Sports News Highlights: 'There's a hell of difference between Kohli and Babar'

Former Pakistan opener Mudassar Nazar on Thursday said Virat Kohli will be remembered as one of the greatest in cricket's history, quashing comparisons between the Indian superstar and Babar Azam.

After a recent poor run of form, Babar on Wednesday stepped down as Pakistan's white-ball captain and former opener Mudassar blamed the nations' cricket board for fiasco in Pakistan cricket.

For Mudassar, Babar still has a long way to go as a batter as he heaped praise on India skipper Rohit Sharma.

Abhimanyu Easwaran had replaced Ruturaj Gaikwad in India's squad for the two-match Test series against South Africa last year but the talented right-hander did not make his Test debut. For India, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal are the two definite openers in Test cricket but with a long tour of Australia later this year, the management will certainly include a third opener in what is likely to be a jumbo contingent for the five-Test series .

Abhimanyu has now improved his chances by hitting a fine hundred for Rest of India against Mumbai in their Irani Cup clash at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow on Thursday.

Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar's performances against Pakistan are some of the most memorable moments in cricket history. His battles with Pakistan's fierce bowling attack, featuring legends like Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar, have become iconic.

Sachin Tendulkar's innings in the 1999 Chennai Test at the MA Chidambaram Stadium against Pakistan is remembered as one of his most valiant and heartbreaking performances.

Lionel Messi dominated global trends in the sporting world on Thursday after his brace, which included a signature goal off a curling free-kick, won Inter Miami the Major League Soccer (MLS) Supporters' Shield with a 3-2 win over Columbus Crew.

The triumph added a record-extending 46th team silverware to Messi's CV. Luis Suarez scored the other goal for Miami, but their title-clinching moment arrived in the 84th minute when goalkeeper Drake Callender saved a penalty.

It is the second title that Messi has won with Inter Miami since joining the MLS club in 2023 and winning the Leagues Cup.

The Women's T20 World Cup 2024 is just around the corner, and excitement is building up worldwide for this much-anticipated cricketing spectacle. Six-time champions Australia enter the tournament brimming with confidence and are considered firm favourites to defend their title.

India, meanwhile, would like to build up on the fiery start to their World Cup campaign as they beat West Indies and South Africa in convincing fashion in the warm-up fixtures. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led unit is placed in a stiff group which also features Australia, Pakistan, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and there are countless possibilities of upsets during the multi-nation event.

Lionel Messi extended his record as the most decorated footballer in history with his 46th team silverware when he played the lead role in his side's victory over Columbus Crew to clinch the Major League Soccer (MLS) Supporters Shield on Wednesday.

Messi's two goals and the crucial penalty saved by goalkeeper Drake Callender with just six minutes of regulation time left on the clock confirmed Miami's 3-2 victory. Luis Suarez scored the other goal for the winners.

It is Messi's second title win since joining the MLS club, with the other being the Leagues Cup triumph in 2023, extending the record of team titles he has won for club and country.

India's victory in the Kanpur Test against Bangladesh, despite two days getting washed out by rain, has not just once again highlighted the team's skills and invincible nature, but also the fact that Rohit Sharma and his boys know how to stay at the top having reached there.

Like many others, former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja is also in awe of the Indian team for this characteristic.

India swept the two-Test series 2-0. The hosts won the first Test in Chennai by 280 runs and the second by seven wickets.

Football's player transfer system will be in the spotlight and could even be massively overhauled on Friday when the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) announces its verdict on former France player Lassana Diarra's case against governing body FIFA.

The international transfer system, which processes hundreds of millions of dollars each year in player transfers and has existed in its current form since 2001, is overseen by FIFA.

The brilliant, quickfire twin fifties (72 off 51 balls and 51 off 45 balls) that Yashasvi Jaiswal smashed to earn the 'Player of the Match' award in the second Test against Bangladesh at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, coming on the back of a magnificent home series against England (712 runs in five Tests at an average of 89.00, with two hundreds and three fifties), reaffirm Jaiswal's status as one of the top two or three most dangerous batsmen in Test cricket at the moment.

Having amassed 1,217 runs in just 11 Tests at an impressive average of 64.05, the 22-year-old has emerged as India's potential trump card in the highly anticipated five-Test series in Australia this winter.

Argentina have been boosted by the return of captain Lionel Messi for their CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia, the country's football association said on Wednesday, after the 37-year-old recovered from an ankle injury.

Real Madrid, with Kylian Mbappe coming off the bench, suffered a shock 1-0 loss to Lille due to Jonathan David's penalty.

Liverpool and Aston Villa secured wins, while Juventus triumphed despite a red card.

Benfica routed Atletico Madrid 4-0, matching historic margins.

A team with an aura of invincibility, a few dark horses, an emerging talent and fading stars form the narrative of the ICC Women's World Cup, which gets underway in the UAE on Thursday.

Six-time champions Australia have won the previous three editions of the tournament and with a core that has mostly been retained, they are undoubtedly the team to beat. Sri Lanka with their spin strength, England with their enviable lineup and South Africa are contenders along with India, who are chasing their maiden title.

Lionel Messi has added the MLS Supporters Shield to his legendary trophy cabinet, as the Argentina icon and World Cup winner scored twice in Inter Miami's 3-2 win over Columbus Crew, the reigning MLS Cup champions.

This triumph marks Messi's 46th major trophy won for club or country, further solidifying his position as the men's football player with the most titles in history.

When Virat Kohli took over as Test captain nearly 10 years ago, 'intent' became the buzzword in Indian cricket. The popular understanding was that the team management was pressing batters to bat at a faster strike rate. What it actually implied was the ability to push the game forward at all times in a Test match. A potent pace attack, comprising Jasprit Bumrah, Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami, became the trump card in Kohli's era.

When Rohit Sharma took over, the foundation of the team was ready but there was an important change. "For me, aggression is all about your actions, not the reactions," he told bcci.tv after India's jaw-dropping win in Kanpur.

The deal is simple with Rohit: play to win at all times. He is as fierce a competitor as anyone on the cricket field. He can be ruthless in his pursuit of victory.

Opposite to his characteristic calm head and cool demeanor, MS Dhoni punched the screen on his way to the dressing room after Chennai Super Kings lost their crucial match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru earlier this year in the Indian Premier League -- claimed Harbhajan Singh.

Speaking to 'Sports Yaari', the former off-spinner, who played for India and CSK under Dhoni's captaincy, revealed the incident that has shocked the fans of country's most iconic captain and wicketkeeper-batsman.

"RCB were celebrating and they deserved to celebrate because of the way they won. I was watching the whole scene from above because I was present there," Harbhajan narrated the incident.

Virat Kohli made the day for Mehidy Hasan Miraz and won the hearts of his fans once again with a heartwarming gesture off the field, when he accepted a gift from the Bangladesh all-rounder and thanked in Bengali language.

India and Bangladesh concluded their two-match Test series with the game in Kanpur, which India won by seven wickets despite two days of the match getting washed out by rain.

The hosts had won the first Test in Chennai by 280 runs.

The new retention rules for the Indian Premier League's (IPL) coming season allows a franchise to retain a maximum of six players, and Delhi Capitals (DC) have seemingly closed in on the names that could be on that list.

Speaking to reporters at an event in Hisar, Haryana, DC's co-owner Parth Jindal was quick to confirm the obvious name of skipper and star wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant, while sharing some of the other names that will be on the discussion table.

"The (retention) rules have just come out. So after discussing with co-owners GMR and our director of cricket, Sourav Ganguly, decisions will be made," said Jindal in a video by IANS.

ICC's showpiece T20 event will shift focus to women after India were crowned the men's champion in June. Kicking off the tournament later today will be the match between Bangladesh and Scotland, followed by the Pakistan vs Sri Lanka game.