Sports Bulletin For December 18: A packed sports day delivered multiple developments across cricket and football, with key matches, administrative decisions
and historic moments shaping the headlines.
From on-field action and record-breaking feats to off-field issues and major tournament outcomes, here are the top sports stories to watch.
1) Angry Fans Demand Refund After IND-SA T20I In Lucknow Abandoned
Serious concerns have emerged over the scheduling of the ongoing five-match T20I series between India and South Africa after the Lucknow fixture was abandoned without a toss due to dense fog. The match, slated for a 7 PM IST start, saw repeated delays as visibility remained poor at the stadium. Despite six inspections by officials, conditions failed to improve, forcing the contest to be called off and leaving disappointed fans seeking refunds.
2) BCCI To Shift India Matches To Kerala? Vice-President Rajiv Shukla Reacts After Lucknow Fog
A sharp exchange took place in Parliament between Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla over winter scheduling of cricket matches, following the abandonment of the India-South Africa 4th T20I in Lucknow due to dense fog. Shukla acknowledged the need for better planning during mid-December to mid-January, citing frequent weather disruptions. Tharoor suggested hosting January matches in Kerala for better conditions, but Shukla dismissed the regional angle, noting that Kerala already gets games under the rotation system, before joking that all matches could be shifted there.
3) Australia Dominate England, Inch Closer To Securing Ashes In Adelaide Test
Australia tightened their grip on the third Test on Thursday by exposing England's fragile batting once again, pushing the visitors to the brink of another defeat and placing their Ashes hopes in serious trouble. At stumps on a sweltering day two, England were 213 for eight, still 158 runs behind, after Australia extended their first-innings total from 326 for eight with an additional 45 runs in extreme heat touching 40°C.
4) Nathan Lyon Creates History, Breaks Glenn McGrath's Record
After being left out of the second Test, Australia's veteran off-spinner Nathan Lyon made an immediate impact on his return, striking twice in his opening over to put England under pressure on day two of the Adelaide Test. The double breakthrough also saw Lyon move past Glenn McGrath on the all-time Test wicket charts, lifting his career tally to 564 wickets.
5) Pat Cummins Surpasses Jasprit Bumrah And Mitchell Starc In Historic First
Pat Cummins made a seamless return to Test cricket after more than five months on the sidelines, having missed the first two Ashes Tests due to a back issue. Resuming captaincy in the third Test in Adelaide, Cummins shared the new ball with Mitchell Starc and struck early, removing opener Zak Crawley. He later delivered a major blow by dismissing Joe Root for the 12th time in his Test career, moving ahead of Jasprit Bumrah and Starc on the list of bowlers to have dismissed the England star most often.
6) India Tops Doping Offence Charts
In a worrying development for Indian sport, the country has once again topped the global charts for doping violations in 2024, marking the third consecutive year it has led the list. Data released by the World Anti-Doping Agency revealed that Indian athletes accounted for a record 260 doping cases, the highest tally reported worldwide.
7) Mohun Bagan SG Handed AFC Ban After Iran Travel Refusal
Two-time ISL winners Mohun Bagan Super Giants have been handed a two-season ban from Asian competitions and fined heavily by the AFC after declining to travel to Iran during the ACL-2, citing security issues. The AFC's Disciplinary and Ethics Committee took the decision on December 17, ruling that the club will miss the next two continental tournaments it would have qualified for, effectively sidelining them from AFC events until the 2027-28 season.
8) PSG Script History With FIFA Intercontinental Cup Title
Paris Saint-Germain made history by winning their maiden FIFA Intercontinental Cup after defeating South American champions Flamengo in a penalty shootout in Qatar on Wednesday. Stand-in goalkeeper Matvei Safonov emerged as the hero, producing four saves in the shootout to seal the title for the European champions.
