Sports Bulletin For October 7: Abhishek Sharma's ICC Player Of The Month Nomination To AUS Squad For IND Series

Sports Bulletin for October 7: Catch up on the biggest sports headlines from 7th October! From standout performances and squad announcements to controversies, retirements, and historic comebacks, here's

a concise roundup of the stories every sports fan needs to know.

1) Asia Cup Hero Abhishek Sharma, 2 Other Indians Nominated For Sep ICC Player Of The Month

Indian cricketers Smriti Mandhana, Kuldeep Yadav, and Abhishek Sharma have been nominated for the ICC Player of the Month award for September.

Abhishek Sharma shone in India's 2025 T20 Asia Cup triumph in the UAE, scoring 314 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 200, including three fifties. He was named Player of the Tournament and achieved a career milestone by reaching 931 points in the ICC men's T20I batting rankings, the highest ever recorded.

2) Australia Name ODI And T20I Squads For India Series

Left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc returns to Australia's ODI squad for the three-match series against India starting October 19. He had missed the recent ODI series against South Africa for workload management ahead of the Ashes.

Mitchell Marsh will lead the team in Pat Cummins' absence due to injury. Mitchell Owen, Matthew Renshaw, and Matthew Short have also been recalled to the 15-man squad.

3) MS Dhoni Set To Become A Pilot, Certified to Fly Drones

Former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become a certified drone pilot. The 44-year-old completed his training at a DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) in Chennai.

The program included theoretical classes and practical flying sessions on simulators and real drones, enabling Dhoni to safely operate drones and explore their potential in India's growth and technology sectors.

4) Delhi Cricketer Never Kept Wickets And Still Picked As Wicketkeeper

The DDCA is facing controversy after an U-19 cricketer was allegedly included as a backup wicketkeeper on a senior official's insistence, despite having no experience keeping wickets.

The selection for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy squad on October 3 raised concerns, prompting a complaint to DDCA President Rohan Jaitley. He acted swiftly, removing the player and replacing him with a specialist wicketkeeper for the U-23 tournament in Ranchi from October 9.

5) West Indies' World Cup Winning Allrounder Passes Away

Bernard Julien, who was part of West Indies' 1975 inaugural ODI World Cup-winning squad, has passed away at 75. The left-arm pace allrounder played 24 Tests and 12 ODIs between 1973 and 1977.

In Tests, Julien scored 866 runs with two centuries and took 50 wickets, while in ODIs he made 86 runs and claimed 18 wickets.

6) New AIFF Constitution Set To Force Mass Resignations; Reshape Indian Football

Indian football faces a major governance shake-up as the AIFF plans to adopt a new draft Constitution at a Special General Meeting (SGM) on Sunday, potentially forcing most Executive Committee members to resign from national or state positions.

7) Viswanathan Anand & Garry Kasparov Rekindle Their Fierce Rivalry After 30 Years

Former world champions Viswanathan Anand and Garry Kasparov will face off again after 30 years in the Clutch Chess: The Legends tournament starting Wednesday.

The 12-game Chess 960 event, featuring a $144,000 prize pool, will be held at the newly upgraded St. Louis Chess Club.

8) 8-Year Ban Looms For India's Top Sprinter After Second Failed Dope Tests

Tamil Nadu sprinter Dhanalakshmi Sekar faces a provisional suspension after failing a second doping test, risking an eight-year ban if found guilty.

The 27-year-old, who returned after a three-year ban in 2022, tested positive for drostanolone at the Indian Open Athletics Meet in Sangrur.

9) Prithvi Shaw Scores 100 For Maharashtra Against Former Team Mumbai

Former India U-19 World Cup captain Prithvi Shaw will represent Maharashtra in the 2025-26 domestic season after ending ties with Mumbai.

In a warm-up match against Mumbai, the 25-year-old right-handed batter scored a century on Day 1, reaching 100 off 140 balls with a single in the sixth over bowled by Mumbai's new Ranji captain, Shardul Thakur.

10) Piers Morgan Apologises To Alastair Cook After 11 Years

Piers Morgan has apologized to former England captain Alastair Cook, 11 years after calling him a "weasel". During Cook's tenure, Morgan often criticised him, accusing him of contributing to Kevin Pietersen's 2013 exile. At the time, Morgan had tweeted harsh remarks about Cook, including calling him a "repulsive little weasel" and "the worst-ever Ashes tour captain. "