkhana membership was revoked over a religious controversy involving her father. Jemimah said she battled anxiety and mental struggles before her comeback. “I have almost cried every day through this tour. God took care of everything,” she said after being named Player of the Match. India will face the winner of the second semifinal in Sunday’s final. (PC: X)

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has pledged to perform a musical jam-session with women's team star Jemimah Rodrigues—who plays guitar—if the Indian women’s side clinch the World Cup. During a recent media interaction, Gavaskar expressed his admiration for Jemimah’s talent on the instrument and said a duet would be his celebratory tribute. The promise adds a fun cultural spin to the tournament hype, blending sports achievement with musical celebration. 

India suffered a major batting collapse at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, getting bowled out for just 125 in the second T20I against Australia. Josh Hazlewood led the damage with three quick wickets, as India failed to complete their 20 overs. Despite a 56-run stand between Abhishek Sharma and Harshit Rana, the visitors never recovered. Australia chased down the target easily, winning by four wickets with 40 balls left. Captain Mitchell Marsh scored a quick 46, while Travis Head gave a strong start. The win gave Australia a 1-0 lead in the five-match series after the first game was washed out. (PC: India Today)

Cricket star Virat Kohli congratulated the Indian women’s team after their epic victory over Australia in the 2025 Women’s World Cup semi-final. India chased down a daunting 339 runs—the highest successful chase in women’s ODI history—with an unbeaten 127 by Jemimah Rodrigues. Kohli described the win as a “true display of resilience, belief and passion”, praising the side and Rodrigues for their standout performance. He applauded the “great chase by the girls” against a mighty opponent. (PC: India Today)  

Australian captain Alyssa Healy has hinted that the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup might be her final appearance in the format after Australia’s shocking semi-final loss to India. Reflecting on the defeat, Healy admitted that the team “didn’t do themselves justice” and credited India for their composed chase led by Jemimah Rodrigues. Despite a strong campaign, Healy expressed disappointment over missed chances in crucial moments. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter, who has been a cornerstone of Australian cricket, said she will reassess her future but likely won’t feature in the next ODI World Cup. (PC: AP)