Serena Williams’ much-anticipated return to the All England Club has been plunged into uncertainty after a late injury scare. 44 year old tennis icon Suffered a heart-breaking defeat in three sets (6-3, 6-7, 6-3) over Australia’s rising star Maya Joyce in the first round of singles, but the bigger concern for fans in SW19 is her physical fitness for the remainder of the tournament.

The great American, who fought a grueling two hours and 22 minutes on center court, struggled with her movement in the latter stages of the match. The alarm bells then rang even louder Williams ignored her mandatory post-match press conferenceWhich led to immediate speculation about her status and the feasibility of her scheduled wild card appearance in the women’s doubles with her sister Venus.

However, his camp has moved quickly to clarify the situation, confirming the knee problem but leaving the door open for a Thursday appearance.

Williams’ agent Jill Smoller said, “Serena twisted her right knee at the end of the first set and so the Wimbledon and WTA medical teams released her from media obligations.”

“She walked off the site that night without assistance and is doing everything she can to get ready for her doubles match this weekend.”

The Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon doubles title together six times, were given a wild card entry, bringing back memories of the tournament. They are set to face the unseeded pair of Camila Osorio and Solana Sierra.

For Serena, the injury is a cruel blow after showing immense courage to push the joint into the deciding set. While her trademark power and fierce competitive spirit were on full display, the physical impact of the high-intensity return to grass was evident.

Wimbledon medical staff will continue to monitor the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion for the next 24 hours. Given their great flexibility, tennis fans are hopeful that the iconic brother-sister duo will get their moment under the British sun.

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Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir (Ex-BCCI)

captain of india Shreyas Iyer He has insisted that he is ready to accept the challenges of leading the national T20I team, adding that he always believed that this opportunity would come after consistent performances for both his IPL franchise and the country. In place of which Iyer was appointed as the new T20I captain of India. Suryakumar YadavHis tenure got off to a tough start as India suffered a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland in Belfast. However, ahead of the five-match T20I series against England, the captain is focusing on learning from the experience while also creating a new identity for the team. “To be honest, it’s not strange. I was expecting it at some point. I have performed brilliantly in the previous IPL tournaments whenever I have represented the country.” So, it was no surprise to me. But, at the same time, I think it’s a great opportunity for me to learn from all the people who have been a part of the T20 World Cup-winning team, the team management, the support staff and some of the individuals who have played,” Iyer told BCCI.TV. The 31-year-old admitted that captaining India was the fulfillment of a childhood dream and described the responsibility as one of the proudest moments of his career. He said, “As a child, you always dreamed of playing for the Indian team. Now, you have got the opportunity to lead the Indian team. I think this is the icing on the cake. It means the world.” Reflecting on the journey that led him to the leadership role, Iyer credited the support system around him while acknowledging the hard work behind his rise. “It’s definitely a result of the hard work you’ve put in and the support you’ve received from fans, family and friends. It’s hard to put feelings into words.” Iyer also outlined the aggressive brand of cricket he wants his team to play, saying he hopes to develop a fearless mentality that will put opponents under pressure the moment India step on the field. “I just love being a threat to opponents. I want to have that aggressive, fearless approach when I get on the field. I want my guys to be united around that mentality where opponents are a little intimidated by our personality and presence on the field. When I come out on the field, it’s like war for me. I want to win every match and that’s the mentality I want to bring to everyone. He said, “Continuous, ruthless and tenacious. No pressure, but at the same time, it’s going to be challenging. I just want to accept the challenge. I want it to be challenging, because I thrive under pressure.” Speaking about the head coach Gautam GambhirWhile delivering the message to the team, Iyer revealed that the team is treating this phase as the beginning of a new chapter despite India’s recent T20 World Cup win. “Gauthi Bhai had mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts completely where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.” The captain also reflected on India’s disappointing tour of Ireland and admitted that the results did not live up to expectations, but stressed that the series imparted valuable lessons, especially for players experiencing English and Irish conditions for the first time. “Definitely not the start we wanted, but there was a lot to learn coming into new conditions. Most of the players are playing for the first time in England and Ireland as well, so it’s a learning opportunity for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where everyone starts supporting each other and trusting each other again.” India’s batting struggled during the Ireland series, with the top order failing to provide solid starts in any of the matches. However, the bowling attack showed encouraging signs, especially through debutant Prince Yadav, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh. With England posing a tough challenge, Iyer will now look to register his first series win as India’s T20I captain while implementing a fearless and relentless brand of cricket that he believes can take the team forward.

Ishan Kishan has become the world’s top-ranked T20I batsman for the first time, ending teammate Abhishek Sharma’s year-long stay at the pinnacle of the ICC men’s rankings. Following India’s 2-0 T20I series win over Ireland in Belfast, the India opening batsman moved up to No. 1 after the latest rankings update. Kishan reached career-high rating, surpassing Abhishek, with a difference of only seven rating points between the two Indian batsmen.

Kishan was one of the standouts for India in the tournament, scoring 317 runs at a strike rate of almost 200. His match-winning innings against Pakistan in Colombo earned him the Player of the Match award and laid the foundation for his rise to the top of the rankings. He has now become the fourth Indian male batsman to achieve the No. 1 position in T20Is, joining Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and Abhishek Sharma.

Abhishek’s stay at the top lasted for almost a year before Kishan moved on in the latest update. Only seven rating points separate the two, which underlines how well matched the pair are.

The rankings also reflect Ireland’s encouraging performance in their historic series win over India. Lorcan Tucker has moved up four places to joint 77th among T20I batsmen, while Ross Adair has moved up six places to 84th after making valuable contributions with the bat.

Left-arm fast bowler Matthew Humphreys reached a career-best 25th position among T20I bowlers after taking four wickets in two matches. India’s all-rounder Shivam Dubey also progressed three places to seventh, while Ireland’s Gareth Delaney and Harry Tector moved up to 24th and 38th respectively.

There were changes at the top of the Test rankings as well. Australia’s Travis Head became the world No. 1 Test batsman for the first time after England’s Harry Brook and Joe Root were defeated in a quiet Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge. Brook slipped to second place and Root to third place.

New Zealand’s victory provided significant benefits to many of their batsmen. Rachin Ravindra moved up to seventh, Daryl Mitchell moved up to 11th, Devon Conway jumped 14 places to joint 15th and Tom Latham moved up to joint 31st.

India also topped the Test bowling rankings through Jasprit Bumrah, who moved ahead of New Zealand fast bowler Matt Henry.

England captain Ben Stokes has moved up to third place in the rankings for Test all-rounders after closing his international career.

West Indies fast bowlers Shamar Joseph and Kemar Roach were also rewarded after their match-winning performances against Sri Lanka in Antigua. Joseph moved up to joint 14th in the bowling rankings, while Roach moved up to 17th.

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Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav (BCCI photo)

New Delhi: Team India under new T20I captain Shreyas IyerLooking to bounce back from the disappointing tour of Ireland, they will begin the next leg of their United Kingdom tour with a five-match T20I series against England.India had entered the two-match T20 series against Ireland as favorites but suffered a shocking 2-0 defeat. This was Iyer’s first assignment as T20I captain, and now he will look to turn things around when India take on England in the opening match at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street on Wednesday.Reflecting on the Ireland series, Iyer admitted that the team did not get the start they wanted, but believes there are a lot of lessons to take forward.“Definitely not the start we wanted, but there is a lot to learn coming into new conditions, most of the players are playing in England and Ireland for the first time, so it is a learning opportunity for them as well. Also we have to build that camaraderie where everyone starts supporting and trusting each other and that will only be possible if we play more and more matches,” Iyer said on BCCI.TV.

‘He wants to have a fearless approach’

Currently the England series is going on, in such a situation Iyer wants his team to play fearless cricket and keep the opposition team under pressure.“I just love to be a threat to the opponents. I want to have an aggressive, fearless approach when I step out on the field. I want my troops to rally around that mentality where the opponents are a little bit intimidated by our personality, by our presence on the field. And I want every single person on the team to think about that because when I step on the field it’s like a war for me. I want to win every match and that’s the mentality I bring to every person who represents the country. I want to bring in. And want us to challenge the opponents also,” Iyer said.The 31-year-old also said that despite India’s success in the last T20 World Cup, the team is starting a new journey.He said, “I think Gauti bhai had mentioned in one of his interviews that we were world champions. This is a new paragraph that starts completely where I am the leader of the team and we are starting from zero again.”

On the advice of Rohit and Surya

Iyer also told about the support he received Rohit Sharma and former T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav.Iyer was replaced as India’s T20I captain after Suryakumar led the team to another T20 World Cup title. However, a decline in batting form and the long-term plans of the selectors resulted in a change in leadership.“Conversing with Rohit Sharma, it feels like you are conversing with your brother. He is someone who has helped me in my domestic career as well. So it has always been easy to interact with him,” Iyer said.“And Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) has the same character again. I have played a lot of domestic cricket with him and just before coming here he gave me an insight into how the management will be, how the players will be in this certain situation.” So yes, definitely good conversations and a lot to learn at the same time,” he said.

Iyer’s heartfelt tribute on Doctor’s Day

Iyer also paid tribute to the doctors who helped him recover from the serious injury he suffered during the 2025 Australia tour in Sydney. The injury ruptured his spleen and caused internal damage, which required serious medical care.On Doctors Day, the India captain thanked the medical team that helped him make a comeback to cricket.Iyer said, “An injury can make you realize how quickly life can change. I am extremely grateful to the doctors and medical teams who helped me regain health, strength and return to the sport I love.”He said, “They stood by me during one of the most challenging phases of my life. Dedicating my second birthday to health professionals is my tribute to those who made my comeback possible.”

Kylian Mbappe scored twice to send France through to the round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup, but Michel Olisse was the driving force behind the 3-0 win over Sweden, prompting Thierry Henry to declare that the Bayern Munich playmaker has become Les Bleus’ most important player.

France eases to 3-0 win over Sweden in round of 32Their biggest win in the World Cup knockout stage since defeating Brazil 3–0 in the 1998 final. Mbappé struck either side of Bradley Barkola’s goal, but Olise planned the attack all night, scoring two goals and producing moments of individual brilliance that left pundits in awe.

Henry, who worked with Olisse during his time with the France under-21 team, had special praise for the 24-year-old after the match. Acknowledging Mbappe’s status as France’s talisman and leading goalscorer, the Arsenal legend argued that Olise is now the player who helps Didier Deschamps’ team survive.

“What he does on the ball is unique,” Henry said.

“When you’re that kind of person, technical, you forget about your protective duty. Not that Michael is a freak. The way he sees things is not the same as others, he sees everything so thoroughly, so quickly, sometimes he gets angry if you’re not on his wave.

“(When I trained him) sometimes he does something wrong in training and you have to stop yourself from saying, wow, this guy is on another planet – he’s completely different.

“The MVP will always be Kylian (because of his numbers) but the most important player is Michael Olise.”

Olise’s performance merited Henry’s assessment.

The Bayern Munich attacker was at the center of almost everything France did going forward. He almost created a moment in the 35th minute of the tournament when a looping clearance fell on the edge of the area.

Olise contorted his body to deliver an acrobatic bicycle kick that deflected off goalkeeper Jakob Widel Zetterstrom but hit the post. Ousmane Dembele came close to converting the rebound, but Sweden saved.

“If he had scored a goal there, it would have been the goal of the tournament,” Zlatan Ibrahimovic said on Fox Soccer.

France finally broke Sweden’s resistance before half time. Olise and Dembele combined cleverly from a short corner before finding Mbappé on the left side of the penalty area. The captain cut in on the right foot of Victor Gyöckeres and fired an unstoppable finish past Jakob Widel Zetterström.

Olise’s Masterclass

Olise’s vision was again on full display eight minutes after the restart. Seeing Barkola race behind the Swedish defence, he threaded a perfectly weighted ball between two defenders, allowing Paris Saint-Germain to advance and double France’s lead.

The playmaker completed another memorable evening with his second assist of the match in the 74th minute. Another incisive pass split the Sweden backline and released Mbappe into the left channel, with the France captain clinically completing his brace.

Former England midfielder Owen Hargreaves was equally impressed by France’s attacking duo.

“Mbappé and Olise were absolutely disrespectful,” Hargreaves said during Fox Soccer’s coverage.

The numbers show Olisse’s growing influence. His two assists took his tally in the tournament to five, the most by a French player in a single World Cup since records began in 1966. He is also the first player since 1994 to record five assists in a World Cup.

In doing so, Olisse overtook the previous French record of three assists, jointly held by Antoine Griezmann (2022), Youri Djorkaeff (1998), Dominique Rocheteau (1986) and Jean Tigana (1982). This performance also added to an extraordinary campaign in which he has now recorded 31 assists for club and country.

France’s victory sets up a round of 16 meeting with Paraguay, with Mbappé continuing his march towards the Golden Boot. Yet, once again, it was Olise’s creativity, vision and composure in the final third that shaped the contest.

FIFA World Cup | fifa world cup schedule | fifa world cup points table | football news

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Sweden has made several changes for the Round of 32 match against France. With Isak Hien ruled out through injury, captain Victor Lindelof returned to central defense after operating in midfield against Japan. Yassin Ayari has replaced Lindelof in midfield, while Daniel Svensson has replaced Adam Bernhardsson at left-back. Emil Lagerbilke comes into central defense alongside Lindelof, and Elliot Stroud also starts as Graham Potter changes his side for the knockout test.

Sweden XI: Jacob Wiedel Zetterstrom; Daniel Svensson, Emil Lagerbijk, Victor Nilsson Lindelof(c), Gabriel Gudmundsson; Elliot Stroud, Lucas Bergvall, Yasin Ayari; Anthony Elanga; Victor Gyökeres, Alexander Isaak.

Diandra Dottin (AFP Photo)

New Delhi: There was a worrying moment ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final between West Indies and Australia at The Oval on Tuesday when star all-rounder Deandra Dottin had to be carried off the field by her teammates just before the start of the match.This incident happened immediately after the national anthem. Dottin was clearly feeling uncomfortable, although it was not immediately clear whether she was injured or had a medical problem.His early exit added to the anxiety in the West Indies camp ahead of one of the biggest matches of the tournament.

Dottin returns to fight for West Indies

Despite the scare, Dottin returned later in the innings when West Indies were in deep trouble at 83/6.Batting at number 8, she played a fighting knock of 26 not out off 16 balls and stitched a crucial partnership with Genelia Glasgow to help West Indies score 125/7 in 20 overs.At one point the Caribbean team looked set to score very low, but Dottin’s late cameo gave them a fighting chance.

Coach provides health update

Speaking during the innings break, West Indies head coach Shane Deitz confirmed that Dottin was feeling better.“He had a little bit of trouble but he’s fine now and he played a great innings there.”After the inning, Deitz revealed that Dottin had suffered a medical problem but praised his determination.“He had a little medical problem,” Coach Dietz said.“He’s fine now and he played a great innings at the end. Gave us a bit of a score.”“Hopefully if we bowl well, take some early wickets, we have a chance to win this.“She’s a tough character. It’s hard to contain her. Hopefully she’ll come out and get a wicket or two.”

Australia reached the final

West Indies reached the semi-finals after wins over New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Scotland in the group stage.However, their campaign ended in the last four as Australia chased down the target with ease.The six-time champions reached 126/2 in just 13 overs and sealed their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup final with an eight-wicket win.Ashley Gardner led the chase with a brilliant unbeaten 61 off 36 balls, allowing Australia to progress comfortably.

There is growing demand for Vaibhav Suryavanshi to make his India debut, but captain Shreyas Iyer believes the limelight should not come at the expense of those who have already performed well on the biggest stage. Ahead of the England T20I series, Iyer said India’s World Cup-winning senior players have earned the right to be supported despite the teenage wait.

The 15-year-old was ignored once again It was during India’s disappointing 2-0 T20 series defeat to Ireland, where debut caps went to all-rounder Suryansh Shedge and fast bowler Prince Yadav. Speaking ahead of the first T20I against England on Tuesday, Iyer defended the team management’s approach, and insisted that every player in the current XI has earned their place through consistent performances.

“Everybody playing in the team has performed; it’s not just one person who has done it,” Iyer said during the pre-match press conference.

“We need to provide opportunities for everyone and create protections so that everyone has the confidence to move forward in the tournament.”

The India captain also underlined why the team is relying on the core group that headlined the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

“Those who helped us win the last World Cup, definitely those. We also know how to play T20 and play consistently in those formats. In a way, I have a lot of pillars to pack.”

The comments come at a time when pressure is mounting on the selectors and team management to give Suryavanshi a chance to make his long-awaited India debut, as the teenage batting sensation remained on the bench for both the matches against Ireland.

The wait for glory continues

Very few youngsters have generated as much enthusiasm as Vaibhav Suryavanshi before making his debut in India.

At just 15 years and 91 days, the left-handed batsman would have become the youngest player to represent India in international cricket, men’s or women’s, had he played against Ireland. Instead, India retained the top order of Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan while relying on the experience of players who have been central to the team’s recent success.

The logic is easy to understand.

Abhishek has established himself as one of India’s most explosive T20 batsmen, while Samson was among the architects of India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign before enjoying another excellent IPL season. Replacing one of the uncapped teenagers would have been one of the boldest selection calls in recent memory.

Yet the Ireland series also strengthened the argument for change.

Samson scored 0 and 0 in the two matches, while Kishan scored 1 and 12 as India’s batting struggled on the Belfast surfaces. The defeat not only handed India an unexpected 2-0 series defeat, but also ended their remarkable run of 16 consecutive T20I bilateral series wins.

assistant coach Ryan Ten Doeschate has already said that Suryavanshi “will have to go through the process”. Like every other player, acknowledging that the teenager is ready for international cricket.

England is now presenting an even tougher test.

Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue, Saqib Mahmood and Sonny Baker provide real pace, while Adil Rashid and Rehan Ahmed provide plenty of variety in the middle overs. Chester-le-Street has also traditionally favored the bowlers, with the average T20I score in the first innings being just 138, making batting adjustments from the start crucial.

Whether those conditions ultimately persuade India to hand over Suryavanshi or not, his debut remains one of the biggest talking points in the five-match series.

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India women’s cricket team (Getty Images)

England cricketer kate cross And Alex Hartley She has clarified that her criticism of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final schedule was never directed at India, adding that she has received abuse and even death threats after her comments were widely circulated on social media.The pair addressed the issue on No Balls: The Cricket Podcast, explaining that their original criticism was aimed solely at the tournament’s scheduling policy and not the Indian team.Cross revealed the scale of the response.“That post received 450 comments. It seems there has been some confusion because I don’t think what we said was worth the death threats and abuse we received.”He then clarified that India was never the target of his criticism.“We would like to clarify that this has nothing to do with India. According to the ICC, the scheduling was done to optimize viewership and attendance in the UK keeping in mind the global audience.”

What was the dispute about?

The debate began after the ICC confirmed the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-final schedule ahead of the knockout stage.Under tournament rules, the top two teams from Groups A and B qualified for the semi-finals. Normally, the Group A winners will face the Group B runners-up in one semi-final, while the Group B winners will face the Group A runners-up in the other semi-final.However, there was one exception. If India qualifies for the semi-finals, they will automatically play the first semi-final on 30 June, which was scheduled to start at 8:00 pm IST, a prime-time television slot for Indian audiences. The second semi-final, starting at 12:00 IST on July 3, was believed to be more suited to UK audiences, especially with hosts England still in contention.If India failed to qualify, the tournament would follow only the standard knockout bracket.

What Cross and Hartley originally said

Speaking ahead of India’s final group-stage match, Cross questioned why a team’s semi-final should be decided in advance.“Can we talk about the fact that I saw today that if India qualifies for the semi-finals, they are guaranteed to play in Tuesday’s semi-finals because the ICC feels it is best for them to play time-wise.”Hartley responded by saying that the practice was not new.“It happens in men’s cricket, women’s cricket, all World Cups.”Cross acknowledged that she understood the business reasons but believed the theory was flawed.“Everyone can plan based on when India will play. It is absolutely mental. I don’t understand how you can go into a tournament and the governing body would prioritize a team like this. I understand why they are doing it, but I think it is absolutely ridiculous.”Hartley also said that the scheduling debate may be irrelevant if India do not make the final four.“Yeah, it’s bad but it looks like they may have to struggle to qualify anyway.”

India lost, program followed normal format

The discussion eventually turned academic after India crashed out of the tournament after losing to Australia in their final group-stage match.Due to India failing to reach the semi-finals, the special scheduling provision was not used and the competition reverted to the standard knockout bracket.Australia will face West Indies in the first semi-final on Tuesday, while England will face South Africa in the second semi-final on Thursday.Following the online backlash, Cross and Hartley reiterated that their criticism was directed at the ICC’s scheduling policy, not India, stressing that their comments were misinterpreted and should not have resulted in personal abuse or threats.