Krishnappa Gowtham (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Krishnappa Gowtham announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on Monday at the age of 37. The Karnataka all-rounder spent 14 years playing professional cricket in India. He was known for his big hitting down the order and his reliable off-spin bowling. Gowtham made his first-class debut for Karnataka in the 2012 Ranji Trophy season against Uttar Pradesh. He impressed right away by taking the wickets of Suresh Raina and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in his first match.

The 2016–17 Ranji Trophy season was a big moment in his career. He took 27 wickets in just eight matches and proved himself as a true all-rounder. In the following season, he added batting strength to his game by scoring his first first-class century against Assam in Mysuru.Gowtham built an awe-inspiring domestic record over the years. He finished his career with more than 320 wickets across first-class and List A cricket. He also played many useful innings with the bat. He remained an important part of Karnataka cricket until 2023. His consistent performances earned him several India A selections. He played against teams like New Zealand A, West Indies A, Australia A and England Lions. In 2021, he received a call-up to the senior Indian team for the Sri Lanka tour. He played one T20 International in Colombo and managed to take a wicket. In Indian Premier League (IPL), he played for Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings, Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. His IPL journey peaked in 2021 when Chennai Super Kings bought him for Rs 9.25 crore. He earned more than Rs 35 crore and produced several match-winning performances during his IPL stint. One of his most unforgettable performances came in the 2019 Karnataka Premier League. Playing for Bellary Tuskers, he smashed 134 runs off just 56 balls, hitting 13 sixes. He then delivered an incredible bowling spell, taking eight wickets while giving away only 15 runs in four overs. It remains one of the finest all-round performances in Indian T20 cricket. With his retirement, Indian domestic cricket bids farewell to a dependable and impactful all-rounder.

England captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum during an England nets session at Perth Stadium (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

Former England cricket chief Andrew Strauss has spoken out after England’s latest Ashes defeat in Australia. He believes that simply removing head coach Brendon McCullum or captain Ben Stokes will not fix England’s long-standing problems in Australian conditions.Strauss knows what it takes to win in Australia. He was the last England captain to win an Ashes series there, leading his team to a 3-1 victory in 2010/11. Since then, England’s record has been very poor. They have lost 16 Test matches and managed only two draws in Australia.

England are once again under pressure after going 3-0 down in the current Ashes series, with two matches still to play. Many fans and experts are questioning the leadership of McCullum and Stokes. However, Strauss has warned against quick and emotional decisions.In a long post on LinkedIn, Strauss reflected on England’s latest failure. He wrote, “So there it is, another ambitious set of England cricketers made the journey to Australia, full of hope and optimism, only for their dreams to come crashing down around them after only 11 days of cricket.”Strauss said McCullum and Stokes will face heavy criticism, just like previous England coaches and leaders did after past Ashes defeats. “McCullum and Stokes will come under extreme scrutiny for the decisions they took in preparation for this tour in the same way that (Ashley) Giles and (Chris) Silverwood did after the last tour. And Andy Flower after 2013/14 and Duncan Fletcher after 2006/07,” he further added.Strauss stressed that the blame should not fall on a few individuals. He noted, “While they will know that this goes with the territory, none of the above are responsible for England losing so incredibly consistently in Australia since 1986/87. We have been badly mauled time after time over there because Australia are a better team, served by a better high-performance system.”He ended by calling for real change, saying, “If we are genuinely serious about changing this depressingly one-sided story, then we need to look beyond sacking England coaches and captains and ask whether we are genuinely willing to make the changes necessary to break the trend.”

In Match 9 of the Big Bash League (BBL) 2025–26, Sydney Thunder produced a commanding all-round display to defeat Brisbane Heat by 34 runs at Manuka Oval. After winning the toss and opting to bowl, the Heat found themselves on the back foot as Thunder’s top order laid a strong foundation that ultimately proved decisive.

Matthew Gilkes and Sam Konstas anchor a big total for Sydney Thunder

Sydney Thunder posted an imposing 193 for 4 in their 20 overs, built around a fluent opening stand between Matthew Gilkes and Sam Konstas. Gilkes was the standout performer, crafting a composed yet aggressive 76 off 48 balls, striking four boundaries and three sixes to keep the scoreboard ticking. At the other end, Konstas played the perfect supporting role with a well-judged 63 off 45 deliveries, peppered with eight fours and showing maturity beyond his years.

David Warner’s brief cameo added early momentum, while the real acceleration came at the death through Sam Billings, who smashed a quickfire 25 off just 11 balls. Daniel Sams chipped in with a handy contribution to ensure Thunder finished strongly. For Brisbane Heat, Jack Wildermuth was the most effective bowler, picking up two wickets for 25 runs, while Matthew Kuhnemann and Shaheen Afridi claimed a wicket apiece but could not stem the flow of runs.

Also READ: BBL|15 – Josh Philippe and Babar Azam guide Sydney Sixers to 47-run win over Sydney Thunder

Brisbane Heat’s chase falters under pressure

Chasing 194, Brisbane Heat never quite found the sustained momentum required. Matt Renshaw top-scored with a fighting 43 off 28 balls, while Hugh Weibgen added a steady 30. Max Bryant provided some late fireworks with two sixes, but regular wickets stalled the chase and pushed the asking rate beyond reach.

The turning point came through Sydney Thunder’s disciplined bowling, led superbly by Shadab Khan. The leg-spinner delivered a match-winning spell, finishing with outstanding figures of 4 for 24, ripping through the middle order and breaking the backbone of the Heat innings. Sams offered excellent support with two wickets for 25, ensuring Brisbane Heat were restricted to 159 for 6 at the end of their 20 overs. Gilkes was rightly named Player of the Match for his commanding knock at the top, setting the tone for a performance that underlined Thunder’s credentials as strong contenders in the BBL|15.

First win of the season for Sydney Thunder ⚡#Sydneythunder #BBL2025 pic.twitter.com/tapun8XcxL

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 22, 2025

Also READ: BBL|15: Chris Jordan, Nikhil Chaudhary run riot as Melbourne Renegades crumble

Bangladesh high commission; Humayun Kabir

Here are the top 5 stories of the day:

Bangladesh to scale back diplomatic presence in India? What its FM Touhid Hossain said

The Bangladesh interim government’s foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain on Sunday said Dhaka would “consider scaling back its presence” in New Delhi if deterioration continues in the situation, which turned grim after the anti-India youth leader Osman Hadi succumbed to the injuries he suffered in an assassination bid. Read full story

Bengal Babri row: Suspended TMC MLA Humayun Kabir floats new party; CM Mamata hits back

West Bengal MLA Humayun Kabir on Monday launched his new political party, the Janata Unnayan Party, days after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) suspended him over his decision to lay the foundation stone for a Babri-style mosque in Murshidabad district. Speaking at a public meeting in Beldanga, Kabir said his party will contest the 2026 West Bengal assembly elections. Read full story

‘Orchestrated by Ukraine’: Top Russian general killed by bomb under his car – who was Fanil Sarvarov?

A senior Russian military officer has been killed after an explosive device detonated beneath his car in southern Moscow, news agency AP reported citing Russian investigators. The blast occurred on Monday morning in the Yasenevo district as the officer was travelling to work. Russian media identified the victim as Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov, 56, head of the Operational Training Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces’ General Staff. Read full story

‘A big hug from me’: Smriti Mandhana touches hearts as she replies to young Kashmiri fan

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana recently won hearts with a sweet message for a young fan from Kashmir. Filmmaker Kabir Khan shared photos from his visit to the region. During his trip, he met a little girl in Aru Valley who told him that Smriti Mandhana was her favourite cricketer. Read full story

Head, limbs chopped, parts dumped in poly bags: UP trader hacked to death by wife, her lovers; daughter’s words crack case

Even as memories of the brutal “Blue drum murder case” in Meerut remain fresh, a similarly chilling murder has come to light from Chandausi in Sambhal district, where a woman allegedly conspired with her lovers to kill her husband, chop his body into pieces and dump them at multiple locations. Read more

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced the rescheduled dates for the Orientation Programme on Entrance Exams and Career Pathways for Principals and Counsellors of CBSE-affiliated schools in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh.According to the official notice, the programme was earlier postponed following an advisory dated August 11, 2025, due to rising river water levels in the region. The postponement was formally communicated through a circular issued on August 14, 2025. The Board has now confirmed that the programme will be conducted offline on December 30, 2025.The orientation aims to strengthen career guidance mechanisms in schools and align counselling practices with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which places strong emphasis on structured counselling systems to help students make informed academic and career decisions.

Objective of the programme

The initiative is designed to equip school leaders and counsellors with updated insights into entrance examinations, emerging career pathways, and student guidance strategies. Through this programme, CBSE seeks to enhance schools’ capacity to support students in navigating higher education options, scholarships, internships, and evolving career landscapes.

Programme details

Here are the key details of the orientation programme.

Expected outcomes

According to CBSE, the orientation programme will focus on the following outcomes:

Important instructions for participants

Who should attend

The programme is open to Principals, Vice Principals, and Counsellors of CBSE-affiliated schools in the Shahjahanpur region of Uttar Pradesh. Eligible school representatives are encouraged to register and participate to strengthen career guidance frameworks within their institutions.Read the official notice available here.

How to register

Interested and eligible participants can follow the steps below to complete the registration process.

Direct link to apply here.Note: For any queries related to the programme, participants may contact CBSE at: cbsecareer.counseling@gmail.com

Eight core infrastructure industries recorded a modest expansion in November 2025, with overall output rising 1.8% year-on-year, supported by strong growth in cement, steel, fertilisers and coal, official data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry showed.The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI), which accounts for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP), improved from a marginal contraction of 0.1% recorded in October 2025. Cumulative growth during April–November 2025-26 stood at 2.4% on a provisional basis.Cement emerged as the strongest performer during the month, posting a sharp 14.5% rise over November last year, while steel output increased 6.1%. Fertiliser production grew 5.6% and coal output rose 2.1%, providing the main boost to overall core sector growth.

In contrast, energy-linked segments continued to weigh on performance. Crude oil production declined 3.2% year-on-year, while natural gas output fell 2.5%. Electricity generation also contracted by 2.2% during the month. Petroleum refinery products saw a marginal decline of 0.9%.On a cumulative basis, steel output expanded 9.7% during April–November, while cement grew 8.2%. Fertilisers posted a 1.3% increase and refinery products edged up 0.2% over the same period. Coal, crude oil, natural gas and electricity recorded cumulative declines.The eight core industries comprise coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricity, and are widely tracked as key indicators of industrial and infrastructure activity in the economy, the ministry said. The index is released every month.

PM Shahbaz Sharif announces cash reward for U19 Asia Cup winners

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a big cash reward for the country’s Under-19 cricket team after their Asia Cup win on Sunday. On Monday, he hosted a special reception for the players and officials in Islamabad. During the event, he announced a cash award of 10 million Pakistani rupees for each player.

Pakistan beat India by a huge margin of 191 runs in the final on Sunday to lift the Under-19 Asia Cup title. The team’s performance was praised by everyone present at the ceremony.Team mentor and manager Sarfaraz Ahmed confirmed the announcement while speaking to the media. He said the Prime Minister had rewarded every player with 10 million rupees, which is around 36,000 US dollars. Sarfaraz also said he enjoyed working with such talented young players and believed they had a bright future in cricket.Head coach Shahid Anwar said the victory was the result of careful planning and long-term preparation. He explained how the team was selected after months of trials and matches. “The process started in June when we picked around 70 players after trials and then reduced the number to 20. Most of these players were then given chances to play 50-over cricket at domestic level,” Anwar said.In the final, Pakistan posted a massive total of 347 runs for eight wickets. Sameer Minhas played a stunning knock of 172 runs and was the star of the match. Pakistan’s fast bowlers then dominated India and bowled them out for just 156 runs.India captain Ayush Mhatre admitted his team made mistakes on the big day. “We were clear to bowl first, there were some inconsistencies in the line of the bowling. It was a simple plan to play the 50 overs. The boys really played well and tournament was good for us and some players stood up,” he said.Pakistan captain Farhan Yousaf praised the team effort. “We very happy with the collective performance. We had lost the first match against India, but our management had a good talk with us and we could provide the win in the final,” he added.Minhas was named Player of the Match and Player of the Series. Speaking after the win, he said, “It was a good innings, I had in mind to score a big score, I want to play my natural game, we wanted to bat first looking at the track. It is very memorable for me.”