Squash Tour 2025-26 expanded to six cities as a boost to India's ambitions for 2028 Olympics

Pointers by Sushmita Shetty

01-Aug-2025

The 2025-26 India Squash Tour spans six cities, including new hosts Delhi and Ahmedabad.
Tour kicks off in Jaipur (August 4-8) and includes Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Ahmedabad, and Delhi.
The Professional Squash Association-sanctioned Challenger events offer critical ranking points and prize money.
Equal prize money will be awarded to men and women, with tournaments featuring a 24-player knockout format.
The tour aims to raise India's profile and readiness ahead of squash’s 2028 Los Angeles Olympics debut.

BCCI Clarifies Sarfaraz Khan’s Absence

Pointers by Naima Syed

25-Sep-2025

Sarfaraz Khan is out of the Test series due to a quadriceps injury, as confirmed by BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar.
Devdutt Padikkal returns to the India Test squad, replacing Karun Nair who was dropped for inconsistent form.
Ravindra Jadeja has been appointed vice-captain in place of injured Rishabh Pant.
Dhruv Jurel will be the first-choice wicketkeeper, with N Jagadeesan as backup.
The two Test matches begin October 2 in Ahmedabad and October 10 in Delhi, with India aiming for strong World Test Championship points.

Pointers by Naima Syed

25-Sep-2025

India announced a 15-member Test squad for the two-match series against West Indies starting October 2 in Ahmedabad and Delhi.
Ravindra Jadeja has been named vice-captain, replacing injured Rishabh Pant, who is out due to a fractured foot.
Jasprit Bumrah, despite fitness concerns and recent workload, has been included in the squad as a key pacer.
Karun Nair was dropped from the squad following a poor batting performance during the recent England tour.
Shubman Gill will captain the team, with the squad retaining most players from the England series, focusing on World Test Championship points.

Pointers by Naima Syed

24-Sep-2025

Haris Rauf and Sahibzada Farhan faced criticism for provocative gestures against India, including Rauf’s “6-0” and fighter jet mimics and Farhan’s gun-firing celebration.
The gestures referenced Pakistan’s disputed claim of shooting down six Indian jets in a recent military conflict, adding political sensitivity to the cricket match.
Shaheen Afridi defended the players, saying everyone has the right to express themselves, but emphasized the team’s focus remains on playing cricket and winning.
Afridi admitted the team isn’t mature in handling celebrations but stressed their main goal is success in the Asia Cup.
India won the matches despite the controversy, and a possible Asia Cup final meeting between the teams is anticipated.

Pointers by Naima Syed

23-Sep-2025

Mohanlal received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest cinematic honor, at the 71st National Film Awards in New Delhi.
He is the youngest and second Malayalam cinema personality to receive the award, recognizing his four-decade contribution.
Mohanlal dedicated the award to the Malayalam film industry, highlighting it as a tribute to its legacy and creativity.
The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu, with Mohanlal receiving a standing ovation.
Other notable winners included Shah Rukh Khan, Vikrant Massey, and Rani Mukerji.

Pointers by Naima Syed

23-Sep-2025

Bangladesh spinner Sheikh Mahedi Hasan said the team treats every match normally, without overthinking whether the opponent is India or Australia.
Bangladesh defeated Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup Super Four, boosting team confidence before facing India led by Suryakumar Yadav.
Despite India’s dominant T20 record over Bangladesh, Mahedi emphasized that the match outcome depends on the situation on the day, not past results.
Bangladesh’s spin attack could challenge India on Dubai’s slow pitches, where India sometimes struggles against quality spin.
Mahedi urged ignoring media hype and social media narratives, focusing instead on playing calmly and professionally like any international match.