Bad news for star player from Mumbai Indians ahead of Afghanistan T20…

India vs Afghanistan 2026 T20: Shreyas Iyer’s Indian T20 team are set to take on Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series beginning at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 13. The reigning T20 World Cup champions will be coming into this series on the back of 3-0 whitewash against Zimbabwe last month and will look to continue their winning run ahead of Asian Games 2026 in Japan later this month.

Mumbai Indians captain and all-rounder Hardik Pandya was expected to make a comeback in the T20I series against Afghanistan after being ruled out of international cricket since the IPL 2026 season. Hardik, who was retained for Rs 16.35 crore by Nita Ambani’s Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2026, injured his quadriceps before the ODI series against Afghanistan in June this year. amunra-online.pl

Since then Hardik has been recuperating at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru, having shifted his base from Mumbai to the city. According to a TOI report, Hardik was making good progress at the CoE and was expected to test his fitness in the Afghanistan series.

However, the 32-year-old all-rounder has suffered a fresh setback just days before the BCCI selectors will pick the squad for the Afghanistan T20I series. “Hardik Pandya was operating on full intensity without any discomfort but he has been advised to pause bowling due to discomfort in his leg. He will resume soon, but the Afghanistan series is too close to reach the required fitness levels. Batting and movement-wise, there wasn’t any significant issue but the CoE needs to be completely convinced before giving an all-clear,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by TOI website.

Hardik Pandya’s much-awaited international comeback has hit another setback

Pandya has reportedly suffered a late leg niggle while training at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, forcing him to pause bowling temporarily. pic.twitter.com/Q86YA92UkW

— CRICKETNMORE (@cricketnmore) September 1, 2026

The last of Hardik Pandya’s 138 appearances for Team India in T20I cricket came in March in the T20 World Cup 2026 final vs New Zealand. Since then he has missed ODI series against Afghanistan in June followed by white-ball series in Ireland and England as well as T20I series in Zimbabwe.

Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar recovery on track

The report also added that all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Washington Sundar are making good progress in their recovery. It will be interesting to see if the selectors gamble with bringing back Reddy and Sundar for the Afghanistan series ahead of the Asian Games 2026.

However, Hardik Pandya’s Mumbai Indians teammate Jasprit Bumrah is still to get clearance from the CoE to return to international cricket. While Bumrah is being preserved for ODI and Test cricket keeping in mind the ICC ODI World Cup 2027 next year, the BCCI selectors were keen on check on his fitness in T20I games ahead of the longer version.

Big update for badminton fans as the much-awaited tournament, China Masters 2026, a BWF World Tour Super 750 tournament, is all set to be played from September 1st to 6th at the Shenzhen Sports Center gymnasium in Shenzhen, China, with the total prize money of USD 1.25 million.

Indian players set for action in singles and doubles events at China Masters

For India, the China Masters is an important event as it comes just after the 2026 BWF World Championships and is the only major BWF World Tour event before the Asian Games.

Meanwhile, the Indian side is ready to play different types of formats in the tournament, like men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. There is no place and confirmation for Indian entry into women’s doubles.

Here’s the full China Masters schedule and India’s list of players

Well, it’s high time to know about the details and rounds which will be held in the tournament. From September 1–2, the first round will be held in the tournament. Moving on, on September 3, the actual chaos starts as the players will compete in the Round of 16.

Later on, September 4th, there will be a major event as the qualifying games will take place in the tournament. The players will compete in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

However, gets a victory in the quarterfinals and will move to the semifinals schedule. That means it will be a do-or-die opportunity for the players. After so many challenges and huddles, the players will get a chance to play in the final showdown of the tournament.

September 1-2: First round

September 3: Round of 16

September 4: Quarterfinals

September 5: Semifinals

September 6: Finals.

Now, it’s time to see the Indian players who are playing in the tournament:

Men’s singles

Lakshya Sen

Kidambi Srikanth

Women’s singles

Unnati Hooda

Devika Sihag

Tanvi Sharma

Men’s doubles

Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty

M R Arjun/Hariharan Amsakarunan

Mixed doubles

Dhruv Kapila/Tanisha Crasto

Rohan Kapoor/Ruthvika Shivani Gadde

India will not have a women’s doubles pair in Shenzhen.

Where can I watch the Indians in action?

Indian fans can catch all the live action on the official BWF YouTube channel.

Lionel Messi has brought the curtain down on his international career after 21 years with Argentina. From his debut in 2005 to his final appearance in 2026, Messi gave Argentina some of the biggest moments in their football history. He finished with 207 appearances and 125 goals for his country.

Argentina 3-3 France, 2022 World Cup final

The 2022 World Cup final against France stands above the rest. After losing the 2014 final to Germany, Messi finally lifted the World Cup in Qatar. He scored twice in a thrilling 3-3 draw before Argentina won the penalty shootout. Messi finished the tournament with seven goals and won the Golden Ball.

Argentina 3-0 Ecuador, 2021 Copa America quarter-final

Messi played a major role in Argentina’s win over Ecuador in the 2021 Copa America quarter-final. He provided assists for Rodrigo De Paul and Lautaro Martinez before scoring a free-kick in added time. Argentina won 3-0 and went on to beat Brazil in the final, giving Messi his first major senior international trophy.

Also Read: Lionel Messi retirement: Here are some of the top international records of the Argentinian ‘GOAT’

Argentina 2-1 England, 2026 World Cup semi-final

Messi was again at the centre of Argentina’s run to the 2026 World Cup final. Against England in the semi-final, Argentina fell behind to Anthony Gordon’s goal but fought back. Messi assisted Enzo Fernandez for the equaliser before setting up Lautaro Martinez for the winner.

Argentina 3-0 Algeria, 2026 World Cup group stage

Messi’s 2026 World Cup campaign began with a hat-trick against Algeria. He scored three times in Argentina’s 3-0 win and became the oldest player to score a hat-trick at the World Cup. The match also marked his sixth appearance at the tournament.

Argentina 2-0 Austria, 2026 World Cup group stage

Messi scored twice against Austria in the group stage and briefly became the leading scorer in World Cup history, moving past Germany’s Miroslav Klose. He eventually finished the tournament with 21 World Cup goals, before Kylian Mbappe moved ahead of him with 22.

Messi’s international career also had its difficult moments. Argentina lost three straight finals between 2014 and 2016, including the 2014 World Cup final and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America finals. He briefly retired from international football in 2016 before returning.

The comeback changed the story. Messi eventually won the 2021 Copa America, the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Copa America. After more than two decades with Argentina, he leaves as the country’s record appearance holder and leading scorer, with a collection of trophies and memories that will be difficult to match.

Cricket Australia has announced its Australia A squads for the upcoming tour of India, with several players looking to make a strong case for a place in the senior team ahead of next year’s Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Australia A will play two four-day matches and three one-day games in Puducherry from September 22 to October 11. The four-day squad includes experienced batter Peter Handscomb, along with Test hopefuls Brendan Doggett, Jhye Richardson, Todd Murphy, Sam Konstas and Nathan McSweeney.

Handscomb is the oldest and most experienced player in the group. The 35-year-old has not played for Australia since the 2023 Border-Gavaskar Trophy and will see the India tour as another chance to push for a Test recall. Doggett and Richardson are also among the fast bowlers who could come into consideration for the senior side.

Murphy is another player to watch closely. The off-spinner has already played Test cricket and could be in the mix when Australia return to India next year.

Australia’s selectors have made it clear that the A tour is not just about giving young players experience. It is also part of their preparation for the next Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which will begin in January 2027.

“We consider these tours an important part of performance and developing game styles in subcontinent conditions as part of our continued investment into the Australia A program,” national selection boss George Bailey said.

“It’s a strong representation of players who will be in contention to be part of the group we take to India next year or see as having potential for further opportunities into the future,” he added.

Sam Konstas, who has already played Test cricket, is also included in the four-day squad. His return to India will give him another opportunity to gain experience in conditions that are very different from those in Australia.

The one-day squad includes Mahli Beardman, Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, Mitch Owen, Tanveer Sangha and Nikhil Chaudhary. Several players, including Konstas, McSweeney, Murphy, Josh Philippe and Jack Edwards, have been selected in both squads.

The tour will be closely watched because the senior Australian team is due to return to India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy next year. Australia and India will play a five-match Test series, beginning in January 2027. It will be Australia’s next chance to win a Test series in India after their previous struggles on the subcontinent.

The first four-day match will be played from September 22 to 25, followed by the second from September 29 to October 2. The three one-day games will then be played on October 6, 9 and 11.