The five-match T20I series will now culminates in Thiruvananthapuram as India looks to finish on a high following New Zealand’s spirited comeback in Visakhapatnam. Despite India holding a 3-1 lead, the final T20I remains a vital opportunity for both sides to test their depth and resolve before the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The Greenfield International Stadium, in Kerala, will offers a distinct atmosphere where the humid conditions and seaside breeze significantly influence play. Unlike the high-scoring tracks seen earlier in the series, this venue is renowned for being one of the more bowling-friendly surfaces in the country. With the series already decided, local hero Sanju Samson will be under the spotlight as he returns to his home turf seeking a big performance. The ‘Men in Blue’ will aim for a 4-1 scoreline, while the Black Caps hope to carry the momentum from their 50-run victory into this final clash.

IND vs NZ 5th T20I: Probable Playing XI

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (wk), Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Zakary Foulkes, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.

Greenfield International Stadium Pitch Report

The pitch at the Greenfield International Stadium is widely regarded as a balanced surface that skews slightly in favor of the bowlers. Traditionally, the track is not a typical ‘highway’ for batters, often providing enough grip and turn to keep the spinners interested throughout the middle overs. Early on, the moisture from the nearby coast and the fresh nature of the pitch can assist seamers in finding movement off the deck. However, as the game progresses, the surface tends to slow down, making it harder for batters to hit through the line and forcing them to rely on strike rotation.

One of the biggest factors at this venue is the high humidity and the subsequent heavy evening dew. While the first innings can be a grind for batters, the arrival of dew in the second half often makes the ball skid onto the bat, significantly easing the chase. Consequently, the captain winning the toss is almost certain to opt for bowling first to exploit the easier batting conditions later in the night. Batters will need to be cautious early on, as the ball can hold in the surface, but once settled, they can capitalize on the skidding nature of the ball under lights.

Also READ: IND vs NZ: Suryakumar Yadav explains decision to bat second and go with just 6 specialist batters during 4th T20I

Greenfield International Stadium Stats & Records

• Total T20I Matches: 7
• Matches won batting first: 4
• Matches won bowling first: 3
• Average 1st Innings Score: 155
• Average 2nd Innings Score: 143
• Highest Total Recorded: 235/4 by India vs Australia
• Lowest Total Recorded:
• Highest Score Chased: 173/2 by West Indies vs India
• Lowest Score Defended: 67/5 by India vs New Zealand

Also READ: IND vs NZ: Sunil Gavaskar slams Sanju Samson over dismissal in Vizag T20I

NEW DELHI: Nearly 188 million children and adolescents worldwide are living with obesity, the World Health Organization (World Health Organization) has warned, calling childhood obesity one of the fastest-growing public health crises driven by unhealthy diets, aggressive food marketing and environments that push junk food over nutritious meals.In its latest global guidelines on preventing obesity, the WHO says about 390 million children aged 5–19 years are overweight, including 188 million who are obese, putting them at high risk of diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses later in life.The UN health body warns that children today are surrounded by ultra-processed foods high in sugar, salt and fat, widely promoted through television, digital media and even school environments. Such exposure, it says, is shaping lifelong eating habits and fuelling a surge in obesity at younger ages.Calling for urgent action, the WHO urges governments to restrict marketing of unhealthy foods to children, improve the nutritional quality of food sold in and around schools, and ensure clear front-of-pack warning labels to help families make informed choices. It also stresses the need for healthier school meals, safe drinking water and regular physical activity as part of daily routines.The guidelines caution that obesity is no longer a problem limited to rich countries. Rates are rising sharply in low- and middle-income nations, where children face a double burden of poor nutrition and easy access to cheap, unhealthy food.Without strong policy intervention, the WHO warns, childhood obesity will continue to climb, placing a heavy long-term burden on health systems and cutting into future productivity. Preventing obesity early, it says, is far easier — and far cheaper — than treating lifelong disease.

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The US department of justice has made public a substantial cache of documents from the federal investigation into the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. US deputy attorney general Todd Blanche confirmed the release exceeds three million pages, representing a significant addition to the public record of the high-profile case.The materials include a vast digital archive, consisting of more than 2,000 videos and approximately 180,000 images.According to the DOJ, the compilation and review of this data required the coordination of over 500 attorneys and legal reviewers.

Donald Trump

The newly released files contain references to US President Donald Trump. However, officials emphasise that the presence of a name in these files are not an accusation of criminal wrongdoing.The documents include a list of sexual assault allegations compiled by the FBI. It originated primarily from anonymous callers and electronic tips submitted to the National Threat Operations Centre.While the analysis of the files is under way, some of the tips were deemed not to be credible.The department of justice in its statement regarding the mention of Donald Trump’s name, labelled the claims to be “untrue and sensationalist.”The DOJ stated, “Some of the documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear, the claims are unfounded and false.”

Bill Gates

A draft email within the cache features an allegation by Epstein regarding purported extramarital affairs involving the Microsoft co-founder.In a retrieved email, Epstein addressed his relationship with Bill Gates as something ranging from “getting him drugs to facilitating his illicit trysts.” The email read, “helping Bill to get drugs, in order to deal with the consequences of sex with russian girls, to facilitating his illicit trysts, with married women.”

Melania Trump

The files include a 2002 email addressed to Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, signed “Love, Melania.” The senders and receivers address of this email are redacted.The first email, sent on the evening of Wednesday, 23 October 2002, with the subject line “HI!” begins “Dear G!” It further says, “How are you? Nice story about JE in NY mag. You look great on the picture. I know you are very busy flying all over the world. How was Palm Beach? I cannot wait to go down. Give me a call when you are back in NY. Have a great time! Love, Melania”

Elon Musk

The files also reveal Elon Musk to be a visitor to the island. A mail trail from November 2012 traces the conversation between Musk and Epstein as the former expresses his interest in attending the “wildest night” at the island.Epstein’s message to Musk states, “how many people will you be for the heli to island.” To which Musk replies, “Probably just Talulah and me. What day/night will be the wildest party on your island?”

Survivor outrage over privacy concerns

While the release was framed as a move toward transparency, it has drawn sharp criticism from Epstein’s victims. Survivors argue that the redaction process has failed to protect their identities while simultaneously shielding potential perpetrators.In a statement reported by The Guardian, survivors expressed their frustration with the exposure of sensitive information.“This latest release of Jeffrey Epstein files is being sold as transparency, but what it actually does is expose survivors. Once again, survivors are having their names and identifying information exposed, while the men who abused us remain hidden and protected. That is outrageous.”The survivors further contended that the current method of disclosure causes secondary trauma while allowing Epstein’s network of enablers to remain in the shadows.“As survivors, we should never be the ones named, scrutinised, and retraumatized while Epstein’s enablers continue to benefit from secrecy. This is a betrayal of the very people this process is supposed to serve,” the statement said.

File photo: Sharad Pawar with Ajit Pawar

NEW DELHI: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday made a significant revelation about the future of the Nationalist Congress Party, saying that talks to merge the two rival NCP factions were already under way and had progressed to an advanced stage before the sudden death of his nephew and party chief Ajit Pawar. Speaking at a press conference, Sharad Pawar said the proposed merger was not only under discussion but was also in line with Ajit Pawar’s own wishes.

“Now we feel his wish should be fulfilled. Ajit Pawar, Shashikant Shinde and Jayant Patil had initiated the talks about the merger of the two factions. Even the merger date had been fixed — it was scheduled on the 12th (February). Unfortunately, Ajit left us before that,” Sharad Pawar said.This disclosure comes amid intense political activity in Maharashtra following Ajit Pawar’s death and reports that his wife, Rajya Sabha MP Sunetra Pawar, is likely to be sworn in as deputy chief minister. Sharad Pawar, however, maintained that he had no prior information about her possible elevation, underlining that key decisions were being taken by leaders in Mumbai and not in consultation with him.

‘Family stands united, no issue’

When asked whether he, as a senior member of the Pawar family, was taken into confidence regarding Sunetra Pawar’s possible appointment as deputy chief minister, Sharad Pawar sought to downplay any suggestion of discord. “Family stands united if an issue occurs in the family. There are no issues in the family,” he said.

‘Decisions happening in Mumbai, not here’

Sharad Pawar made it clear that discussions on political and organisational decisions were taking place away from him. Responding to questions on the apparent haste in decision-making after Ajit Pawar’s death, he said, “All these discussions are not taking place here; they are happening in Mumbai. Praful Patel, Sunil Tatkare and other senior leaders are having these discussions. Whatever is being seen appears to be decisions taken by them. I will not comment on this.”

Sam Curran (Getty Images)

NEW DELHI: England reinforced their status as strong contenders for the upcoming T20 World Cup after grinding out an 11-run Duckworth-Lewis-Stern victory over Sri Lanka in the opening T20I at Pallekele on Friday.Sam Curran proved the decisive factor, claiming a hat-trick as Sri Lanka were bowled out for 133 in 16.2 overs. Opener Phil Salt, the world’s second-ranked T20I batter, anchored England’s chase with a fluent 46 off 35 balls as the visitors went 1-0 up in the three-match series, which serves as a dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

“Our execution was good tonight. We are happy with the progress we have made and it’s all about building up nicely for the World Cup. Sam Curran was awesome. He had a tough start tonight, but he bounced back so well,” England captain Harry Brook said.Sri Lanka had surged to 76 for one inside seven overs before spin turned the tide. Leg-spinner Adil Rashid struck three times to stall the hosts’ momentum and was named Man of the Match.Curran became only the second England player after Chris Jordan to register a T20I hat-trick, wrapping up the Sri Lankan innings just as the hosts threatened to post a competitive total. He began by having skipper Dasun Shanaka caught at mid-off, then saw Maheesh Theekshana hole out to long-on, before producing a full, swinging delivery to bowl Matheesha Pathirana.The last pair managed just four runs before Jamie Overton dismissed Wanindu Hasaranga for 14, as Sri Lanka collapsed from 129 for six to 133 all out in the space of five deliveries.In reply, Salt set the tone with an authoritative knock, while Tom Banton provided momentum with a rapid 29 off 15 balls that included three fours and two sixes. Sri Lanka’s sloppy fielding, which featured two dropped regulation catches, further hurt their cause, though the hosts were already defending an under-par total against a formidable England line-up.England required only nine runs from the final two overs with six wickets in hand when rain halted play. With the visitors well ahead on DLS calculations, they were declared winners. Earlier, rain had already reduced the match to 17 overs per side.“Very disappointed with the way we handled things out in the middle. We need to be better with the options that we take. We have the potential no doubt, but we aren’t delivering out in the middle,” Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanaka said.The two sides meet again at the same venue on Sunday, with the series set to conclude on Tuesday.

KALYAN: Putting an end to days of political speculation and uncertainty, Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have jointly filed nominations for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor elections of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). Along with Shiv Sena and the BJP, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)—which had earlier extended its support to Shiv Sena in KDMC—has also emerged as a partner in power with the ruling Mahayuti, indicating a broader political consensus in the civic body. The two Shiv Sena and BJP had contested the KDMC elections together, and their joint move has now brought clarity to the corporation’s top leadership.For the post of Mayor, Shiv Sena has nominated Advocate Harshali Chaudhari, while the BJP has fielded senior corporator Rahul Damle for the post of Deputy Mayor. Friday was the last day for filing nominations, and notably, only one nomination was submitted for each post. This has made the election outcome virtually certain, with the election process scheduled during the special general body meeting on February 3 expected to be a mere formality.Earlier, political circles were rife with speculation after five corporators from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) extended support to Shiv Sena, and four corporators from Shiv Sena (UBT) were reportedly untraceable but said to be in contact with Shiv Sena leaders. These developments had sparked discussions over whether Shiv Sena’s Kalyan Local MP Shrikant Shinde who played important role into getting MNS and four UBT corporators support was attempting to sideline its alliance partner, the BJP, in the mayoral race.However, the joint nomination by Shiv Sena and the BJP has effectively put all such speculation to rest. Shiv Sena’s Kalyan MP Shrikant Shinde, along with local BJP leaders, was present during the filing of nomination forms on Friday.Speaking on the occasion, MP Shrikant Shinde said that welfare schemes launched by the government, especially those aimed at empowering women such as the Ladli Behna initiatives, had received overwhelming public support. As a mark of respect for this support, women candidates have been given leadership roles in KDMC, Thane, and Ulhasnagar. He expressed confidence that Advocate Harshali Chaudhari, as Mayor, along with Deputy Mayor Rahul Damle, would work together to accelerate the city’s development.Chaudhari, a lawyer by profession, is a second-term corporator from Shiv Sena and is known for her developmental work in her ward. Speaking to TOI, she expressed gratitude to the party for placing its trust in her as a woman candidate. She said that after assuming office, her priorities would include strengthening basic civic amenities, promoting women’s empowerment, completing ongoing Smart City projects, and expediting major infrastructure works such as the metro, flyovers, and other developmental initiatives to make Kalyan-Dombivli a truly smart city.Damle, who is senior corporator from BJP and earlier was once deputy Mayor, standing committee chairman and opposition leader in KDMC. He haa filed nomination for second time for deputy Mayor. Talking to TOI, he thanked the top leadership of both BJP and Shiv Sena for reposing their confidence in him. He said that due to the absence of municipal elections over the past five years, several development works had remained pending, and his focus would be on completing those projects and ensuring faster implementation of remaining development plans.

Panaji: In its effort to take football to “newer pockets”, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has proposed the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi as probable venue for India’s AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier against Hong Kong on March 31.Despite being the highest-ranked side in the group, India are without a win in five matches and already out of the race to qualify for the continental showpiece in Saudi Arabia.The AIFF wants the international game to take place at a new venue with Ranchi now awaiting clearance from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).According to sources, Ranchi will need extensive work on the dressing rooms to meet international requirements. A senior match commissioner, deputed by AFC, will inspect the stadium early next month and submit his report for a final decision.“In the last three years, we have taken football to newer pockets where the enthusiasm has been tremendous,” a senior AIFF official told TOI. “We have had international matches in Shillong and Imphal in the northeast and now Ranchi looks like a good option.”The AIFF official said Kerala and Bengal, two states known for its passionate football fans, were ruled out due to assembly elections in March-April.“It’s better to give states who do not traditionally host I-League or ISL matches a chance, so that football can be expanded. Ranchi has a good stadium, the govt has made an investment but has not hosted a good football match,” said the official, who conceded that “dressing rooms are a concern.”AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey is expected to hold talks with officials in Ranchi next week.Singapore edged Hong Kong 2-1 in the last round to confirm the group C qualification ticket, joining Syria – who booked the group E top spot earlier. The two join the 18 teams who advanced to the AFC Asian Qualifiers – Road to 26 at Saudi Arabia 2027. The final four spots will be decided on March 31.

Mumbai: The overnight removal of Perry Cross Road bus shelter in Bandra West last month triggered anger among residents and commuters. On Jan 22, former Congress corporator Asif Zakaria wrote a two-page complaint letter to the BEST on behalf of citizens, and there was no response for over a week. But following calls from TOI on Friday morning, BEST installed a bus stop pole mentioning all the routes at the site by afternoon.When contacted, a senior BEST official said the bus shelter was “temporarily removed due to nearby building redevelopment work”. The official further said that BEST, on receiving letter from developer last year, realised that construction activity and trucks bringing material could damage the bus shelter. Following an inspection, the officials decided to dismantle it temporarily for safety. The official assured a proper bus stop and shelter will be installed once conditions permit. Commuters may also use bus stops on either side, about 350m away, which serve the same routes, he added.Zakaria said the bus shelter was removed on the night of Dec 16, 2025, in view of an adjoining highrise project. For one-and-a-half months, schoolchildren, college students, senior citizens, and office-goers were forced to wait at the spot on an exposed footpath, with some spilling onto the road during peak hours.Local residents alleged that the bus shelter was dismantled without notice, due process, or any alternative arrangement. But BEST officials clarified that notices are issued only prior to permanent closure of bus stops.In his letter, Zakaria said: “It was surprising that at a time when BEST was facing financial challenges and was making concerted efforts to attract more commuters, such drastic actions were being taken which inconvenienced regular users.” He also pointed to the loss of advertising revenue from the bus shelter.Bandra corporator Karen D’Mello echoed the concerns, saying the bus stop served key routes including 51 (Santacruz to Colaba), 56 (Versova to Worli Village) and 220 (Bandra station to Khar station). “It is surprising as it results in direct loss of revenue to BEST,” she said, adding she would raise the issue in the BMC House. Bandra West resident Lillian Paes said: “A bus stop pole should have been installed immediately after the demolition in December so as not to inconvenience commuters.“