Wishing our readers a very good morning. Wednesday, A historic day in Football and cricket, while the Indian Premier League is heading towards its end, let’s dive into some highlights of the big games and stories around the world.
SPORTS FLASH
Star bowler Rested as India Announced Test & ODI Squad Against Afghanistan
Image Source - AI
India has announced balanced squads for the upcoming Test and ODI series against Afghanistan, with selectors mixing experienced names and fresh talent. Shubman Gill will lead both sides, while KL Rahul replaces Rishabh Pant as Test vice-captain and Shreyas Iyer becomes Gill’s deputy in ODIs.
Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja have been rested, while Ishan Kishan returns to the ODI setup.
Youngsters Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey, Manav Suthar and Prince Yadav earned maiden call-ups.
Test Squad: Shubman Gill(C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul(VC), Sai Sudharsan, Rishabh Pant(WK), Devdutt Padikkal, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Manav Suthar, Gurnoor Brar, Harsh Dubey and Dhruv Jurel(WK).
ODI Squad: Shubman Gill(C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer(VC), KL Rahul(WK), Ishan Kishan(WK), Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Prince Yadav, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.
QUICK LOOK
Arsenal Ends the 22-Year Wait and Secures the Premier League Title
Image Source - AI
After years of heartbreak and near misses, Arsenal F.C. are finally Premier League champions again. Mikel Arteta’s side ended the club’s 22-year title drought after Manchester City dropped points against Bournemouth. From back-to-back runner-up finishes to lifting the trophy, Arsenal’s patient rebuild has finally paid off — and North London is celebrating again.
Bangladesh scripted history in Sylhet, beating Pakistan by 78 runs to seal a memorable 2-0 Test series sweep. Taijul Islam starred with the ball as Pakistan’s fightback fell short.
Neymar’s World Cup dream is alive. Despite fitness concerns, Brazil boss Neymar included the veteran forward in Brazil’s final 26-man squad, alongside stars Vinícius Jr. and Raphinha, for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Virat Kohli revealed he stepped down from India’s Test captaincy because the pressure and constant scrutiny left him mentally exhausted, saying even victories came with endless expectations and questions around his performances.
TASTY TRIVIA
Scottish Dravid
Image Source - RCB X
Did you know: Indian legend, also known as ‘The Wall’, Rahul Dravid, has also played for Scotland in his professional career. During the 2003 Domestic Cricket Season, He was signed as an overseas professional to play in English domestic one-day matches (National Cricket League) and tour matches, participating in 11 games where he scored 600 runs at an average of 66.66.
Rahul did this job to gain match experience and help boost the country's domestic cricket performance. India's head coach at the time, John Wright, suggested Dravid for the role to build on his momentum following the 2003 World Cup.
IPL CORNER
Top Stories From IPL This Week
Image Source - AI
Vaibhav Suryavanshi, in a race to surpass Universe Boss, has smashed 53 sixes in this season and now only Chris Gayle is ahead of him, as he smashed 59 in 2012.
With the help of Suryavanshi’s 93, RR is now ahead in the race to the playoffs for the only spot left in the top four. RR down LSG as they chased down 221.
Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Mumbai Indians at home and will try to keep their hopes of playoffs alive, while Mumbai, with the comeback of big names, will surely be eying to ruin KKR’s party.
GAMES TO WATCH
Matchups set to define the sporting week ahead
Game | Date | Venue |
|---|---|---|
Badminton: Malaysia Masters | Every day with different timings | - |
IPL 2026: GT vs CSK | 21st May 2026, 7:30 PM IST | Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad |
Europa League Final: Freiburg vs Aston Villa | 21st May 2026, 12:30 AM IST | Emirates Stadium, London |
IPL 2026: SRH vs RCB | 22nd May 2026, 7:30 PM IST | Eden Gardens, Kolkata |
OFF THE FIELD
“So far as IPL is concerned, franchises take care of the injuries and fitness of the players. Of course physios from COE (Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru) are also monitoring them, workload as well as plan on how to keep them fit,”
