The Indian Test cricket team, led by Virat Kohli, departed for South Africa early on Thursday morning to take part in a three-match series starting with a Boxing Day Test from December 26 in Centurion. The three Tests in Centurion, Johannesburg (January 3-7), and Cape Town (January 11-15) will be part of the ICC World Test Championship cycle from 2021 to 2023. ....

West Indies' ongoing tour of Pakistan looks in doubt on Thursday after three players and two members of the support staff returned positive PCR tests, taking the number of total positive players to six. ....

Former England star footballer Wayne Rooney is set to make a sensational return to Everton if the club takes the decision to axe under-pressure head coach Rafa Benitez. ....

India Test skipper Virat Kohli categorically denied a rift between him and the new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma during the pre-departure virtual press conference ahead of the three-Test series against South Africa beginning on December 26. ....

Former Australian cricketer-turned-commentator Michael Slater has been arrested after he allegedly sent several text messages and made phone calls to the person he was charged with stalking and harassing in October this year. ....

Fiery half-centuries by Mohammad Rizwan and Haider Ali, and brilliant bowling by Shadab Khan and Mohammad Wasim Jr helped Pakistan defeat West Indies by 63 runs in the first T20I at the National Stadium here on Monday. ....

Manchester United on Monday decided to shut down their first team operations at the Carrington Training Complex for 24 hours, to minimise the risk of any further infection following Covid positive tests among the first team staff and players. ....

Former India wicketkeeper Saba Karim is of the opinion that including Shikhar Dhawan in the ODI squad for the South Africa series will make little sense as the opening slot is already a crowded place. ....

Sachin Tendulkar has congratulated Red Bull's Max Verstappen for his Formula One world championship title victory in Abu Dhabi, even as he offered his sympathies to Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton. ....

Having Rahul Dravid as the head coach is the most "amazing" thing to have happened to Team India, said white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma, adding that there "has been a sense of relaxation" ever since the legend took over the reins. ....

Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal has said he will not play for Pakistan Super League (PSL) side Peshawar Zalmi in Season 7 after he was picked by the franchise in the silver category. ....