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India suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi, as the visitors pulled off their record chase in the format. Despite putting up a total of 249, West Indies chased down the mammoth target of 250 with nine balls to spare. Speaking after the match, Gambhir stated that India cannot afford to take the defeat lightly, and that as T20 world champions, there should be higher expectations on them to deliver consistent victories. “You don't shrug off any defeat. If you want to keep improving, you don't want to put anything under the carpet. We are a world-champion team so we want to keep improving. These are obviously tough conditions to bowl - we know flat wickets with the dew - obviously it's tough but we need to figure out and find the way. “Especially with the opposition having lost two wickets in the first over and then lost three wickets in the powerplay. But again, credit to the West Indies, the way Shai Hope and Sherfane batte...

In a country like India, where cricket academies and teams abound in every corner, getting a chance in the national team requires more than just hard work. There are several instances of talented players failing to earn a place in the national side because of the abundance of options available to the BCCI selectors. Parthiv Patel is one such player. He made his international debut at the age of 17 years and 152 days in 2002. However, his international career saw him being dropped on several occasions for long periods. The emergence of MS Dhoni saw him lose his place in the team. Patel made a comeback in 2008 against Sri Lanka but was dropped again. Then, during the 2009-10 season, Parthiv said he was in peak form in domestic cricket, but when he asked a national selector in 2010 about his prospects, he got a shocking reply. Patel said he first had a discussion with then-chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar. The India great told him to keep working hard. Then, after a new selection panel...

Can Mohammed Shami emulate Bhuvneshwar Kumar to make an India comeback? The question has been ringing across the country's cricketing landscape since Bhuvneshwar's return to India squad after a four-year hiatus, for the away T20I series against New Zealand. But the situation is far too complex once the layer of hope is peeled off. There was a huge outcry to call the Bhuvneshwar back once he grabbed 45 wickets from 30 IPL matches in 2025 and 2026 for Royal Challengers Bengaluru. But Shami has largely remained a forgotten figure in the last two seasons of IPL, taking just 18 wickets from 22 matches at an average economy rate of 10. In theory, Bhuvneshwar, who bowls at a gentle pace on flat decks, has less chance than Shami to succeed in T20s. However, the Meerut pacer tides over the lack of pace with his ability to prodigiously swing the new ball in the Power Play, and endless variations -- from an accurate yorker to a befuddling slow bouncer -- in the death overs. RCB assi...

Klay Thompson and Giannis Antetokounmpo are now Miami Heat teammates, but their connection started years before they shared a locker room. Thompson still remembers a moment from 2022 when Antetokounmpo showed him support after a big game. Thompson had just returned from a long injury layoff and scored 38 points against Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks. What happened after the game stayed with him. Antetokounmpo walked across the court to congratulate Thompson, even though Milwaukee had lost. Speaking to The Athletic, Thompson said that small gesture changed how he viewed the two-time MVP. Now, with both players in Miami, Thompson says being Antetokounmpo's teammate feels special. Klay Thompson Remembers Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2022 Gesture For Thompson, the 2022 game was about much more than his 38 points. He had spent a long time away from the court because of injuries and was still trying to feel like himself again. Antetokounmpo's reaction gave him a boost at a ti...

Former England and Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand launched a scathing attack on Portugal boss Jorge Jesus, accusing him of mistreating legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo and saying that he must "ask for forgiveness". The Al Nassr star left the national team camp early after a breakdown in communication during the UEFA Nations League, with the 41-year-old's role under Jorge, who was also part of Al Nassr's trophy-winning set-up with Cristiano, coming under question. Tensions reached their peak when Portugal played Norway. Ahead of the match, Cristiano was instructed to warm up with the expectation of featuring later in the contest. However, Jorge eventually decided against bringing him on, leaving the legendary striker frustrated on the bench. While Jorge claimed that Cristiano was left out for tactical reasons, it only added to the growing rift between the once-close coach-player pair. Ferdinand, Cristiano's teammate at Manchester United from 2003...

Google is reworking which Gemini models are available on each of its plans. Starting October 9, users on the free tier and the AI Plus plan will lose access to some models, while AI Pro subscribers are set to gain a feature that was previously exclusive to the top tier. The company also appears to be working on new reasoning controls for the Gemini app. What Changes for Free and AI Plus Users According to an updated Google support document, people without a Google AI subscription will be left with only Flash-Lite from October 9. Flash and Pro will no longer be part of the free plan. AI Plus, which costs $4.99 (roughly Rs 500) a month, will keep Flash-Lite and Flash but drop the Pro model. Google said affected AI Plus users will get an email telling them when their accounts will switch over. AI Pro and AI Ultra subscribers keep all three models: Flash-Lite, Flash and Pro. ALSO READ |  Gemini 4 Argon: Google Unveils New Frontier AI Model — Prices, Features And Key Things Ex...