Sports
Spotlight on Rohit’s Performance and Kohli’s Status as India Seeks ODI Series Victory
India’s ongoing concern regarding skipper Rohit Sharma’s consistent struggles at the crease continues to haunt the team as they prepare for the second ODI against England in Cuttack this Sunday. The potential return of Virat Kohli, however, raises a selection dilemma that needs addressing as India aims to secure the series.
Following their four-wicket victory in Nagpur, India holds a 1-0 lead, but Kohli’s absence due to knee soreness has sparked worries about his fitness ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to begin on February 19.
Vice-captain Shubman Gill hinted that Kohli could return for the second ODI, and Kohli himself has been seen traveling with the team to Cuttack, appearing relaxed.
The 36-year-old batter’s return would undoubtedly enhance the team’s prospects as they head into the Champions Trophy, but it complicates selection decisions. Shreyas Iyer, who stepped in for Kohli at the last moment, made a remarkable 59 runs off just 36 balls, making his exclusion nearly impossible.
Based on his performance in the first ODI, it seems Kohli might replace Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had a disappointing debut. This would see Gill likely partnering Rohit at the top of the order, with Kohli moving into the one-down position.
Moreover, Kohli himself needs to regain his form, and a strong performance is crucial for him if he returns. His recent struggles in Australia, where he frequently edged balls to the slips, have led to increasing scrutiny of his performance.
In his last competitive match for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy, Kohli scored only six runs before being bowled by Railways pacer Himanshu Sangwan.
Despite these challenges, Kohli has historically been formidable in ODIs. He requires just 94 runs to become the third player to reach 14,000 runs in the format, following Sachin Tendulkar (18,426) and Kumar Sangakkara (14,234). Kohli has played 283 ODI innings, and if he reaches the milestone, he will do so faster than Tendulkar (350 innings) and Sangakkara (378).
The Indian bowling lineup appears stable, with Mohammed Shami gradually regaining his rhythm after a year-long injury absence. He started with a maiden over in Nagpur and later controlled the middle overs, finishing with figures of 1/38 from eight overs.
Debutant Harshit Rana faced difficulties early on against Phil Salt, making him the most expensive bowler in Nagpur. However, he made significant contributions by taking crucial wickets of Ben Duckett and Harry Brook in one over, shifting the momentum in favor of India. With concerns surrounding Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness, Rana has a chance to solidify his position with another strong performance.
England, on the other hand, will need to adjust their overly aggressive batting strategy in order to stay competitive in the series. It will be essential for the English batsmen to effectively counter the Indian spinners, who have been a consistent source of trouble for them throughout their tour of India this year.
Teams:
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohd. Shami, Arshdeep Singh, and Varun Chakaravarthy.
England: Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Ben Duckett, Joe Root, Philip Salt, Jamie Smith, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood.
Mangaluru: Asian Games gold medallist and Karnataka’s star athlete M.R. Poovamma received a grand welcome in Mangaluru on October 2 after her impressive performance at the 2026 Asian Games.
Poovamma won a gold medal for India in the women’s 4×400-metre relay. She also won a silver medal in the mixed 4×400-metre relay.
Speaking at the felicitation programme, Poovamma said winning gold for India was a proud and emotional moment. She recalled that India had won silver in the previous edition and said she was determined to hear the Indian national anthem at the stadium this time.
“I wanted to win gold for India at any cost. I wanted the Indian national anthem to be played at the stadium and wanted to make the country proud,” she said.
She also proudly said, “We Golden Girls proved that Indians are not less than anyone.”
Poovamma said hearing the national anthem after winning the gold medal was one of the most memorable moments of her career. She also expressed happiness over bringing another medal to the country after years of training at Bengaluru’s Kanteerava Stadium.
Speaking to media Poovamma urged the Karnataka government to increase cash incentives for athletes who win medals at major international competitions.
She said athletes in some other states receive much higher rewards for winning gold medals. According to her, Haryana provides ₹3 crore for a gold medal, while Karnataka currently offers ₹35 lakh.
Poovamma said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara had contacted her after media reports highlighted the issue.
She said she had requested the state government to consider increasing the cash reward for athletes.
“The Centre is providing good support to sportspersons, but state-level support needs to be increased. I spoke to Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, and he said the government would discuss the matter and consider increasing the reward,” Poovamma said.
She added that better financial support and improved sports facilities would encourage more young people to take up athletics seriously.
Poovamma said she had spent more than two decades in athletics and had worked hard to reach the international level.
She also described her Asian Games gold as Karnataka’s first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games and hoped that the government would give greater recognition and support to athletes.
Poovamma credited her parents, husband and coaches for supporting her throughout her long sporting career.
She thanked everyone who came to the airport and other places to welcome her after her return.
The athlete said she had not yet decided on her next step and wanted to enjoy the achievement for the time being.
She also expressed confidence that she would continue working hard and aim for more medals for India in future international competitions.
Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy congratulated Poovamma on her achievement.
He said her performance was a matter of pride for Karnataka and India. Kumaraswamy said he had spoken to Poovamma over the phone and congratulated her on winning the gold medal.
He praised her dedication and hard work and described her achievement as an inspiration for young sportspersons.
After arriving in Mangaluru, Poovamma was felicitated at City Centre Mall in the evening.
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Motishyam Complex Private Limited organised the special felicitation programme at the Central Atrium on the ground floor of the mall.
Hundreds of sports enthusiasts and members of the public gathered at the mall to welcome the champion athlete. People from different floors applauded as Poovamma received the honour.
Jithin Paul, M.R. Manju, Jaji and former MLA Ivan D’Souza were among the dignitaries present at the programme.
During the event, Poovamma once again thanked her parents and coaches for their contribution to her success. She said she would continue to work hard and hoped to win more medals for India in the years ahead.
Nagoya: Indian boxer Lovlina Borgohain won the gold medal in the women’s 75kg boxing category at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya.
Lovlina defeated China’s Bao Ziyi 5-0 in the final to secure the top spot. She remained composed throughout the bout and finished strongly to seal a clear victory.
Bao started well in the opening round, but Lovlina responded with accurate counter-attacks. The Indian boxer gradually took control of the contest and maintained her focus until the final bell.
The victory is Lovlina’s first Asian Games gold medal. She had won silver at the 2022 Asian Games. Her latest win also came on her 29th birthday, making the achievement even more special.
India also secured a historic gold medal in the women’s team recurve archery event. Ankita Bhakat, Kirti Sharma and Kumkum Mohod defeated South Korea 5-3 in the final. It was India’s first Asian Games gold in this event and ended South Korea’s long winning run in the discipline.
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With Lovlina’s boxing gold, India’s gold medal tally reached 12 at the time of the result. India continued its strong medal campaign across several sports, with further medal opportunities remaining in hockey, cricket and boxing.
Sports : A six-year-old Chinese girl has created a new women’s world record in Rubik’s Cube solving.
Lian Yunzhi, from Chengdu, recorded an average time of 4.27 seconds after five solves at a World Cube Association-certified competition in Guangzhou. She had earlier set another record with an average of 4.52 seconds in Wuhan.
Lian, known as “Zhizhi,” is reportedly the first female speedcuber to average under 4.5 seconds.
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She began learning the Rubik’s Cube through an extracurricular class and now knows more than 1,300 solving algorithms. Her mother said Lian practises for two to three hours every day.
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