Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

NEW DELHI: Bedridden for years, forced to undergo two major surgeries, and even warned by doctors that continuing cricket could leave him paralysed — most cricketers might have walked away and chosen another path. But Abhishek Reddy remained determined to chase his cricketing dreams. Even while lying on a hospital bed, he kept drawing strength from a poster of the great Sachin Tendulkar that read: “Chase your dreams, they do come true.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Until recently, hardly anyone knew his story. That changed when the Andhra Pradesh opener smashed a double century (247) in the Ranji Trophy against Jharkhand, powering his team to an innings victory in Jamshedpur and announcing his arrival in style.

Reddy began his domestic career with Karnataka in 2015, marking his first-class debut with a composed half-century. But soon after, injuries struck — not once, but twice — threatening to end his career before it truly began.Now, after years of pain and patience, he is back on his feet — standing tall at the crease once again, stroking his trademark cover drives, and reclaiming the cricketing dream he refused to give up on.“I was just 20 when I made my debut. The flamboyance was there. I was young and there was a lot more fire in me. But the two surgeries broke me badly. I am really happy to be back where I always wanted to be,” Reddy told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“I remember getting selected for Karnataka in 2015 and then playing for them and scoring runs. It was a star-studded team with Robin Uthappa, Mayank Agarwal, Manish Pandey, Karun Nair, Vinay Kumar and many more senior players. It was difficult to make a place of my own, but I managed to do that with my batting. But everything changed in just one year when I underwent surgery in 2016,” he said.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

“The injury happened in 2016. The outfield was wet and soggy, and while fielding, my leg got stuck and I suffered a knee tear and a muscle tear. The second time it happened was in 2023 when I was taking a second run, and again my same foot got stuck in the same spot. I had to undergo surgery again. ACL injuries take months to heal and recover. Those were the years when thoughts of giving up cricket crossed my mind, but I didn’t let those thoughts dominate my dreams,” Reddy said.“Abhimanyu Mithun — my teammate and my friend — was one of the people who helped me during that tough period. I spoke to him a lot while I was injured. He helped me with the mental side of the game,” he said.Reddy was part of the Karnataka Ranji Trophy squad that lifted the title in the 2014–15 season. He represented Karnataka for a few years before eventually moving to Andhra Pradesh, his hometown.Even after his first surgery, the hunger to play and excel never faded. He continued dominating domestic tournaments and earned a place at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in the U-23 setup based on his performances in the C.K. Nayudu Trophy (U-23) — one of India’s most prestigious domestic tournaments for emerging players — during the 2014–15 season. In that tournament, he scored four consecutive centuries: 174 against Tamil Nadu, 116 against Delhi, 115 against Mumbai and 103 against Rajasthan — a streak that firmly established his reputation as a prolific young batter.

Abhishek Reddy (Pic credit: Special Arrangement)

He has featured in 25 first-class matches so far, scoring 1,511 runs. And at 31, he firmly believes there is still plenty of fire left in him to keep chasing — and living — his cricketing dreams. As he puts it, ‘Abhishek Reddy isn’t done yet.’“My mom is from Andhra, and I played all my junior cricket in Karnataka. My father belongs to Karnatakal. Karnataka gave me the foundation, the platform, and the identity I have today. It was my parents’ dream to see me become a cricketer, and I worshipped this game — and I still do. Andhra cricket supported me a lot. They supported me in my tough times. I will always be grateful to them. They trusted my abilities,” he said.“When I made my debut, I was around 20. Things would have been very different today if the injuries hadn’t happened. I am 31 now, and I am happy with where I am. I am still the same flamboyant Abhishek Reddy. I am not done yet,” he added.

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Chennai: Chennai Metro Rail Ltd (CMRL) is gearing up for its sharpest turn yet—a dramatic 413-m sweep over Kathipara that promises commuters a joyride along with a bird’s eye view of the cityscape. This will become a reality when Corridor 5, connecting Madhavaram with Sholinganallur in Phase II, becomes operational.The trains will take the sharpest turn over the Kathipara flyover above the existing Phase I corridors to join Alandur metro station, while descending from a height of 33m to 27m a speed of 35kmph, thanks to the balanced cantilever structure under construction.The curvy viaduct with a 125-m radius from Butt Road to Alandur metro station, with a total length of 413 metres, is making steady progress. Two cantilever arms between two pillars are about to be linked. The Kathipara balanced cantilever consists of five spans with lengths of 58m, 100m, 100m, 95 metres, and 60m. Currently, the 100-m span between pillar 411 and 412 is nearly complete.

“The remaining 3-m gap between arms will be linked using concrete and will be cast with the help of hanging shutters without any ground support,” said CMRL project director T Archunan.Each cantilever arm consists of 10 segments, which are being laid one after another using four form traveller equipment at each pier location. High-tension strands will be placed inside the segment and stressed to connect and stabilize the extending cantilever arms. After the linking of the arms, second-stage stressing will be carried out using high-tension strands. The entire structure will be completed by Feb, said the official. Since the curve starts from the tallest pillar of CMRL and descends towards Alandur station, it is expected to give a unique experience. CMRL has already constructed a balanced cantilever in the same spot in Phase I. However, it was not noticed since it was not a big curve like the one in Corridor 5.

In a surprising turn of events at the WPL 2026 mega auction on Thursday (November 27), Australia’s World Cup-winning captain Alyssa Healy went unsold, despite entering the pool at a modest base price of ₹50 lakh.

As the first marquee player called, Healy drew no bids from any of the five franchises, and her name did not reappear in the accelerated round – an outcome that shocked fans across the cricket world.

Healy, one of the most decorated wicketkeeper-batters in the modern game, has scored 428 runs in 17 WPL matches at a strike rate of 130.48. Her recent performances in the Women’s Big Bash League (BBL) also suggest that she still has the firepower to contribute at the highest level.

Here’s why Alyssa Healy went unsold in the 2026 WPL mega auction

According to WPL regulations, franchises can field only four overseas players in the playing XI, a rule that significantly shapes auction dynamics. Teams across the board prioritized multi-skilled all-rounders over specialist keeper-batters – a category where Healy largely fits.

UP Warriorz assistant coach Abhishek Nayar explained that franchises leaned heavily toward players who could influence multiple phases of the game – batting, bowling, and fielding – to extract maximum value from limited overseas slots. With top-order overseas spots mostly locked due to pre-auction retentions, Healy’s role didn’t align with the balance teams were seeking.

Another major factor was Healy’s injury-hit 2025 season, during which she missed the entire WPL due to a foot injury. Although she returned with back-to-back ODI centuries against India and Bangladesh, concerns lingered about her reliability, especially at age 35.

Her release by the UP Warriorz, who had signed her for ₹70 lakh in 2023, further indicated a shift toward building younger, fitter, and more adaptable squads. Some franchises were also reportedly wary of her inconsistent WBBL rhythm over the past year, prompting hesitation in committing big money to a specialist top-order batter without bowling utility.

Team management across franchises openly acknowledged that Healy’s omission was strategic rather than performance-related. Anya Shrubsole, part of RCB’s coaching group, noted that their lineup had “no available space in the top five,” given their strong bench already featuring new recruit Georgia Voll.

The UP Warriorz, who were expected to chase a familiar face, instead focused on new leadership options, signing Meg Lanning for ₹1.9 crore and investing in rising talent like Phoebe Litchfield. With overseas slots quickly filling up, Healy did not reappear in the accelerated round – a clear indication of her mismatch with franchise strategies this year.

Also, uncertainty over Healy’s fitness meant no team was willing to bid for her, especially with the new WPL rule stating that no injury replacements will be permitted if a player withdraws before the start of the 2026 season.

Also READ: WPL 2026 Mega Auction – Complete list of unsold players

Evolving T20 trends highlight all-round value in WPL over player’s reputation

The top buys of the auction – Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 crore), Amelia Kerr (₹3 crore) and Shikha Pandey (₹2.4 crore) – highlighted the evolving nature of T20 cricket, where all-rounders and dual-skill players dominate auctions, especially in leagues with limited overseas quotas.

While Healy boasts a stellar T20I record of 3,054 runs at a strike rate of 129.79, reputation alone was not enough in a purse-constrained environment. She joins other experienced players like Heather Knight, Alana King and Tazmin Brits who also went unsold, underscoring a broader franchise mindset focused on long-term rebuilding and roster versatility.

Also READ: WPL 2026 Auction – Complete squads of all 5 teams

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

MUMBAI: No major Indian city has “good” air quality. A 10-year assessment of air pollution across major urban centres has found that none of the country’s top cities met safe Air Quality Index (AQI) levels at any point between 2015 and Nov 2025.The report, prepared by Climate Trends, an environmental research firm, analysed long-term pollution patterns across 11 major cities. Delhi remained India’s most polluted city throughout the period of study, with average AQI levels peaking above 250 in 2016 and hovering around 180 this year.

Despite marginal dips after 2019, the national capital never approached healthy air-quality thresholds. Vehicular emissions, industrial pollution and crop burning were major contributors, compounded by the region’s geographical constraints. Cities such as Lucknow, Varanasi and Ahmedabad which recorded persistently high average AQI values — often above 200— in first half of the decade, showed some improvement in the second half. While southern and western cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Pune and Bengaluru recorded relatively moderate AQI levels, even they did not meet safe thresholds. Bengaluru posted lowest AQI readings in the country — between 65 and 90 — still too high for “good” category.AQI is based on the concentration of toxic particulate matter, PM2.5 or PM10, in the air, whichever is higher.Geography plays a significant role in prolonging pollution episodes, especially across the northern plains. “With cold north-westerly winds sweeping into the plains, minimum temperatures are set to drop further — making it even harder for pollutants to disperse,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president at Skymet Weather. He added that this year’s weak western disturbances — extratropical storms that bring winter rain and snow to northwestern India — were inadequate and failed to trigger widespread rainfall. “Without rain to wash pollutants out of the atmosphere, the pollution lingers for longer periods, leading to early and persistent smog-like conditions,” said Palawat.During the cold winters of the Indo-Gangetic plains, the phenomenon of “temperature inversion” — which limits vertical air movement — effectively traps pollution in the lower layers of the atmosphere. Dense city structures and tall buildings further slow wind speeds, exacerbating stagnation. Experts stressed the need for better planning and data-driven interventions. “Technology can help address many local pollution sources within your own airshed, but this requires reliable data,” said Prof S N Tripathi of IIT-Kanpur. Palak Balyan, research lead at Climate Trends said, “What India needs is sustained, long-term, science-based policy reform backed by genuine political will to take tough decisions.“

Rohit Saraf

Whether he’s melting hearts as the nation’s favourite Mismatched crush or stepping into full-blown Bollywood-hero territory with Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari, Rohit Saraf still shows up with that easy, genuine warmth that his fans can’t help but adore. During the shoot of our episode of the Philips LatteGo presents Bombay Times Lounge powered by instax FUJIFILM in association with Skechers & U.S. Polo Assn., Rohit had the live audience completely smitten – especially when he posed for pictures with every eager fan present there. No rush, no airs, just peak Rohit Saraf behaviour. The hype around the 29-year-old isn’t just real – it’s earned. With the promo of the episode dropping today, here’s a little starter pack of quotes and moments that capture the vibe. Think of this as your warm-up to a conversation that’s equal parts honest, fun, reflective and unmistakably Rohit Saraf. Watch out for the full episode with Rohit Saraf on the Bombay Times YouTube channel, dropping soon.

Rohit shakes a leg to Panwadi from Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari

‘It is easy to get swayed by the love online, but meeting your fans is the real deal’Reflecting on the immense popularity he enjoys, Rohit says, “It is so easy to be swayed by all the love that you get on Instagram, but the real deal is when you meet people in person, I absolutely love it. When people give you a hug, and you see a fan crying because you’ve given them a hug – those moments stay with you. Every single time that happens, it feels like a scene from a film.” Looking back at his journey, he says, “When I came to Mumbai at 15, I literally knew no one and had no idea what I was doing. Starting from there to wherever I’ve reached today and the kind of love I enjoy, I don’t think it’s something that I would give up for anything.” While he has shared screen space with many renowned actors, there’s one leading lady he is crazy about. Rohit shares, “It’s a known fact, but whoever does not know this, I am completely obsessed with Vidya Balan ma’am. She’s incredible. I think she’s a beautiful human being and a phenomenal actor. I’m actively, every single day, manifesting a project that I get to work with her on.”But behind the popularity is immense hard work, and it does get tough sometimes. The actor says, “There have been times when I felt, why am I putting myself through this when it’s just easier to not. But then I remind myself why I started out doing this, and I know this sounds like such an Instagram quote – ‘Remind yourself of why you started’, but honestly, that’s what’s helped me.”

The actor with Prajakta Koli in Mismatched

‘I am fascinated by people who are ambitious’Rohit made the term ‘future wife’ in Mismatched a viral trend. When asked what are the traits his future wife needs to have, he replied, “I think ambition is very, very important to me. Not just my future wife, but any person I meet and anyone I talk to – I am really fascinated by people who are ambitious. Also, she should be respectful, and if she has long hair, it’ll be a bonus.”‘I’m single’Ask him about his relationship status, and he says, “I would really like it if my fans stop thinking that I date every single actress I work with, or every girl I am seen with. It’s crazy! Contrary to many different opinions on the internet, I’m single.”

Rohit on the Bombay Times Lounge

Rohit’s sweet newspaper nostalgiaTalking about being excited to himself in the newspapers, Rohit shared an anecdote from his school days. He said, “When we were in school, we would see photos of toppers with their percentiles published in newspapers. For us, that was like the biggest thing ever… like you have arrived in life if your photograph is in the newspapers. The school would make cutouts of the articles and put them up on notice boards. And I would say to myself…one day I’ll be there. So now, every time I see myself on the pages of a newspaper, I secretly want to take a cutout and go back to school and pin it up on those notice boards.”The promo for the episode with Rohit Saraf drops today. Look out for the conversation filled with spontaneous, charming and unforgettable moments that drops soon on the Bombay Times YouTube Channel.Sponsors:Title sponsor: Philips LatteGoPowered by: instax FUJIFILMIn association with: Skechers & U.S. Polo Assn.