The injury news regarding Prashant Veer has sent shockwaves through the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) camp, as their record-breaking investment now faces a race against time ahead of the start of 2026 edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Injury to CSK’s Prashant Veer and initial medical assessment

On January 22, 2026, the 20-year-old all-rounder suffered a significant shoulder injury while representing Uttar Pradesh in their Ranji Trophy 2025-26 clash against Jharkhand at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow. This setback is particularly devastating as Veer was the joint-most expensive uncapped player in IPL history, secured for a staggering INR 14.20 crore just last month.

As per the ESPNcricinfo report “The injury occurred just before lunch in the 30th over when Veer dived to his right at mid-off to stop a firm hit by Jharkhand’s Shikhar Mohan. While he successfully stopped the ball, he landed awkwardly on his right shoulder and lay motionless for a brief while in clear pain. Although he was administered pain-relief spray immediately, Veer was pulled out of the field and taken to the hospital for scans. When he returned to the stadium, his arm was in a sling, and he has been ruled out of the remainder of the match.” Initial reports suggest a grade-2 tear, which typically keeps a player out of action for at least three weeks.

Also READ: IPL 2026: Who is Prashant Veer? The ‘next Ravindra Jadeja’ for CSK

Strategic concerns for Chennai Super Kings and path to recovery for IPL 2026 availability

The timing of this injury leaves CSK anxious, as the IPL 2026 season is set to begin on March 26. The franchise spent a whopping ₹14.20 crore on Veer, viewing him as the potential successor to Ravindra Jadeja, who shifted to Rajasthan Royals this season. As the most expensive uncapped player in auction history, Veer’s all-round skills are central to CSK’s tactical plans. Missing him would be a body blow to their middle-order balance, especially since the team relies on his left-arm spin and finishing ability to stabilize the lineup alongside veteran MS Dhoni.

With the IPL starting in less than two months, the three-week recovery window for a grade-2 tear is a tight but manageable timeline. Veer is expected to begin an intensive rehabilitation program, likely at the National Cricket Academy (NCA), to regain full range of motion before the tournament opener. CSK fans and management will be monitoring his progress closely, as any setbacks could force the team to look for injury replacements. For now, the focus remains on whether Veer can recover in time to join the pre-season camp and justify the massive ‘big bet’ placed on him during the Abu Dhabi auction.

Also READ: IPL 2026 Auction: Salary of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players; check out how much Sanju Samson and Prashant Veer earn

As the Union Budget 2026 is drawing closer, India’s precious metal refiners are have laid out their expecations from the finance minister. The sector is seeking relief from the current duty structure that favours importers as compared to local refiners, through free trade agreements. MMTC-PAMP managing director and CEO Samit Guha the duty gap has majorly affected the competitiveness of domestic refiners, even as the government is aware of the problem. Highlighting expectations from the government, Guha said that the whole “precious metal refining sector has seen this disparity, which is there in duty, especially through the SEPA route between what we get as Dore versus what refined bullion is imported at.”He added that bullion has been kept out of free trade agreements signed after SEPA, and the industry hopes that upcoming trade deals will also exclude gold and silver from concessional duty regimes. He said targeted policy support is needed to help India enhance its refining capabilities and increase the number of London Bullion Market Association-accredited refineries. This, he suggested, could be done by offering input-linked incentives through duty differentials, either under trade agreements or by expanding the existing gap. “We would request the government to see what they can do in terms of either input-related benefits, in terms of duty differentials…which will really encourage local refiners to invest in the refinery and get ROIs and up their refining capacity and capability to a global level,” Guha said.At present, dore imports attract a duty of 6% for both gold and silver. Refiners receive a 0.65% differential, bringing the effective duty rate down to 5.35%. MMTC-PAMP largely imports gold in dore form for refining. While gold and silver imports have traditionally been in a 1:1 ratio, the company imported about 40 tonnes of gold and 50 tonnes of silver in the 2024–25 financial year.Back in the April–December period of the current fiscal year, imports of gold stood at 36 tonnes and silver at 60 tonnes, Guha said pointing to strong demand for the white metal.

US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on Canada, accusing Ottawa of opposing his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defence system over Greenland while choosing to deepen economic ties with China.In a post on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday (local time), Trump said, “Canada is against The Golden Dome being built over Greenland, even though The Golden Dome would protect Canada.” He added, “Instead, they voted in favor of doing business with China, who will ‘eat them up’ within the first year!”

Responding to the claims made by Trump, Canadian ambassador to the US Kirsten Hillman told CBS News, “Canada is investing over $80 billion over the next 5 years in our defense systems.” “When we have talked to the President about protecting our hemisphere, we have talked about ways in which our different capabilities can work together so that we have eyes on the region,” Hillman said.The comments mark the latest escalation in Trump’s increasingly personal criticism of America’s northern neighbour, bringing together defence policy, trade competition and long-running bilateral tensions and border issues. Trump’s remarks come days after Canadian PM Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing, aimed at reviving economic engagement with China, Canada’s second-largest trading partner after the United States. And Carney’s blistering attack on the US and West at large in his address in Davos.The visit resulted in an agreement to cut tariffs on certain Canadian agricultural products and set quotas for Chinese electric vehicles entering Canada. The deal could also see more Chinese investments in Canada. As the first Canadian leader to visit China in a decade, there were talks of “new world order” between him and Chinese premier Xi Jinping, who hailed the “turnaround” in their relationship. Talking about the deal Carney appeared to allude to Trump tariffs as a factor, telling reporters that Canada’s relationship with China had been more “predictable” in recent months and that he found talks with Beijing “realistic and respectful”. Trump when asked about the renewed engagement, he signaled his approval. “It’s OK. That’s what he should be doing,” he said.

What went down in Davos

Speaking earlier this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Trump reiterated that the Golden Dome missile defence system would inherently extend protection to Canada. “We’re building a Golden Dome that’s going to, just by its very nature, be defending Canada,” he told attendees. “Canada gets a lot of freebies from us, by the way. They should be grateful also.”Trump went further, asserting that Canada’s security depends entirely on Washington. “Canada lives because of the United States. Remember that, Mark, the next time you make your statements,” he said, referring to Carney. The Canadian Prime Minister responded directly to Trump rejecting his claims. “Canada doesn’t live because of the United States. Canada thrives because we are Canadian,” Carney said after returning from Davos. Emphasising sovereignty, he added, “We are masters in our home. This is our own country. It’s our future. The choice is up to us.”At Davos, Carney had warned against coercion by major powers toward smaller nations, without naming Trump. He called for “middle-powers” to unite and warned against an US-led global system that was “merely evolving but breaking apart.” Back in Canada, he said the country could still demonstrate that “another way is possible” amid rising authoritarianism. The exchange sharpened further after Trump announced he was withdrawing an invitation for Carney to join what he called his “Board of Peace.”

What are the key contentions

Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of Canada becoming the 51st US state and recently posted an altered map showing Canada, Greenland, Venezuela and Cuba as part of US territory.

It came as after American operation in Venezuela to capture its leader Nicolas Maduro, Trump has renewed his aggressive push to wrest control of Greenland, which he says is “strategically important to US national security.”

Trump has also insisted that Canada wants to be part of the Golden Dome system, which he says should be fully operational before the end of his term in 2029. However, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, Bob Rae, described the proposal as resembling a “protection racket.” The Golden Dome plan envisions a US-controlled missile defence shield using space-based sensors, interceptors and advanced technologies. Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said Greenland is “strategically important” to the project and told CNBC that Canada had been invited to participate – “if they want to pay their share.” The Trump administration has estimated the system’s cost at about $175 billion. The Congressional budget office warned in a report that space-based interceptors alone could cost between $161 billion and $542 billion over the next two decades.

New Delhi: On Jan 1, 2026, the National Anti-Doping Agency (Nada) issued an updated list of athletes who were provisionally suspended for returning positive for banned substances, adding eight new names including professional polo player Siddhant Sharma, who was sanctioned after his urine sample collected during an in-competition test revealed traces of cocaine. Sharma, in an inexplicable turn of events, was later let off without any punishment, and his provisional suspension was withdrawn by the country’s anti-doping watchdog, allowing him to return as a player and represent Jindal Panthers, owned and captained by industrialist and Member of Parliament (MP) Naveen Jindal, in competitions ahead. An anti-doping disciplinary panel (ADDP) was immediately formed, and its meeting was convened to hear Sharma’s case and the charges of ingesting cocaine brought against him. It was learnt that Sharma waived his rights for ‘B’ sample testing. Within one hearing, Sharma’s case was decided in his favour and his provisional suspension was lifted, relying solely on the ‘sworn-in affidavit’ submitted by the player that he took the contraband substance on Oct 14, 2025, during a Diwali party. Sharma was granted ‘conditional exoneration’ by the panel, pending a final hearing into the matter, which has not yet been scheduled. Sharma was allowed to compete in the 2025-2026 polo season, and he immediately joined back his team. Nada issued his exoneration order on Jan 14, 2026, within a fortnight of the revelation of his doping offence. On Friday in Jaipur, Sharma, who is recognised for his “+4” handicap and plays as a back, appeared for the Jindal Bedla team against RPC/Thunderbolt in the Rajmata Gayatri Devi Memorial Cup, scoring five goals to take his side into the semifinals. In doping cases in India, it sometimes takes months for a disciplinary panel to convene, depending upon the availability of members and, in some cases, years to decide an athlete’s case, whether he or she is guilty or not of prohibited substances. As per the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (Wada) list, cocaine is classified as a prohibited stimulant, banned specifically “in-competition” due to its ability to enhance performance, increase heart rate, and blood flow. The ban period typically ranges from one to four years. A three-month ban applies if the athlete proves the use was out-of-competition and unrelated to performance. This could be reduced to one month if a substance abuse treatment plan is completed. Even if Sharma successfully argued during the panel hearing that the cocaine ingested during the Diwali celebrations should be considered an ‘out-of-competition’ offence and not an ‘in-competition’ testing violation, when his urine sample was collected by dope officers after the match during the Baroda Cup on Oct 19, 2025, at the Jaipur Polo Grounds, Sharma should have, by Wada’s rules, at least faced a punishment period of three months before being allowed to play again. When South Africa’s leading cricketer Kagiso Rabada was tested during the SA20 tournament on Jan 21, 2025, and was later provisionally suspended, it was revealed that the pace spearhead had consumed a metabolite of cocaine, benzoylecgonine. Rabada was subsequently banned for one month in June from all cricket competitions. TOI tried to reach out to Nada Director General (DG) Anant Kumar and the agency’s dope-control officers for their comments, but none was available to speak on the issue. Earlier this week, the Indian Polo Association (IPA) formed a three-member inquiry committee, headed by its executive committee member for the Delhi zone, Jai Shergill, to investigate the issue and submit its findings. On Friday, the committee held its first meeting here and offered its suggestions. “This is our (IPA’s) internal matter. We will investigate it internally. This is not something for public or media scrutiny,” Shergill told TOI. Later, another member, on condition of anonymity, said that action has been recommended in this case. “The committee met today and had a detailed discussion. We have forwarded our recommendations to one of our vice presidents and our IPA’s eminent sportsperson Naveen Jindal for consideration. They will take the final action on this matter,” the member said.

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MUMBAI: As the Thackeray cousins shared a dais for the first time after the BMC polls at an event to mark the start of Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray’s centenary year, Raj said he was “deeply disturbed” by what was happening in Kalyan-Dombivli and described the developments there as “disgusting”.The five MNS corporators in KDMC earlier this week declared their support to Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena, and while alocal MNS ex-MLA said they had consulted Raj and he had given his “nod,” UBT Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said Raj was “distraught”.

Sharing a dais for the first time after the BMC poll results, the Thackeray cousins put to rest speculation that there was friction between them after MNS’ support to Sena in KDMC.Raj said in his speech, “Earlier, people used to be auctioned in the bazaar. Today, auctions are on in Maharashtra like that. It’s happening in all districts. Seeing the current picture, I feel it is disgusting.” Uddhav said many were trying to wipe off the ‘Thackeray’ name but hadn’t succeeded.Raj said, “After seeing today’s scenario in Maharashtra, I feel it is a good thing Balasaheb is not here. How distressed he would have been to see the situation. What pain that man would have felt.”Uddhav Thackeray said that he would “start afresh” after the BMC poll results and soon visit shakhas across Mumbai and tour the state. Without naming PM Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah, he said, “These two businessmen are using our own sticks to beat us with.” Without naming Dy CM Eknath Shinde, Uddhav asked what he had achieved by taking down Chhatrapati Shivaji’s saffron flag from atop Mumbai (BMC).Uddhav praised his party activists, saying they had fought the battle for Mumbai well and stopped those trying to erase the ‘Thackeray’ name. He said, “Raj and I spent our childhood together. We are children who grew up playing amid storms, so no one needs to teach us how to fight a storm. Only the one who has responsibility on his shoulders can understand how difficult it is to bear the responsibility of a storm as one has to fight it. Even if we think of the days before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, betrayal is not new. This is our curse. When victory is impossible, our enemy takes help from traitors.”Uddhav claimed money had been used for the first time in Mumbai during elections and said, “Mumbaikars should think about who is protecting them and who is doing business. We are fighting and will fight. You (UBT Sena workers) have managed to retain all our bastions in Mumbai.” He added, “We have to start anew. Let’s start anew.”In an article of his published in Saamna on Friday, Raj, referring to his exit from Shiv Sena in 2005, wrote, “More than quitting the party, leaving the house was more painful. I had lost my father, and I was now going far away from my uncle. The thought was eating me up.” Not being able to meet Balasaheb frequently hurt him more than the political rupture itself, he noted.Raj wrote that the struggle Balasaheb waged for the Marathi language and Marathi people would continue. Even when political circumstances forced Balasaheb to take flexible positions, Raj said, his love for the Marathi people never waned. “Those values have shaped us,” he wrote, vowing any flexibility in his own politics would never be for personal gain. “I give my word once again today that even if I take a slightly flexible stance in this completely transformed politics, it will never be for my personal gain or selfish interests,” he stated. Raj added his faith — and that of his party’s workers — in the words ‘Balasaheb’ and ‘Marathi’ would not diminish.