CRICKET
Indian women’s deaf cricket team will tour Sri Lanka on its first international tour
The Indian deaf women’s cricket team will embark on its first-ever international T20 tour for a five-match series in Sri Lanka from July 7 to 13.
The 15-member squad is led by Kajal Dhawan, who is also the wicketkeeper of the team. Needa Zabi Shaikh has been appointed vice-captain, according to a press release issued on Saturday.
The matches will be held at the De Soysa Park International Cricket Stadium in Moratuwa.
The Indian Deaf Cricket Association also announced a T20I Tri-Series in India in March next year, also featuring Sri Lanka, and Trinidad & Tobago and the DICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Delhi in February 2028.
Commenting on this milestone moment, former Indian women’s team captain Diana Edulji said, «It is a significant milestone for India that our hearing-impaired girls have received their first international call-up. Cricket belongs to everyone!
«You have broken barriers by coming here and we are all very proud of you. I have personally witnessed your play as your chief guest while playing in Mumbai, the T10 deaf tournament. The caliber and sportsmanship of these women players have impressed me. Now it is time to simply show the world what Indian women cricketers can do on the field.»
Captain Kajal of the Indian Women’s Deaf cricket team said, «Going to Sri Lanka for our first international T20 tour is not just about playing cricket, it is about proving that hearing is not a barrier to passion, skill or representing our country. Every player in this team has worked tirelessly and we will cherish the hopes of every girl in India who dreams of wearing the blue jersey.»
TEAM
Kajal Dhawan (captain and wicketkeeper), Needa Zabi Shaikh (vice-captain), Pratima Mishra (wicketkeeper), Aakansha Kanasiya, Reddy Jyoshna, Dipti Rani Sahoo, Shraddha Vaishnav, Sangeetha, Sukanya KS, Ruby Yadav, Chandani Khan, Priyanshi Dixit, D. Kanthamma, Priyanka Saini and Anjali.
-PTI
RIDER
Anush Agarwalla secures silver at CDI1 Hagen
Indian equestrian exponent Anush Agarwalla delivered another impressive performance to take second place in the CDI1 Prix St. Georges at the Cavalliero Dressage Days in Hagen, Germany.
With ‘Straight Horse Floriana’, Anush achieved a score of 70.147% and finished second among 22 participants in a very competitive field.
His polished test and strong partnership with Floriana helped him cross the coveted 70% mark, underscoring the pair’s consistency on the international circuit.
He finished just behind Germany’s Charlotte-Maria Schürmann, who won the event with a score of 72.304%.
The result comes at a time when Anush is embroiled in a selection controversy after he was left out of the four-member Indian dressage team for the 2026 Asian Games and was named only as the first reserve rider.
Despite being India’s highest-ranked dressage rider and the country’s only individual medalist at the Asian Games in the discipline, Anush was left out of the main squad by the Equestrian Federation of India’s ad hoc selection committee, prompting him to move the Delhi High Court.
The Delhi High Court on Friday reserved its verdict on the petitions filed by Anush and Sudipti Hajela against their exclusion from the dressage team for the upcoming Asian Games.
The 26-year-old had created history at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou by winning team gold and individual bronze in dressage, becoming the first Indian to claim an individual equestrian medal at the continental event.
-PTI
FOOTBALL
Minerva Academy to participate in the Helsinki Cup and Gothia Cup youth events in Europe
Minerva Academy FC will take part in two of Europe’s most prestigious youth tournaments later this month – the Helsinki Cup in Finland and the Gothia Cup in Sweden – as the Punjab team returns to Scandinavia for the second consecutive year.
The two tournaments bring together thousands of young footballers from all over the world each year to pursue international glory.
Minerva Academy came painfully close to the championship in the B12 category of the Helsinki Cup last season. The young Indian team lost in the final.
The Punjab side won the Gothia Cup, touted as the World Youth Cup, in the under-14 boys category in Gothenburg, Sweden last year.
-PTI
GYMNASTICS
The Indian artistic gymnastics team will leave for Glasgow after the training camp in London
The Indian artistic gymnastics team will leave for Glasgow on July 20 after completing a three-week training camp in London as part of its preparations for the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
The camp, which started on June 29, was funded by the Sports Authority of India under the Target Asian Games Group and TOPS scheme.
The women’s squad for the Commonwealth Games includes Olympians Pranati Nayak, Nishka Agarwal, Eshita Rewale and Protistha Samanta.
The men’s team consists of Tapan Mohanty, Tapeshwarnath Das, Swatish KP and Yogeshwar Singh.
Rakesh Patra is the men’s coach, while Payal Bhattacharjee and Ashok Kumar Mishra serve as women’s coaches.
Pranati, who won a silver medal in the vault event in Tashkent during the FIG World Challenge Cup early this year, is currently training in Odisha under Mishra and will head straight to Scotland for the quadrennial event.
The overseas camp was intended to fine-tune the team’s preparations ahead of the Commonwealth Games, with the contingent due to travel directly from London to Glasgow afterwards.
«The camp has been very productive so far. The athletes are training well and the exposure has been beneficial in the run-up to a major event like the Commonwealth Games. We will travel directly to Glasgow from London on July 20,» Patra told PTI.
Indian gymnasts have won a total of 3 medals (1 silver and 2 bronze) in the history of the Commonwealth Games.
While Ashish Kumar claimed silver and bronze in floor exercise and vault respectively in the 2010 Delhi edition, Dipa Karmakar won bronze in the women’s vault in Glasgow 2014.
-PTI
GOLF
Diksha remains in the fight as all four Indians in Belgium cut back
Diksha Dagar remained firmly in the title race despite a late stumble as all four Indian golfers made the cut at the Hulencourt Women’s Open here.
Diksha, who shared the lead overnight after an opening bogey-free 68, shot an even-par 72 to finish tied for third at four under for the tournament.
She looked poised for another strong round before two late bogeys halted her momentum, but she remained within striking distance heading into the final 36 holes.
The southpaw mixed three birdies with three bogeys in an otherwise steady performance and is in a tie for third place, keeping alive hopes of adding a third Ladies European Tour title to her resume.
India also had another player in the top 10, with Aditi Ashok making an impressive return to the Ladies European Tour.
The experienced Indian followed her opening 70 with a composed one-under 71 to move to three-under in the overall standings and into a share of eighth place.
Aditi’s round was a model of consistency. She made just one birdie as she avoided mistakes the rest of the day, scoring 17 pars to stay well placed heading into the weekend.
Avani Prashanth also provided a productive second round despite a difficult start. From the 10th tee, Avani found herself two-over through her first 11 holes, including a costly double bogey at the par-four 16th.
However, she showed admirable resilience and responded with three birdies against a solitary bogey on her final seven holes to salvage a second consecutive 72. Tied for the championship, she was tied for 18th.
Pranavi Urs made it four out of four for India by making the cut despite a challenging day. After opening with a one-over 73, she carded 76 to finish at five-over, right on the cut mark, and finished tied for 56th.
Spain’s Carolina Chacarra stole the spotlight with a flawless seven-under 65 to move to nine under in the overall standings and open a two-shot lead.
Australian Kelsey Bennett is second on seven under after a polished five under 67.
Third place with Diksha on four was shared by the Swiss Morgane Metraux, the South African Nadia van der Westhuizen, the English Bronte Law and the Irish Anna Foster.
Aditi shared eighth place with Thailand’s Trichat Cheenglab.
-PTI
Published on July 4, 2026
