Sports Bulletin of February 16: From Gautam Gambhir Backing Jasprit Bumrah as Test Captain to Jude Bellingham Red Card

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From Gautam Gambhir backing Jasprit Bumrah as Test captain for England vs India Test series in June to Jude Bellingham seeing a red card in the Real Madrid draw in La Liga, many things have unfolded in the sports world.

Gautam Gambhir, Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Jude Bellingham are dominating the proceedings on a busy Sunday (February 16) in the World of Sports. Here are the ten unmissable stories of the day -

1. Gambhir backs Bumrah as Test Captain, Jaiswal his deputy for England tour; Hardik to lead in white-ball format

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has proposed appointing Jasprit Bumrah as Test captain and Yashasvi Jaiswal as vice-captain for the upcoming England tour. This recommendation comes despite concerns from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) about Bumrah's injury history. In white-ball formats, Hardik Pandya is expected to take over leadership duties post-Champions Trophy. A source mentioned, "Post Champions Trophy, a call on Rohit Sharma's ODI future will be taken... Hardik will be the ODI captain first."

2. Yashasvi Jaiswal Ruled Out of Ranji Trophy Semi-Final, India Champions Trophy Reserve Spot Also Doubtful

Yashasvi Jaiswal has been ruled out of Mumbai's Ranji Trophy semi-final against Vidarbha due to left ankle pain. A source stated, "Jaiswal has been ruled out... as he is suffering from a left ankle pain." This injury also casts doubt on his role as a non-traveling reserve for India's Champions Trophy squad. Jaiswal is expected to undergo assessment at the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

3. New Champions Trophy 2025 tickets for India's games in Dubai made available

New tickets for India's group-stage matches in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai are now available. These include games against Bangladesh (Feb 20), Pakistan (Feb 23), and New Zealand (Mar 2), as well as limited tickets for Semi-final 1 on March 4. The tickets went on sale at 12 PM GST (Gulf Standard Time) on February 16.

4. Vizag could host couple Delhi Capitals matches in IPL 2025

Delhi Capitals are set to play two of their home matches in the IPL 2025 season at Visakhapatnam's Dr. YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium. This arrangement continues from the previous season, designating Vizag as the team's second home. While specific match dates and opponents are yet to be announced, reports indicate that Delhi Capitals will commence their campaign in the coastal city.

5. Jasprit Bumrah Absence Not A 'Major' Issue For India, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia Backs 'Best Team' To Win Title

Despite Jasprit Bumrah's absence from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 due to a lower back injury, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia remains confident in India's prospects. He stated, "We have picked the best team for the Champions Trophy, and I believe we will win the trophy." Saikia emphasized India's strong bench strength, suggesting Bumrah's absence won't significantly impact the team's performance. Harshit Rana has been named as Bumrah's replacement.

6. Mumbai Indians Rope in Mujeeb Ur Rahman as Replacement For Injured Allah Ghazanfar

Mumbai Indians have signed Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman as a replacement for the injured Allah Ghazanfar for the IPL 2025 season. Ghazanfar, 18, sustained a spinal fracture during Afghanistan's tour of Zimbabwe and is sidelined for at least four months, missing both the Champions Trophy and IPL. Mujeeb, previously unsold in the November 2024 auction, brings experience from over 300 T20 matches with 330 wickets at an economy rate of around 6.5. Mumbai Indians extended their wishes for Ghazanfar's speedy recovery and welcomed Mujeeb to the team.

7. Run-Out Controversy Ensues in Second WPL 2025 Match Between Delhi Capitals and Mumbai Indians

In a thrilling Women's Premier League 2025 match, Delhi Capitals edged out Mumbai Indians by two wickets, with a last-ball run-out decision sparking controversy. Chasing 165, Delhi required two runs off the final delivery. Arundhati Reddy's dive secured the necessary runs, but multiple close run-out calls during the innings, adjudicated by third umpire Gayathri Venugopalan, drew criticism. Former coach Mike Hesson remarked, "Not sure why the umpire tonight has decided that the zinger bails are not applicable?"

8. Jude Bellingham Sees red card with comments passed towards referee

In Real Madrid's 1-1 draw against Osasuna, Jude Bellingham received a straight red card for allegedly insulting referee José Luis Munuera Montero. Bellingham contends he said "f*** off" and not "f*** you" out of frustration, not directed at the referee, and stated, "I never insulted the referee." Coach Carlo Ancelotti supported Bellingham, suggesting a misunderstanding led to the dismissal. Despite being sent off, Bellingham remains eligible for the upcoming Champions League match against Manchester City.

9. Both La Liga table toppers drop points in one day

On February 15, 2025, both La Liga leaders, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, dropped points. Real Madrid drew 1-1 with Osasuna, with Kylian Mbappé scoring early before Jude Bellingham's red card and an Osasuna equalizer. Atlético Madrid also drew 1-1 against Celta Vigo, missing the chance to overtake Real Madrid at the top of the table. These results leave Barcelona who have a match on Monday a wide open chance to take the top spot.

10. Avinash Sable Sets the Bar High, But India's Steeplechase Runners Struggle to Keep Up

Avinash Sable's remarkable performances in steeplechase have popularized the event in India, but other Indian runners struggle to match his standards. At the 38th Uttarakhand National Games, winning times were significantly slower than Sable's national record. Former coach Amrish Kumar highlighted a "lack of collective training and consistency" as key reasons for this gap. He noted that group training was crucial to Sable's success.