Shivam Dube (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: On Wednesday, Shivam Dube didn’t just dismantle New Zealand’s bowling attack — he delivered a statement about his evolution as a T20 cricketer ahead of the much-awaited T20 World Cup at home. The India all-rounder’s explosive 65 off 23 balls was powered as much by a sharpened mindset as brute force, with Dube declaring he has become a “smarter” player thanks to regular opportunities at the highest level.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!While his brutal 29-run over against leg-spinner Ish Sodhi stole the headlines, Dube quietly underlined another key upgrade in his game — comfort against pace. Three towering sixes off Jacob Duffy and Matt Henry made it clear that bowling fast is no longer a safe option against him.“It’s just the hard work which I’m doing. I’m getting better with my mindset because I’m playing all those matches and batting in that situation,” Dube said after the match. “So, I know what’s going to happen, what are the main things which a bowler is going to come to me.”Dube credited consistent game time for helping him read situations better and prepare for different challenges. He also pointed to the added responsibility with the ball as a factor in his growth, even though he didn’t bowl in this match.

“That’s the key point for my batting and bowling as well. I’m bowling thanks to Gauti bhai and Surya bhai. They have given me the bowling opportunity,” he said. “So, when you bowl, you become a little smart. I’m working on that as well and trying to develop some more skills.”The left-hander admitted that experience has transformed his approach over the past few months. “There is something called experience and that has come to me and that is going in the right direction,” Dube said. “All the players upgrade themselves… I can’t be the same as I was. I try to be a little better, a little smarter in the next game.”Dube’s 15-ball half-century — the third fastest in T20I history — came without chasing milestones. “I was focusing on every ball. I was not thinking about getting a fifty in 15 balls,” he said.Explaining the Sodhi assault, Dube revealed a ruthless clarity. “I knew that even he is a little scared, he was going to bowl me the bad ball. I was ready for that. So I wanted to dominate — and that is what I did.”

India and the EU recently announced the conclusion of what has been touted as the “mother of all deals”, but a key question remains: will Turkey be able to reroute its goods to India under the agreement? Officials have clarified that while Indian products can move into Turkiye through Europe, Turkish goods cannot enter India under FTA terms, even if shipped via EU ports. “Our goods go into the EU, and then they can go to any country with which the EU has a customs union, but Turkiye will not get the benefit because it is not part of the EU as a territory in the FTA. So, Turkiye cannot export to India and benefit from concessions,” said one official, who did not wish to be identified.Under the EU–Turkiye Customs Union, Ankara is required to align with the EU’s common external tariff, meaning that when the EU reduces duties for an FTA partner such as India, Turkiye must extend the same tariff benefit to Indian goods.This is because of Turkiye’s position in the union arrangement with the EU, which has been in force since 1996. The arrangement allows industrial goods and processed agricultural products to move freely between the EU and Turkiye without tariffs or quotas, while requiring Turkiye to apply the EU’s common external tariff on imports from third countries. The customs union, however, does not extend to primary agriculture, services, investment, government procurement or digital trade. India and the EU announced the conclusion of negotiations for the FTA on Tuesday, with the agreement expected to be signed and implemented within the year. Under the deal, preferential market access will be provided on 96.8% of tariff lines, covering 99.5% of India’s exports by volume and 90.7% by value to the EU, which will become duty-free. Officials explained that although Turkiye must mirror EU tariff reductions for FTA partners such as India, it does not gain reciprocal access because it is not a signatory to the India-EU agreement. “Turkish goods, however, cannot use the India-EU FTA to enter India duty-free, even if they are shipped via EU ports. They remain Turkish in origin and therefore do not meet the rules of origin under India’s FTA, which is signed with the EU and not with Turkiye,” said Ajay Srivastava, cofounder, Global Trade Research Initiative, as cited by ET. The clarification comes amid strained relations between New Delhi and Ankara following Turkiye’s backing of Islamabad and its condemnation of India’s strikes on terror camps in Pakistan in May under Operation Sindoor. Trade figures show that India’s exports to Turkiye declined by 14.1% to $5.71 billion in 2024–25 from $6.65 billion in the previous financial year, while imports from Turkiye fell 20.8% to around $3 billion. Turkiye accounts for about 1.3% of India’s total exports of $437 billion in 2023–24. India’s exports to Turkiye include mineral fuels and oil, electrical machinery and equipment, automobiles and parts, organic chemicals, pharmaceutical products, tanning and dyeing items, plastics and rubber, cotton, man-made fibres and filaments, and iron and steel. Imports from Turkiye comprise marble blocks and slabs, fresh apples, gold, vegetables, lime and cement, mineral oil, chemicals, natural or cultured pearls, and iron and steel.

Shivam Dube blazed away with a fifty of the highest quality, but his lone assault was not enough to save India from a 50-run defeat (Image credit: Agencies)

Shivam Dube produced a blazing half-century of rare quality, but it wasn’t enough to save India from a 50-run defeat against New Zealand in the fourth T20I on Wednesday. Dube’s explosive 65 off 23 balls (3×4, 7×6) stood out in India’s daunting chase of 216, yet the hosts were eventually bowled out for 165 as the Kiwis pulled the series back to 3-1.With Ishan Kishan sidelined due to injury, Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were tasked with setting up the chase. Instead, Abhishek departed first ball, slicing Matt Henry to Devon Conway at deep point. Suryakumar followed soon after, his gentle push brilliantly snaffled by Jacob Duffy in his follow-through, leaving India reeling at 9 for two.

Rinku Singh (39) and Sanju Samson (24) attempted to stabilise the innings but struggled to accelerate, both in the Powerplay and beyond. Rinku was trapped lbw by Zak Foulkes, while Samson — who had earlier produced a sumptuous flicked six off Duffy — was beaten by Mitchell Santner’s straight one and bowled.Hardik Pandya also failed to make an impact, and India slid to 82 for five in the 11th over, leaving Dube to shoulder the responsibility alongside Harshit Rana (9).Unfazed by the soaring asking rate, which hovered around 14, Dube batted with freedom and intent. Given a reprieve on 46 via DRS, he reignited Indian hopes by plundering 29 runs off Ish Sodhi’s third over, smashing a sequence of 4, 6, 4, 6, 6. He raced to his fifty in just 15 balls with a six over square leg off Duffy.The sixth-wicket stand added 63 runs, though Rana’s contribution amounted to just four. Dube’s remarkable innings ended in cruel fashion when Rana’s straight drive deflected off Matt Henry’s hand and crashed into the non-striker’s stumps, catching Dube well short. That moment effectively ended India’s chase.Earlier, New Zealand’s innings was anchored by Tim Seifert’s scintillating half-century. Seifert struck 62 off 36 balls (7×4, 3×6) and was the standout performer, though he lacked sustained support after India tightened the screws through the middle overs.Fresh from the Big Bash League, Seifert began aggressively, carving Arshdeep Singh for three consecutive fours — two off edges — before launching Harshit Rana for a towering six over long-on. He continued his assault in Rana’s next over with a six and four, and then sent Jasprit Bumrah to the sight-screen for another maximum.New Zealand raced to 50 in the fourth over and reached 71 without loss in the Powerplay. Seifert’s tempo allowed Devon Conway (44) to settle before accelerating. After crawling to 9 off 9 balls, Conway found his range, taking Ravi Bishnoi for two fours and a six, and then added 35 runs from his next 13 deliveries.However, Conway perished trying to clear deep cover off Kuldeep Yadav, ending a 100-run opening partnership. Seifert soon completed a 25-ball fifty, but India clawed back with four wickets for 37 runs, reducing New Zealand to 137 for four in 13.4 overs.While there was no single magical spell, India benefited from the visitors’ eagerness to sustain the early run rate of 12 an over. That over-ambition triggered a mini-collapse. Daryl Mitchell (39 not out off 18 balls) provided late impetus with some clean striking, lifting New Zealand beyond the 200 mark.

PUNE: The plane crash on Wednesday that killed deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and four others has raised questions about aviation weather protocols — particularly the pre-flight weather briefing procedures for chartered aircraft and the visibility conditions during landing.The Learjet 45, which departed from Mumbai and crashed near the Baramati airstrip, was operating as a non-scheduled charter flight. According to a senior official from IMD’s civil aviation services division, this category of aircraft does not receive direct weather briefings from the India Meteorological Department.“Baramati airstrip lies outside IMD jurisdiction and does not have any meteorological office on site. We don’t provide services there,” an official said, adding that it was a small, non-commercial facility primarily used for private and temporary landings.This stands in contrast to major Indian airports where IMD units provide comprehensive weather bulletins — covering cloud cover, visibility, and other aviation-critical parameters — for both departure and arrival points. For non-scheduled and charter flights, pilots typically rely on IMD’s Online Briefing System (OLBS), a centralised platform run by IMD offices at international airports in Chennai and New Delhi. Access requires airline registration and approval from the ministry of civil aviation.“National carriers get official OLBS accounts through proper procedures,” the official said. “Charter operators with accounts can log in and obtain all weather data themselves. But we don’t know whether this particular aircraft was registered or accessed the system,” the official added.While scheduled and VVIP flights receive direct IMD briefings, charter operators depend mainly on the self-service online portal.A PIB press release stated that when the aircraft contacted Baramati, airfield staff reported calm winds and visibility of around 3,000 meters (about 3km).A former IMD official with aviation experience suggested this visibility might have been inadequate. “Visibility should be above 5km for safe landing,” the expert said, emphasising that landing decisions ultimately rested with pilots and Air Traffic Control (ATC), and vary depending on aircraft specifications.He said smaller airstrips like Baramati, which lacked on-site IMD offices, relied on ATC’s own equipment for weather updates. “Such airfields generally do not issue METARs, the standardized half-hourly weather observations used widely in aviation,” the official said.According to a DGCA statement on Wednesday, Baramati is an “uncontrolled airfield” where traffic information is provided by instructors or pilots from the local flying training organizations.Baramati is also categorised as a table-top airport, located on elevated terrain. IMD officials said such airports posed additional risks. “Table-top airports are situated on small hills, above sea level. Their runways are often shorter than those at major airports, reducing the margin for landing and taxiing,” another IMD official said.

Arijit Singh sent shockwaves through the music fraternity on Tuesday after announcing that he is stepping away from playback singing, a decision that left fans, musicians and filmmakers stunned. As reactions poured in across social media, old posts by cricketer Virat Kohli resurfaced, once again highlighting his long-standing admiration for the singer.Soon after Arijit’s announcement, a tweet shared by Kohli in 2016 began circulating online. In the post, dated January 26, 2016, the former Indian captain had written, “I am probably one of the biggest fans of Arijit Singh. Mesmerized by his talent and soulful voice. I am short of words actually.”Another throwback post featuring a picture of Kohli with Arijit has also gone viral. The ace cricketer shared a photo with the singer and wrote, “Pure fanboy moment for me. What an amazing person he is. No one has captivated me with their voice like this man. God bless you Arijit.” Fans were quick to draw parallels between Arijit Singh’s unexpected announcement and Virat Kohli’s own surprise retirement from Test cricket last year. One user commented, “Arijit is the Virat Kohli of music. His retirement has left me in shock,” while another observed, “Both chose to retire when they were at the top of their game.”Some reactions took a humorous turn as well. One fan joked, “Kohli retired from tests. Arijit retired from singing. But ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ is still playing on TV.”In his social media statement, Arijit clarified that his decision applies only to playback singing and not to music as a whole. He explained that he now wants to focus on Indian classical music and his own compositions. “I will make my own music. Will come up with my music whenever I am ready. I am going back to Indian Classical Music. I wanna go back to making music. I wanna start again,” he wrote.Responding to fans on X, Arijit also revealed that the decision had been in the works for a long time. “There is not one reason behind this, there are several reasons plus I have been trying to do this since a long time. Finally I have gathered the right courage,” he shared.Speaking about his creative restlessness, the singer added, “One of the reasons is simple, I get bored pretty quick, that’s why I keep changing arrangements of the same songs and perform them on stage. So here is the thing, I got bored. I need to do some other music to live.”He also mentioned his eagerness to see fresh voices emerge in the industry. “Another reason is I am excited to hear some singer come up and give me real motivation,” Arijit wrote.

Shivam Dube’s explosive lone-warrior act proved insufficient as New Zealand snapped India’s winning streak with a decisive 50-run victory in Visakhapatnam. Chasing a mammoth target of 216, the Indian top order crumbled early under the lights, leaving the middle order with a mountainous task against a disciplined Kiwi attack. Despite Dube’s historic 15-ball half-century, the lack of support from the other end saw India’s chase lose steam as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. The defeat ends India’s hopes for a perfect 5-0 sweep, though they still hold a 3-1 lead in the five-match series. New Zealand’s clinical performance with both bat and ball finally rewarded them with their first win of the tour.

Shivam Dube’s blazing knock for India during 4th T20I in vain

Dube turned the ACA-VDCA Stadium into a hitting range, briefly igniting hopes of a miracle with a career-defining 65 off just 23 balls. Entering the crease at 63/4, Dube immediately shifted the pressure onto the bowlers, dismantling the spin of Ish Sodhi in a 29-run over that included three massive sixes and two boundaries. He reached his fifty in a staggering 15 deliveries, marking the third-fastest T20I half-century for India and keeping the asking rate within reach during his mid-inning rampage.

However, the brilliance was cut short in the 15th over by a stroke of extreme misfortune at the non-striker’s end. Harshit Rana drove a ball straight back at bowler Matt Henry, who managed to deflect the leather onto the stumps while Dube was backing up out of his crease. The umpire signaled out, and with Dube’s departure, India’s resistance effectively evaporated, as they were still needing 71 runs from the final 30 balls. His innings, which featured seven sixes and three fours, served as a masterclass in power-hitting but ultimately lacked the partnership needed to cross the finish line. Dube walked off to a standing ovation, though his face told the story of a missed opportunity to pull off one of India’s greatest-ever chases.

Also WATCH: IND vs NZ : Hardik Pandya’s bullet throw brings an end to Mitchell Santner’s innings during 4th T20I in Vizag

New Zealand dominance ends India’s winning streak in the ongoing T20I series

New Zealand’s victory was built on the foundation of a massive first-innings total of 215/7, powered by Tim Seifert’s aggressive 62 and a late flourish from Daryl Mitchell (39*). The Indian bowling unit, which had been dominant all series, struggled early as the Kiwis raced to 100 without loss in just 8.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav were the pick of the bowlers, claiming 2 wickets each and executing a brief middle-order squeeze that saw New Zealand slip to 152/5. Despite the fightback, Rana’s expensive final over, where he conceded 14 runs, allowed the visitors to set a target that required a record-breaking effort from the hosts.

India’s response was disastrous from the start, as Abhishek Sharma fell for a golden duck to Matt Henry and Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for 8 by Jacob Duffy. Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson failed to capitalize on their starts, leaving the scoreboard at a dismal 84/5 at the halfway mark. Mitchell Santner led his side brilliantly, finishing with figures of 2/14 and orchestrating the run-out of his counterpart to keep India under the thumb. The Indian tail failed to wag against the pace of Henry and the spin of Sodhi, eventually being bundled out for 165 in 18.4 overs. This comprehensive 50-run win not only saved the Kiwis from a whitewash but also exposed cracks in the Indian chase-management under extreme scoreboard pressure.

Here’s how fans reacted: 

Abhishek, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Verma, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh – India’s platoon of left-hand batters have been near unstoppable in T20

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) January 28, 2026

Noo! 💔
Not that run out! 🥲
Knock so GOATed, you could’ve only gotten out that way, Dube! 💪🏻#WhistlePodu #INDvNZ

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) January 28, 2026

Shivam Dube is the batter who gets the least recognition. But in reality he is one of the most consistent middle order batsmen.

Not to forget, even in big matches he plays well.

27(16) in 2024 T20 WC Final
33(22) in Asia Cup Final

And India won both matches just by a margin. pic.twitter.com/oAnyRVFlCq

— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) January 28, 2026

People used to troll Shivam Dube a lot, but the way he has grown in T20Is deserves credit. Currently, he is one of the most improved players in the format, both with the bat and ball.

Quietly turning into a genuine utility player for the World Cup. ❤️

— Bhawana (@cricbhawana) January 28, 2026

50 off just 15 balls. 346 strike rate. Spin bowlers, fast bowlers, whatever Zak Foulkes bowls, man’s hitting everyone without any discrimination. Shivam Dube, we’re seated.

— Heisenberg ☢ (@internetumpire) January 28, 2026

What a terrible way to end the innings. Shivam Dube was all set to make us witness a memorable chase. Sad.

— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) January 28, 2026

New Zealand win the 4th T20I by 50 runs in Vizag.#TeamIndia lead the series 3⃣-1⃣

Scorecard ▶️ https://t.co/GVkrQKKyd6 #INDvNZ | @IDFCFIRSTBank pic.twitter.com/zkfXdvEwGD

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 28, 2026

AN ICONIC KNOCK FROM SHIVAM DUBE 65 (23).

ENDS WITH A RUN OUT AT NON STRIKER’S END. 💔 pic.twitter.com/HbLZNsvHaP

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) January 28, 2026

FASTEST FIFTY BY INDIANS IN T20I HISTORY:

Yuvraj Singh – 12 balls.

Abhishek Sharma – 14 balls.

Shivam Dube – 15* balls. pic.twitter.com/QTFGapLaJt

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 28, 2026

Convincing win for New Zealand in the 4th T20I 🔥#Cricket #INDvsNZ #MitchellSantner pic.twitter.com/E6M4KdzDPS

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) January 28, 2026

Also READ: IND vs NZ: Fans slam Gautam Gambhir as Shreyas Iyer misses out again in India XI for 4th T20I in Visakhapatnam

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Reference #18.4cfdd417.1769641236.9897c972

https://errors.edgesuite.net/18.4cfdd417.1769641236.9897c972