Team India's cricket stars, international football legends, and regional sensations dominated headlines on October 15.
From India's white-ball departure
to Australia and Mohammed Shami's fiery remarks to record-breaking feats by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and Pakistan's Test triumph, the week witnessed action across cricket and football on a global scale.
Team India flies out to Australia with Rohit, Virat
Team India has departed for Australia for a white-ball series comprising three ODIs and five T20Is. The squad features veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, making their return to international cricket after retiring from Tests and T20Is. Shubman Gill leads the ODI team as captain, with Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. The T20I squad is captained by Suryakumar Yadav. The series begins on October 19, 2025, in Perth.
Prithvi Shaw departs for a Duck in Maharashtra Debut
Prithvi Shaw's debut for Maharashtra in the 2025 Ranji Trophy against Kerala ended in disappointment as he was dismissed for a four-ball duck. Shaw was trapped LBW by Kerala pacer MD Nidheesh early in the opening over. Despite his promising warm-up form, including a 181-run knock recently, Shaw's dismissal triggered a top-order collapse, as Maharashtra lost three wickets to without a run.
Mohammed Shami takes a dig at Ajit Agarkar
Mohammed Shami strongly reacted to his exclusion from India's white-ball squad for the Australia tour, targeting chief selector Ajit Agarkar. He said, "It's not my responsibility to give an update or ask for an update. It's not my job to give updates on my fitness. Woh unki baat hai unko kaun update deta hai, kisne nahin diya (That's their matter who gives them updates or not). " Shami stressed, "If there is a fitness issue, I shouldn't be here playing for Bengal. " Shami is in action for Bengal in their Ranji opener against Uttarakhand.
Afghanistan complete Bangladesh Whitewash with 200-run Win
Afghanistan completed a historic whitewash by sweeping Bangladesh 3-0 in their ODI series. In the third match, Afghanistan posted 293/9 and bowled out Bangladesh for just 93, winning by 200 runs. Ibrahim Zadran starred with 95, and Mohammad Nabi scored an unbeaten 62. Bilal Sami took 5 wickets for 33, earning Player of the Match. This victory marked Afghanistan's first-ever ODI series whitewash and their 11th overall ODI win against the Tigers.
Lionel Messi creates World Record with Argentina goal
Lionel Messi set a new world record for the most international football assists by providing two assists in Argentina's 6-0 win over Puerto Rico. He reached 60 assists, surpassing Neymar and Landon Donovan, who had 58 each. Messi assisted goals by Gonzalo Montiel and Lautaro Martinez in the match, demonstrating his exceptional playmaking skills. He is now just three assists short of 400 in his professional career.
England qualify for World Cup 2026 with Latvia Win
England qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Latvia in Riga. Anthony Gordon opened the scoring, and captain Harry Kane scored twice, taking his international tally to 76 goals. An own goal by Latvia and a late strike from substitute Eberechi Eze sealed the win. Under Thomas Tuchel, England remains unbeaten in qualifying with six wins and no goals conceded, securing their place with two games to spare.
Pakistan secure dominant victory ove South Africa in Lahore Test
Pakistan defeated South Africa by 93 runs in the 1st Test at Lahore, taking a 1-0 series lead. Left-arm spinner Noman Ali starred with match figures of 10/191, supported by Shaheen Afridi's 4/33 as South Africa were bowled out chasing 277. Despite resistance from Dewald Brevis (54) and Ryan Rickelton (45), Pakistan's attack proved decisive. Senuran Muthusamy's 11 wickets for South Africa went in vain as Pakistan sealed a dominant win.
Cristiano Ronaldo creates new WC Qualifiers Record in Hungary Win
Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the highest number of goals in FIFA World Cup qualifiers, having scored 41 goals. This achievement makes him the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup qualifying history, surpassing former record-holder Carlos Ruiz, who scored 39 goals. Ronaldo, at 40 years old, reached this milestone recently with a brace against Hungary, further cementing his legendary status in international football.
