Harika Dronavalli qualifies for FIDE Freestyle Chess World Championship (Special arrangements) NEW DELHI: Indian women’s chess today tells two very different stories. In Cyprus, Vaishali Rameshbabu and Divya Deshmukh are locked in a fierce battle at the Women’s Candidates, chasing the right to challenge the reigning World Champion. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away, another Indian…

Mumbai Indians’ Jasprit Bumrah (PTI Photo/Salman Ali) There was a time when Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball wasn’t just a variation, it was sorcery. A carefully disguised trick, delivered with identical arm speed, that forced even the best batters into indecision. He didn’t just use it. He used it like the latest smartphone and toyed with…

Harmanpreet Kaur (Getty Images) NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur has received a timely boost, returning to the top 10 of the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings following her match-winning performance against England.The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday released the latest women’s rankings,…

India’s captain Shubman Gill, (left), and head coach Gautam Gambhir during a training session. (PTI) NEW DELHI: In the past 18 months, India’s home fortress in Test cricket has not only been breached but ransacked with utter defiance by New Zealand and South Africa’s spinners. India were handed a 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand 2024…