The eighth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA) will be held on March 21, 2026, in Lucknow, celebrating the achievements and inspiring journeys of India’s finest athletes across multiple disciplines. TOISA 2025 will honour performances delivered between January 1 and December 31, 2025, recognising standout displays at major international tournaments and world championships. Featuring more than 45 award categories, the event acknowledges both established stars and rising talents who brought pride to the nation.The winners will be decided by a distinguished jury comprising some of India’s most celebrated sporting icons, including Olympic champion Abhinav Bindra, hockey legend PR Sreejesh, former batting great Mithali Raj, Paralympic champion Devendra Jhajharia, table tennis stalwart Sharath Kamal and tennis legend Leander Paes. Their expertise ensures a credible and comprehensive evaluation of excellence across Indian sport.The hockey nominees for TOISA 2025 reflect India’s strong performances on the continental stage during the year. Among the men, Asia Cup-winning captain Harmanpreet Singh led from the front with six goals, while forward Abhishek Nain was named Player of the Tournament after scoring six times in the title-winning campaign. Defenders Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas also impressed with consistent performances across the Asia Cup and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.In the women’s category, defender Udita Duhan stood out with a Player of the Tournament display in India’s runners-up finish at the Asia Cup. Forwards Navneet Kaur and Mumtaz Khan were joint top scorers for India with six goals each, while Rutuja Pisal added four goals to underline the depth and promise in India’s attacking lineup.Here are the nominees for Hockey at TOISA 2025:HOCKEY – MALEAbhishek NainDate of Birth: August 15, 1999Place of Birth: Sonipat, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner – Player of the Tournament (6 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-upAbhishek Nain enjoyed a breakthrough 2025 season as a forward for the Indian men’s hockey team, emerging as one of the side’s most influential performers. He was instrumental in India’s triumphant campaign at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, where he scored six goals and was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his outstanding displays. Abhishek also made a significant impact at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, finding the net three times as India finished runners-up in the prestigious invitational tournament.Harmanpreet SinghDate of Birth: January 6, 1996Place of Birth: Amritsar, PunjabSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner – Captain (6 goals)Harmanpreet Singh led from the front as captain of the Indian men’s hockey team, guiding the side to a memorable title triumph at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar. A commanding defender and one of the finest drag-flick specialists in world hockey, Harmanpreet once again showcased his prowess from penalty corners, scoring six goals during the tournament. His leadership and clinical finishing proved crucial in India’s successful campaign, further cementing his reputation as one of the game’s premier defenders.Jugraj SinghDate of Birth: December 11, 1996Place of Birth: Attari, PunjabSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner (4 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Jugraj Singh enjoyed an impressive 2025 season, playing a key role in India’s triumphant campaign at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar. The defender was instrumental in the title-winning run, contributing four crucial goals during the tournament. He carried that form into the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, where India finished runners-up, once again scoring four goals and making a significant impact at both ends of the pitch. His consistency across the two major tournaments underlined his growing importance in the national setup.Amit RohidasDate of Birth: May 10, 1993Place of Birth: Sundergarh, OdishaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Winner (2 goals)Sultan Azlan Shah Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Amit Rohidas put together a strong 2025 campaign, playing a vital role as vice-captain of the Indian men’s hockey team. The seasoned defender was instrumental in India’s title-winning run at the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar, where he contributed two crucial goals and marshalled the backline with authority. He continued his fine form at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, scoring four goals as India finished runners-up. Reliable in defence and effective in attack, Rohidas made a telling impact at both ends of the pitch across the two major tournaments.HOCKEY – FEMALEUdita DuhanDate of Birth: January 14, 1998Place of Birth: Hisar, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up – Player of the Tournament (3 goals)Udita Duhan was instrumental in India’s runners-up finish at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The defender delivered standout performances throughout the tournament, scoring three goals while anchoring the backline with composure and authority. Her all-round impact earned her the Player of the Tournament award, highlighting her pivotal role in India’s impressive campaign.Navneet KaurDate of Birth: January 26, 1996Place of Birth: Shahabad Markanda, HaryanaSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (6 goals)Navneet Kaur delivered a strong performance at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China, playing a key role in India’s runners-up finish. The experienced forward finished as the joint top-scorer for the team with six goals during the tournament, consistently leading the charge in attack as India went all the way to the final before finishing behind hosts China.Mumtaz KhanDate of Birth: January 15, 2003Place of Birth: Lucknow, Uttar PradeshSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (6 goals)Mumtaz Khan impressed with a strong showing at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The young forward struck up a fine attacking partnership with senior pro Navneet Kaur, with both players scoring six goals each — the joint-highest for India in the tournament. Mumtaz’s contributions were vital in powering India to the final, where they eventually finished runners-up to hosts China.Rutuja PisalDate of Birth: November 28, 2002Place of Birth: Satara, MaharashtraSport: HockeyMajor Achievements in 2025:Asia Cup: Runners-up (4 goals)Rutuja Pisal emerged as another bright spark in India’s forward line at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup in Hangzhou, China. The young attacker netted four goals during the tournament, playing an important role in India’s run to the final, where they eventually finished runners-up to hosts China. Earlier in 2025, the Satara, Maharashtra native produced a match-winning display in the Hockey India League, scoring both goals to power the Odisha Warriors to a 2-1 victory over Soorma Hockey Club in the championship clash.

Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed on Sunday confirmed his retirement from all forms of cricket, bringing an end to a long international career in which he led the side to memorable triumphs against arch-rivals India national cricket team in two major ICC tournament finals.The wicketkeeper-batter, who last represented the Pakistan national cricket team in a Test against the Australia national cricket team in Perth in December 2023, announced his decision through a statement released by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

According to sources within the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the formal announcement could now allow Sarfaraz to be appointed as the head coach of the national Test team on a long-term basis.The red-ball coaching role has remained unfilled since the board decided not to continue with Azhar Mahmood, who had been serving as the interim head coach of the Test team last year.Sarfaraz, who will turn 39 in May, has already been given several responsibilities within Pakistan’s cricket structure. Recently, he was named as a member of the national selection committee and also appointed mentor and manager for the Pakistan Under-19 and Shaheens squads.Despite nearing the end of his career, the Karachi-born cricketer had continued playing domestic cricket and featured in a first-class match as recently as October last year. However, in his statement, he said he now intends to dedicate his time to his administrative and mentoring duties.“I could never have dreamt of captaining Pakistan in all three formats and winning the ICC U-19 World Cup in 2006 and the 2017 Champions Trophy… they are unforgettable moments for me,” he said.Sarfaraz added that throughout his career he had aimed to encourage fearless cricket while also fostering strong unity within the team environment.During his international journey, the wicketkeeper-batter represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 One-Day Internationals and 61 T20 Internationals. He also captained the national side in 100 matches across the three formats.