Indian women’s cricket team skipper Harmanpreet Kaur was conferred with the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu on Monday in New Delhi. President Droupadi Murmu presented the prestigious award to Kaur at the Civil Investiture Ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Kaur received the Padma Shri following a landmark year for Indian women’s cricket. In 2025, she captained India to their maiden ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title on home soil, leading the team to a historic victory over South Africa in the final at Navi Mumbai.

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— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 25, 2026

The triumph made her the first Indian captain to lift the Women’s World Cup and only the second Indian skipper overall to win a World Cup at home after MS Dhoni.

Kaur has played 164 ODIs for India, scoring 4,541 runs at an average of 37.22, including 7 centuries and 24 half-centuries. In T20Is, she has amassed 3,991 runs from 195 matches, featuring one century and 16 fifties.

In the longest format, Kaur has appeared in 7 Tests, scoring 230 runs at an average of 23.00, including a half-century.

Praveen Kumar, Baldev Singh, K. Pajanivel Honoured

Paralympic gold medallist high jumper Praveen Kumar was conferred with the Padma Shri. The world No. 1 para high jumper is being recognised for his outstanding contribution to sports after a remarkable rise in international para athletics.

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— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 25, 2026

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Born with a physical disability, Praveen Kumar first won a silver medal in the men’s high jump T64 category at the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021 before upgrading it to gold at the Paris Paralympic Games with a personal-best jump of 2.08 metres.

His breakthrough performance in Tokyo earned him the Arjuna Award in 2021, while his Paris triumph was later recognised with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in January 2025.

Born in 2003, Praveen initially played volleyball during his school days before deciding to switch to high jump. His teacher was initially reluctant to allow him to compete, fearing he might get injured because of his leg condition. Despite the doubts, Praveen competed in the able-bodied category and won gold.

Veteran hockey coach Baldev Singh and renowned Silambam exponent K. Pajanivel were conferred with the Padma Shri on Monday in recognition of their outstanding contributions to sports and traditional martial arts.

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— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 25, 2026

Baldev Singh, regarded as one of the pioneering figures in Indian women’s hockey, played a transformative role in developing Shahabad Markanda in Haryana into a prominent nursery for women’s hockey talent.

Over the past two decades, the academy under his guidance has produced more than 80 international players, including eight who went on to captain the Indian women’s hockey team.

Several prominent players, including former India captain Rani Rampal, former drag-flick specialist Sandeep Singh, Didar Singh, Sanjeev Kumar Dang, Harpal Singh, and Navjot Kaur, emerged from his academy.

Beyond nurturing sporting excellence, Baldev Singh was also credited with helping players from underprivileged backgrounds build successful careers through hockey.

For his immense contribution to coaching and player development, he had earlier received the Dronacharya Award in 2009 and the Hockey India Jaman Lal Sharma Award for Invaluable Contribution in 2015-16.

Meanwhile, Silambam exponent K. Pajanivel from Puducherry was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution towards preserving and promoting the ancient Tamil martial art of Silambam.

President Droupadi Murmu presents Padma Shri in the field of Sports to Shri K. Pajanivel. He is a Silambam Master. Silambam is a weapon-based 5000 years old warfare method of Indian martial art originating in Tamil Nadu. In the year 2002, Shri Pajanivel founded “Mamallan… pic.twitter.com/oqmKG1PNYm

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) May 25, 2026

Born on January 30, 1973, in Pooranankuppam, Pajanivel began training in Silambam under Master Rajaram and went on to dedicate decades to popularising the traditional martial art in India and abroad.

He has trained several students free of cost and represented Silambam through demonstrations, performances, and competitions at national and international platforms.

Silambam, a weapon-based martial art believed to be over 5,000 years old, primarily involves the use of a bamboo staff and is known for its speed, precision, and fluid footwork.

Pajanivel had earlier received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award for Martial Arts in 2023. His other honours include the Kalaimamani Award from the Government of Puducherry in 2012, the Best Youth Award from Nehru Yuva Kendra in 2004, and the Silambam International Award in 2002.

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Tushar Deshpande’s Brilliant Final Act Ensures Thrilling Win For RR Over Gujarat Titans

FILE–Capital1 looks to add another key piece as part of its “new era” in the upcoming PVL Rookie Draft.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — For the second time in the last three editions, Capital1 will pick second in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Rookie Draft on June 3 at Novotel.

Despite having the highest odds of 40 percent, Capital1 slid to No. 2, with Galeries Tower winning the lottery on Monday night at TV5 Media Center.

Capital1 owner Mandy Romero was still grateful to own the rights to the second overall pick, with 42 players led by Alyssa Solomon, Lams Lamina, Niña Ytang, and Detdet Pepito eyeing a break in the pros.

READ: PVL: Galeries Tower wins lottery, gets first pick in draft

Capital1 owner Mandy Romero on drafting second overall pick. #PVL2026 @inquirersports pic.twitter.com/Q6UFpGLAfQ

— Lance Agcaoili (@LanceAgcaoilINQ) May 25, 2026

“We’re very, very happy, I think it’s really meant to be that we’re entering this new year of Capital1, and we really hope that everyone joins us in all of our ride,” said Romero. “We’ve had a lot of changes in the off-season, and hopefully, this next draft will bring together all the passion, the grit, and the fire that we need to be a champion contender. That’s our dream.”

Although they didn’t name their target prospect yet, Romero wants someone who can bring leadership and add much-needed firepower.

“We’re looking for someone who will play in the court, they’re ready to be part of this team, they’re ready and very determined to achieve our new heights together,” said Mandy, who owns the team with her sister Milka. “On behalf of my sister and I, we’re praying that we enter this 2026 as a completely ‘new era.’”

Last year, Capital1 earned the first overall pick despite getting a 30% chance and drafted Bella Belen, who emerged as the face of the franchise in just two conferences played.

READ: Alyssa Solomon, UAAP stars banner PVL Rookie Draft pool

Belen played her best outing yet in the All-Filipino Conference to become the top rookie and Best Outside Spiker. She will be crowned Rookie of the Year and Season’s Best Outside Spiker on Saturday at the 2nd Pilipinas Live PVL Press Corps Awards.

Capital1 just surrounded Belen with MVPs Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos, and now it has another chance to add another talent in the draft.

“It’s all a matter of, again, prayers, chance, but at the same time having the culture that we’re building here at Capital1. I’m very proud, my sister is very proud to say that the players we have feel like they’re part of the team here, feeling like we’re building a franchise together, and they’re excited to be part of the still the youngest team here in the PVL. We hope to sustain that and that we’ll continue to again reach this new chapter together,” she said.

Salford City lost the League Two play-off final 3-0 to Notts County at Wembley Stadium

The stars were out at Wembley Stadium. Sir David Beckham, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes were all present to witness Salford City’s biggest day in their history.

Unfortunately for Manchester United’s greatest generation, City were outclassed. With the Class of ’92 watching on at Wembley Stadium, the Ammies suffered throughout. Karl Robinson’s side were struggling to deal with the intense heat and with more than 20,000 Notts fans screaming their side on, Salford were wilting.

Alassana Jatta and Jodi Jones were quick to cause the Salford defence problems as their directness had the back four scrambling. Salford were not helped either by numerous Matt Young balls floating harmlessly out of play.

Despite their admittedly slow start, Salford could see where they could hurt the Magpies. Matt Butcher’s long-range effort had County worried momentarily as Daniel Udoh and Kallum Cesay provided constant threats.

Just as Salford were finding their feet, they were behind. A hopeful ball forward by Jones caught the City defence flat-footed, Jatta latched on and easily slipped the ball underneath Young.

On the stroke of half-time, Salford were again their own worst enemy. A free-kick to the back post from Jones found McDonald in acres of space.

His ball back across was mis-hit but still found Lucas Ness, the only man alert in the area, who rose highest to double Notts’ lead. Salford were in need of a minor miracle.

And that miracle nearly came within 25 seconds of the restart. Cesay was played through on goal but he took one too many touches and James Belshaw smothered it at his feet.

But while City were finally starting to show the form that got them to Wembley, the game was trickling away from them. The Ammies had a reasonable shout for a penalty turned away when Jacob Bedeau looked to have handled in the area.

Referee Tom Reeves said no and VAR, introduced for the League Two Play-off Final, decided that it was not worth intervening in. The game was eventually put out of Salford’s reach with 20 minutes remaining.

Substitute Conor Grant was allowed the freedom of Wembley to pull a cross back to Jones who capped a brilliant individual performance with a smart finish. It summed things up for the Ammies.

While the focus will be on the Class of ’92s heartache post-match, the Salford fans were the ones who suffered the most. Their entire end was bathed in unbearable sunshine and made cheering on their side even harder.

With an hour gone and Fabio Borini introduced, some of the braver Ammies fans who decided to forego their shirts tried their best to lift the mood. Cries of ‘Salford’ could be heard over the sizeable Notts support but it was to no avail.

Notts were the deserved victors on the day and will play League One football next season, a standard they feel they deserve to be. For Salford, the wait goes on to play at that lofty level.

Robinson will go back to the drawing board this summer with Neville and Beckham to work out how they take the next step. It will not be easy, though.

The likes of Udoh and Cesay will attract attention from clubs in a higher division. League Two will be strong next season too, with the newly-promoted York City and Rochdale set to challenge as well as EFL stalwarts Chesterfield, Oldham Athletic, Rotherham United and Bristol Rovers.

A measure of where the club is now is that this defeat will sting. Salford must regroup and go again.

Happy Memorial Day one and all! Wherever you are in the world, let’s hope this Monday is a relaxing one, especially for those of you in the football world because we do not have long before the stakes ratchet up again. It’s Champions League final very soon but before that the small matter of the USMNT naming their squad for a home World Cup! I’m James Benge.

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Monday, May 25
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Tuesday, May 26
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⚽  Call it What You Want (Tuesday and Thursday): Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies, and Tony Meola cover all things USMNT and the state of the game in the United States as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 World Cup. Catch new episodes live on the Golazo America YouTube channel every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.

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In today’s fast-scoring T20 cricket, batters are happy to get runs in any manner possible. While cleanly-timed drives and big sixes remain the most pleasing shots for batters, the aggressive nature of the format often forces players into false shots. Yet, some batters have managed to combine attacking cricket with remarkable control.KL Rahul has been one such batter for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2026. The opener scored 593 runs in 14 matches at an average of 45.61 and a career-best strike rate of 174.41. His season included a century, a record 152 not out against Punjab Kings — the first 150-plus score by an Indian in IPL history — and five fifties.Rahul has also hit 31 sixes this season, the second-highest by a DC batter after Rishabh Pant, who struck 37 sixes in the 2018 season.Despite batting at a high strike rate, Rahul has the lowest false shot percentage this season at 12.1, according to CricViz, as cited by news agency ANI. That means nearly 88 per cent of his shots were properly connected.Among the players closest to him are Dhruv Jurel of Rajasthan Royals and Heinrich Klaasen of Sunrisers Hyderabad, both with a false shot percentage of 12.6.Jurel scored 458 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of more than 149, including five fifties, while Klaasen made 606 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate above 159 with six fifties.Rajasthan Royals batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also shown impressive control despite his attacking style. The 15-year-old has scored 583 runs in 14 matches at an average of 41.64 and a strike rate of more than 232, including a century, three fifties and 53 sixes. His false shot percentage stands at 17.8, the same as Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru.On the other hand, some batters have managed strong numbers despite making more errors. Cooper Connolly of Punjab Kings has the highest false shot percentage this season at 25.6. He has still scored 491 runs in 13 innings at an average of 44.63 and a strike rate of 163.12, including a century and two fifties.Orange Cap holder Sai Sudharsan of Gujarat Titans has a false shot percentage of 18.1. He has scored 638 runs in 14 innings at a strike rate of 157.92, with a century and seven fifties, managing to make the most of his scoring opportunities despite a higher error rate.

Former New Zealand cricketer Simon Doull said he would continue with Venkatesh Iyer as opener alongside Virat Kohli for Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s (RCB) IPL 2026 Qualifier 1 against Gujarat Titans (GT) on Tuesday, saying it would not be easy for England batter Phil Salt to return immediately after a long injury break.

Qualifier 1 between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans will decide the first finalist of IPL 2026. RCB are currently facing a selection debate over their opening pair, with the management needing to decide whether to bring back Salt after injury or continue with Venkatesh following his strong performances against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

Jacob Bethell, who crossed the 20-run mark only twice during Salt’s absence, has been ruled out of the tournament because of injury and has returned to England.

Speaking on Star Sports’ Cricket Live, Doull said, “I would stick with Venkatesh Iyer as the opener alongside Virat Kohli. Phil Salt has been out for three and a half weeks. Coming back from a long layoff, especially with a finger injury, is never easy. He is a quality player and has done well for RCB and England in T20s, but match fitness and shot-timing take time to return. The playoffs are not the place to test that,” he said.

Doull also referred to Venkatesh’s 19-ball 44 against SRH and his half-century against Punjab Kings, saying the batter had built a good rhythm with Kohli.

“Yes, Salt has a stronger partnership record with Virat, but in cricket, you always go with the player in form. Form matters more than reputation, especially in knockout games. The biggest risk is bringing in someone who hasn’t played competitive cricket for weeks. I would continue with Venkatesh at the top. Phil Salt is too good an option to have on the bench, but right now, Venkatesh deserves to keep his place,” he signed off.

In five IPL matches and four innings across opening and middle-order roles, Venkatesh has scored 158 runs at an average of 79.00 and a strike rate of 177.52, including one half-century and a best score of 73 not out.

Salt, meanwhile, has made 202 runs in six innings at the top of the order at an average of 33.66 and a strike rate above 168, with two fifties and a highest score of 78.

Zheng Qinwen suffered a shocking early exit at the 2026 French Open after losing to Maja Chwalinska in the opening round. The defeat left Zheng visibly emotional, with the Chinese star later breaking down in tears during her post-match press conference.

Zheng has struggled to find consistency this season and is still searching for a major breakthrough campaign in 2026. Her best results so far have been Round of 16 appearances at the Qatar Open and the Miami Open. The Chinese star arrived in Paris following a Round of 32 exit at the Italian Open and was drawn against Chwalinska in the opening round.

World No. 114 Chwalinska, who battled through three rounds of qualifying to enter the main draw, produced a dominant display and even handed Zheng a bagel during the 6-4, 6-0 loss. The Pole showed little mercy throughout the contest and sealed a stunning victory to book a second-round clash against 23rd seed Elise Mertens.

After the defeat, Zheng attended her mandatory press conference, where she was repeatedly questioned by reporters about the disappointing result. While responding, the Chinese star became emotional, suddenly breaking down in tears before saying:

“This is definitely a heavy loss. Maybe it can give me a different perspective and help me come back stronger next time.”

Watch the video below: