Sports

The Premier League may be the world's most popular but it's also one of the most expensive places to watch soccer, and as the arms race for talent escalates, fans are being squeezed. According to a recent UEFA report, English football’s ‘Big Six’ — Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham — pulled in close to 20 per cent more selling tickets for home games in the 2024-25 season as they did a year earlier. Bumper broadcasting deals and commercial sponsorship

Lahore Qalandars batsman ‌Fakhar Zaman has been charged with ball-tampering in ⁠Sunday’s Pakistan Super ⁠League (PSL) fixture against Karachi Kings, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said in a statement. The incident happened in the ⁠final over, when Karachi required 14 runs to win. Fakhar was engaged in a short conversation with Lahore captain Shaheen Afridi and fast bowler Haris Rauf where he and Rauf threw the ball between them. The umpire then came to Rauf and requested the ball. After consultations with the

Ten millions pounds of cash spread right across the card ➜ Meydan magic: Trainers reveal future ambitions outside $12 Million World Cup This Saturday’s racecourse also promises plenty of drama and tactical intrigue. With a host of veteran stars and up-and-coming talent in the spotlight, trainers were busy putting final touches to preparations on Wednesday. John Gosden’s Ombudsman, the legendary British trainer, got a leg stretch on the Tapeta before his $5 million Dubai Turf. Gosden, whose previous Meydan winners are led by

World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina on Wednesday set up a blockbuster semi-final at the Miami Open in a repeat of their Melbourne grand slam decider. Defending champion Sabalenka fended off big-hitting 45th-ranked American Hailey Baptiste 6-4, 6-4. World No 2 Rybakina overcame fifth-seeded American Jessica Pegula, a runner-up to Sabalenka last year, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. They will be back on Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium — home of the N.F.L.’s Miami Dolphins — vying for a place in the final.

And the shorter wait is the one that deserves much more scrutiny. It was the second in successive World Cups for Northern Ireland, who last appeared on the biggest stage four decades ago. Any regret about finishing third in a group with Brazil and Spain was tempered by the expectation of an imminent return. There has been no additional seat at the international football dining table. That World Cup hiatus under Italy’s belt includes failure to qualify in 2018 and 2022 (those two

A consortium of Aditya Birla Group, Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures and Blackstone has bought Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) for $1.78 billion, the consortium said on Tuesday. Seller United Spirits, the India unit of UK-based drinks giant Diageo, kicked off a strategic review of its 100 per cent stake in the Bengaluru franchise in November, describing it as "non-core" to its main liquor business. That interest is fueled by rising team revenues and the record valuation of the

The golf stars of tomorrow aligned amid rocking peaks and shimmering sun as the Emirates Golf Federation was given the honour for the hosting rights of the event, which saw three days of breathtaking competition, fortitude and blossoming talent at Dubai's scenic Sharjah Golf & Shooting Club between March 17-19. Considered the flagship event of the Infinity Junior Golf Tour, the championship further confirmed its rising status as one of the most exciting venues for junior golfers in the region. Having been a

England coach Brendon McCullum will keep his job after the Ashes debacle, with cricket chief Richard Gould saying he has the capacity to "adapt and evolve". Ben Stokes’s men were beaten 4-1 on their five-Test tour of Australia that began in November and ended in January. And their terrible performances were accompanied by reports of excessive drinking among players during a break, sparking concerns over the dressing-room culture. Subsequent revelations that vice-captain Harry Brook had been embroiled in a tussle with a nightclub

Jannik Sinner made ATP Masters 1000 history on Monday evening, when he rolled to a clean 6-1, 6-4 win over Corentin Moutet at the Miami Open presented by Itau. With his no-nonsense third-round victory inside Hard Rock Stadium, the Italian has won 26 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level and passed Novak Djokovic for the most ever, which had been set at 24. Sinner had matched that mark with his victory in the second round on Saturday in Miami before surpassing it

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the schedule for IPL Fan Parks for the first three weekends with the opening phase of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 set to take off across India. Apart from the stadiums, the Fan Parks will be available in 15 cities across 11 states for at least three weeks of IPL action, giving fans a chance to enjoy live IPL game frenzy in an atmosphere full of festivity with a large audience. The

An hour after his first disastrous attempt at extinguishing the best player in the world, Sebastian Korda walked back up to the baseline to serve for his fourth-round roller coaster against Carlos Alcaraz again. The American might have been expected to feel his tension all the more intensely, to collapse even more spectacularly, but his will prevailed. Korda maintained his head and retained his nerve in front of his home crowd, in his home state, no less to deliver the biggest upset on

Tadej Pogacar had another landmark victory on Saturday as he edged a thrilling Milan-San Remo, finally adding the fourth of road cycling’s five “Monument” races to his collection. Pogacar beat Tom Pidcock in a thrilling two-man sprint finale, despite most of his race strategy exploding in mid-air when he crashed a few kilometres before the penultimate climb, Cipressa, on the way to victory in the 298-kilometre battle from Pavia. UAE Team Emirates’ Pogacar was first across the line on San Remo’s Via Roma,

The Indian Twenty20 World Cup hero Shivam Dube was so confident a train ride in disguise would keep him incognito that he waited until after his fellow passengers fell asleep to break out the snacks — not needing them while they were awake, he thought. But just as Dube thought his ruse would come crashing down, it was his quick-witted wife who saved the day for the 32-year-old. He planned to go home soon after India won the World Cup — defeating New

Following the culmination of a thrilling ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in which India lifted a record third title, the International Cricket Council has announced the final tournament prize money distribution. In accordance with the record-breaking boosts to ICC prize money announced in 2024, a total of US$11.25 million will be awarded to players from each of the 20 nations involved in this unprecedented tournament. India received the largest portion, with the defending champions winning $2,639,423 after their final victory over New

India's Twenty20 World Cup-winning cricket team were presented with a bonus of 1.31 billion rupees ($14.24 million) by the country's cricket board on Tuesday, six times what they received for winning the title in Ahmedabad.[AD65] India claimed their third men’s T20 World Cup title on Sunday with an emphatic 96-run defeat of New Zealand in a one-sided final for a record $2.34 million tournament prize. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the world’s richest cricket board, confirmed the extra payout

But the most spicy redemption story of all was written by India opener Sanju Samson, who went from being not a first-choice opener to becoming player of the tournament as they held on to the men's Twenty20 World Cup title. The 31-year-old arrived at the tournament carrying the weight of scrutiny after enduring a prolonged slump in form throughout last year and into the early part of this one. His returns were modest and hit or miss, and suspicions had arisen over whether

Olympian Manu Bhaker had a winning inside, topping the women’s 10m air pistol final in National Selection Trials T3 (Group A) that ended at the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range here on Tuesday. Trial two victor Sainyam secured the second position and Esha Singh finished third to take the eighth spot in an eight-woman final. Manut — who was the last shooter to qualify for finals — led from the second series until the end of finals to finish first with a final

This week, Liverpool and Galatasaray will have to cope without a handful of players in their Champions League encounter. The Reds travel to Turkey to face the Super Lig side in the first leg of their last-16 tie on Tuesday night. Arne Slot’s side head into the game against Galatasaray off the back of a 3-1 victory over Wolves in the FA Cup last Friday. The Reds, who lost 1-0 to the Turkish club in their previous clash during the league stage of

Writers India's See the order scanned away a record limit to reject New Zealand 255/5 'in the last of ICC Men's T20 World Cup, 2026 at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad on Sunday. The mammoth total is now not only the highest T20 score ever made in Ahmedabad, it is also the highest-ever score at a T20 World Cup final and becomes the third-highest team total in T20 World Cup history. At one point of time, it seemed India is heading towards a total

The India national cricket team scripted history on Sunday, lifting the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, with a thumping 96-run win over the New Zealand national cricket team. India became the first team to win back-to-back T20 World Cup titles, while also becoming the first side to lift the trophy three times. The night was also historic for the hosts, as India became the first country to win a T20 World Cup in its own country.