John Cena reveals he and The Rock ‘hated each other’ before WrestleMa…

John Cena openly acknowledged the animosity that brewed before his WrestleMania 28 clash with The Rock. Their competitive rivalry escalated beyond the ring, leading to personal jabs and near confrontations backstage during heated promo exchanges. Although Cena publicly insisted he would prevail, he privately recognized The Rock's impending victory. After the match, heartfelt apologies paved the way for a newfound respect between the two icons.

This Sunday, the Duleep Trophy semifinals feature a showdown between North Zone and South Zone, where South Zone's seasoned batsmen, Tilak Varma and Karun Nair, aim to shine. On the other hand, North Zone's formidable bowling unit, spearheaded by Abid Mushtaq, looks to dominate. Additionally, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from East Zone takes on the reigning champions, Central Zone, marking a crucial opportunity for him to excel in red-ball cricket.

The ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup 2026 edition will give India a chance to put their recent struggles behind them when they face Thailand in their Group A opener later today.

On paper, India have been the dominant side in the competition. They have won three of the five T20 editions since 2016-17. But their recent record does not offer the same level of confidence. India have lost nine of their 16 T20Is in 2026 and were knocked out of the Women’s T20 World Cup in the group stage after losing to Australia.

That defeat was another reminder of India’s problems against the better teams. Harmanpreet Kaur produced an important performance in that match, but the captain’s inconsistent returns throughout the tournament remained a concern. xsportfeed.quest

The Asia Cup comes at an important time for Harmanpreet and the Indian team. With the Asian Games also coming up next month, India have two major Asian competitions ahead of them and will be expected to compete for the title in both.

Also Read: Cricket at Asian Games 2026: All you need to know about Indian men’s and women’s teams’ squads and schedule

India have been hit by the absence of Jemimah Rodrigues, who is unavailable for the Asia Cup and Asian Games. Pratika Rawal has been brought into the squad, but India will still need someone to take charge in the middle order. The team cannot afford to rely heavily on its openers throughout the tournament.

Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma will again be expected to give India quick starts. Both have the ability to take the game away from an opposition in the powerplay. The challenge will be for the batters coming in after them to maintain the scoring rate and avoid the middle-order slowdown that has hurt India at times.

There is also work to do in the field. Dropped catches and poor work close to the boundary were costly in India’s previous T20 campaign. Against Thailand, India will want to be sharper in all three areas.

The bowling attack has plenty of experience. Deepti Sharma will be one of the main figures with the ball and will lead the spin options alongside Shree Charani, Radha Yadav and Prema Rawat. Renuka Singh Thakur remains the senior fast bowler, with Kranti Gaud, Arundhati Reddy and Nandani Sharma offering support.

Thailand will not be short of confidence after beginning their campaign with a narrow win over Hong Kong. They scored 120 for nine, a total that looked modest, but their bowling and fielding kept Hong Kong to 114 for seven.

Naruemol Chaiwai played the key innings with 43, while Onnicha Kamchomphu returned figures of 3/27. Phannita Maya also made an impact with two wickets for 22 runs.

India Vs Thailand, ACC Women’s Asia Cup 2026: Predicted XIs

India Women: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur (C), Richa Ghosh (WK), Deepti Sharma, Arundhati Reddy, Radha Yadav, Shree Charani, Renuka Singh Thakur, Kranti Gaud.

Thailand Women: Naruemol Chaiwai (C), Nannapat Koncharoenkai (WK), Chanida Sutthiruang, Naomi Hamilton, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Thipatcha Putthawong, Phannita Maya, Nannaphat Chaihan, Suleeporn Laomi, Aphisara Suwanchonrathi, Sunida Chaturongrattana.

Sunil Chhetri, the revered former captain, expresses a nuanced envy as he observes the current Indian football team gearing up for matches against legendary opponents like Brazil and Uruguay. He emphasises the importance of these unique encounters and encourages young players to make the most of this chance. Chhetri has confidence in the coach's choices and urges a united front for a brighter future in Indian football.

India celebrated its National Sports Day yesterday on Saturday, August 29 and there is already some good news on the occasion. The nation, which is set to host the next Commonwealth Games edition in 2030, is taking a new approach towards identifying sporting talent.

The proposed host state of Gujarat is eager to do something unique in order to make it happen. The state is turning to DNA sequencing to find athletes who could have the potential to excel in all different kinds of sports. The initiative is being seen as a step towards using genetics along with traditional methods of talent identification.

The idea is to understand an athlete’s genetic profile and use that information to identify areas where the person could have a natural advantage. Instead of relying only on physical tests, performances and coaching assessments, genetic information could provide another layer while identifying and developing young athletes.

The programme is aimed at finding sporting talent at an early age. Once potential athletes are identified, the information could be used to guide them towards sports that may suit their physical characteristics and abilities. The broader goal is to create a stronger system for developing athletes and improve India’s chances of producing champions across different disciplines.

Genetics can play a role in several physical traits that matter in sport. Factors linked to muscle composition, endurance, recovery and how the body responds to training can vary from person to person.

However, DNA alone cannot make someone a champion. Training, nutrition, coaching, discipline and access to facilities remain important parts of an athlete’s development.

That is where the Gujarat initiative could be significant. Rather than using genetic information as the only method of selection, it can potentially be combined with existing talent identification programmes. Young athletes could then receive more specialised training based on their individual requirements.

The move also comes at a time when India is trying to build a stronger sporting system. The country has improved its performances at major international events in recent years, with athletes from shooting, athletics, boxing, wrestling, badminton, weightlifting and other sports winning medals at the highest level.

India has a large population but many promising athletes are identified late or do not get access to the right training and facilities. A more scientific approach to talent identification could help widen the search and bring more young athletes into organised sport.

One of the biggest problems for young athletes in India, however, remains access to proper sporting facilities. Across several cities, playgrounds and open spaces are being taken over for construction and other purposes.

With fewer grounds available, children are losing places where they can play, train and develop an interest in sport. Finding talent through DNA sequencing can help identify potential but that talent will need proper grounds, coaches and training facilities to turn into performance.