The BCCI has dismissed the escalating diplomatic row with Bangladesh as having “no real consequences,” even as the neighboring country imposed a blackout on the IPL 2026 and formally requested the ICC to relocate its upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches to Sri Lanka.

BCCI’s “Business as Usual” Stance on Bangladesh’s Shocking Move

A former BCCI official has played down the impact of the Bangladesh government and Bangladesh Cricket Board’s (BCB) decision, calling the reaction a natural outcome of recent developments. He also insisted that neither India nor the IPL 2026 will face any real consequences.

Read Also: Mustafizur Rahman’s condition really bad amid IPL exit, India-Bangladesh row? Big revelation emerges

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The recent event now threatens to strain cricket ties between India and Bangladesh and presents a fresh challenge for the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the scheduling of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026, which is set to get underway on February 7.

The former BCCI official was quoted as saying by ANI, “For every action, there is a reaction. The Bangladesh Cricket Board is merely doing what it believes is within its authority. ‘Takleef hui hai’ (they must have hurt), so obviously there will be a reaction.”

The Trigger: Mustafizur Rahman’s IPL Ouster

The shocking release of Bangladesh pace spearhead Mustafizur Rahman from the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad just before the IPL 2026 season sparked the controversy. The Indian cricket board had ordered the KKR to release Mustafizur from the IPL 2026 squad due to the political pressure, given the current situation of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh.

After violent incidents and the killing of members of the Hindu community in Bangladesh, the Indian fans and politicians demanded a ban on Bangladeshi players in the IPL 2026, forcing the BCCI and KKR to take the harsh step, which is now seen as disrespectful by the BCB and government.

Bangladesh’s Two-Pronged Response

1. IPL Broadcast Suspension: The Bangladesh Ministry of Information and Broadcasting ordered all domestic broadcasters to suspend the telecast of IPL 2026 matches indefinitely.

The ministry said in an official statement, “It is hereby informed that a directive issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has come to notice, whereby Bangladesh’s star cricketer Mr. Mustafizur Rahman has been excluded from the Kolkata Knight Riders team for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament scheduled to commence on March 26, 2026.”

Read Also: “ICC needs to…”: Harbhajan Singh’s blunt take on Bangladesh’s request to shift T20 World Cup 2026 matches

The order further reads, “No reasonable justification for such a decision by the BCCI is known, and this decision has caused pain, distress, and anger among the people of Bangladesh. As a result, the government said it was compelled to act. Under these circumstances, until further instructions are issued, it is hereby ordered that the broadcast/telecast of all Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and related programs be suspended.”

2. ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Venue Change Request: Following an emergency meeting, the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) submitted a formal request to the ICC.

The BCB asked the ICC to move Bangladesh’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches out of India. However, the BCCI and governing body are yet to react to the BCB’s demand.

DEHRADUN/ HARIDWAR: Uttarakhand government is contemplating a ban on entry of non-Hindus in the 105 ghats of Haridwar spread across an area of 120 sq km, following the demand raised by a few seers and Ganga Sabha, the body overseeing the maintenance of the main Har-ki-Pauri ghat in Haridwar. Besides, the state also plans to declare Rishikesh and Haridwar as ‘sanatan pavitra shehar’ (holy cities).Sources told TOI that the process may be initiated from Ardh Kumbh — scheduled to commence on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Jan 14, 2027.

They added that the govt has started digging out details of the agreement between Bharat Ratna recipient Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya and the British in 1916. Malviya was the first president of the Ganga Sabha. The 1916 agreement aimed to maintain the uninterrupted flow of the Ganga and preserve the sanctity of the pilgrimage city, which included restrictions on the entry of non-Hindus at Ganga ghats. It further stated that non-Hindus could not have permanent residence in both the religious towns (Rishikesh and Haridwar), and they could only come for work and return after completing their tasks.Sources confirmed that the state govt is “seriously looking to restore the provisions of the original agreement.”Speaking about the matter, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said, “Our govt will take every necessary step to protect the unique spiritual and cultural identity of Devbhoomi. The Himalayan state is the centre of faith for sanatan believers.” He added that “Haridwar and Rishikesh are major centres of faith”, and consideration is being given to declaring both the places as “sanatan cities”.Notably, Ganga Sabha president, Nitin Gautam, had earlier said, “To maintain Haridwar’s sanctity, the entire Kumbh Mela and Haridwar city should be declared a non-Hindu free zone, and their entry should be banned. All river banks in Haridwar and Rishikesh should be off limits for them.” On Monday, however, Gautam, told TOI that he made that demand in his capacity as the former president (Haridwar) of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, adding that “no resolution on this has been adopted by the Ganga Sabha”.While Ganga Sabha general secretary Tanmay Vashishth remained non-committal on the sensitive matter, its ex-president Ashok Tripathi said he was “not in favour of the demand”. “By-laws of Haridwar nagar palika do ban non-Hindus’ entry into Har-ki-Pauri area, except those on govt duty. But personally, I’m not in favour of any such ban,” Tripathi said.Meanwhile, several residents of Haridwar raised their objections to the demand. “It is neither possible, nor desirable to disallow non-Hindus’ entry in the entire Kumbh area,” said Sudhanshu Dwivedi, a legal practitioner. “Such discrimination will adversely affect the liberal image of our religion,” added Rakesh Chandra, retired hydel department executive engineer.Political parties also weighed in on the matter. Opposing the “blanket ban”, Ashok Sharma, ex-municipal councillor of Congress, said, “Are BJP-RSS bigger Hindus than Madan Mohan Malviya who had sought ban of non-Hindus’ entry only in Har-ki-Pauri?”BJP’s former district president (Haridwar), Sandeep Goel, said, “This (demand) is not our party line…”

SG Pipers clinch GCL Season 3 title

NEW DELHI: Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, Anish Giri and Fabiano Caruana — wait, this isn’t a fun exercise in randomly listing chess stars, but the trio that helped SG Pipers break the stranglehold of two-time defending champions Continental Kings and lift the Global Chess League (GCL) Season 3 title a few weeks ago.But why mention only these three when it was a six-member team? The reason is simple: the Pipers were the only side to field three Grandmasters who have already qualified for the Candidates 2026.

It seemed as if SG Pipers, with three Candidates players on the top boards, were built to dominate GCL 2025 on paper.But ask Pravin Thipsay, the coach of Pipers, and he would tell a different story.“We were the only team with three Candidates, top three boards,” Thipsay told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction.“So naturally, there was this feeling that it should be quite easy to win the tournament. That confidence, at times, turned into overconfidence.”“There was a psychological imbalance on the top three boards,” he added.“It was a mixture of self-confidence and not getting the kind of position they wanted. When they didn’t get a good position, they panicked a little and then tried to win.”Instead of dominating, the top boards often struggled with expectation.“The most dangerous moment was when even a draw would do. At that time, the players felt they were anyway going to go through,” Thipsay explained. “Some games were lost only because they were searching for a win, even in equal positions, even with White.”“Normally, you expect the top boards to score more,” Thipsay added. “That is why they are the top boards. Our last three boards really scored most of the points. The top three were not clicking, so that responsibility had to be taken by the lower boards.”As a result, when the tournament drew its curtains, Nino Batsiashvili, Hou Yifan, and Leon Mendonca became the most effective performers with 22, 21, and 18 points, respectively.

Among the top trio, though, the best was Fabiano Caruana with 11 points, followed by Praggnanandhaa (10.5) and Anish Giri (10).Thipsay identifies a crucial moment during the group stage.Adding some intrigue to the tale, Pipers went down 6–11 to Alaskan Knights in their final league match but still booked a place in the final.Both Pipers and Ganges Grandmasters finished with 15 match points, but Pipers edged through on game points, 84 to 83. With the Pipers needing at least six points to stay ahead, the Knights pushed hard for a playoff spot and managed to win the match. But as Pipers were able to garner the six points, they made the final.“We calculated that we needed only six points to qualify. Someone joked, ‘We can make six draws.’ That kind of thinking is very dangerous. They didn’t really take it as a call where something could actually go wrong,” Thipsay recalled.For a coach, handling three Candidates in one team could be difficult.“Whenever a player did badly, we never discussed it in a group,” Thipsay added. “If there was a strategically wrong game, we discussed it one-to-one, not in front of everyone.”Handling three Candidates required a careful, individual approach. Serious losses were treated privately. “If there was a strategically wrong game, we discussed it one-to-one, not in front of everyone,” he said.“The problem today is that players depend too much on engine preparation. The computer gives you the best move, but it doesn’t really tell you why. When the engine stops, now you have to think, ‘How am I going to play this position?’ That is where the problem comes.”After qualification, Thipsay decided to reset everything.“I told them very clearly that whatever happened in the preliminaries is over,” he recounted. “Tomorrow, we start with 0–0. I told them, you are playing Candidates players, so treat it like a match. One game with White, one game with Black.”That message worked.“At that point, I think it clicked,” Thipsay remarked. “They could connect it with how they prepare for Candidates.”

And the results followed immediately.“With Black, we fared 2–4, and with White, we had 4.5–1.5 score. Everybody was comfortable.”The 66-year-old Grandmaster also changed the way the top boards were thinking about chess itself: “I told them, ‘You are better players — why should you have problems? Earlier, the problems came because you depended too much on preparation. Now you play concept-wise.’ Even if you play second-best or third-best moves, you can still beat your opponent.’”The top players listened to him carefully, as there, Thipsay confirms, were no clashes of egos.“Honestly, I was lucky,” he added. “They were great players and very humble. Some players are criticised for ego, but here they were very down to earth.”“They knew that I had studied their games. They knew I understood their chess. That made communication easier. They were happy that somebody had actually spent time looking at their games, their problems.”Sometimes, the smallest details mattered most, as Thipsay noticed something others missed.“They were playing late games without eating properly,” he recalled. “Lunch at two o’clock and a game until eight in the evening. I told them that we will eat before the game. And we won both games that day.”By the finals, the three Candidates had found balance.“My advice was very simple: be yourself. Don’t try to put your foot in somebody else’s shoes,” the coach concluded.

A Hindu businessman who also served as the acting editor of a local newspaper was shot dead by unidentified assailants on Monday evening in Bangladesh’s Jessore district, reported news agency PTI citing local media.The victim has been identified as 38-year-old Rana Pratap Bairagi, a resident of Arua village in Keshabpur upazila of Jessore district in the Khulna Division, according to Bangla-language daily Prothom Alo.Bairagi owned an ice-making factory at Kopaliya Bazar in Monirampur and was also the acting editor of Dainik BD Khabar, a newspaper published from neighbouring Narail district, the report said.The incident took place around 5.45 pm at Kapalia Bazar, Additional Police Superintendent Abul Basar told the bdnews24 news portal.Citing police and local residents, Prothom Alo reported that three men riding a motorcycle arrived at the ice factory and called Bairagi outside. They allegedly took him to a narrow alley near the Kapalia Clinic and Diagnostic Centre, located on the western side of Kapalia Bazar.The assailants then shot him in the head from close range before fleeing the scene. Bairagi died on the spot, the daily reported.“Bairagi was shot three times in the head and his throat was slit,” Monirampur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md Rajiullah Khan was quoted as saying by the daily.Khan said the motive behind the killing was not immediately known and that an investigation had been launched to identify those involved.Police also said that four cases were registered against Bairagi across two police stations, though details of those cases were not immediately available. The killing is the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting members of Bangladesh’s Hindu community in recent weeks.On January 3, Khokon Chandra Das (50) died after being brutally attacked, hacked and set on fire. On December 24, another Hindu man, Amrit Mondal, was lynched over alleged extortion in Rajbari town’s Pangsha upazila.Earlier, on December 18, Dipu Chandra Das (25) was lynched by a mob and his body set on fire over alleged blasphemy in Mymensingh city. In another incident on December 23, unidentified men set fire to the home of Qatar-based expatriate workers Shukh Shil and Anil Shil in the Raojan area on the outskirts of Chattogram, though the occupants managed to escape unharmed.

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Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance in a US courtroom on Monday following his capture, entering a plea of not guilty to all charges and asserting that he remains Venezuela’s legitimate leader.“I am innocent, I am not guilty,” Maduro told the judge, adding, “I am a decent man.” As he continued speaking in Spanish, he said, “I am still president of my country,” before being cut off by Judge Alvin Hellerstein.

“A plea of not guilty will be entered on behalf of Mr Maduro,” Hellerstein said, halting Maduro mid-sentence. Defence attorney Barry Pollack later confirmed that Maduro was entering a plea of not guilty to all four charges.During the hearing, Maduro told the court that he had not yet seen the indictment against him and was unaware of his legal rights. “I did not know of these rights,” he said through an interpreter. “Your honor is informing me of them now,” reported AP.Earlier in the hearing, a court-appointed translator relayed Maduro’s account of his arrest. “I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” the translator said on his behalf.Maduro entered the courtroom shortly after 12 pm (local time) wearing prison attire, with his feet shackled and headphones on for translation, reported CBS news.His wife, Cilia Flores, who appeared alongside him, wore similar prison clothing. Both had their hands unshackled. Maduro briefly shook hands with his attorney upon entering the courtroom.After Maduro entered his plea, Judge Hellerstein turned to his wife to confirm her identity. Speaking in Spanish through an interpreter, she said, “I am first lady of the Republic of Venezuela.”When asked to enter a plea, Flores responded, “Not guilty. Completely innocent.”Near the end of the hearing, Maduro’s lawyer said his client “is head of a sovereign state and entitled to the privilege” that such a status confers. Pollack also raised “questions about the legality of his military abduction,” adding that there would be “voluminous” pretrial filings to challenge the case on legal grounds.The proceedings concluded at 12.31 pm (local time) after Flores’s attorney, Mark Donnelly, told the court that his client was suffering from “health and medical issues that will require attention.” Donnelly said Flores, 69, may have sustained a fracture or severe bruising to her ribs and could require a full X-ray examination.Both Maduro and Flores agreed to remain in custody for now, with their lawyers reserving the right to seek bail at a later stage.Maduro is being represented by Pollack, a veteran trial lawyer. Pollack previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. He also helped broker the 2024 plea deal under which Assange pleaded guilty to a single felony count related to publishing US military secrets.Further proceedings in the case will be held on March 17.

FILE – Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File)

Ever since Mark Zuckerberg announced the creation of Meta Superintelligence Labs in first half of 2025, Meta CEO has been on an AI hiring blitz. A Twitter user who goes by the moniker @HinataMotivates, said to be a tech-motivation account, shared a podcast clip (going back to 2022) where Zuckerberg talks about Meta hiring rule and his advice for college students. Mark Zuckerberg has a hiring rule that he says is cardinal for him while hiring anyone and the one that he says is also an important tip for any college student. In an episode of the “Lex Fridman Podcast,” hosted by MIT computer scientist Lex Fridman, Zuckerberg said that most people know Facebook’s dorm-room origin story and that many have learned the wrong lesson from it. He said that his initial ability to launch Facebook wasn’t because he dropped out of college. According to Zuckerberg, it was due to the personal connections he made while he was still in school.Who you spend time with in college, Zuckerberg said, is “the most important decision” any student can make in college. He advised college students that choosing their social circle is the most pivotal decision, as people tend to emulate those around them. “You become the people you surround yourself with,” he said in the podcast. “I think probably people are too, in general, objective focused, and maybe not focused enough on the connections and the people who they’re basically building relationships [with].” Meta CEO Zuckerberg is said to have met his Facebook co-founders ⁠— Eduardo Saverin, Dustin Moskovitz, Chris Hughes and Andrew McCollum ⁠— while the five were students at Harvard University.

While the group split up in a not-so-happy manner, Zuckerberg said on the podcast that he tries to prioritize relationships over objectives. This applies especially to hiring. Zuckerberg said that he extends the idea to his Meta hiring philosophy: He only employs candidates he did hypothetically work for, underscoring reciprocity and alignment in professional networks. When evaluating a job candidate, he imagines what it would be like to work for that person. “I will only hire someone to work for me if I can see myself working for them,” he said.Zuckerberg said that the strategy creates a work environment that’s both more cohesive and more productive: If you work with people who share your values on a human level, you’ll be more likely to smoothly achieve your work goals together. It’s all about finding personal compatibility, he said, not unlike “choosing friends or a partner.”