Former Team India skipper Rohit Sharma made an impact in the field despite a disappointing outing with the bat during Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy match against Uttarakhand. After being dismissed for a golden duck, he took a sharp catch at first slip at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on December 26.

Fans who packed the stadium hoping to watch Rohit bat were left disappointed. Rohit perished for a golden duck against Uttarakhand on Friday. He went for his trademark pull shot but failed to connect. The 25-year-old fast bowler dismissed the star Indian batter in the opening over, silencing the Jaipur crowd.

Musheer Khan Urges Jaipur Crowd to Cheer After Rohit Sharma’s Slip Catch

While defending a big total, Mumbai needed an early breakthrough, and Rohit Sharma delivered it at the slip cordon. In the third over of the run chase, Shardul Thakur found the outside edge of opener Kamal Singh’s bat.

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The ball flew to first slip, where Rohit reacted quickly. He fumbled the catch at first but managed to hold on by pulling it close to his body. As soon as the catch was completed, the stadium erupted.

Rohit celebrated with a big jump and threw the ball in the air, clearly enjoying the moment. His teammates rushed in to congratulate him. Musheer Khan added to the excitement by gesturing to the crowd to make more noise. The Jaipur crowd responded loudly, turning the dismissal into a lively moment.

The way Mushir Khan is asking the crowd to clap and cheer for Rohit Sharma’s catch.🥹❤️

Khan brothers truly loves Rohit Sharma.🐐 pic.twitter.com/NFAx9Ik1Pl

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 26, 2025

Mumbai Recover After Rohit Sharma’s Early Exit

Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal changed the mood inside the stadium. As soon as he was caught at deep square leg, the noise dropped and many fans began walking out. Some supporters even shouted for a no-ball.

After losing Rohit and Angkrish Raghuvanshi early, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan steadied the side with a strong partnership. Both batters scored half-centuries to rebuild after the early setbacks.

Hardik Tamore then played a key role with the bat. He remained unbeaten on 93 and pushed Mumbai past the 330-run mark. Those late runs gave the team a big total to defend. Devendra Singh Bora took three wickets, but Mumbai finished on 331 for 7.

Rohit Sharma’s 155-Run Knock Vijay Hazare Trophy Return

Just days earlier, Rohit Sharma made his return to List A cricket with a dominant performance in Mumbai’s Vijay Hazare Trophy opener against Sikkim. He scored 155 from just 94 balls, including 18 fours and nine sixes, as Mumbai secured an eight-wicket win while chasing 237 in a little over 30 overs.

In front of nearly 20,000 fans on Christmas Eve, Rohit punished an inexperienced bowling attack with ease, mixing powerful pulls, clean sweeps, and clever late cuts. Sikkim’s pacers struggled for pace and control, while the spinners failed to contain him once he settled in.

Despite being dropped twice, Rohit never lost momentum. He consistently found gaps and cleared the boundary. The right-handed batter also equalled David Warner’s record for the most 150-plus scores in the format.

Also read: “Got out early for the students” – Rohit Sharma brutally trolled after being dismissed for golden duck in Vijay Hazare Trophy

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India’s Renuka Singh, right, celebrates a wicket with Richa Ghosh (PTI Photo)

Thiruvananthapuram: Under the lights at Thiruvananthapuram’s Greenfield Stadium, cheered on by nearly 6,000 fans, India delivered another emphatic all-round performance to surge 3–0 up in the five-match T20 series against Sri Lanka on Friday. Winning the toss for the third consecutive game, Harmanpreet Kaur once again chose to field, and India exploited the conditions perfectly, strangling Sri Lanka to 112/7 before Shafali Verma’s dazzling riposte.The Indian opener’s staggering assault left Sri Lanka scrambling for cover. Her unbeaten 79 off 42 was the cornerstone of a dominant chase, powering India home with more than six overs to spare and eight wickets in the shed, underlining the gulf between the teams.

Medium-pacer Renuka Singh, who was adjudged the Player of the Match, set the tone for India early. Sharp, skiddy and relentlessly accurate, she was the enforcer-in-chief, ripping through Sri Lanka’s middle order with figures of 4/21.Sri Lanka opener Hasini Perera briefly lit up the evening with a breezy 25, but her resistance was snuffed out swiftly. Harshitha Samarawickrama chipped straight back, Nilakshika Silva was pinned in front of the crease. Imesha Dulani was the Himachali girl’s fourth scalp.If Renuka brought the fire, Deepti Sharma brought the ice. Returning after missing a game due to fever, the allrounder slipped straight back into command mode, picking up three vital wickets and becoming the joint-highest wicket-taker in women’s T20Is. She has now equalled Megan Schutt with 151 international wickets in this format.Sri Lanka opener Chamari Athapaththu’s scratchy stay ended in Deepti’s web, and later she removed Kavisha Dilhari — after a punchy 20 hinted at a shift in momentum — and Malsha Shehani to ensure Sri Lanka never escaped the squeeze.In pursuit, India barely allowed the contest to breathe. The girl from Rohtak continued her purple patch with a second consecutive fifty in the series, reaching the landmark tonight in just 24 deliveries. Shafali bats like she’s borrowed Virender Sehwag’s playbook: fearless, uncluttered and unapologetically aggressive.She was particularly brutal against left-arm spinner Nimasha Meepage, hammering 29 runs from her two Powerplay overs, and unfurled one irresistible cover drive off pacer Malki Madara that brought the crowd to its feet. Like Sehwag, Shafali thrives on instinct rather than convention, trusting her eye, timing and power over textbook technique. In that sense, she doesn’t just echo his style, but embodies his philosophy, reimagined for the new generation.Her dominance allowed the rest of the batting group time and freedom to settle, as India cruised home in complete control. Ruthless with the ball, fearless with the bat, India once again dictated every phase, in a performance as commanding as it was entertaining.“It was a great series for all of us. That’s what we discussed after the (ODI) World Cup that we have to raise our standard and be more aggressive in T20s because the (T20) World Cup is coming up so we are happy with our overall performances,” Harmanpreet beamed at the post-match presentation.

Donald Trump has appointed Mora Namdar as Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, placing her in charge of US passport issuance and visa approvals. The role gives Namdar significant authority over who is allowed to enter or remain in the United States, at a time when immigration and travel rules are again a central focus of the administration. While she has prior experience in government, the appointment has attracted attention because Namdar is also the owner of a chain of beauty salons in Texas, an unusual background for one of the State Department’s most powerful operational posts.

Who is Mora Namdar

Mora Namdar is a US attorney and government official who is the daughter of Iranian immigrants and a native of Texas. She is fluent in Persian and has spent years working on US foreign policy, particularly issues related to the Middle East and North Africa. This is not her first time in the consular role. Namdar previously served as acting Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs in 2020 during Trump’s first term, giving her direct experience overseeing visas and passports.Before her latest appointment, she held senior positions within the State Department, including work in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, and served in legal and compliance roles at the US Agency for Global Media. Alongside her public service career, she founded and ran her own law firm. In a recent statement, Namdar indicated that the firm is no longer operating in an active capacity, as she focuses fully on her government role.

The beauty salon business

Outside Washington, Namdar is also known as the owner of a mini-chain of beauty salons operating under the name Bam in Texas. The salons offer blowouts, professional makeup services, hair extensions and styling for events. In past interviews, Namdar described the brand as “fun and cheeky” and said the original salon was inspired by friends asking her to do their makeup for weddings and special occasions. She has spoken about wanting to treat beauty and styling as a form of art rather than a routine service.For years, she balanced running the salons with her legal and government work, a combination that has now become a focal point of public discussion following her appointment.

A powerful role in US immigration policy

As Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, Namdar oversees one of the most influential bureaus in the State Department. The office handles millions of passport applications annually and plays a central role in deciding who receives, keeps or loses a US visa. Consular officers under her leadership have the authority to deny or revoke visas on grounds ranging from security concerns to foreign policy considerations.In Senate testimony, Namdar has described visa adjudication as a critical national security function, arguing that the US must retain broad discretion to refuse entry to individuals seen as undermining American interests.

Links to Project 2025

Namdar has also been linked to Project 2025, a wide-ranging conservative agenda that has influenced Trump’s second term. She contributed to the project by authoring a chapter focused on the US Agency for Global Media, in which she accused the organisation of mismanagement and security risks. She contributed to the project by authoring a section critical of the US Agency for Global Media, accusing it of mismanagement and security risks and calling for major reform or even closure.Although Trump sought to distance himself from Project 2025 during the campaign, many contributors to the initiative have since been appointed to senior roles across the administration, reinforcing the idea that personnel choices are a key mechanism for implementing its priorities.

DEHRADUN: A 28-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller was allegedly assaulted by a group of men in Kashipur, Udham Singh Nagar district, after they learnt he was from Kashmir and tried to force him to chant a slogan. The incident surfaced on Thursday after a video of the assault went viral on social media.Bilal Ahmed Ganie, a resident of Kupwara, said he has been selling shawls as a hawker in the area for the past eight years and had never faced such a situation earlier. He alleged that on Monday, while moving door to door to sell his wares, he was stopped by five to six men riding motorcycles.“They asked my name and where I was from. When I said Kashmir, they started beating me with kicks and punches. One of them hit my legs with a cane and I fell to the ground. They asked me to say ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. I said I would proudly say ‘Hindustan Zindabad’ as this is our country,” Ganie told TOI. He said that the men tried to force him onto their motorcycle but fled after passersby intervened. Following the incident, Ganie said he and other Kashmiri hawkers in the area have stopped venturing out for work due to fear. “My family is worried and asking me to return, but I first need to recover money from customers who bought goods on credit. I want strict action so this is not repeated with anyone else,” he said.Taking note of the matter, the Jammu & Kashmir Students Association on Thursday, wrote to Uttarakhand DGP Deepam Seth, seeking legal action against those involved and an impartial investigation. JKSA national convenor Nasir Khuehami said the incident had created fear among Kashmiri traders who depend on seasonal work in the region. “Despite the seriousness of the incident, no FIR has been registered so far. Kashmiris are an integral part of the country and are entitled to the same rights and freedoms as any other citizen,” Khuehami said. Meanwhile, US Nagar SSP Manikant Mishra said police had offered assistance to the hawker on the day of the incident and asked him to file a formal complaint. “He then said he did not want an FIR. As per procedure, the accused were summoned, the video was removed from social media and they apologised,” Mishra said. Mishra said that after the video resurfaced online, police again contacted the hawker on Thursday and urged him to lodge a complaint. “Once a complaint is filed, an FIR will be registered and further legal action will follow,” the SSP said.

In the electrifying 11th match of BBL|15 on December 26, 2025, at Sydney Cricket Ground, Melbourne Stars crushed Sydney Sixers by seven wickets with 15 balls to spare, chasing down 145 in just 17.3 overs. Stars captain Marcus Stoinis opted to field first, setting the tone for a clinical performance that propelled the table-toppers to their third straight win. Sam Harper‘s unbeaten 110 off 60 balls, laced with 12 fours and six massive sixes, earned him Player of the Match honours in a Boxing Day blockbuster.​

BBL|15: Melbourne Stars’ bowling stranglehold dismantles Sydney Sixers

Melbourne Stars’ bowlers delivered a masterclass, restricting Sydney Sixers to 144 all out in 20 overs at a run rate of just 7.20. Tom Curran spearheaded the attack with 3-26 from four overs, including the early scalp of Babar Azam for 2 in the second over and Daniel Hughes for 60, who anchored with eight fours and a six before falling at 90 runs in the 13th over. Peter Siddle claimed 3-23, mopping up Moises Henriques (18), Jordan Silk (12), and Joel Davies (8), while Marcus Stoinis (2-25) and Haris Rauf (1-37) chipped in to trigger a middle-order collapse—losing five wickets for 34 runs between overs 15 and 19.​

Powerplay yielded only 22-1, with Hughes’ fifty off 34 balls providing brief hope, but the Sixers stuttered post-drinks at 76-2 after 10 overs, reaching 100 in 14.2 overs amid a batting Powerplay that cost 21-3. Ben Manenti‘s run-out at 144 sealed the innings, hampered by slow over-rate penalties forcing extra fielders inside the circle late on, exposing vulnerabilities on a SCG pitch favouring disciplined lines.​

Also WATCH: Tom Curran knocks over Jason Sangha’s stumps with an absolute ripper in BBL|15

BBL|15: Sam Harper’s explosive century seals emphatic chase against Sydney Sixers

Harper unleashed fury in the chase, remaining not out on 110 from 60 balls at a staggering 183.33 strike rate, smashing his century off 50 deliveries with 11 fours and six sixes. After Joe Clarke‘s golden duck off Sean Abbott in the second ball, Harper and Campbell Kellaway raced to 55-1 by the seventh over, Harper blasting fifty off 28 balls including a 50-run stand in 28 balls during Powerplay (30-1).​

Kellaway (14) departed at 55, but Harper-Jonathan Merlo added fifty in 42 balls, surging past 100 in 12.1 overs before Merlo holed out for 14 at 139. Tom Curran (2*) guided home the two needed, with Joel Davies’ 2-16 the lone Sixers highlight amid wayward lines from Kane Richardson (0-41 off two). Harper’s onslaught not only avenged prior Sixers clashes but solidified Stars’ ladder lead, signalling title credentials in BBL|15.

Three wins in three matches, The Melbourne Stars remain undefeated in BBL 15 ⚡#BBL2025 #MelbourneStars pic.twitter.com/u2dteySCrQ

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) December 26, 2025

Also READ: Tom Curran’s fiery three-wicket haul propels Melbourne Stars to an emphatic victory over Adelaide Strikers in BBL|15