The Indian superstar Virat Kohli continued his red-hot run in ODI cricket in Vadodara on Sunday (January 11). Chasing a tough target of 301 against New Zealand in the first ODI, Virat Kohli played a classy and controlled knock of 93, guiding India to a hard-fought four-wicket win in Vadodara.

Virat Kohli’s classy knock seals tough chase against New Zealand in 1st ODI

With this win, the Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at home. India looked completely in charge for most of the chase, but Kohli’s dismissal sparked a mini collapse. Still, the hosts held their nerve and crossed the line with one over to spare.

Even at 37, Kohli continues to dominate the 50-over format with ease. After retiring from T20Is and Tests, the former Indian captain has made ODIs his main stage and remains one of India’s biggest match-winners. However, he fell just seven runs short of his 54th ODI hundred.

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Before this knock, the dashing right-handed batter smashed three centuries—two against South Africa and one in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He also hit fifties against the Australia and Proteas sides, as well as one in the 50-over tournament for Delhi. Now on Sunday, he missed his ton by just 7 runs.

Virat Kohli can keep playing for India for the next 5-6 years: Mohammad Kaif

Reacting to Kohli’s blistering form, the former India batter Mohammad Kaif has made a bold prediction for the batting maestro. Impressed by his hunger, fitness, and calm mindset, Kaif feels Kohli has enough fuel in the tank to keep playing for India for another five to six years.

Kohli is aiming to play in the 2027 World Cup, but Kaif is confident that age will not slow him down and that he will play beyond the mega event. He has pointed out that Kohli now bats with a relaxed freedom, mixing aggression with patience, reading bowlers early, and enjoying his time in the middle.

Mohammad Kaif posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday (January 12): “Virat Kohli plays ODIs like he is playing in the Delhi local league. Looks relaxed, jokes with mates, and always has a smile on his face. Takes a hard look at bowlers, plays aggressively but shows patience. If he continues like this and remains motivated, he can keep playing for India for the next 5-6 years.”

Virat Kohli plays ODIs like he is playing Delhi local league. Looks relaxed, jokes with mates, always has a smile on his face. Takes a hard look at bowlers, plays aggressively but shows patience. If he continues like this, remains motivated, he can keep playing for India for the…

— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) January 12, 2026

If Kohli features in the 2027 World Cup, he will be close to 40, an age rarely seen in international cricket at the highest level. Yet, his current form suggests the former Indian captain could break new ground and achieve something no cricketer has done before.

Read Also: Virat Kohli retirement shadow grows: Shubman Gill warns India of a dark future

He’s on a different level: Kyle Jamieson

Even the New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson was in awe of Kohli. Jamieson admitted that Kohli plays at a level where even smart plans stop working, and bowlers are left just trying to hang on.

Jamieson said in Vadodara, “It’s hard to say whether this is the best version of him or not—he’s been pretty good for a long time. Every time you come up against him, you’ve got to be at your absolute best just to compete. He’s on a different level.”

NEW DELHI: Supreme Court Monday asked Election Commission to respond within a week to TMC MP Dola Sen’s plea accusing the poll panel of arbitrarily deleting more than 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft voters’ list by refusing to accept valid and permissible documents from people during the SIR exercise. Appearing for Sen, senior advocate Kapil Sibal said, “What is this happening? EC is sending instructions to various election officers through WhatsApp messages or through video conferencing. This is impermissible as all such instructions must be in writing to ensure transparency in the process of preparation of voters’ list.” A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi asked EC counsel Eklavya Dwivedi to respond to Sen’s petition by Saturday, and posted the matter for Jan 19. Sen has sought extension of Jan 15 deadline for submission of claims and objections to draft voters’ list. Calling EC ‘WhatsApp commission” for issuing instructions to election officers through the messaging platform and not through written orders, the MP said EC must be directed to accept permanent residence certificates, panchayat residence certificates and family registers as valid documents for inclusion in voters’ list. The draft electoral roll for Bengal was published on Dec 16, and 58,20,898 names were deleted, which the Rajya Sabha MP alleged was without any notice or personal hearing. She said there has been a precipitous decline from 7,66,37,529 voters after the Special Summary Revision of 2025 to 7,08,16,616 voters on the draft electoral roll. She said contrary to the SOP for SIR, in several assembly constituencies, deletion decisions with respect to voters categorised as absentee, shifted, dead and duplicate (ASDD) are being processed centrally and marked en masse as ‘Disposed – Form 7’ on the Electoral Registration Officer Net Portal. “Alarmingly, this appears to be occurring without physical verification, individual hearing or meaningful involvement of the EROs concerned,” she alleged. Sen said, “A majority of affected electors are women voters, whose surnames have changed post-marriage, leading to misclassification by algorithm used by EC; over 90% of the cases are mismatch in names attributable largely to failure of algorithm; minorities are largely affected by misclassification of algorithm.” As the final roll, scheduled to be published on Feb 14 (after closure of notice and hearing phase on Feb 7), Sen apprehended that the Bengal assembly elections will be immediately declared thereafter, and requested SC to direct EC to correct its voters’ list revision process and attempt to include all eligible voters.

NEW DELHI: Enforcement Directorate Monday filed a writ petition in SC seeking a CBI probe into 17 offences under BNS allegedly committed by Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, state DGP and Kolkata police commissioner on Jan 8 by obstructing ED raid on I-PAC’s Pratik Jain, tampering and stealing evidence and intimidating its officials. It requested SC to “direct immediate seizure, sealing, forensic preservation, and restoration to lawful custody of the ED all digital devices, electronic records, storage media, and documents illegally and forcibly taken away from the search premises.” ED has accused the CM and top police brass of committing 17 offences under BNS, including robbery, dacoity, theft, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty, causing disappearance and destruction of evidence and criminal intimidation. Terming the incident shocking, unprecedented and extraordinary, ED said, “Protectors of law – the CM, DGP and Kolkata police commissioner are party to serious cognisable offences requiring registration of an FIR.” It said the raid on Jain’s residential premises was conducted as part of investigations into a multi-state money laundering case involving nearly Rs 3,000 crore derived from illegal coal mining. It alleged that Jain had received Rs 20 crore of the illicit money. “To the shock and surprise of ED officers and everyone concerned, the CM along with chief secretary, DGP, Kolkata police commissioner and deputy police commissioner along with cops and officials barged into premises under the search. They not only started intimidating ED officers but also snatched the files and electronic evidence containing incriminating material from the officers.” “Officers of the petitioners were threatened and were not permitted to conduct any further search on the premises. The searches were conducted at two places – one at residence of Pratik Jain and second office premise of one company called Indian Pac Consulting Pvt Ltd,” it said. It will be futile to approach local police to register an FIR for these illegal actions by the state’s constitutional and police authorities as it involves the CM who also holds the home portfolio under whom the police function, ED said. It said Calcutta HC could not conduct hearing in its writ petition seeking registration of FIR and CBI probe into the illegal acts of the CM and others as her supporters created a ruckus and forced the judge to adjourn hearing. It sought a direction from SC to West Bengal Police not to lodge any FIR against ED officials without court’s prior permission. “The fact that the supporters of CM are involved in creating ruckus is evidenced from the WhatsApp message in the WhatsApp group by party members to come and gather in huge numbers in the court. As a result of the tactics by the CM and her followers, remedy under Article 226 of the Constitution (in HC) has become illusory in the facts of the present case,” ED said. ED said that the state police has maliciously registered several FIRs against its officers for conducting the raid and sought protection from the court to carry out unhindered its investigations into the PMLA case relating to illegal coal mining and I-PAC.

India’s KL Rahul (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra praised KL Rahul’s composure, adaptability and finishing skills after the wicketkeeper-batter played a decisive unbeaten knock to steer India to a four-wicket win in a tense chase against New Zealand in the first ODI at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on Sunday. Chasing 301, India appeared to be cruising before the innings hit a nervous phase. The hosts slipped to 242 for 5, bringing Harshit Rana to the crease alongside Rahul, with the pressure firmly back on India. What followed, however, underlined Rahul’s maturity and game awareness.

Rahul chose caution over aggression during his stand with Rana, putting together a vital 37-run partnership. Rather than forcing shots, Rahul focused on strike rotation and protecting his partner, allowing Rana to take the risks while ensuring New Zealand were not gifted a breakthrough that could have exposed the tail. After Rana’s dismissal, Rahul shifted gears subtly. He added another crucial 27 runs with Washington Sundar, this time taking greater responsibility for scoring while still keeping the chase under control. Despite being known for his attacking strokeplay, Rahul resisted the temptation to go big until the moment was right. With India needing 12 runs from the final two overs, Rahul finally unleashed. He found the boundary early in the 49th over, then sealed the contest by striking two boundaries followed by a six in the closing stages, finishing the chase with authority. Speaking on JioStar, Aakash Chopra highlighted how Rahul adapted his approach to the situation. “KL Rahul’s batting approach in this first ODI against New Zealand was interesting. We know him as an aggressive player. But here, with Harshit Rana and an injured Washington Sundar batting with him, he was different,” Chopra said. “Many times you think he will accelerate and finish the match quickly with a big shot, but he took his time. The first ball he hit in the 49th over wasn’t a boundary ball, but he found the boundary. He has the ability of finding the boundaries easily and he hits his shots when he wants,” he added. Chopra also underlined Rahul’s versatility and temperament, comparing his calmness in the closing overs to that of MS Dhoni. “He was taking singles off balls he usually hits, but he waited for the right chances. In a different way, his versatility is his biggest quality. Ask him to open, keep the wickets, or be the stand-in captain, he will do it. He just hasn’t bowled yet, that is pending,” Chopra said. “In these death overs, controlling the chase so well, controlling the nerves almost like Dhoni, hats off to KL Rahul. He is excelling at the toughest role in modern cricket – the finisher,” he concluded.

BHOPAL: From late-night raids to routine seizures spread across villages miles apart, they were present everywhere – many a time simultaneously at different locations. Allegations of ‘omnipresent’ police witnesses in Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district have snowballed into a major controversy after scrutiny of digital crime tracking records confirmed that the same six individuals were repeatedly cited as govt witnesses in hundreds of cases registered at Laur and Naigadhi police stations in the district. The pattern of a few selected names recurring case after case emerged from FIRs accessed through Crime & Criminal Tracking Network & Systems, a home ministry project. At the centre of the allegations is Jagdish Singh Thakur, former in-charge of Naigadhi and Laur police stations, against whom complaints were lodged by an RTI activist, accusing him of misusing his position to register over 150 questionable FIRs. The complaint alleged that under his charge at the two police stations, the same favoured individuals were repeatedly cited witnesses to facilitate routine police action, justify the cases on paper and enable corruption. One of the six individuals, Amit Kushwaha, who was cited as a witness in hundreds of cases, allegedly moved with Thakur during his transfers. The activist, Kunj Bihari Tiwari, first lodged a police complaint in 2022. He filed another detailed complaint in Dec 2025, sharing ‘proof’.People say they were not ‘witnesses’, cops say probe will reveal allActing on the complaint, Mauganj SP Dilip Soni removed Thakur as Naigadhi police station incharge Sunday. “We are getting the complaint probed in detail. The complainant shared details regarding 145 FIRs with common witnesses,” Soni told TOI. He however, added that “this was not the only reason, but one of the reasons for which the action was taken”. Some of the ‘witnesses’ have now distanced themselves from the police’s move.

Dinesh Kushwaha, a vegetable vendor, told TOI: “I signed as a witness in only one or two cases where I was present. I wasn’t a witness in so many other cases. Police wrote my name as a witness without my knowledge.” Another witness, Rahul Vishwakarma, said: “I was not present during the action. Iused to sign after the accused were arrested and brought to the police station. But I did not sign as a witness in so many cases. I am a driver.” Tiwari claimed the rot runs much deeper. “I examined FIRs of more than a year and found around 200 cases with common names. When I scanned the records from the year 2000, I found similar names in about 1,000 FIRs. I am also a victim, as I was framed in a case by the same police officer,” the complainant alleged. TOIaccessed and examined copies of over 40 such FIRs and found the same names repeatedly listed as witnesses across unrelated cases. Police officers said the probe will determine whether legal procedures and norms were violated and whether disciplinary or criminal action was required.

NEW DELHI: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)leader K Annamalai on Monday launched a broadside against Raj Thackeray and dared the MNS chief to stop him from entering Mumbai. The reaction came a day after Thackeray mockingly referred to the BJP leader as “rasmalai” and questioned his standing to speak on issues related to Mumbai.

At a press conference in Chennai, the BJP leader alleged that he has received multiple threats, with some people even threatening to cut off his legs.“Who are Aaditya Thackeray and Raj Thackeray to threaten me? I am proud to be a farmer’s son. They have organised meetings just to abuse me. I don’t know whether I have become that important,” Annamalai said.“Some have written that they will cut my legs if I come to Mumbai. I will come to Mumbai—try cutting my legs. If I were afraid of such threats, I would have stayed in my village. If I say Kamaraj is one of India’s greatest leaders, does it mean he is no longer a Tamil? If I say Mumbai is a world-class city, does it mean Maharashtrians didn’t build it? These people are just ignorant,” former Tamil Nadu BJP chief added.Earlier on Sunday, Thackeray attacked Annamalai for suggesting that Mumbai is an “international city”. Thackeray also referred to his uncle Bal Thackeray’s slogan from the 1960s and 1970s — “Hatao lungi, bajao pungi.”“One rasmalai came from Tamil Nadu… what is your connection to here? Hatao lungi, bajao pungi,” Thackeray said at a joint UBT–MNS rally in Mumbai.Additionally, Thackeray also said that he would “kick” people from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh out of Maharashtra if they “try to impose Hindi”.“People from UP and Bihar should understand that Hindi is not your language. I don’t hate the language… but if you try to impose it, I’ll kick you. They’re coming from all sides to Maharashtra and snatching away your share. If land and language are gone, you will be finished,” Raj Thackeray was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray also mounted a joint attack on the rival BJP over what they described as “fake Hindutva”, saying their political reunion was prompted by an imminent “danger” to Mumbai.Uddhav said he and Raj Thackeray had set aside their differences in the interest of the Marathi manoos, Hindus, and Maharashtra. Appealing to the core Marathi vote bank, Raj said the two leaders had come together as Mumbai was facing danger.Calling the BMC polls the “last election for the Marathi man”, Thackeray said: “If you miss this opportunity today, you will be finished. Unite for Marathi and Maharashtra.”The State Election Commission in Maharashtra has announced elections to 29 municipal corporations across the state, including the Pune Municipal Corporation, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. Polling will be held on January 15, with counting scheduled for January 16.

Devdutt Padikkal delivered another special moment in domestic cricket on Monday, January 12, as he hit the headlines with a historic achievement in the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26. Devdutt Padikkal became the first batter ever to score 700 or more runs in two different seasons of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Devdutt Padikkal Makes History in Vijay Hazare Trophy

The Karnataka opener Devdutt Padikkal reached the milestone during the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 quarterfinal against Mumbai at the BCCI Centre of Excellence Ground in Bengaluru on Monday. Devdutt Padikkal needed 60 runs to cross the 700-run mark this season and got there in the 24th over of Karnataka’s innings.

During his match-winning knock of 81* runs, Padikkal moved into a league of his own, as no other batter has scored 700+ runs twice in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. The 25-year-old batter had achieved the same feat in the 2020-21 season when he scored 737 runs in 7 innings for Karnataka.

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Only a handful of players have crossed 700 runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season, including Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw, Narayan Jagadeesan, Karun Nair, and Padikkal himself. But now, Padikkal stands alone as the only player to do it in two different editions.

Eye on the Bigger VHT Record

Now, Padikkal is on the verge of breaking Narayan Jagadeesan’s (830) record for most runs in a single Vijay Hazare Trophy season. The left-handed batter was also twice the leading run scorer in India’s premier 50-over tournament. Now, he has a couple of matches to repeat the feat thrice.

Incredible Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 Season For Padikkal

The ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 has been remarkable for the Karnataka batter. Padikkal has so far smashed four centuries and two half-centuries. He started the campaign with a brilliant 147 from 118 balls against Jharkhand. He continued his rich form with 124 runs in Karnataka’s second Elite Group A match against Kerala.

However, Padikkal managed a low score of 22 against Tamil Nadu, but he bounced back in spectacular fashion by scoring two more centuries in consecutive matches against Puducherry and Tripura, scoring 113 and 108 runs, respectively, in the tournament.

Read Also: Axar Patel to get ODI recall? Ravindra Jadeja declared ‘Useless’ by Gautam Gambhir’s ex-teammate

In the match against Rajasthan on January 6, the RCB star narrowly missed another century, getting out for 91. Then, he managed 35 runs from 39 balls against Madhya Pradesh in Karnataka’s final Elite Group A match in the 50-over tournament. And on Monday, he made 81* against Mumbai.

Learning Through Batting Positions

Recently, the Karnataka star admitted that the ongoing season feels different because batting in different positions has taught him more about his own game.

Devdutt Padikkal was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo, “When you start batting in different positions, you learn a lot more about your own game. I feel in cricket, it’s important to understand your game inside out; that’s when you can get the best out of yourself.

Batting in different positions has helped me understand which areas I need to target in different phases of the game, and it has helped me build my innings much better over the years.”

DHAKA: Renowned Hindu musician and senior Awami League functionary Proloy Chaki has died in police custody in Bangladesh, with his family members accusing the prison administration of denying necessary medical care to the 60-year-old and rubbishing police’s claim that it was a “natural death”, reports Ahsan Tasnim.Proloy – held in a blast case linked to the 2024 anti-discrimination student movement that grew into the ‘July Uprising’ and led to Sheikh Hasina’s ouster as PM – died on Sunday night. The cultural affairs secretary of the party’s Pabna unit, Proloy was picked up by police from his house in Pabna’s Dilalpur on Dec 16 and later shown as arrested.Son: Proloy Chaki arrested in Bangladesh without any case Proloy Chaki’s death comes at a time when Bangladesh is in the grip of relentless violence against minorities, particularly Hindus, and groups, parties and institutions aligned with Awami League. Seven Hindus have died and properties of minorities targeted by arsonists since the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh on Dec 18. Pabna jail superintendent Md Omar Faruk said Proloy had been suffering from multiple health complications, including diabetes and heart disease.

“He suffered a cardiac arrest and was first taken to Pabna General Hospital on Friday. Later, as his condition deteriorated, he was shifted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where he died around 9 pm on Sunday,” Omar said, adding that “it is a natural death”. Proloy’s son Sony Chaki said, “My father was arrested despite not being named in any case at the time. He had been suffering from diabetes and heart disease for a long time. His condition worsened in jail, but authorities did not officially inform us.” “We rushed to the hospital after being informed by others, but he did not get proper treatment, which led to his death,” he said. Jail superintendent Omar has rejected the charges. Besides political identity, Pabna Sammilito Shangskritik Jote secretary Bhaskar Chowdhury said, “Proloy was a renowned singer and music director. He had also served as secretary of Shree Shree Ram Krishna Shebashrom.” Proloy was a prominent cultural activist of the 1990s, he said.