Sports News Bulletin: Jhandu Kumar, Putul Sonowal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Guardiola

India's Commonwealth Games campaign gathered momentum on Saturday with its first medal on the board and another impressive lawn bowls victory, while Indian cricket celebrated a convincing win in Zimbabwe powered by teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. Football was dominated by managerial developments in Italy and fresh reactions to the FIFA World Cup, while cricket and hockey continued to produce major headlines.

1. Jhandu Kumar wins India's first Commonwealth Games medal

India opened its medal account at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after para powerlifter Jhandu Kumar claimed bronze in the men's heavyweight final.

The Bihar athlete successfully lifted 190kg on his second attempt to finish third with 130.9 points. He came close to rewriting the Commonwealth Games record with a final lift of 196kg but fell short. Earlier in the competition, Ashok Malik narrowly missed a podium finish after placing fourth in the men's lightweight category, while India's other lifters finished outside the medals.

Jhandu's achievement capped an inspiring journey, having overcome polio and financial hardship to reach the international stage.

2. Putul Sonowal continues dream Commonwealth Games debut

India's Putul Sonowal continued his unbeaten run in the Commonwealth Games lawn bowls competition with another hard-fought victory in Glasgow.

After stunning reigning world champion Ryan Bester in his opening match, the Asian champion defeated Cecil Alexander of the Falkland Islands in another tie-break to strengthen his position in the men's singles sectional stage. Sonowal will next face Malaysia as he looks to secure a place in the knockout rounds.

3. Sooryavanshi powers India to winning start in Zimbabwe

Fifteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi announced himself on the international stage with an explosive 18-ball half-century as India defeated Zimbabwe by seven wickets in the opening T20I.

After India's young pace attack restricted Zimbabwe to 125 for 7, Sooryavanshi smashed four sixes and four boundaries to all but finish the chase inside the powerplay. The victory ended India's seven-match winless run in T20Is and handed captain Shreyas Iyer his first win since taking charge of the side.

4. Travis Head dismisses Virat Kohli fallout rumours

Australia opener Travis Head has denied there is any bad blood between himself and Virat Kohli following their much-discussed IPL handshake incident earlier this year.

Head insisted there was "nothing to patch over" after footage of Kohli walking past him without a handshake sparked speculation online. The Australian also praised his wife Jessica Davies for handling the online abuse she received following the controversy, saying such reactions have unfortunately become part of professional sport.

5. IOC declines to investigate FIFA president Gianni Infantino

The International Olympic Committee has ruled that it will not investigate FIFA president Gianni Infantino over allegations relating to political neutrality during the FIFA World Cup.

The complaint, submitted by campaign group FairSquare, centred on Infantino's interactions with US President Donald Trump after the suspension of Folarin Balogun's automatic one-match ban. The IOC said the matter falls outside the jurisdiction of its ethics commission, although Norway is still considering a formal complaint to FIFA.

6. Guardiola turns down Italy job as Pirlo closes in

Pep Guardiola has reportedly rejected the opportunity to become Italy's next head coach following talks with the Italian Football Federation.

According to reports in Italy, Guardiola declined the offer for personal reasons despite the federation presenting a long-term project to rebuild Italian football after the nation's failure to qualify for a third successive World Cup. Andrea Pirlo is now expected to succeed Gennaro Gattuso as Italy manager.