Adil Rashid of Sharjah Warriorz

Sharjah Warriorz kept their playoff hopes alive with a nerve-jangling four-wicket win over Abu Dhabi Knight Riders at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Monday. The victory lifted the Warriorz to six points and ensured a tight scramble for the remaining playoff spots ILT20 Season 4.The Knight Riders were rocked early after opting to bat, collapsing to 10/4 as Taskin Ahmed and Wasim Akram tore through the top order. Adil Rashid later tightened the noose with a decisive three-wicket haul, limiting the Knight Riders to 134/9 despite Sherfane Rutherford’s lone resistance of 44 off 36 balls.

In response, the Warriorz also endured a shaky start. Jason Holder removed Johnson Charles for a duck, while Ajay Kumar struck soon after to leave them two down early. Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Tom Abell steadied the innings briefly, but disciplined bowling from Sunil Narine and Olly Stone kept the chase under control, with the Warriorz reaching just 58/3 at the halfway mark.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Narine eventually broke the stand by trapping Kohler-Cadmore LBW, but Sikandar Raza kept the Warriorz in the hunt. James Rew then shifted the momentum, counterattacking with timely boundaries and rotating the strike smartly alongside Raza. Their 57-run partnership off 35 balls brought the equation within reach.

James Rew of Sharjah Warriorz plays a shot during Match 25 of the DP World ILT20 between the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and the Sharjah Warriorz

Raza fell in the 18th over, and a superb penultimate over from Holder left 12 needed from the final six balls. Rew, however, held his nerve, finishing unbeaten on 42 off 29 balls, and with support from Rashid, guided the Warriorz home off the final delivery.Earlier, after the early collapse, Sherfane Rutherford and Alishan Sharafu attempted a recovery, but the Knight Riders continued to lose wickets through the middle overs. A late counterattack from Andre Russell and Holder briefly lifted hopes, but Rashid closed out the innings with two wickets in the final over to cap a match-winning all-round display.

Sherfane Rutherford of Abu Dhabi Knight Riders plays a shot during Match 25 of the DP World ILT20 between the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders and the Sharjah Warriorz

Player of the Match Rashid credited clear plans and experience against elite finishers for his success at the death. “It was pleasing to contribute in a situation where things could easily have gone the other way, especially bowling the 18th and 20th overs. Having played against Jason and Andre for a long time does help — they’re world-class players — but thankfully the plans came off for me,” said Rashid.Knight Riders captain Holder admitted his side fell short with the bat despite a spirited bowling effort that took the game deep. He said: “We didn’t put enough runs on the board, although full credit goes to our bowlers for the way they fought and took the game deep. We needed a few moments to go our way, particularly keeping wickets intact during the powerplay. Sunil Narine’s spell was vital, and if we had picked up one or two more wickets there, the momentum could have shifted.”

Brief ScoresAbu Dhabi Knight Riders: 134/9 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 44, Unmukt Chand 24; Adil Rashid 3/18, Wasim Akram 2/12, Taskin Ahmed 2/41)Sharjah Warriorz: 135/6 in 20 overs (James Rew 42 not out, Tom Kohler-Cadmore 30, Sikander Raza 28; Ajay Kumar 2/29, Jason Holder 2/25)

Video released by Ukraine army (Video/Facebook)

Ukrainian forces have released video footage showing Russian soldiers advancing toward frontline positions on horseback. The footage is being cited as evidence of Russia’s growing equipment shortages on the battlefield.The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) said servicemembers of the 5th Assault Battalion of the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade detected the group of Russian soldiers and tracked their movement using drones, as reported by Kyiv Post. The video, shared on the 92nd Brigade’s official Facebook page, includes commentary from Ukrainian troops involved in the operation.According to the brigade, Russian forces are losing military equipment so rapidly during repeated assaults that they are increasingly resorting to unconventional methods of movement. “Russian occupiers are losing equipment so quickly during their ‘meat assaults’ that they are forced to move on horseback. But even this does not help them,” the brigade said. The statement added that the drone operators “neutralize the enemy as soon as they see a target.”The video shows a Russian soldier riding across open ground while being tracked from above by a drone. Moments later, the drone strikes as the soldier attempts to flee. The footage then shows another rider being targeted, with the blast knocking the horse to the ground and throwing the rider off.Ukrainian officials said that the riders were killed as Ukrainian positions were defended using drones.Ukrainian commentators described the incident as a sign of Russia’s difficulty in finding ways to break through heavily monitored and defended areas. FU servicemember and civic activist Mykola Voroshnov reacted to the footage by calling the scene extraordinary. “Cavalry assaulting our positions. This is insane,” he wrote. Voroshnov added that such incidents are now being discussed and confirmed within closed military pilot groups. He also expressed sympathy for the animals involved.The development follows earlier reports that Russian ground forces, facing shortages of vehicles and equipment, have been using donkeys for transportation and logistics in some areas of the conflict.

India’s IPO market gains momentum, boosts PE exits: KPMG report

India’s IPO market has shown strong momentum in 2025, emerging as a key exit route for private equity (PE) investors, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Private Equity Q3’25 report.The report noted that India’s stock markets have performed exceptionally well so far in 2025, creating a favourable environment for IPO activity. Companies operating in in-demand sectors have achieved strong exit-day multiples, often higher than those available in other jurisdictions.“This has led more PE firms to target India-based IPO exits for their portfolio companies — particularly companies based in India or with strong roots in India,” noted the reportThis strength in capital markets has encouraged a growing number of private equity firms to pursue IPO exits in India for their portfolio companies, particularly those headquartered in India or with strong domestic roots.The presence of a robust base of domestic institutional investors with a strong appetite for PE-backed assets has further supported this trend.KPMG noted that the improving IPO environment comes at a time when private equity investment in India has experienced short-term softness in 2025 due to geopolitical and trade-related uncertainties.Despite this, India continues to be viewed as an attractive PE destination, supported by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, a large working-age population, and growing domestic consumption.The report added that the revival in IPO activity is particularly significant for the broader PE ecosystem, as exit volumes globally have remained subdued in recent years. In India, however, the strength of equity markets is helping unlock value for PE investors and providing a viable pathway for exits.Looking ahead, KPMG expects the current dip in PE investment to be temporary, with interest in India-based assets projected to rise over the next few years. A sustained improvement in IPO activity is expected to play a critical role in driving future PE dealmaking and exits in the country.

Salesforce, one of the world’s most valuable enterprise software companies, is pulling back from its heavy reliance on large language models after encountering reliability issues that have shaken executive confidence. Sanjna Parulekar, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing, acknowledged that trust in AI models has declined over the past year, according to a report by The Information.“All of us were more confident about large language models a year ago,” Parulekar stated, revealing the company’s strategic shift away from generative AI toward more predictable “deterministic” automation in its flagship product, Agentforce. This admission comes after Salesforce reduced its support staff from 9,000 to 5,000 employees—approximately 4,000 roles—through AI agent deployment, as CEO Marc Benioff disclosed in a podcast appearance.The company is now emphasizing that Agentforce can help “eliminate the inherent randomness of large models,” marking a significant departure from the AI-first messaging that dominated the industry just months ago.

Models are failing, customers report missing surveys

Salesforce encountered several critical technical challenges with large language models during real-world applications. Muralidhar Krishnaprasad, Chief Technology Officer of Agentforce, pointed out that when given more than eight instructions, the models begin omitting directives—a serious flaw for precision-dependent business tasks.Home security company Vivint, which uses Agentforce to handle customer support for 2.5 million customers, experienced these reliability problems firsthand. Despite providing clear instructions to send satisfaction surveys after each customer interaction, The Information reported that Agentforce sometimes failed to send surveys for unexplained reasons. Vivint worked with Salesforce to implement “deterministic triggers” to ensure consistent survey delivery.

Another challenge emerged in what executive Phil Mui described as AI “drift” in an October blog post. When users ask irrelevant questions, AI agents lose focus on their primary objectives. For instance, a chatbot designed to guide form completion may become distracted when customers ask unrelated questions.

Salesforce CEO Benioff’s AI ambitions collide with market reality

The retreat from large language models represents an ironic twist for CEO Marc Benioff, who has aggressively bet on AI transformation. Benioff had recently told Business Insider that he’s drafting the company’s annual strategic document with data foundations—not AI models—as the top priority, explicitly citing concerns about “hallucinations” without proper data context.Benioff even suggested the company might rebrand itself as “Agentforce,” telling Business Insider “that would not shock me,” after learning from focus groups that customers no longer want to hear about cloud computing. However, this rebranding enthusiasm contrasts sharply with the technical challenges executives are now acknowledging.The company’s stock has declined approximately 34% from its December 2024 peak, though Agentforce is projected to generate over $500 million in annual revenue. Salesforce’s partial retreat from large models could impact thousands of enterprises currently relying on this technology, as the company navigates the gap between AI innovation and practical business implementation.

The Indian Premier League (IPL) has long been a stage where young talents transition into global stars, and for 22-year-old Cooper Connolly, the 2026 season represents the ultimate breakthrough. After being acquired by Punjab Kings for Rs 3 crore during the high-octane auction in Abu Dhabi, the Australian spin-bowling all-rounder is set to make his maiden appearance in the world’s most prestigious T20 league.

IPL 2026: Cooper Connolly on learning from Punjab Kings skipper Shreyas Iyer

One of the most anticipated aspects of Connolly’s maiden IPL stint is the opportunity to play under the astute leadership of Shreyas Iyer. Having reached the IPL final with three different franchises and captaining Kolkata Knight Riders to a title just a year ago, Iyer is widely regarded as one of the finest tactical minds in the T20 format. Connolly revealed that he had already initiated contact with the Mumbaikar during Australia A’s recent tour of India, where he was immediately struck by Iyer’s professional aura and “world-class” approach to the game.

The young Australian is keen to understand the nuances of captaincy and match awareness that have made Iyer a perennial success in the league. As per quoted by ESPNcricinfo, Connolly expressed his excitement and he further believes that these interactions will be crucial for his adaptation to the high-pressure environment of the IPL, “When I was over there for Australia A vs India A, I spoke to Shreyas a little bit and just watching him go about his work – and even watching him in Australia – he’s a world-class player. So I’m keen to pick his brains a little bit and understand how he goes about it and what makes him successful.” 

Also READ: Not CSK! Amit Mishra predicts the semifinalists of IPL 2026

Not Glenn Maxwell! Cooper Connolly reveals the Punjab Kings superstar who inspired him the most

The connection between Connolly and Punjab runs deeper than a simple auction purchase, as he steps into a franchise where his idol, Shaun Marsh, created a lasting legacy over nearly a decade. Marsh was the inaugural Orange Cap winner for the franchise in 2008 and remains a beloved icon for the Punjab fans, a status that Connolly hopes to eventually emulate through his own performances.

“Shaun Marsh was a hell of a player; if anyone has half of his career, you’ve done well. I still speak to him occasionally. I think the main thing I’ve taken from him is his ability to handle situations – no matter whether it’s three for not many or one for something – just being able to control his emotions and do whatever the team needs. I’m sure over the next couple of months, I’ll speak to him about his time over at Punjab, how he enjoyed it, and what worked for him. But yeah, I’d like to leave a legacy at Punjab. If I get the opportunity, hopefully I can sort of etch my name in history and win the trophies for Punjab.” Connolly added.

Beyond the Marsh connection, many fans have begun comparing Connolly to the legendary Glenn Maxwell, given their shared roles as high-impact spin-bowling all-rounders who have been central to Punjab’s history.

However, the 22-year-old remains grounded, acknowledging that while he bats and bowls with the same versatility, he still has a significant journey ahead to match the ‘Big Show’s’ international accolades. Addressing these lofty comparisons, Connolly remarked, “Yeah, I think the comparisons to Maxi, I’ll take it. But he is a world-class player. I’m a long way from being as good as him.”

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Josh Inglis faces Punjab Kings owner’s wrath over unprofessionalism claims

MUMBAI: Cars in the city have crossed a record 15 lakh, pushing vehicular density to an alarming 753 vehicles per kilometre of road, according to the latest transport department data. Mumbai’s total car registrations stood at 15,06,690 last week, reflecting the relentless growth of private vehicles on roads that have seen little expansion over the years. During the first nine months of the current financial year alone, 49,313 new cars were registered across the city’s four regional transport offices (RTOs). Data shows that the number of cars in Mumbai has more than doubled over the past 13 years, rising from 6.2 lakh in 2012 to 15 lakh in 2025 — a jump of 142%. Even in the last two years, car numbers have grown by 15%, underscoring the rapid pace of motorisation despite congestion and pollution concerns.

Among RTOs, Tardeo recorded the highest number of registrations at 13,408, followed by Andheri with 12,344, Borivli with 11,822 and Wadala with 11,739 registrations during the current fiscal period. Overall vehicular growth has been even steeper. The total number of vehicles in Mumbai has surged from 7 lakh in 2005 to 53 lakh in 2025, of which two-wheelers account for 31 lakh. The trend mirrors a statewide rise in vehicle ownership. Maharashtra currently has about 4.5 crore registered vehicles, including 78 lakh cars and nearly 3 crore two-wheelers. Transport experts warn that the unchecked growth of private vehicles could worsen congestion and strain infrastructure. “Office-goers should be discouraged from using private cars for daily commuting and encouraged to shift to public transport. This can be achieved by strengthening public transport systems and introducing measures such as congestion charges,” a transport analyst said. With road space remaining limited, planners caution that Mumbai’s traffic crisis could deepen unless policy measures are introduced to curb private car use and accelerate investments in mass transit.

Krishnappa Gowtham on Monday announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. (PTI Photo)

BENGALURU: Unapologetically honest and flamboyant, a man who wore his emotions on his sleeve, Krishnappa Gowtham was never one to blend into the background. For Karnataka, he was more than just an all-rounder. He was a cricketer who carried the team on his shoulders, one who gave his all every single time he walked onto the field.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!At 37, Gowtham has called time on a career forged through hard work, perseverance and an unshakeable belief in himself — a journey that saw him script countless victories for Karnataka and leave an indelible mark on the state’s cricketing fabric.

On Monday, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium — the venue where his dreams first took shape — Gowtham was accorded a fitting farewell by the Karnataka State Cricket Association. Surrounded by family and friends, he was honoured by KSCA president Venkatesh Prasad, secretary Santosh Menon and vice-president Sujith Somasundar, bringing a sense of closure to an eventful career.Gowtham made his first-class debut in 2012 against Uttar Pradesh and went on to become a pillar of Karnataka’s red-ball success. Across 59 first-class matches, he claimed 224 wickets, while also featuring in 68 List A games and 92 T20s. His journey even took him to the international stage, earning an India ODI cap against Sri Lanka in 2021.Yet, the road was anything but smooth. For all his contributions, Gowtham was unceremoniously dropped after the 2022-23 season — ironically one in which he finished as the joint highest wicket-taker with 31 scalps. It was a decision that hinted at a transition in the spin department, though that transition is yet to fully take shape.

This, however, was not unfamiliar territory for Gowtham. Early in his career, he had already experienced the sting of being sidelined, spending three seasons in the wilderness before mounting a stirring comeback.Offers from other states did come his way, but loyalty, he said, was never up for negotiation.“I have been a man of comebacks, returning from the brink on more than one occasion, and I could have done so again. But had I fought my way back into the Karnataka team, it would have been unfair to the youngsters. I began my journey as a proud Karnataka player, and that is how I wish to be remembered. Playing for another state barely crossed my mind — and certainly never my heart,” he said.He signed off with 14 five-wicket hauls and two 10-wicket match hauls. One performance, however, stands out above the rest. In 2019, against Tamil Nadu in Dindigul, Gowtham produced a match-winning display for the ages — scoring 73 runs (51 and 22) and claiming 14 wickets (6/110 and 8/60) to single-handedly turn the contest in Karnataka’s favour.That same year, he left a mark in the shortest format, too. In the erstwhile Karnataka Premier League, turning out for Bellary Tuskers, Gowtham smashed a breathtaking unbeaten 134 off 56 balls and followed it up with an eight-wicket haul — a reminder of the all-round impact he could have on a game.The Indian Premier League brought with it a different kind of spotlight. Representing five franchises — Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings, Rajasthan Royals, Punjab Kings and Lucknow Super Giants. In 2021, he became the highest-paid uncapped Indian player when Chennai Super Kings snapped him up for a staggering Rs 9.25 crore. While he played 36 IPL matches, Gowtham’s contribution to Karnataka in T20 cricket was immense. His standout moment came in the 2019-20 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy final against Tamil Nadu, when he defended 13 runs in the final over to seal a one-run victory.Looking back at his comeback into the Karnataka side during the 2016-17 season, Gowtham described it as a period of deep learning. And come back he did — not just reclaiming his place, but earning an India A call-up that season as well.Giving back to the game, Gowtham said, is the natural next step, and he is more than willing to contribute to the KSCA in any role they see fit — just as he did on the field, with honesty, heart and unwavering commitment.

Adam the Woo. Image via: TheDailyWoo/YouTube

Adam the Woo, the widely followed YouTube creator whose real name was David Adam Williams, has died at the age of 51. Authorities confirmed he was found unresponsive inside his home near Orlando, Florida, on Monday afternoon. Adam had built a loyal audience over more than a decade by sharing his travels, theme park visits, and love for pop culture landmarks.Deputies were first called to the residence for a welfare check before returning later for an unattended death report. A medical examiner is expected to determine the official cause of death. Adam’s father, Jim Williams, later confirmed the loss on social media, as fans and fellow creators struggled to process the sudden news.

Adam the Woo’s death investigation and official details

According to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were dispatched to Adam’s home around midday after concerns were raised about his well-being. Unable to make contact, authorities returned hours later after a friend borrowed a ladder and looked through a third-floor window, where Adam was seen lying motionless. Deputies entered the home with Fire Rescue and pronounced him deceased at the scene. Officials confirmed that Adam’s father, who lives nearby, was notified.The cause of death has not yet been released. Adam was last seen by a friend the previous day, and his final YouTube video was uploaded on December 21. Filmed a day earlier, the video showed him decorating his yard and walking through Celebration, Florida, a familiar setting for longtime viewers.

YouTube community pays tribute to Adam the Woo

Adam began his YouTube journey around 2009. Initially, he documented abandoned places and filmed locations tied to classic movies and television. He later launched his daily vlog channel, TheDailyWoo. The channel became his primary platform and attracted hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Over the years, he traveled to all 50 states, explored Disney history, attended conventions and baseball games, and shared roadside Americana moments.Tributes poured in from fellow creators, including close friend Justin Scarred, who wrote, “The world has lost a giant, and I have lost a friend closer to me than blood.” He added, “We lost Adam. I loved this man with my whole heart and I don’t know what to do or what to say. His family are informed and have quietly confirmed online. Please pray for his parents Jim and June and his sister Faith.”Scarred also shared, “He touched many many lives, and he was preparing for another year of adventures,” capturing the sense of loss felt across the community. Adam the Woo’s influence lives on through the countless places he explored and the people he inspired along the way.Also Read: Why is Low TierGod suspended from Twitch again? Sensational streamer’s seventh suspension sparks fresh controversy