Hardik Pandya with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma (Screengrabs)

NEW DELHI: Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya recently found himself in an awkward situation during a Christmas dinner outing, but he handled it with calm and maturity. The incident happened when Pandya was leaving a restaurant after celebrating Christmas with his girlfriend, Maheika Sharma. In the hope of seeing their favourite cricketer live, fans were waiting outside and gathered around him as he walked towards his car.

Initially, Hardik agreed to take selfies with a few fans. At this moment, due to the crowd and security around him, one fan could not get close enough for a picture. And Hardik chose to leave without giving away any more selfies.Feeling frustrated, the fan shouted an abusive remark at the cricketer. “Bhaad mein jao (go to hell),” he said. Despite this, Hardik chose not to react.It is unclear whether Hardik heard the comment or simply ignored it on purpose. Either way, he stayed composed and continued walking without responding or creating any scene. Watch:His calm behaviour impressed many people online after the video of the incident went viral. On social media, fans heaped praise on him for showing restraint. However, it is important to note that TimesofIndia.com has not confirmed the authenticity of the clip.Hardik Pandya has been in fine form as well with his all-around abilities on the cricket field. Having played a key role in India’s recent T20I series win against South Africa, he came up with a crucial knock of 59 not out from just 28 balls in the opening match of the series. His innings helped India recover from a tough position and post a competitive total.Hardik saved his best performance for the fifth and final T20I in Ahmedabad. He smashed a brilliant 63 runs from only 25 balls and reached his half-century in just 16 deliveries. This became the second-fastest T20I fifty by an Indian, behind only Yuvraj Singh’s famous effort in 2007. His explosive batting helped India score 231 for 5 and seal a convincing 3-1 series victory.

Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar meets Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Bengaluru (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in Bengaluru amid speculation over the state leadership issue. Speaking to reporters later, Shivakumar clarified that the discussion was, however, not political and he only discussed with Kharge the law enacted by the center replacing the MGNREGA ahead of the Congress Working Committee meeting on December 27.“There is no need to do it, I will not do it, there is no such thing for now. Siddaramaiah and I have said that we will work abiding by the high command’s decision, and we are committed to it,” said Shivakumar.On remaining a party worker, Shivakumar said, “I’m a lifetime worker of the party. Whatever the post may be, I’m a worker of the party. I have tied the party flag, both as a party worker and President. I have pasted party posters, and I have done the sweeping work. I have done all things for the Congress party. I have not come just to sit and make speeches on the stage. I have done all the work for the party,” as quoted by PTI.When asked if he expects a reward for his work, he replied, “I won’t answer such things.”The leadership issue in Karnataka intensified after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20. Kharge had recently stated that confusion over the leadership exists only at the local level and urged local leaders to take ownership of disputes rather than blaming the high command. Earlier, Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office and that the high command supported him. Reacting to this, Shivakumar said, “We have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of us will abide by it.”When asked if he will be going to Delhi, the deputy CM said, “If I’m called, I will go. I have not been called so far.” On whether Siddaramaiah will attend the Congress Working Committee meeting, he added, “Maybe. I’m aware that three CMs (from Congress-ruled states) have been invited. Deputy CMs have not been called. State Congress Presidents are only called for the extended working committee meeting.”Shivakumar also criticised the new law replacing MGNREGA, calling it detrimental to the poor, labourers, and farmers. “The new law makes for 40 per cent contribution for the scheme from the states, no state can afford, even the BJP states can’t implement it. We have to fight, we are planning. As the state Congress president, I will plan a big movement on this. All panchayat members and MGNREGA workers should come together and ensure that the MGNREGA is restored and protect rural development,” he said.

FC Goa vs Istiklol AFC Champions League 2 match (Photo by @FCGoaOfficial on X)

FC Goa players made a strong statement during their AFC Champions League 2 match against FC Istiklol by staging a silent protest before kick-off on Wednesday at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. As the referee blew the whistle for kick-off, the FC Goa players staged the pre-planned protest and did not play for a few seconds.

The protest was aimed at highlighting the “deepening uncertainty” that is affecting the Indian football ecosystem. Issues related to administration and commercial matters have caused major delays around top-tier domestic football competitions like the Indian Super League and the I-League. Players, coaches, and staff across clubs are feeling the impact of this situation. Soon after the incident, FC Goa released a statement on social media to explain their action. “This action was solely intended to draw attention to the broader challenges facing the domestic football ecosystem,” the club said in an official statement. FC Goa also made it clear that the protest was not against their opponents or the Asian Football Confederation. Instead, it was meant to show the frustration and concern felt by those involved in Indian football, who are unsure about the future of the game in the country. On the field, FC Goa started well despite the tense backdrop. The home team took the lead in the eighth minute when Dejan Drazic found space inside the box and scored with a fine curling shot into the top corner. In the second half, Istiklol made a strong comeback. A defensive mistake allowed Paul Komolafe to score the equaliser in the 53rd minute. Just three minutes later, another error led to a penalty, which Amirbek Juraboev converted to put the visitors ahead. FC Goa tried hard to score an equaliser, but their efforts did not succeed. Istiklol held on to win 2-1. The loss meant FC Goa finished last in Group D with zero points from six matches in their first-ever AFC Champions League 2 campaign.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif became the victim of a vicious online hate campaign, targeted with horrific religious abuse simply for performing his professional duty in the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) 2025-26 in the UAE.

A normal professional assignment turned into a massive controversy. Actually, Mohammad Kaif was seen commentating on the ILT20 2025-26 alongside former Pakistani all-rounder Shoaib Malik, which led to the former Indian batter facing harsh criticism and personal abuse on social media.

Mohammad Kaif was seen commentating during the 27th match of the ongoing ILT20 between Dubai Capitals and Sharjah Warriorz at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on December 24. The screenshots of the commentary box quickly went viral on social media, sparking massive outrage among the fans.

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A section of fans accused Mohammad Kaif of double standards and dragged up the India-Pakistan rivalry. Social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), were flooded with posts targeting Kaif’s religion. Some comments crossed the line with communal venom.

Many fans pointed out how India refused to play the World Championship of Legends semi-final against Pakistan and then denied shaking hands during the Asia Cup 2025, and that trend is still continued on the cricket field by all Indian teams across the competition.

Slamming Mohammad Kaif, some fans claimed those actions were only done to please Indian fans, as the former players later worked together in overseas leagues showed a different reality. However, Mohammad Kaif has not responded publicly to the online abuse so far.

Here’s how fans crossed the line while slamming Mohammad Kaif:

Not playing the WCL Semi final against Pakistan and refusing to shake hands in Asis cup. – all this is just to fool Indian fans. Shameless board Shameless ex cricketers pic.twitter.com/rnspHnBmwE

— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) December 24, 2025

Shame blood btw

— 𝐕𝐎𝐋𝐓 (@VoltOnStrike) December 25, 2025

Rare w

— 🤍 (@diva_0387) December 24, 2025

It the end they belong to same community

— Pankaj Agrawal (@iampankaj_007) December 25, 2025

Vo hoga secularjivi choduu bol usko bhi mulla Secularjivi Hindus are much dangerous than any toxic mullah i would prefer a nationalist muslim but not a secularjivi chodu leftist Hindu at all

— Factuall (@Amn_Smudge240) December 25, 2025

Always a muslim 🏌️

— ` (@aryannfr) December 24, 2025

@BCCI is so anti-India. They didnt ban Asia cup like they had power but what a useless power if they didnt listen to fans and country sentiment.
No Hand shaking was biggest lie to the fans. In worldcup they are still in same group what the hell. They only run for money.

— 🇮🇳Rahul🇮🇳 (@rahulsp09) December 25, 2025

Kaif and Malik belong to the same religion. Dhurandhar was right in saying that we have to get rid of internal termites first.

— Devonn (@rncunc) December 25, 2025

he is ‘Mohammed Kaif’ after all

— Ameya Jamkar (@AmeyaSpeaks_24) December 25, 2025

All these ex cricketers and bcci can sell their nation for money

— Short leg (@crickweets33223) December 25, 2025

Mullah Mullah bhai bhai 🤝🏻
No boundaries destroy muslim brotherhood they all are together maximum times

— Factuall (@Amn_Smudge240) December 25, 2025

Meanwhile, Shoaib Malik and Kaif are both doing commentary duty for the first time in the ILT20. Any Flower also made their debut in the ongoing fourth edition of the league.

Apart from them, Simon Doull, Wasim Akram, Harbhajan Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Ian Bishop, Alan Wilkins, Waqar Younis, Daren Ganga, Owais Shah, Mike Haysman, Urooj Mumtaz, Nikhil Chopra, Vivek Razdan, Saba Karim, Ajay Mehra, and Reema Malhotra are also part of the commentary panel in the tournament.

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Dubai Capitals vs Sharjah Warriorz Match Highlight

Speaking about the ILT20 clash, Dubai Capitals thrashed Sharjah Warriorz by six wickets to secure their place in the playoffs. The defending champions stayed calm under pressure and completed the chase with five balls to spare, keeping their title defense firmly on track.

Jordan Cox played the key role with an unbeaten 61 off 50 balls, hitting six fours and one six. Opener Shayan Jahangir gave Capitals a strong start by scoring 51 from 39 balls. They faced a little pressure when Sikandar Raza dismissed Jahangir and Mohammad Nabi, and Leus du Plooy fell cheaply, leaving Capitals at 114 for four in the 18th over.

But Cox then took control and finished the match brilliantly. Earlier, Sharjah Warriorz posted 134/8, with Johnson Charles top-scoring with 43.

NEW DELHI: Demand for industrial and logistics spaces hit an all-time high this year, with leasing volumes rising nearly 19 per cent to 76.5 million square feet across 24 major cities in India, according to Savills.Real estate consultant Savills India data showed that the manufacturing sector took on lease 29 per cent of spaces, followed by third-party logistics firms (28 per cent) and e-commerce players (12 per cent).“India’s Industrial and Logistics sector continued its strong post-pandemic growth trajectory in 2025, recording its highest-ever annual absorption of 76.5 million sq ft,” Savills India said.In the 2024 calendar year, leasing of industrial and logistics spaces stood at 64.5 million square feet.Out of the total leasing this year, the consultant said that eight tier-I cities — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, and Pune — saw 20 per cent growth in leasing to 59.5 million square feet this year from 49.7 million square feet in 2024.Delhi-NCR remained the best performer, with leasing of 13 million square feet this year compared to 9.8 million square feet in 2024.Leasing activities in tier-II and tier-III cities grew 14.5 per cent in the 2025 calendar year to 17 million square feet from 14.8 million square feet in the preceding year.These 16 Tier II and Tier III cities are Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Patna, Hosur, Coimbatore, Rajpura, Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, Surat, Indore, Kochi, Hubli, Vizag, Belgaum and Anantapur.Savills India expects both supply and absorption of industrial and logistics spaces to surpass 80 million sq ft next year. PTI

Thailand on Thursday defended the demolition of the Vishnu idol, describing it as a “decorative structure” along its border with Cambodia, after criticism from India.Thailand’s prime minister Anutin Charnvirakul also defended the move, telling reporters on Thursday that “a destroyed statue cannot compare to soldiers’ lives or limbs”.The Thai government further said that the structure was “not connected to any religion” and was “merely a decorative piece at a location along the Thailand-Cambodia border.”It said that the statue was removed to assert control in a disputed border area and that the action was not meant to insult any religion.“The removal was related to security considerations and area administration and not intended to disrespect any religion or beliefs,” it said in a statement.In a separate statement, Bangkok added that the statue was “not installed as a registered or officially recognised religious site”.The government also expressed “sincere regret for any discomfort that may have arisen from misunderstandings” following the circulation of images showing the demolition.India slams idol destructionIndia reacted sharply to the incident on Wednesday, with the ministry of external affairs saying that “such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place.”“Notwithstanding territorial claims, such disrespectful acts hurt the sentiments of followers around the world, and should not take place,” the ministry said, adding that “Hindu and Buddhist deities are deeply revered and worshipped by people across the region, as part of our shared civilisational heritage.”A Cambodian government spokesman from Preah Vihear province earlier said, “We condemn the destruction of ancient temples and statues that are worshipped by Buddhist and Hindu followers.”He further said that the statue was “inside our territory in the An Ses area”.Cambodia has repeatedly accused Thai forces of damaging temple ruins along the border during recent clashes, an allegation Bangkok has denied.Thailand-Cambodia conflictThe demolition followed nearly two weeks of military clashes between the two neighbours.Videos showing the Vishnu statue being torn down with a backhoe circulated widely on Thai social media this week. AFP verified the footage and confirmed it was filmed near the disputed An Ses area.A check on Google Maps showed the statue stood about 400 metres from the border, on the Cambodian side.The long-running border dispute flared up again this month, leaving 23 people dead in Thailand, most of them soldiers, and 21 civilians killed in Cambodia, according to official figures. Both sides have blamed each other for triggering the latest fighting and have accused one another of targeting civilians.

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