Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams, aged 45, will make a historic return to the Australian Open after receiving a wildcard. This marks her 22nd appearance at the Melbourne Park event, making her the oldest woman to compete in the season's opening major. Williams expressed excitement for her return, recalling numerous incredible memories at the venue.
Usman Khawaja announced his retirement from international cricket, confirming the upcoming fifth Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground will be his last. The veteran left-hander, Australia's first Muslim Test cricketer, reflected on a journey of resilience and representation, overcoming early career setbacks to become a key player and advocate.
Irfan Pathan drew parallels between his own early international career under Rahul Dravid and Shubman Gill's current trajectory. Pathan believes Gill's leadership roles have fostered significant growth, mirroring the lessons he received about handling increased pressure. Despite a T20 setback, Pathan sees Gill's talent and willingness to learn as indicators of future success.
India and New Zealand are set for an eight-match limited-overs series, including three ODIs and five T20Is, from January 11 to 31. This series is crucial for senior players returning to the ODI setup and for finalising T20 combinations ahead of the 2026 T20 World Cup. While the BCCI has already announced the T20I squad for the New Zealand series, the ODI squad is yet to be named.
Virat Kohli celebrated the start of 2026 with a personal social media post alongside wife Anushka Sharma. On the cricketing front, the 35-year-old continues his remarkable ODI form, recently becoming the fastest to 16,000 List A runs after a stellar domestic return and a strong ODI series against South Africa.
Deepti Sharma has become the leading wicket-taker in women's T20 Internationals, surpassing Megan Schutt with her 152nd wicket. This achievement comes after she also became the first cricketer to score 1,000 runs and take 150 wickets in T20Is. India secured a 5-0 series win against Sri Lanka.
Mandhana’s run-scoring at the top of the order has played a key role in India Women’s results this season. She has scored runs in different formats and conditions while setting up innings for the team.
Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has a surprising passion for perfumes. Teammate Axar Patel shared that Bumrah is deeply involved in understanding perfume composition. Bumrah even gifted a perfume to Siraj after a match. Patel also received a perfume gift from Bumrah. These anecdotes reveal a lighter side to the formidable bowler off the field.
The modern 'Battle of the Sexes' exhibition between Aryna Sabalenka and Nick Kyrgios was a detrimental circus act for women's tennis. Despite rigged rules, the match highlighted a lack of competitive substance, contrasting sharply with Billie Jean King's impactful 1973 win that shaped the formation of the WTA and paved way for equality.
Nick Kyrgios beat women's world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the "Battle of the Sexes" on Sunday, in a highly-publicised showdown with modified rules that divided tennis fans. On Sunday, each player received only one serve and the dimensions of Sabalenka's side of the court were nine percent smaller, in an attempt to restrict Kyrgios' power and speed advantage.