‘Dhurandhar’ has been rampaging at the box office since its release in theaters. Three movies arrived in theaters after that, including James Cameron’s epic ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ but they couldn’t stop the Aditya Dhar-directed film’s impressive run. The movie has crossed Rs 1200 crore at the global box office. And now the ‘Dhurandhar’ fever has taken over the NBA as well. Let’s learn more about it.

‘Dhurandhar’ title song gets played at the NBA match

At the National Basketball Association game, which was hosted in San Francisco, California, the title track of ‘Dhurandhar’ was played during a Bhangra performance. The match was between the Golden State Warriors and the Milwaukee Bucks. The video went viral quickly on the internet. The clip, shared by the popular dance group Bhangra Empire, showcased the crew grooving to the song in traditional Punjabi attire. The caption of the post read, “Starting our Warriors game performance off with a bang!”

More about ‘Dhurandhar’

Directed by Aditya Dhar, the film stars Sanjay Dutt, Ranveer Singh, Akshaye Khanna, Rakesh Bedi, R Madhavan, and Sara Arjun. The supporting cast includes Danish Pandor, Naseem Mughal, Saumya Tandon, Mohit Mallik, Gaurav Gera, and Naveen Kaushik.The story of the film revolves around Ranveer Singh’s character Hamza, who infiltrates the terror groups of Lyari Town in Pakistan. Akshaye Khanna has played the role of the gang’s leader, Rehman Dakait.The movie has been breaking all box office records since day one in theaters. In India, it has collected over Rs 790 crore. The movie was released in theaters on December 5, 2025, and is still running successfully with no competition.Part two of the espionage thriller is set to arrive in theaters on March 19, 2026. It will clash with Yash’s next project, ‘Toxic: A Fairytale for Grown-Ups’. The movie, directed by Geethu Mohandas, also stars Nayanthara, Kiara Advani, Tara Sutaria, Rukmini Vasanth, Huma Qureshi, Natalie Burn, and Kyle Paul.

Big Bash League 2025-26 heats up with a blockbuster showdown at The Gabba, Brisbane, as the table-topping Brisbane Heat take on a resurgent Sydney Thunder in Match 29. This fixture pits Heat’s batting firepower against Thunder’s spin-heavy attack. With playoff spots on the line, expect a high-octane T20 thriller under Brisbane’s summer sun.

Brisbane Heat enjoy a narrow historical advantage over Sydney Thunder, having won eight of their 15 meetings, with Thunder claiming six and one match ending without a result. The Gabba has been a stronghold for the Heat, where they have emerged victorious in five of seven clashes and remain unbeaten in their last four home outings.

Topping the league charts with a batting average of 32.5, Heat have also been clinical while chasing, winning 75 percent of such matches. David Warner’s return has lifted Thunder, helping them secure three wins in five games, though their struggles on the road persist. Heat currently lead the points table with 14 points from nine matches, while Thunder sit fourth with 10 points from eight games.

BH vs ST, BBL|15: Match details

• Date and Time: January 10; 10:30 am IST / 5:00 am GMT / 3:00 pm Local
• Venue: The Gabba, Brisbane

BH vs ST: Head-to-Head Record in BBL

Matches played: 23 | Brisbane Heat won: 14 | Sydney Thunder won: 08 | No result/Tied: 01

Gabba Pitch Report

The Gabba’s pitch for Match 29 in BBL 2025-26 promises a high-scoring spectacle. These drop-in surfaces offer true bounce and lightning-quick outfield, with short straight boundaries (65-70m) favouring aggressive batters—first innings averages hit 178 this season, including Heat’s 214/4 high. Early seam movement aids pacers, but it flattens out for spin in the middle overs. Minimal dew in the 3:00 PM local start keeps bowlers in play. Expect 350+ runs total; teams batting first hold a 60% win rate.

Squads:

Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro, Jack Wildermuth, Matt Renshaw, Hugh Weibgen, Tom Alsop, Max Bryant, Jimmy Peirson (wk), Xavier Bartlett (c), Shaheen Afridi, Liam Haskett, Matthew Kuhnemann, Thomas Balkin, Lachlan Hearne, Ollie Patterson

Sydney Thunder: David Warner (c), Sam Billings, Lockie Ferguson, Daniel Sams, Chris Green, Cameron Bancroft, Wes Agar, Ollie Davies, Shadab Khan, Matthew Gilkes, Tanveer Sangha, Ryan Hadley, Sam Konstas, Nathan McAndrew, Tom Andrews, Ravichandran Ashwin, Blake Nikitaras

Also READ: Ben Dwarshuis, Joel Davies shine as Sydney Sixers pip Melbourne Stars in a low-scoring thriller

BH vs ST, BBL|15: Today’s Match Prediction

Case 1:

• Brisbane Heat wins the toss and bats first
• Brisbane Heat’s powerplay score: 40-50 (6 overs)
• Brisbane Heat’s total score: 180-190

Case 2:

• Sydney Thunder wins the toss and bats first
• Sydney Thunder’s powerplay score: 55-65 (6 overs)
• Sydney Thunder’s total score: 190-200

Match result: Team batting first to win the contest

Also WATCH: Hassan Khan plucks a screamer to dismiss Moises Henriques in BBL|15

A 50-year-old Dalit woman was killed after she tried to protect her daughter from alleged abductors in Meerut’s Kapsad village on Thursday.

MEERUT: A 50-year-old Dalit woman was killed after she tried to protect her daughter from alleged abductors in Meerut’s Kapsad village on Thursday, triggering political outrage and heightened security in the area.The woman was struck on the head with a sharp weapon when she stepped between her 20-year-old daughter and two men who allegedly attempted to abduct the younger woman. The accused fled with the daughter after attacking the mother, who later succumbed to her injuries in hospital.Police have identified the accused as Paras Som (23) and Sunil Kumar (25), both residents of the same village. An FIR has been registered under relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections for murder and abduction, along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.Meerut SSP Vipin Tada said police have intensified the search operation. “An FIR has been filed against two persons under BNS sections for murder and abduction, along with relevant provisions of the SC/ST Act. Based on the clues, teams have also been sent to Haryana and Delhi,” he said.Meerut Zone ADG Bhanu Bhaskar told TOI, “We have assured the family that every possible measure is being taken to recover their daughter and bring the perpetrators to justice.”How events unfolded

District Magistrate VK Singh said financial assistance has been sanctioned. “A total of Rs 10 lakh has been given to the family from the CM relief fund, and they will receive an additional Rs 12 lakh by the time the chargesheet is filed in court.”Before succumbing to her injuries, the woman gave a statement recounting the assault. “Paras misbehaved with my daughter. When I protested, he started beating and abusing me. He hit my head with a sharp instrument,” she said.The accused remain absconding.Grief simmered in Kapsad village in the Sardhana area on Friday, even as a heavy police force was deployed to maintain law and order. The woman was cremated late in the evening after several hours of negotiations between the family and the administration.Earlier, the family had refused to perform the last rites, demanding the arrest of the accused, strict action against alleged illegal constructions by them, and the safe recovery of the missing daughter.Senior officials, including SSP Vipin Tada, remained present in the village during prolonged talks with the family. “More than ten police teams are working across districts to apprehend the accused and ensure the girl’s safe recovery. Both hail from the same village. We are acting swiftly on all leads,” he said.DM Dr VK Singh said the administration was also considering providing an arms licence to the family due to security concerns and assured them of immediate protection. He added that the law and order situation in the area was peaceful.The case has drawn sharp political reactions. BSP supremo Mayawati posted on X, “Govt must take these incidents of violation of women’s dignity and subsequent murder with utmost seriousness and take immediate and strict action against the culprits to prevent criminal elements from committing such heinous acts in the future.”Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav wrote on X, “…BJP govt reached a point of no return in its patronage of criminals… There can be nothing worse than a situation where people lose all hope in their govt.”Former Union minister and ex-MP Sanjeev Balyan, who visited the family, said, “I asked them to have a little patience.”Key points

Samajwadi Party workers also staged a protest at Commissary Park, demanding the girl’s safe recovery and the arrest of the accused, leading to minor scuffles with police.

Mustafizur Rahman (AFP Photo)

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday offered its first response to the ongoing controversy surrounding Bangladesh’s request to play its T20 World Cup matches outside India. The BCCI top brass reviewed operations at its Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru and also discussed plans to streamline India U-19 and India A tours going forward, board secretary Devajit Saikia told PTI.Following the meeting, Saikia was asked about Bangladesh approaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) to seek a shift of its T20 World Cup games out of India after the BCCI instructed IPL franchise Kolkata Knight Riders to release Mustafizur Rahman from its roster amid the prevailing relations between the two countries.

Saikia responded: “The meeting was about CoE and other cricketing matters. It’s not our domain to talk about that (as the ICC has the final say on Bangladesh’s participation in the T20 World Cup).”The meeting, held in Mumbai, was also attended by BCCI president Mithun Manhas, vice-president Rajeev Shukla and head of cricket at the CoE VVS Laxman. Several key technical positions at the CoE, which became fully operational in April last year, remain vacant, including the roles of head of education and head of sports science.“We assessed the vacancies at CoE and decided to go ahead with the recruitment process soon. There is an acute shortage of technical personnel worldwide, but we are trying to fill the positions at the earliest,” Saikia said.Reviewing the operations at the CoE and outlining the way forward, Saikia added: “We thought it was an appropriate time to review the preparations and activities of CoE.“We are hosting matches on the three grounds there (including the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy). We also talked about how the A tours need to be scheduled going forward.“In certain situations, the A side and senior team are touring together at the same time. We need to ensure that there is no overlap. An A tour is an important supply line of cricketers,” said the cricketer-turned-lawyer from Assam.

FILE – The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV sits on display at the Chicago Auto Show, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

FILE – The 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV sits on display at the Chicago Auto Show, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)

General Motors will be hit with charges of about $6 billion as sales of electric vehicles sputter after the US cut tax incentives to buy them and also eased auto emissions standards. Shares slid almost 3% Friday. The charges that will be recorded in the fourth quarter follow an announcement in October that the Detroit automaker would take a $1.6 billion charge for the same reason in the previous quarter, with automakers forced to reconsider ambitious plans to convert their fleets to electric power. The EV tax credit ended in September. The clean vehicle tax credit was worth $7,500 for new EVs and up to $4,000 for used ones. GM, which had been the most ambitious among all U.S. automakers with plans to replace internal combustion engines, said in its filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Thursday that the $6 billion in charges includes non-cash impairments and other non-cash charges of about $1.8 billion as well as supplier commercial settlements, contract cancellation fees, and other charges of approximately $4.2 billion. EVs have been considered to be the future of the US automotive industry. GM announced in 2020 that it was going to invest $27 billion in electric and autonomous vehicles over the next five years, a 35% increase over plans made before the pandemic. GM expected more than half of its factories in North America and China would be capable of making electric vehicles by 2030. It also pledged at the time to increase its investment in EV charging networks by nearly $750 million through 2025. Its goal was to make the vast majority of the vehicles electric by 2035, and the entire company carbon neutral five years after that. Those plans have been shaken due to the drastic differences in economic and environmental policies between the Biden and Trump administrations. China has become a global leader in electric vehicle technology in recent years, with factories there churning out millions of cars and laying the groundwork for a massive charging network for vehicles. Earlier this month, Tesla was dethroned as the world’s largest EV automaker, replaced by China’s BYD, which produced 2.26 million electric vehicles last year. Also Friday, Netherlands-based Stellantis, said that due to shifting customer demand it would “phase out plug in hybrid (PHEV) programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, and focus on more competitive electrified solutions.” Stellantis owns Jeep, Dodge, Chrysler and other carmakers.

US President Donald Trump (AP photo)

US President Donald Trump late Friday once again spoke about taking action on Greenland, saying the US would have to do “something” or risk Russia and China stepping in. He said Washington does not want Moscow or Beijing as its “neighbours”.Speaking to reporters during a meeting with top oil and gas executives, Trump questioned Denmark’s claim over Greenland, saying that landing a boat there 500 years ago does not give ownership of the land.When asked about Greenland, Trump said, “We are going to do something on Greenland, whether they like it or not, because if we don’t do it, Russia or China will take over Greenland — and we’re not going to have Russia or China as a neighbour. I would like to make a deal the easy way but if we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way”.He added, “And by the way, I’m a fan of Denmark as well. They’ve been very nice to me. I’m a big fan but the fact that they had a boat land there 500 years ago doesn’t mean that they own the land. We had lots of boats go there also. But we need that because if you take a look at outside of Greenland right now, they are Russian destroyers, Chinese destroyers and bigger there are Russian submarines all over the place. We’re not going to have Russia or China occupy Greenland and that’s what they’re going to do if we don’t. We will do something with Greenland either the nice way or the difficult way.”When questioned about why the US needed to “own” Greenland when it already has a military presence there, Trump said ownership was essential for defence.He said, “When we own it we defend it. You don’t defend leases the same way. You have to own it. Countries have to have ownership and you defend ownership. You don’t defend leases. If we don’t do it, China or Russia well. That’s not going to happen… Nato has to understand that. I’m all for Nato. I saved it. If it weren’t for me, Nato would not be there.”Trump’s repeated comments on Greenland have drawn strong pushback from Denmark and Greenland. Copenhagen has warned that its troops are under orders to “shoot first and ask question later” if Greenland comes under attack, as concerns grow in Europe over the US openly discussing possible military action against the Arctic territory.Earlier, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected Trump’s claims that the US “needs” Greenland for security reasons, calling them an “unacceptable pleasure”.When asked what it would mean if the US used force against another Nato member, Frederiksen said, “If the US attacks another Nato country, everything stops.” She added that while she could not predict Washington’s actions, “there is full support from Europe that borders must be respected.”Trump has renewed his push to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory rich in natural resources such as rare earth minerals, uranium and iron. His latest remarks come days after the US used military force in Venezuela to seize President Nicolas Maduro.For decades, the US has viewed Greenland as strategically important. Under Trump, the island has again been placed at the centre of Washington’s Arctic strategy. Trump had earlier offered to buy Greenland in 2019 during his first term, but Denmark said it was not for sale.Trump has repeatedly warned that Russia and China could take control of foreign territories if the US does not act. Referring to the Venezuela operation, he said, “If we didn’t do what we did, China or Russia would have been in Venezuela.”In response to a question about Europe, Trump sharply criticised wind energy. He said, “I’m not much of a windmill person. I can proudly say that we have not approved one wind mill since I’ve been in office and we’re going to keep it that way. My role is to not let any windmill get build. They’re losers. They lose money, they destroy your landscape, they kill your birds, they are all made in China”.He also suggested that Europe should question China about its own use of wind power.Trump said, “They (China) use coal, oil and gas and some nuclear but they don’t have windmills. They make them and sell them to suckers like Europe and suckers like the United States before. They are the worst form of energy, most expensive form of energy”.These remarks came shortly after Trump signed a memorandum directing the US to withdraw from international organisations, conventions and treaties that he said were “contrary to the interests” of the US.According to a White House statement, the move includes withdrawal from 35 non-UN organisations and 31 UN entities. Among the non-UN organisations listed are the India- and France-led International Solar Alliance, environmental bodies such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.Other organisations affected include the International Energy Forum, the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Partnership for Atlantic Cooperation and the Global Counterterrorism Forum.

Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stirred debate by suggesting a major change in England’s coaching setup following the Ashes 2025-26 series. Pietersen floated the idea of bringing back former Zimbabwe cricketer Andy Flower and moving on from current head coach Brendon McCullum.

McCullum is under heavy pressure after England’s poor Ashes tour in Australia. The team went into the series with high hopes, but the performances fell well short. The disappointing result has also hurt England’s standing in Test cricket, pushing them down to seventh place in the ongoing ICC WTC 2025-27 cycle.

Can England Bring Back Andy Flower? – Kevin Pietersen Asks ECB to Sack Brendon McCullum

Kevin Pietersen said that England should consider bringing back Andy Flower as head coach. Pietersen said that Flower has evolved over time and understands modern players better. Kevin Pietersen added that appointing Flower would be a risky move but worth discussing.

Your daily dose of cricket!

“This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest. Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player? He gets Test Cricket,” Kevin Pietersen wrote.

“I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama. He’s winning leagues so really does get the modern day player. VERY IMPORTANT! Wild, I know! Thoughts?” Kevin Pietersen added.

This is a WILD thought. I reckon one of my wildest.
Can England bring back Andy Flower now that he’s changed and in line with the modern day player?
He gets Test Cricket.
I’ve been told by many players that he’s changed his ways since our drama.
He’s winning leagues so…

— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) January 9, 2026

England Struggle for Consistency Under Brendon McCullum

England’s results have failed to meet expectations. After a bright start to his time as head coach, the team has struggled to win major series and has not made a strong impact in Test cricket. England have not been serious contenders in the WTC and have failed to beat top sides like India and Australia.

A major issue has been England’s performances away from home. The team has often used the same aggressive style in all conditions, even when it has not worked. This approach has led to poor results on overseas tours, especially in challenging conditions.

Even in England, the team has not fully taken advantage of home pitches. While McCullum’s overall record since 2022 is not poor, his recent form has been worrying. The England and Wales Cricket Board may have to rethink its plans if England want to stay competitive in the current Test cycle.

Australia Overcome Absentees as England’s Ashes Hopes Fade

Australia were without Josh Hazlewood for the entire series, while Pat Cummins was available only for the Adelaide Test. The hosts also dealt with form issues involving Usman Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne and handed Jake Weatherald his Test debut, yet England still failed to take control.

The series began disastrously for England in the first Test at Perth, where they were bowled out twice inside two days, lasting just 66.9 overs. Australia then chased down 205 with ease, with Travis Head’s century giving the hosts a 1-0 lead.

England showed more fight in Brisbane and Adelaide, but Australia continued to win the key phases. The visitors finally ended their 18-Test winless streak in Australia with a Boxing Day Test victory inside two days.

That win briefly raised hopes of a 2-3 finish in the five-match series. However, the momentum did not last, as Australia sealed the final Test in Sydney with a five-wicket win to close out the series 4-1. England left the Ashes tour with more regrets than rewards and plenty of familiar “what if” moments.

Also read: Stuart Broad arrogantly guarantees Ashes 2027 win after humiliation in Australia