At the beginning of the year 2022, Nikhat Zareen must have been recognized in the world of boxing, but the reality is that generally, people were not as familiar with her as they are today. But as soon as she won the gold medal in the Boxing World Cup in March, she captured the hearts of Indians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also had to congratulate her for his success.
Nikhat participated in four national and international competitions in 2022 and won gold medals in all. Not only this, but apart from the world of boxing, she also dominated the political corridor and glamour world. Nikhat has been included in the list of successful women of Forbes this year and was honoured with the Arjuna Award.
Earlier, Nikhat made the headlines for challenging established boxer, Mary Kom, only to lose the bout fair and square. With the loss, her chance to compete at the Tokyo Olympics also went in vain. Nikhat, later, became the only boxer other than Mary Kom to win the women's world championship after 16 years. After this, the country's attitude towards this South Indian girl has changed. Her thunderous victory in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games also shut everyone's mouth.
It was a success story where a normal middle-class girl from a conservative family defied the routine script and all odds to carve her own space of fame in Indian sport. Nikhat has always insisted on the kind of support she got from her parents, father Mohammed Jameel Ahmed, who was a sales officer in the Gulf before moving back home, and mother Parveen Sultana to keep going. Being the third among four sisters, it was all the more challenging for Nikhat to explore new frontiers.
Telangana has given many big and international players like Sania Mirza, Mohammad Azharuddin, and PV Sandhu. But this time Telangana's favourite Nikhat Zareen remains. That is why we, Sportz Point have chosen her as the Female Athlete of the year 2022.
Instagram has transformed into a vibrant platform where athletes can engage with millions of fans and followers. Sharing with us their experiences, their joys and their achievements on Instagram, these are some athletes who we may not know properly, but definitely deserve to.
In this article, we will take a look at 10 unknown Indian athletes to follow on Instagram in 2025.
Pooja Bishnoi, a 13-year-old prodigy set a new meet record in the 3,000m race at the 2024 U-19 IPSC Athletics Tournament. She’s already won gold medals in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m, showing the world that she’s not just a fast runner, she’s a future Olympic star.
Her hard work and strong will caught the eye of the Virat Kohli Foundation, which now supports her training, food, and travel.
Pooja is also becoming popular on social media, inspiring young athletes across the country.
Simran Verma is a prolific boxer and athlete who competes in the 52 kg category. Simran has won a Bronze at the Sub-Junior National and Silver in the U-17 School Nationals. After being selected to join IIS, Simran took her game to the next level and won her first international Silver Medal at the Junior Nations’ Cup in Serbia in August 2019.
Simran continued to train and fight hard and she went on the become the National Champion in 2021. She also bagged the bronze medal in the 2021 Khelo India Youth Games. She aims to be a part of the Indian Olympic team.
In the heart of Nashik's Adgaon village, a young boy named Akash Shinde dared to dream big. Little did he know that his journey from playing in the muddy grounds of his town to becoming a PKL winner would inspire a generation of aspiring athletes.
In the PKL Season 9, Akash truly announced his arrival, becoming a formidable force on the mat. In the 22 matches that Akash played on the way to his first PKL final, he scored 139 raid points, averaging 6.32 raid point per match.
Aishwarya Mishra, one of India's top quarter-milers, has left behind the controversy of 2022 and re-established herself with strong performances at the Asian level and the National Games. The Maharashtra athlete, who was once under scrutiny for missing a dope test, has proved her abilities on the track with multiple medals and record-breaking performances.
In 2022, Mishra won gold in the women's 400m event at the Federation Cup in Kozhikode with a time of 51.18 seconds, making her the third-fastest Indian quarter-miler.
Murali Sreeshankar is an Indian athlete who competes in the long jump event. He created a national record of 8.36 metres set in 2022. He also grabbed silver medal in Asian Games 2023.
The 26 year old set to make a comeback from what many would have perceived a ‘career-ending’ injury. Murali has been out of competitions since before the Paris Olympics.
Niharika Vashisht is a national gold medalist in the triple jump. Vashisht grabbed eyeballs of everyone by beating local favourite Sandra Babu in the women’s triple jump at the National Federation Senior Athletics Championship.
A social media influencer, Niharika has quite a following on the internet. She is making prudent use of the revenue she earns from social media account by funding her own training expenses.
Having made her senior team debut in 2015, just after turning 18, the girl from Kuarmunda – a small town in Odisha – was one of the most promising youngsters when the Indian women clinched gold in the South Asian Games in 2016.
Pyari recently voted best Women's Indian Player of the Year.
Para-shooter Avani Lekhara is the first Indian woman to win two gold medals in the Para Olympic history. She is also the second Indian after javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia to win two gold medals at the Games.
Avani's journey did not stop at the Paralympics. She continued to shine in various international competitions, including the World Cups and Asian Para Games, where she consistently won medals and set new benchmarks.
An Arjuna Awardee, Ayhika Mukherjee from West Bengal has been representing India at the global stages since multiple years, having won many medals. She most recently won a historical Bronze Medal along with Sutirtha Mukherjee at the 2022 Asian Games, beating the Chinese World Champion duo in the Quarter Finals.
Having already won multiple international medals, Ayhika’s career is on an upward graph as she continues to rise the ranks and improve her play.
Teenaged Indian para-archer Sheetal Devi made history at the Paris 2024 Paralympics, clinching the bronze medal in the mixed compound archery team event alongside Rakesh Kumar. At just 17 years old, she became India’s youngest Paralympic medallist and only the second armless archer in history to win a Paralympic medal.
Neeraj Chopra finished second with a best throw of 84.14m at the Janusz Kusociński Memorial competition at Silesian Stadium in Poland on Friday.
Julian Weber finished first with an 86.12m throw.
Though the double-time Olympic medalist looked disappointed and frustrated after a few foul throws to start with, his fourth year in in top two of every tournament he participated in continued.
A few days ago, Neeraj had breached the 90m mark and registered his personal best and National record with a 90.23m throw in the Doha Diamond League. Unfortunately, even in that tournament also he finished second to Julian Weber's 91.06m throw.
Esha Oza currently holds the record for most centuries in WT20Is, with four centuries in the format. Explore the list of players with such century records!
Scoring a century in any form of cricket is a moment of glory, but in the fast-paced format of T20s, it gets more exciting to watch. Numerous cricketers have consistently proved themselves in this format by delivering spectacular tons.
The list goes deep as we have such power-hitters from around the globe!
Join us as we explore the list of players with most centuries in WT20Is and celebrate their glorious innings.
1. Esha Oza (4 centuries) | UAE
Esha Oza in action against Sri Lanka in Asia Cup 2024. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The current captain of UAE, Esha Oza, holds the record for most centuries in WT20Is with 4 centuries in her T20 career so far. This Indian-born cricketer made her debut in T20Is in 2018 and reached this milestone extremely fast.
She is also the fastest player from UAE to reach 1000 runs in T20Is. Her fourth century in T20Is came against Qatar in the Asia Cup qualifier, where she led her team to a brilliant victory.
Chamari Athapaththu celebrating her 113 off 66 balls against Australia in 2019. Image | ESPNcricinfo
Chamari Athapaththu, the current captain of Sri Lanka national team, holds the 2nd position in this list with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is one of the finest cricketers from Sri Lanka and led them to win the 2024 Asia Cup.
Chamari scored her first hundred in T20Is in 2019 against Australia. She scored the other following centuries in 2024 against Scotland and Malaysia.
Fatuma Kibasu celebrating her century in 2019. Image | Facebook
The former captain of Tanzania, Fatuma Kibasu, holds the 3rd position with her 3 centuries in WT20Is. She is the only Tanzanian woman to score a century at international level so far, and holds the highest individual score for her country in WT20Is.
Fatuma made her T20 debut in 2019 and played magnificently ever since!
Doha Diamond League 2025 LIVE Updates, Javelin Throw and athletics events Highlights and results | Neeraj Chopra finishes second despite breaking 90m mark for the first time; Parul Chaudhary breaks National record
Stay updated with the real-time LIVE updates of the Doha Diamond League 2025 as four Indian athletes, including Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena, Gulveer Singh and Parul Chaudhary, compete for India.
Hello and welcome to the LIVE blog of Doha Diamond League 2025, where the largest Indian contingent in terms of numbers at any single Diamond League meet to date is going to perform.
Double Olympic medalist Neeraj Chopra will take part in the men's javelin event. Kishore Jena will be the second Indian to participate in that event.
In the men's 5000m, Gulveer Singh will compete for India. Meanwhile, Parul Chaudhary will compete in the Women's 3000m steeplechase event.
This is Koushik Biswas, who will bring you all the LIVE updates, results and commentary of the Doha Diamond League 2025 for you. So, stay tuned and enjoy the coverage.
— Wanda Diamond League (@Diamond_League) May 16, 2025
May 16, 2025, 3:42 PM
Schedule and timing details of Indian athlete's events
Neeraj Chopra and Kishore Jena's men's javelin throw will start from 10.13 pm IST. Two minutes later, Gulveer Singh's Men's 5000m will start.
Parul Chaudhary's Women's 3000m steeplechase will start from 11.13 pm
Event
Indian athletes
Start time
Men's javelin throw
Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena
10:13 PM
Men's 5000m
Gulveer Singh
10:15 PM
Women's 3000m steeplechase
Parul Chaudhary
11:14 PM
May 16, 2025, 3:40 PM
Which Indian athletes are participating in the Doha Diamond League?
The largest Indian contingent in terms of numbers at any single Diamond League meet to date will be participating in the Doha Diamond League 2025 tonight.
Event
Indian athletes
Men's javelin throw
Neeraj Chopra, Kishore Jena
Men's 5000m
Gulveer Singh
Women's 3000m steeplechase
Parul Chaudhary
May 16, 2025, 3:39 PM
Can we watch the Doha Diamond League LIVE on Indian TV?
Unfortunately, there are no television streaming confirmed for Doha Diamond League 2025 yet.
However, you can follow our LIVE blog for all the updates.
May 16, 2025, 3:38 PM
How to follow or watch the Doha Diamond League LIVE?
Indian fans can watch Neeraj Chopra and the other three Indian athletes in action in the Doha Diamond League 2025 LIVE tonight on the Wanda Diamond League YouTube channel and Facebook page.
May 16, 2025, 3:37 PM
When and where is the event?
The Doha Diamond League 2025 will take place at Qatar’s Suheim bin Hamad Stadium on 16th to 17th May, 2025, Indian Standard Time.
Deandra Dottin's iconic century off 38 balls is the fastest in the history of Women's T20Is. Here are the phenomenal top 10 fastest centuries in women's T20Is.
Centuries in T20Is are a treat to watch. Over the years, some incredible cricketing talents across the globe have set the bar high with their records. This article celebrates the art of power-hitting by logging the top 10 fastest centuries in Women's cricket.
Check out the Top 10s that left the fans and bowlers amazed in the competitive T20 format.
10. Hayley Matthews | (53 balls) vs Australia, 2023
Hayley Matthews celebrating her fastest T20 century against Australia in 2023. Image | ESPNcricinfo
The West Indies captain Hayley Matthews scored a crucial ton in their record-breaking run chase against Australia. She is known for excelling in the T20 format. They succeeded in defeating Australia on their home soil with the help of this knock in 2023.
Matthews has scored 2 centuries in T20Is so far. It took her only 53 balls for this, which makes it one of the fastest centuries in Women's cricket.
9. Meg Lanning | (53 balls) vs Ireland, 2014
Meg Lanning, the former Australian captain, holds the ninth position with her timeless century against Ireland in the Women's T20 World Cup, 2014. Lanning is one of the finest cricketers of all time, with seven World Cup titles under her name.
She scored 125 runs off 65 balls in this innings and was also the top run-scorer of the tournament.
The former captain of the Nepal Women's Team, Rubina Chhetry, scored a record-breaking century in a match of ACC Women's Premier Cup against Maldives in 2024. She hit 10 fours and 5 sixes, leading the team to a total of 227 runs on the board.
Her century off 52 balls paved the way to achieve one of the highest totals of Women's T20Is by an Asian country.
7. Danni Wyatt-Hodge | (52 balls) vs India, 2018
Danni Wyatt-Hodge after her record-breaking ton against India in 2018. Image | BBC
The attacking opener of England Women's Team, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, scored a magnificent century from just 52 balls against India in 2018. She’s widely known for her composed batting style in this format, providing a headstart to the team.
Wyatt helped England reach the milestone of one of the highest successful run chases in the history of Women's T20Is with her vital knock.
This is yet another ton from the Australian legend that became one of the fastest centuries in women's cricket, making her appear on the list twice. She took 53 balls to score the century, and was also unbeaten in the inning.
Lanning also holds the record for most centuries in Women's ODIs, which says a lot about her exceptional abilities.
5. Fargana Hoque | (51 balls) vs Maldives, 2019
Fargana Hoque celebrating her maiden T20 century off 51 balls against Maldives. Image | Sports Tak
Fargana Hoque, the right-handed Bangladeshi batter scored her maiden T20 century off 51 balls in 2019, which was fastest in a lot. With this remarkable century against Maldives, Hoque became the second woman from Bangladesh to score a T20 century.
4. Harmanpreet Kaur | (49 balls) vs New Zealand, 2018
Harmanpreet Kaur, the current Indian captain, secured the fourth position with her maiden T20 century in 2018. She scored this off just 49 balls during the ICC Women's World T20, against New Zealand.
Kaur showcased some fearless cricketing class and became the first Indian woman to score a century in a T20 International.
3. Tamsin Beaumont | (47 balls) vs South Africa, 2018
Tamsin Beaumont, the right-handed English batter, scored an impressive century off 47 balls against South Africa in 2018. She is known for her ability to score runs in all cricketing formats and noteworthy fielding.
2. Alyssa Healy | (46 balls) vs Sri Lanka, 2019
The current Australian captain, Alyssa Healy, scored her maiden T20 century off 46 balls against Sri Lanka in 2019. In this inning, she played a spectacular knock of 148* from 61 balls, which is the highest individual score in women's T20Is by an Australian.
This performance brings her to the second position in the table of fastest centuries in Women's cricket of all time.
1. Deandra Dottin | (38 balls) vs South Africa, 2010
Deandra Dottin smashing the fastest century in the history of Women's T20Is in 2010. Image | Associated press
As we come down to the final name, Deandra Dottin’s extraordinary century off 38 balls is the long-standing record that has remained in the no. 1 rank for over a decade. This West Indies all-rounder scored her groundbreaking maiden century against South Africa in 2010.
Dottin is the first woman to score a century in the history of T20 cricket. She is widely recognised for her explosive batting power and has set an unforgettable benchmark worldwide.
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