JHANSI: A 40-year-old woman autorickshaw driver was found dead near her vehicle in Jhansi, police said.Authorities confirmed that she died from a gunshot injury.The deceased has been identified as Anita Chaudhary, who was believed to be the city’s first woman autorickshaw driver.

Jhansi Senior Superintendent of Police BBGTS Murthy said police received a Dial 112 call shortly after midnight reporting a woman lying injured on Station Road under the Nawabad police station limits. She was rushed to hospital, where doctors declared her dead.A trailblazer who worked nights to support her familyA resident of Talpura, Anita had been driving an autorickshaw since 2021 to support her family and raise her three children during the Covid pandemic. She mostly worked night shifts, ferrying passengers from the railway station.In December 2021, she was felicitated by the then DIG of the Jhansi range, Jogendra Chaudhary, for her courage and determination.On Sunday night, she left home around 10.30pm, as she routinely did for work.Robbery claim and family’s allegationsOn Monday morning, Anita’s sister Vinita alleged that she was shot dead during a robbery. She named a suspect and said there had been an earlier altercation between Anita and the same person.She also claimed that a friend accompanying Anita at the time of the attack witnessed the incident but fled in panic.FIR, arrests and manhuntBased on a complaint filed by Anita’s husband, police registered an FIR for murder against Mukesh Jha and his associates Manoj Jha and Shivam Jha.SSP Murthy said Manoj and Shivam were arrested, while Mukesh Jha went absconding. A reward of Rs 25,000 was announced for information leading to his arrest.Police said the postmortem was conducted by a panel of doctors and videographed. Further investigation is ongoing.According to police sources, the accused and the victim had known each other for the past six to seven years.Chase ends in police encounterInvestigators later found Jha’s Ignis car abandoned on the Notghat bridge over the Betwa River, but he could not be traced immediately.Days later, police confronted him on a dirt road between Bhagwantpura and Karguan. Officials said that when officers tried to stop him, Jha opened fire at the police.In retaliatory firing, a bullet hit Jha in the leg. He was overpowered and taken to a medical college for treatment. Police recovered a pistol and cartridges from his possession.A story of love and betrayal, police sayPolice said investigations revealed that Jha and Anita Chaudhary were in a relationship six to seven years ago.The two had married but the relationship did not last, and Chaudhary later left him, police said.Unable to accept the separation, Jha allegedly began planning her murder, believing he had been betrayed. According to investigators, he shot her while she was driving her autorickshaw during her night shift.

In a massive development, the star India National Cricket Team wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the upcoming ODI series against the New Zealand National Cricket Team.

The development of Rishabh Pant being ruled out of the series against the BlackCaps was confirmed by the Dainik Jagran journalist Abhishek Tripathi on Saturday, January 10.

Rishabh Pant set to miss New Zealand ODIs

The 28-year-old Pant has been in the news for a while. Before the squad was announced for the series against New Zealand, it was reported by several media outlets that the selection committee had made the decision to move on from him in 50-over cricket.

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It was reported that Ishan Kishan, Jitesh Sharma, and Dhruv Jurel were in contention to replace Rishabh Pant as the backup wicketkeeper-batsman in the Indian ODI setup.

However, those reports were quashed after the squad announcement as Rishabh Pant was retained as the backup wicketkeeper, with KL Rahul being the first choice.

As Pant was retained, there were hopes of him finally getting the opportunity to feature in the playing XI in the ODI series against the Kiwis. The former Indian all-rounder Irfan Pathan even picked Pant over KL Rahul in his playing XI.

However, the hopes of Pant playing the series have been dashed. During the practice session on Saturday, Rishabh Pant did a hard grind in the nets and spent a lot of time.

However, during the end stages of the session, Pant was hit by a delivery, and he gingerly walked off the field. Now, it has been reported that the injury is a serious one and he has been ruled out of the New Zealand series.

If you don’t give Pant any chances, then how will he be able to prove? – Irfan Pathan

In a video shared on his official YouTube channel, Irfan Pathan stated that Pant should be given the opportunity to prove himself in ODI cricket.

“Rishabh Pant has fallen behind other wicket-keepers like Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson, and Jitesh Sharma, but he should get opportunities as well, right? KL Rahul has cemented his place as the ODI wicket-keeper, and is quite ahead, but if you don’t give Pant any chances, then how will he be able to prove?” Irfan Pathan said.

The New Zealand tour of India 2026 consists of a three-match T20I series and a five-match ODI series. The BCA Stadium, Kotambi, Vadodara will host the ODI series opener on Sunday, January 11, and the second 50-over game will be played at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Khandheri, Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14.

Meanwhile, the ODI series will conclude with the match at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18.

Nitish Kumar Reddy should be given more opportunities – Irfan Pathan

Other than Pant, Irfan Pathan also demanded consistent opportunities for Nitish Kumar Reddy, who has been around the squad for a while but hasn’t been playing regularly.

“Nitish Kumar Reddy should be given more opportunities, even if he fails. There are not many all-rounders who can bowl at 130 kmph and can bat in the middle order. Hardik Pandya became the player he is now because he was played regularly for the first 2-3 years. The selectors, the team management, and fans will have to be patient with Nitish Kumar Reddy as well, just like they were with Pandya in the past,” Irfan Pathan added.

Also Read: Rishabh Pant forced to grind hard in nets as Virat Kohli skips practice before 1st ODI vs NZ

UP Warriorz’ Phoebe Litchfield plays a shot during a Women’s Premier League (WPL) T20 cricket match between Gujarat Giants and UP Warriorz, at the DY Patil Stadium, in Navi Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Phoebe Litchfield’s aggressive 78 off 40 balls could not prevent UP Warriorz from going down as Gujarat Giants registered a 10-run win in a high-scoring Women’s Premier League (WPL) match played on Saturday at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.Asked to bat first, Gujarat Giants put up a strong total of 207 for 4. Captain Ashleigh Gardner anchored the innings with a well-paced 65. Opener Sophie Devine set the tone early with 38 before being dismissed in the sixth over. Gardner then took control of the innings and built a key partnership with Anushka Sharma, who contributed 44 off 30 balls. The pair added 103 runs for the third wicket, placing the Warriorz bowlers under pressure.

Gardner’s innings came to an end in the 18th over when she was dismissed by Sophie Ecclestone. Georgia Wareham then provided the finishing touches with a quick unbeaten 27 off just 10 balls, which included one four and three sixes. Bharti Fulmali also chipped in with an unbeaten 14 off seven balls, hitting two sixes, as Gujarat Giants crossed the 200-run mark.For UP Warriorz, Ecclestone was the most effective bowler, returning figures of 2 for 32. Shikha Pandey and Deandra Dottin picked up one wicket each, while Deepti Sharma went wicket-less, conceding 32 runs in her three overs.Chasing 208, UP Warriorz had an early setback when opener Kiran Navgire was dismissed in the fifth ball of the innings by Renuka Singh. Captain Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield then steadied the chase with a 70-run partnership for the second wicket. Lanning scored 30 off 27 balls, rotating the strike as Litchfield played the attacking role.The match turned sharply in Gujarat’s favour during a brief collapse. Lanning, Harleen Deol, and Deepti Sharma were dismissed in the space of five balls for the addition of just one run. Warriorz slipped from 73 for 1 to 74 for 4 by the 10th over, leaving the chase in trouble.Litchfield continued to counter-attack and found support from Shweta Sehrawat, who scored 25. The pair added 69 runs, keeping Warriorz in contention. Litchfield struck eight fours and five sixes during her knock, but her dismissal in the 16th over effectively ended the chase.Asha Sobhana provided late resistance with an unbeaten 27 off 10 balls, hitting three fours and two sixes, but the required rate proved too steep. UP Warriorz eventually finished on 197 for 8, falling short by 10 runs.For Gujarat Giants, Wareham completed a strong all-round outing with figures of 2 for 30. Renuka Singh and Sophie Devine claimed two wickets each, while Gardner and Rajeshwari Gayakwad picked up one wicket apiece, sealing a hard-fought win.