KOLKATA: The much-hyped Messi show, which descended into utter chaos after the football star stepped out of the Salt Lake stadium on Saturday, left the fans not just disappointed, but in some cases feeling completely despondent. Most of them were left searching for answers as to why their dream show, for which they had paid through their nose, had to turn into a disaster. Messi was laughing, smiling, waving, obliging selfie-hunters till his entourage decided they had had enough.And they had a reason. Every step of Messi was an effort in itself as hundred-odd people surrounded him throughout, some coming too close for comfort. That also blocked the view of the 60,000-odd paying fans who had shelled out anything between Rs 5,000 to Rs 16,000 to be there just for a glimpse of the superstar. Patience in the stands was already running thin and the bubble burst just after Messi exited.

“When you buy a ticket worth Rs 16,000, you expect to get at least a clear view of Messi. We have been scammed,” Soumyadeep Ghosh of Kalighat said, holding half of his torn hospitality ticket. Many of the sandwiches in the hospitality packets were used as missiles as the fans vented their anger. One of his friends, a delivery boy, had saved up for this day after buying a Rs 9,000-worth ticket. Delhi-based student Shaban had shelled out Rs 11,000. “In Delhi, it was costlier. So I decided to come home to Ranchi and attend the Messi show here.”Fans were not allowed to carry water inside either, but plastic bottles were being sold at a premium. “I bought this for Rs 200,” a fan chucked away a bottle that would normally cost Rs 20. Many of these landed inside the ground.As varied emotions flowed, the question was what compelled Messi to abort the show for fans he himself had termed as passionate. The answer perhaps lies in the selfie-hunters. There were just too many people in the middle of the Salt lake stadium who were looking to get a picture clicked with him, get him to sign their jersey and even let them touch his feet. Just too many people, and that included the security personnel who had been tasked with the job of ensuring that no one got close to him.But, how do you ensure that when the selfie-hunters are themselves bigshots who do not take a no? What do you tell a top football official, who wants his shirt signed by Messi? How do you stop the Argentina-jersey wearing son of an official, who has no business being there, but wants a picture with the legend?Satadru Dutta, the sole organiser of the Messi G.O.A.T India Tour, kept on asking people to vacate the ground. But the question is, why did he allow them to be there in the first place? How can you eject people whom you yourself have invited by handing out a plethora of inside-the-ground accreditation cards. “What were the politicians doing inside the ground,” Subhasish Dutta of Narayanpur asked.And finally, did the organiser put too much on Messi’s platter? In his quest to pick up as much sponsorship as possible and also please the powers that be, Dutta perhaps piled up too many events on the superstar’s shoulders and it would have been a miracle if he had managed to pull it off without a glitch.

Mumbai: Observing that the use of bank accounts, sham and bogus companies, the siphoning of funds, and the execution of illegal transactions — specifically the Rs 5.5 crore that was placed, routed, and layered — constituted the offence of money laundering, a special court recently rejected discharge pleas filed by former state revenue minister Eknath Khadse, his wife Mandakini Khadse, son-in-law Girish Chaudhary, and sub registrar Ravindra B Mulley.“The material on record prima facie reveals that accused no 2 (Mandakini Khadse) and 3 (Chaudhari) have acquired the property by means which are not legally approved, and the property acquired by criminal activity is relatable to scheduled offence. “Prima facie, a case of criminal misconduct, which is a scheduled offence is made out…it is clear that there is sufficient material to frame charges against all the accused for the offence under…the PMLA,” special judge Satyanarayan R Navander said. All the accused were ordered to appear on Dec 18, for the formal framing of charges under the PMLA.On Dec 4, the same court had rejected discharge pleas by the Khadses and Chaudhari in the predicate offence probed by the ACB. The predicate or scheduled offence is one based on which, the ED registers its money laundering case.The trio are accused in a case relating to the alleged misuse of official position to purchase land in Bhosari, Pune, which was already acquired by the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).In the 24-page order made available in the PMLA case on Dec 10, the judge noted that Khadse’s actions were not within the scope of his official duties as revenue minister, thus, negating the need for prior sanction for prosecution.

The Hobart Hurricanes secured their first-ever Women’s Big Bash League title with a resounding eight-wicket victory over the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL 2025 Final at Ninja Stadium in Hobart. The grand finale, a clash between the table-toppers and the team that took the long route through the play-offs, ultimately belonged to the home side, who chased down the target of 138 with five overs to spare.

The match will be forever remembered for the incredible batting clinic put on by former South African superstar Lizelle Lee, whose brutal, record-breaking knock ensured the Hurricanes controlled the chase from the very first ball. Despite a competitive total put up by the Scorchers, led by some handy middle-order contributions, their bowling attack was simply no match for the firepower of the Hurricanes’ openers, culminating in a celebration for the ages in front of a capacity crowd.

WBBL|11: Perth Scorchers’ solid yet insufficient total against Hobart Hurricanes in the final

Perth Scorchers captain Sophie Devine won the toss and elected to bat first, hoping to utilise the pressure of a final by posting a challenging total. They managed to put up 137/5 from their 20 overs, a score that looked respectable on the board but ultimately fell short on a good batting surface under the lights. The Scorchers’ innings was anchored by their star openers, Beth Mooney and Katie Mack, who laid a solid foundation with a steady partnership before being separated.

Mooney, the tournament’s leading run-scorer, played a composed knock but was never allowed to truly accelerate by the disciplined Hurricanes bowlers, particularly the spin of Molly Strano and Linsey Smith, who kept the scoring rate in check through the middle overs. The Scorchers lost wickets at crucial junctures, preventing any batter from unleashing a late-innings blitz, with only Paige Scholfield and Alana King adding vital late boundaries to push the total past the 130 mark. The Hurricanes’ bowlers, led by the economical spells of Nicola Carey and Heather Graham, executed their plans perfectly, ensuring the Scorchers never reached the 150-160 par score necessary to truly challenge their in-form opponent.

HOBART’S HEROES 💜

The @HurricanesBBL have won their first WBBL title in #WBBL11 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3zVGaoqfDD

— Weber Women’s Big Bash League (@WBBL) December 13, 2025

Also READ: Smriti Mandhana’s remarks on ‘feeling low’ returns after her wedding setback with Palash Muchhal

WBBL|11: Lizelle Lee’s record-breaking title-clinching knock

The chase for 138 runs quickly turned into a masterclass in power-hitting, thanks entirely to the sublime form of Lee. The South African opener obliterated the target with an unbeaten, WBBL Final record score of 77 off just 44 balls, a monumental effort that included 10 fours and 4 sixes. Lee started her innings with astonishing aggression, hitting three consecutive boundaries in the very first over to immediately dismantle any belief the Scorchers’ bowlers had. Her partnership with England’s Danni Wyatt-Hodge was explosive, setting the tone with over 50 runs scored inside the Powerplay.

🎉 Hobart Hurricanes Take the WBBL11 Crown! 🏆

First-time champions! The Hurricanes defeat the Scorchers by 8 wickets to win their first WBBL title! 💥🔥

Scorecard: https://t.co/92tzDij1qY#WBBL11 #HobartHurricanes #WBBLChampions #LizelleLee #Cricket pic.twitter.com/epgoIWJcUM

— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) December 13, 2025

Even after Wyatt-Hodge fell, Lee found an able partner in Nat Sciver-Brunt (35 off 27 balls), and the pair continued to deal in boundaries, completely neutralizing the threat of star spinner King, who went for more than 10 runs per over. Lee’s clean striking and audacious shot selection simply overwhelmed the fielders and the bowling plans, with the Hurricanes cruising past the target in just 15 overs. The dominant eight-wicket win sealed a well-deserved maiden title for the Hurricanes, driven by an unforgettable, history-making performance by their powerful opener, who was named Player of the Final.

🌟 Lizelle Lee Makes WBBL Final History! 💥

Lizelle Lee smashes the highest-ever score in a WBBL final with her match-winning 77 and is named Player of the Match! 🏆💪#WBBL10 #HobartHurricane #LizelleLee pic.twitter.com/akItZYMiFa

— WomenCricket.com (@WomenCricketHQ) December 13, 2025

Also READ: India hand maiden T20I call-ups to G Kamalini and Vaishnavi Sharma for Sri Lanka series

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

Mumbai: A special MCOCA court on Wednesday rejected the discharge plea submitted by 52-year-old former waiter Vasant Naik, arrested as a key accused in an alleged organised crime syndicate that committed a robbery of Rs 72 lakh at Cafe Mysore owner Naresh Nayak’s Matunga residence last year. The court found that the evidence, particularly the accused’s direct link to the conspiracy and recovery of the illicit money, established clear grounds for trial under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). Naik admitted to having previously worked at Cafe Mysore. The prosecution argued Naik was removed from his service and, fuelled by anger and motive, misused his intimate knowledge of the Nayak home and habit of keeping large amounts of cash. “At this prima facie stage, the chargesheet reflects that the applicant gave information to the co-accused on phone call about money possessed by complainant,” the judge said. A case was registered with Sion polic. On May 13 last year, the accused, posing as crime branch and poll officers, conducted a “search” at Nayak’s home, claiming they had information he stashed Rs 17 crore, and took Rs 72 lakh. Police invoked MCOCA against 9, including 2 cops—one of them retired. The investigation allegedly revealed that Naik provided the critical information about the complainant’s wealth to a co-accused, Sagar Redekar. This information was then routed through a chain of co-accused, including Hiren Waghela, Niraj Khandagale, and Ajit Aparaj, before reaching Premchand Jaiswal, the alleged gang leader, who orchestrated the crime with others.The judge found strong prima facie evidence of Naik’s involvement through direct material. The complainant’s statement reflected that Naik had “visiting terms” to his house and “having knowledge that he possessed cash amount inside his house and he used to remain alone in the house”. The recovery panchnama showed that Rs 50,000 of the looted amount was recovered “at the instance of present applicant (Naik) which was concealed by him in red coloured travelling bag kept inside the cupboard of his room”.The call detail records (CDR) showed that Naik made calls to co-accused Sagar Redekar and Hiren Wagela on May 12 and 13, 2024, immediately preceding and on the day of the incident.Addressing the defence claim that the money recovered was unconnected to the crime and the calls were merely social, the judge said, “At this prima facie stage, chargesheet reflect that the applicant gave information to the co-accused on phone call about money possessed by complainant. Therefore, he made phone calls to the co-accused on the day of incident and prior to one day of the incident. As earlier discussed the defence cannot be considered at this stage.“

Broken chairs strewn amid chaos during an event of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi as part of his ‘G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025’, at Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan (VYBK), in Kolkata. (PTI Photo/Swapan Mahapatra)

Former India cricketer Manoj Tiwari launched a scathing attack on the organisers and authorities after chaos marred Lionel Messi’s much-hyped appearance at Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday, saying a global icon like the Argentine superstar “deserved better”.“I am speechless of what happened today in my city! This is shambolic! Me, being an international sportsperson can feel how embarrassing it was for Messi today. We all love him and the craze was well anticipated! Organizer Satadru has already been arrested and I thank the police department for the prompt action. The way Satadru played with the hard-earned money and emotion of the football-loving people of Bengal today at the Salt Lake Stadium, deserves an alarming punishment... Another case of False promise and complete mismanagement by Satadru! Thankfully I was not present today… I always had doubt if he had the credibility of pulling off an event like this in Kolkata. A legend like Leo Messi deserved better. I am sure the Government will take strict action against Satadru and management.. Kolkata didn’t deserve this!” Tiwari wrote on X.

Messi’s much-anticipated visit lasted just 22 minutes, enough to turn what was billed as a historic celebration into a spectacle of mismanagement. More than 50,000 fans, many of whom paid between Rs 4,000 and Rs 12,000, and even higher in the black market, were left frustrated after failing to get a clear glimpse of the World Cup winner. The situation deteriorated rapidly as Messi was surrounded by politicians, VVIPs and security personnel, effectively blocking the view of the paying public. Despite repeated appeals from promoter Satadru Dutta over the public address system to clear the ground, the crowding worsened, forcing Messi’s early exit.Angry fans reacted by throwing bottles and chairs, vandalising canopies and damaging stadium property, prompting police intervention. The unrest lasted over an hour, though police largely showed restraint to prevent a stampede.Messi’s second visit to Kolkata, part of his India tour, was meant to inspire football lovers. Instead, it exposed glaring gaps in planning and crowd control, leaving behind disappointment, damage and serious questions about governance and accountability.