India announced their 2025 Asia Cup squad but not without drama. Delayed by heavy Mumbai rains, the selection meeting delivered some major surprises that could shape India’s T20 World Cup year. Shubman Gill replaced Axar Patel as the vice-captain of the team, signaling his rise as a future all-format leader. But what does his inclusion mean for India’s settled opening pair? Who benefits, who misses out, and which tough calls define this squad? From Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma’s explosive partnership to the fierce competition between Axar Patel and Washington Sundar, and debates over Shreyas Iyer, Rinku Singh, and Shivam Dube - Rupha Ramani decodes it all. With Jasprit Bumrah leading the bowling attack, the squad raises big questions ahead of the World Cup.
Also on the show, Neymar's return to Santos hasn't gone as planned. The club suffered an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Vasco Da Gama. The Brazilian broke down in tears after the loss. Santos - Pele's club is now fighting a relegation battle. Does Neymar's failures highlight the major issue plaguing football in the country? And two10-year-old chess talents defeated seasoned grandmasters in America and Britain. Bodhana Sivanandan and Keya Jha scripted history. While India is dominating the chess world, has the revolution reached across borders too?
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India | Asia Cup | Asia Cup Squad | T20 World Cup | Shubman Gill | Axar Patel | Sanju Samson | Abhishek Sharma | Shreyas Iyer | Rinku Singh | Shivam Dube | First Sports | Rupha Ramani | Firstpost | Sports News
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Also on the show, Neymar's return to Santos hasn't gone as planned. The club suffered an embarrassing 6-0 defeat to Vasco Da Gama. The Brazilian broke down in tears after the loss. Santos - Pele's club is now fighting a relegation battle. Does Neymar's failures highlight the major issue plaguing football in the country? And two10-year-old chess talents defeated seasoned grandmasters in America and Britain. Bodhana Sivanandan and Keya Jha scripted history. While India is dominating the chess world, has the revolution reached across borders too?
---
India | Asia Cup | Asia Cup Squad | T20 World Cup | Shubman Gill | Axar Patel | Sanju Samson | Abhishek Sharma | Shreyas Iyer | Rinku Singh | Shivam Dube | First Sports | Rupha Ramani | Firstpost | Sports News
#india #asiacup2025 #asiacupsquad #asiacupindiasquad #t20worldcup #shubmangill #axarpatel #rinkusingh #shivamdube #shreyasiyer #firstsports #rupharamani #sportsnews #firstpost
Firstpost is an Indian news and media website. Get all the incisive opinions, in-depth analyses and other visual stories that matter to you and the world right here on this channel.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Hi you're watching First Sports, I'm Rupa Ramani. Let's get started.
00:18All right, on the show today, India announces their men's squad for the Asia Cup that's
00:30scheduled to take place next month. Who got the nod and who missed out? What do some of
00:35the picks mean? Is this how the squad for the men's World Cup next year will look like?
00:41We will decode the selection. Neymar, meanwhile, breaks down and cries after his boyhood club.
00:46Santos is humiliated by resounding loss. Where does this leave the star footballer? And
00:51is this also a sign for Brazil to shake things up before the samba magic completely disappears?
00:57And we have seen enough prodigies rock the sporting world. Now it's the turn of 10-year-old
01:02chess stars to outwit grandmasters. And these are not just any 10-year-olds. They have Indian
01:08roots and are making the country shine across borders. But first, we'll look at the headlines
01:13on Sports 360. Starting with cricket, Pakistan Cricket has announced their men's central contract
01:20list. Star batters Mohamed Rizwan and Baba Razum have been demoted from Category A to Category
01:26B. They were the only two batters in the top category last year. Their monthly salaries
01:31will now be reduced from $2,000 to $1,500. In football, Lionel Messi returns to Argentina's
01:41squad for the first time since November 2024. The Inter-Miami star will lead his team for
01:47the World Cup qualifiers next month. Argentina will face Venezuela and Ecuador in their last
01:52qualifier matches before the World Cup. The 2022 World Cup winners have already qualified
01:57for the edition next year. In Indian football, the AIFF, the All-India Football Federation,
02:07has approached the Supreme Court. The board is demanding early resolution to the ISL Indian
02:13Super League. This comes after 11 clubs from the league threatened to suspend operations completely.
02:18Over in tennis, world number two, Carlos Alcaraz clinched the Cincinnati Open as Yannick Sinner
02:27was retired in the final due to illness. Alcaraz was leading 5-0 when Sinner called it quits.
02:34This is Alcaraz's third ATP Thousand Masters title this season. Meanwhile, over in the women's draw,
02:40Iga Shantek beat Jasmine Paolini in straight sets to win the crown. This is Shantek's first
02:47victory in Cincinnati, having lost to all her previous six appearances.
02:55And India will host its first franchise-based archery Premier League in October in New Delhi.
03:01Stars like Deepika Kumari, Dheeraj, Bumaradevara, Jyoti Vennam and Abhishek Verma will participate.
03:08Six teams comprising of four men and four women archers will be formed. Franchises can include up to
03:14two foreign athletes. The league has the backing of World Archery and the Asian Archery Federation.
03:21The much-anticipated announcement of India's Men's Asia Cup T20 squad came in,
03:33fighting the Mumbai rains. The meeting and announcement, of course, got delayed just a bit
03:37thanks to the incessant rains there. And just like the showers, it swept us away with a few key decisions.
03:44Critical questions that I'll try to answer here. What do these selections really indicate,
03:49considering this is the T20 World Cup calendar year? 2026 is when it's going to happen. Who
03:55benefited the most and who sorely missed the bus? Let's jump right into the most important call
04:02when you look at that squad, Shubman Gill's inclusion. And not just any inclusion, he's been
04:07made the vice-captain. Just yesterday, we spoke about whether Gill would be included in this one,
04:12and if so, in what role? Because you can't bring in a batter, a leader such as Gill, to just be a
04:19backup, to just be a part of the squad. He has to be in the 11, so he possibly is your all-format
04:26captain of the future. So then where does he come in? Now he bats at a most desirable number three for
04:33his IPL franchise, Gujarat Titans. So needless to say, he will take up that position, coming in one down
04:40without any resistance. The fact that he's been brought in and given vice-captaincy is an indication
04:46of that. Though Chief of Selectors Ajit Agar did not talk about where he would fit, he did say
04:52what made the think tank get Gill in and replace Akshar as vice-captain.
04:59I mean, I can discuss with you right now, T20 cricket and Test cricket, he's already leading and
05:04like Surya mentioned, he was vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket for India. So,
05:08we obviously see some leadership qualities in him and, you know, and his form in England was,
05:14was what we were hoping for. He obviously exceeded all our expectations with the kind of form that he
05:21showed with his bat. So, which is a great sign. Clearly the England series and how Gill rallied his
05:26troops through those five tests had a bearing on this selection. Now look, his batting was always
05:31there, an asset. But what is being unsettled because of his presence and his coming into the 11 is what
05:38we have to figure out here. There's no way the management and captain can upset the opening
05:43combination, that of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. They have been explosive at the top, they work
05:50and that has to continue. At least if you go by India's quest to wanting to defend their T20 World
05:56Cup title. Now we come to post Gill. After that number three, Attilak Verma has to bat at number
06:01four. He should be given that extra responsibility considering that's exactly what happened when he was
06:06pushed to number three recently. Surya Kumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, they solidify that middle order.
06:12So far, so good. Now here's the challenge. If Sanju Samson is keeping the, keeping wickets,
06:18then you'd think that leaves no place for Jitesh Sharma. So I'd love to see Rinku Singh coming in
06:24there instead of someone like a Shivam Dube who finds his place in the squad for some blistering
06:29lower order assault. Now, can you keep Akshar Patel, a dynamic all-rounder out? Ideally, no.
06:34So that leaves us with three spots. Jaspreet Bumrah and his second-in-command. Probably someone
06:41like an Arshdeep Singh should be the picks there. It's nice to see the most revered fast bowler in the
06:47world in your lineup. So that's one big plus for India here as we work towards the World Cup.
06:52With Varun Chakravarti tipping Kuldeep Yadav as the in number 11. That's what a probable 11 looks
06:59like when you look at this particular squad. But who misses out here? And what are some debatable
07:04calls when you look at the squad for the Asia Cup? Someone like Washington Sundar, who absolutely
07:09impressed us all with his performance, both with the bat and the ball against England in the test
07:14recently. We get it's difficult to get a spot into a squad that has a player of the caliber of Akshar
07:20Patel already in. Tough one that. Yashasvi Jaiswal. He's the other one who misses out. The young batter
07:26has done no wrong. In fact, he is one of the most flamboyant batters, particularly in this format,
07:32and yet couldn't find a spot in the squad. I guess the only way in is if you are the prince of Indian
07:38cricket, with leadership coming right up. Another person missing out, Shreyas Iyer.
07:44Though yes, this is a pretty loaded batting line up there to even get a foot in.
07:50With regards to Shreyas, I mean, you'll have to tell me who he can replace here. Again, no fault of his,
07:56nor is it ours. It's just that you can pick 15 and at the moment he'll have to wait for his chance.
08:03Well, it's become a bit of a regular sight to also see someone like Kuldeep Yadav
08:08warming the benches during a series, not making it to the 11. Now, he may get into the 11 here,
08:13maybe, but at whose cost? Taking up whose place? Competition is fierce here. Shivam Dubey seems to be
08:22a backup for Hardik Pandya at this point. There were talks of him spending some time at the NCA
08:27some days ago. Hardik, yes, but almost feels like the dearth of proper fast-polling all-rounders in
08:33the country has really hit India hard if this is what the squad looks like. Is this how the T20 World
08:38Cup squad will also resemble? That's a question. Ajit Agakar says no. There's still many months left to go.
08:45There could be so many more combinations to be tried out, so many more players waiting in the ranks, but
08:50we aren't so sure. Most of the boxes, in terms of certain roles in that 11, when you look at
08:56a World Cup, seem to have filled itself. But we got to leave some room for, of course,
09:03the injuries or lack of form. Thoughts on how this squad looks? Let us know.
09:12Brazilian football is living a nightmare it never wanted. Once the land of the beautiful game,
09:17now staring at chaos. The giants of world football are struggling. Results are shocking,
09:23and the Samba magic seems to have gone missing. When Neymar Jr., once the brightest star in Europe,
09:29returned to Santos, fans believed it would spark a revival of sorts. That his homecoming would lift
09:35the club, and maybe even Brazilian football itself, just a notch or two. But instead, Neymar's career
09:41mirrors the same decline. Uncertain, broken, and in crisis. The biggest heartbreak came in Santos' game
09:49against Vasco da Gama at home. A humiliating 6-0 drubbing. And for Neymar, this wasn't just another loss.
09:57This was his lowest point yet.
10:11Today is a feeling of great shame. I've never experienced this in my life. Unfortunately,
10:25I couldn't help in all ways. In the end, today we were terrible. That's the reality.
10:34The fallout was instant. Head coach Kleber Xavier was sacked. Fans were furious,
10:39and Neymar was at the center of the storm. The only solace, a message from his kid.
10:46You are more than just an excellent dad. You are an idol. You are my inspiration.
10:51And never give up on your biggest dream, because of people who don't even know you or know who you are.
10:57Powerful words from his son, but will they be enough? Because here's the reality. Santos are 15th
11:03in the table. Just six wins this season. Only two victories in their last five games. They're dangerously
11:09in another relegation. And if that happens, it would be disappointing. Because this is Santos,
11:14the team of Pele. A club with eight league titles, the pride of Brazil. They've only ever been relegated
11:22once in 113 years. And that was just a while back in 2023. And now, just a year later, they could face the
11:31same disgraceful relegation again. Neymar's return was supposed to change all of that.
11:49So, that's when he made his comeback. The reveal was nostalgic, emotional. Those who
12:09are tears of joy. What a contrast it is now. The boy who became a superstar in Santos' colors,
12:25really facing a bit of a challenge here. Because this isn't the same Neymar. The man who once
12:30commanded a $260 million transfer fee. The biggest in football history is today a shadow of himself.
12:38Injuries, poor form, and lack of game time have turned the world's most exciting forward into a
12:44forgotten star. And his downfall, ironically, mirrors the bigger problem. Brazilian football itself. Last
12:50year, Brazil failed to qualify for the Olympics. They just about scraped through to book a ticket to the
12:56World Cup next year. This despite having Europe's elite, finest. Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, Alderson,
13:02Rafinha. The raw talent is there. The results, though, aren't. Even in the club World Cup,
13:08Brazil's clubs showed flashes of brilliance. Two sides reached the quarters. Fluminense went to the
13:14semifinals. But again, when it mattered the most, they fell short. And that's the story of Brazil today.
13:20A country drowning in football talent, yet failing to deliver. Superstars unable to carry
13:25their clubs. Legacy teams flirting with relegation. Rising stars failing to ignite a nation. And
13:32leaders more interested in politics than reviving the Samba magic. Brazil was once the heartbeat of
13:38world football. Now it feels like that heartbeat is slowing down. If Santos, Pelé's club, and Neymar,
13:45Brazil's biggest star, are both failing at the same time, it says everything. Brazilian football doesn't
13:53need new players. It needs new leadership. It needs new vision. Because if they don't act soon,
13:59the beautiful game could lose its most beautiful identity.
14:07India's chess revolution has crossed every border. It's no longer just Indian players rewriting records
14:13on the board. Now prodigies of Indian origin are carrying the flame of this legacy across the globe.
14:18In a stunning twist, two ten-year-olds have etched their names in chess history. Separated by the
14:24Atlantic, young talents in America and Britain outclassed their senior opponents to script
14:29unforgettable wins. It's proof that India isn't just fueling the growth of the sport at home,
14:35but also shaping the future of global chess.
14:38The world of chess never stopped surprising us. Time and again, the sport has witnessed young minds
14:47conquering seasoned veterans. Every such moment proves one simple truth. Age is never a barrier
14:54when greatness is calling. And in August 2025, that truth was underlined not once but twice. Two
15:02ten-year-old girls across different continents left the chess world stunned. Grandmasters were humbled
15:10in both America and Britain. The common link? Their Indian roots.
15:16Bodhana Sivanandan. At just ten years, five months and three days, she achieved the unthinkable.
15:24Defeating Grandmaster Peter Wells, a man six times her age, in the final round of the British
15:30chess championships in Liverpool. With this victory, she not only became the youngest international
15:36master, but also the youngest ever to defeat a Grandmaster. Breaking a record that had stood for
15:4311 years. And what's even more fascinating, she discovered chess by accident.
15:50I'm an engineering graduate, as is my wife, but I'm not good at chess. I tried a couple of league games,
15:56but I was very poor. Bodhana's journey began during the pandemic. A family friend, before leaving for
16:03India, left behind a bag with a chessboard inside. That single spark lit a fire. Since then, the British
16:11prodigy hasn't looked back. Her biggest strength? Her fearless mindset.
16:29But while Bodhana was weaving her magic in Britain, across the Atlantic, Kaya Jha was scripting her own
16:35fairytale in Ohio. Born to Indian immigrant parents, Kaya outwitted Grandmaster Bryan Smith in the final
16:42round of the Joyoon Memorial Tournament. Four months older than Bodhana, she now holds the title of the
16:49youngest American girl ever to defeat a Grandmaster. She picked up some of the rules when she saw me
16:56playing online and got intrigued by how the pieces moved. She sat next to me every day and I taught her
17:02all the other rules. And playing chess isn't her only talent. Kaya is also a top-ranked tennis player
17:10and a black belt in Taekwondo. At just 10, she is already a multi-skilled star in the making.
17:17Like the chess pieces on the board, she has different sports to bank on. Back home, India continues to
17:24produce Grandmasters at a record pace. But the story of Bodhana and Kaya proves something bigger,
17:30that India's chess revolution has gone global. Whether it's in Chennai, London or Ohio,
17:36the new faces of chess are re-writing the future. These two 10-year-olds show that chess is no longer
17:43just about one country or one champion. It's about a movement, a wave led by Indian minds inspiring the
17:50world. If the present belongs to India's chess giants like Pratnananda, Hugeesh and Divya,
17:56then the future surely belongs to kids like Bodhana and Kaya, the youngest torchbearers of chess.
18:03And their stories are just beginning.
18:06Time for last serve. The world's first ever humanoid robot games have begun in China. From
18:12100-meter hurdles to Kung Fu, hundreds of robot teams from 16 countries are eyeing gold.
18:18Who would have imagined we'd see this? Robots fighting for silverware. Take a look.
18:351.2.1.
18:561.2.1
19:27That wraps it up here on Fur Sports.
19:31I'll of course see you again tomorrow.
19:32Till then, do take care and bye-bye.
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