VADODARA: In a major blow to India, especially ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup at home, off-spinning all-rounder Washington Sundar has been ruled out of India’s remaining two matches of the ongoing home ODI series against New Zealand after suffering a strain during the opening ODI in Vadodara on Sunday.In fact, at the moment, it is doubtful if the reliable but injury-prone Sundar will even return to action for the five-match T20I series against the Kiwis, which will start on January 21 in Nagpur.

“Yes, Sundar has been ruled out of the remaining two ODIs against New Zealand (at Rajkot on Jan 24 and at Indore on Jan 28) due to the side strain he picked up during the first ODI at Vadodara on Sunday night,” a source in the BCCI told TOI on Monday. Sundar is the second India player to be ruled out of the New Zealand ODI series at home due to injury after wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was hurt in the nets while taking throwdowns. Sundar’s injury will worry Team India a bit more since he is part of India’s 2026 T20 World Cup squad and the tournament is now less than a month away.At the post-match press conference, Harshit Rana, when asked about Sundar’s injury, said: “Washington has a side strain. He was in pain while batting. Our medical team will assess and will update.”Hampered by the injury, Sundar could bowl just five overs during New Zealand’s innings, in which he conceded 0 for 27. He later came out to bat at No. 8 after Rana was promoted ahead of him. The left-hander was visibly struggling to run between the wickets but chipped in with a valuable seven not out off seven balls, adding 27* in 16 balls with KL Rahul for the seventh wicket to take India home in a tense chase with four wickets to spare.While wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel was picked as Pant’s replacement, the BCCI is likely to name Sundar’s replacement soon too.

Australia women’s captain Alyssa Healy has announced her retirement from international cricket, confirming that the upcoming multi-format home series against India in February–March will be her swansong. One of the most influential figures in women’s cricket over the past decade, Alyssa will step away from the international stage after leading Australia in the ODI series and the one-off day-night Test in Perth. She has opted out of the T20Is, citing the team’s preparation plans for this year’s Women’s T20 World Cup.

Alyssa Healy’s decision driven by timing and team priorities

Explaining her decision, Alyssa revealed that while her love for representing Australia remains strong, the competitive edge that fuelled her long career has begun to fade. With Australia focusing on long-term planning and World Cup preparation, the wicketkeeper-batter felt it was the right moment to allow the next generation to step in, particularly in the shortest format.

The India series, however, holds special significance. Alyssa will captain the side in both the ODIs and the historic pink-ball Test, ensuring her career ends on home soil in one of the marquee series on the international calendar.

“It’s with mixed emotions that the upcoming India series will be my last for Australia. I still love playing for my country, but I feel the competitive edge that’s driven me for so long isn’t quite the same anymore. The timing feels right,” said Alyssa as quoted by Cricket.com.au.

From teenage debutant to global superstar

A niece of former Australia men’s wicketkeeper Ian Healy, Alyssa made her international debut in 2010 as a 19-year-old against New Zealand. Over the next 15 years, she redefined the role of a wicketkeeper-batter, combining explosive opening batting with elite glovework. She is set to finish her career with 162 T20I caps, 126 ODIs and 11 Tests for Australia, along with a world-record 126 dismissals in women’s T20Is.

Widely regarded as one of the most destructive batters the women’s game has seen, Alyssa holds several landmark records, including the highest individual score in a World Cup final and the most dismissals by a wicketkeeper in women’s T20 international cricket.

Also READ: Who is Anushka Sharma? Gujarat Giants rookie who lit up WPL 2026 with a stunning debut

Leadership era and major achievements

Alyssa took over as Australia’s full-time captain in 2023 following the retirement of Meg Lanning. Her tenure was highlighted by a historic 16-0 multi-format Ashes whitewash of England, a result that underlined Australia’s dominance. Under her leadership, Australia also reached the semi-finals of both the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup and the 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup.

Across her career, Alyssa was part of eight ICC World Cup-winning campaigns—six T20 titles and two ODI crowns—and also played a key role in Australia’s gold medal triumph at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Awards and impact beyond international cricket

Individually, Alyssa’s excellence was recognised with the Belinda Clark Award in 2019 and ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year honours in 2018 and 2019. At domestic level, she became a modern icon for the Sydney Sixers, scoring over 3,000 runs across 11 Women’s Big Bash League seasons and winning two titles. She also featured in the Women’s Premier League, captaining the UP Warriorz, further extending her influence on the global growth of the women’s game.

Also WATCH: Shreyanka Patil gives double blow to UP Warriorz, dismisses Meg Lanning and Phoebe Litchfield in a single over during WPL 2026

This article was first published at WomenCricket.com, a Cricket Times company.

Indian Super League trophy (Pic credit: ISL)

New Delhi: All 14 first division clubs have confirmed their intention to play the much-delayed 2025-26 season of the Indian Super League (ISL) on Monday. Some clubs have been clear that they want to get the ball rolling while others have sought clarity on finances from the All India Football Federation (AIFF).On January 6, all clubs had verbally agreed to play the truncated league, although at least six had asked for conditional support to go ahead. The clubs wanted a complete waiver of Rs 1 crore participation fee and government support in reduced costs to host games.

“We are standing our ground saying, ‘Yes we will participate as we committed to the government. But we need more clarity from you, from the AIFF,” said a club official to TimesofIndia.com.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“Easier way to say it is that our participation is confirmed (in the ISL), if certain conditions are met,” added the official before clarifying that they need commitments to be made over the financial aspects of the league.As the deadline to confirm their home venues came on Monday, all clubs confirmed their participation to the AIFF, including Odisha FC who had sought further time to deliberate.Odisha FC had suspended first team operations in August 2025, and pulled out of Durand Cup and Super Cup. They had sought a long-term financial roadmap before committing to play.The objective for clubs will now be on cutting costs. With 91 games to be played in the season in a single-leg home and away format, ISL will begin on February 14 and would end before May 31.Of the Rs 24.26 crore budget allocated for the 2025-26 season, the clubs will foot Rs 1 crore each as participation fee, AIFF will contribute Rs 9.77 crore and the remaining expenses will be come from federation’s resources on an ongoing basis.As a result, the clubs will pay the participation fee, the logistics, for the venues, player wages among other things. The returns, in comparison to previous years, will be lower with broadcast revenue alone amounting to Rs 275 crore per season – something that won’t be as substantial this time.“Which is why we’ve all questioned the participation fee and said that ideally it should be lesser if not charged at all. But I think it’s also a new model that everyone’s trying to work out and experiment, right?,” reasoned an ISL club official.One significant outlay for ISL clubs over the years has been on salaries. One player agent confirmed that some clubs have reached out to players and asked them to take a pay cut now that the revenues will be lower.The agent explained that the clubs cannot force pay cuts on players since they are contract bound. If a club does look to force their way, a player can take the legal route. In case the players do accept the proposals of reduced wages, a new contract will be drawn.At this stage, not every ISL club is looking at reduced player wages as first option. With season shortened, logistical costs will be reduced and resources will be utilised differently to prepare home venues.“There were certain standards which were set by the ISL. There were certain norms that we used to follow, there were certain criteria’s which we used to follow, certain kind of basic parameters. It could be a difference of almost 20 to 30 percent in cost, resource management type, resource utilization (now),” said another ISL club official who wished to not be named.“So that would obviously … we’ll try to see where we can curtail without compromising on any kind of safety or any of those things. But yeah, maybe the glamour quotient will come down,” he added.Some clubs are okay to bite the bullet to get the league underway in the first place. Newly promoted Inter Kashi are one who have agreed to play all their games on the road since their home stadium in Varanasi would only be operational around Diwali.“I think the most important part is that in our country, since the last 6 months, football had come to a stop. Now, football is going to start. And there will be football. Let us focus on the football,” said Prithijit Das, President of Inter Kashi.“What is the production cost, who is the sponsor, what difference does it make? If you play a game, that game is starting, that is the biggest thing. At the end of the season, we can have a discussion on what was bad, what was good. But first, there should be a season. We were thinking there won’t be a season at all,” he added.His views were echoed by another club chief who were one of the firsts to confirm participation in the 2025-26 ISL.

“Our biggest (goal) was that football should happen. We were anyway not making profits and this was not going to make you profitable anyway. If there is a gap year, Indian football will go to the dogs! All the effort that you’ve put in so far, would have gone for a toss. “Today it is more about being alive than sustainability in time to come. Going by the circumstances, we were more for football and that’s what we were pushing for.”The immediate next steps for AIFF will be finalising a shortened calendar, getting an exemption from AFC related to ACL 2 slot and finding commercial and broadcast partners.

A Canadian influencer’s viral video highlights India’s unique identity, urging an end to comparing its places to foreign counterparts. He argues such labels diminish India’s originality, from Bengaluru’s ‘Silicon Valley’ tag to regional film industries. The sentiment resonates deeply, sparking conversations about self-pride and valuing India’s inherent brilliance.

India is one of those places on the Earth that is cherished for its unity in diversity, as a vibrant mosaic of cultures, places, and a relentless driving force towards development that goes even beyond comparing two regions. For too long, people have labeled its gems with foreign tags, like “Switzerland of India” or “Silicon Valley of India“, as if they need a global benchmark to shine.This habit often dims the spotlight on what makes India truly special as a one-of-a-kind, effortless combination of history, diversity, and dynamic growth.A Canadian who’s called India home for eight years recently talked about this unfair perspective towards standout Indian places. His words remind us that validation doesn’t come from copying something; instead, India’s real magic lies in embracing its own identity.

Canadian influencer living in India slams ‘videshi’ tags for Indian cities (Photo: (Instagram/@caleb_friesen)

Canadian criticises people comparing India with foreign places

Caleb Friesen, a Canadian influencer who’s lived in India since around 2017, took to X with a video calling out the “illogical” trend of comparing Indian spots to foreign ones. He criticised travel vloggers for calling and comparing places as “Switzerland of India,” the “Scotland of the East,” or “Mini Europe,” arguing these tags make India seem like copies rather than originals. Friesen went as far beyond nicknames like Bollywood and Tollywood, saying they chase Hollywood’s shadow unnecessarily. “Bro, you need to stop at the woods,” he remarked, pointing to South Korea’s independent naming as a better example.He based his post around Bengaluru’s “Silicon Valley of India” label, saying that the city sits on the Deccan Plateau, “the opposite of a valley.” Friesen contrasted this with China’s Shenzhen, which stands on its own name. “I just think more people need to have this mindset. India is not the X of Y. India just is,” he urged, adding, “This country is spectacular. It is one of a kind.”

Why this video went widely shared on social media

Friesen’s message hit home because it talks about the push for self-pride. He referenced Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal’s reply to a fan wanting a “Bryan Johnson replica in India,” where Goyal stressed upon originality. This isn’t just about tourism; it’s a call to value India’s tech boom, varied regions, and cultural depth without foreign crutches.

Social media gets emotional

Users flooded Friesen’s post with support. One wrote, “Good one, India shouldn’t benchmark everything against one. India is great on its own with a massive population”. Another said, “A pity that this has to come from a Canadian, but that isn’t bad, because sadly some Indians pick up an idea only when non-Indians approve it.”A third wrote, “Finally someone said it. We need to own our identities and not cling to western validation.” A fan added, “Well put @caleb_friesen. India needs to UP their PR game. India is so so much better than what the sentiment is like in the outside. So much potential and talent everywhere.”One user noted a flip side, “India have many beautiful places. But because of bad infrastructure and lack of promotion of these places, we never get to see about such places that exist in India.” Others blamed colonial mindsets, “Indian was first colonised for 200 years by Brits and then a 100 more colonised us mentally.”

MUMBAI: Two money lenders abducted a 63-year-old woman from Juhu after her son failed to repay Rs 80 lakh, and released her only after she signed documents acknowledging the debts. Although the incident happened last month, police arrested one of them on Monday and are now searching for his accomplice.According to the police, complainant Pinakini Bhansali alleged that her son Monil had borrowed large sums of money from various persons, including one Zafar Qureshi, at a 30 per cent interest rate and had pledged jewellery valued at around Rs 3 crore. She stated that despite repayment of about Rs 80 lakh, Qureshi continued threatening him. The unit 10 of the crime branch arrested Qureshi’s associate, Alfaz Firoz Kasam, on the charges of abduction, illegal money lending, extortion and criminal intimidation racket. Qureshi is on the run.Last month, on one occasion, she was forcibly made to sit inside a car in Santacruz West by Qureshi and his two associates and taken to a secluded place, where she was threatened and coerced to sign or give her thumb impression on stamp papers acknowledging liability of Rs 80 lakh. Qureshi threatened that her son’s life would be in danger if the amount demanded was not paid. The accused also shot a video of her signing the documents. He also threatened her with dire consequences if she disclosed this to anyone and later allowed her to go. “He then started making threat calls to her,” said an officer. Afraid, she confided in her husband, who asked her to lodge an FIR.The city crime branch carried out a search of Qureshi as well as arrested Kasam’s house and claimed to have seized several original loan agreements, vehicle sale contracts and related documents involving large cash transactions between Qureshi and multiple persons. A mobile handset containing the coercion incident has also been seized.The Crime Branch has alleged Qureshi has been running an illegal money lending business without licence, lending money at exorbitant interest rates and recovering dues through threats and coercion with the help of his associates. Police also suspect Qureshi has targeted several others in a similar fashion.

MUMBAI: It took 35 years of tireless grassroots work in Shiv Sena for 58-year-old Bharati Pednekar to finally secure a ticket to contest the BMC elections.TOI accompanied Pednekar, who is the local shakha vibhag sanghatak, last Friday through the old mill heartland of Parel, from where she is contesting on a Shiv Sena (UBT) ticket. A mother of two sons, Pednekar’s political journey has run parallel to a life marked by struggle. She has been running a tiffin service for the past two decades, since her husband lost his job at Morarjee Mill after a fire shut it down. As she moves from door to door in Parel’s Kukka Sadan Rahivashi Sangh-flanked by her sons and party workers-Pednekar recalls that while this may be her first election as a candidate, campaigning is nothing new to her. “Since 1992, I have walked these same lanes with every Shiv Sena candidate asking for votes, but this time, asking for votes for myself hits different,” she says, adding how the tiffin service she runs was also a means for her to increase her reach within the locality. “I was born here and also married into a family in the same area. So, I know every corner of the locality and feel that I do deserve a chance to be elected,” she says. Apart from being confident of her prospects, Pednekar believes that the mill belt has remained a steadfast Shiv Sena stronghold over the years. Her ward includes the sprawling KEM Hospital complex, and if elected, she says improving citizens’ access to basic services there will be among her priorities. “Even today, people struggle to get the services they come here for,” she says, pointing at her intent to make the civic hospital more citizen-friendly. Walking alongside Pednekar are her party workers, like Pramila Adsul, who says she’s confident of their win in this ward. “There are candidates contesting the election whom we haven’t even seen in the past many years but have now come to the forefront to contest the municipal elections. People here have seen our party’s work and we are sure they will ensure our candidate wins,” said Adsul. Pednekar’s eldest son, Prathamesh, who is making all the arrangements when karyakartas go campaigning with his mother from one house to another, says it took her very long to get this chance. “My mother has worked for the party with no expectations. So, when the party decided to repose their faith in her this time and give her the ticket means everything to us.”

Stock market today (AI image)

Stock market today: Indian equity benchmarks, Nifty50 and BSE Sensex, opened in green on Tuesday. While Nifty50 was above 25,850, BSE Sensex was up over 250 points. At 9:16 AM, Nifty50 was trading at 25,862.30, up 72 points or 0.28%. BSE Sensex was at 84,156.95, up 279 points or 0.33%.Analysts see a largely range-bound trend and stock-specific moves as the earnings season begins to unfold.Dr. VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited says, “Geopolitical developments and President Trump’s comments and actions will continue to influence markets. Trump’s weaponisation of tariffs has already impacted global trade and particularly countries which have been targeted with penal tariffs. Trump’s latest declaration that the US will impose 25% tariffs on countries doing trade with Iran clearly sends out the message that this policy of weaponisation of tariffs will continue.”“Apart from targeting other countries Trump is also targeting those who don’t toe his line at home. The charges leveled against the Fed chief Jerome Powell is an example of the fact that Trump will go against anyone who doesn’t fall in line. This unprecedented, unstable, unpredictable behaviour of the US president will continue to weigh on markets. From the Indian market perspective, the necessity of a US-India trade agreement was evident yesterday when the market bounced back sharply when the US ambassador Sergio Gor declared that the US is determined to have a trade agreement with India and the talks will resume as early as January 13th. In the near-term Q3 results will witness stock specific action.”US equities ended Monday on a strong note, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing at record highs. Gains were led by technology stocks and retail major Walmart, as investors largely looked past concerns surrounding the US Justice Department’s criminal investigation into Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.Asian markets followed suit, with shares rising close to record levels, supported by optimism around corporate earnings and improving regional growth prospects. The positive momentum reflected a broader shift in investor focus beyond US-centric risks.In currency markets, the dollar remained under pressure on Tuesday after the Trump administration initiated a criminal probe into Powell, an action that has reignited worries over the Federal Reserve’s independence and raised fresh questions about confidence in US assets.Foreign portfolio investors were net sellers of Indian equities to the tune of Rs 3,638 crore on Monday, while domestic institutional investors provided support by purchasing shares worth Rs 5,839 crore.(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market, other asset classes or personal finance management tips given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)

Apple and Google have officially announced a new partnership, signalling a deeper collaboration between two of the most-influential tech companies. The iPhone maker confirmed it’s teaming up with Google to use Gemini models as the foundation for a smarter, more capable Siri arriving later this year. “After careful evaluation, we determined that Google’s technology provides the most capable foundation for Apple Foundation Models,” Apple said in a joint statement with Google. Amid this announcement, a dinner photo of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has resurfaced online and is going viral. The image was originally taken years ago Palo Alto, many users also joked that the two leaders had been “cooking up” this collaboration for years.

Viral dinner photo of Apple CEO Tim Cook and Google CEO Sundar Pichai

As soon as Apple and Google made the announcement that they are teaming up and that Gemini will power Siri, a dinner from 2017 featuring the two CEOs resurfaced online. The photo was taken at the Cheesecake Factory, where the two CEOs were seen chatting over dinner. While the viral photo added a lighthearted twist, the partnership itself reflects serious strategic intent. Apple has been seeking to bolster its AI offerings, and Google’s Gemini provides a ready solution. For Google, the deal ensures its AI technology reaches hundreds of millions of iPhone users worldwide.The multi-year deal will see Gemini and Google’s cloud infrastructure power not just Siri, but future Apple Intelligence features across the board. Apple insists everything will still run on its devices and Private Cloud Compute servers, keeping its privacy promises intact.

Google scores big as AI competition heats up

For Google, this is validation that its AI efforts are paying off. Alphabet’s stock jumped after the announcement, briefly pushing its market cap past $4 trillion and overtaking Apple as the world’s second-most valuable company. The search giant launched its Gemini 3 model in November, and CEO Sundar Pichai has been touting massive growth in Google Cloud, which signed more billion-dollar deals in Q3 2025 than the previous two years combined.Neither company disclosed financial terms, though earlier reports suggested Apple might shell out around $1 billion annually for the privilege.

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NEW DELHI: Shreyas Iyer will walk out to bat in the second ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday with history firmly within touching distance, as the India vice-captain stands on the verge of a massive personal milestone that underlines his growing stature in the format.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Iyer needs just 34 runs to etch his name into the record books, a feat that would place him among the quickest Indians to reach 3000 runs in ODI cricket and further highlight his transformation into one of India’s most reliable middle-order batters. Presently, the record for the fastest Indian to the landmark is held by Shikhar Dhawan, who achieved it in 72 innings, followed by Virat Kohli, who took 75 innings. Iyer, who has 2966 runs to his name, will reach the milestone in just 69 innings if he scores the required runs on Wednesday.

The right-hander marked his return to international cricket in style in the series opener on Sunday, scoring a fluent 49 off 47 balls as India successfully chased down a target of 301. It was a reassuring comeback after a frustrating injury layoff that began during the third ODI against Australia on October 25, 2025, forcing him to miss the home series against South Africa.Iyer worked his way back through the BCCI Centre of Excellence and proved his readiness with strong performances for Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy before reclaiming his place in the national side. Since making his ODI debut in 2017, Iyer has steadily evolved from a promising talent into a mainstay of India’s XI and a key member of the leadership group. Should he achieve the milestone in the second ODI, Iyer will also join West Indies great Viv Richards as the joint-fourth fastest batter overall to the mark, with the all-time record belonging to South Africa’s Hashim Amla, who reached it in just 57 innings.