 "Women' cricket world cup")
Triumphs & tensions
India’s cricket year swung between historic success and heightened political strain. At the centre of it was women’s cricket when, on November 2, the team defeated South Africa by 52 runs to win their first ICC Women’s World Cup (above). Away from the spotlight, India also lifted the inaugural T20 blind women’s world cup (far left). But the year’s biggest rupture came at the Asia Cup (left) final against Pakistan on September 28, which unfolded in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor. For the first time ever, the teams did not shake hands, a decision the Women’s and the Under-19 team also went by. Later, India won the title but refused to receive the trophy from Asian Cricket Council President Mohsin Naqvi, who is also Pakistan Cricket Board chairman. India also opted not to travel to Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy, instead playing their matches in the UAE — where they went on to defeat the hosts and lift the title
Twice the glory
India swept both the men’s and women’s titles at the inaugural Kho Kho World Championship, hosted in New Delhi. The teams went unbeaten through the tournament, with both defeating Nepal in the finals, as the event marked Kho Kho’s formal arrival on the international stage. The men’s team beat Nepal 54-36 and the women’s team outplayed it by 78-40
Hall of fame Three defining careers closed this year. (from top) Virat Kohli retired from Test cricket as India’s most successful red-ball captain. Rohit Sharma, who took over leadership later, stepped away from the format after guiding India through a period of transition marked by World Test Championship finals. In tennis, Rohan Bopanna retired following a late-career resurgence that included a Grand Slam doubles title, a career-high world No. 2 ranking, and one of the longest tenures for an Indian player on the ATP tour — bringing an era of Indian doubles prominence to a close
The crowned prince
Lando Norris clinched his maiden Formula One Drivers’ Championship in Abu Dhabi, ending Red Bull’s dominance and giving McLaren their first drivers’ title since 2008. The championship went down to the final race, with Norris holding off teammate Oscar Piastri and four-time champion Max Verstappen in a season defined by tighter grids and shifting momentum. The season also delivered record engagement beyond the grid as the sport’s cumulative global television audience crossed 1.5 billion viewers
At full strength
Hosting the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India delivered its strongest performance at the event, finishing with 22 medals — six gold, nine silver, and seven bronze. The haul spanned throws, sprints, and middle-distance events, led by Shubham Juyal (far left) in Shot Put and Simran Sharma, who added to her world championship medal tally on the track, helping India reach the finals across a wider range of classifications than in previous editions
Queen’s gambit
Indian chess saw defining moments across formats. Divya Deshmukh (left) won the FIDE Women’s World Championship after an all-Indian final against Koneru Humpy to become one of the youngest Indian women to do so. On the open circuit,
D Gukesh defeated Magnus Carlsen in a classical game at Norway Chess, a rare loss for the former world champion that went viral after Carlsen’s visible frustration at the board as he slammed the table and sent chess pieces flying
The Messi effect Lionel Messi’s ‘G.O.A.T India tour’, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, drew unprecedented crowds across Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Delhi. Messi met Indian football figures, Bhaichung Bhutia and Sunil Chhetri, interacted with celebrities and youth players, and visited the Vantara wildlife reserve as part of the tour. While events were largely celebratory, the Kolkata (above right) leg spiralled into chaos after Messi left the stadium within minutes as poor crowd control and VIP congestion triggered unrest at the venue, prompting police action, arrests, and inquiries
