India batter Devdutt Padikkal produced another outstanding performance against Sri Lanka, scoring 117 runs off 193 balls with 12 fours in the second Test. His century continued a remarkable run after his 167 in the opening Test at Galle. Padikkal has now broken Rahul Dravid’s record for the most runs by an Indian batter in a two-match away Test series. He also became the first visiting-team batter to score multiple centuries while batting at No. 3 in a two-match Test series in Sri Lanka. His consistent performances have strengthened India’s batting and established Padikkal as one of the series’ standout performers. (PC: AFP)

India face Argentina in a crucial do-or-die Hockey World Cup clash on August 24, with their semifinal hopes dependent on both a big victory and favourable results elsewhere. India suffered a 1-3 defeat against the Netherlands, leaving them without points in Pool E. Argentina’s 3-1 win over England, however, kept India mathematically alive. India must beat Argentina by at least three goals and then hope the Netherlands defeat England to improve their goal difference. Captain Harmanpreet Singh, joint tournament top-scorer with six goals, will lead the challenge. Coach Craig Fulton stressed the need for sharper attacking play and greater efficiency. (PC: Hockey India)

India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal was involved in a heated exchange with Sri Lanka pacer Asitha Fernando after his dismissal in the second Test in Colombo. Jaiswal scored 45 off 53 balls, hitting nine fours, before Fernando dismissed him with a delivery that deflected onto the stumps. Fernando gave the Indian batter an animated send-off, leading to an exchange of words. Jaiswal then appeared to make slight head contact with Fernando as the two came face-to-face. Sri Lankan players quickly stepped in to separate them. India lost both openers early after a promising start. (PC: India Today)

India’s men’s hockey team crashed out of the FIH World Cup semifinal race after losing 1-3 to reigning Olympic champions Netherlands in Amstelveen on Saturday. India defended strongly in the first half, but Duco Telgenkamp, Tjep Hoedemakers and Thijs van Dam scored to seal the Dutch victory. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored India’s only goal from a penalty corner in the 52nd minute. India needed a win to keep their semifinal hopes alive but remain without points in the second round. They will face Argentina on Monday before playing the fifth-eighth place classification matches. (PC: X)

India’s Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand won bronze at the BWF World Championships after losing their women’s doubles semi-final in New Delhi. The Indian pair beat three seeded teams on their way to the last four. They started strongly against world No.1 and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu and Tan Ning. Treesa and Gayatri won the first game 21-18. The Chinese pair then changed their approach and won the next two games 21-13 and 21-8. The bronze is India’s first women’s doubles medal at the championships since 2011. Treesa and Gayatri called the tournament a memorable experience.

Lionel Messi has been fined by Major League Soccer after slapping Philadelphia Union player Quinn Sullivan during a heated match. The incident happened in the 101st minute of Miami’s 2-2 draw with Philadelphia. Messi slapped Sullivan on the back of the neck during a tense exchange. MLS rules ban players from hitting an opponent’s head, neck or face. Messi was fined an undisclosed amount. Union midfielder Ian Fray was also fined for a separate incident involving Sullivan. Meanwhile, Sullivan’s red card was overturned after an independent review. Messi scored one goal and provided an assist in the match.

India suffered a 3-1 defeat against the Netherlands in their first second-round match at the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup. The loss has left India’s semi-final hopes in serious danger. The Netherlands controlled much of the match and scored three goals. Thijs van Dam scored the third goal after a quick counter-attack. India’s only goal came from captain Harmanpreet Singh through a penalty corner. India had earlier beaten Wales and Pakistan but lost to England in the first round. They now need a strong result against Argentina in their next match to keep their campaign alive.

The BCCI is struggling to find a title sponsor for India’s home cricket matches. The board received no satisfactory bids by the August 13 deadline, reports said. The BCCI has set a base price of ₹4.75 crore per match. This is higher than the ₹4.2 crore paid by current sponsor IDFC First Bank. The new deal would run for two years and cover about 35 matches. Google Gemini, Spinny and SBI Life are reportedly in talks with the BCCI. Some firms have also bought the tender documents. The high price is believed to be the main reason for weak interest.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been asked not to attend a youth football tournament in the Dominican Republic. The request came from CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani. In a letter, he said Infantino’s presence could take attention away from the children’s matches. The dispute is linked to reported plans to sell a 20% stake in a new World Cup venture to private investors. The proposal has caused criticism from several football bodies. CONCACAF, along with European and Asian football confederations, has questioned Infantino’s leadership. FIFA has not commented. A FIFA presidential election is due next year. (PC: Getty Images)

Former India head coach Rahul Dravid has urged patience with 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, stressing the importance of developing his red-ball skills alongside his success in T20 cricket. Dravid believes Sooryavanshi should gain extensive domestic experience before being considered for Test cricket. The youngster is set to represent East Zone in the Duleep Trophy, providing an important opportunity to strengthen his first-class game. Dravid also highlighted the wider challenge facing Test cricket as T20 leagues expand globally, saying players capable of succeeding across formats are increasingly important. He believes Sooryavanshi could become an exciting future prospect for Test cricket if developed carefully. (PC: X)