Vaishali Rameshbabu won the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament in Samarkand, Uzbekistan for the second consecutive time. Vaishali became the first player to win this elite event twice in a row in the women’s section.
- On September 15, 2025, Vaishali Rameshbabu won the FIDE Grand Swiss Tournament for the second time in a row after 2023. She sealed her victory by drawing against former women’s world champion Tan Zhongyi in the final round in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The 24-year-old Indian Grandmaster scored 8 points in 11 rounds.
- Vaishali became the first player to win this elite event twice in the women’s section and apart from the grand prize of 40,000 US dollars, Vaishali also secured a place in next year’s Candidates Tournament.
- With this win, Vaishali became the third Indian woman to qualify for the 2026 Candidates Tournament, along with Koneru Humpy and Divya Deshmukh. In the previous edition, India had won both the men’s and women’s titles at the FIDE Grand Swiss, with Vidit Gujrathi winning the second title.
- Russian Grandmaster Kateryna Lagno also scored eight points, she drew quickly with Azerbaijan’s Ulviyya Fataliyeva and secured the second qualification spot for the Candidates.
- R. Vaishali is India’s 84th Grandmaster, and the third Indian woman Grandmaster, who achieved her title in December 2023 by crossing 2500 FIDE rating points.
India announced a 16-member team for the Women’s Blind T20 World Cup
- India has announced a 16-member team for the first-ever Women’s Blind T20 World Cup. The tournament, running from November 11 to 25, will feature 21 league matches, two semifinals, and then the final match.
- It will include Australia, England, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the USA. The matches will be played in New Delhi and Bengaluru. Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled’s cricket wing, Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI), is the organizer of this historic World Cup.
- Kathmandu was originally chosen as the third host city, where matches involving Pakistan were to be held; however, considering the current situation in Nepal, an alternative venue is being considered.
- The team list includes players in three categories, which are as follows: B1 Category: Simu Das, P. Karuna Kumari, Anu Kumari, Jamuna Rani Tudu, Kavya V. B2 Category: Aneka Devi, Basanti Hansda, Simranjeet Kaur, Sunita Sarathe, Parvati Marandi. B3 Category: Deepika T C (Captain), Ganga S Kadam (Vice-Captain), Phula Soren, Kavya N R, Sushma Patel, Durga Yewale.
Mohammed Siraj was chosen as ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August, 2025
- India’s fast bowler Mohammed Siraj was awarded the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for August 2025 for his match-winning performance in the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England at The Oval.
- Siraj put up a resilient and tireless performance in the final Test, where he took a total of nine wickets at an average of 21.11, including an important five-wicket haul in the second innings. For his efforts, he was awarded the Player of the Match and India leveled the five-match series 2–2.
- Siraj was also India’s highest wicket-taker in the series, claiming 23 wickets in five Test matches at an average of 32.43, including two five-wicket hauls.
