WPL all teams captains (X-WPL)

The Women’s Premier League returns for its 2026 season on Friday, January 9, with a blockbuster opening clash between defending champions Mumbai Indians and former winners Royal Challengers Bengaluru. With Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz also in the mix, another fiercely contested edition is on the cards.

WPL 2026 format

The tournament continues with the familiar double round-robin structure, with all five teams facing each other twice during the league phase. At the end of the league stage, the top three teams will progress to the play-offs. The table-toppers will secure a direct spot in the final, while the teams finishing second and third will meet in the Eliminator to decide the other finalist. Mumbai Indians lifted the inaugural WPL title in 2023 and reclaimed the trophy last season from 2024 champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Delhi Capitals, meanwhile, will be keen to go one step further after finishing as runners-up in each of the first three editions.

WPL 2026 schedule: dates, venues and timings

WPL 2026 squads

Mumbai Indians Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Nat Sciver-Brunt, Amelia Kerr, Hayley Matthews, Amanjot Kaur, Sajeevan Sajana, Shabnim Ismail, Gunalan Kullkarni, Nicola Carey, Sanskriti Gupta, Rahil Firdous, Poonam Khemnar, Triveni Vasistha, Nalla Reddy, Saika Ishaque, Milly Illingworth Royal Challengers Bengaluru Smriti Mandhana (C), Richa Ghosh, Ellyse Perry, Lauren Bell, Pooja Vastrakar, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Nadine de Klerk, Shreyanka Patil, Georgia Voll, Linsey Smith, Prema Rawat, Gautami Naik, Prathyoosha Kumar, Dayalan Hemalatha UP Warriorz Meg Lanning (C), Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Phoebe Litchfield, Asha Sobhana, Sophie Ecclestone, Deandra Dottin, Kiran Navgire, Kranti Gaud, Shweta Sehrawat, Harleen Deol, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, Simran Shaikh, G Trisha, Pratika Rawal Delhi Capitals Jemimah Rodrigues (C), Shafali Verma, Annabel Sutherland, Marizanne Kapp, Shree Charani, Chinelle Henry, Laura Wolvaardt, Niki Prasad, Sneh Rana, Taniya Bhatia, Lizelle Lee, Deeya Yadav, Mamatha Madiwala, Nandani Sharma, Lucy Hamilton, Minnu Mani Gujarat Giants Ashleigh Gardner (C), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Georgia Wareham, Bharti Fulmali, Kashvee Gautam, Renuka Singh, Yastika Bhatia, Anushka Sharma, Tanuja Kanwar, Kanika Ahuja, Titas Sadhu, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Shivani Singh, Danielle Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni

WPL 2026 live streaming details

The 2026 Women’s Premier League will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network. Fans can also watch all matches via digital streaming on the Jio Hotstar app and website.

Two killed and six others were injured in a shooting outside a Mormon church in Salt Lake City, where mourners were attending a memorial service, police said. The attacker remains at large, and authorities say they are reviewing surveillance footage to identify a suspect.The Salt Lake City police department, in a post on X, shared the incident, notifying their presence at scene. “2 people were killed, and at least 6 more have been injured, with at least 3 of those in critical condition. The suspects are still outstanding, but our officers have obtained solid leads and are working to locate those involved,” the post read.The police also intimated the road closure, stating, “Redwood Road is closed in both directions from 500 N to 700 N.” They also shared the helpline number for more information on the matter.Police said all eight victims were adults news agency AP reported. Investigators stressed that the shooting did not appear to target the Latter-day Saints faith, nor was it considered random.“We don’t believe this was a targeted attack against a religion or anything like that,” police chief Brian Redd said. Police said they were reviewing license plate readers and surveillance videos from nearby businesses as part of the manhunt.Mayor Erin Mendenhall condemned the incident, saying, “This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life.”The violence unfolded in the back parking lot of a red brick meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church. Residents of a housing complex next door rushed outside to assist. Sharing his account from the incident, Brennan McIntire, who heard gunfire while watching TV, said he ran outside in flip-flops.“As soon as I came over, I saw someone on the ground. People are attending to him and crying and arguing,” he said. His wife, Kenna, described seeing first responders carry an unconscious woman into an ambulance. “It was really heartbreaking to hear and see,” she said.The church said it was cooperating with law enforcement and expressed grief.“We extend prayers for all who have been impacted by this tragedy and express deep concern that any sacred space intended for worship should be subjected to violence of any kind,” spokesperson Sam Penrod said.

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A disciplined bowling performance followed by a composed chase helped Sydney Sixers register a comfortable six-wicket victory over Melbourne Stars in Match 27 of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025–26 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, the Sixers kept the Stars to a modest 128 before knocking off the target with 17 balls to spare.

Melbourne Stars struggle for momentum despite late resistance

Melbourne Stars never quite found rhythm with the bat and were bowled out for 128 in 19.5 overs. Sam Harper and Tom Fraser Rogers gave the innings a cautious start, while Marcus Stoinis and Blake Macdonald attempted to stabilise things in the middle overs. Macdonald’s brisk 33 off 22 balls provided some momentum, but regular wickets ensured the Stars could not build a decisive partnership. Glenn Maxwell and Hilton Cartwright fell cheaply, compounding the pressure during the latter half of the innings.

Ben Dwarshuis and Joel Davies spearhead clinical bowling effort

The Sixers’ bowling attack was relentless, led by Ben Dwarshuis, who delivered a match-winning spell of 4 for 13 in 3.5 overs. Jack Edwards chipped in with three important wickets, while Joel Davies impressed with figures of 2 for 15, keeping the scoring in check through the middle overs. The Stars’ lower order offered brief resistance, but disciplined lines and clever variations from the Sixers ensured the hosts never threatened to push beyond a competitive total.

Also READ: BBL|15: Joel Davies’ all-round brilliance guides Sydney Sixers past Brisbane Heat in a low scoring thriller

Josh Philippe and Lachlan Shaw guide the chase calmly

Chasing 129, Sydney Sixers started steadily with Josh Philippe anchoring the innings. Philippe’s fluent 35 off 25 balls set the tone, even as Babar Azam fell early trying to up the tempo. Lachlan Shaw then provided the decisive push with a lively 24 off 14 balls, ensuring the required rate never climbed. Contributions from Sam Curran and Jordan Silk added stability, and the Sixers crossed the finish line at 129 for 4 in 17.1 overs.

Melbourne Stars’ bowlers showed flashes of control, particularly Stoinis, who picked up two wickets while conceding just 20 runs. Peter Siddle and Haris Rauf also managed breakthroughs, but the low total left little margin for error. The Sixers’ batters played sensibly, rotating strike and punishing loose deliveries to avoid any late drama.

3 wins in a row for Sydney Sixers ⚡#BBL2025 #SydneySixers pic.twitter.com/b1jRmMBPYC

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 8, 2026

Also WATCH: Sean Abbott rattles Jack Wildermuth’s stumps with a peach of a delivery in BBL|15

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The weapons and military units on display in China’s major parade (Image credit: AP)

China, one of the world’s largest arms exporter, has endured a series of humiliating battlefield exposures that have shattered its image as a supplier of reliable defence systems. From Operation Sindoor‘s rout of Pakistani defenses to the swift US raid on Venezuela, Chinese systems repeatedly crumbled under pressure, amplifying doubts among global buyers.The US operation in Venezuela’s capital not only led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, but dealt a severe reputational blow to Beijing, underscoring Washington’s continued technological superiority over Chinese-supplied military equipment, according to a Taiwanese official, Newsweek reported.During Operation Sindoor in May last year, Indian forces systematically targeted and neutralised key Pakistani military and terror infrastructure, repeatedly penetrating Chinese-supplied air defence systems such as the HQ-9, which failed to intercept incoming missile attacks, including strikes by the BrahMos.In Venezuela, America’s EA-18 Growlers reportedly played a crucial role in the mission by deploying advanced electronic jamming and communications-disruption capabilities. The Growler is a carrier-launched electronic warfare aircraft built not for delivering ordnance, but for controlling the electromagnetic battlefield. During the Venezuela operation, it formed part of a large US aerial force that disabled China-supplied radar and communication networks, enabling special forces aircraft to move into and out of Venezuelan airspace with speed and minimal resistance.

Venezuela defence system: ‘Full of flaws, slow to react’

Venezuela’s Chinese JY-27A radar — hyped by Beijing as a stealth-killing powerhouse capable of spotting low-observable jets like the F-35 — suffered a catastrophic flop during the US raid, as reported by the Washington Times. Sold to Caracas as cutting-edge tech, the system proved riddled with flaws, agonisingly slow to react, and utterly blind to American stealth incursions.The radar’s complete failure has left Beijing red-faced. The system is central to China’s air-defence ambitions, intended to counter advanced US platforms such as the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, as well as B-2 and next-generation B-21 stealth bombers.The Maduro government also invested roughly $2 billion on Russian S-300 air defence missile systems, along with associated radar and communication networks that were integrated with China’s JY-27A radar. Russia also supplied the Pantsir-S1, a combined gun-missile air defence system designed to counter drones and low-flying helicopters — the very types of platforms that breached Venezuelan airspace during the operation.“None of them fired. Not one,” said online military analyst Shanaka Anslem Perera, as quoted by the Washington Times.The US operation lasted less than three hours, during which elite military units, including Delta Force, captured Maduro and his wife from their fortress compound in Caracas, airlifted them to a US warship, and later flew the couple to New York.Some Chinese analysts, however, contended that the US was operating against a far weaker opponent, suggesting the mission was not necessarily indicative of how such capabilities would perform against major powers, South China Morning Post reported.

Operation Sindoor

Pakistan gets nearly 82% of its defence imports from China. Operation Sindoor exposed serious vulnerabilities in Beijing’s weapons when pitted against Indian and Western systems.The most visible failures were in Pakistan’s Chinese-made air defence and missile systems. Assessments indicated that the HQ-9 and HQ-16/LY-80 air defence units were ineffective against Indian aircraft and missiles, even around sensitive military installations. The PL-15 beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile, promoted as a rival to advanced Western systems, reportedly malfunctioned or failed to hit targets, with Indian officials later displaying fragments of a recovered PL-15 missile that had landed without striking anything. Chinese-supplied fighter jets such as the J-10C and JF-17 Block III also failed to significantly challenge Indian air operations, despite unverified claims of aerial successes.Together, these failures have reinforced longstanding concerns about the reliability and combat effectiveness of Chinese military exports, damaging China’s credibility as an arms supplier and opening space for rivals, including India, to emphasise proven performance in real combat conditions.Also read: How Op Sindoor exposed pattern of failures, underperformance by Chinese weapons systems

FIDE and Freestyle Chess agree terms on World Championship (Photos by Michal Walusza and ChessBase India)

NEW DELHI: Late on Wednesday night, Emil Sutovsky, the chief executive officer (CEO) of FIDE, the International Chess Federation, chose a phrase heavy with symbolism.“Burying the hatchet!” he wrote on X, announcing that FIDE and Freestyle Chess had finally reached an agreement.

The deal would see the first official FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship staged at Weissenhaus, Germany, from February 13 to 15, 2026.“The event is governed by FIDE in collaboration with Freestyle Chess,” the statement said.But for those who avoided the bitter public dispute between the two sides over the past couple of years, the question lingered: what exactly had been buried?The answer lies in a saga that began in late 2024, when Freestyle Chess organisers sought to crown their winner the “Freestyle Chess World Champion.”FIDE objected immediately. The international governing body asserted that only it had the authority to sanction any world championship title in chess.What followed became one of the most controversial episodes in modern chess governance.From October 2024 onwards, Freestyle co-founder and CEO Jan Henric Buettner and FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich remained in steady contact as they sought to defuse the growing dispute.And as a breakthrough appeared close, Buettner published an open letter accusing FIDE of reversing course in negotiations.He claimed FIDE had rejected a near-complete agreement after Freestyle Chess refused to recognise FIDE’s exclusive authority over the “World Champion” title.FIDE responded publicly, acknowledging discussions had taken place but denying any binding agreement. It said it had instead offered a conditional waiver to protect Freestyle players’ eligibility for official events, provided Freestyle dropped the championship label and approved the terms by February 4.Amid the hullabaloo, players worried they could be barred from official FIDE events. World No. 1 and five-time World Champion Magnus Carlsen published private messages accusing FIDE president Arkady Dvorkovich of reneging on promises.The dispute finally cooled down in February 2025, when Freestyle agreed to drop the “World Championship” label.As later reported by TimesofIndia.com, top-rated Freestyle players, in a private meeting at Weissenhaus, unanimously decided that the 2025 Grand Slam winner would instead be crowned “Freestyle Chess Champion”, a title Carlsen recently claimed in South Africa.Against that backdrop, the new agreement carries the weight of reconciliation.How Freestyle Chess and FIDE buried the hatchetFor Buettner, the deal resolved a problem that had nagged him for months.“Yes, I am very content, especially because it kind of solved an issue that I was thinking about for the last few months,” he told TimesofIndia.com from South Africa during an exclusive conversation.Freestyle Chess, he noted, had just completed what he called a “perfect season” in 2025, with five Grand Slam Tours.“So I was still thinking in October, November, how can I start season two, if I know how season two would end,” he added.“I didn’t want to have a situation where after this great season one, then we have a season two and start like somehow, and then everybody’s comparing.”At the same time, unresolved talks with FIDE were never far from Buettner’s mind. Those negotiations, he said, had once come tantalisingly close to a resolution before collapsing at the last possible moment.“I met Arkady for the first time in October 2024 in London,” Buettner said. “And we spoke, and we actually were very close to a deal in January of last year, so a year ago. Basically similar to now, we had a press release prepared, we had an agreement prepared, and everything was kind of negotiated, maybe even to the last word. And then at the very end, it fell all apart. And I have no idea why.”“We had a great relationship. Obviously, we then went our separate ways, and FIDE did their stuff, and we did our stuff. And I think it’s always good to have a cooling-off period.”The breakthrough came through a new dialogue as Buettner invited Dvorkovich to South Africa ahead of the Grand Slam Tour Final last month. However, due to scheduling conflicts, Dvorkovich couldn’t come.On the sidelines of the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championships, Dvorkovich then invited Buettner to Qatar, where they met roughly two weeks ago.

From left to right: Mohammed Al-Modiahki, President of Qatar Chess Association, FIDE President Arkady Dvorkovich, Holly Hock, Jan Buettner and Anya Buettner, daughter of Jan. (Photo by Amruta Mokal/ChessBase India)

It was there, Buettner said, that the decisive idea emerged: “Then Arkady actually came up with the idea to say, why don’t we do the World Championship in 2026? It was actually his idea to have it as a World Championship in Weissenhaus. The initiative to do this came from him. I didn’t even have to do a lot of convincing. It was basically just his suggestion. I also think FIDE has a lot of respect for how we have conducted our tour.”That suggestion resolved several issues at once, with Buettner explaining that the Weissenhaus World Championship will serve as the culmination of the 2025–26 Freestyle Chess cycle.“So I don’t begin season two in Weissenhaus in February,” Buettner continued. “I basically end season one in Weissenhaus with the World Championship. And now we can start season two fresh.”A new Chess World ChampionshipThe inaugural FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship will feature eight players. For 2026, qualification is straightforward: the top six, including Magnus Carlsen, Levon Aronian, Fabiano Caruana, Vincent Keymer, Arjun Erigaisi, and Javokhir Sindarov, from the 2025 Freestyle Grand Slam Tour, plus two wild cards jointly awarded by FIDE and Freestyle Chess.Freestyle Chess has already nominated Hans Niemann after his outstanding performance at the Freestyle Chess Grand Slam in Las Vegas.FIDE will decide their pick through an online qualifier.Because the agreement came together quickly, Buettner acknowledged the process was improvised.“We had to do this short-term deal,” he said. “But we agreed that we take the time until the World Championship in the next few weeks to also discuss the long-term plan.”

FIDE Freestyle Chess Championship 2026 Schedule (Photo by FIDE)

The longer-term vision is more structured and closer to FIDE norms.“We want to have a transparent system where all the players see if they want to qualify for the World Championship with Freestyle Chess, how they can do that,” Buettner said.Ideas include automatic qualification for top finishers from the previous championship and spots earned through designated events.The Grand Slam Tour, a centrepiece of Freestyle’s recent success, will pause for the time being. “It will not continue in ’26, and maybe also not in ’27,” Buettner revealed, adding that it could return later once a better system is established. For now, the annual February World Championship is the focus.Why no Hikaru Nakamura?One absence immediately caught fans’ attention: Hikaru Nakamura, the reigning FIDE Fischer Random World Champion (Chess960) from 2022.“Actually, he was invited,” Buettner told this website.World No. 2 Nakamura, however, declined.

Hikaru Nakamura (Photos by Michal Walusza)

According to Buettner, Nakamura’s reasoning was personal.“He would not participate … because he’d rather be remembered as the World Champion in Fischer Random of 2022, rather than competing with seven other players with the unlikelihood that he might get this,” Buettner added.“We had a very good, very polite, very good conversation and total respect and understanding,” he said.Nakamura, he added, wants his Fischer Random reign to “be remembered as finishing up with the World Champion title.”Women’s Freestyle Chess Championship?The agreement also opens a door for women’s freestyle chess, though cautiously.At FIDE’s request, a women’s event will run alongside the men’s championship in 2026. For now, it will be an exhibition match rather than a full championship.“That was also a request from Arkady, from FIDE, to have a women’s tournament at the same time,” Buettner said.ALSO READ: World champion at 7 in her first international event; ‘nervous’ while meeting PM Modi: How Pragnika Lakshmi became a chess prodigyLogistical constraints made a full qualification cycle impractical on short notice.“So we said we’d rather do an exhibition match this year, with a clear road to a women’s world championship in 2027,” he added. “Ideally, the top names would be there.”After years of confrontation, the agreement does not erase the past. But for the first time, Freestyle Chess and FIDE are aligned on a single stage, with a single title.In chess politics, that may be as close as burying the hatchet gets.

Renee Nicole Good lived a few blocks from where she died. She was 37, a US-born citizen, a poet, and a mother of three. On a winter morning in south Minneapolis, during a large federal immigration enforcement operation, she was shot and killed by an officer from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while seated inside her car.Within hours, federal officials said the shooting was justified. An investigation was announced, but a definitive account was already being presented.

The Good: Renee Nicole Good – mother and poet

Renee Nicole Good (Image/Instagram)

Renee Good was a Minneapolis resident with no known connection to immigration enforcement. According to reporting by Minnesota Public Radio News, she was a mother raising three children, a writer who had studied English and creative writing, and someone known in her neighbourhood for being thoughtful and engaged rather than confrontational.Family members and neighbours told local reporters that she was not participating in protests or attempting to interfere with law enforcement on the day of the shooting. She was described as someone who had recently been navigating significant personal change, including the loss of her former spouse, while focusing on caring for her children and settling into daily life in the city.Her citizenship is relevant context. ICE’s mandate centres on immigration enforcement involving non-citizens. While citizenship does not itself determine whether force was lawful, encounters between federal immigration agents and US citizens fall outside the agency’s primary enforcement purpose and heighten expectations around caution and de-escalation.

The Bad: What happened during the incident

People participate in a protest in response to the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a Federal immigration officer this morning in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

The shooting occurred on Portland Avenue amid what federal authorities described as a major ICE operation in the Twin Cities. MPR News obtained and authenticated multiple videos and eyewitness accounts from the scene.According to those accounts, several ICE vehicles were present, and agents approached Good’s car as it was stopped in the street. Eyewitnesses told MPR News that agents issued conflicting commands, with one officer telling Good to leave the area while another ordered her to get out of the vehicle and reached for the door handle.Witnesses said Good attempted to manoeuvre her car away from the cluster of vehicles and officers. As the car began to move, an ICE officer standing near the front and side of the vehicle fired multiple shots into the car at close range, striking her in the head. The vehicle then continued forward briefly before crashing into a parked object.Several witnesses told MPR News they did not see the car strike any officers before shots were fired. They also reported that neighbours who attempted to render medical aid were ordered to stay back and that emergency responders initially had difficulty accessing the scene due to the positioning of federal vehicles.ICE later said officers believed the vehicle posed an immediate threat. Local officials and witnesses disputed that account, saying the available footage and testimony suggested confusion and attempted withdrawal rather than an attack.

The Ugly: How the shooting was justified

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem speaks to local land owners and other officials on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Brownsville, Texas. (AP Photo/Gabriel V. Cardenas)

Even as investigations were being announced, senior Trump administration officials moved quickly to publicly defend the shooting.US president Donald Trump stated that the ICE officer had acted in self-defence and claimed that Good had deliberately attempted to run officers over. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that assessment, describing the scene as involving a “mob of agitators” and characterising the use of the vehicle as a lethal threat. Federal statements framed the shooting as a necessary defensive action and said ICE operations in Minneapolis would continue.The language used went beyond acknowledging an inquiry. It asserted conclusions about intent and justification before investigators had completed interviews, reviewed all video evidence, or released formal findings.State and local leaders responded sharply. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey rejected the federal account and called for ICE to leave the city. Minnesota governor Tim Walz said state officials had warned that intensified federal operations carried public safety risks and described the shooting as the result of unnecessary escalation. Representative Ilhan Omar said federal actions had led directly to a civilian death.The incident has intensified scrutiny of ICE’s enforcement posture under President Trump, marked by large-scale deployments, armed agents in residential areas, and highly visible operations. Supporters argue the approach prioritises officer safety and deterrence. Critics say it increases the likelihood of volatile encounters and undermines public trust.

What comes next

Multiple investigations are now underway to determine whether the use of deadly force complied with constitutional standards and whether ICE officers acted within their authority. Those processes will take time. What is already clear is that a US citizen was killed during a federal operation, that political leaders offered a justification almost immediately, and that local officials and eyewitnesses have challenged that version of events. For Renee Good’s family and community, the legal outcomes remain uncertain. The loss is not.