West Bengal Rifle Association conducts workshop under former Olympian Jitu Rai to help pistol shooters in Bengal
West Bengal Rifle Association conducted a three-day workshop with former Olympian Jitu Rai to help pistol shooters in Bengal. 16 shooters from various districts and cities were trained under the two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist.
Shooting has always held a special place in Indian sports, and Bengal has long been a hub for rifle shooters. However, there's a fresh wind of change in the air, one that promises to give Bengal’s aspiring pistol shooters the boost they've been waiting for quite a time now.
A Pistol Workshop under the guidance of Shri Jitu Rai, a former Olympian and Padmashree awardee, was held at the Howrah Modern School Shooting Range from October 18th to 20th, in a collaboration between Jitu Rai and the West Bengal Rifle Association, to bring new energy and optimism to the state's pistol shooting scene.
Jitu Rai, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award winner in 2016, trained sixteen athletes, chosen from various clubs and units across Bengal during this workshop. The workshop aims not only at training these athletes in the technical performances of pistol shooting but also at making them stronger for pressure situations.
Post the workshop, the two-time Commonwealth Games and one-time Asian Games gold medalist shared, "An annual development program will be good for gross development and I am to dedicate myself to uplift Bengal pistol shooting. We can expect 4-8 players in the national ranking next year."
The West Bengal Rifle Association also believes that the association with someone like Jitu Rai will immensely help budding shooters from the state and will be pivotal in shaping their future.
In Paul Pogba news, we see the Juventus midfielder has been provisionally suspended for an anti-doping offence as per Italy's national anti-doping tribunal after failing the doping test, post Juventus's 3-0 victory over Udinese on 20 August.
As said earlier, the doping test was performed after Juve's victory against Udinese, and it detected elevated levels of testosterone, a hormone that increases players' endurance.
The anti-doping agency, Nado Italia, informed that Pogba was suspended provisionally with immediate effect. He's going to be at a trial and testing of a backup "B" sample; he would risk a suspension of up to four years.
Juventus released an official statement acknowledging the failed result of the test and said they were considering their next steps.
Pogba's time at Juventus has been affected by a lot of injuries. He hardly played for the club, let alone giving any significant performance, and now it's on the verge of getting worse for the Frenchman.
Pogba since joining Juventus
He was ruled out of France's 2022 World Cup squad due to a knee injury and has managed to make only six Serie A matches for Juventus last season.
Another Paul Pogba News would be, Pogba has yet to start a game this season but has made two substitute appearances, last playing in the 2-0 win at Empoli.
There has also been a police investigation ongoing in France into allegations that Pogba was targeted by extortionists, including by his older brother, Mathias, who has denied any wrongdoing.
It's also going to be a huge blow to an already heavily affected Juventus side in terms of not getting European Football this season. The previous season was followed by inquiries into false accounting and irregular reporting of salary payments, which ultimately resulted in a points deduction.
Pogba's Juventus spell
June 1 2022 - Manchester United announce Pogba will leave Old Trafford for the second time upon the expiration of his contract.
July 2022 - Reports alleged blackmail plot to Turin prosecutors, which he claimed amounted to a bid to extort £11.1m from him
July 11 2022 - Joins Juventus for the second time, signing a four-year contract in Turin.
July 26 2022 - Suffers injury to meniscus that keeps him out for two months.
November 2022 - Surgery to knee injury rules midfielder out of France's World Cup campaign in Qatar.
February 28 2023 - Finally makes his second debut for Juve in a 4-2 win against Torino.
March 9 2023 - Dropped for Europa League match against Freiburg by Massimiliano Allegri after arriving late to a team dinner.
March 13 2023 - Suffers muscle injury in training; doesn't play again for a month.
May 14 2023 - Handed first league start against Cremonese, but lasts just 23 minutes due to injury. Left thigh lesion later discovered, which ends his season.
August 27 2023 - Makes first appearance of the season as second half substitute in 1-1 draw against Bologna.
September 11 2023 - Provisionally suspended from football for anti-doping offence.
Fast, accurate and fearless: Nuruddin Mondal bowling bouncer to life every day | Bengal Cricket Exclusive
Former India cricketer Wriddhiman Saha believes Nuruddin Mondal can play for India in future. The 21-year-old pacer is currently the joint highest wicket-taker of the Bengal Pro T20 League.
4 matches, 10 wickets and currently the joint-highest wicket-taker of the Bengal Pro T20 League 2025. 21-year-old Nuruddin Mondal has been the most impressive cricketer in this season's Bengal Pro T20 League.
His stellar performance impressed former India cricketer Wriddhiman Saha so much that he even went on to say that "he can play for India in future."
But it is not new for him. Coming from a mofussil named Madanpur in Nadia district, Nuruddin has been bowling bouncers to every problem of his life to reach where he is now. The Servotech Siliguri Strikers' pacer shared his thoughts in an exclusive interview with Sportz Point.
How did it all start for Nuruddin Mondal?
Image | C.A.B.
Away before the Bengal Pro T20 League started, Sportz Point tracked Nuruddin's career since his second-division days.
Nuruddin started his cricketing career at the age of 8 at Kalyani Municipal Academy, where he learnt the basics of cricket under coach Sanjay Dey. I got to see him bowl many overs on that cement wicket.
But it was when he caught the attention of coach Debesh Chakrabarty that Nuruddin started progressing in his career. Debesh Chakrabarty is one of the most successful coaches in Bengal, known for producing players such as Sandipan Das, Sudip Gharami, Debopratim Halder, and many others.
"During the U-18 days, I felt I was faster than bowlers my age"
Nuruddin played in the C.A.B. U-13 and U-16 tournaments for Debesh Chakraborty's club. But when he started playing in the U-18 tournament, he began to feel that he was better and faster than his peers of the same age.
"I started cricket around the age of 8 or 9 in Kalyani under Khokha Sir (Sanjay Dey). Then Debesh Sir (Chakrabarty) noticed me and since then I have been a student of his," Nuruddin told Sportz Point.
"Although when I played U-13 or U-16 tournaments I did not feel any difference, during the U-18 tournaments, I started feeling that suddenly I was faster than others my age. It felt different," Nuruddin added.
Nuruddin comes from a very humble family. His father works as a house painter, and just like every son of the house, he understands the importance of doing well in life.
"When I felt that my pace had suddenly increased, and I became much stronger physically, I became more confident about my cricketing career," Nur expressed.
Three years of second division cricket, and then came Calcutta Customs
Image | C.A.B.
But just like every student of Debesh Chakraborty, Nur also had to go through the ranks of Bengal cricket to prove he was ready for the bigger stages. The young pacer toiled hard for three seasons at Bengal Sporting Club before signing for Calcutta Customs Club.
Still, it was not that smooth and easy for Nuruddin. He first had to impress one and all with a trial before getting signed by Customs.
"They asked me to go for a trial. I went and bowled well. All the coaches and Nilambar Sir (Saha) were impressed. They wanted me to sign for them."
"Debesh sir told me that even though I might get limited chances, I will learn a lot. So, I signed for them," Nuruddin stated.
However, those limited chances were good enough for Nuruddin to prove himself. In a season when Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal broke through the doors of the Bengal team from Customs, Nur took advantage of his chances in white ball format.
"I did well against Town in the T20 Quarter-finals. I bowled two maidens too. Then, did well against Mohun Bagan as well," he expressed.
Rejections made him better than ever
Nuruddin's impressive spells got him selected for the Bengal U-23 camp, but life wanted to test him more. He failed to get selected for the Bengal U-23 and also missed the Bengal Pro T20 League selection by a whisker.
In the first season of the league, Nur was a stand-by player for the Adamas Howrah Warriors. But these rejections made him stronger, and he knew in the next season, he would have to punch above his height.
"Though I was not selected for the Bengal U-23 team and Bengal Pro T20 League, I was sure that I was on the right track," he stated.
Nuruddin Mondal with Anustup Majumdar. Image | C.A.B.
In the 2024-25 season, Nuruddin worked on every aspect of his bowling and emerged as a 200% better bowler. With 27 wickets across formats, he was one of the best U-23 bowlers of the Kolkata Club Cricket.
During the season, he worked on the bouncer and yorker so much that now he has confidence in bowling it at his will against any batter.
"I practised them (bouncers and yorkers) so much that now I have the confidence of bowling it against any batter in any situation. Those two balls are my strengths"
Saha: "He can play for India in future"
This earned him a direct spot in the Servotech Siliguri Strikers' team, and the rest, they say, is history. Wriddhiman Saha even mentioned that he has all the capabilities to play for India in future.
Delighted to hear that from a legend like Saha, Nur wants to keep his head down and take one step at a time.
"When praise comes from a legend like Wriddhiman Saha, obviously, it makes you happy. He did not know me. He saw me bowling for the first time during practice.
"So, this makes it even more special. But, I want to keep my head down and take one step at a time," he conveyed.
The youngster has a dream of donning that Blue jersey one day. But, for now, he has his eye on the Bengal Pro T20 League trophy and then on that Bengal U-23 jersey.
"I feel like I need to keep doing what I have been doing well. Focusing on the process is the most important thing."
"But, if you talk about goal or aim, I want to win the Bengal Pro T20 League first, then play for Bengal U-23, then the seniors and hopefully for India in future. I want to climb up the ladder one by one," the youngster concluded.
Who won the ICC trophies each year? Discover the complete list of ICC trophy winners list year-wise from 2000 to 2025 across all major cricket tournaments.
Cricket's biggest tournaments bring together the best teams from around the world. From the fast-paced T20 format to the longest format of the game, each trophy is a huge achievement in international cricket.
Our list will provide you with the statistical breakdown of every ICC tournament, highlighting the teams that have dominated the cricket world across men's and women's competition, as well as the Under-19 category.
Check out the ICC trophy winners list year-wise (2000-2025):
ICC Men's Cricket World Cup (ODI)
Australia celebrating their 2023 ICC World Cup win. Image | Mint
Australia dominated the ICC ODI World Cup with 4 titles in 6 seasons from 2000-2025. They are the current champion side that defeated the host nation, India, on their home soil in the 2023 finals.
India lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup title. Image | Mint
India holds the current title of the ICC T20 World Cup. They, along with England and the West Indies, won the title 2 times from 2000 to 2025. India defeated South Africa in a thrilling final match to reign as champions in 2024.
Here's the complete list of trophy winners (2000-2025):
Year
Winner
Runners-up
Host
2007
India
Pakistan
SA
2009
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
ENG
2010
England
Australia
WI
2012
West Indies
Sri Lanka
SL
2014
Sri Lanka
India
BAN
2016
West Indies
England
IND
2021
Australia
New Zealand
UAE
2022
England
Pakistan
AUS
2024
India
South Africa
WI, USA
ICC Champions Trophy (ODI)
India celebrates their 2025 ICC Champions Trophy victory. Image | Mint
Another ICC tournament where India has done exceptionally well with the most number of titles (3) from 2000 to 2025. They are also the current champions of the 2025 season, where they dominated the entirety of it, and eventually lifted the cup after a phenomenal victory over New Zealand.
Here's the list of trophy winners:
Year
Winner
Runners-up
Host
2000
New Zealand
India
KE
2002
India & Sri Lanka (Joint winners- final rained out)
-
SL
2004
West Indies
England
ENG
2006
Australia
West Indies
IND
2009
Australia
New Zealand
SA
2013
India
England
ENG, Wales
2017
Pakistan
India
ENG, Wales
2025
India
New Zealand
PAK
ICC World Test Championship
South Africa celebrates their WTC 2023-25 win. Image | Mint
Inaugurated in 2019, the ICC World Test Championship was designed to award the supremacy of cricket's longest format. South Africa made history by winning the 2023-25 WTC cycle and breaking their ICC trophy drought.
India lifts the 2018 U-19 World Cup. Image | ESPNcricinfo
India won the most titles in Under-19 World Cup history with 5 titles to their name. The Australian side is the current champion, who won the 2024 edition, clinching their 4th title of this tournament.
Year
Winner
Runners-up
2000
India
Sri Lanka
2002
Australia
South Africa
2004
Pakistan
West Indies
2006
Pakistan
India
2008
India
South Africa
2010
Australia
Pakistan
2012
India
Australia
2014
South Africa
Pakistan
2016
West Indies
India
2018
India
Australia
2020
Bangladesh
India
2022
India
England
2024
Australia
India
ICC Women's Cricket World Cup (ODI)
Australia celebrating their 2022 Cricket World Cup victory. Image | The Bridge
Australia are the most successful team with 7 titles overall, and 3 titles in the span of 2000 to 2025. Led by legendary players like Margaret Jennings, Sharon Tredrea, Lyn Larsen, and Meg Lanning, the Australian side has been unparalleled.
New Zealand celebrates their first T20 World Cup win in 2024. Image | ESPNcricinfo
ICC Women's T20 World Cup is a relatively new tournament, with the first edition being held in 2019. Out of the 9 seasons played so far, Australia stood victorious in 6 of them. However, New Zealand broke their winning streak by emerging as champions of the 2024 season.
India squad celebrating their 2025 U-19 T20 World Cup win. Image | Mint
ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup is the newest among all the tournaments held by the International Cricket Council, inaugurated in 2023. India has wonboth the 2023 and 2025 seasons and has purely dominated the WC.
Indian won seven ICC trophies over the years. A few players have been part of several of these victorious campaigns. let's take a look at the Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) is cricket’s global governing body, overseeing various prestigious tournaments. These include the ICC Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup, Champions Trophy, and the World Test Championship. The ICC tournaments are considered the most prestigious in cricket, and players strive to lift the trophies.
India have always had the services of the best players. And thanks to them, India have been a consistent force in world cricket. The same consistency is visible in the ICC tournaments. This has helped the Indian team win seven ICC trophies over the years. A few players have been part of several of these victorious campaigns.
So, let's take a look at the Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles.
Indian Cricketers with Most ICC Titles
6. Harbhajan Singh | 3 Titles
2002 Champions Trophy (shared with Sri Lanka)
2007 T20 World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
Having started his career in 1998, Harbhajan Singh is one of the few Indian cricketers to have won all three ICC white-ball titles.
He was part of India's 2002 ICC Champions Trophy title-winning campaign, where they were joint winners with Sri Lanka. Five years later, he played a key role in India's triumph in the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup, in 2007. He was also a part of India's 2011 ODI World Cup winning squad.
5. Yuvraj Singh | 3 Titles
2002 Champions Trophy (shared with Sri Lanka)
2007 T20 World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
One of India's greatest all-rounders, Yuvraj Singh has also won all three ICC white-ball tournaments. He was part of the teams that won the 2002 Champions Trophy, 2007 T20 World Cup, and 2011 ODI World Cup.
In the 2011 ODI World Cup, Yuvraj was the Player of the Tournament for his stellar all-round performance. He made history in the 2007 T20I World Cup by hitting six sixes in an over against England.
4. Ravindra Jadeja | 3 Titles
2013 Champions Trophy
2024 T20 World Cup
2025 Champions Trophy
After India lifted the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, Ravindra Jadeja went level with Dhoni. The star all-rounder now has three ICC trophies.
Before the latest win, Jadeja was part of another Champions Trophy victory in 2013. He picked up the most wickets in that tournament to win the Golden Ball. Fast forward to 11 years, and Jadeja found himself in the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad. After this, he retired from T20I cricket.
3. MS Dhoni | 3 Titles
2007 T20 World Cup
2011 Cricket World Cup
2013 Champions Trophy
MS Dhoni was the first Indian player to win three ICC trophies. Interestingly, he won all three of them as skipper. Under Dhoni’s leadership, India had a successful run in limited-overs. And he showed a glimpse of his tactical acumen early in his captaincy stint.
Captain Cool guided a young team to the inaugural T20 World Cup victory in 2007. Then he followed it with the ODI World Cup triumph in 2011. And Dhoni completed the ICC ODI tournament trophy with the Champions Trophy win in 2013.
2. Rohit Sharma | 4 Titles
2007 T20 World Cup
2013 Champions Trophy
2024 T20 World Cup
2025 Champions Trophy
Rohit Sharma is level with Kohli when it comes to ICC trophy victories. The current Indian captain has won two of the four titles while leading the Indian team. Before that, he was part of the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.
Then, alongside Kohli, he took India to the Champions Trophy victory in 2013. Rohit repeated the feat in 2024 and 2025, but this time as a captain. He guided the Men in Blue to the T20 World Cup win in 2024, followed by the Champions Trophy triumph in 2025.
Virat Kohli has been a proven match-winner for India. And the same is true when it comes to ICC events. The top-order batter hardly fails to perform in these high-stakes tournaments. He has powered the team to many wins, including four ICC title victories.
Kohli managed to land his hands on an ICC trophy for the first time in 2011. He was part of the 2011 World Cup squad that defeated Sri Lanka in the final at home. Two years later, he was on the podium yet again as India won the Champions Trophy in England. But then Kohli had to endure a decade’s wait to add the third title. He helped India win the T20 World Cup in 2024 before clinching his fourth silverware in 2025 as India landed the Champions Trophy.
The ICC men’s ODI World Cup has witnessed some of the greatest batters exhibiting their best in the quest for world glory. The World Cup is watched by millions of viewers across the globe, all thanks to the incredibly entertaining cricket action.
World Cup allows players to display their talents to the fullest, but oftentimes, players perform at a whole other level. Teams have exceeded 400 runs on the scorecard, batsmen have hit double centuries, and bowlers have dismissed entire teams for double-digit totals.
The World Cup has seen its share of highs and lows, but today, we take a look at the individual record for most centuries. So, let's take a look at the batters with most centuries in World Cup history.
Ricky Ponting also scored 5 centuries in World Cup history. In a glorious career spanning 46 World Cup matches between 1996 and 2011, he notched 1,743 runs.
His best score during this period was 140 not out. Under ponting's leadership, Australia bagged three World Cup titles.
5. Virat Kohli | 5
Virat Kohli has scored five centuries in World Cups across 36 innings. He played his first ever ODI World Cup in 2011 and has been a part of every squad that played the following World Cups.
In 2011, on his World Cup debut, Kohli scored a century. His next century came in 2015 against Pakistan. But it was in the 2023 World Cup that Kohli was at his absolute best, scoring three centuries. He is overall the second-highest run scorer in World Cups, with 1795 runs.
4. Kumar Sangakkara | 5
Kumar Sangakkara is the highest run-scorer for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket history. Not just that, he has also scored the most centuries by a Sri Lankan player at the World Cup.
In 37 World Cup matches, Sangakkara scored five centuries, which were a part of the 1532 runs he scored in World Cups at an average of 56.74.
3. Sachin Tendulkar | 6
There is nearly no World Cup batting record of which Sachin Tendulkar is not a part. Tendulkar, who played six World Cups in his career, smashed six centuries in 44 innings. Sachin is also the top run-scorer in World Cup history, having amassed 2278 runs in 45 matches.
2011, when India broke their 28-year losing streak, was Sachin’s last World Cup. He also holds the record for the most fifties in World Cup history, with a total of 15 of them.
2. David Warner | 6
Australia’s destructive opening batsman David Warner comes second on this list. Warner has played every World Cup starting from the 2015 edition, and has scored six centuries in 29 innings. Two of these centuries came in the 2023 World Cup in India.
Overall from 2015 to 2023, he has scored 1527 runs in 29 games. His top score is 178 runs which came in the 2015 World Cup clash against Afghanistan.
Indian cricket team skipper Rohit Sharma tops the list of most centuries in World Cup history. Rohit has scored a total of 7 centuries in World Cup history so far.
In a brilliant performance during the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, Rohit Sharma shattered his 7th century against Afghanistan. Rohit has scored 1575 runs in 28 innings from 2015 to 2023, in which his best score has been 140 runs.