Sports

Cricket will return for the 2026 Asian Games, while Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) will debut at the event, scheduled in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4.

This will be cricket’s fourth appearance at the Games since its debut in Guangzhou 2010. Although early editions lacked international status, ICC granted full international status to matches in Asian Games 2023, a practice expected to continue in 2026.

On 28 April 2025, in the IPL T20 match at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, Rajasthan Royals defeated Gujarat Titans by eight wickets. Chasing a target of 210 runs, Rajasthan Royals scored 212/2 in just 15.5 overs.

Vaibhav Suryavanshi smashed a historic century (101 runs off 38 balls) and was named Player of the Match. He became the youngest centurion in IPL history at 14 years and 32 days, surpassing records held by Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, and Devdutt Padikkal. His century was also the second fastest in IPL history, behind Chris Gayle, and the fastest by an Indian, overtaking Yusuf Pathan’s record.

Yashasvi Jaiswal also contributed with an unbeaten 70 runs.

Earlier, Gujarat Titans, after being put to bat, scored 209/4. Shubman Gill top-scored with 84 runs, while Jos Buttler added an unbeaten 50, and Sai Sudharsan made 39 runs. For Rajasthan, Maheesh Theekshana took two wickets, and Jofra Archer and Sandeep Sharma took one each. For Gujarat, Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan took a wicket apiece.

India delivered a dominant performance at the Asian Yogasana Sport Championship, securing a record 83 gold medals to top the medal tally at the event held in Delhi on 27 April 2025. India finished with a total of 87 medals (83 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze), far ahead of Japan, which won 3 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals. Mongolia, Oman, and Nepal completed the top five standings.

Other strong performers included Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Kazakhstan, and Bhutan, reflecting yogasana’s growing popularity across Asia. The championship featured participation from over 21 countries and concluded with a grand closing ceremony attended by Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, along with officials from the Asian and World Yogasana federations.

Indian Grandmaster Koneru Humpy won the Pune FIDE Women’s Grand Prix on 23 April 2025, finishing with 7/9 points after defeating Bulgarian IM Nurgyul Salimova. Chinese GM Zhu Jiner also scored 7/9 by winning her final game, but was placed second on tiebreaks. Both players will share the Grand Prix points and prize money.

Humpy’s win significantly boosts her chances of qualifying for the next Women’s Candidates Tournament. Indian IM Divya Deshmukh secured third place with 5.5/9 points after drawing her final game.

Churchill Brothers FC Goa clinched the I-League 2024-25 title on April 19, 2025, following a ruling by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) Appeals Committee. The club had provisionally finished at the top of the league table with 40 points after the final round of matches on April 6, 2025. However, the championship was delayed due to a dispute involving second-placed Inter Kashi, whose appeal regarding points from a controversial match on January 13, 2025, was dismissed.

This victory marks a historic achievement for Churchill Brothers, as they earned promotion to the Indian Super League (ISL) for the first time. The ruling brought closure to one of the most dramatic seasons in Indian domestic football.

Himanshu Jakhar made history by winning India’s first-ever gold medal at the Asian U18 Athletics Championships in the men’s javelin throw held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. His throw of 67.57 meters, although below his personal best of 74.56 meters, secured the top spot on the podium.

With this, India ended the championship with 11 medals: 1 Gold, 5 Silver and 5 Bronze

Other key performances:

• Devak Bhusan won silver in men’s high jump with a leap of 2.03 meters, behind Kuwait’s Mohammad Alduaij (2.05 meters).
• Aarti won bronze in women’s 200m (22.41 seconds) and had earlier claimed bronze in the 100m.
• The men’s medley relay team (Chiranth P, Sayed Sabeer, Saket Minj, Kadir Khan) secured silver, finishing in 1:52.15, behind China.
• The women’s medley relay team did not finish due to a baton drop.

At the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Lima, Peru, the Indian duo Inder Singh Suruchi and Saurabh Chaudhary won the gold medal in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, defeating China’s Qianxun Yao and Kai Hu 17-9 in the final.

Meanwhile, the Indian pair Manu Bhakar and Ravinder Singh narrowly missed a bronze, losing to China’s Qianke Ma and Yifan Zhang.

World number one Magnus Carlsen of Norway won the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam 2025 in Paris by defeating American GM Hikaru Nakamura 1.5-0.5, earning $200,000. Nakamura secured second place with $140,000. Fabiano Caruana beat Vincent Keymer for third place, winning $100,000 and a spot in the Las Vegas Grand Slam.

Indian GM Arjun Erigaisi claimed fifth place with a 1.5-0.5 win over France’s Maxime Vachier-Lagrave, earning $50,000. Arjun will next compete at the Grenke Freestyle Open starting April 17.

Bihar will host the 7th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 from 4th to 15th May across cities like Patna, Gaya, Rajgir, Begusarai, and Bhagalpur. The mascot “Gajsimha”, symbolizing the strength of an elephant and the courage of a lion, was unveiled along with the logo by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Sports Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya. The mascot is inspired by the Pala dynasty’s heritage from Nalanda and Bodhgaya, while the logo reflects Bihar’s rich culture and the enthusiasm of youth, using vibrant orange.

Over 8,500 athletes and 10,000 delegates are expected to participate, making it the second-largest sporting event in India after the National Games. The games will feature 27 sports disciplines, including traditional events like Malkhamb, along with volleyball, football, basketball, boxing, kabaddi, and 18 events in Athletics and Sepak Takraw.

Sourav Ganguly, former Indian cricket captain, has been reappointed as the chairperson of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee as of April 13, 2025. He first took on the role in 2021, succeeding Anil Kumble.

The ICC Men’s Cricket Committee advises the ICC Board on key areas such as playing conditions, rule changes, and the sport’s long-term development. Under Ganguly’s leadership, the committee aims to further modernize and grow the game globally.

Joining him on the committee are prominent names like VVS Laxman, Temba Bavuma, Hamid Hassan, Desmond Haynes, and Jonathan Trott, bringing diverse and global perspectives.

Ganguly’s reappointment signals the ICC’s trust in his vision and progressive leadership, promising positive strides for the future of cricket.

The Indian archery duo of Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Rishabh Yadav won the gold medal in the compound mixed team event at the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Florida, USA, on April 12, 2025. They defeated Chinese Taipei’s Huang I-Jou and Chen Chieh-Lun with a score of 153-151.

After a slow start, losing the first two series, the Indian pair staged a strong comeback, dominating the final two rounds. This was Rishabh Yadav’s first World Cup gold and Jyothi’s 11th. Notably, they became the first-ever champions in this category since it was officially added to the Olympic program for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Mohun Bagan Super Giant won the 2024-25 Indian Super League (ISL) title with a 2-1 victory over Bengaluru FC on April 12, 2025, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan Stadium, Kolkata. Bengaluru took the lead via an own goal by Alberto Rodríguez in the 49th minute, but Jason Cummings equalized with a penalty in the 72nd minute. Greg Maclaren scored the winning goal in extra time, sealing the title.

This marked Mohun Bagan’s second ISL title (after 2022-23) and made them only the second team after Mumbai City FC to win both the League Winners Shield and ISL Cup in the same season.

The Indian men’s recurve archery team—Dhiraj Bommadevara, Atanu Das, and Tarundeep Rai—has reached the final of the Archery World Cup Stage 1 in Florida, USA. They defeated Spain 6-2 in the semi-finals on April 10, 2025, after a 6-2 win over Indonesia in the quarterfinals.

The team will face China in the final on Sunday evening.

India continued its dominance in shooting at the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with stellar performances on April 8, 2025, by Suruchi Singh and Vijayveer Sidhu.

• Suruchi Singh, just 18 years old, won her first-ever gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event, defeating top Chinese contenders. With a final score of 244.6, she outshot China’s Qian Wei and Jiang Ranxin, securing a major international breakthrough.
• Vijayveer Sidhu made history by becoming the first Indian ever to win gold in the men’s 25m rapid fire pistol. His composed, world-class performance reaffirmed his place among India’s elite shooters.

These victories lifted India to the top of the medal tally, with a total of 4 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze, marking a remarkable run at the event. This performance reflects India’s growing prowess in shooting and raises high hopes for upcoming Olympic shooting events.

Indian shooter Rudrankksh Balasaheb Patil won the gold medal in the men’s 10m air rifle event at the ISSF World Cup 2025 in Buenos Aires on April 6, 2025. This is Patil’s second individual World Cup gold, having previously won the title at the 2023 Cairo edition.

Local favorite Marcelo Julian Gutierrez secured bronze with a score of 230.1. India now jointly leads the medal tally alongside China, with both countries winning 2 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze so far. The USA also has two golds and ranks third, while Hungary secured one gold medal. There are still eight finals left in the competition.

Meanwhile, Arjun Babuta, who finished fourth in the Paris 2024 Olympics, ended seventh in the final with a score of 144.9, narrowly missing the podium again. Kiran Ankush Jadhav, who shot 631.5 in qualifications, did not compete in the final as he was participating under Ranking Points Only (RPO).

This victory marked India’s fourth medal at the first ISSF World Cup of the 2025 season.

Hitesh Gulia has etched his name in the annals of Indian boxing history by clinching the gold medal at the prestigious World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 on 6 April 2025. Competing in the 70kg weight category, Gulia emerged victorious in the final held at Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. His opponent, Odel Kamara of England, was unable to compete due to injury, granting Gulia a walkover.

This remarkable achievement marks the first time an Indian boxer has won gold at the World Boxing Cup. Gulia’s journey to the final was nothing short of extraordinary, as he defeated French Olympian Makan Traore with a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision in the semifinals. A sailor with the Indian Navy, Gulia has consistently showcased his prowess, having previously won gold at the Senior National Boxing Championships and the Uttarakhand National Games.

India’s campaign at the World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 concluded with an impressive haul of six medals: one gold, one silver, and four bronze. This milestone not only highlights Gulia’s individual brilliance but also underscores the growing strength of Indian boxing on the global stage.

On April 4, 2025, Hitesh made history by becoming the first Indian boxer to reach the final of the Boxing World Cup 2025, held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. He secured a dominant 5-0 victory over Makan Traore of France in the men’s 70kg semifinal.

Hitesh is a rising Indian boxer known for his speed and precision in the ring. Hailing from Haryana, he has steadily climbed the national boxing ranks, earning recognition for his dedication, discipline, and powerful performance in the 70kg weight category.

Meanwhile, three other Indian boxers — Jadumani Singh (50kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), and Vishal (90kg) — earned bronze medals after reaching the semifinals in their respective categories.

On April 3, 2025, Indian boxers Manish Rathore, Hitesh, and Abhinash Jamwal advanced to the semifinals of their respective weight categories at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil, guaranteeing three more medals for India.

• Abhinash Jamwal defeated Germany’s Dennis Brill in the 65 kg category by unanimous decision.
• Hitesh triumphed over Italy’s Gabriele Guidi Rontani in the 70 kg division.
• Manish Rathore beat Australia’s Yusuf Chotia in the 55 kg category.

In the upcoming semifinals:

• Rathore will face Nursultan Altynbek of Kazakhstan
• Hitesh will take on Makan Traoré
• Jamwal will fight Gianluigi Malanga of Italy

India now looks forward to turning these guaranteed medals into gold.

On April 1, 2025, young Indian equestrian Niharika Singhania secured first place at the prestigious Azelhof CSI Lier competition in Belgium. Competing against international riders, she showcased exceptional skill and composure.

Niharika participated in the Two Phases special event, riding Hotese Charboniere, and finished with 40.72 and 40.34 penalty points, earning gold.

Rajgir, Bihar, will host the Hero Asia Cup Hockey 2025 from August 29 to September 7 at the newly developed Rajgir Hockey Stadium. This will be the second international event in Rajgir, following the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in 2024.

Eight teams, including India, Pakistan, Japan, Korea, China, and Malaysia, will compete, with two additional teams qualifying through the AHF Cup. South Korea leads the tournament’s history with five titles, while India and Pakistan have won three each.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the event was signed between Hockey India and the Bihar State Sports Authority at the Patliputra Sports Complex. Present at the signing were Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh, Bihar Sports Department’s Additional Chief Secretary B. Rajender, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, and Indian team captain Harmanpreet Singh. Approximately 20,000 spectators are expected, with officials highlighting the tournament’s role in boosting Bihar’s sports infrastructure.