Several Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2026 matches could be played behind closed doors, with no spectators allowed, due to municipal corporation elections in Navi Mumbai on January 15. The BCCI may be forced to go ahead without fans, as the police will not be able to provide adequate security in Mumbai.

The WPL schedule was announced on November 29, well before the municipal election date was made public on December 15. Notably, the WPL committee was informed, but there was very little time left to change plans. This made it difficult to rearrange logistics for the matches scheduled in Navi Mumbai.

WPL Matches Likely to Be Played Behind Closed Doors Amid Election Security Concerns

Several WPL matches around the municipal election period remain uncertain due to security concerns. The fixtures most affected are Delhi Capitals vs UP Warriorz on January 14 and Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz on January 15, which are likely to be played without spectators.

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There is also no clear update yet on whether fans will be allowed for the Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match scheduled for January 16.

The uncertainty is reflected in ticketing as well. The official Women’s Premier League ticketing platform has not released tickets for matches on January 14, 15, and 16.

According to a report by ESPNcricinfo, the police have formally informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India that election duties will stretch security resources, making it impossible to provide adequate cover on polling day.

As a result, matches on January 15 will be held behind closed doors, while clarity is still awaited for games on January 14 and January 16.

We May Have to Host Matches Without Any Crowd – BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia

Matches scheduled for January 15 in the Women’s Premier League will be played without spectators, while a final call is still pending for games on January 14 and January 16. There is no confirmation yet on whether the Gujarat Giants vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru match on January 16 will also take place behind closed doors.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said that the board is considering hosting the January 14 and 15 matches without fans after receiving input from the police. However, he added that no official decision has been taken so far, and discussions are still ongoing.

“We may have to host those two matches (on January 14 and 15) without any crowd. We are contemplating that idea after the police intimation, but as of now, no decision has been taken,” BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia told Sportstar on Monday.

WPL Set to Move from Navi Mumbai to Vadodara After January 17

WPL Season 4 is scheduled to be played across two venues. The opening phase is being held at the DY Patil Stadium, while the second phase and the final will take place in Vadodara. DY Patil Stadium is a regular venue for women’s cricket and usually attracts large crowds for WPL matches.

Tickets are already on sale for the January 17 double-header at DY Patil Stadium, which features Mumbai Indians vs UP Warriorz, followed by Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bengaluru. This suggests that crowd restrictions may ease after the election period.

Following the January 17 matches, the tournament will shift to Vadodara for the rest of the season. No spectator restrictions have been in place for the Vadodara leg, with smoother operations as the league progresses.

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Delhi shivered under a severe cold wave as temperatures plummeted to 3.2°C, the lowest in three years. Authorities issued an orange alert for Tuesday due to the biting cold and dense fog. While icy winds from the Himalayas are blamed, a western disturbance is expected to bring a slight temperature rise by Thursday, offering some relief from the freezing conditions.

NEW DELHI: The mercury plunged across the city on Monday as Delhi remained firmly in the grip of a cold wave, with Safdarjung recording its lowest temperature in three years at 3.2 degrees Celsius, four notches below normal.Safdarjung, Delhi’s main weather station, had last recorded a lower temperature than this on Jan 18, 2023, at 2.6 degrees C. Similar temperatures are likely to persist till Wednesday, with respite expected subsequently as a feeble western disturbance is expected to impact the region.

Lodhi Road was the city’s coldest spot at 3 degrees C, while Ayanagar in southwest Delhi logged 3.2 degrees C and Palam 3.3 degrees C.Cold wave was realised at many stations in Delhi on Monday. This is likely to continue for another two days,” said Krishna Mishra, scientist, IMD. A cold wave is considered when the minimum temperature is below 10 degrees Celsius, but the departure is 4.5 or more notches below normal. It is also declared when the minimum temperature is less than 4 degrees Celsius.Though isolated areas reeled under cold wave conditions on Sunday, Safdarjung witnessed a cold wave for the first time this season. IMD issued an orange alert (be prepared) for cold wave and moderate to dense fog for Tuesday, while a yellow alert (be aware) was in place for Wednesday.With crisp sunshine during most of the day, the maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 20.6 degrees Celcius, one degree above normal.Met officials said a combination of icy-cold winds from the western Himalayan region and clear skies caused the minimum temperature to remain low. In the absence of cloud cover, heat quickly dissipates at night, leading to a sharp dip in temperatures.“Cold westerly winds are consistently prevailing in the city. However, under the influence of a feeble western disturbance, the wind direction is expected to change to easterly by Thursday, which may cause a rise in temperature,” said an official. IMD said the minimum temperature may increase to around 3-5 degrees C by Thursday and further to 8-10 degrees C by Saturday.The lowest minimum temperature recorded at Safdarjung in Jan over the past decade was 1.1 degrees C, logged on Jan 1, 2021. The all-time record low remains −0.6 degrees C, logged on Jan 16, 1935.Meanwhile, Delhi’s air quality continued to remain at the higher end of the ‘poor’ category. The air quality index (AQI) was 297 on Monday as opposed to 291 a day earlier.

India’s captain Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli (PTI Photo)

Indian cricket’s next wave is being told, in no uncertain terms, that raw ability will only take them so far. What truly separates the elite from the rest is discipline, routine and an almost obsessive commitment to improvement. Ahead of India’s ongoing ODI series against New Zealand, that message was driven home by former India head coach Ravi Shastri, who pointed to Virat Kohli’s work ethic as the benchmark young captain Shubman Gill should aspire to match. Speaking during commentary in the first ODI at Vadodara, with Gill and Kohli batting together, Shastri chose not to dissect technique or shot selection. Instead, he focused on what happens away from the spotlight. Kohli’s greatness, he stressed, is rooted in habits built day after day, often unseen on match nights.

“The single-mindedness, the hunger. The willingness to push that body to the limits. And I have seen that in my time when I was with the team, his work ethics probably second to none. I have seen just the way he goes about his job, the number of catches he takes in the morning, the catches in the outfield, and the throws into the keeper’s gloves. Apart from his batting and everything else, it’s a routine,” Shastri said. Those routines were reflected on the field as India began the series with a four-wicket win over New Zealand at the Kotambi International Stadium to take a 1-0 lead. Chasing 301, India were powered by half-centuries from Kohli and Gill, followed by a calm finish from KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 29. Rohit Sharma set the tone early to become the first cricketer to hit 650 sixes in international cricket before falling for 26. Kohli then took centre stage, racing past 28,000 international runs and overtaking Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international history. His 93 came as part of a crucial 118-run stand with Gill, who marked his return from injury with a fluent 56. Despite a brief collapse sparked by Kyle Jamieson, Rahul held his nerve at the end, sealing the chase with a six in the final over. Earlier, Daryl Mitchell’s composed 84 had anchored New Zealand to 300/8. As India now head to Rajkot for the second ODI, Gill finds himself leading a side that still features Kohli at the peak of his professionalism. The lesson, as Shastri underlined, is clear. Talent opens the door, but it is discipline and obsession with the finer details that keep players at the top.

Actress Sangeeta Bijlani continues to maintain her perfect figure even at the age of 65. Along with her regular exercise routine, the actor also opts for a healthy diet. Known for her radiant skin and well-maintained physique, the former Bollywood star recently shared a glimpse of her breakfast for her InstaFam. Her breakfast looked not just delicious, but it was also packed with nutritious superfoods. Here’s a glimpse…

Sangeeta Bijlani’s nutritious breakfast

In Sangeeta’s social media update, she posted a beautiful picture of her breakfast table. Her breakfast included chia seeds soaked in coconut milk, along with bananas and some nuts. She further enjoyed her breakfast with some soft-boiled eggs and a cup of green tea.Sangeeta Bijlani captioned the image, “Healthy breakfast (smiley face emoji): chia in coconut milk with banana nuts, seeds, soft-boiled eggs, and green tea.” Not to mention, the former actor’s social media is flooded with versatile healthy diet options.

This is Sangeeta Bijlani’s go-to snack.

According to a report in The Statesman, in a May 2025 post, Sangeeta Bijlani dropped a video of herself munching on something while in the car. The ‘Haatim Tai’ actress revealed that when she is hungry, her go-to snack is murmura sauteed in turmeric, cumin powder, curry leaves, and salt. Bijlani penned the caption, “Murmura sauteed in turmeric, cumin powder, curry leaves, and salt. My go-to snack whenever I’m hungry.

She previously shared another glimpse of her healthy mornings.

In a December 2024 post, Sangeeta took to her Instagram stories, where she shared a picture of her nutritious breakfast, which included pink guava, figs, pomegranate, pumpkin seeds, and some tea. “Healthy and happy morning to you all,” she wrote as the caption.

Sangeeta Bijlani’s career

Sangeeta Bijlani is known for winning the title of Femina Miss India 1980 and represented India at Miss Universe in 1980. She began her journey in the world of glamour with modeling at the age of 16. She got the tag of her popular name “Bijli” from her modeling days. The actress started her acting career starring in the film “Qatil” in 1988. She was then seen in films such as Tridev, Hatim Tai, Yodha, Khoon Ka Karz, Inspector Dhanush, Gunehgar Kaun, and Nirbhay.

NEW DELHI: While sympathising with a young man from UP who will lose his govt job because of its adverse order over his not declaring a pending criminal case against him at the time of recruitment, Supreme Court on Monday emphasised that sympathy cannot supplant the law as such disclosure is not a simple procedural formality but a basic requirement for public service. “There is a maxim in law to the effect that ‘ dura lex, sed lex’, which means the law may be harsh, but the law is law,” a bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and N K Singh said while quashing the order of Allahabad HC which had held that the non-disclosure was of “trivial nature” and his appointment could not be set aside on that ground. “It is also a settled position in law that sympathy cannot supplant law. As such, while we acknowledge that loss of a govt job is not an easy loss to come to terms with, at the same time awareness of consequences is a necessary component of actions,” the bench said. “Proper and complete disclosure in applications for govt employment is not a simple procedural formality, but a basic requirement rooted in fairness, integrity and public trust. Govt posts attract hundreds, and often thousands, of applicants for a single vacancy, each competing under the same stated conditions; scrupulous vetting of every candidate becomes imperative and essential to ensure a level playing field and to protect the credibility of the selection process. When an applicant withholds information about criminal antecedents, it undermines this process by depriving the appointing authority of the opportunity to make a fully informed assessment of suitability,” the bench said. While the law recognises that non-disclosure, depending on the nature of the offence and accompanying circumstances, may not invariably be fatal to a candidature, it nevertheless remains a serious lapse. “The gravity is significantly compounded when the non-disclosure is repeated, as it ceases to be accidental or inadvertent and instead reflects deliberate concealment. Such strikes at the core of trust reposed in candidates for public service, where honesty and transparency are indispensable attributes, and justify a far stricter view by the authorities,” it said. In the case before it, the person was appointed as Sahayak Samiksha Adhikari, but his services were terminated after it was found there were two pending criminal cases against him, which were not disclosed by him in the form. He approached Allahabad HC, whose single as well as division bench quashed his termination, following which state govt moved SC.

Bangladesh’s participation in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India is now under serious doubt, with the International Cricket Council’s security report raising strong safety concerns. Youth and Sports Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul confirmed that the overall situation does not feel safe enough for Bangladesh to travel to India for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.

ICC security report raises major red flags for Bangladesh

As reported by the Daily Sun Report, Nazrul revealed that the ICC’s own security review is not good in terms of security in India. Based on that assessment, the government felt the environment is not suitable for Bangladesh to play their ICC T20 World Cup 2026 matches in India.

The adviser also confirmed that the Bangladesh government has already sent two separate letters to the ICC on this matter and is still waiting for an official reply. Amidst this, ICC’s security team sent a letter to the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) explaining the conditions under which security risks could increase even more during the much-awaited tournament.

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Three major red flags for Bangladesh playing the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India

According to Asif Nazrul, the letter mentioned three major red flags. The first was the possible selection of Mustafizur Rahman in the Bangladesh squad, which could raise safety concerns. The second issue was related to Bangladeshi fans moving around in public wearing team jerseys, something that could attract unwanted attention and create risks.

The third concern was the timing of the tournament, as the matches will be played at a time close to Bangladesh’s national elections, and this could further worsen the security situation. Taking all these points together, Nazrul has made it clear that it would be unrealistic to expect the Bangladesh team to play the T20 World Cup in India under such conditions.

Bangladesh Sports Adviser’s bombshell

Asif Nazrul said at a press conference: “If the ICC expects us to form a team by excluding our best bowler, to ask our supporters not to wear the Bangladesh national jersey, and to postpone Bangladesh’s national election in order to play cricket, then there can be no expectation more absurd, unrealistic, or unreasonable than this.

If the ICC expects us to form a team by excluding our best bowler, to ask our supporters not to wear the Bangladesh national jersey, and to postpone Bangladesh’s national election in order to play cricket, then there can be no expectation more absurd, unrealistic, or unreasonable than this.”

No compromise, no bias: Bangladesh issues strong warning to ICC

He said the atmosphere in India has become very unsafe for Bangladesh over the last 16 months due to rising communal tension and strong anti-Bangladesh feelings. He stressed that the issue around Rahman and the security warning sent by the ICC have removed all doubt. Given that, Nazrul said that Bangladesh cannot safely be in an “extreme communal environment.”

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Since the former BCCI secretary Jay Shah is the current ICC chairman, the Sports Adviser said that Bangladesh will not tolerate any biased call. He said, “A sport or a tournament cannot be decided solely on the basis of market management. We will not make any concessions on this issue.”

Bangladesh rejects ICC’s India-only solution; pushes for Pakistan or UAE

Nazrul also revealed that ICC has informed Bangladesh that the tournament will not be shifted to Sri Lanka. Instead, the ICC suggested changing venues within India, but the Bangladesh government rejected this idea, saying, “If the venue is changed from Kolkata to somewhere else, that does not solve the problem. India remains India.”

The Bangladesh Sports Adviser further said that Pakistan or the UAE would be acceptable options to play their T20 World Cup matches and said that the government will release ICC’s security letter to the media at the right time.

He signed off by saying, “But where a player from our team cannot be allowed to play, and where India’s national cricket board bows to extremist communal forces and says that player should not be allowed to play—what greater proof does the ICC need?”