On a scorching afternoon in rural Bihar, the rhythmic thump of a water pump rises above the quiet of the cauliflower fields. Here, Devki Devi runs a solar-activated pump which today irrigates 112 farmers across 36 acres of land, and brings her a steady income.But the real story behind the solar-wali didi’s micro-enterprise is that it was fortified by strangers sitting in a Bangalore office or Mumbai high rise after they had scrolled through many such farmers and rural entrepreneurs profiled by Rang De, an online peer-to-peer lending platform. Last month, this unusual crowd-lending platform hit a total disbursement of Rs 100 crore.In a land of staggering inequity, where big businesses routinely default on loans while millions of individuals find themselves on the outskirts of the financial system, Rang De has created a bridge between individual lenders and underserved borrowers. Over the last 15-odd years, this hybrid space braiding philanthropy, social enterprise and finance, has enabled some 11,000 lenders to connect with 28,000 borrowers. The default rate is less than 0.31%. “We are appealing to anyone who wants to invest in a fellow Indian,” says Smita Ram, Rang De co-founder who, along with her husband, started the platform in 2008 after moving back to India from the UK. Their idea was simple, yet radical: Let ordinary Indians lend directly to underserved borrowers across the country—at interest rates that are fair rather than predatory. On average, the interest rate offered on loans is 8% per annum. “People do get financial returns, but that is not the focus. People who are participating on the platform are really interested in change,” adds the Bangalore-based Ram. Rang De does not view credit as merely a financial transaction but as a pathway to unlock dignity and opportunity among people who have been excluded from the financial world due to systemic or gender bias. Long after the gut-wrenching films that chronicled generational debt have given way to a ‘shiny India,’ most Indians still turn to friends, family and ruthless money lenders for urgent credit needs. Many lack documentation like pay-slips or income proof and an established credit history which would enable them to access formal finance. On the other side, there is a growing population of people who aspire to participate in a world beyond their own — but do not know where to begin and whom to trust. The spectrum of lenders on this platform ranges from senior citizens to students, who can invest as little as Rs 500 at a time. A glance at some of the loan requirements is like a reality check into ‘real’ India – a Telangana dairy farmer requires Rs 1 lakh to buy buffaloes and expand his dairy business; a woman in Rajasthan who already runs a successful grocery store needs less than a lakh to move into cosmetic products. Stories of transformation have been palpable in communities across India. For example, soon after the Supreme Court banned hand-pulled rikshas in the car-free town of Matheran, Rang De enabled 462 social investors to collectively raise Rs 53 lakhs to help the riksha pullers get loans to transition to e-rikshas. Last year, some 18 riksha drivers upgraded to e-autos in the dusty Maharashtra hill station. The concept of P2P lending in India is still relatively young. In 2017, the Reserve Bank of India classified P2P crowd-lending platforms under non-banking finance companies and required them to register as well as follow strict disclosure and credit assessment norms. This transformed P2P lending from a risky grey-area activity into a supervised, credible retail asset class. While most P2P platforms sought salaried borrowers and monthly returns, Rang De’s team went about identifying borrowers who were never entertained for a loan inside a bank branch—people who had stories, not credit histories. Rang De partners with local non-government organisations and social enterprises. Devki Devi came to Rang De’s attention thanks to the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (India), while the e-riksha loan project was facilitated through Caring Friends. The team does its own due diligence.For Devki Devi, who was married at 15, and had three children, one of whom has developmental disabilities, life had been a constant battle for survival. Now, many like her are exhaling into a brave new world of possibilities.

In the lead-up to India’s ODI series against South Africa, a fresh wave of excitement hit social media. Recently, a set of images featuring Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni went viral, showing Kohli sitting on Dhoni’s iconic Yamaha RX 100, a selfie of the two legends, and the duo casually chatting outside Dhoni’s home. Fans quickly flooded Instagram and X with praise and nostalgia for the iconic pair. However, it has now emerged that these images circulating online were AI-generated. The pictures were created using generative tools that superimposed Kohli and Dhoni into staged settings, including Dhoni’s prized motorbike collection, giving the illusion of a relaxed evening in Ranchi.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Earlier, ahead of the three-match ODI series starting Sunday at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium, a reunion involving Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, and Ruturaj Gaikwad visiting MS Dhoni’s residence had already captured attention on social media, adding an emotional element to India’s build-up for the series.KL Rahul will lead the ODI series as Shubman Gill is ruled out due to a neck injury. India’s ODI squad for the series is: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C) (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, and Dhruv Jurel. The first ODI is scheduled for Sunday at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi, and all eyes will be on India as they aim for a strong start in the limited-overs format.

Mandeep Singh has unveiled a star-studded all-time IPL XI that features several modern greats but surprisingly leaves out record-breaking name like David Warner.

Speaking to CricTracker, Mandeep, a veteran of 14 IPL seasons with 111 appearances, has built his reputation as a prolific domestic run-getter and a reliable T20 anchor, recently leading Punjab to the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title in 2023 to end a three-decade drought for the state. After moving to Tripura for the 2024–25 domestic season, he captained across formats and compiled consistent scores in Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy and Syed Mushtaq Ali, even as the team failed to go beyond the group stages. His experience across franchises and domestic setups lends weight to his choices in an all-time IPL XI picked in an interaction with CricTracker.​

Mandeep Singh’s bold revelation of all time IPL XI

For the XI, Mandeep opted for an all-Indian opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, banking on their proven IPL pedigree and big-match temperament at the top. Suresh Raina, long hailed as “Mr IPL” for his consistency with Chennai Super Kings, was slotted at No. 3, followed by AB de Villiers at No. 4 to provide explosiveness and versatility in the middle overs. Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni complete a power-packed core, with Dhoni taking over the dual role of wicketkeeper and captain, underlining his unmatched legacy as a leader and finisher in the league.​

Also READ: Ayush Mhatre breaks Rohit Sharma’s record with exceptional century in Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy 2025

Power-packed lower order and big omissions

In the lower middle order, Hardik Pandya is the lone seam-bowling all-rounder, giving balance with his ability to bowl in different phases and clear the ropes at the death. The pace attack is headlined by Lasith Malinga and Jasprit Bumrah, a pair that terrorized opposition batters for years at Mumbai Indians with yorkers and variations across multiple title-winning campaigns.

The spin department is equally intimidating, with Rashid Khan and Sunil Narine chosen as frontline tweakers, combining mystery, control and lower-order hitting to cover multiple roles. As Impact Player, Mandeep has gone for Chris Gayle, the “Universe Boss”, whose record for most sixes and the highest individual IPL score (175*) makes him one of the most destructive T20 openers of all time.​

However, the talking point is not just who made the cut, but who missed out. Mandeep’s XI does not feature Yuzvendra Chahal, the league’s leading wicket-taker with over 220 scalps, despite his sustained success across franchises in the middle overs. Even more eye-catching is the absence of Warner, the only player to have won the Orange Cap three times and one of the highest run-getters and half-century makers in IPL history, widely regarded as the most successful overseas batter in the tournament. The exclusions highlight the difficulty of compressing more than 17 years of IPL excellence into a single XI, while also revealing Mandeep’s clear preference for multi-dimensional cricketers who offer leadership, flexibility and impact in multiple phases of a T20 game.

Mandeep Singh’s all-time IPL XI

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, AB de Villiers, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Hardik Pandya, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Rashid Khan, Sunil Narine.

Also READ: After trading Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals consider ownership change ahead of IPL 2026

S Jaishankar at a felicitation ceremony at IIM Calcutta

KOLKATA: External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Saturday that the world was looking beyond the US and China to other countries and blocs for trade and energy as they try to hedge against contingencies.Calling the US the “long-time underwriter of the contemporary system”, Jaishankar said, “The US has set radically new terms of engagement. It is doing so by dealing with countries on a one-on-one basis. China has long played by its own rules and is now doing so even more.”Jaishankar was speaking at an event at Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta where he received a Doctorate of Philosophies Honoris Causa — an honorary doctorate.Pointing to the fast-changing nature of current geopolitics, he said, “This is an era where politics increasingly trumps economics, and that is not a pun.” He said the “pulls and pressures of globalisation, fragmentation and supply insecurities” have prompted the rest of the world to respond by “hedging against all contingencies”. Jaishankar said countries were exploring options other than the US and China “with great urgency”, and a sign of which was the uptick in enthusiasm around free trade agreements across geographies.Speaking on de-risking and hedging against uncertainties, Jaishankar called for more production centres and resilient supply lines. “The decisions are not merely made on costs, but taking into account ownership and security — (on) where a product is made and who offers a service is as important as the price point.”On energy, he said the US transformed from an importer of fossil fuels into a “significant exporter” while China dominates renewables. “Where trade is concerned, supply-side risks are aggravated by demand-side uncertainties,” he said.The remarks come at a time when more than 85% of India’s crude oil demand is met by imports from countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the US. After war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, India’s reliance on oil imports rose sharply due to discounted crude from the country.Jaishankar said India was actively pursuing self-reliance and making itself a manufacturing base for industries, with a focus on “reducing our vulnerabilities” and “promoting our influence” in the global market. “As India rises and our economy grows, we are preparing to shoulder more responsibilities… India has been making exponential advancements in infrastructure as well as in the latest scientific developments,” he said.

A screen displays delays in IndiGo flights at Delhi’s IGI on Saturday. According to DGCA, 82% of the 338 Indian aircraft had been updated by Saturday evening. IndiGo announced before midnight that it had completed the task of updating its 200 affected jets

NEW DELHI: A cosmic curveball forced a frantic fix as Indian operators of Airbus’s best-selling A320 aircraft worked through the weekend to undo a software upgrade now tied to solar-flare risk.They rushed to roll back flight-control updates on 338 identified aircraft. IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express expect to finish the downgrade by late Saturday-Sunday night, averting what regulators warned could have caused pilots to briefly lose control during intense radiation events. Not all A320s were impacted.Working under DGCA supervision, airlines pushed the fixes without grounding fleets and avoiding mass cancellations at the peak of holiday travel. Updates took roughly 40-50 minutes for each aircraft. By 5.30pm Saturday, only four Air India Express flights were cancelled, with carriers bracing for delays of up to 90 minutes.According to DGCA, IndiGo, the world’s largest A320 operator, had updated 184 of 200 affected jets by Saturday evening; Air India 69 of 113; Air India Express 17 of 25 – 278 aircraft, or 82% of the 338 flagged globally in Indian fleets. IndiGo announced before midnight it had completed the task. Earlier, IndiGo said on X its engineers had completed updates on 160 of 200 mandated aircraft by Saturday evening, with “minimal delays and zero cancellations”, and expected to meet all deadlines.Air India said its teams had worked “round-the-clock,” anticipated full compliance within EASA’s timelines and reported “no cancellations” due to the task, though some flights would run slightly late.Air India Express said most of its A320 fleet was already compliant and remaining aircraft were on track, crediting coordinated work across engineering, operations and safety teams.Airbus triggered the scramble late Friday after directing operators to revert flight control computers to a 2022 software build. Regulators in Europe, India and US quickly issued emergency orders.The move followed an Oct 30 JetBlue A320 event in which the jet allegedly pitched nose-down without pilot input while flying Cancun-Newark. The aircraft diverted to Tampa, where 15-20 passengers injured in the uncontrolled descent were hospitalised. Investigators later linked the issue to an upgrade, dubbed L104, for the elevator and aileron computer (ELAC).Airbus warned that solar radiation could corrupt data critical to flight controls on certain software-hardware combinations, prompting operators to revert to the older build on susceptible jets.Indian carriers received the first late-night alert around 9.30pm Friday. “At first, it seemed a much bigger issue that would require grounding and a massive impact,” said an official managing the response. Coordinated work across multiple maintenance bases revealed the rollback could be completed in under 50 minutes on newer aircraft, while older jets required additional hardware changes.Global carriers also cancelled and delayed services as the scale of the alert briefly appeared to run into thousands of aircraft before being narrowed to a smaller subset. Airbus said it acted after analysing an event “revealing that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls”, adding it worked with regulators to ensure fleets remained safe.

British playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard died at the age of 88 on Saturday. He passed away at his home in Dorset, England, surrounded by his family, reports the BBC. Stoppard was regarded as one of the greatest dramatists of his generation. His career spanned over six decades, producing a string of acclaimed plays and screenplays. He was best known for works like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Arcadia, The Real Thing and Leopoldstadt.His name extended beyond the theatre. Stoppard also wrote for radio, television and film. Among his celebrated screen credits was the Academy Award–winning screenplay for Shakespeare in Love (1998), shared with Marc Norman.Stoppard’s body of work stood out for its combination of wit, intellectual depth and emotional honesty. His plays often explored philosophy, history, identity and human relationships and even comedic flair.He was born in 1937 in Czechoslovakia (Now Czech Republic). He fled Nazi persecution as a child and eventually settled in Britain, where he adopted the name Tom Stoppard. His early life experiences, personal loss, and later discovering his Jewish heritage helped shape the themes and emotional core of many of his later works.In 2012, Stoppard attended the Jaipur Literature Festival, one of the largest literary gatherings in the world. His presence drew huge attention from literature enthusiasts and aspiring writers, eager to hear insights. During the festival, Stoppard spoke about the craft of playwriting, the interplay of history and philosophy in drama, and his personal journey from Czechoslovakia to Britain. Stoppard is survived by his family, children and grandchildren.

Pakistan’s players (AP Photo/Anjum Naveed)

Pakistan secured victory in the Twenty20 tri-series final by defeating Sri Lanka with a six-wicket margin on Saturday.Sri Lanka’s batting lineup collapsed dramatically, losing their final eight wickets for just 16 runs and getting bowled out for 114 in 19.1 overs.

Pakistan successfully chased down the target, reaching 118-4 with eight balls remaining. The opening pair of Saim Ayub and Sahibzada Farhan contributed 36 and 23 runs respectively, while Babar Azam remained unbeaten with 37 runs off 34 balls.Sri Lanka, despite winning their previous matches against Zimbabwe and Pakistan, struggled against Pakistan’s spin attack. Mohammad Nawaz took 3-17, Abrar Ahmed claimed 2-18, and Ayub picked up 1-17.“It was a great performance from us. We have been doing well in both ODIs and T20Is … we are pretty much ready for the World Cup. We still have six games before the World Cup to try out things if we want but we are pretty much clear on our 15 players,” Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha said.Sri Lanka, batting first, made a promising start reaching 81-1 at the halfway mark. However, they managed only one six against the spinners in the first 12 overs.Kamil Mishara impressed with 59 runs off 47 balls, forming a 64-run partnership with Kusal Mendis who scored 14.The Sri Lankan innings began to unravel when Babar took an impressive catch at long-off to dismiss Mendis off Nawaz’s bowling in the 11th over.Mishara, who reached his fifty in 37 balls, fell to another spectacular catch by Babar. Sri Lanka’s situation worsened as they lost more wickets quickly.Ahmed struck twice in one over, while Babar continued his brilliant fielding by catching Pavan Rathnayake. Kusal Perera’s poor form continued as he managed only 1 run.Nawaz emerged as the tournament’s leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets, dismissing both Janith Liyanage and Wanindu Hasaranga. Shaheen Shah Afridi wrapped up the innings with 3-18.“It is important to deliver when the team requires you. I plan with the coaches and try to keep it simple because, as a finger-spinner, you don’t have many options so I try to read the game and bowl accordingly,” Nawaz said.During Pakistan’s chase, Ayub attacked Maheesh Theekshana in the powerplay, hitting three boundaries in one over. Farhan followed with aggressive batting against Hasaranga.Despite Rathnayake dismissing Agha and Fakhar Zaman in consecutive overs, Babar maintained his composure and secured the win with a boundary.