India defeated South Africa in the third ODI of the three-match series on Saturday to clinch the series 2-1, completing a strong finish to the contest.Chasing a target of 271, India overhauled the total with 10.1 overs and nine wickets to spare. Yashasvi Jaiswal scored an unbeaten 116 off 121 balls, striking 12 fours and two sixes. He shared a 155-run opening partnership with Rohit Sharma, who scored 75 off 73 balls with seven fours and three sixes, giving India a solid foundation.

Virat Kohli played a quick, unbeaten innings of 65 off 45 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes to finish the chase and ensure India’s victory with more than 10 overs to spare.The match also marked a milestone for Jaiswal. His century was his maiden ODI hundred, and it made him only the sixth Indian batter to score hundreds in all three formats of men’s international cricket. The other players who have achieved this feat are Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill.

India batters with 100s in all three formats

India’s strong batting performance, led by Jaiswal, Rohit, and Kohli, ensured that the hosts not only chased down a tricky target but did so efficiently, leaving South Africa with little room to fight back in the final game of the series. Earlier, Kuldeep Yadav (4/41) and Prasidh Krishna (4/66) took eight wickets as India bowled out South Africa for 270, even as Quinton de Kock scored 106 in the third ODI.De Kock scored 106 off 89 balls with eight fours and six sixes. Captain Temba Bavuma made 48 from 67 balls with five fours. The other South African batters did not build on the start.Prasidh dismissed Matthew Breetzke (24) and Aiden Markram in the 29th over. Kuldeep took charge of the remaining wickets, removing the lower order.

Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes suffered a setback as Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory with Emiliano Buendia’s stoppage-time winner on Saturday. The result reduced Villa’s gap to league leaders Arsenal to three points, while also providing Manchester City an opportunity to gain ground on Arsenal.In the final moments at Villa Park, Buendia found the back of the net in the fifth minute of added time, leaving Arsenal shell-shocked.“In the manner that happened at the end, obviously, (it is) really difficult to take,” Arteta told TNT Sports.Arsenal’s third consecutive away game without a win, following draws with Sunderland and Chelsea, has allowed rivals City and Villa to increase pressure at the top of the table.Villa moved to second place temporarily after winning nine of their last ten matches. This turnaround came after a challenging start under Unai Emery, where they failed to win their first five games.“At the minute we’re on a great run,” said Matty Cash, who scored Villa’s opener in the 36th. “We know it’s not even Christmas yet, so we have to keep being demanding, keep being consistent, and then we’ll see where it takes us.”Arsenal’s substitute Leandro Trossard equalized seven minutes into the second half.Buendia, who entered the game in the 87th minute, proved to be a game-changing substitution by scoring past Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya.“We fight until the last minute, the last second, it was a really incredible win,” he said.This marked only Arsenal’s second defeat of the season, their first since losing 1-0 to Liverpool in August.“We were 18 games unbeaten, and yet still the margin is so small,” Arteta said. “We have to focus on ourselves and set the standards that today, particularly, individually we didn’t raise that level. The effort was absolutely there and use that pain to go again.”

India’s campaign at the season-ending ISSF World Cup Final in Doha opened in spectacular fashion as Suruchi Singh produced a commanding performance to capture the women’s 10m air pistol gold on Saturday. Compatriot Sainyam completed India’s dream start by taking silver, securing a superb 1-2 finish for the country. Suruchi’s win became even more special as she shattered the Junior World Record, firing a sensational 245.1 in the final. The previous junior benchmark stood at 241.7, set by Manu Bhaker in 2019. In contrast, the men’s 10m air pistol final delivered intense twists. Reigning world champion Samrat Rana, who looked in prime touch early on, slipped out of gold-medal contention after a couple of costly low shots and settled for bronze. Varun Tomar, who began confidently, finished fourth after fading in the closing stages. Earlier in the day, the rifle shooters endured a disappointing run, but Suruchi’s brilliance revived India’s fortunes. Her exceptional 245.1 put daylight between her and the rest of the field, while Sainyam followed with a composed 243.3. Three-time Olympian Manu Bhaker, also in the final, finished fifth with 179.2. Suruchi, who dominated the World Cup circuit this year with four straight gold medals, entered the 12-shooter final after scoring 586 in qualification, placing second. Bhaker (578) qualified sixth, and Sainyam (573) edged through in eighth position. The final, however, saw a different avatar of Sainyam. The 21-year-old stormed into the lead for much of the contest before a run of four 9.5s halted her charge, enabling Suruchi to reclaim control and seal gold. The champion shooter, daughter of a Havildar from Jhajjar — also Manu Bhaker’s hometown — earned €5,000 for her win, while Sainyam collected €4,000. The men’s final brought its own drama. Samrat Rana, fresh from his world title in Cairo, looked poised for another top finish before China’s Hu Kai — whom Samrat had edged out at the Worlds — turned the script around. Hu clinched gold, Germany’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion Christian Reitz took silver, and Samrat finished with 221.5. Tomar followed in fourth with 201.2. In qualification, Samrat had shot 584 for second place, while Tomar (578) qualified sixth. India’s rifle shooters also fell short. Former world champion Rudrankksh Patil shot consistently in the men’s 10m air rifle final but one early 9.8 — his only sub-par shot — proved decisive as he finished fourth. Arjun Babuta placed sixth. In the women’s 10m air rifle event, Elavenil Valarivan narrowly missed the eight-shooter final, ending ninth with 630. The men’s rifle event was won by Sweden’s Victor Lindgren with 253.0, while China’s double Olympic champion Sheng Lihao finished second with 252.6. Hungary’s Istvan Peni claimed bronze. In shotgun, India’s lone representative Zorawar Sandhu closed Day 1 in ninth place with a score of 70/75 in men’s trap. He will return for two more qualification rounds on Sunday as the race for the final tightens.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has expressed sharp concerns over Washington Sundar’s recent performances with the ball, pointing out that the off-spinner has barely been used across formats in the past few months. Despite Gautam Gambhir’s preference for all-rounders to strengthen the batting depth, Sundar’s bowling has not inspired confidence, leading to limited overs in key situations. In the first two ODIs against South Africa, Sundar bowled only three and four overs respectively, raising questions about whether the management trusts him as a proper wicket-taking option. Although he has made useful contributions with the bat in Tests and T20Is, his bowling form has been shaky for a while.

Kaif did not mince words in his assessment, remarking that Sundar is “not even half of Ashwin” in terms of pure spin ability. He pointed out that captains across formats have repeatedly turned to Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav during pressure phases, bypassing Sundar even when he’s in the XI. “The management should define what Washington’s role really is. Skill-wise, he is nowhere close to Ashwin as a spinner. Across formats, different captains have avoided giving him full overs. When the match gets tight, they always go to Jadeja or Kuldeep. That shows the lack of trust in his wicket-taking ability. He has a lot of work to do on his bowling,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel. Sundar has also struggled with the bat in the ongoing ODI series, scoring just 13 and 1, adding to the scrutiny around his all-round value. Kaif further stated that Sundar currently looks stuck between roles, with neither discipline standing out. “Right now, he looks neither like a reliable bowler nor a dependable batter. You want him to bat more, but his bowling is dipping. His main job is to take wickets; batting is supposed to be a bonus. If his bowling keeps slipping and the team doesn’t give him overs, he’ll fall further behind. He needs clearer direction and must work on his variations and skill set if he wants a long run in international cricket,” he added. The comments put renewed focus on Sundar’s role in the Indian setup as the team continues experimenting ahead of future assignments.

NEW DELHI: Defending champions Argentina and strong contenders Spain received favourable draws for the 2026 World Cup during a star-studded ceremony.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Lionel Messi’s Argentina will kick off their title defense — following their triumph in Qatar 2022 — against Algeria, before facing Austria and debutants Jordan in Group J.

Spain, European champions and among the tournament favorites, will begin their campaign against first-time qualifiers Cape Verde, with Uruguay and Saudi Arabia completing Group H.

Two-time winners France face challenging tests in Group I against Senegal and Erling Haaland’s Norway, with the group rounded out by an intercontinental play-off winner from Iraq, Bolivia, or Suriname.For the first time, the draw was structured to keep the four highest-ranked teams apart — meaning Spain, Argentina, France, and England cannot meet before the semi-finals, should they all top their respective groups.Key reactions from coaches after the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington on Friday:Roberto Martinez, coach of Portugal. Drawn with Uzbekistan, a qualifier and Colombia in Group K:“I think contenders is the right word. But I think the favorites are the teams that have won the World Cup before because there is a psychological aspect… I think we have to grow still, but we are full of hope and excitement. “The 1966 team of Eusebio is the reference point for us… We have won the European Championship and the Nations League and now I think it is very important that we should be able to fight for the dream we all have, to do something we have never done before.”On Cristiano Ronaldo’s longevity: “I think the secret he has is that he works every day as if it were the last day of his career… He never loses his hunger, he is an example for all of us. He is our captain, a reference for us, and very important for us.”Walid Regragui, coach of Morocco. Drawn with Brazil, Scotland and Haiti in Group C.“We’re playing against one of the favorites (Brazil) right from the start, and they are playing one of the favorites right from the start,” a confident Regragui said of Morocco’s opening match against the five-time World Cup winners.“Whatever happens, Brazil remain Brazil. They are always potential winners. Having one of the potential winners in our group, and to play them in the first game, is never easy. They have picked up one of best coaches in the world (Carlo Ancelotti) with lots of experience — he will give them serenity. We will try to be up to the task to make our fans proud.”Steve Clarke, coach of Scotland. Drawn with Brazil, Morocco and Haiti in Group C:“Brazil are an institution, if you like, they are one of the top teams. You always want to play against Brazil, so we have the chance to do that and I am pretty sure we will give them a good game.“It will be a tough game as always — it will be (the) third game in the group. Hopefully we (will) have some points in the bag before we play them, but to get to a World Cup for a country like Scotland, it has taken us a long time to get back here — 1998 was the last time, so we were determined to get there and do well… Every game in the World Cup is special –- we don’t get there very often so every game is special for us.”Bubista, coach of first-time qualifiers Cape Verde. Drawn with Spain, Saudi Arabia and Uruguay in Group H:“We want to show people who we are (and) play with heart, a good attitude and a lot of humility. It is not a matter of being afraid of Spain. I am pleased to be playing against Spain because I played in Spain for (club side) Badajoz. It is just about enjoying the game, against a team we obviously need to be very wary of.“It means a lot for us, for our country –- everyone will be watching. Our country will be better known around the world… We won our qualifying group and we are very proud to be in our first World Cup.”Dick Advocaat, coach of Curacao, also making their World Cup debut. Drawn with Germany,Ivory Coast and Ecuador in Group E:“Three difficult teams for us but in principle every game is difficult. It is exciting to play there at the highest level and we will see what we can do. “One thing is that we have a team with a lot of fighters and I know from experience we are always difficult to beat, so every opponent we come up against will have to play very well. It is exciting for the island, the people are so proud.”(With inputs from AFP)

India vs South Africa Live Score, 3rd ODI: The spotlight, as always, will be on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, but the pressure will also be on India’s younger players as the hosts aim to avoid another embarrassing series loss to South Africa in the must-win third and final ODI on Saturday.

A repeat of the Raipur-like collapse would hand South Africa the ODI series as well, coming on the heels of their 2-0 Test series triumph.

Consecutive series defeats are unthinkable for India in the current scenario, especially with reports of a dressing room pulling in different directions.

A win in this rubber could silence the chatter around the team, and for that, Kohli and Rohit will once again need to shoulder the responsibility.

Both have long been masters of the 50-over format and are no strangers to high-pressure situations. Their legacy is built on overcoming challenges — an exhilarating journey spanning the last decade and a half.

Now, standing at a pivotal juncture, Kohli and Rohit will be eager to add another glorious chapter to their storied careers. And it’s not mere ambition.

Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings. These numbers highlight their touch, class, and hunger even in their late 30s, signaling that they can still rescue the team.

Yet, meaningful contributions from the younger batters will be crucial. Ruturaj Gaikwad provided that support in the last match with his maiden ODI hundred.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, is still searching for form as an opener in this series. The talented youngster will be keen to convert his starts into big scores for both his and the team’s sake.

A glaring weakness remains in his batting against left-arm pacers, whether it’s Jayden Seales of the West Indies or Marco Jansen and Nandre Burger in this series.

Jaiswal has been dismissed 30 times by left-armers in his career (9 in Tests, 19 in T20Is, and 2 in ODIs), often while attempting a cut or its variations — a staple in his repertoire outside off-stump.

The team management and Jaiswal cannot ignore this pattern, and work to address it is likely underway. If the vulnerability persists, the selectors may consider alternatives, with Gaikwad already proving himself a reliable opener.

The ACA-VDCA Stadium pitch often favours batters, and India have a strong record here — seven wins in 10 ODIs since 2005, despite a recent defeat to Australia.

India will also weigh whether to rest Washington Sundar and bring in Tilak Varma to strengthen the middle order, which struggled to accelerate in the final stages of the last two matches.

Rishabh Pant is another option, but Tilak offers the dual advantage of being a utility spinner and a sharp fielder.

KL Rahul’s breezy fifties helped India post a par score, but dew played a part in South Africa nearly chasing it down in Ranchi and surpassing it in Raipur.

In this coastal city, humidity could influence conditions under lights, despite a recent dip in temperature due to cyclonic weather. A training session on Friday night should help India gauge conditions and finalize the combination.

Meanwhile, India will hope young pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana tighten their performances to support the impressive Arshdeep Singh.

South Africa will be aiming for a second ODI series win over India on Indian soil, after their 2-1 series loss in 2022-23. A victory here would mark their first-ever ODI series triumph in India.

However, fitness will be a concern. Pacers Nandre Burger and batter Tony de Zorzi both had to leave the field in Raipur and their availability will be closely monitored.

Teams (from):
India: KL Rahul (C/WK), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel.

South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen.

Despite its rich history, centuries-old traditions, and evolution across eras, chess remains a strangely solitary soul. Even today, barring a few occasional team events, it remains a sport where battles are fought alone, move by move, with the clock always pressing.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!And yet, beneath that surface of concentration, players often reveal different shades of their personality.

The current Dutch No. 1, Anish Giri, recently opened up about this duality during an exclusive conversation with TimesofIndia.com.Among the many anecdotes he shared during this conversation, one stood out: his observation of the “different modes” of D Gukesh, the reigning World Chess Champion, and how the 19-year-old can almost seem like a different person depending on the moment.“Gukesh was not in my team (in the last GCL), but I’ve been with him on many different occasions. During tournaments, after tournaments, I was with him at Vidit’s wedding as well,” 31-year-old Giri told this website. “And it’s like different people every time. When Gukesh is at Vidit’s wedding, he is a different person than when he is playing the second round of Wijk aan Zee. Some people have this very, very strong game mode.”On Friday, Gukesh took some time out to interact with his followers on X, responding to questions from the teenager’s growing fanbase.When asked whether this behaviour change comes naturally to him or is something he has consciously developed over the years, the Chennai-born Grandmaster explained that it was largely innate.“It has mostly been natural, and I have been similar outside of Chess too, but the last couple of years, I’m more engaging and open outside of Chess. But it was never through effort; everything happened on its own,” wrote D Gukesh.Having won the FIDE Grand Swiss 2025, Giri has already booked his place in the 2026 Candidates. A victory there would give him a shot at challenging Gukesh for the world title next year.Before that, though, the two could meet in the upcoming season of the Global Chess League (GCL).The third season of the GCL kicks off at the iconic Royal Opera House in Mumbai from December 14 to 23, with Giri suiting up for the Alpine SG Pipers and Gukesh donning the colours of Giri’s former side, PBG Alaskan Knights, this time. Perhaps expect a few more glimpses of Gukesh’s “modes.”

US President Donald Trump became the first ever recipient of FIFA’s new peace prize at the 2026 World Cup draw Friday — a compensation gift for a leader who still dreams of winning the Nobel. Gianni Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body and a close ally of Trump, presented the 79-year-old with the award during the ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Thank you very much. This is truly one of the great honors of my life. And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this, we saved millions and millions of lives,” Trump said.

“The world is a safer place now.”Infantino said Trump won for “exceptional and extraordinary” actions to promote peace and unity around the world and presented him with a golden trophy and a certificate.“There is also a beautiful medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go,” Infantino said.Trump immediately put it around his neck, saying: “I’m going to wear it right now.”FIFA announced the annual prize in November, saying it would recognize people who bring “hope for future generations.”

But its inaugural recipient was hardly a surprise.Infantino, 55, has developed a tight relationship with Trump, visiting the White House more than any world leader since Trump’s return to office in January.The US president often insists that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending what he says are eight conflicts this year. These include a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, although an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine eludes him.Infantino has traveled as far afield as Egypt and Malaysia to attend three ceremonies for Trump-brokered peace deals in recent months.Trump has put himself at the head of a “board of peace” for war-torn Gaza, while his administration this week renamed a Washington peace institute after him.But Trump was overlooked by the Norwegian Nobel Committee last month as it awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.