New Delhi, Nov 2: The sporting world witnessed history as Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli became Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion at just 20 years old, sealing the title with a third-place finish at the Mexico City Grand Prix. His remarkable achievement also ended Italy's 73-year wait for an F1 world champion.
Meanwhile, India clinched the five-match T20I series against New Zealand 3-2 despite losing the final two encounters. The visitors' series triumph came after a strong start, with Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer among the standout performers in the final game.
In badminton, India celebrated a memorable double triumph at the HYLO Open 2026, with PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen winning the women's and men's singles titles respectively in Germany,
adding another successful chapter to India's international badminton campaign.
Here is the daily sports wrap in the Sports Bulletin for November 2.
Kimi Antonelli Becomes Youngest-Ever Formula 1 Champion
Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli made history at the Mexico City Grand Prix by finishing third, securing an unassailable lead in the drivers' standings to become Formula 1's youngest-ever world champion at just 20 years old.
While Max Verstappen won the dramatic, red-flag-interrupted race and Lewis Hamilton finished second, Antonelli's podium finish sealed his maiden title. This historic milestone also makes him the first Italian F1 world champion since Alberto Ascari in 1953.
Gambhir Backs Inexperienced Pacers Ahead of NZ ODIs
Ahead of India's ODI series against New Zealand, head coach Gautam Gambhir backed his young and inexperienced bowling attack, calling it one of the most inexperienced lineups in ODI history. Highlighting the lack of experienced pacers outside of Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj, Gambhir emphasized that any success on the tour should be credited directly to the young bowlers. He also pointed out the challenges of managing a transition phase and demanding schedules across multiple formats.
India Clinch T20I Series 3-2 Against New Zealand
Despite sealing the series earlier, India lost the fifth and final T20I by seven wickets to New Zealand, finishing the series 3-2. Put in to bat, India recovered from early setbacks through Ishan Kishan (61) and captain Shreyas Iyer (50), posting 191/8. In response, New Zealand chased down the target comfortably with two overs remaining, aided by a crucial dropped catch of Tim Seifert, who punished the Indian bowling alongside Glenn Phillips.
India Become First Team to Hit 400 T20I Sixes
During the 5th T20I, India made history by becoming the first team in T20I history to hit 400 sixes in a single calendar year, reaching the milestone via Naman Dhir hitting a maximum off Blair Tickner. Across 40 T20Is in 2026, the team smashed 400 sixes, led by Abhishek Sharma (86), Ishan Kishan (60), and Sanju Samson (50), comfortably shading distant rivals like Austria and the West Indies to set a remarkable world record.
Ravindra, Chapman Ruled Out of India ODI Series
New Zealand has suffered a major setback ahead of their five-match ODI series against India, with injured key players Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra ruled out to preserve their fitness for the upcoming Test series. Consequently, Tim Seifert and Matthew Fisher will now play the entire series, Henry Nicholls has been recalled for the first three ODIs, and Dean Foxcroft will join for the final two matches. Fast bowler Matt Henry also returns to the squad.
Ishan Kishan Reaches 2,000 T20I Runs in Record Time
Ishan Kishan marked his return from injury by smashing a quickfire 61 off 32 balls. In doing so, he crossed the 2,000-run milestone in T20Is, becoming India's third-fastest batter to achieve the feat in terms of deliveries faced (1,345 balls), trailing only Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav. His aggressive half-century helped India recover from early wickets and post a competitive total.
Sindhu, Lakshya Win HYLO Open Titles
India celebrated a memorable double triumph at the Hylo Open 2026 in SaarbrÜcken, Germany, as PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen clinched the women's and men's singles titles respectively. Sindhu defeated Denmark's Line Kjaersfeldt 21-12, 21-14 to become the first Indian woman to win the tournament. Meanwhile, Lakshya delivered a dominant performance against defending champion Jonatan Christie of Indonesia, winning 21-17, 21-10 to secure his first BWF title of the year and make history as the first Indian to claim two Hylo Open titles.
Australia Announces Squads for England White-Ball Series
Australia has announced its squads for the upcoming white-ball series against England, resting senior fast bowlers Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood to manage workloads ahead of the Test season. Mitchell Marsh will captain both the three-match ODI and five-match T20I squads. With several multi-format players rested for the T20s and others missing out due to injuries, selectors have roped in several fresh faces and uncapped youngsters, including Mahli Beardman, Oliver Peake, and Sam Harper.
