Suryavanshi becomes youngest centurion in youth ODIs Vaibhav Suryavanshi continued to prove that his remarkable feat at the 2025 Indian Premier League was no fluke, as he has now taken the international Under-19 cricketing scene by storm for India Under-19s against England.  The 14-year-old batsman smashed 10 sixes and 13 fours en route to a 52-ball century in Worcester last weekend, leading his side to a total of 363/9. He finished on 143 in just 78 deliveries at a stunning strike rate of 183.  In response, India restricted their opponents to 308 in 45.3 overs to clinch the series 3-2, confirming our cricket prediction, with Suryavanshi proving to be the star performer, accumulating a total of 355 runs in the five matches at an average of 71.  The teenager’s tally now stands as the fifth-highest in a bilateral youth ODI ever and the second-best by an opening batsman. Additionally, he became the first player to record over 300 runs in the history of ODI cricket at the Under-19s level.  Suryavanshi burst onto the scene for the Rajasthan Royals at IPL 18 this year, where he became the youngest debutant and scored the second-fastest ton in the tournament’s history, doing so in just 35 balls, only two more than Chris Gayle’s legendary knock for RCB.  Last year, the youngster from Bihar recorded the second-quickest century in men’s youth Tests against Australia Under-19s, bringing up his three-digit haul in 58 balls, only behind England legend Moeen Ali, who struck a 56-ball hundred two decades ago.  View the latest cricket odds Indian starlet tipped to break into national team  Suryavanshi’s incredible performances for the Indian youth team, combined with his remarkable feat for the Rajasthan Royals, have propelled him to stardom, with many already drawing comparisons between him and some of India’s greatest ever cricketers, such as Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.  With several records already to his name, there are now talks around how long it would take before the 14-year-old left-hander is given the opportunity to feature for the Indian men’s senior team if he can continue on his current trajectory.  The teenager has already shown that his ability defies his age, having dispatched bowlers more than twice his age during the IPL. Tendulkar currently holds the title as the youngest-ever Indian cricketer, having debuted for the Men in Blue at 16 years and 205 days.  However, given that youth cricket is now much more widely followed and teams play much higher profile competitions than 20+ years ago, it’s difficult to argue that Suryavanshi will likely break the “Little Master’s” record in the coming years if he can continue to perform at this level.  More cricket news

Pakistan cleared to participate in 2025 Asia Cup Following the recent escalation in tensions between India and Pakistan stemming from the Pahalgam attacks in April, sporting events between the two nations were thrust into major doubt, with many Indians calling for all future matches between the countries to be called off.  However, in a major turn of events, the Pakistan national hockey team is now set to travel to India next month to participate in the 2025 Asia Cup as well as the Junior Hockey World Cup, for which India is among the favourites, according to many of the best betting sites.  The news broke last week after the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Sports Ministry jointly agreed to provide the Pakistan national team clearance to attend the competition, which is scheduled to take place in Bihar from August 27 to September 7. A source from the India Sports Ministry said:  « We are not against any team competing in India in a multi-national competition. But bilateral is different. We are accommodating as many as possible in the state sports academy and a few in hotels and Nalanda University guesthouses – all in and around the vicinity of the field of play.” India and Pakistan are expected to face off against each other at the Asia Cup next month, which promises to be a high-stakes battle, and if Pakistan are able to return to the FIH Pro League circuit, the two nations could cross paths again at the Asian Games and the World Cup.  Aside from Pakistan and host nation India, a total of six other teams will be arriving in Bihar over the coming days to begin preparation for the 12th edition of the tournament, including the likes of Japan, Korea, China, Chinese Taipei, Oman and Malaysia. While Pakistan’s clearance to participate in the Asia Cup is promising for the future of sports between the nations, it remains to be seen if this will continue when the cricket Asia Cup closes in later this year. Check out our sports predictions Pakistan Asia Cup clearance receives mixed response While the majority of Indian sports fans seem to be on board with allowing Pakistan to participate in the Asia Cup, there is still a large faction that is completely against the idea, including Indian news anchor, Arnab Goswami, who slammed the Indian government’s decision. He said:  « Why, if we don’t play cricket with them, do we want to play hockey? We refused to play the Champions Trophy in Pakistan and forced a shift to Dubai. Why should we welcome their hockey team here? They should not allowed to raise thier flag on Indian soil. » However, it wasn’t long before Pakistani journalist Faizan Lakhani fired back, labelling Goswami’s response as a “hate-mongering” approach to sports. Still, the Pakistan Hockey Federation has stated that they intend to participate in the competition despite the tensions, but added that they are awaiting their own government’s approval.  More sports news

Musa aiming to restore Kano Pillars’ lost glory Kano Pillars are one of the most successful clubs in the Nigerian Premier Football League’s (NPFL) history, having won the league title four times and represented the nation at the CAF Champions League, where their best effort resulted in a semi-final appearance in 2009.  However, over the last decade, Masu Gida have endured a steady decline, finishing 11th in the league standings in 2023-24 and ninth last season, 18 points behind eventual NPFL winners Remo Stars, who secured their maiden title.  A combination of a lack of motivation among players and coaching staff, mismanagement, and poor funding has all contributed to the team’s fall from grace, but Pillars’ fans now have a new reason for optimism.  Kano state governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has appointed a new management board ahead of the 2025-26 NPFL season, with Nigerian football icon Ahmed Musa set to take up the role as the club’s new general manager following the expiration of the one-year tenure of the outgoing board.  Speaking to the media following the confirmation of his appointment, the 32-year-old Super Eagles forward vowed to help the club return to its past glory days, while stressing the need for the new board to tackle the club’s existing challenges head-on. He said:  “Kano Pillars is our club and one of the most successful in Nigeria, but in recent years, the story has changed. I want to assure everyone here that with your support and the backing of the board members, I will do everything possible to reposition the club and make it one of the finest not only in Africa but also globally. Having played here and with the experience I gained in Europe, I believe I can contribute meaningfully to help the club achieve its full potential.” After playing abroad for teams like Leicester City in the Premier League and Russian giants CSKA Moscow, Musa returned to Kano Pillars for a third stint with the club in October last year and will now serve as a player-manager for the upcoming campaign.  Check out our football predictions Busy summer ahead of 2025-26 NPFL season  While there are plenty of changes expected at the Kano-based club ahead of the upcoming season, other teams in the Nigerian top flight are already hard at work bringing in reinforcements and shipping out any surplus to requirements.  In the last week, nine-time league winners Enyimba released 22-year-old goalkeeper Zalli Abdullahi, while reigning NPFL champions Remo Stars parted ways with veteran attacker Franck Mawuena. Reports suggest Remo is eyeing Malian forward Adama Goita as his replacement.  Another Sky Blue Stars player whose future remains uncertain is Sikiru Alimi, who is understood to be in discussions with Rivers United over a more lucrative deal. Alimi’s current contract with the champs is set to run out at the end of this month.  More football news 

Will Archer help England back into the lead? While England are still favourites to win this series according to the best betting sites, there were plenty of reasons for criticism, especially the way their batting order crumbled at Edgbaston, where we saw six batters dismissed for ducks, while Ben Stokes’ bowling attack did very little to help matters and were far from the level produced by India’s pair with the new ball.  In fact, on a pitch that favoured pace, it was English spinner Shoaib Bashir who finished with the best figures, claiming five scalps in the match, though he did ship almost 300 runs. However, the Three Lions now have renewed hope heading to Lord’s, thanks to the return of Jofra Archer. Archer last represented his nation in the longest format of the game four years ago, as injuries have caused the fast bowler one setback after another. He was slated to feature in match two but was forced to return home ahead of the fixture due to a family emergency.  Indeed, there are a few concerns around whether the 30-year-old has had enough preparation, having only played one Test for Sussex in the lead-up. However, if he is fully fit, Archer will give the Three Lions some much-needed firepower with the ball, especially against India’s top order, which ran riot last week.  Check out our cricket predictions Can India’s captain continue his blistering form? The start of the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy marked the beginning of a new era for Indian Test cricket – one that is now led by Shubman Gill following Rohit Sharma’s retirement, and the newly appointed skipper is certainly making an incredible start to his new role.  Gill has been utterly sensational in this series, having already scored a stunning 585 runs in four innings. At Edgbaston, the 25-year-old smashed 269 and 161 in his first and second innings, becoming the first batsman in Test cricket to record scores of 250 and 150 in the same game.  Heading to Lords, Gill will now be aiming to become only the 11th Indian batter to get his name on the prestigious honours board, and if he does so, he will be only the first Indian captain to score a ton at the Home of Cricket since Mohammad Azharuddin in 1990.  View the latest cricket odds Who gets the axe for Bumrah’s return? Earlier this week, Gill confirmed that Jasprit Bumrah will feature at Lord’s in the third match, and while few can argue with the world’s best fast bowler returning for an iconic matchup, there are concerns over who will be forced to miss out.  Akash Deep was brought in to replace Bumrah at Edgbaston, and he produced the best bowling performance of his career, becoming only the second Indian to take 10 wickets against England. As a result, leaving him out would be pure lunacy, while Mohammad Siraj has been the epitome of consistency in this series.  Therefore, it seems Bumrah’s return likely spells the end ...

Kujur becomes Indian national record holder in Greece meeting In another massive step forward for Indian athletics, Animesh Kujur produced a performance for the ages over the weekend, claiming first place at the 2025 Dromia International Spring and Relays Meeting Final B in Greece despite being listed as an underdog by most online betting sites. Kujur recorded an incredible time of 10.18s, which now stands as India’s national record, shaving two seconds of the previous headline time of 10.20s, posted by Gurvinder Singh in Bengaluru in March. Most notably, Kujur’s time in Greece was a full nine seconds better than his previous personal best.  The 22-year-old from Chhattisgarh has developed quite a reputation for himself over the last 12 months, having also etched his name in the history books in the 200m, where he clinched the national record with a time of 20.32s at the Asian Athletics Championships earlier this year.  Additionally, Kujur featured in India’s relay team at the National Relay Carnival in Chandigarh, where he, along with Singh, Manikanta Hobligdhar and Amlan Borgohain, earned another national record with a time of 38.69. In total, he now holds three separate national records simultaneously.  Notably, though, the Indian print sensation had a somewhat poor showing in the 200m in Greece, finishing seventh with a time of 20.73. However, India’s relay team claimed second place (39.99), finishing only behind the quartet of athletes from Turkey.  Check out our sports predictions Mohammed Afsal shines for India in 800m  While sprinters tend to receive most of the media attention in athletics, as was the case this past weekend with Kujur, his compatriot Mohammed Afsal deserves plenty of credit for his performance in the 800m event.  Afsal, who won silver at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, beat Jinson Johnson’s seven-year Indian record of 1:45:65 at the UAE Athletics Grand Prix in Dubai in 2018. He then smashed his own record at the Memorial Czeslawa Cybulskiegi in Poland this weekend with a stunning time of 1:44.96 in Heat A/1.  Other Indian athletes that shone over the weekend were Moumita Mondal, who posted a personal best of 13.24 to win the women’s 100m hurdles in Greece, while Lalu Bhoi and Mrutyam Dondapati claimed fourth and fifth in the 100m men’s Final A, respectively.  More athletics news

McDermott appointed as Pakistan fielding coach  Pakistan cricket has been through the wringer in recent times, with the national team suffering early exits from the World Cup in 2023 before a dismal display at the ICC Champions Trophy on home soil last year, where they failed to get beyond the group stage.  However, the Shaheens gave their loyal fans something to cheer last month, when they returned from their three-match ODI series against Bangladesh with a whitewash victory, marking their first limited-over series triumph since December last year.  The Pakistan Cricket Board has now made it their mission to return the national team to the glory days that saw them become world champions and one of the most feared teams around, which has resulted in plenty of behind-the-scenes moves being completed. Ahead of a jam-packed summer schedule, the PCB are set to undergo a major leadership change, with Salman Agha expected to take up captaincy across all formats of the game, replacing Shan Masood and Mohammad Rizwan.  Former Pakistan all-rounder Azhar Mahmood has already been appointed as the Green Shirts’ new head coach, and the latest backroom shake-up sees Australian Shane McDermott set to become the team’s new fielding coach across all formats.  Mike Hesson, who is the side’s new white-ball head coach, is believed to have been instrumental in the PCB’s decision to bring in McDermott, who previously served on the coaching staff of Australia A, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.  The 44-year-old Aussie is believed to have already begun settling into life in his new role, though the official announcement of his appointment is only expected to be made ahead of Pakistan’s three-match T20I series against the Tigers later this month.  Check out our cricket predictions PCB aim for longevity after frequent coaching turnover The Pakistan Cricket Board has come under the microscope in recent years, with several pundits and former Pakistani players blaming the organisation for contributing heavily to the team’s poor performances and fall from grace in recent times.  In the last 10 months alone, the Shaheens have seen two high-profile head coaches come and go, with the first being former South African batter Gary Kirsten, who stepped down from his role with the team just six months after his appointment.  Jason Gillespie, a World Cup winner with Australia, was handed the reins after Kirsten’s departure, but he also resigned just months into his tenure, while also openly claiming that he was owed payment from the PCB for his time with the team.  With McDermott set to replace former fielding coach Mohammad Masroor and Mahmood leading the team, Pakistan will be keen to build on their morale-boosting victory last month when they return to take on the Tigers in the shortest format.  More cricket news