India’s Chief Coach Craig Fulton addresses a press conference on the eve of the first match against China in the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey, at Rajgir, in Nalanda district, Bihar. (PTI Photo)

Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh’s exclusion from India’s core hockey probables on disciplinary grounds was strongly opposed by chief coach Craig Fulton, who even offered to resign before being convinced by Hockey India officials to stay on, news agency PTI reported, quoting sources.According to the PTI report, Fulton viewed the decision to drop Manpreet from the February 1–7 camp for 33 core probables in Rourkela as “external interference”.The two-time Olympic bronze medallist was left out of the core probables for the first time in 15 years after it emerged that he had abused a recreational drug during India’s tour of South Africa in December last year.

During the meeting to finalise the list of probables, Fulton was reportedly “disturbed” when Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, secretary general Bhola Nath Singh and chief selector RP Singh jointly conveyed that Manpreet should be omitted.“Fulton argued from the point of Manpreet being a mentor to younger players. But on that, Dilip said players will learn from other seniors. A few players were unhappy with the way HI behaved with Manpreet,” a source was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.An angry Fulton offered to step down a day after the Chennai leg of the recently concluded Hockey India League. However, after repeated persuasion from Tirkey, he agreed to go along with the official stand that the senior midfielder was being “rested”.The source said Fulton pushed for Manpreet’s inclusion by citing the 33-year-old’s fitness levels. Manpreet was reportedly among the top four in fitness within the core group.Despite this, Tirkey and chief selector RP Singh did not change their position.Fulton’s ‘Defend to Win’ approach places importance on structure and experience, and he has frequently spoken about Manpreet’s fitness and form during the HIL.The chief coach wants Manpreet to remain part of the plans at least until this year’s Asian Games and the World Cup. The World Cup is scheduled in August, followed by the Asian Games in September.Fulton believes Manpreet’s experience in pressure situations would be useful in both tournaments.“Let people say whatever they want but the fact is that Manpreet sought rest and had conveyed it to HI,” Bhola Nath Singh was quoted as saying PTI.Hockey India on Thursday announced the list of probables, also excluding forward Dilpreet Singh and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak due to disciplinary reasons. The official statement did not specify the nature of the alleged violations.The Pro League season will begin next month in Rourkela. Manpreet had co-captained Ranchi Royals to the Hockey India League final, where he delivered strong performances.Manpreet is also one match away from equalling Dilip Tirkey’s record of 412 appearances as India’s most capped hockey player.The India leg of the FIH Pro League will be held in Rourkela from February 10 to 15, with India opening their campaign against Argentina on February 11.

NEW DELHI: After hours of confusion, concern and meme-fuelled speculation on Friday morning, India’s batting legend Virat Kohli’s Instagram account is back online. India’s most-followed Instagram handle, which had suddenly disappeared earlier on Friday, reappeared without any official explanation from either the former India captain or Instagram, bringing relief to millions of cricket fans who had feared something was amiss.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Kohli’s verified account — followed by over 274 million users — had vanished from searches and Instagram page, with fans encountering the familiar message: “This page isn’t available.” The unexplained blackout triggered widespread panic across social media, with supporters flooding platforms like X and Instagram in search of answers. As speculation snowballed, no clarification emerged from Kohli, his management team or Meta, leaving fans to fill the silence with theories, humour and concern.

The sudden return of the account later in the day has eased nerves, but the lack of an official statement has kept the mystery alive. It remains unclear whether the disappearance was the result of a technical glitch, a temporary deactivation or a platform-related issue.

Virat Kohli’s handle is back

During the brief outage, fans even turned to Kohli’s wife, actor Anushka Sharma, flooding her comment sections with anxious and playful messages asking about the cricketer’s missing account. Anushka, who has largely stayed away from the spotlight in recent months, did not respond publicly, consistent with the couple’s recent preference for privacy.Adding to the intrigue, Kohli’s brother Vikas Kohli’s Instagram account was also reported missing during the same period, further fuelling speculation. Meanwhile, Kohli’s account on X remained active throughout, though he did not address the Instagram episode there either.

The cause of the panic earlier

The blackout came at a time when Kohli has been in strong cricketing form, recently enjoying a productive run in international cricket and gearing up for the upcoming IPL 2026 season with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His Instagram account, a major hub for brand collaborations, personal updates and fan engagement, is considered one of the most influential athlete profiles in the world.For now, the King is back on Instagram — but with silence from all sides, fans are still waiting for answers on what caused India’s biggest social media scare of the day.

Irish cricket witnessed a landmark chapter being written on the international stage as a familiar face once again led the team out under lights in Dubai. A long-serving stalwart of the side, Ireland’s captain Paul Stirling scripted a major record in the shortest format, underlining his longevity and importance to the national setup. The occasion not only carried personal significance but also set the tone for Ireland in a key away assignment.

Paul Stirling overtakes Rohit Sharma to script a record

Notably, in the recently-concluded first T20I between UAE and Ireland, Stirling officially became the most-capped player in men’s Twenty20 International history when he made his 160th appearance in the format. In doing so, the Irish opener went past former India captain Rohit Sharma, who previously held the record with 159 T20I matches.

Stirling’s journey to the top of this elite list reflects remarkable durability and consistency. Since making his T20I debut back in 2009, the hard-hitting opener has been a constant presence in Ireland’s white-ball plans for nearly two decades. Across World Cups, bilateral series, and qualification tournaments, Stirling has remained central to Ireland’s progress, evolving from an explosive young batter into a seasoned leader. His record is not just about numbers but about sustained commitment to Irish cricket through its transitional years on the global stage.

Ireland dominate UAE in series opener

Speaking about the game, after being asked to set the tone, Ireland posted a competitive total of 178 runs. While Stirling’s own contribution with the bat was brief — an entertaining 8 off just 3 deliveries — the batting unit collectively ensured the visitors had a strong platform to defend.

Ireland’s bowlers, particularly Gareth Delany and Matthew Humphreys then delivered a disciplined performance, keeping the UAE batters under consistent pressure. Regular wickets and tight spells meant the hosts were never truly in the chase. The UAE were eventually restricted well short of the target, allowing Ireland to seal a convincing 57-run victory. The result gave the Irish side a 1–0 lead in the series and added a team triumph to what was already a memorable day for their captain.

Also READ: UAE vs IRE, T20I Series: Broadcast, Live Streaming details – When and where to watch in India, Pakistan, USA & other countries

Elite company in T20I history

With this appearance, Stirling now sits atop an illustrious list of T20I veterans, which includes names such as George Dockrell, Mohammad Nabi and Jos Buttler. His record serves as a reminder of Ireland’s growing footprint in international cricket and the players who have carried that journey forward with consistency and pride.

Most matches in Men’s T20I Internationals

Also READ: Ireland announces 15-member squad for T20 World Cup 2026; Paul Stirling to lead

Varsen Aghabekian (PTI image)

Palestine’s foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian on Friday said that India would decide on joining the proposed Gaza “Board of Peace” in line with its own understanding of peace. She further stressed that any genuine effort to end the conflict should be welcomed.Speaking on the US-backed initiative announced by President Donald Trump, Aghabekian said, “India will decide in line with its understanding of peace, international law. Each country can decide on its own, and each country would look at its interests”.

Aghabekian underlined that the participation in the proposed body should be guided by national priorities and respect for international norms.Welcoming diplomatic efforts to end the Gaza war, the Palestinian minister said that any attempt to forge peace was positive. At the same time, she cautioned against external pressure shaping global responses to the conflict. Commenting on Pakistan’s reported inclusion in the proposed body, Aghabekian said that Israel must stop dictating what is acceptable to the international community.She also flagged broader regional risks, observing that continued instability, including tensions between the United States and Iran, was a concern for all countries and had direct implications for Gaza and the wider West Asian region.The remarks come after Trump announced the formation of a “Board of Peace” to oversee post-war governance and reconstruction in Gaza, calling it a key step in the second phase of a US-backed plan to end the conflict. In a post on Truth Social, Trump described the body as the “greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled”. According to the White House, the Board of Peace will function as a new international organisation and transitional governing authority for Gaza, focusing on governance reform, reconstruction, economic investment and long-term stability. India has been formally invited to join the proposed board. In a letter shared by US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor, Trump said the initiative was part of a broader 20-point “Comprehensive Plan” to end the Gaza conflict, first announced in September last year and later endorsed by the UN Security Council through Resolution 2803 in November.New Delhi had received an invitation to join the initiative but has not officially accepted or rejected the offer.Alongside the Board of Peace, Washington has announced the formation of a 15-member Palestinian technocratic body—the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza—which will manage day-to-day governance once the war ends. The committee is expected to operate under the supervision of the proposed board. The plan also includes deploying an international stabilisation force and training selected Palestinian police units.Confirmed members of the Board of Peace include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special negotiator Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, US financier Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and senior US National Security Council aide Robert Gabriel.A separate Gaza Executive Board will support implementation on the ground, with participation from international diplomats and regional representatives, including from Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Israel and the United Arab Emirates.Apart from India, countries such as Argentina, Canada, Egypt, Turkey, Albania and Cyprus have been invited. Pakistan has also confirmed receiving an invitation, with its foreign office saying that Islamabad would continue supporting international efforts for peace and security in Gaza.According to a Bloomberg report, a draft charter of the Trump-led Board of Peace proposes that countries contribute $1 billion to secure long-term membership, with the US president retaining authority over membership and final decision-making.

South Africa’s batsman Quinton de Kock (AP/PTI)

Quinton de Kock could scarcely have timed his statement better. With the T20 World Cup drawing closer, the South Africa opener delivered a thunderous reminder of his destructive potential by shattering his country’s all-time T20 run-scoring record, moving past Faf du Plessis with a breathtaking innings in Centurion. De Kock reached the landmark during the second T20I against the West Indies on Thursday, January 29, producing a scintillating 43-ball century at SuperSport Park. The knock not only sealed a dominant seven-wicket win but also underlined his form heading into the global tournament. He now sits atop South Africa’s T20 run charts with 12,113 runs from 430 matches, averaging 31.46 at a strike rate of 139.10.

Longevity and consistency define de Kock’s record in the shortest format. His tally of eight hundreds and 81 fifties reflects years of sustained excellence. Among South Africans, only David Miller’s 35-ball century against Bangladesh in 2017 and Dewald Brevis’ 41-ball hundred against Australia last year have come quicker than de Kock’s ton against the West Indies. The innings rewrote several entries in the record books. De Kock has now scored centuries in the top two successful 200-plus chases by South Africa in T20Is, including the only successful 250-plus chase in the format’s history. He moved into joint second for most sixes in a T20I innings by a South African, matching Reeza Hendricks with 10, with Richard Levi’s 13 from 2012 still the benchmark. He also became just the third South African, after David Miller and Rilee Rossouw, to register multiple T20I centuries. Further milestones followed. De Kock holds the record for the most hundreds by a designated wicketkeeper in men’s T20s, with eight to his name. He is also the first South African and only the second player overall, after Colin Munro, to score two T20I centuries at the same venue. In addition, he has now featured in four separate 150-plus partnerships for South Africa in the format. His 115 from 49 balls, studded with 10 sixes and six fours, powered South Africa to an astonishing chase of 222 in just 17.3 overs. The victory gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series, with one game still to play.

As finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman prepares to present the Union Budget for FY 2026-27 on February 1, the exercise also draws attention to how India’s most important economic document has evolved – from a colonial-era English text to a more accessible public instrument.

Colonial origins of the Budget

India’s first Union Budget was presented on April 7, 1860, by James Wilson, the finance member of the Indian Council and founder of The Economist. Drafted entirely in English, the Budget reflected the priorities of the British administration and was aimed at a limited, English-speaking audience.

Post-Independence transition

After Independence, the budgetary process began to take a more indigenous shape. The first Union Budget of independent India was tabled on November 26, 1947, by finance minister RK Shanmukham Chetty, marking a shift from colonial fiscal practices to national economic planning.

1955: When Hindi entered the Budget

A major milestone came in 1955 under then finance minister CD Deshmukh, when the Union Budget was printed in both English and Hindi for the first time, according to ICAI. The move reflected a growing recognition that key policy documents needed to reach a broader cross-section of citizens and not remain confined to a narrow administrative elite.During his tenure, Deshmukh played a key role in strengthening India’s financial institutions. He helped establish the Reserve Bank of India as a strong monetary authority and was closely associated with the formulation of India’s first Five-Year Plans, which laid the foundation for industrial growth and infrastructure development.

From print to paperless

The Budget’s evolution has continued in recent years. Nirmala Sitharaman, who has presented the Budget since 2019, introduced India’s first paperless Budget in 2021, delivering it on a digital tablet carried in a traditional bahi-khata style pouch.She is set to present her ninth consecutive Budget on February 1, the second most number by any finance minister, just behind former PM Morarji Desai. From its colonial beginnings to linguistic inclusion and digital presentation, the Union Budget’s journey mirrors broader changes in governance and public communication in India.

The Economic Survey 2025-26 arrives with an unusual degree of calm. Inflation, it says, is likely to remain muted in the medium term. Growth prospects remain healthy, though revised. Banks are stable, balance sheets are stronger, and domestic demand continues to hold up even as the global economy grows more uncertain.That calm matters. It changes the nature of the conversation as India heads into the Union Budget that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present on Sunday, February 1. This is no longer a Budget framed by crisis management; rather one framed by choice.

The Survey revises India’s potential growth rate upwards to 7 percent, reflecting years of sustained public investment, infrastructure expansion, logistics reform and financial sector clean up. High frequency indicators show firming investment momentum and resilient consumption. Core inflation remains subdued, signalling that supply side improvements are finally anchoring prices rather than monetary tightening alone.Yet the document is careful not to confuse macro stability with strategic security. The global environment has shifted. Trade is no longer governed primarily by efficiency or multilateral rules. It is shaped by geopolitics, security considerations and fragmented supply chains. Capital flows are volatile. Currency markets are unforgiving. Even economies with strong fundamentals are discovering that stability no longer guarantees insulation.India is not immune to this shift. Despite solid growth and contained inflation, the rupee has underperformed. The underlying reason is structural. India continues to run a goods trade deficit and depends on foreign capital inflows to finance it. Services exports and remittances provide a cushion, but they do not fully offset the imbalance. In a world of heightened geopolitical risk, this dependence becomes a strategic vulnerability.This is where the Economic Survey pushes the debate beyond self reliance. Building domestic capability is necessary, but it is no longer sufficient. The larger ambition, it argues, must be to make India strategically indispensable to the global economy.

Manufacturing sits at the centre of this argument. Services have powered India’s rise for two decades, delivering growth, jobs and foreign exchange. But manufacturing does something more fundamental. It forces institutional discipline. It exposes weaknesses in logistics, energy pricing, regulation and skills. It ties export competitiveness to currency stability and state capacity in ways services often do not.Countries with durable strategic influence and stable currencies, the Survey notes, have almost always built that strength on manufacturing depth. India’s own export data underlines the challenge. Services exports have grown faster than merchandise exports in recent years. While creditable, this divergence also explains why external vulnerability persists.Recent trade agreements, including the concluded free trade agreement with the European Union, signal intent. They expand market access for labour intensive exports and integrate India more closely with advanced manufacturing ecosystems. But agreements alone do not confer competitiveness. They merely test it. Producing at scale, at predictable cost and with reliable delivery remains the harder task.That task places a premium on state capacity. The Survey’s idea of an entrepreneurial state is not about replacing markets or commercialising governance. It is about credibility, execution and regulatory discipline. Mission mode platforms in semiconductors, green hydrogen and digital public infrastructure offer early signals of what this approach can achieve.The private sector, too, is called upon to rethink its role. Seeking negotiated protection may offer short term comfort, but it raises input costs and weakens downstream competitiveness. In a contested global system, corporate competitiveness becomes part of national strategy whether firms acknowledge it or not.As Budget Sunday approaches, the Survey frames a clear choice for policymakers. Stability has been earned. Inflation is anchored. Fiscal consolidation has credibility. The temptation is to prioritise visible short term relief. The harder, more consequential path is to invest further in capacity, manufacturing competitiveness, cost of capital reduction, energy pricing reform, logistics efficiency and skills.The Budget, then, is not just a fiscal exercise. It is a signal of intent. The Economic Survey makes clear that India is running a marathon in a world that increasingly demands sprinting. The coming Budget will show whether the country is prepared to do both, deliberately and with an eye firmly on the decade ahead.

Former VP Hamid Ansari (ANI image)

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday strongly criticised former Vice President Hamid Ansari over his remarks describing Sultan of the Ghaznavid Empire Mahmud of Ghazni as an Indian. The party accused him of distorting history and attempting to “whitewash” the brutal invasions of India.Ansari, who served as Vice President during the Congress-led UPA governments from 2007 to 2012 and again from 2012 to 2017, had said that figures commonly described as foreign invaders in textbooks were, in fact, Indians.“Those whom we describe in our textbooks as foreign invaders—whether it is the Lodhis or Ghazni—were all Indian plunderers. They did not come from outside,” Ansari said.Reacting sharply, BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan questioned the Congress party’s position on Ansari’s statement and accused it of attempting to sanitise violent episodes from history. In a post on X, Kesavan said the remarks were “shocking” and recalled that Ansari had been the Congress-led UPA’s choice for Vice President twice.“Ghazni was not a foreign invader, he was Indian’! Indeed shocking remarks by former Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari ji, who was the Congress led UPA govt’s choice for the post of Vice President, not once but twice. Does the Congress leadership and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi agree with such whitewashing of mercenary brutal raids as mere domestic acts, which demolished Hindu temples and murdered thousands?” Kesavan said. He alleged that Islamic invasions beginning in the early eighth century had systematically targeted Hindu religious sites.Kesavan further said Mahmud of Ghazni carried out 17 raids into India in the 11th century, during which he claimed major temples such as those in Mathura and Somnath were attacked. He also linked the issue to the Congress party’s historical opposition to the reconstruction of the Somnath temple.Shehzad Poonawala, also attacked the Congress over Ansari’s comments, accusing the party of consistently “eulogising Hindu haters” and downplaying atrocities committed against Hindus.Speaking to ANI, Poonawala said, “The Congress ecosystem always eulogises Hindu haters. Whoever attacks or commits atrocities on Hindus is always subjected to whitewashing by the Congress ecosystem. Now, Hamid Ansari says that Ghazni was not a cruel person, that he was just an Indian. It shows the Hindu hatred they have in their mind.”Poonawala also expanded his criticism to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of disrespecting constitutional institutions and national traditions by skipping key official events.“‘Sena and Samvidhan ka apmaan is Congress’s pehchaan’. Rahul Gandhi feels his family is above the Constitution and the Army. For him, ‘parivar tantra’ is more important than ‘samvidhan tantra’,” he alleged.

In a move that sent shockwaves through the digital world, Indian cricket legend Virat Kohli’s Instagram account suddenly vanished on Friday morning, January 30, 2026. The profile, boasting over 274 million followers, left fans in a state of confusion as it appeared deactivated without warning. Users attempting to access @virat.kohli were met with the standard error message: “This page isn’t available.” However, the anxiety was short-lived as the account flickered back to life just hours later, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions.

The timing of this digital “vanishing act” was particularly baffling given Kohli’s red-hot form on the pitch. He recently briefly reclaimed the No. 1 ICC ODI batting ranking after a masterful 124-run knock against New Zealand earlier this month. While his Instagram went dark, his profile on X (formerly Twitter) remained active, yet the “King” offered no immediate explanation for the blackout.

Virat Kohli’s Instagram profile briefly disappears: Glitch or deliberate move?

As news of the disappearance spread, fans turned to the profile of his wife, actor Anushka Sharma, transforming her comment section into a makeshift community helpdesk. Queries ranged from the desperate “Where is Cheeku?” to hilarious theories about a high-level hack. Interestingly, the mystery deepened when reports surfaced that Kohli’s brother, Vikas Kohli, also saw his account become inaccessible during the same window.

This isn’t the first time Kohli has dealt with platform oddities. In May 2025, he had to issue a public clarification regarding an accidental “like” on an actress’s photo, attributing it to a malfunctioning algorithm. Given this history, many experts suspect a repeating technical glitch rather than a deliberate exit. Kohli has previously spoken about his conscious effort to distance himself from social media’s intense energy, leading some to wonder if this was a trial run for a permanent “digital detox.”

Also READ: Virat Kohli’s 10-year-old tweets resurface amidst Arijit Singh’s shocking retirement announcement

Kohli’s silence triggers confusion among fans

The impact of Kohli’s brief absence highlights his status as more than just an athlete; he is a global digital powerhouse. As the most-followed Asian individual on Instagram, his account is a primary hub for brand collaborations and personal milestones. When a profile of this scale disappears, it doesn’t just affect fans, it creates a vacuum in the digital marketing ecosystem.

By Friday afternoon, the account was fully restored with the verification badge and follower count intact. While neither Meta nor Kohli’s management has released an official statement, the internet has found solace in the “Nihilist Penguin” meme trend—symbolizing a quiet walk away from the noise. Whether it was a server error or a brief moment of “off-the-grid” peace, the event proved that when the King goes silent, the world listens for the echo.

It’s 2 AM man and Kohli FC has started spamming under Instagram’s official handle.

This guy has an unreal, crazy fan following 😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/nnctnCsHhO

— 𝐊𝐨𝐡𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭!𝟎𝐧_👑🚩 (@bholination) January 29, 2026

Also READ: ‘Just spoke to him’: Ravichandran Ashwin shuts down fan’s accusation of rift with Virat Kohli with a witty response