
By Stephen Vilardo, SuperWest Sports
Sports
Fantasy football rankings 2026: Top sleepers from the model that nailed De’Von Achane’s big year
The 2026 NFL regular season begins in exactly two weeks, so 2026 Fantasy football draft season is officially in full swing. Hitting on a few 2026 Fantasy football sleepers is a must, no matter what type of league you’re in, and that means finding those diamonds in the rough that others bypass with Fantasy football picks. Drake Maye, Caleb Williams, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Wan’Dale Robinson and Chris Olave are examples of players who significantly outperformed their ADP expectations last year.
Who will be the top 2026 Fantasy football sleepers who give Fantasy players a big edge this season? Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy football draft strategy, be sure to check out the 2026 Fantasy football rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Paramount+ Premium is now included with every SportsLine membership! Watch the NFL on CBS, UFC, Champions League and more than 40,000 episodes and movies. Join right here to get both for one low price.
Last year, the model accurately predicted that Dolphins running back De’Von Achane would comfortably outperform his ADP (RB12). The result: Achane produced 1,838 scrimmage yards — sixth most in the NFL — to go along with 12 touchdowns. SportsLine’s model slotted Achane as the RB6, and that’s precisely what he finished as, ranking sixth among RBs in Fantasy points in CBS Sports PPR leagues.
The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021, correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024 and calling Daniel Jones’ breakout season in 2025. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018, and Davante Adams in 2017. Anybody who banked on players like those made a run at their league title.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Fantasy football sleepers
One of the 2026 Fantasy football sleepers the model is predicting: New York Giants tight end Isaiah Likely, who followed coach John Harbaugh from the Ravens to the Giants this offseason. Likely, who has an ADP of 98 this year, showed big-play capability in Baltimore, but always battled Mark Andrews for targets.
Now the clear-cut No. 1 tight end, Likely has reportedly been a favorite target of quarterback Jaxson Dart, especially with Nabers (knee) limited in camp. He had two catches for 11 yards in the preseason opener. SportsLine’s model has Likely as TE9 in its Fantasy football rankings, ahead of players such as Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce.
Another sleeper that SportsLine’s Fantasy football rankings 2026 have identified: Titans running back Tony Pollard. The 29-year-old has now cleared 1,000 rushing yards in four straight seasons — two of those with the Cowboys and two with the Titans. Backs approaching age 30 often fall out of favor in Fantasy, but Pollard actually surged late in 2025, averaging 100 yards per game and scoring three total times in the last five weeks of the season.
The Titans could take a big step forward in the passing game this year, possibly opening up more room for Pollard. He’s going off the board around pick No. 76, making him the RB27, but SportsLine’s model has him in the same tier as backs being picked earlier like TreVeyon Henderson and Rico Dowdle. See which other Fantasy football sleepers 2026 to pick here.
How to find proven 2026 Fantasy football rankings
SportsLine is also extremely high on a receiver who is going off the board in the third or fourth round of most drafts. The model says this wideout is a shocking top-10 option ahead of stars like CeeDee Lamb, Justin Jefferson and A.J. Brown. You can only see who it is, and the 2026 Fantasy football rankings for every player, at SportsLine.
So which 2026 Fantasy Football sleepers should you target, and which wide receiver shocks the NFL with a top-10 performance? Visit SportsLine now to get 2026 Fantasy Football cheat sheets for every single position, all from the model that called De’Von Achane’s huge season, and find out.
2026 Fantasy football ADP
(PPR, via CBS)
Get Fantasy football cheat sheets at SportsLine.
1. Jahmyr Gibbs (1.22)
2. Bijan Robinson (1.94)
3. Ja’Marr Chase (4.10)
4. Jonathan Taylor (5.17)
5. Puka Nacua (5.19)
6. Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6.90)
7. Christian McCaffrey (7.47)
8. Amon-Ra St. Brown (9.14)
9. James Cook (10.34)
10. De’Von Achane (11.54)
11. Chase Brown (12.26)
12. Derrick Henry (13.23)
Sports
Man City press conference LIVE transfer and injury updates ahead of Crystal Palace as Maresca speaks
Manchester City have released their third kit for the 2026/27 season, a strip that was designed by a fan using AI. Ahead of the new season, City asked fans to design their own third kits using Puma’s AI Creator. Supporters were encouraged to enter written prompts for how they wanted their shirt to look, and the AI tool combined those ideas and created a shirt.
According to City, fans from over 200 countries created 180,000 unique designs for the third kit. Fans were then given the chance to rate the designs. In total, 1.7 million ratings were submitted and, from that information, City and Puma shortlisted ten designs.
From those designs emerged this third kit! Read more here.
Sports
‘Playgrounds are more important than Playstations’: PM Narendra Modi’s message to India’s youth | More sports News
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday stressed the importance of sports in building a healthy society and encouraged youngsters to choose “playgrounds over Playstations”. Speaking to athletes during the Khelo India Dialogue via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said sports should become a part of everyday life rather than being seen only as a co-curricular activity in schools.
Sports should become a way of life
PM Modi said it was encouraging to see sports finding a place in the daily timetable of youngsters along with studies. He said a strong sporting culture would develop when schools and families started treating sports as an important part of life.“When time table is being made for career and studies, sports is also getting its place. This is the change due to which India’s trust in its sporting future is increasing. Sports culture is established when schools do not consider sports periods as a co-curricular activity, but as a way of life. This is how the talent pool is developed, and the children get support from their families. Sports centers are more important than screens. Playgrounds are more important than Playstations. It will only happen when our youth will take this approach forward,” he said.The Prime Minister also spoke about the value of sportsmanship beyond the playing field. He said sports can help create a healthy society, improve family life and build a better work culture.“We often hear that, for a healthy society, a good family system, and a better work culture, the sportsman spirit is essential. And this spirit is very difficult to learn without going to the sports field. Sports not only teach us to become champions, but sports also teaches us to become better competitors. Rising, falling… falling and then rising again… Sports brings this zeal within us,” he said.
‘Those who play, they blossom’
PM Modi said success in sports is not limited to winning medals or matches. According to him, an athlete’s success also brings pride to their family, school, district and state, while also increasing the country’s prestige.“It signifies the blossoming of the individual and the family, as well as enhancing the nation’s pride. When an athlete succeeds, that success is not theirs alone; it elevates the identity of their family, boosts the prestige of their school and college, and strengthens the recognition of their district and state. The world begins to identify that city or state by the athlete’s name,” he said.
Sports
Nottingham Forest sign Chelsea striker Liam Delap in club-record deal
Liam Delap has completed a move to Nottingham Forest from Chelsea in a club-record deal worth £45m.
The 23-year-old forward has agreed a five-year contract at the City Ground, with Forest becoming his third team in three seasons after being informed he did not feature in Xabi Alonso’s plans at Stamford Bridge.
However, newly appointed Forest manager Oliver Glasner made securing the striker a priority during the current transfer window.
“I really can’t wait to get started, this is a massive club with a big history,” Delap said.
“I spoke to the manager and I like his way, I think he can be the one to really help me develop and make that next step and hopefully I can bring goals here.
“I can’t wait to hear the noise at The City Ground and have the fans on my side because I know how loud and important they are.
“As a team we can build something really strong and the main aim is to challenge and be a top club in the Premier League.”
The former England youth international had been required to train away from the first team at Chelsea, while his number nine shirt was handed to Joao Pedro after Alonso made his position clear.
Chelsea have secured a profit on a player purchased for £30m from Ipswich 12 months ago, despite him scoring just twice across all competitions last season.
The transfer was completed in time for Delap to potentially debut against Liverpool on Saturday, though it remains unclear if Glasner will place him immediately into his starting line-up.
Forest have endured a difficult start to the season, losing 1-0 at home to Leeds in their Premier League opener before suffering a 2-0 defeat by the same side in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night.
Glasner will hope Delap can bring the much-needed firepower to propel Forest up the table this season.
Meanwhile, it could be a busy end to the transfer window for Chelsea as they weigh up a move for wantaway Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Delap is unlikely to be their final sale either, as Enzo Fernandez remains heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City.
Sports
Week Zero College Football Previews for Teams in the West
The wait is over. Week Zero is upon us, and with it comes the start of the 2026 college football season.
This week’s schedule features a heavy dose of West Coast action, as seven of the 16 teams fall within our coverage footprint.
I preview the opening contests of three Mountain West programs and one each of the Big Ten and ACC, with San Jose State heading to USC, Stanford hosting Hawaii, and UNLV welcoming Memphis.
Additionally, the eight-game slate this weekend sees Sacramento State beginning its MAC era at Eastern Michigan and New Mexico State heading to Florida State.
But for the meat and potatoes of this week’s regional games, we kick off our coverage here.
San Jose State Spartans at USC Trojans
Saturday, August 29
12:00 PM PT, NBC
(Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge & Kathryn Tappen)
Line: USC –38.5
Over/Under: 60.5
A year ago, coming off a 7-6 season with a ton of momentum to end 2024 and a high-flying offense ready to dominate, San Jose State entered the season with extremely high expectations.
But 2025 did not deliver on the promise, as the Spartans limped to a 3-9 record and just a pair of conference wins.
This season, expectations are tempered a bit so the Spartans could be ready to shock some people this fall.
By contrast, big things are expected in L.A. from USC in 2026. The Trojans return a surplus of talent on offense, with their top two backs and entire offensive line returning.
The pass-catchers lost a lot from last season, but they return perhaps the nation’s top quarterback in Jayden Maiava, and the WR unit is hardly thin.
While the SC offense returns a lot, San Jose State is returning just 24% of its offensive production, the second-lowest total in the nation.

For the Trojans to truly prove they belong among the short list of contenders for the Big Ten and national title this season, they need to show the defense is up to the task.
It should look the part against SJSU.
While the Spartan offense will have its struggles, I think they might do enough to push the total over the 60.5 offering. And USC should have no issue scoring points.
Since falling to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl after the 2022 season, USC has beaten Group of Six opponents by an average of 45.4 points. This one should be no different.
Luke Weaver should be a capable passer for San Jose State, and I think the offense will once again spread the ball around the field this season. But the QB still has a lot to prove; he has directed more career turnovers (7) than TD passes (6) at the D1 level.
But while the turnovers were an issue at Hawaii, he completed 60% of his passes and threw for a lot of yardage.
The USC defense could be tested at times by the Spartan air attack, though the Trojan pass rushers also could end up feasting. If that happens, it will be a long afternoon for Weaver.
The bottom line is USC looks like a potential Playoff team while San Jose State will likely struggle to win many games this season.
The opener should serve as a prelude to both possibilities this season.
Winner: USC
O/U: Over
Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors at Stanford Cardinal
Saturday, August 29
4:00 PM PT, ACC Network
(Jorge Sedano, Rodney McLeod, and Kendra Douglas)
Line: Stanford –4
Over/Under: 48.5
Last season, these teams met in the season opener in Honolulu, and the Warriors got the better of the visiting Cardinal. This season’s Week Zero matchup sees the teams meet once again, but inside Stanford Stadium.
Despite being the Group of Six team and playing on the road, Hawaii seems more settled than Stanford.
A huge reason is quarterback Micah Alejado, who has a handle on Timmy Chang’s offense and can sling it with any of the best in the nation.
Since the end of last September, Alejado has averaged 315 passing yards per game, the second-most among FBS passers.
On the other side of the field, the Tavita Pritchard era opens with former Michigan signal-caller Davis Warren making his Stanford debut under center.
After earning the starting spot for the Wolverines in 2024, he missed all of last season with a torn ACL.
But the strength of the Stanford offense could be the legs of Micah Ford, whose 643 yards on the ground in 2025 were the most for a Cardinal in a season since 2019.

The Rainbow Warriors were solid against the run last season, limiting opponents to just 133.9 rushing yards per outing to rank 44th in the nation. If the Warriors can bottle up Ford and the ground game, they will have a leg up.
Matt Rose is a tackle machine for Stanford in the middle. The linebacker tallied 106 total stops last year, the most in a season for a Stanford player since 2015.
While Rose will make plays from sideline to sideline, stopping UH’s offensive attack will require a much stronger team effort than we saw last season on the Farm.
In 2025, Stanford ranked dead last nationally against the pass, giving up 288.9 yards through the air per game.
If the Cardinal can’t contain the Warriors, the result could mirror last season’s opener, in which Hawaii kicked a field goal to win a 23-20 thriller.
I think this one will be similarly tight, and once again, I see the Warriors as the better team, opening their campaign 1-0 with an upset on the road.
Winner: Hawai’i
O/U: Under
Memphis Tigers at UNLV Rebels
Saturday, August 29
7:00 PM PT, FOX
(Tim Brando, Devin Gardner and Josh Sims)
Line: UNLV –4.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Either Dan Mullen was offering up some gamesmanship and not letting the media (or anyone) know too much on Tuesday when discussing the QB battle, or there really is not much separating Jackson Arnold and Alex Orji at the moment.
That might be a good thing, but I would feel a lot more comfortable with the Rebels if I knew Jackson Arnold was clearly the better option under center.
Deception and disguise or not, UNLV will kick it off with Memphis this Saturday Night.
And this is the game Week Zero is meant for. If this were a week later, the matchup might be just another game in a busy week.
The spotlight will be on Allegiant Stadium. It will shine not only on the Tigers and Rebels, but also on the Mountain West and American conferences with a national audience in primetime.
Both schools have dipped into the portal and, in many cases, scooping up castoffs from Power Four programs.

The entire Memphis starting 11 on defense could be transfers, and the Tiger offense will also lean heavily on new portal arrivals.
Among them, RB Dallas Hayden, formerly of Ohio State, is expected to spearhead what should be an explosive ground attack.
Last season, the Tigers ranked 31st in rushing nationally, with an average of 184.7 yards per game. Look for a heavy dose of Hayden, who could prove to be one of the better backs in the American in 2026.
The Rebels struggled against the run last season, allowing 177.4 yards per game to rank 105th in the nation. The defense let the Rebels down on a few occasions in 2025, but I look for an improved unit in 2026.
UNLV found themselves simply outscoring opponents at times last year, and I think they will be very comfortable in a shootout on their home turf. The Rebels have a good one toting the ball themselves in Jai’Den Thomas.
While I think the Rebels defense will look better this season, I don’t think they will have to be great. Just make some third-down stops, get the Tigers off the field, and the offense will produce.
The game figures to be a shootout, and a fun one for the country to watch.
Winner: UNLV
O/U: Over
Straight-Up Staff Picks for Selected Top Games
Sports
India’s Racing Sensation Atiqa Mir Gets New Boost
JK Tyre, longtime supporters of Indian motorsport, on Thursday signed 11-year-old racing sensation Atiqa Mir, reinforcing its long-standing commitment to invest in future champions. At such a young age, Atiqa has already made a strong mark on the international karting circuit, winning races in Europe and beating world class drivers older than her. Atiqa, the first Indian to be supported by the F1 Academy, is currently competing in different series in Europe and is the highest ranked female in FIA’s International Karting Ranking in the OKNJ category (age 12-14).
She joins an elite list of accomplished Indian drivers to be supported by JK Tyre, following in the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, the only two Indians who have reached the pinnacle of F1.
Earlier this year, she became the first Indian to secure a podium in the European leg of the Champions of the Future Academy, before going on to deliver a dominant victory in Greece, where she became only the third driver in the series’ history to sweep qualifying, heats and the final.
More recently, Atiqa added another feather to her cap by becoming the youngest Indian to record two top 10 finishes in FIA European Karting Championship which is considered the ‘Formula 1 of Karting.’ Her journey also represents the growing presence of women in motorsport. Atiqa was the first Indian and Asian female racer selected for F1 Academy’s Discover Your Drive programme, further underlining her position as one of the sport’s emerging young talents.
“It is a very special feeling to join JK Tyre. My dad (Asif Mir who was India’s first national karting champion) was also supported by JK Tyre during his racing days.
“I have always admired the company’s contribution to Indian motorsport and the opportunities it has created for young racers. I’m excited for this journey and look forward to learning, improving and representing India and JK Tyre on the international stage,” said Atiqa.
Anshuman Singhania, Managing Director, JK Tyre & Industries, said the tyre major was happy to support Atiqa in her fast rising career.
“Atiqa represents the next generation of Indian racing, and we are delighted to support her as she pursues excellence on the global stage,” said Singhania.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)
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M80 overtake Natus Vincere as BLAST Open Fall begins
The hands of an esport gamer clutching the controler at Encore Esports Gaming Lounge in New Rochelle on Thursday, December 20, 2018.
E Sports
M80 downed Natus Vincere 2-1 in the lone comeback win of the day as the BLAST Open Fall tournament got underway on Wednesday in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The other three Group A upper-bracket quarterfinal matches all ended in 2-0 sweeps. Team Spirit took down DENDELE CS, G2 Esports handled Aurora Gaming, and FURIA defeated paiN Gaming.
The $1.1 million Counter-Strike 2 event features 16 teams divided into two groups for the double-elimination opening stage. The group winners advance to the playoff semifinals. The group runners-up move on to the playoff quarterfinals as high seeds, while the two third-place teams head to the playoff quarterfinals as low seeds. The remaining teams will be eliminated.
All group-stage matches are best-of-three.
The single-elimination playoffs, which begin Sept. 4 in Porto, Portugal, will feature best-of-three matches in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The grand final on Sept. 6 will be best-of-five.
The championship team will receive $250,000 ($150,000 for the players, $100,000 for the club) plus three BLAST Frequent Flyer Tokens.
On Wednesday, Natus Vincere opened with a 13-4 win on Anubis. M80 then rallied to take Mirage and Inferno, both by 13-6 scores. The United States’ Josh “JBa” Barutt paced M80 with 44 kills and a plus-7 kill-death differential. Ukraine’s Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy topped Natus Vincere with 40 kills and a plus-7 K-D differential.
Team Spirit bested DENDELE CS 13-8 on Ancient, 13-7 on Cache behind 48 kills and a plus-22 K-D differential from Russia’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. DENDELE CS’s Joao “koala” Pfeffer logged 35 kills and a plus-8 K-D differential.
G2 Esports claimed a 13-5 victory over Aurora Gaming on Inferno, then sealed the series with a 16-12 overtime win on Anubis. Ukraine’s Artem “r1nkle” Moroz guided G2 Esports with 47 kills and a plus-24 K-D differential. North Macedonia’s Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski registered 30 kills and a minus-6 K-D differential.
FURIA dominated paiN Gaming, prevailing 13-2 on Mirage and 13-6 on Cache. Latvia’s Mareks “YEKINDAR” Galinskis produced 34 kills and a plus-13 K-D differential for FURIA. Guilherme “piriajr” Barbosa wound up with 27 kills and an even K-D differential for all-Brazilian paiN Gaming.
The upcoming schedule:
THURSDAY
Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal — Team Falcons vs. Lynn Vision Gaming
Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal — FUT Esports vs. Legacy
Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal — MOUZ vs. 9z Team Group B upper-bracket quarterfinal — IC Esports vs. Team Vitality
FRIDAY
Group A upper-bracket semifinal — Team Spirit vs. G2 Esports
Group A upper-bracket semifinal — FURIA vs. M80 Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal — DENDELE CS vs. Aurora Gaming
Group A lower-bracket quarterfinal — paiN Gaming vs. Natus Vincere
BLAST Open Fall prize pool, with money winnings (player prize, team share) and BLAST Frequent Flyer Tokens
1. $250,000 ($150,000, $100,000), 3 BFFT 2. $160,000 ($60,000, $100,000), 1 BFFT
3-4. $115,000 ($40,000, $75,000), 1 BFFT
5-6. $75,000 ($20,000, $55,000), 1 BFFT
7-8. $50,000 ($10,000, $40,000) 9-12. $32,500 ($7,500, $25,000)
13-16. $20,000 ($5,000, $15,000)
–Field Level Media
Sports
Former Arsenal star Matteo Guendouzi sparks wild brawl and fan attack in chaotic Champions League tie
Matteo Guendouzi was attacked by furious Lyon players and fans after sparking a mass brawl in a chaotic Champions League tie.
The fiery French midfielder claimed “disrespect” and insults towards his family throughout the match, given his affiliation to Lyon’s fierce rivals Marseille, where he spent three seasons.
The 27-year-old let out relief at the final whistle, celebrating wildly, lifting his arms and taunting the fans in the stands before dozens of players and staff rushed towards the player in a chaotic brawl.
The Champions League play-off second leg saw the Turkish giants prevail on the night at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium, advancing 3-2 on aggregate to the league phase, with the draw taking place later on Thursday.
Guendouzi was supported by some of his Fenerbahce team-mates, including Romelu Lukaku and former Man City goalkeeper Ederson.
Guendouzi then shouted at the television cameras and continued to shout towards Lyon fans as he marched towards the dressing room.
Missiles were launched in his direction before a man in a white jacket, thought to be part of the Lyon staff, aggressively approached him.
Security struggled to contain the situation, with Guendouzi eventually discussing the reason for the wild scenes.
“If 60,000 people are insulting your family, your mother, your children before the match even starts, and no one—not the referees or any other officials in the stadium—says a word,” Guendouzi said, according to Turkish outlet Aykiri.
“In France, when things like this happen, they would talk to the fans and tell them to stop, or else the match would be halted. But here, for more than 90 minutes—including during warm-ups—they insulted my family, my wife, my children.
“It was a situation that really got to me, that deeply affected me. For me, it was complete disrespect. And on top of that, if we can’t even celebrate the way we want, to me that’s total injustice—it’s truly heartbreaking.”
Sports
New York City area saw $3.5 billion in economic impact from Fifa World Cup | FIFA World Cup 2026
By Michelle Kaske
The 2026 Fifa World Cup generated $3.5 billion in total economic impact in New York and New Jersey, according to a report commissioned by New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
The US, Canada and Mexico hosted the international soccer tournament this summer, with eight matches, including the final on July 19, played at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium. More than 645,000 fans attended the matches at MetLife, according to the report.
The global sporting event generated $1.9 billion in direct spending on lodging, restaurants, bars, shopping and transportation in the states, the report said. The event helped support 27,424 jobs, while state and local governments pulled in $414.2 million in tax revenue, mostly from sales-tax collections.
“From increased spending at local businesses and restaurants to higher hotel revenues, the World Cup has left a lasting impact on our state,” Hochul said in a statement. “Here in New York, we want to continue to ensure that New Yorkers are reaping the benefits and joy of the World Cup by building more soccer infrastructure for our kids to play across the state.”
The $3.5 billion tally is slightly higher than earlier projections of a $3.3 billion economic impact. Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, conducted the analysis.
Despite the increase in economic activity, the World Cup also disrupted life for locals in the region. Many New York and New Jersey soccer fans were priced out of attending the matches at MetLife by exorbitant ticket prices and expensive parking. Residents and commuters had to adjust their schedules on match days to accommodate for disruption in New Jersey Transit service.
Sports
We don’t participate in half of Olympic sports, need to improve: PM Modi | Olympic Games 2024
)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi | Image: Bloomberg
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India’s Olympic performance can improve only if the country manages to increase its participation in those events where it has not participated in the past.
In a virtual address to hundreds of athletes, students and volunteers who gathered at various locations for the Khelo India Dialogue, the PM said his vision for sports is not merely about winning medals but making it an integral part of the nation-building process.
“In the Olympics, there are so many different sports… Indian teams don’t even participate in half of them,” Modi said, calling it a “bitter truth”.
In the 2024 Paris Olympics, India participated in 16 of the 32 sports which were a part of the Games roster.
“…we don’t even compete for a huge chunk of the medal tally. And this has been going on for decades. Other countries of the world win medals in those sports, and we don’t even participate in them.
“To increase our medal tally, we will have to master these sports as well,” he added.
In his Independence Day speech on August 15, Modi had announced a nationwide talent hunt for children in the age group of 5 to 15 to ensure that India’s participation improves at the Olympics.
“On this 15th August, I have presented India’s sports vision for the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort. When I talk about sports… it is not merely about winning medals.
“It is a campaign to integrate India’s sporting power and youth power together in the construction of a developed India,” he said.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
First Published: Aug 27 2026 | 12:23 PM IST
Sports
‘It’s my opinion’:AB de Villiers hits back after Virat Kohli-Sachin Tendulkar comparison sparks backlash | Cricket News
South Africa great AB de Villiers has clarified his recent comments comparing Virat Kohli with Sachin Tendulkar after his assessment of the two Indian batting legends triggered a backlash on social media.De Villiers had previously said Kohli was better than Tendulkar in seam-friendly overseas conditions, while crediting the former India opener with being the first Indian batter to show that players from the subcontinent could succeed consistently in challenging conditions outside Asia.The former South Africa captain’s comments attracted criticism, prompting him to explain what he meant.“There was a bit of confusion with my Virat and Sachin comment. Remember, it’s my opinion. I’m not axing anyone. I’m telling you the way that I see it. Sachin was the first to take things forward for India, showing all the youngsters what it takes to perform consistently everywhere around the world. I said that Virat sort of showed that there is a different dynamic to Indian batting by being good on the short ball. He found a way to counter that,” de Villiers said on his YouTube channel.De Villiers acknowledged that Kohli’s overseas numbers do not match Tendulkar’s, but insisted that statistics alone do not determine how he assesses a batter.“We can always look at stats and say Virat’s stats were not as good abroad, especially because of England, where he really struggled. But I still feel he looked confident and played the all-round, well-balanced cricket that’s needed to succeed abroad and inspired a lot of youngsters around him. He took what he learnt from Sachin and took it forward. His record is not as good as Sachin’s away from home, but we don’t always look at stats, especially not me. And that’s what I meant with showing the new generation of cricketers how the way forward should look. Staying fit, leading by example, having the all-round game,” de Villiers concluded.His original assessment had centred on how Kohli built on Tendulkar’s pioneering work.“I think of someone like Sachin Tendulkar way back, who started that trend for India. Yet, he wasn’t as strong as someone like Virat Kohli, who was even better. But Sachin was the first guy to show that, as a subcontinent batter, you can do well in bouncy and seaming conditions. Virat took that forward and raised the bar. Because of that, there are quite a few players now like Rahul and Padikkal, who have started to up that trend and follow in the footsteps of a Virat and a Sachin,” de Villiers had stated earlier.The statistical comparison, however, strongly favours Tendulkar in overseas Tests.Tendulkar remains the leading run-scorer in Test history, having accumulated 15,921 runs in 200 matches before retiring in 2013. Kohli retired from Test cricket in May 2025 after scoring 9,230 runs in 123 Tests, leaving him 19th on the all-time list.Tendulkar scored 8,705 of his Test runs away from home, accounting for around 55% of his career tally. He is also the highest run-scorer in overseas Test cricket. Kohli, meanwhile, made 4,774 runs in 66 Tests outside India.The difference remains significant when the comparison is restricted to SENA nations. Tendulkar scored 5,387 runs in 63 Tests in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia at an average of 51.30, including 17 centuries and 23 fifties.Kohli finished with 3,661 runs in 46 Tests across the same countries at an average of 42.08, with 12 centuries and 14 fifties.De Villiers’ clarification therefore sought to put his original comments into context, with the South African stressing that his assessment was based not merely on numbers but on Kohli’s approach, adaptability, fitness and influence on the generation that followed him.
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