Year-ender 2022: Top moments in Indian sports

2022 produced some of the best moments in Indian sporting history; records were made that will be remembered for years to come and here's a reminder of those moments that'll forever be etched in Indian

Thomas Cup Triumph
A victory like none other! One that many consider equivalent to the Cricket World Cup triumphs. The Indian men's badminton team made history in May when they stunned 14-time Champions Indonesia to win the Thomas Cup. It was India's first finals appearance in the tournament's 73-year history, only the 13th time they had qualified in 32 editions and the men made sure India became only the 6th country after China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and Denmark to lift the coveted crown.

Kohli Special at MCG
India vs Pakistan at the mighty MCG, it doesn't get bigger than that. Chasing 160 for victory in their opening T20 World Cup encounter, the Men in Blue were down and out at 31/4. But cometh the hour, cometh the man. When all hope was lost, India's King Kohli once again single-handedly lifted 1.2 billion Indians out of despair with a stunning 82*. His knock, the best of his star-studded career, saw his side win on the final ball with 90,000 at the 'G' witnessing a true spectacle.

Golden Man with Golden Arm
How can Neeraj Chopra not be on this list? After all, he had another unbelievable year, collecting new records on the global stage. While he couldn't defend his Commonwealth Games crown due to injury, the Olympic Champion became only the second Indian and the first Indian male to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships. To add to his silver in Oregon, Neeraj also became the first Indian to win the Diamond League title in September, capping off another year where India's golden man with the golden arm shone through.

The Historic Firsts at CWG
While there were some incredible performances from the wrestlers, weightlifters, and boxers, there were a few achievements at the Commonwealth Games that deserve a special spotlight. 2-time Olympic medalist PV Sindhu, adding to the plethora of her medals, finally added that elusive CWG Gold to her cabinet. Eldhose Paul & Abdulla Aboobacker made history by taking home Gold & Silver respectively in the men's triple jump event. The women's cricket team too won the silver in the very first full-fledged edition of the sport at the Commonwealth Games. But it was the Women's Lawn Bowls team that exceeded all expectations, with the quartet of Lovely Choubey, Pinky, Rupa Rani Tirkey, and Nayanmoni Saikia clinching an unexpected Gold, India's first-ever medal in the sport.

BCCI's Equal Pay Policy
In a landmark move, the BCCI announced pay parity for its women cricketers, with secretary Jay Shah announcing that all women cricketers contracted with the board will be paid the same match fee as their male counterparts across the three formats. The decision earned praise from all quarters, with cricketers, sportspersons, and celebrities from all walks of life and other countries hailing the move from the Indian cricket board.