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IND vs NZ 1st ODI: All eyes on Shubman Gill after T20 snub | Cricket News


IND vs NZ 1st ODI: All eyes on Shubman Gill after T20 snub

VADODARA: Clad in a sleeveless T-shirt despite the severe cold, Virat Kohli arrived at the Kotambi Stadium a couple of hours earlier than Team India. Kohli hit the nets immediately and hit some gorgeous drives as preparation for the first ODI against New Zealand here on Sunday.A couple of nets away, India’s ODI captain Shubman Gill was going through the paces, hitting the ball hard and appearing totally focused. All looked well with his game. With the likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma still around in the ODI setup, Gill’s current situation is a reminder of the time a young Mohammad Azharuddin captained a starstudded Indian team.

India ODI squad review | Iyer returns, Pant gets the nod, Shami misses out again

The 26-year-old Gill is still very new to India’s Test and ODI captaincy and will look to pick up the pieces after being dropped from India’s T20I team despite being appointed as the side’s vice-captain just a few months ago. After training for a week in Mohali, Gill turned out for a solitary match for Punjab in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Jaipur, where he was dismissed for 11 against Goa.For the past two days here, though, Gill has made every effort to rediscover the kind of touch that saw him amassing 754 runs in five Tests in England last year. Those who know him closely swear by Gill’s work ethic and his zeal to bounce back after the T20I setback.“He’s mentally very strong. Such things happen in the life of a sportsperson. He’s not the type who will get affected. He knows he has to respond to such things with his bat,” said Arvinder Singh, the CEO of Gill’s IPL team Gujarat Titans.Ro-Ko set to ‘flag off’ Baroda ODIThe Baroda Cricket Association is making grand plans to mark the first-ever men’s ODI at the Kotambi Stadium with an event in which the star duo of Kohli and Rohit Sharma will ‘flag off ’ the match. The first ODI will mark the return of international cricket to Vadodara after almost 15 years. The last international in Vadodara, on Dec 4, 2010, was also played between India and New Zealand, with current head coach Gautam Gambhir hitting a century.



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‘Cry of a wounded conscience’: Hindu man killed in Pakistan; sparks widespread protests in Sindh


'Cry of a wounded conscience': Hindu man killed in Pakistan; sparks widespread protests in Sindh

Widespread protests erupted in Pakistan’s Sindh province after a young Hindu farmer was killed by a landlord in Badin. According to a report by Pakistan’s news outlet the Nation, Kailash Kolhi was shot dead by an influential landlord, Sarfaraz Nizamani, over the construction of a hut on his land.Following Kolhi’s death, demonstrators staged sit-ins on the Badin–Hyderabad National Highway and the Badin–Thar Coal Road. Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded for hours as protesters demanded justice for the killing of Kolhi and vowed not to disperse until those responsible are arrested.

Jaishankar Sends ‘Bad Neighbour’ Pakistan On Anti-India Rant Again, Calls Operation Sindoor Reckless

According to a statement shared by activist Shiva Kachhi, the protest has been ongoing without pause.“The protest for the arrest of the killers of the martyred Kailash Kolhi is making history. Shiva Kachhi, Chairman of Pakistan Darawar Ittehad, is leading the historic protest sit-in. This was not just a protest—it was the cry of a wounded conscience. From 10:00 am yesterday until late into the night, the sit-in continued without pause, proving that the demand for justice cannot be silenced,” Kachhi said in a social media post on X.“Men, women, elderly people, and innocent children stayed on the streets with one voice and one demand: justice for Kailash Kolhi. Arrest the killers. Despite exhaustion, hunger, and the cold of the night, the determination of the protesters remained unshaken. Kailash Kolhi’s only ‘crime’ was that he was poor, marginalised, and courageous enough to exist in a system that protects the powerful and crushes the weak. The tears of his children, the grief of his mother, and the silent agony of his widow are today questioning the entire system: Is the blood of the poor so cheap?” he added.Earlier, the victim’s family and community members staged a protest by placing the body at Piru Lashari Stop, where the SSP Badin assured them that the accused would be arrested within 24 hours. The incident occurred four days ago in Raho Kolhi village in the Piru Lashari city area. Despite assurances from district police officials, the main accused has yet to be arrested.The ongoing protest has drawn participation from leaders and workers of several political, nationalist, religious, and social organisations, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jiye Sindh Mahaz, Qaumi Awami Tehreek, Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (Bashir Qureshi group), and Awami Tehreek, The Nation reported.



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This volcano’s lava isn’t red! It’s electric blue: Here’s the science behind it |


This volcano’s lava isn’t red! It’s electric blue: Here’s the science behind it
Source: National Geographic

Few natural wonders are as breathtakingly surreal as the electric blue flames dancing across Indonesia’s Kawah Ijen volcano. Unlike the familiar red-orange glow of molten lava, this volcano gives off an electric blue illumination at night that attracts photographers, travellers, and scientists worldwide. This phenomenon is not a result of lava itself but a product of burning sulfuric gases at very high temperatures, resulting in a neon-blue blaze visible against the dark landscape of the crater. More than just the visual, this rare display underlines a complex geological process and the hazardous conditions that the local miners have to put up with to extract sulfur, making Kawah Ijen a human story besides being a natural wonder.

Why Kawah Ijen’s lava appears bright blue

Typically, when people think of volcanic lava, they picture liquid lava with a reddish hue because of its higher temperatures. However, in Kawah Ijen crater, nothing could be farther from the truth because the blue illumination has nothing to do with volcanic lava. Sulfur vapours emit from fissures in the crater with a temperature of more than 600 °C (1,112 °F). Upon encountering oxygen, the Sulfur vapors immediately ignite and burn with a blue flame. The higher temperature of Sulfur vapors is responsible for the “blue lava” phenomenon because it appears as if there is blue lava when, in fact, lava is of its regular colour.As per ZME Science, the blue flames are accompanied by a phenomenon known as the Cerulean eruption, a process in which molten sulfur flows down the slopes of the volcanoes. Upon burning, the sulfur turns to liquid and flows down the volcanoes like a river, giving it a neon-like effect. In turn, the process has been referred to by its name due to its rare nature, as it occurs in a handful of locations around the globe, one of which is Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression. Taking a photo of the phenomenon, as explained by photographers, feels more like a piece from a sci-fi movie than nature.

Hidden dangers behind Kawah Ijen’s blue flames

Although the blue flames are a sight to admire, they also illustrate the level of danger that the Kawah Ijen miners encounter regularly.

  • These miners dig for sulfur in a poisonous environment, with minimal protection against the choking smoke emanating from the ground.
  • They usually protect themselves with damp cloth masks, which provide little protection for their faces against the burning gas.
  • Afterwards, once the sulfur has solidified, the miners haul heavy wicker baskets full of sulfur, scaling steep mountain sides, a very arduous and risky endeavour.
  • This sulfur, which has come to be nicknamed ‘Devil’s Gold’ for its valuable qualities, is essential for industrial applications, with the chemical serving as a basis for fertilisers and other chemicals.

Why scientists study the blue flames

There is much more to Kawah Ijen than meets the eye of a photographer or tourist. The blue flames of Kawah Ijen also serve as important scientific study material. It is rare to see such a set of conditions coming together. The presence of magma, water, and escaping sulfuric gases gives scientists important material to study. Such a study helps scientists understand gas emanations, chemical reactions, and the danger to humans and the environment. Kawah Ijen is one such instance where natural beauty, science, and human survival meet on the edge of risk.



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‘If you want to go in…’: Oil chiefs express caution as Trump pushes oil plan — what happened at the meeting


‘If you want to go in…’: Oil chiefs express caution as Trump pushes oil plan — what happened at the meeting

US President Donald Trump held talks with senior oil executives on Friday (local time), pushing them to consider investments in Venezuela’s oil sector following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. While Trump presented the country as newly secure and open for business, industry leaders responded cautiously, with one major executive saying Venezuela remains “uninvestable” without deep reforms.Speaking at the White House, Trump said his administration would take charge of deciding which companies are allowed to operate in Venezuela, sidelining Caracas from the process. He argued that foreign firms had previously operated without adequate protections under Maduro and claimed the situation had now fundamentally changed.

Another Trump STRIKE! Fifth Oil Tanker With Venezuelan Oil ‘CAPTURED’; Russia Watches Closely

“We’re going to be making the decision as to which oil companies are going to go in… (we’re) going to cut a deal with the companies,” Trump said. “But now you have total security. It’s a whole different Venezuela.”Trump added that oil companies would “deal with us directly,” signalling that Washington would manage access to Venezuela’s oil resources and exclude the country itself from negotiations.However, ExxonMobil chief executive Darren Woods raised serious doubts about returning to the country, citing the company’s history of asset seizures.“We’ve had our assets seized there twice and so, you can imagine, to re-enter a third time would require some pretty significant changes,” Woods said. “If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today in Venezuela — today, it’s uninvestable.”The meeting came days after US forces seized Maduro, an action Trump has openly linked to Venezuela’s oil wealth. He said discussions with executives would centre on rapidly restoring the country’s deteriorated oil infrastructure and increasing output by millions of barrels per day.Those attending included Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, along with executives from Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips, Halliburton, Valero, Marathon, Shell, Trafigura, Vitol Americas and Repsol.A ConocoPhillips spokesman said chief executive Ryan Lance valued the talks around “preparing Venezuela to be investment ready.”After the meeting, Trump said participants had “sort of formed a deal,” though he did not provide details. He claimed companies were ready to invest “at least 100 Billion Dollars” in the country.Analysts told AFP that the plan to revive Venezuela’s oil industry faces major obstacles. They said the size of the country’s reserves does not guarantee quick or profitable production, pointing to ageing infrastructure, political risks, costly heavy crude extraction and growing investor caution as the world moves away from fossil fuels.“There’s lots of talk about the size of the reserves — 300 billion barrels of proved reserves — but what’s often missing from the conversation is how realistic it is for those to be economically extracted,” said Rich Collett-White, an energy analyst at Carbon Tracker.Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who has previously said the US would control Venezuela’s oil industry “indefinitely,” acknowledged after the talks that rebuilding the sector would “take time.”Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez said her government remained in control of the country, while the state oil company said it was holding negotiations with Washington.Chevron is currently the only US firm licensed to operate in Venezuela. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips exited the country in 2007 after rejecting demands from then-president Hugo Chavez to give the state majority control.Trump also said in a social media post that he had cancelled a second round of strikes on Venezuela, citing what he described as “cooperation” from the country.Venezuela has been under US sanctions since 2019 and holds around one-fifth of the world’s oil reserves. Despite this, it accounted for only about one percent of global crude production in 2024, according to OPEC, after years of underinvestment, sanctions and embargoes.Trump sees Venezuela’s oil wealth as a potential boost to his efforts to further bring down fuel prices in the United States.



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‘This election has no effect on our alliance…the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray is with Shinde’: Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis | Mumbai News


In an exclusive pre-poll interaction with the Times group on Friday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke on a range of subjects. Excerpts:Q: The Thackeray cousins questioned your right to speak about Mumbai saying you were not born here.A: Who understands Mumbai? One of the great names that comes up is the late Balasaheb Thackeray, but he was not born in Mumbai. His father Prabhodankar Thackeray too was not born in Mumbai. The understanding of Mumbai which Balasaheb Thackeray had, no one has. Those born in Mumbai administered the BMC for several years, what did they do? Mumbai may not be my janmabhoomi but it’s been my karmabhoomi since 1999.Q: BJP is strong in Mumbai, so why the need for an alliance?A: Though we are strong, taking the Shiv Sena along is our moral responsibility because today when we see the legacy of Balasaheb Thackeray, it is clearly with (Eknath) Shinde. In such circumstances it is not proper to fight against each other. Secondly, they have created a vote bank, we also have a big vote bank. It is a win-win situation for both. So when we sit for seat sharing talks, it’s a give-and-take. We compromised in KalyanDombivli; in Jalgaon we had won 57 seats earlier, but we settled for 47 seats.Q: How about honouring the legacy by giving them (Shiv Sena) the mayor’s post for 2.5 years?A: Why 2.5 years? We can give it to them for any number of years. We can give them the mayor’s post for five years also. The mayor will be of the Mahayuti.Q: Will your alliance with Shiv Sena and NCP continue till the end of the assembly term?A: Yes absolutely. This election has no effect on our alliance. We sat together and decided that in several municipal corporations we will contest separately because the entire political space is with us. Why should we concede political space to somebody else? That’s our understanding. We are together till 2029 and hopefully thereafter also.Q: Your relations with NCP, are there times when you regret it?A: We carefully thought it over before forming an alliance with the NCP. In one city when we come face to face, I have decided not to speak against our alliance partners. He does speak but Ajit Pawar is a practical person. He knows where to go forward, where to step back, stay flexible… we live in political realism. In 2019 all came together and distanced us….we were the single largest party and they still made us sit in the opposition. If we simply sit with our principles then in our lifetime we will never come to power to implement our principles. Therefore, we made some compromises.Q: Women party workers have got upset over seat distribution and this is reflected on social media.A: After every election a new generation (of political workers) is created. This happened in 2017 and then in 2022 but there were no elections in between. So now there are two generations of party workers and the number of seats is constant. For every seat there are four contenders and whosoever is given a seat, others feel betrayed. Earlier it would not come out in the media. But that is not a bad thing. Women have become assertive. There is 50% reservation for women, but 55% seats have been given to women.Q: What about the Ambernath tie-up with Congress?A: It was 100% wrong. Sometimes what happens is local leaders have their enemies and artificially you cannot bring them together. In Ambernath, our party president who was elected, Sena candidates fought against his family members and the enmity is very strong. I had made it clear: wherever required, go with Shinde Sena or NCP, but here they decided not to go with Sena. Some of those elected on Congress tickets are BJP rebels and came back (to BJP). Congress pre-empted them by removing them from the party. Even the alliance with AIMIM was wrong. In Akot, our nagar president was elected. We needed 2-3 people for a majority. We did an alliance with the NCP which had an alliance with the AIMIM. Technically they (AIMIM) became our alliance partners. The people at the lower level do not realise the repercussions. As soon as I learnt of it, I told them to break it and we even served suspension notices.Q: Unopposed victories in local body polls this time are being attributed to muscle and money power.A: If muscle and money power were being used, it would have happened in Mumbai also. Maximum unopposed elections happened in Kalyan-Dombivli because…Congress has been wiped out there, so also NCP. Even an Islamic party independent candidate got elected unopposed there. We are such big parties and we had no candidate against him.Q: What is your roadmap for Mumbai?A: The DCPR-2034 takes care of every aspect. All DP roads will be concretised. We have a new design for footpaths. Mumbai is landlocked and there is no option but to go vertical but there is a limit to it. All global cities have used this strategy. For BMC a platform for clearing building proposals using artificial intelligence is on the way. Unlike Auto DCR where 4-5 human interventions are required and there is human subjectivity, on this platform it won’t happen. The proposal will be scrutinised by AI, flag provisions that are not as per DCPR, and even provide a 3D model of the project. Using technology we shall try to make it transparent.Q: Despite Govt’s focus on big infrastructure projects, there’s aperception that quality of life has not improved much in Mumbai in terms of air quality, pedestrian space, and traffic. Would it have been better to focus on smaller, intelligent solutions in different neighbourhoods?A: Ease of living comes from ease of commuting, which means you need clean means of transportation and so we have planned over 400 kms of metro. Improved suburban railway services, improved frequency of trains, passenger amenities are being provided with 50% funding by the state. For second class passengers, the train fare will remain the same. We have also introduced electric buses, new roads which will decongest Western Express Highway. The Worli-Sewri connector will be ready by Dec 2026. To clean up sewage flowing into the sea, treatment plants have got approvals.Q: In doing redevelopment in Dharavi, why resettle residents on a dumping yard (in Deonar) which has a toxic environment and will take decades to clear even after scientific closure. Previously, slum rehab schemes in Mahul have had to be abandoned because of such pollution.A: Whatever happened in Mahul was a scam. All those who are eligible will be rehabilitated in Dharavi. Those ineligible, if we simply remove them, then that is no solution because they will settle elsewhere. So we decided to provide them 12 years of rental housing in different places, thus abiding by the court order. One of the places is the dumpyard…in Nagpur there is a Symbiosis and next to it is the NM campus. Both have come up on Nagpur’s dumping yard. We did bio-mining, capping and reclaimed the land. There is no smell, no gases.Q: What about slums on Central govt land?A: We are in talks with the Centre for redevelopment of slums on central govt. For airport land we have almost convinced the Centre that if slums are redeveloped in-situ then we shall free up 50-100 acres. Our efforts are on for railways as well. They will never be able to remove all the slums on railway land. But as long as railways has enough and a little more for its projects, it should do.Q: We elect political representatives to a local body, but we can never pick a bureaucracy. Can you reform the bureaucracy at the lower levels in BMC?A: It is a challenge. They know we (politicians) are around only for 5 years…we are working on inter-corporation staff transfers – from Thane to Pune, etc – but there is no other corporation in the state of the size and scale of the BMC.



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‘Broke down in tears’: 38-year-old West Bengal man waiting in SIR queue collapses, dies of heart attack; family alleges stress from process | Kolkata News


KOLKATA: A 38-year-old man, Ramzan Ali, a resident of Badu in Madhyamgram, died of a heart attack on Thursday morning after standing in a long queue for a hearing related to corrections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. According to the family, Ramzan had been suffering from severe anxiety ever since he received a notice for the SIR hearing. They alleged that the fear surrounding the process ultimately led to his death.

‘Naughty, Nasty HM’: Mamata Slams Amit Shah After ED Raids TMC Leader Amid SIR Row

According to local sources, Ramzan, a driver, went to the Barasat Block II BDO office with his mother Salma Begum to seek correction of names under SIR. “While standing in queue for a long time in the cold, he fell ill and collapsed,” said Sheikh Gulam Ali, his cousin.Locals took him to Sanberia Rural Health Centre, where doctors declared him dead. “My son was under extreme stress from the day he received the SIR notice. Our names were not on the 2002 voters’ list. He repeatedly asked me where we would go and whether we would be driven out of this country. He even broke down in tears. I somehow convinced him and brought him for the hearing. I never imagined my son would die like this,” Salma said.State food and supplies minister Rathin Ghosh, Madhyamgram Municipality chairperson Nimai Ghosh, and other local Trinamool leaders visited the bereaved family to express condolences. They have assured the family of financial assistance. Condemning the incident, the food minister alleged that more than 50 people have died in the state in connection with the SIR process.



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GG-W vs UP-W, WPL 2026, Match Prediction: Who will win today’s game between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz?



The first double-header of the WPL 2026 season kicks off with a fascinating contest between two sides eager to establish early dominance. The Gujarat Giants (GG), who finally broke their playoff jinx last season by finishing third, come into this edition with a settled core and renewed confidence under Ashleigh Gardner.

On the other side, the UP Warriorz (UPW) are arguably the most transformed side of the auction. After finishing at the bottom of the table last year, they have hit the reset button in spectacular fashion, bringing in the legendary Meg Lanning to steer the ship. This match isn’t just about points; it’s a battle between Gujarat’s stability and UP’s star-studded overhaul.

Team combinations

The Giants have finally found a formula that works. Retaining Gardner as captain and Beth Mooney at the top provides them with a world-class spine. The addition of Sophie Devine adds immense power to the top order, potentially pairing with Mooney or Danni Wyatt-Hodge. The arrival of Renuka Singh gives them the swing threat they lacked, complementing the spin mastery of Gardner, Georgia Wareham, and Tanuja Kanwer. How they utilize Ashleigh Gardner with the bat. Often floating in the order, her stability at No. 4 will be crucial against UP’s spinners.

All eyes will be on Lanning. The former Delhi Capitals skipper has moved to UPW to lead a revival. The Warriorz broke the bank to re-sign Deepti Sharma (₹3.2 CR) and brought in explosive talents like Deandra Dottin and Phoebe Litchfield (poached from Gujarat). A powerhouse middle order. A batting lineup featuring Lanning, Litchfield, Dottin, and Kiran Navgire is terrifying on paper. Sophie Ecclestone remains the best spinner in the world, and her partnership with Deepti Sharma on the DY Patil surface could be the deciding factor.

GG-W vs UP-W, WPL 2026: Match details

  • Date and Time: January 10; 03:30 pm IST/ 10:00 am GMT
  • Venue: DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai

GG-W vs UP-W, Head-to-Head Record in WPL

Matches played: 6 | Gujarat Giants won: 3 | UP Warriroz won: 3 | No result: 0

Also READ: WPL 2026 Opening Ceremony: Date, Time, Performers and Live Streaming details

Dr DY Patil Sports Academy Pitch Report

The surface at the DY Patil Academy is traditionally a batter’s paradise. It offers good bounce and the ball comes onto the bat nicely, allowing for stroke-making through the line. Being an afternoon game, dew won’t be a major factor, but the heat might be. Expect the captain winning the toss to bowl first, looking to restrict the opposition to under 160 and chase it down on a track that gets better for batting.

Squads:

Gujarat Giants: Ashleigh Gardner (c), Beth Mooney, Sophie Devine, Renuka Singh Thakur, Bharti Fulmali, Titas Sadhu, Kashee Gautam, Kanika Ahuja, Tanuja Kanwer, Georgia Wareham, Anushka Sharma, Happy Kumari, Kim Garth, Yastika Bhatia, Shivani Singh, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Ayushi Soni

UP Warriorz: Meg Lanning (c), Shweta Sehrawat, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Ecclestone, Phoebe Litchfield, Kiran Navgire, Harleen Deol, Kranti Goud, Asha Sobhana, Deandra Dottin, Shikha Pandey, Shipra Giri, Simran Shaikh, Chloe Tryon, Suman Meena, G. Trisha, Pratika Rawal, Charli Knott

GG-W vs UP-W, WPL 2026: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

  • Gujarat Giants Women wins the toss and bowl first
  • UP Warriorz Bengaluru Women’s powerplay score: 45-55
  • UP Warriorz Bengaluru Women’s total score: 140-150

Case 2:

  • UP Warriorz Bengaluru Women wins the toss and bowl first
  • Gujarat Giants Women’s powerplay score: 50-60
  • Gujarat Giants Women’s total score: 155-165

Match result: Team bowling first to win the match.

Also READ: WPL 2026 Schedule: TV channels, Live Streaming details: When and where to watch in India, Australia, US, UK & other countries | Women’s Premier League

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



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‘Balance toh khatam nahi ho gaya?’: Wasim Akram pokes fun at PSL franchises | WATCH | Cricket News


'Balance toh khatam nahi ho gaya?': Wasim Akram pokes fun at PSL franchises | WATCH

NEW DELHI: Wasim Akram stole the show during the Pakistan Super League’s franchise auction on Thursday, turning the high-stakes bidding war into a moment of levity with his trademark wit.As the PSL officially added two new teams ahead of the 2026 season, Akram — who conducted the auction — kept the atmosphere light even as millions were at stake. At one point, spotting a hesitant bidder, the Pakistan great quipped: “Balance toh khatam nahi ho gaya?”, drawing laughter from those present. Several journalists and social media users later identified the potential bidder as representatives of Jazz, Pakistan’s leading telecom service provider, who ultimately did not place a bid.The auction concluded with two successful bids, expanding the PSL to eight teams. OZ Developers, a real estate consortium, secured the Sialkot franchise for Rs 1.85 billion ($6.55 million/INR 58.38 crore), while US-based FKS Group won the Hyderabad team for Rs 1.75 billion ($6.2 million/INR 55.57 crore). Overall, the two franchises fetched $12.75 million (approximately INR 114 crore).The new teams will join the league when the next season begins on March 26.Multan Sultans, meanwhile, will be operated by the Pakistan Cricket Board for the upcoming season before being put up for sale after the PSL concludes in April. Former owner Ali Tareen, who had public differences with the PSL management, was eligible to bid but pulled out at the last moment from a pool of 10 approved bidders.Akram’s presence at the auction came amid recent debate sparked by his comments on league durations. Speaking at a PSL promotional event, the former fast bowler praised the league’s shorter window and took a swipe at longer tournaments.“The best thing about the league is that it is played for only about 34-35 days, maybe a little more next year. It’s not like three months, like the other league. Bacchey bade ho jate hain, woh league khatam hi nahi hoti. Foreign players, when they come to Pakistan, prefer to be here for 35-40 days. More than that – two-and-a-half to three months – is a bit too long for everyone. Even I get bored,” Akram said.He also cited Australia’s Big Bash League as an example of why shorter leagues work better.“Prime example is the BBL. They started off with two-and-a-half months. They realised after four or five years it wasn’t working. Now their duration is about 40 days. That’s it. That’s the beauty of the PSL. Of course, the talent. Everybody overseas, when I talk to them, they talk about bowling in the IPL and other leagues. They say the PSL, as far as talent is concerned, is definitely No. 1 because we have quality, not quantity,” he added.Akram’s comments triggered mixed reactions online, with many fans criticising the comparison — particularly given his long association with the Indian Premier League as both a coach and commentator.



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‘Desperate attempt’: Suvendu Adhikari sends legal notice to Mamata Banerjee; threatens defamation case over ‘baseless’ corruption allegations | India News


‘Desperate attempt’: Suvendu Adhikari sends legal notice to Mamata Banerjee; threatens defamation case over 'baseless' corruption allegations

NEW DELHI: West Bengal leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Friday sent a legal notice to chief minister Mamata Banerjee after she made allegation against him and Union home minister Amit Shah over coal smuggling case.Adhikari demanded Mamata to prove the allegations made by her within 72 hours, adding that failure to do so would compel him to initiate appropriate civil and criminal proceedings for defamation.In a social media post on X, Adhikari said that chief minister’s allegations were made in a desperate attempt to divert attention from the ongoing investigation by Enforcement Directorate.“Today, CM Mamata Banerjee, in a desperate attempt to divert attention from an ongoing ED investigation, made absolutely baseless defamatory allegations against me, linking me to an ‘alleged’ coal scam alongside the Hon’ble Union Home Minister. These reckless statements, laced with personal insults, were made publicly without any shred of evidence. Such unsubstantiated claims not only tarnished my reputation but also undermine the dignity of public discourse,” Adhikari said.“Today, through my Advocate, I have served a Legal Notice demanding that she provide all purported evidence within 72 hours. If she fails to do so, I will pursue appropriate Civil and Criminal actions for Defamation,” he added.This comes after Mamata alleged that Amit Shah and Suvendu Adhikari were involved in the alleged coal scam and claimed that money from the scam was routed to Amit Shah through Adhikari. The chief minister made these remarks while addressing a public gathering amid protests against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid in Kolkata’s I-PAC office on Thursday.In the notice, the leader of opposition termed the chief minister’s statements as “reckless, baseless, and wholly unsubstantiated,” accusing her of making defamatory allegations without producing any evidence.“It has come to the knowledge of my client that on 08.01.2026 and again on 09.01.2026, you have made reckless, baseless, and wholly unsubstantiated allegations against my client by publicly insinuating that my client, along with the Union Home Minister of India, is involved in an alleged coal scam. You have further claimed that you are in possession of evidence in support of such allegations,” the notice read.“On the contrary, my client states that such statements appear to be part of a calculated and sinister design to divert public attention from serious issues concerning you, your family members, and your political party, which are presently engaging public scrutiny…,” it added.This comes after Mamata, while addressing a gathering, said, “You know who is sitting in the Election Commission. He was the Cooperation Department Secretary of Amit Shah. I have no issues with that. If Gyanesh Kumar is vanishing votes, why will I stay quiet? If the voter’s rights are snatched, I will snatch your rights.”“TMC MPs have been dragged mercilessly when they were protesting in Delhi. All the agencies have been grabbed. I challenge them that they came to power in Haryana and Bihar forcefully. In one more state, they come to power forcefully. Now they are trying to do this in Bengal. Who gets the coal scam’s money? Amit Shah gets it. The money goes through Suvendu Adhikari. The money goes through BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay to Suvendu Adhikari. Suvendu Adhikari sends it to Amit Shah,” she added.Meanwhile, the Bhartiya Janata Party Mahila Morcha on Friday held a protest march from Rabindra Sarovar to Deshapriya Park against Mamata over her recent alleged interference in a raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate on Kolkata’s I-PAC office on Thursday.



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3 dead after fire breaks out in residential structure in Mumbai’s Goregaon | Mumbai News


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MUMBAI: Three members of a family, including a 19-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy, died after a fire broke out in a residential structure at Bhagatsingh Nagar in Goregaon (West) in the early hours of Saturday.According to the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB), the fire was reported at around 3.06 am from a ground-plus-one-storey structure. The blaze was spread through electric wiring and household articles on the ground floor, and clothing on the first floor.Local residents rushed to the spot and attempted to douse the fire using water buckets before the arrival of the fire brigade. Fire personnel later extinguished the blaze completely after cutting off the electric supply. The fire was extinguished at 3.16 am.Three persons trapped inside the house were rescued and rushed to Trauma Care Hospital, Goregaon, in a police van and a private vehicle. However, doctors declared all three brought dead.The deceased have been identified as Harshada Pawaskar (19), Kushal Pawaskar (12) and Sanjog Pawaskar (48). Officials said all three had sustained burn injuries.The exact cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained, though preliminary details indicate that it originated from electrical wiring. Further investigation is underway.



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