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A chronic foot injury that left him on crutches and a case of Covid in late December put his trip to Melbourne and even his career in jeopardy. Yet, as The Great Ones so often do, Rafael Nadal defied the odds to win his 21st Grand Slam title, beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.

In this issue

19-02-202212 STORIES

Mithali Raj is optimistic about India’s chances of winning the Cup. “Importantly, having played against England and Australia, though we lost the series, our team looked very competitive. This gives us a lot of confidence as we look ahead,” she says.

Mithali Raj: ‘I want to get my hands on the Cup’

“The team and I badly need the World Cup. Winning the World Cup is a dream for any cricketer. It is the factor that drives me,” says Mithali Raj, who

V. V. Subrahmanyam

Making a point: Abhinav Bindra felt strongly that the shooters were “inadequately prepared to face the crisis,” which invariably happens at the Olympics.

The way forward for Indian shooting

A drastic change of selection policy and a stringent measure to curtail international participation pose a fresh challenge in the season ahead.

Kamesh Srinivasan

Heady days: Bengal batsman Akash Deep fails to make the crease during their Ranji Trophy final between Bengal and Saurashtra at Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on March 13, 2020.

Green light for red-ball cricket

As the Ranji Trophy makes a comeback after a gap of almost two years, players and coaches are happy with the return of red-ball cricket.

Shayan Acharya,Wriddhaayan Bhattacharyya

Hyderabad Black Hawks team with former international Tom Joseph (C) who is currently the franchise’s assistant coach.

PVL 2022: Volleyball back on prime time

Three years after the Pro Volley League took players to a heady high only to end up as a one-season wonder, the spikers will be back in action in the

Virat Kohli will still continue to be the central figure in India’s plans in white-ball cricket as the selectors narrow down on the pool to pick the team for the T20 World Cup this year in Australia and then the 2023 World Cup at home.

Virat Kohli, the anchor for the future

A strong and forceful batting unit with Virat Kohli in the forefront can be the recipe for India’s success in white-ball cricket.

Vijay Lokapally

The mountains are calling: Skiing, especially as a professional sport, is as niche a discipline as they come but growing up near the mountains gave Arif Khan the opportunity to brush shoulders with local skiers and professionals and begin his own journey.

Arif Khan: From Valley to Beijing with hope and valour

Alpine skier Arif Khan is the first from Kashmir and the only Indian this year to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics being held in the Chinese capit

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan,Peerzada Ashiq

Spain and Barcelona midfielder Alexia Putellas was honoured as The Best FIFA Women’s Player for the year 2021.

Alexia Putellas: ‘It hasn’t really sunk in yet’

After winning the women’s Ballon d’or, Barcelona and Spain’s Alexia Putellas added the Player of the Year award at FIFA’s Best

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Poland and FC Bayern München striker Lewandowski was recognised as The Best FIFA Men’s Player for the second year in succession.

Robert Lewandowski: ‘Teammates make the difference’

Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski matched Cristiano Ronaldo's FIFA The Best record when he picked up his second consecutive award.

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Lavanya Lakshmi Narayanan

Familiar sight: Sunil Chhetri returned to the scoresheet with a goal against FC Goa, becoming the joint goal scorer in the history of ISL, alongside Ferran Corominas with 48 goals.

ISL talking points: Sunil Chhetri is back; Kiyan Nassiri weaves his magic

From Kiyan Nassiri’s magic in the Kolkata derby to Sunil Chhetri’s resurgence as a forward, the Indian Super League has had plenty of things to talk a

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

Neeladri Bhattacharjee

Unexpected end: Host India was dominant in its goalless draw against Iran in the first match of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, but it proved to be India’s only outing as a deluge of Covid cases within the squad forced the team to withdraw from the competition.

Covid wave washes away India’s AFC Asian Cup dreams

Host India was forced to pull out of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after just one match as several Indian players tested positive for Covi

Aashin Prasad

Promising youngster: UP Yoddha’s Surender Gill attempts a raid against Puneri Paltan. The 23-year-old raider has been one of the finds of the season.

PKL notebook: Swift rescheduling saves the League

Whether it was UP Yoddha raider Surender Gill’s astounding 21-point show against Puneri Paltan or Pawan Sehrawat bulldozing his way past defenders, he

Shyam Vasudevan

Shyam Vasudevan

Kerala Blasters defender Nishu Kumar undergoing pre-match training.

Nishu Kumar - Two knee injuries, bouts of self-doubt and a raging comeback

Kerala Blasters defender Nishu Kumar opens up on his struggle with long-term injuries, his early life in Muzaffarnagar, his friendship with Harmanjot

Shyam Vasudevan

Shyam Vasudevan

Archive

+ READ THIS ISSUE 09-12-2023

+ READ THIS ISSUE 25-11-2023

+ READ THIS ISSUE 11-11-2023

+ READ THIS ISSUE 28-10-2023

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