The India-Pakistan clash at the Asia Cup is heating up — not just on the field but off it too. The BCCI has officially lodged a complaint against Pakistani players for their provocative gestures during the last match, including Farhan’s “machine gun” celebration and Haris Rauf’s controversial plane-crash mimic. In response, the PCB has countered by filing a complaint against Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav for dedicating India’s win to the army after the Pahalgam terror attack. Despite this, Pakistan is refusing to mend their ways. Shaheen Afridi has challenged India and used Suryakumar Yadav's "India and Pakistan have no rivalry" remark. Rupha Ramani explores how, with a possible Asia Cup final showdown between the two sides, the drama is only intensifying.
Also on the show, Indian football is finally stabilising with steady performance and the return of the Indian Super League (ISL). But the latest episode might impact this rise. The team is likely to be snubbed for the Asian Games next year. The government's new rule might make the Indian team ineligible. Will the All India Football Federation (AIFF) demand its rights, or will the sport continue to live on its past glories? And Barcelona ace Aitana Bonmati won the Ballon d'Or trophy for a record third consecutive time. With this, she has equalled Lionel Messi's record. While Barcelona continues to brand Lamine Yamal as the "next Messi", is Bonmati the real Messi?