Indian cricket star Smriti Mandhana made her first public appearance after calling off her wedding with music composer Palash Muchhal. Speaking at the Amazon Smbhav Summit 2025, she avoided personal details but stated that nothing matters more to her than cricket. Mandhana said she stays focused by avoiding overthinking and draws strength from wearing the India jersey. Reports earlier confirmed that the wedding was cancelled due to personal and family reasons. Her appearance and statements signal a clear prioritisation of her cricketing career as she prepares for upcoming national and international commitments. (PC: NDTV)

Smriti Mandhana opened up about her 12-year cricket journey in her first public appearance since calling off her marriage with musician Palash Mucchal. Speaking at the Amazon Smbhav Summit Wednesday, India's vice-captain declared, "I don't think I love anything more than cricket. Wearing that Indian jersey is the motivation that drives us." Reflecting on November's World Cup triumph, she called it "a reward for the battle we fought over years." The presence of veterans Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami at the final made emotions run high. "Seeing tears in their eyes made it feel like women's cricket itself was winning," she said, describing it as a victory for all.

President Droupadi Murmu honoured India’s women boxers on Wednesday after their strong performance at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. She met the medal winners at Rashtrapati Bhavan and praised their “exceptional performances.” Jaismine Lamboria and Minakshi Hooda won gold medals, Nupur Sheoran took silver, and Pooja Rani won bronze. India finished the event with four medals in total. Minakshi defeated Paris 2024 bronze medallist Nazym Kyzaibay to win the 48 kg title. The President said their achievements highlight India’s growing strength in world boxing. Twenty Indian boxers competed, including Olympians Lovlina Borgohain and Nikhat Zareen. (PC: X/@rashtrapatibhvn)

Sarwagya Singh Kushwaha, a three-year-old boy from Madhya Pradesh, has become the youngest chess player to earn an official FIDE rating. Born in 2022, he received a rapid rating of 1572, well above the minimum 1400. Sarwagya won five of the eight rated games he played, defeating opponents much older than him. He began playing chess at two-and-a-half and now spends four to five hours a day practising, plus coaching sessions and video lessons. His father said the boy learned quickly and showed strong focus. Chess players and fans online have praised his achievement, calling it “incredible.” (PC: X)

Smriti Mandhana made her first public appearance after calling off her wedding. She said she “doesn’t love anything in life more than cricket” while speaking at an event with captain Harmanpreet Kaur. Mandhana recently helped India win the Women’s World Cup and has now been named vice-captain for the T20I series against Sri Lanka. She said wearing the India jersey makes her forget all personal problems. “You have a responsibility when India is written on it,” she said. Mandhana also said team disagreements are normal and show passion. She and composer Palash Muchhal cancelled their wedding on December 7.

Virat Kohli is now second in the ICC ODI rankings for batters. The Indian star scored 302 runs in the three-match series against South Africa. His performance included centuries in Ranchi and Raipur. Kohli’s rating is now 773, just eight points behind teammate Rohit Sharma, who leads with 781. New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Afghanistan’s Ibrahim Zadran are third and fourth. Kohli was last ranked No.1 in March 2021. He was named Player of the Series as India won the series 2-1. Kohli’s rise shows he is in top form and ready to reclaim the top spot. (PC: India Today)

India's women's cricket team announced their squad for the five-match T20I series against Sri Lanka, marking their return after winning the Women's Cricket World Cup in November. Star opener Smriti Mandhana was included alongside two uncapped players: 17-year-old wicket-keeper Gunalan Kamalini and 19-year-old left-arm spinner Vaishnavi Sharma, both U-19 World Cup winners. Kamalini, who played for Mumbai Indians in WPL, scored 143 runs in seven U-19 matches. Vaishnavi was the top wicket-taker in multiple domestic tournaments with impressive performances. The squad sees three changes from England series: injured Yastika Bhatia, Radha Yadav, and Sayali Satghare miss out. The series begins December 21 in Visakhapatnam.(PC: Times Now & The Statesman)

Hardik Pandya delivered a match-winning all-round performance in his comeback game after three months, leading India to a crushing 101-run victory over South Africa in Cuttack. Scoring an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls when India struggled at 78/4, he propelled the team to 175/6 before claiming a wicket in South Africa's collapse to 74. Returning from injury sustained during the Asia Cup, Pandya revealed he spent 50 days at the National Cricket Academy, away from loved ones, working on his fitness. When asked about his bowling role, he emphasized his team-first mentality: "It's not about what Hardik Pandya wants; it matters what India wants. That's my biggest USP."(PC: NDTV Sports)

India crushed South Africa by 101 runs in their T20 World Cup preparation match in Cuttack, but the dominant win masks a critical flaw. Shubman Gill's inclusion has significantly weakened India's aggressive top-order approach. Since his return during the Asia Cup, India has crossed 200 just once in 13 matches, compared to six 200+ scores in 12 matches with the Abhishek-Sanju Samson opening pair. Despite scoring three T20I centuries last year, Samson sits out while Gill, the vice-captain struggles to justify his spot. India collapsed to 17/2 before Hardik Pandya's late assault saved them. With the World Cup approaching, India must decide: Does Gill truly belong, or is hierarchy trumping performance? (PC: India Today)

Jasprit Bumrah made history in Cuttack by becoming the first Indian bowler to take 100 wickets in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. He reached the milestone in the first T20I against South Africa by dismissing Dewald Brevis. Bumrah is now the fifth bowler in world cricket to achieve this record. He has 234 Test wickets, 149 ODI wickets and 101 T20I wickets. India dominated the match, scoring 175 for 6 before bowling out South Africa for just 74, their lowest T20I total. Hardik Pandya hit an unbeaten 59, while Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy also took key wickets. (PC: India Today)