A packed day of sport produced major developments across cricket, football, hockey and tennis. The Duleep Trophy final remains finely poised despite East
Zone's commanding first-innings advantage, while Pakistan head into the third Test against England under significant pressure. India also confirmed their return to the AFC U20 Asian Cup after a 20-year absence, while the Indian hockey teams will return to their traditional blue kit at the Asian Games.
At the US Open, Aryna Sabalenka battled past Linda Noskova to reach another semifinal, while Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a win over Porto. Real Madrid also began their European campaign with victory over Inter, and Lionel Messi has reportedly agreed in principle to acquire Spanish second-division club Eldense.
1. Tilak Varma keeps South Zone fighting in Duleep Trophy final
East Zone remained in control of the Duleep Trophy final despite South Zone showing greater resistance on Day 3 in Chennai. After East Zone posted 708 in their first innings, South Zone reached 242/6 by stumps, still 466 runs behind. Devdutt Padikkal's 62 and useful partnerships offered some resistance, but Mohammed Shami struck twice to remove Shaik Rasheed and Padikkal. Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 56 and shared a fighting stand with Shreyas Gopal before Gopal fell late in the day.
2. India to wear traditional blue at Asian Games
India's men's and women's hockey teams will return to blue jerseys at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan after wearing saffron at last month's World Cup. Hockey India's president Dilip Tirkey said blue was selected as the team's first-choice kit, with orange as the second option. The distinction follows the World Cup controversy, where the decision to move away from India's traditional blue sparked criticism from former players and political figures. Hockey India determines colours for bilateral and FIH events, while the Indian Olympic Association oversees kit choices for multisport events such as the Asian Games.
3. Kane, Mbappe and Yamal headline 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist
Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal are among the leading names on the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. Lionel Messi has also been nominated for the first time since winning the award in 2023, while 2024 winner Rodri is included alongside Barcelona teammates Yamal and Pau Cubarsi. Last year's winner Ousmane Dembele is among 10 Paris Saint-Germain nominees, the most from any club. The men's award will be presented in London on October 26, with the shortlist also including Erling Haaland, Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Lautaro Martinez.
4. Cricket Australia advances BBL privatisation plans despite player dispute
Cricket Australia has approved the next phase of private investment in the Big Bash League, beginning with a sales process for the Melbourne Renegades. The move allows states to explore selling stakes or full ownership of their BBL clubs, with the Renegades potentially operating under new ownership from the 2027-28 season. However, CA and the Australian Cricketers' Association remain far apart over a new memorandum of understanding and whether players are entitled to a share of proceeds from club sales. The ACA maintains that the proceeds could fall under Australian cricket revenue, while CA holds a different interpretation of the existing agreement.
5. Mbappe and Valverde give Real Madrid winning Champions League start
Kylian Mbappe and Federico Valverde scored as Real Madrid held off Inter Milan 2-1 in their Champions League opener at the Santiago Bernabeu. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 14th minute to move level with Raul on 71 Champions League goals before Valverde doubled the lead after an error from Inter goalkeeper Josep Martinez. Carlos Augusto pulled one back for Inter late in the match, setting up a tense finish, but Real held on for victory. The result gave Jose Mourinho a winning start to his second spell in charge in Europe against one of his former clubs.
6. Pakistan seek consolation as England eye Test series whitewash
Pakistan face England in the third Test at Edgbaston from September 9-13, seeking to avoid a 3-0 series defeat amid significant upheaval. Seven players were sent home after the loss at Lord's, while the coaching setup was also changed, leaving Babar Azam and Mike Hesson with a reshaped squad. England have dominated the first two Tests and have not allowed Pakistan to cross 200 in either match. The hosts will now look to complete the clean sweep, although rain could play a role during the final Test.
7. Haaland double gives Manchester City Champions League win at Porto
Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City defeated Porto 2-0 away from home to give Enzo Maresca his first Champions League win as City head coach. Haaland missed several opportunities in the opening half but headed in an Enzo Fernandez cross shortly after the interval. He added a second in stoppage time from Rayan Ait-Nouri's cutback to settle the contest. The result extended City's unbeaten start in the competition, although their performance again left room for improvement ahead of Sunday's Manchester derby.
8. Sabalenka survives Noskova thriller to reach US Open semifinal
World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka survived a three-set battle with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to reach the US Open semifinals for a sixth consecutive year. Sabalenka won the opening-set tiebreak but lost the second 6-3 after Noskova established control with aggressive serving and groundstrokes. The defending champion recovered in the third set and eventually prevailed 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10-7). Sabalenka, bidding for a third straight US Open title, will face the winner of the all-American quarterfinal between Jessica Pegula and Emma Navarro.
9. Messi agrees in principle to buy Spanish club Eldense
Lionel Messi has reportedly reached an agreement in principle to acquire Spanish second-division club Eldense, potentially expanding his involvement in football beyond his playing career. The Argentine is set to acquire 100 per cent of the club's shares if the transaction is completed, with final legal procedures and due diligence still required, along with approval from Spain's Higher Sports Council. Eldense, based in Elda in Alicante, were promoted to the Segunda Division but have taken just two points from their opening four league matches. Messi had already acquired Catalan club UE CornellÀ earlier this year.
