LUCKNOW: The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 brought together the biggest names and defining performances under one roof, honouring a year of achievement while offering a glimpse of what lies ahead. It was an evening that moved quickly, honoured widely, and showcased where Indian sport stands today.Smriti Mandhana led the Sportsperson of the Year honours in the female category, her season marked by authority and consistency. Alongside her, shooter Samrat Rana was recognised in the male category after creating history last year by becoming the first Indian world champion in the 10m air pistol – a defining breakthrough in his career.India’s sporting excellence in 2025 panned across disciplines. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Para Sportspersons of the Year: Sheetal Devi and Sumit Antil.Sheetal Devi’s rise has been defined by historic breakthroughs and medal-winning consistency. A world champion and Paralympic medallist, she has dominated compound archery while also breaking barriers, even earning selection in an able-bodied international squad, a first for an Indian para archer.

Sumit Antil, meanwhile, continues to set the benchmark in para athletics. A multiple-time Paralympic champion and world record holder, he added to his dominance with gold at the World Para Athletics Championships, consistently staying ahead of the field.From there, the ceremony gathered pace with a glittering roll call of the creme de la creme of Indian sports. The Indian women’s cricket team swept team honours, underlining a phase of dominance, while the Board of Control for Cricket in India was named Federation of the Year.“Once again, I would like to thank The Times of India for organising these awards. It is wonderful to see so many talented individuals here. Their achievements are truly extraordinary, and it is important that they are recognised,” said Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president while receiving the award on behalf of the board.Divya Deshmukh, named Emerging Sportsperson of the Year, signalled a new generation ready for the global stage, while Leander Paes was honoured as Mentor of the Year.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath bestowed the top honours at the glittering ceremony held at The Centrum in Lucknow.Yet, TOISA 2025 was as much about messaging as it was about recognition. As chief guest, Adityanath laid out a clear policy direction, emphasising the need to build sport from the grassroots up.“We are working to ensure that every district becomes a centre of sporting activity, where facilities, coaching and opportunities are accessible to all. From village-level competitions to international platforms, our aim is to create a seamless pathway for athletes,” he said.He also highlighted the state’s progress in developing sports infrastructure. “Over the past 11–12 years, a sports culture has developed in the country. Inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have taken this forward in Uttar Pradesh since 2017,” he added.“On behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government, I once again welcome all of you. I thank The Times of India Group… for organising this wonderful platform that recognises excellence and inspires the next generation,” he concluded.Among other major winners, Amol Muzumdar was named Coach of the Year for guiding the women’s team to a historic ICC ODI World Cup title, while Subhash Rana won Para Coach of the Year.Shubman Gill and Deepti Sharma were named Cricketers of the Year, while Neeraj Chopra and Rupal Chaudhary took Track & Field honours.

The evening also reflected on the legacy. Mithali Raj and PR Sreejesh were honoured with Lifetime Achievement awards, celebrating careers that shaped Indian sport’s global identity. The forward gaze came from Devendra Jhajharia, who spoke of a 50-medal target at the LA 2028 Paralympics; not as ambition, but as expectation.The tone, however, had been set at the very start. In his keynote, Prasad Sanyal, Group Business Head of TOI, Indiatimes, and WhatsHot, captured the essence of the evening: “More sweat, more glory – that is the journey Indian sport continues to embrace.”This was the eighth edition of TOISA, celebrating the journeys and achievements of India’s finest athletes across more than 45 sporting categories, covering performances from January 1 to December 31, 2025, a year that once again showcased Indian sport’s growing depth, consistency, and ambition.TOISA 2025 Winners List: Samrat Rana, Smriti Mandhana bag top honours; Sheetal Devi wins female Para Sportsperson of the Year

Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin raised concerns over player workload and suggested that franchises should have the option to reduce payments if contracted roles are not fulfilled.His comments came in the context of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) all-rounder Cameron Green, who was bought for Rs 25.20 crore and will be part of the side’s campaign starting against Mumbai Indians on March 29 in Mumbai. Green’s form and bowling workload in recent months have been limited, drawing attention ahead of the tournament.During the T20 World Cup, Green scored 24 runs in three innings with a highest score of 21. He bowled three overs across two matches and picked up one wicket. In a recent Sheffield Shield match for Western Australia against New South Wales, where he scored a century, he did not bowl.In the T20I series against Pakistan before the World Cup, Green bowled four overs in two matches and took one wicket. During the 2025/26 The Ashes, he picked up four wickets, bowling 61.5 overs across five matches and nine innings, averaging 70.75.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin said, “There is a question about Cameron Green. Will Cricket Australia allow him to bowl all four overs? That is also a possibility. In this scenario, the Australian board is saying to Green that he can play in the IPL, but Test cricket is very important for us, so you can play only this much of workload,” said Ashwin, as cited by news agency ANI.Ashwin added that franchises should be allowed to adjust payments if players are unable to meet expectations, especially with the ball.“IPL teams also should have an opportunity where if he bowls only two overs, then they should deduct 2 crores. Why not? If he is not able to deliver his four overs, then you should have the right to cut their money, right? When you came into the IPL auction, the expectation was that you would bowl all four overs, and also bat. If there is no restriction on bowling, then great, but if there is restriction, the team should be allowed to cut from the contract money,” he said.“Imagine if you are Shah Rukh Khan, and you have paid 25 crores for a player. But then he comes and says that, ‘Sir, I will bowl only one over today, or bowl only 10 balls a day’. How will you feel?” he added.

LUCKNOW: Two world champions from different sporting arenas — Smriti Mandhana and Samrat Rana — were on Saturday named Sportspersons of the Year at the eighth edition of the The Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) in Lucknow.In a glittering ceremony attended by top athletes and dignitaries, pistol shooter Rana and India women’s cricket vice-captain Mandhana were honoured for their exceptional performances in 2025. Both athletes delivered standout campaigns, dominating their respective disciplines and emerging as the finest performers of the year.Mandhana played a defining role in Indian cricket history, helping the team clinch their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title. India defeated South Africa by 52 runs in the final, with Mandhana contributing significantly throughout the tournament. She scored 434 runs to finish as the second-highest run-getter and also smashed a breathtaking 50-ball century against England — the second-fastest hundred in women’s international cricket.Her dominance extended beyond the World Cup. Over the course of the year, Mandhana became the first woman to score more than 1,000 ODI runs in a calendar year and equalled the record for most ODI centuries in a year with five. She also achieved major career milestones, crossing 4,000 T20I runs and going past 10,000 international runs — becoming only the second Indian after Mithali Raj to reach the landmark.Rana’s historic rise in shootingWhile Mandhana shone on the cricket field, Samrat Rana scripted history in shooting. The 21-year-old became India’s first world champion in the 10m air pistol event, marking a breakthrough moment in his career. At the ISSF World Championships 2025, Rana delivered a sensational performance, winning two gold medals — in individual and team events — along with a silver in the mixed team competition alongside Esha Singh.With this feat, Rana joined an elite list of Indian shooting world champions that includes Abhinav Bindra and Rudrankksh Patil. He capped off his remarkable season with a bronze medal at the Doha World Cup Final, underlining his consistency at the highest level.Celebrating a landmark year for Indian sportThe eighth edition of TOISA celebrated India’s sporting excellence across more than 45 categories, recognising performances between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The awards highlighted a year filled with historic achievements, including India’s success in global cricket tournaments, athletics and para sports.The winners were selected by a distinguished jury comprising legends such as Abhinav Bindra, PR Sreejesh, Mithali Raj, Achanta Sharath Kamal, Leander Paes and Devendra Jhajharia.

The Brendon McCullum era at England came under intense scrutiny following explosive allegations about dressing-room culture during the disastrous The Ashes tour. Reports, primarily from Telegraph Sport, have painted a picture of a team environment that blurred the line between freedom and lack of discipline, raising serious questions about leadership, accountability, and professionalism.England’s defeat in The Ashes was more than just a loss, it was a systemic failure. Poor preparation, including the lack of meaningful warm-up matches, left the team underprepared for Australian conditions. The aggressive “Bazball” approach, once hailed as revolutionary, unravelled quickly after a heavy defeat in Perth, leaving England without a fallback plan.The report quoted by Telegraph sports highlighted the cultural issues within the dressing room which says that, ” There were players in the Ashes who felt McCullum was naturally drawn to those like him who enjoy a beer, a vape and a round of golf. Unintentionally it created a clique that became more apparent under the stress of an Ashes loss and there were players who felt a non-serious environment had cost them the opportunity of a lifetime in Australia.”

Off-Field Incidents Add Fuel to the Fire

The allegations gained traction amid a series of off-field controversies. Reports further suggested England players spent extended periods drinking during a mid-series break in Noosa, with some accounts claiming up to “six days” of socialising during a nine-day gap between Tests.Incidents involving Harry Brook further intensified scrutiny, including a late-night altercation with a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand prior to the Ashes for which he lied during the press conference. There were also reports of players frequenting casinos and being visibly intoxicated in public during the tour, reinforcing the narrative that off-field distractions contributed to England’s poor performances.This resulted as a loss for England Cricket Team (ECB) as the selection and fitness decisions compounded the crisis. Shoaib Bashir, long viewed as a key weapon, was deemed unfit for selection, while misplaced faith in Ollie Pope proved costly. The management of fast bowlers such as Mark Wood and Jofra Archer backfired, leaving England short of firepower across a demanding five-Test series.After review of the Ashes series, ECB chief Richard Gould changed the culture reported by Telegraph Sports which said,” The players will be disciplined if they are drunk in public, they must not put on social media anything to do with drinking alcohol and must tell the management their location after 9pm. There is a midnight curfew.”

How did McCullum save his job?

After the Ashes debacle, Stokes submitted a report explaining why England lost the Ashes, and according to it, the English captain blamed McCullum and the management. It is also believed that the two pointed fingers at each other during the review, which the ECB launched on the same day when the Sydney Test concluded.

Sri Lanka Tour: The Turning Point

With his job on the line, McCullum made a decisive move by joining England’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, despite initially planning to skip it. Arriving just days after the Ashes, he used the opportunity to show adaptability and commitment.He accepted stricter discipline rules introduced by Key and agreed to strengthen the coaching setup, including the return of Carl Hopkinson to address fielding concerns. The results were immediate. England regrouped, with Joe Root playing a pivotal role, and secured a series win that eased pressure on the management. Observers saw this as a defining moment, noting “it gave McCullum an opportunity… to prove he was willing to change.”World Cup Progress, But Questions RemainEngland carried that momentum into the World Cup, where there were clear signs of improvement. Harry Brook thrived in a new role at number three, while Will Jacks and Jacob Bethell added balance and promise to the side.However, the semi-final defeat to India exposed lingering issues under pressure. Despite progress, England once again fell short when it mattered most. As the campaign ultimately showed, “England still lost the match that mattered.”McCullum accepted his errors during the Ashes, and the talks between the two have since reached an agreement. The ECB also refrained from sacking McCullum due to the costs involved. The former New Zealand captain is contracted with England for another 18 months, and a sacking would prove costly for the ECB.

LUCKNOW: The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) 2025 unfolded in grand style in Lucknow on Saturday, celebrating the relentless spirit and excellence of India’s finest athletes. Amid a gathering of sporting legends, Olympic heroes, and rising stars, Prasad Sanyal, Group Business Head of TOI, Indiatimes, and WhatsHot, delivered a stirring opening address that underscored the evolution of the awards from a ceremony into a national movement.Welcoming a distinguished audience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, Sanyal highlighted that TOISA has become a cornerstone of the Indian sporting calendar. “When we first conceptualised the Times of India Sports Awards years ago, we had a simple yet powerful vision—to create a platform that truly celebrates the spirit of Indian sports,” Sanyal noted. “Not just the victories, not just the medals, but the journey, the struggle, the sweat, and the unwavering determination that defines every athlete’s story.”This year’s theme, “More Sweat More Glory,” served as the focal point of the evening. Sanyal emphasised that the accolades presented on stage are merely the tip of the iceberg, representing years of invisible sacrifice.“Glory doesn’t come easy. It comes from the countless hours in the gym when nobody’s watching. It comes from the early morning training sessions when the world is still asleep. It comes from getting up after every fall, every defeat, every setback, and saying, ‘One more time.’ That’s what our athletes do. Day after day. Year after year. And tonight, we honour that spirit,” he said. Celebrating the awards in Lucknow for the third consecutive year, Sanyal praised the host state’s burgeoning role as a nursery for champions. He noted that the transformation in Uttar Pradesh’s sporting landscape has been “remarkable”, ahead of the arrival of the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, to grace the occasion.Acknowledging the elite jury, comprising legends like Leander Paes, Mithali Raj, Abhinav Bindra, Devendra Jhajharia, Sharath Kamal, and PR Sreejesh, Sanyal remarked that their presence bridges the gap between past glory and future potential.In a poignant moment of his address, Sanyal paid special tribute to the para-athletes in attendance. “To our para-athletes, you are champions of the human spirit. Your courage and resilience teach us what true strength really means,” he said, reiterating TOI’s commitment to sports as a source of national inspiration rather than mere entertainment.Concluding his address with a call to ignite the fire in the next generation, Sanyal sparked the beginning of the festivities: “Let’s make this evening unforgettable. Let’s cheer for our champions. Let’s celebrate their sweat, their glory, and their incredible journey! Thank you, and let’s have a spectacular evening! Jai Hind!”

Here are the nominees shortlisted for various categories by the illustrious TOISA jury, which includes icons like Abhinav Bindra, Mithali Raj and Leander Paes…

BADMINTON (MALE)
Lakshya Sen, Ayush Shetty, Kiran George, Chirag Shetty, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy

BADMINTON (FEMALE)
Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, Tressa Jolly, Gayatri Gopichand

CRICKET (MALE)
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, KL Rahul, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav

CRICKET (FEMALE)
Smriti Mandhana, Pratika Rawal, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma

ATHLETICS (MALE)
Neeraj Chopra, Animesh Kujur, Gulveer Singh, Sachin Yadav

ATHLETICS (FEMALE)
Parul Chaudhary, Rupal Chaudhary, Jyothi Yarraji, Pooja Singh

EQUESTRIAN
Ashish Limaye, Shruti Vora, Divyakriti Singh

HOCKEY (MALE)
Abhishek Nain, Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Amit Rohidas

HOCKEY (FEMALE)
Udita Duhan, Navneet Kaur, Mumtaz Khan, Rutuja Pisal

SHOOTING (MALE)
Samrat Rana, Ravinder Singh, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Anish, Varun Tomar, Rudrankksh Patil

SHOOTING (FEMALE)
Suruchi Inder Singh, Simranpreet Kaur, Esha Singh, Elavenil Valarivan, Sift Kaur Samra, Manu Bhaker

CHESS (MALE)
R Praggnanandhaa, Aravindh Chithambaram, P Iniyan, Nihal Sarin, Arjun Erigaisi

CHESS (FEMALE)
Divya Deshmukh, Koneru Humpy, R Vaishali, Nandhidhaa PV

ARCHERY (MALE)
Dhiraj Bommadevara, Abhishek Verma, Atanu Das, Prathamesh Fuge, Rishabh Yadav

ARCHERY (FEMALE)
Ankita Bhakat, Jyothi Surekha, Deepika Kumari, Prithika Pradeep

BILLIARDS/SNOOKER
Pankaj Advani, Aditya Mehta, Brijesh Damani

WEIGHTLIFTING (MALE)
Rishikanta Singh, Muthupandi Raja, Dilbag Singh, Lovepreet Singh

WEIGHTLIFTING (FEMALE)
Mirabai Chanu, Mehak Sharma, Bindyarani Devi

WRESTLING (MALE)
Sunil Kumar, Nitesh, Aman Sehrawat, Sujeet Kalkal

WRESTLING (FEMALE)
Antim Panghal, Manisha, Nisha Dahiya

SQUASH (MALE)
Abhay Singh, Saurav Ghosal, Velavan Senthilkumar, Mahesh Mangaonkar

SQUASH (FEMALE)
Anahat Singh, Joshna Chinappa, Dipika Pallikal Karthik, Tanvi Khanna

TABLE TENNIS (MALE)
Manav Thakkar, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran, Harmeet Desai, Payas Jain

TABLE TENNIS (FEMALE)
Manika Batra, Sreeja Akula, Diya Chitale, Ayhika Mukherjee

TENNIS (MALE)
Rohan Bopanna, Yuki Bhambri, Sumit Nagal

TENNIS (FEMALE)
Ankita Raina, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli

FOOTBALL (MALE)
Subhasish Bose, Sunil Chhetri, Vishal Kaith, Brison Fernandes, Gurpreet Singh Sandhu

FOOTBALL (FEMALE)
Soumya Guguloth, Grace Dangmei, Elangbam Panthoi Chanu, Manisha Kalyan, Pyari Xaxa

KABADDI
Sanju Devi, Pawan Sehrawat, Ritu Negi, Arjun Deshwal

BOXING (MALE)
Sachin Siwach, Hitesh Gulia, Pawan Bartwal, Ankush Panghal

BOXING (FEMALE)
Minakshi Hooda, Jaismine Lamboria, Nikhat Zareen, Pooja Rani

SAILING
Vishnu Saravanan, Zahaan Hemrajani, Abhimanyu Panwar, Ghashiayah A

COACH OF THE YEAR
Amol Majumdar (Cricket), Suresh Singh (Shooting), Ashok Kumar Rana (Shooting)

PARA ARCHERY (MALE)
Harvinder Singh, Vivek Chikara, Rakesh Kumar, Shyam Sunder Swami

PARA ARCHERY (FEMALE)
Sheetal Devi, Payal Nag, Jyoti Baliyan

PARA ATHLETICS (MALE)
Sumit Antil, Shailesh Kumar, Sandeep Kumar, Nishad Kumar

PARA ATHLETICS (FEMALE)
Simran Sharma, Preethi Pal, Ekta Bhyan, Deepthi Jeevanji

PARA BADMINTON (MALE)
Pramod Bhagat, Sukant Kadam, Krishna Nagar

PARA BADMINTON (FEMALE)
Mandeep Kaur, Manasi Joshi, Nithya Sre

PARA CHESS
Vaibhav Gautam, Samarth J Rao, Venkata Krishna Karthik K

PARA JUDO
Kapil Parmar, Avidha Sharma, Rahul Rajora, Kokila

PARA SHOOTING (MALE)
Bhat Amir Ahmad, Nihal Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Rudransh Khandelwal

PARA SHOOTING (FEMALE)
Mona Agarwal, Avani Lekhara, Rubi Kumari

EMERGING SPORTSPERSON
Tanvi Sharma (Badminton), Divya Deshmukh (Chess), Shree Charani (Cricket), Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Cricket)

PARA SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR
Sheetal Devi (Para Archery), Praveen Kumar (Para Athletics – High Jump), Preethi Pal (Para Athletics – Sprint), Sumit Antil (Para Athletics – Javelin)

PARA COACH OF THE YEAR
Dr. Satyapal Singh (Para Athletics), Subhash Rana (Para Shooting), Gaurav Khanna (Para Badminton), Sandhya Bharti (Para Taekwondo)

TEAM OF THE YEAR
India Women’s Cricket Team, India Men’s Cricket Team, India Men’s Hockey Team, India Men’s & Women’s Kabaddi Teams, India National Shooting Team, India Women’s Cricket Team for the Blind, India Squash Team, India Women’s Ice Hockey Team

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season is scheduled to begin on March 28, with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) taking on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.

How is the Most Valuable Player selected?

The league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) is decided through a points system that measures a player’s overall contribution during the season. Players do not earn points for runs directly. Instead, each four earns 2.5 points and each six fetches 3.5 points. Bowlers receive 3.5 points per wicket and one point for every dot ball. Fielding efforts are also counted, with 2.5 points awarded for each catch and stumping. The player with the highest points total at the end of the season is named MVP.The concept was introduced in 2017, replacing the earlier Player of the Tournament award. Under this system, performance across batting, bowling and fielding is factored into a single points tally.The highest points recorded in a single IPL season stands at 450, achieved by Sunil Narine in the 2024 edition.Shane Watson was the first recipient of the Player of the Tournament award in 2008, playing a key role in Rajasthan Royals’ title win. He won it again in 2013 with the same franchise, becoming the first player to claim the honour twice. That season also marked the introduction of the points-based system. He remains one of three players to have won the award more than once.Among others, Kolkata Knight Riders players Andre Russell and Sunil Narine have won the award multiple times, with Narine holding the record with three wins in 2012, 2018 and 2024. Players such as Adam Gilchrist, Sachin Tendulkar, Chris Gayle, Glenn Maxwell, Virat Kohli, Ben Stokes, Jofra Archer, Harshal Patel, Jos Buttler and Shubman Gill have each won it once.Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians was named the Player of the Tournament (MVP) in the 2025 season.

Full list of MVPs from IPL 2008-2025

NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan has flagged concerns over Rinku Singh’s form ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, stating that his dip in performances could be a key issue for Kolkata Knight Riders to address.KKR begin their campaign against five-time champions Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on March 29. Rinku heads into the season under scrutiny after a disappointing T20 World Cup, where he managed just 24 runs in five innings.

The left-hander’s struggles come after a remarkable breakthrough in IPL 2023, highlighted by his unforgettable five consecutive sixes off Yash Dayal during a 200-plus chase against Gujarat Titans — an innings that catapulted him to stardom.Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pathan reflected on the decline in Rinku’s returns since that standout season and his inability to make the most of opportunities at the World Cup.“We will have to see how much opportunity he gets to play. His 2023 season was outstanding. He scored 400-450 runs with a strike rate of 150. But after that, his performance dipped, and many times he did not get enough opportunities. He will have to maintain his standard and maximise the opportunities he gets. Even in the World Cup, he played five matches, but he could not fully capitalise on the chances he got. This is another problem that Kolkata needs to rectify, and Rinku Singh is one of them,” he said.Rinku had enjoyed a stellar 2023 campaign, scoring 474 runs in 14 innings at an average of 59.25 and a strike rate of 149.52, including four fifties. Since then, however, his numbers have dipped, with 374 runs in 22 innings at an average of 23.37, and a highest score of 38*.Pathan also pointed out that managing Varun Chakravarthy’s form would be another challenge for KKR. The mystery spinner started the T20 World Cup strongly, picking up nine wickets in four group-stage matches at an economy rate of just over five, but saw a sharp decline later, managing only five wickets in five matches from the Super Eight stage to the final, with his economy rate rising significantly.Despite the dip, Pathan backed Varun to bounce back and deliver in familiar conditions.“The challenge is how to bring Varun back with confidence given his current dip in form. He will play 14 matches, some of which will be at Kolkata’s ground, and he has definitely performed well in this league before. With the good memories he has in Kolkata, perhaps in a slightly different atmosphere, he might perform even better. I believe he will manage it, so although this is a challenge, Varun Chakaravarthy will overcome it,” said Pathan.Last season, Varun finished as the seventh-highest wicket-taker with 17 scalps at an average of 22.52 and an economy rate of 7.66, with best figures of 3/22. Overall, he has claimed 99 wickets in 83 matches for KKR, including two four-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/20.