Sports Highlights, August 6: AFG Name Preliminary Squad For Asia Cup 2025; Chennai GM Postponed Due To Fire At Venue

Veteran driver Chris Raschke has died in a tragic crash at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah while attempting to break the land speed record. The Southern California Timing Association, which oversees the long-running Speed Week event, confirmed that Raschke lost control of his rocket-shaped vehicle around two miles into the high-speed run, which reached 283mph (455km/h).

Despite receiving immediate medical attention, Raschke succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Tributes have been pouring in for the experienced racer, who had clocked the fastest speed of last year’s Speed Week with a blistering 459mph, as reported by Hot Rod magazine. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the crash.

India will be one of seven hosts for the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, set to run from November 22 to 30 at The Arena in Ahmedabad. The draw, scheduled for August 7, will divide 38 nations into seven groups, three with six teams and four with five.

Group winners will earn a spot in the final tournament in Saudi Arabia, alongside nine AFC teams already qualified for the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. India, in Pot 2, will also be in a separate Hosts Pot to avoid clashing with fellow hosts China PR, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Kyrgyz Republic, and Jordan.

India will face Indonesia to kick off their campaign in the AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers. India are aiming to make into the main tournament of the Women's U20 Asian Cup for only the fourth time and first time since 2016. Check here how you can watch the India Vs Indonesia, AFC U20 Women's Asian Cup Qualifier match in India.

Under Swedish head coach Joakim Alexandersson, India are chasing a long-awaited return to the AFC U-20 Women's Asian Cup. They last reached the main draw in 2016 and fell short in the qualifiers last year. Now, with a new coach at the helm, they’re aiming to break that drought.

Kick off at 6:00 pm IST.

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Australian rugby authorities have officially scrapped the long-standing ‘Giteau’s Law’, which limited the number of overseas-based players eligible for Wallabies selection. The move opens the door for stars like Will Skelton (La Rochelle), Taniela Tupou (Racing 92), Tom Hooper (Exeter) and Langi Gleeson (Montpellier) to feature in the national setup.

However, head coach Joe Schmidt has made it clear that players at home with Australia’s four Super Rugby franchises will be given preference if they are of equal calibre to their overseas counterparts.

Lyon have completed the £15 million signing of midfielder Tyler Morton from Liverpool. The 22-year-old, who joined the Reds’ academy at the age of seven, made his senior debut in 2021 but featured just 14 times across competitions.

With loan spells at Blackburn and Hull City in the Championship, Morton struggled for consistent first-team chances at Anfield. The Wirral-born midfielder recently lifted the U21 European Championship title with England, boosting his stock ahead of the move to Ligue 1.

On this day in 1997, Sri Lanka etched their name into cricketing folklore by amassing a monumental 952/6 against India th,e highest team total in Test history. The marathon innings came in the opening Test of the home series at Colombo, as Sri Lanka batted on and on, eventually surpassing England’s long-standing record of 903/7 set way back in 1938.

Led by mammoth knocks from Sanath Jayasuriya and Roshan Mahanama, the hosts turned the match into a batting masterclass that remains unbeaten to this day.

We’ve seen fans invade pitches to meet their idols, chased down, tackled, and escorted out by security. But one rare pitch invader at Lord’s needed no such intervention. During the season opener of The Hundred 2025 between London Spirit and Oval Invincibles, a fox sprinted across the hallowed turf, halting play and instantly becoming the star of the night.

India pacer Mohammed Siraj returned to Mumbai on Wednesday after playing a starring role in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Siraj finished as the highest wicket-taker of the five-match series, grabbing 23 wickets and making a major impact across conditions.

The 31-year-old touched down at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport looking sharp in black casuals, where he was greeted warmly by a handful of cheering fans.

According to a Guardian report, nearly 89% of female rugby players experience pain from wearing boots designed for men, with many reporting discomfort under the first metatarsal bone, the typical spot for a stud in men’s boots.

The report highlights findings from IDA Sports, a women-focused footwear brand, which scanned nearly 1,000 feet and surveyed 330 players, revealing that while comfort was a top priority for 78% of athletes, it was rarely achieved.

With the Women’s Rugby World Cup approaching, IDA Sports called out the “inequity” in boot design, stressing the risk of injury due to improper fit, given differences in foot shape and movement between men and women.

Afghanistan have announced a 22-member preliminary squad with Rashid Khan as captain. Rahmanullah Gurbaz returns as wicketkeeper, while Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, and Darwish Rasooli headline the top order. Mohammad Nabi, Karim Janat, and Azmatullah Omarzai add experience in the middle.

The spin attack features Mujeeb Zadran, Noor Ahmad, AM Ghazanfar, and Sharafuddin Ashraf, with pace options including Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Gulbadin Naib, and Farid Malik. Also included are Mohammad Ishaq, Nangyal Kharoti, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, and Bashir Ahmad.

Afghanistan's 22-Member Preliminary Squad: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Sediqullah Atal, Wafiullah Tarakhil, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Mohammad Ishaq, Rashid Khan (C), Mohammad Nabi, Nangyal Kharoti, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Karim Janat, Azmatullah Omarzai, Gulbadin Naib, Mujeeb Zadran, AM Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Fazal Haq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Farid Malik, Saleem Safi, Abdullah Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad.

A fire broke out at the Hyatt Regency hotel, prompting the organisers to postpone the start of the Chennai Grand Masters chess tournament, which was originally set to begin today. With a strong line-up of top Indian and international players, the event will now get underway on Thursday.

Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna have reached their highest-ever ICC Test Bowler Rankings after starring in India's dramatic six-run win over England at The Oval. Siraj, named Player of the Match, jumped 12 spots to 15th with 674 points, while Krishna leapt 25 places to 59th with a rating of 368 after claiming eight wickets.

Sachin Tendulkar has finally addressed the handshake incident that occurred during the fourth Test match of the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy series. He defended Ravindra Jadeja and Washington Sundar, stating that they had every right to continue playing.

"Washington scored a hundred, and Jadeja also scored a hundred. Why is that not in the right spirit? They were playing for a draw. Before that, they had fought hard while England was attacking them, and they batted brilliantly," Tendulkar said in a video posted on Reddit as he reviewed the series.

"The series was still alive, so why should they shake hands and give the England bowlers and fielders a break? If England wanted to bring in Harry Brook, it was Ben Stokes' choice; that wasn't India's concern. To me, it was perfectly fine. They were playing for a draw, not just for their hundreds. If they had gotten out when they came to bat, we could have lost the match. When they were batting, Harry Brook wasn’t bowling, was he? So, why should England's bowlers be fresh for the fifth Test? Do you have an answer for that? No!" Tendulkar emphasised.

German football club Fortuna Dusseldorf unexpectedly withdrew from their pursuit of Israel striker Shon Weissman, just before an official announcement. The management's last-minute decision came in response to fan backlash regarding some of Weissman's previous anti-Gaza posts. Although Weissman had reportedly reached an agreement to join the German club from Spanish side Granada, the strong objections from fans led Dusseldorf to cancel the deal.

From an accidental kayaker to being a jury member at the Olympics, Kashmiri trailblazer Bilquis Mir has come a long way and it was another moment of pride for her when Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse met her to discuss the sport's future.

The 38-year-old, who served as a jury member for kayaking and canoeing during the Paris Olympics last year, met the two ministers in New Delhi on Tuesday and apprised them about the growth of water sports in the country.

India's captain, Shubman Gill, was named one of the three nominees for the ICC Player of the Month award for July on Wednesday. He is joined by South Africa's Wiaan Mulder and England's captain, Ben Stokes. Gill led India impressively in the recently concluded Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England, where his young team fought to a 2-2 draw. During the series, the 25-year-old set multiple batting records.

Gill scored a total of 754 runs in the series against England, including four centuries and a double century, with an impressive average of 75.40. This performance allowed him to surpass the legendary Sunil Gavaskar's record of 732 runs for the highest total by an Indian captain in a five-Test series. Gill's achievement now ranks as the second-best overall for captains, trailing only Sir Donald Bradman's record of 810 runs.

Tommy Fleetwood, a leading English golfer and seven-time winner on the European Tour, is scheduled to compete alongside career Grand Slam winner Rory McIlroy in the USD 4 million DP World India Championship. The tournament will take place at the Delhi Golf Club from October 16 to 19. This will be Fleetwood's first appearance in Delhi since 2016; he is also an Olympic silver medalist and a star in the European Ryder Cup.

Manipur Hockey, Hockey Uttarakhand, and the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu all secured victories in their respective league matches, while Hockey Himachal and the Hockey Association of Bihar ended their match in a draw. This marked the conclusion of the Division B contests in the HI Junior Women National Championship on Wednesday. Following the completion of the Division B matches, Manipur Hockey from Pool A and Hockey Himachal from Pool B have been promoted to next year's Division A.

That's all for today. Join us tomorrow for more sports news. Thank you for joining. Goodbye and take care!