India won the Men's Hockey5s Asia Cup on Saturday, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 2-0 in a dramatic shootout following a pulsating 4-4 draw in regulation time. Mohammed Raheel scored twice for India along with goals from Jugraj Singh and Maninder Singh. Pakistan's scorers were Abdul Rehman, Abdul Rana, Zikriya Hayat and Arshad Liaqat. The intense, seesaw contest highlighted the fierce hockey rivalry between the nations. Gurjot Singh and Maninder Singh ultimately slotted shootout goals as India prevailed to be crowned Asia Cup champions after multiple lead changes in a thrilling final against Pakistan.

India's innings began cautiously as rain disruptions stifled momentum early on. Shaheen Afridi was threatening, dismissing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli while Haris Rauf struck twice, removing Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. Ishan Kishan and Hardik Pandya steadied India with a defiant partnership before Kishan fell to Rauf. Afridi then dismissed Pandya before Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul quickly followed, crumbling India's lower order. Despite Kishan and Pandya's fighting efforts, regular strikes from Pakistan's pacers ensured control. India was ultimately all out for 266, with Pakistan's bowlers led by Rauf and Afridi inflicting crucial blows throughout to seize the initiative. The total appeared under par on a good batting pitch. [photo source: BCCI]

Team India: Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya (vc), Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, K L Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishan Kishan (wk), Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Mohammad Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and Jasprit Bumrah. The most awaited match of Asia Cup 2023, India vs. Pakistan, is just hours away at Sri Lanka's Pallekel International Cricket Stadium, Kandy. This will be India's first match in the current series. Kohli can set another record by reaching 13,000 ODI runs in his 266th innings, beating Tendulkar's 321.

Team Pakistan: Babar Azam (c), Muhammad Tayyab Tahir, Abdullah Shafique, Imam Ul Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Iftikhar Ahmed, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Muhammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, and Haris Rauf. Currently, Pakistan is leading the Asia Cup Group A Points Table with 2 points after their crushing 234-run victory over Nepal in their first match. Can Babar Azam break Kohli's record of fastest to 2000 ODI runs as captain in this match?

A interaction between Virat Kohli and pacer Haris Rauf during practice has gone viral ahead of the highly anticipated India vs Pakistan Asia Cup clash on Saturday. Kohli was seen greeting Rauf, whose team he will face again after hitting a match-winning six against him in last year's T20 World Cup. As anticipation builds for the high-voltage clash in Sri Lanka, players are training intensely. The Kohli-Rauf interaction, despite being rivals, exemplified cricket's spirit. Their friendly meeting has won hearts online, even as fans eagerly await the India-Pakistan marquee battle at the Asia Cup starting this weekend.

As India meets Pakistan in a much-anticipated ODI for the first time since the 2019 World Cup on Saturday, the weather may play a spoilsport. Rain may delay the start of play at Pallekele. The high-stakes match pits Pakistan's Afridi, Rauf, and Naseem against India's Rohit, Gill, and Kohli. Bumrah’s performance will be much under the scanner while Fakhar looks to regain form for Pakistan. Both teams have batting depth but India faces tough bowling choices. Some records are also on the cards. While Kohli can reach 13,000 ODI runs in his 266th innings, beating Tendulkar's 321, Babar can break Kohli's record of fastest to 2000 ODI runs as captain.

Mohun Bagan staged a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over FC Goa in the Durand Cup semi-final, setting up a high-voltage Kolkata derby against arch-rivals East Bengal in the final on Sunday. Trailing to Noah Sadaoui's goal, Bagan hit back through Jason Cummings' penalty and Armando Sadiku's winner to enter their first final since 2019. The fierce local foes battling in the season's second derby for the trophy have generated massive excitement ahead of the epic footballing spectacle in Kolkata on Sunday. East Bengal won the last derby against Mohun Bagan in August after four years.

Fresh off his World Championship gold, India's star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra clinched a silver medal at the Zurich Diamond League meet. Chopra started slowly with an 80.79m throw before fouling his next two attempts. He then launched a superb 85.82m throw in his fourth attempt, following up with 85.71m in his final attempt. Chopra's best effort was narrowly second to Jakub Vadlejch's winning 86.97m. The 24-year-old Chopra continued his excellent 2022 season by earning a podium finish against a world-class field in Zurich.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa on Thursday, after the young player made history by winning the silver medal at the FIDE World Cup. Modi hosted Praggnanandhaa and his parents at his residence, praising the 17-year-old for exemplifying passion and perseverance. Modi said Praggnanandhaa's accomplishment shows how India's youth can conquer any domain. Praggnanandhaa, who became the youngest international master at age 10, thanked Modi for the encouraging words. The PM's meeting comes after Praggnanandhaa clinched his first ever World Cup medal.

Indian chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa, the runner-up at the 2023 FIDE World Cup, was warmly welcomed at Chennai Airport. Expressing his joy at the turnout, he noted its positive impact on chess. Despite his second-place finish, he gained hope from qualifying for the 2024 FIDE Candidates Tournament. This eight-player event is set for April 2-25, 2024, in Toronto, Canada. The winner becomes the contender for the 2024 World Chess Championship. Praggnanandhaa's remarkable journey included defeating top-ranked players, signalling India's rising prominence in global chess. His achievement marks a new era of Indian chess excellence.