India vs Pakistan (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

NEW DELHI: The rivalry between India and Pakistan has become more intense in recent times. India has been dominating Pakistan on the field, but the focus has now shifted to something else. Indian players have refused to shake hands with Pakistan players after matches, and this has created a big debate.The issue started during last year’s Asia Cup. India captain Suryakumar Yadav did not shake hands with Pakistan players. The decision was linked to showing respect for the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and support for the Indian Army after Operation Sindoor. Some former overseas players criticised India, but many former Indian players supported the move and said cricket should remain the main focus.

The topic came up again after India and Pakistan played in the T20 World Cup, where the captains again skipped the handshake. Former England players Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, Phil Tufnell, and David Lloyd discussed this on a cricket podcast.Phil Tufnell said Pakistan are not at the same level as India right now. He said, “Dare I say it, Pakistan against India, that’s a mismatch, isn’t it,” and added that India look far stronger.Michael Vaughan also shared his opinion and said Pakistan seem nervous when they play India. He said, “I mean it look to me that way. It seems to me every time Pakistan play India they look intimidated by India on a cricket field.” He also felt the handshake issue was sad and said, “That whole situation in sour isn’t it? You know, it is just sad. Not shaking hands on a cricket field.”Alastair Cook had a different view. He questioned whether the tension is real or just for the public. He asked, “But aren’t they talking behind closed doors? I read somewhere that everyone’s just chatting away.” He also said, “It like, it is only for show, isn’t it? On the actual field, they are not shaking hands, but then behind closed doors, they are all talking and are all fine.”

Australia celebrate after winning the T20 World Cup cricket match (AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)

Australia ended their disappointing T20 World Cup campaign with a big win over Oman, but the victory came too late to change their fate. They were already out of the tournament after losing to Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, so this match was only about pride.Australia bowled first and dominated Oman. Adam Zampa was the star with the ball and took four wickets, while Xavier Bartlett and Glenn Maxwell took two wickets each.

Oman struggled to score and were bowled out for just 104 runs in 16.2 overs. Wasim Ali was the top scorer for Oman with 32 runs, but the rest of the team failed to build partnerships.After that, Australia chased the target very quickly. Captain Mitchell Marsh played an aggressive innings and scored 64 runs without getting out, and Travis Head added 32 runs. They hit many boundaries and sixes and made the chase look easy. Australia finished the match in just 9.4 overs, which is one of the fastest chases in the tournament for a target above 100 runs.Marsh and Head shared a strong 93-run partnership and attacked the Oman bowlers from the start. Their hitting helped Australia win by nine wickets in dominant fashion.Even though the win was impressive, it could not hide how poor Australia’s campaign had been.Their early exit shocked fans and experts, and many people are now calling for a major review of the team’s performance and future plans.In the match, Oman had some early moments, but they kept losing wickets. Australia’s bowlers kept the pressure on, and Oman could not recover. Australia finally played like a strong team, but the performance came when it no longer mattered in the tournament.

Rahul Chahar receiving India cap from Virat Kohli

India leg-spinner Rahul Chahar has announced his separation from his wife Ishani Johar, nearly four years after their marriage. The couple got married in 2022 in a ceremony held in Goa.The 26-year-old shared the update about his personal life through a post on Instagram on Friday (February 20), confirming that the marriage has legally ended. In the note, Rahul reflected on his experiences and what he learned over the years.In a lengthy social media post on Instagram, Rahul Chahar exclaimed that he had entered marriage at a young age before wholly understanding himself and what he wanted to build.“I entered marriage at a young age, before I fully understood myself, my worth, or the life I truly wanted to build. What followed were years of lessons I never expected, and the last fifteen months spent navigating courtrooms, learning patience, resilience, and the strength that some from in truth,” Rahul said.The leg-spinner said the chapter of his life has now formally ended and that he has no regrets.“Today, that chapter of my life formally comes to a close. After due legal process, the matter has been settled with my resolution that costed a lot, bringing finality to this phase of my life. I close this chapter not with anger or regret, but with clarity. Some relationships are not meant to last forever they are meant to awaken us, teach us, and transform us,” the leg-spinner said.On the cricket front, Rahul Chahar has not had regular opportunities in the IPL in recent seasons after an early run with Mumbai Indians. He last played for India in 2021, having made his international debut in 2019.He initially went unsold in the first round of the IPL 2026 mini auction, but Chennai Super Kings later signed him for Rs 5.20 crore to strengthen their spin attack. He will look to revive his form this season.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during a press conference in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, ahead of the Champions League soccer match against Borussia Dortmund. (AP)

LONDON: Pep Guardiola insists he “couldn’t care less” about Arsenal’s stumble letting Manchester City back into the Premier League title race.Guardiola’s side were in danger of being blown away by Arsenal after their inconsistent form left the Gunners in pole position.But second-placed City have been handed a lifeline by Arsenal’s damaging draws against Wolves and Brentford.They are now just five points behind Arsenal with a game in hand and a home match against Mikel Arteta’s men to come in April.If City win their remaining 12 matches they will be crowned champions for the fifth time in the last six seasons.But Guardiola is not getting carried away by the opportunity.Instead, he remains focused on Saturday’s visit from Newcastle, when a win would close the gap on Arsenal to two points before the Gunners face Tottenham in the north London derby on Sunday.“I didn’t talk about the table, or our position or something like that. I could not care less,” Guardiola told reporters on Friday.“I didn’t talk about that for one second. Just Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle.“If you ask me this question with two or three games left, I will have your answer. It’s 12 games left, it’s an eternity.”Having won six titles during 10 years at City, Guardiola knows the final weeks of the season will bring more twists and turns.He also has experience of watching Arsenal let substantial leads slip away in the 2023 and 2024 title races, allowing City to snatch the trophy from their grasp.“Many things are going to happen until the end of the season. For now it is Newcastle, a rest and after it Leeds. It has always been like that,” he said.“Seventy per cent of the players are new, so they don’t have the experience to live these kinds of situations. An experience is to win tomorrow. It is only one.“Arsenal were nine points (ahead) when we had a game in hand, so whenever everybody is on the same games played then after that we will see the difference.“I understand you want to anticipate what is going to happen. That doesn’t count. It is Newcastle, that is all.”Meanwhile, Guardiola said racism remains a problem for society to cure rather than just football.Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior claimed he was racially abused by Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League tie this week.The match was paused in line with UEFA regulations after Vinicius alleged he was abused after celebrating scoring.“There is a lot of work still to do. It is in the society, it is not just in football. Racism is everywhere,” Guardiola said. “You pretend that racism is just for the colour of the skin? How you behave is racism. “It’s how you pretend you are better than the other one just for many reasons.”

Sam Billings of Oval Invincibles lifts The Hundred 2025 trophy (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

MUMBAI: More than 50 Pakistan players (men and women) have registered for The Hundred auction, which will be held at Piccadilly Lights in London on March 11 (women’s competition) and March 12 (men’s competition). “The auction list includes more than 50 players from Pakistan,” a source tracking developments told TOI.

As per the ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP), Pakistan are scheduled to have an away Test series against West Indies in August. A full list of players registered for The Hundred auction will be released at 1 PM UK time (6.30 PM India time) on Friday.Last season, only two Pakistan players, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Wasim, featured in the tournament (for Northern Superchargers), while Pakistan-born Zafar Gohar was part of the Oval Invincibles squad.Six of the eight franchises, London Spirit (owned by US-based tech investors), MI Oval (Reliance Industries), Manchester SuperGiants (RPSG Group), Southern Brave (GMR Group), Sunrisers Leeds (Sun TV) and Welsh Fire (US-based Sanjay Govil), have Indian owners. Of these six, four teams are owned by Indian IPL franchises Mumbai Indians, Delhi Capitals, Lucknow SuperGiants and Sunrisers Hyderabad.“The Hundred Auction will see over 200 players go under the hammer, with the sixteen men’s and women’s teams picking up to 14 players each as they take a big step towards filling their squads ahead of the sixth edition of The Hundred this summer,” the England & Wales Cricket Board stated in a media release on Thursday.The women’s auction register includes India’s swashbuckling opener Shafali Verma, Beth Mooney, Nadine de Klerk, Amy Jones and Davina Perrin.The men’s teams will bid for players with Joe Root, Quinton de Kock, Jason Holder, Haris Rauf and Adil Rashid potentially among the early contenders. Auctioneer Richard Madley will run proceedings across both days.The men’s teams have a salary pot of £2.05m, while the women’s teams have a salary pot of £880,000. Each team has already spent a portion of their pot on pre-auction direct signings and retentions.Teams are allowed up to four pre-auction signings from mid-November to the end of January. A maximum of three can be direct signings and must be overseas or England centrally contracted players. A minimum of one will be a retention, which can be any player — England centrally contracted, overseas or domestic.Across the auction, teams will compete to sign players across three phases: Hero Players, Ranked Players and Nominated Players. Teams will each provide a long-list of players they are most interested in signing ahead of the auction, with the phases reflecting aggregated interest in each player.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

NEW DELHI: In a region where borders blur into mountains and valleys fold into one another, India’s Northeast has never lacked talent. What it has lacked, for decades, is attention. Its athletes have long defined a culture of discipline that rarely seeks validation from the mainland.And today, riding on India’s unequivocal chess boom, the Northeast has found its latest sensation.At 15, Tripura’s chess prodigy Arshiya Das recently became the first Woman International Master (WIM) from Northeast India. Playing in Serbia, she not only won the 42nd Rudar IM Round Robin tournament with a score of 6.5/9 but also completed her final WIM norm.

For India, it is another prodigy proving her worth in the world of chess. For the Northeast, it is a tectonic shift.“We are very happy because we know she is actually very dedicated to chess. It was her dream for a long time to become national champion. She became Under-15 National Champion in November last year. Then, in the Senior National Women’s Championships 2025, which is a big tournament, she got a bronze medal. We saw that she is at her peak. So we planned to send her to Europe because all the norms come from there,” Arshiya’s father Purnendu Das told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

“Also, next year, she has 10th board exams, so things are getting tight. Before that, we planned this and sent her. She completed two norms, one in the first week of January, and this was the final norm.”Arshiya’s story began at the breakfast tableLike a plethora of Indian prodigies, Arshiya, born in March 2010, did not start in an academy or under a master coach. Rather, it began with her parents trying to get their child to eat breakfast and get ready for school.“This was around 2015. You know, when you have to make the children eat breakfast before sending them to school, you need to give them something in their hands, like a laptop or a mobile phone. So we used to give her a laptop so that she would eat her breakfast properly,” her father recalled.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

“When she would open the laptop, in Windows, there was a default chess game. She got used to sit with it. Then, one day, in a mall, she saw a chessboard and said, ‘This is the thing I saw on the laptop, I need this.’ So, I bought her a board. From there, her interest grew slowly.”From under-7 nationals to global exposureAt six, she finished in the top 10 in the Under-7 nationals. However, with an aim to better the scores, she participated again in the same tournament next year in 2017 and won bronze. The progress over a year was indeed noticeable, and it prompted the Das family to look at Arshiya’s potential with a sharper, more deliberate lens.“From Tripura, this was the first time someone got bronze and got selected for the World Cadet and Asian Youths to represent India,” her father added with palpable pride.International exposure followed as gold and bronze medals in Uzbekistan and a representation in the World Cadet Championship in Spain ensured her steady climb through India’s age-group hierarchy.

Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

When COVID shut down the circuit, Arshiya started playing online with unforeseen obsession.“During COVID, she played around 400-500 online tournaments and became champion in many of them. She utilised COVID very well,” Purnendu said.Training across IndiaFor a chess player in the Northeast, geography is the first opponent, not the one sitting at the other end of the board. For elite training, one must travel to Chennai, Kolkata, or Delhi. Agartala is an afterthought.“From the Northeast, coaching was always a problem. We had to go to Kolkata, Chennai, or Delhi,” her father admitted.And that is perhaps why her coaching journey spans local mentors Ramesh Koloi and Pradip Chaudhary, Apollosana Rajkumar in Manipur, FM Prasenjit Dutta, GM Saptarshi Roy Chowdhury in Kolkata, and the Gurukul system under GM RB Ramesh and WGM Aarthi in Chennai.Today, she trains with IM Kaustav Kundu and GM Swayams Mishra, attends Chola Chess Academy camps, and logs online hours with GM Jacob Aagaard’s Killer Chess Training.A family with purposeArshiya’s story is inseparable from her family’s sacrifices. Her father is an engineer. Her mother, Arnesha Das, stepped away from her own ambitions to aid the ambitions of their only child.“She wanted to join the Tripura Civil Service but sacrificed to support Arshiya,” her father told this website.

Family of Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

They live in government quarters in Agartala.“She studies in Holy Cross School, ICSE board, very tough. But school is very supportive with special notes and special classes. She missed the Class 9 exam due to Under-15 Nationals, but school promoted her and asked her to focus on board exams next year,” Mr Das revealed.Amid the hardships…The Das family is well aware of the financial burden that comes with steady improvement in ratings.“We depend on a government job. Flights from Agartala to Chennai are very expensive. She’s been playing since 2015, 11 years now. So it has already been a huge expenditure,” he added.“She once had a laptop problem. Sagar Shah (from ChessBase India) helped and got her a specially designed laptop for chess players. After that, her performance increased 50–60%. Before that, she used a Rs 35,000 laptop since 2016, but the battery changed four times.”But even amid the hardships, people have always come forward to help their cause.Dipa Karmakar, her coach, and many moreDipa Karmakar, the Olympic gymnast who put the city on the global sports map, is now the state’s sports director. She and her coach Bishweshwar Nandi personally trained Arshiya physically.In 2021, Arshiya received the Prime Minister’s Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for becoming the first and only girl chess player from the Northeast to receive an international gold medal.

PM Modi interacting with Arshiya Das (Special Arrangements)

But the latest WIM title is not the end of the road, as her current European tour is stitched together like a budget airline itinerary.“We planned five tournaments in one trip to save costs, and her mother is with her. After playing all five, she will return to Agartala on March 2,” Purnendu added.“We are definitely very happy, and in our state also, people associated with us, the sports minister sir, everyone is very happy that among girls from the Northeast, she is the first.”ALSO READ: No ecosystem in India, no problem: How 9-year-old Arshi Gupta became the youngest ever to join F1 Academy’s programmeBefore concluding, Arshiya’s father circled back to a recurring concern: “The Northeast lacks big companies for sponsorship. We request companies to support girl children in Northeast chess. Out of 91 Indian GMs, only 4 are women. We need to boost girls. PM schemes are coming. If companies support, Arshiya can become the first female GM from the Northeast.”

Norway Chess 2026 will take place in Oslo from May 25 to June 5, featuring elite men’s and women’s tournaments with equal prize money and format. Six players in each event will compete in a double round-robin with Armageddon tiebreaks. Stars include Magnus Carlsen, Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa, and Wesley So, plus Ju Wenjun, Zhu Jiner, Humpy Koneru, and Divya Deshmukh in the women’s field.

NEW DELHI: Norway Chess 2026 will be held in Oslo from May 25 to June 5, 2026, and it will bring together some of the best chess players in the world. The event includes two tournaments: Norway Chess for men and Norway Chess Women for women. Both events follow the same format, prize money system, and playing conditions, which highlights the focus on fairness and equality.Each tournament will feature six players who will face each other twice in a double round-robin format. If a classical game ends in a draw, players will play an Armageddon game to decide a winner.In the open category, big names like Magnus Carlsen, Vincent Keymer, Alireza Firouzja, Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Gukesh Dommaraju, and Wesley So will compete. Carlsen is a multiple-time world champion and Norway Chess winner.Norway Chess 2026 – Open Category

Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh represent India’s new chess generation, with Gukesh being the current world champion. Wesley So is a consistent top player with many international titles.The women’s tournament also features a strong lineup. Zhu Jiner will make her debut after rising quickly to World No. 2. Women’s World Champion Ju Wenjun will return, along with experienced stars like Humpy Koneru and Anna Muzychuk. Young talents such as Divya Deshmukh and Bibisara Assaubayeva will also compete, adding fresh energy to the event.Norway Chess Women 2026

Norway Chess Women started in 2024 and has already become one of the most important women’s chess tournaments. With top players, equal prize money, and a unique format, Norway Chess 2026 promises to be one of the most exciting chess events of the year.

Oman captain Jatinder Singh exuded confidence ahead of his side’s final group-stage clash against Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday. Speaking to ICC, Singh said, “It is the best time to crush” the struggling Australian side. The 2021 T20 World Cup champions, Australia, had been tipped as favourites before the tournament but have struggled to find form. After a narrow victory over Ireland in their opening match, the Mitchell Marsh-led team suffered back-to-back defeats, losing to Zimbabwe by 23 runs and co-host Sri Lanka by eight wickets. These results have already ruled them out of the Super 8 stage.

Oman, too, have been eliminated from the tournament and are yet to register a win. But Singh stressed that T20 cricket is all about momentum and making the most of key moments, which his team hopes to capitalise on against a faltering Australian side. “It is an opportunity. And our boys are looking forward to it. Because T20, it’s a game of momentum and the moments. If you, I think, play those moments right, you can do anything on that particular day. So Australia is not doing well at the moment,” Singh said. Despite their early exit, Singh emphasised that the Omani squad remains upbeat and determined to leave a mark in their last game. “Even they are also out of the tournament. So the mood in the camp is that the boys are really positive because we tried to play better cricket, but unfortunately, things were not in our favour. But I believe boys are looking forward to the next game against Australia and make a mark,” he added. Australia have now won just one of their three group matches and are already out of contention for the Super 8s.

Shadab Khan and Shahid Afridi (Agency Image)

Shahid Afridi, the former Pakistan captain, has taken a swipe at Shadab Khan following the all-rounder’s post-match comments, reminding him of the challenges of handling success. Afridi said that while former Pakistan players had struggled to defeat India in World Cups, Shadab’s team managed it in 2021.After Pakistan’s 102-run win over Namibia in Colombo in their Group A match of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the 27-year-old Shadab was asked about criticism from former stars like Afridi and Mohammad Yousuf. He reminded the media that he had been part of the side that beat India in the 2021 World Cup in Dubai.

Following Pakistan’s defeat to India earlier in the tournament on February 15, Afridi and Yousuf had suggested dropping Babar Azam, Shaheen Shah Afridi, and Shadab in favour of giving youngsters a chance. But under Salman Ali Agha’s leadership, Pakistan bounced back emphatically against Namibia, securing a Super 8s berth.In the Namibia game, Shadab shone with an unbeaten 35 and picked up three wickets, producing a near-perfect all-round performance. Yet his comments at the post-match press conference have sparked criticism among former players.Afridi responded, saying: “Shadab was absolutely right when he said that we didn’t beat India in the World Cups, but his side did. They got respect after that, but they couldn’t handle it. By the respect thing, I mean that after they defeated India, they could not handle the issues between them. Shadab should also know that when he was not able to perform for the team, we guys stood up for him on national television, saying he is the backbone of the team.”“I know Shadab, he is a very good guy, he has always spoken to us respectfully. When people talked about us during our playing days, we always backed up our words with our actions on the field. Not against the smaller teams, we used to perform against the bigger teams,” Afridi added.The former captain urged Shadab to let his performance answer the critics during the upcoming Super 8s matches against New Zealand, England, and Sri Lanka. “So Shadab beta, aap bhi performance kariye. Beta performances karo. We stood by you in your difficult times; you didn’t play domestic cricket, yet you still got into the national team. If you want to answer us, then do it by performing on the field. Perform and let the World Cup get over, we will get quiet after that,” Afridi said.Pakistan will kick off their Super 8s campaign on Saturday against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.