Over 10,000 turn up, stadium echoes with chants for Rohit Sharma!
North Indian city, Jaipur, was draped in ‘blue’ as more than 10 thousand cricket lovers thronged at the Swai Mansingh Stadium on Wednesday morning with roaring chants of ‘Mumbai Cha Raja’ to watch Rohit Sharma. The former India captain returned to the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic 50-over competition, after a gap of seven years. He turned out for Mumbai, who were taking on Sikkim in a first-round fixture of the tournament in Jaipur. With the state association announcing free entry, thousands of fans queued up outside the stadium well before the scheduled start of play on Wednesday. Even before the Mumbai team bus arrived at the venue, a few thousand supporters had already taken their seats, eager to cheer one of the most successful ODI batters the country has produced. It was a rare opportunity for fans to watch Rohit up close. With no live television or streaming coverage for the Mumbai–Sikkim contest, cricket lovers in the city were keen not to miss the moment. Rohit acknowledged the affection of the crowd, taking time to wave whenever he found himself fielding near the boundary ropes as Sikkim won the toss and elected to bat first. He was stationed in the slip cordon in the beginning as the atmosphere at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium took on the feel of an international fixture. But later on, “Mumbai cha Raja, Rohit Sharma” chants compelled the former Indian captain to place him on the boundary so that the fans could watch him from close. Two stands were initially opened for the fans to watch Rohit Sharma, but today the crowd grew so large that all the remaining stands had to be opened as well.
Vaibhav Suryavanshi breaks AB de Villiers’ first-class world record with the fastest 150 in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s domineering streaks at the senior level continued as he bashed a 36-ball century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy Plate league opener for Bihar against Arunachal Pradesh at the JSCA Oval Ground in Ranchi on Wednesday. Turning up for the match only three days after India’s Asia Cup U-19 final debacle against Pakistan in Dubai, Suryavanshi peppered the Arunachal bowlers from the outset to storm to his century on the back of a feast of fours and nine sixes in 36 balls, making it only the second-fastest hundred by an Indian man in overall List A cricket. Only Punjab batter Anmolpreet Singh has recorded a quicker ton among Indians in List-A cricket, having smashed a 35-ball century against Arunachal in the Vijay Hazare competition last season. Suryavanshi’s 36-ball ton ranks as the joint-fourth fastest ever in the world in List -A cricket. The dashing left-hander had racked up his 150 in only 54 deliveries, with Bihar storming past the 200-run mark inside 18 overs. Suryavanshi thereby broke South Africa batting legend AB de Villiers’ record (64 balls) for the fastest century in the format. Suryavanshi, however, missed out on recording the fastest List-A double hundred as he fell on 190 off 84 deliveries. He clubbed 15 sixes during the whirlwind knock, only second to Rohit Sharma (16) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (16) in a List-A innings among Indians.
Messi’s sister is hospitalised after a car crash! Wedding cancelled
Lionel Messi’s sister, Maria Sol Messi, has been hospitalised after a severe car crash in Miami. The accident has forced the postponement of her forthcoming wedding, scheduled in early January. According to reports from Argentine newspapers, the 32-year-old suffered from several injuries in the accident, including spinal fractures, burns, as well as heel and wrist fractures. Argentine TV journalist Ngel de Brito, speaking on the America TV programme LAM, said Messi’s mother, Celia Cuccittini, confirmed that Maria Sol is now out of danger but faces a lengthy period of rehabilitation. “She is okay, she’s out of danger,” de Brito said while reading messages he said were confirmed by the family. “But she was due to get married in Rosario on 3rd January and naturally it has to be suspended now. She suffered burns, which are very difficult to treat, and displacement of vertebrae. She has already started her rehabilitation in Rosario.” The crash reportedly occurred in Miami when Maria Sol lost control of the vehicle she was driving and hit a wall. De Brito added that Cuccittini told him her daughter fainted moments before the accident. There has also been speculation that the burns may have been caused by a motorbike fall, though that detail has not been officially confirmed. Maria Sol was due to marry Julin “Tuli” Arellano, a member of Inter Miami CF’s under-19 coaching staff, in her hometown of Rosario. The ceremony was expected to be a major family gathering, with the entire Messi family in attendance, including her brother, Lionel Messi, and his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo. Messi himself famously married Roccuzzo in Rosario in 2017. Like her brother, Maria Sol grew up in the same neighbourhood as her partner. A clothing designer and entrepreneur, she has largely stayed out of the public eye, having lived in Spain for a period before returning to Argentina to focus on her own projects.
Karnataka Home Ministry directs KSA to shift Delhi-Andhra match from Chinnaswamy! Fans frustrated
Following instructions from the state Home Ministry, the much-awaited Vijay Hazare trophy between Andhra Pradesh and Delhi has been shifted to the BCCI Centre of Excellence ground. The fans who were passionate about watching Virat Kohli after a long time in domestic cricket, and also Rishabh Pant, are extremely frustrated. The match, as revealed by Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) will be played behind closed doors, away from the city centre, preventing the fans from gathering at the venue in huge numbers. The reason behind the decision has been cited as security reasons. It is believed that the state home ministry has taken such a decision, anticipating a massive turnout to see Virat Kohli and Rishabh, who are expected to feature for Delhi in some of the matches. The KSCA scheduled the matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium last week to better manage the logistics and security of such high-profile athletes. On Tuesday, the state government intervened, citing unresolved safety concerns at the stadium. The decision is rooted in a cautious stance taken by the state government following the tragic stampede in June 2025 during Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s IPL victory celebrations, which resulted in 11 fatalities, while many others were left injured. The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) had initially considered opening two stands to the public, which could’ve accommodated 2,000-3,000 spectators. However, the government shot down the proposal, citing security concerns and compliance issues. Star cricketers Kohli, Pant, Ishant Sharma and Navdeep Saini will be part of the Delhi Senior Men’s team in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the 2025-26 domestic season, with all four confirming their availability for the tournament.
ECB to investigate England cricketers’ ‘over-drinking’ during the Ashes break!
England Cricket Board’s (ECB) Managing Director of men’s cricket, Rob Key, has revealed that the over-drinking habits of England cricketers will be investigated. Reports have come out that the cricketers were involved in too much drinking during the beach-break in the ongoing Ashes tour, where England have already been drubbed 3-0 by Australia in only 11 days. The fourth Test will start in Melbourne on Friday. The squad visited the resort town of Noosa on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane between the second and third Tests, a long-planned part of the itinerary designed to help players relax and unwind on the long tour. Key, who did not join the players in Noosa, said he had no problem with the break, but would not be happy if he found evidence of over-indulging. According to a report from the BBC, some members of the squad had six days of drinking! “If there are things where people are saying that our players went out and drank excessively, then of course we’ll be looking into that,” he said Tuesday in Melbourne, where the fourth Test begins Friday. “Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol for an international cricket team is not something that I’d expect to see at any stage, and it would be a fault not to look into what happened there. From everything that I’ve heard so far, they actually were pretty well behaved. Very well behaved.” He added, “We’ve got enough ways of finding out exactly what happened and everything that I’ve heard so far that they sat down, had lunch, had dinner, didn’t go out late, all of that, had the odd drink. I don’t mind that. If it goes past that, then that’s an issue as far as I’m concerned.”
Neymar undergoes surgery; hopes to return to national squad
Neymar has undergone a successful Neymar is expected to require a recovery period of around a month. His Santos contract expires at the end of the year, but he is in talks with the club over a new deal. The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward has not played for Brazil in over two years but hopes to be fit and feature in coach Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for Fifa World Cup 2026 Neymar is Brazil’s record goalscorer with 79 goals from 128 matches. The operation was made on his left knee to repair a damaged meniscus, his club Santos said on Monday. The 33-year-old endured a difficult season with Santos as he played through the injury to help the club avoid relegation from Brazil’s top flight. Brazil’s national team doctor performed the arthroscopic surgery, having previously operated on Neymar for a foot fracture as well as the ruptured anterior cruciate ligament he suffered against Uruguay in October 2023.
AIFF to get ‘election breather’ for implementation of Sports Governance Act!
The upcoming elections of all national sports federations (NSFs) have been postponed by a year to facilitate the flawless adoption of the new electoral framework as laid down in the National Sports Governance Act, a move that will impact the All India Football Federation. In a letter to the presidents of the Indian Olympic Association and NSFs on Monday, the Union sports ministry said postponement of upcoming elections till 31st December, 2026, has been decided as a part of transitional assessment to adopt the new NSG Act. It means the NSF elections of football would be held only in 2027, and the existing Kalyan Chaubey-led executive committee would continue to remain in charge, subject to the approval of the general bodies of respective NSFs. AIFF elections were due in September 2026, after completion of the Chaubey-led committee’s four-year term. The AIFF president Chaubey is also the joint-secretary of IOA. Since NSFs require considerable “statutory, structural and procedural” changes once the Act gets notified, the ministry decided on a “one-time extension” for adequate preparation. “In order to facilitate the smooth transition under the new governance framework as also to allow adequate time for implementation of the statutory requirements under the NSG Act, 2025 by the NSFs, it has been decided that those NSFs, whose elections are scheduled to be held in the coming months, except the cases where there are specific directions by Courts of Law, are allowed to defer the elections up to 31st December, 2026 – as a transitional measure,” Harikumar M, Director (Sports), of the ministry said.
AIFF struggles to survive with Rs 19.89 crore savings! A ray of hope with sponsorship for IWL and the government’s promise
Is Indian football nearing a financial downfall? According to a report from Khel Now, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has only Rs 19.89 Crore in its savings account, which the organization can use freely, not the illusory amount of Rs 50 Crore! In the AGM, held on 20th December, AIFF has shown that it has a fund of Rs 50.57 Crore. But in reality, the number looks fantasy! The truth is that the AIFF has a bank balance of Rs 19.89 Crore, which it can use freely. It has a fixed-deposit of Rs 21. 63 Crore, which s locked in and also has nearly Rs 10 Crore which belongs to Fifia projects! The money granted by FIFA cannot be freely used as it comes with strict conditions. The federation still projects an approximate deficit of Rs 23 Crore by 31st May this year. Along with this, if the unpaid bills and liabilities are added, the deficiency goes to Rs 25.88 Crore! One of the senior AIFF executives, when asked about the issue by Parallel Sports, divulged on condition of anonymity, “Yes, the AIFF is going through a severe financial crisis. Still, we are optimistic that the situation will change.” Despite the struggle, the ongoing Indian Women’s League (IWL) has got an investment of approximately Rs 3 Crore. But the Federation has to bear the whole expenses of the Santosh Trophy, which goes to approximately Rs 4 Crore. If sponsorship cannot be obtained, then the AIFF has plans to go for cost curtailment, and in that case, a couple of age-group tournaments, which were introduced a couple of years ago as a part of youth development programs, may be stopped for this season. However, the AIFF seems to have a ray of hope amidst the dwindling present, that the Union Sports Ministry has promised to come forward for the training of the junior and men’s junior national teams, even financially, who have earned qualification for the Asian Cup main round.
Anthony takes Boro Ma’s blessings; dedicates SAFF Club Cup to the fans
The SAFF Club Cup-winning East Bengal women’s football team’s coaching staff led by Anthony Andrews visited Boro ma goddess temple on Monday morning, on the day after the Red-and-Gold women’s brigade returned to Kolkata with the trophy. Ahead of their campaign in the IWL on 24th December, Anthony when asked about the title and prospect in the IWL, said to Parallel Sports, “I dedicate the SAF Club Championship trophy to the fans. We missed the AFC Club Championship qualification for the main round by a whisker, conceding a last-minute goal. Then after returning I watched how fans who were passionately praying for us, became demoralized. That is why, this time we decided to dedicate the SAFF Club Championship trophy to them.” East Bengal coach ha already achieved a rare feat in India’s women’s football history by winning three trophies in a single season already and now he is aiming to defend the IWL. “Our girls played back-to-back matches. Naturally they are exhausted. So they have started doing rehab program in Kalyani. Additionally, a few of our girls received injuries. So they need the rehab program for the recovery. After their recovery I hope they will again be able to deliver their best to defend the title,” added Anthony.
The first badminton player in history to earn 1 million US Dollar prize money in a single year!
South Korea’s An Seyoung reached a height in world badminton’s history that no badminton player has been able to achieve. She became the first-ever badminton player to take home more than USD 1 million as prize money in a single year. She clinched the BWF World Tour Finals title on Sunday, which had a reward of 240,000 US Dollar, which took her total prize money for the year to 1,003,175 US Dollar. The World Tour Finals crown was An’s 11th title of the season. An has created another magnificent statistic which shows that her Sunday’s win against Wang Zhi Yi in Hangzhou was her 74th of the season in 77 matches! According to BWF, that win percentage is the best for any player, for those who have played a minimum of 60 matches in a season in the Super Series or World Tour era. An already legendary Lin Dan’s 92.75 percent triumph, made in 2011. An Seyoung also set a new mark of clinching 11th title in a single year in 2025, equalling legendary Japanese men’s player Kento Komota’s most titles in a single year.
