The last Pool stage match of the Women’s Hockey India League (HIL) 2024-25 witnessed Soorma Hockey Club defeat Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers 4-2 at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Munda Astro Turf Hockey Stadium here on Friday. With this victory, Soorma Hockey Club set up the Final clash against Odisha Warriors on 26 January.

Charlotte Englebert (1’, 17’, 47’) dominated the game, scoring a superb hattrick while Hina Bano (9’) pitched in with a goal for Soorma. Captain Vandana Katariya (48’) and Shilpi Dabas (58') found the back of the net in the last quarter but were unable to change the outcome of the game. Charlotte Englebert took the Tigers by surprise as soon as the game began by picking up a loose pass from the top of the circle and thundering a shot past the goalkeeper Grace O’Hanlon. Soorma, after gaining the early advantage in the game, maintained the pressure high up the pitch in the minutes that followed.

India's premier T20 spinner, Varun Chakravarthy, has credited his strong performances in domestic cricket as a key factor behind his resurgence in international cricket.

The 33-year-old, who played a pivotal role in India’s victory in the first T20I against England, stated that his participation in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) and Vijay Hazare Trophy after India’s South Africa tour helped him maintain rhythm and form.

Chakravarthy, named Player of the Match in the first T20I, emphasised the importance of domestic tournaments in sharpening skills and adapting to challenging conditions.

“Definitely the level of cricket in domestic cricket is very high. I would say almost on par with IPL and the other international matches we play,” he remarked during a press interaction in Chennai on the eve of the second T20I.

Chakravarthy highlighted the challenges faced by bowlers in the SMAT, where matches are often played on smaller grounds, making it difficult to contain aggressive batting.

After a seven-wicket loss in the first T20I in Kolkata, England's top-order batter Harry Brook has emphasised the importance of maintaining relentless pressure on India’s bowling attack in the second game of the five-match series. The match will take place at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Saturday, with the visitors aiming to level the series at 1-1.

Brook candidly praised India’s performance in the opening game, admitting the hosts executed their plans exceptionally well. “India is a very good side, so we knew what they were gonna hit us with, and yeah, they played an exceptional game,” Brook said during a pre-match press conference.

Despite the setback, Brook remains optimistic and stressed that England’s philosophy under head coach Brendon McCullum, who is serving his first series as thenew white remains unchanged. “We just need to keep pushing, the same messaging Baz has been saying throughout. We need to look to put pressure on their bowlers and try to take wickets throughout their innings. You've always got to go a little bit above and beyond to exceed.”

Ravindra Jadeja put on a vintage display of spin bowling on a turning track in Rajkot, taking a match haul of 12 wickets and steering Saurashtra to a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over Delhi inside two days in their Ranji Trophy Group D clash at Niranjan Shah Stadium.

The emphatic win kept Saurashtra firmly in contention for a knockout spot while leaving Delhi's chances hanging by a thread.

The match began with Saurashtra opting to bowl first on a rank turner, a deliberate move by skipper Jaydev Unadkat to exploit their spin strength. After bowling out Delhi for 188 runs in the first innings, Saurashtra posted a challenging 271 in their first innings, thanks to gritty contributions from their middle order.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar has expressed confidence in pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's leadership abilities and said he possesses the temperament and intelligence required to succeed as a captain.

Bumrah led India in the first and fifth Tests of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia in the absence of regular skipper Rohit Sharma. India won the series opener in Perth by 295 runs, whereas in the last Test in Sydney, the visiting team suffered a six-wicket defeat.

“Purely based on his skill, without a doubt. Captaincy also depends on the captain-coach relationship and how their wavelengths align. If Bumrah gets the right support, like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli had, he could grow into a great leader. He has shown that he has the temperament and intelligence needed to succeed as a captain," Bangar said in the latest episode of Star Sports' Deep Point.

India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav does not want to be just a captain but a leader of the group. He reflected on his thoughts before the second T20I against England in Chennai.

Suryakumar-led India defeated England by seven wickets in the series opener at Eden Gardens on Wednesday. The home side took an early 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.

"I feel I don’t just want to be a captain; I want to be a leader. If we want to achieve something as a group, everyone has to be on the same page. These are the small things I keep telling them - the basics, good habits to follow on the ground and off the field. And when you step onto the ground, just leave your body and enjoy what’s happening," Suryakumar said on Hotstar's special show 'Superstars'.

Some of the Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) executive council members slammed president PT Usha for the creation of the ad-hoc panel for the Bihar Olympic Association, claiming they were not aware of such a decision taken by the IOA Executive Council, nor were consulted.

In a letter attributed to IOA chief PT Usha, the IOA Executive Council members Amitabh Sharma, Rohit Rajpal and senior vice president Ajay Patel said they disagree with the creation of this committee and request that the matter be presented to the Executive Council for consideration with supporting facts.

"This is in regard to the above-cited subject (Creating of Adhoc Committee, Bihar Olympic Association) and I wish to state that we as Executive Council members are not aware of such a decision taken by the Executive Council of IOA nor was it consulted with us. We are not in agreement with the creation of this committee and would request that the matter be brought to the EC for consideration with facts," the letter read.

Earlier this month, the IOA dissolved the Bihar Olympic Association for lack of governance, transparency and administrative inefficiency, and the IOA chief formed a five-member ad-hoc committee led by Hockey India secretary general Bholanath Singh to take interim charge of BOA and conduct fresh elections by March 31.

Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar said he has a strong belief in Rohit Sharma having the autonomy to decide when he retires from international cricket, though he thinks the selectors could also have a say in it. As India suffered a 3-1 Test series loss in Australia, Rohit made just 31 runs in five innings, and his decision to stand down from the Sydney Test increased speculation on his international future.

"I believe that in Indian cricket, Tendulkar decided his future, and Rohit Sharma will decide his future. Retirement is a personal decision—how long you want to play or how much more you want to contribute is up to the player. Ultimately, though, it’s also up to the selectors—in this case, Mr. Ajit Agarkar and his team," said Manjrekar on an episode of 'Deep Point' podcast by Star Sports.

Manjrekar also suggested that Virat Kohli should consider playing a season of County cricket in England to enhance his Test game in English conditions ahead of the five-match Test series in June, citing Cheteshwar Pujara’s example.

Though the County season is clashing with the Indian Premier League (IPL), Kohli can still play red-ball games in England if he becomes a part of India ‘A’ squad for the shadow series ahead of the main Test series. Kohli didn’t have a great Australia tour, as it was marred by him being dismissed while chasing outside off-stump balls all the time.

The Indian men's hockey team defender Jarmanpreet Singh expressed his elation after receiving the Arjuna Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Friday and said, "Nothing comes closer to this feeling". Jarmanpreet was instrumental in the Indian team's second successive bronze medal finish at the Olympics in Paris last year. India beat Spain 2-1 in the bronze medal match, coming back from a goal down.

The Indian hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh was also awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award along with fellow Paris Olympics and Paralympics medallists - Manu Bhaker (shooting) and Praveen Kumar (para-athlete) and World Chess Champion Gukesh D. at a function held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Jarmanpreet said this recognition will inspire youngsters to play hockey and dedicated his accolade to his family and supporters.

India skipper Niki Prasad said her team’s objective is to win the 2025 U19 Women’s T20 World Cup and successfully defend the title they won under Shafali Verma’s leadership in 2023. India are the defending champions in the tournament starting in Malaysia on Saturday, after having won the first edition in South Africa in 2023. They also come in on the back of winning the inaugural U19 Women’s Asia Cup in Malaysia last month.

“The objective is very clear. To win this tournament and successfully defend the title which India won in the previous edition. It also happened to be the first edition of the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup. We are here to play a brand of cricket which will help us win the trophy and make our country and supporters proud,” said Niki in an ICC statement.

England, runners-up from the 2023 edition, are looking to go one step further in 2025. “As a team, we are looking to play with positive intent throughout the competition, along with enjoying the ride and taking every opportunity that is thrown at us to maximise the experience and obviously with the intent to win!” said captain Abi Norgrave.