KS Bharat announces retirement from international cricket

Indian wicketkeeper-batsman KS Bharat officially confirmed his retirement from international cricket on Thursday, drawing the curtain on his playing days for the national team.

Bharat shared his retirement message on Instagram and expressed immense pride and deep appreciation for the privilege of representing India on the world stage. syntagm.co.za

"With a proud heart and sense of gratitude, I announce my retirement from international Cricket. To play for my country has been the greatest honour of my life. This journey of mine has demanded great resilience and strength, but the Honour to represent India in Tests is worth every moment. In a family of four, we all lived the same dream over two decades, a big heart to my sister, mom and dad for creating an environment and support system they have been. I am a product of their love, discipline and hard work," he wrote.

The stumper from Andhra wraps up his stint in international cricket with seven Test matches under his belt. Throughout these games, he gathered 221 runs, maintaining a batting average of 20.09 with a top score of 44. Behind the wickets, Bharat completed 21 catches and pulled off a single stumping.

Bharat also extended his heartfelt thanks to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), alongside the various coaches, managers, and administrative officials who guided him along the way.

"Thank you, BCCI and all the coaches and managers who I came across in my career and who supported me unconditionally by creating a great environment to play an excel at the highest level. Thank you Andhra Cricket Association, VDCA and all office bearers for your support and encouragement from my childhood. To all my teammates, I extend a big thank you for all the moments and achievements together, which helped me in my career and without you all it was not quite possible for me to achieve my dream and play the sport all these years," the wicketkeeper-batter said in the post.

Bharat expressed his appreciation to former national skipper Virat Kohli, who handed him his IPL debut for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in 2021. He went on to thank Rohit Sharma for captaining the side during his maiden Test match, and Rahul Dravid for mentoring him across the transition from India A to the senior national side.

"A big thank you to my IPL Debut captain Virat Kohli for giving me an opportunity to show my skills and come into recognition. A big thank you to my Indian Captain Rohit Sharma, under whom I made my Test debut, which is priceless and beyond words. To my Indian coach, Rahul Dravid, his guidance from India A to the Indian team is unforgettable. With your support, I could become an Indian Test cricket player," he said.

KS Bharat`s advice for young players

He left the younger athletes with a message to hold onto expansive goals and stay fiercely dedicated, adding that while his playing chapter has closed, he will remain tied to the sport via mentoring and training programs.

"My advice to young players is to dream big and work hard to achieve it. Dreams do come true with grit, discipline, hard work, and determination. If I could achieve my dream, so can you. My journey with BCCI and Test cricket may have come to an end, but my journey in the game continues," he concluded in the Instagram post.

(With ANI inputs)

Every IPL leaves behind scorecards, champions, disappointments and statistics. IPL 2026 left behind more questions than anything else in my head. Here are six themes that I keep reflecting on as I bid goodbye to this season of the IPL:

1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi: The New Sachin or Something Entirely Different?

When a teenager dominates a professional league, the instinctive comparison is with Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar entered a man’s world at sixteen. He survived it, conquered it and eventually became its king. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi feels different because he is emerging in an era where fearless cricket is the default setting. The more intriguing question is this: what if Vaibhav is not the outlier? What if he is the prototype? If Indian cricket begins producing multiple teenagers capable of striking international bowlers from ball one. IPL 2026 may be remembered not as Vaibhav’s season but as the beginning of a new world order.

2. Virat Kohli: The Lone Warrior

At 37, Virat Kohli played every innings as if the game depended on him. The intensity never dipped and the hunger never diminished. While younger stars rose and fell through the season, Kohli remained the constant. Not every battle was won, but the image that stays with me is of a veteran refusing to surrender relevance in an increasingly youthful tournament.

3. The Old War Horses Refuse to Leave

Every season we ask whether this will be the last dance. Players such as Sunil Narine, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma and Manish Pandey find a way to remind us why experience still matters. The IPL has become obsessed with youth, data and potential. Yet when pressure arrives, teams still look toward players who have seen everything before.

4. The Bowlers Strike Back

Much of the discourse this year focused on batting excess. Yet hidden beneath the avalanche of sixes were some encouraging bowling stories. Youngsters like Prince Yadav, Harsh Dubey, Shivang Kumar, Yash Raj Punja and Anshul Kamboj offered glimpses of a healthier future.
These young bowlers showed they are willing to embrace that challenge.

5. A Leadership Pipeline Emerges

For years there was anxiety about India’s post-Rohit, post-Kohli leadership future. IPL 2026 offered reassurance as several young Indian captains demonstrated tactical maturity, calmness under pressure and the ability to manage diverse dressing rooms. Leadership is difficult to quantify, but this season suggested India may finally have a genuine succession pipeline.

6. Why Overseas Excellence Still Matters

Every IPL eventually reminds us why elite international players continue to command respect. Whether it was Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins or Jacob Duffy, these players brought something beyond skill. In a tournament defined by chaos, elite overseas professionals consistently demonstrated clarity of role, execution under pressure and tactical discipline.

Number 7. Oh well might as well do a seventh. The one who was simultaneously present and absent. What happens in 2027 may become one of the biggest storylines in IPL history!

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The post Goodbye IPL 2026 – Some lingering thoughts and questions! appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.

This week, Ubisoft announced new content arriving for both Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Mobile. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s Year 11 Season 2 Comes with theme of Operation System Override and Rainbow Six Mobile with Operation Gray Phantom.

Rainbow Six Siege Year 11 Season 2 Now Live

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege’s Year 11 Season 2 Operation System Override is now available to play. This new season introduces a new map, a Ranked overhaul, an Operator remaster, modernised maps, and additional balancing updates. Built around player feedback and high-stakes matches, this season brings enhanced competitive integrity, Siege fundamentals, and community-driven gameplay improvements.

Seasonal content includes:

• Ranked 3.0: R6S ranked experience benefits a long-awaited overhaul that will improve match fairness, clarity, and rewards. The return of placement matches, and the removal of hidden MMR will allow for a more accurate ranking for all players, ensuring consistency, clear progression, and fair competition.
• “Calypso Casino” Map: New map Calypso Casino comes on the scene in Rainbow Six Siege as the first new competitive map since Year 8. Inspired by the iconic map from Rainbow Six Vegas, it was reimagined to fit Siege’s competitive standards with its nostalgic identity. Launching directly into Ranked 3.0, verticality is at the heart of the map with multiple new entry points, expanding to new routes and strategies.
• Dokkaebi Remaster: Dokkaebi gets a remaster that redefines her as a high-pressure intel-denial attacker, that now delivers a more focused and targeted approach. Her new primary weapon, the XK23 assault rifle, strengthens her aggressive identity and makes her even more tactical, dangerous, and intentional.
• Modernised maps: Emeral Plains, Kanal, and Outback are modernised with updated visuals and the addition of new destructible ingredients.
• Balancing updates: Season 2 includes operator balancing changes such as Gridlock, Zofia, Nomad, Deimos, Solis, Pulse and Mozzie.
• Rotating Trial Operators: Every week, a set of six operators will rotate in so that players get access to operators they may not own yet and try them out. At the launch of Operation System Override, Solid Snake, Maverick, Ace, Frost, Aruni, and Clash will be available.
• Native mouse & keyboard: Mouse and keyboard support arrives on consoles at mid-season, strengthening R6S’ ongoing efforts to preserve competitive integrity and anti-cheat fundamentals.
• Time-limited in-game events: Rengoku and M.U.T.E. Protocol are returning for Season 2 as in-game three weeks-limited time events.
• Esports tab: The esports tab evolves to offer new and enhanced visibility on Tier 1 Team and player statistics pages.

Rainbow Six Mobile: Operation Gray Phantom Season

Rainbow Six Mobile unveils new Operation Gray Phantom Season, now available on iOS and Android devices. Introducing a new Operator, Finka, alongside fresh limited-time modes and seasonal events, Operation Gray Phantom launched on Tuesday, June 2nd. Finka brings a team-focused ability designed to accelerate combat momentum and enable more aggressive, coordinated gameplay.

The season also features rotating 3v3 modes, a mysterious new event “Veil Protocol”, and a BattlePass packed with exclusive rewards. Seasonal events, themed challenges, and new cosmetics further expand progression opportunities for players. The ranked season continues, giving players more chances to climb the ladder and earn high-tier rewards.

The post Rainbow Six Siege and Rainbow Six Mobile Drop All-New Seasons appeared first on Inside Sport India.

Indian star Shreyas Iyer and seasoned Mumbai batter Aditya Tare guided the SOBO Mumbai Falcons to their maiden triumph in the Nuvama Private T20 Mumbai League 2026.

The Falcons overcame a late batting hiccup to register a thrilling three-wicket win over the MSC Maratha Royals at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

Playing as the Impact Player, Iyer scored an elegant 24-ball 30 laced with two boundaries and a pair of sixes. His knock followed a blistering start from stand-in skipper Tare, who smashed 42 runs off a mere 19 deliveries. Tare combined with opening partner Ishan Mulchandani (29 off 24) to forge a rapid 57-run alliance, pulling the Falcons to 106 in just 12 overs.

However, Iyer`s departure sparked a batting collapse for the chasing side. The Siddhesh Lad-led Royals fought back sharply, taking four wickets for only 21 runs. As the required run rate began to grow, Gautam Waghela held his nerve with an unbeaten 26 off 23 balls, ensuring the Falcons crossed the line with five balls to spare.

MSC Maratha Royals scored 152 in the first innings

Earlier, Sahil Jadhav held the MSC Maratha Royals’ innings together. Opening the batting with captain Lad, Jadhav hammered a 30-ball 52, featuring five fours and three sixes, even as his teammates struggled to build partnerships at the other end.

The defending champions found runs hard to come by, crossing the 100-run milestone only in the 14th over, with Chinmay Sutar’s 23 serving as the only other notable contribution in the top order. Left-arm spinner Yash Dicholkar halted their progress further by removing Jadhav and Tushar Deshpande in a single over.

A late counter-attack by Arjun Dani (35), alongside Rohan Raje (10), helped the Royals post a competitive 152/9, though it ultimately proved insufficient against the Falcons` deep batting lineup.

Brief Scores from the match:

MSC Maratha Royals 152/9 in 20 overs (Sahil Jadhav 52, Arjun Dani 35, Chinmay Sutar 23; Akash Parkar 3/22, Yash Dicholkar 3/25) lost to SOBO Mumbai Falcons 156/6 in 19.1 overs (Aditya Tare 42, Shreyas Iyer 30, Ishan Mulchandani 29; Maxwell Swaminathan 2/24) by three wickets.