Every basketball player you admire — from pickup court legends to NBA stars — started somewhere. They started with a ball, a hoop, and enough curiosity to keep showing up and working. The gap between beginner and competent player is shorter than most newcomers expect, because basketball skills are learnable, coachable, and respond reliably to…

When India and Afghanistan meet in a bilateral ODI series, the narrative extends well beyond the obvious contest between a top-ranked team and a rising nation. Afghanistan’s rapid development as a cricket force — their transition from ICC associate member to a team capable of challenging full members in all formats — is one of…