Ever since Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar hit theatres, the film has been the talk of the town. While Akshaye Khanna turned into an overnight internet sensation with his menacing act as Rehman Dakait, recent rumours claimed that the role was initially offered to Nagarjuna — and that the South superstar had turned it down.Now, Nagarjuna has set the record straight.

In a recent interaction with Bollywood Hungama, the actor dismissed the speculation, clarifying that he was never approached for the part that eventually went to Akshaye Khanna.“Absolutely not. I was not offered the role, though I wish I was… Dhurandhar is a superb film… Really incredible direction by Aditya Dhar. I loved his earlier film Uri also! Superb acting by everybody in the film, and Akshaye Khanna was terrific… Looking forward to the sequel! Wishing them another blockbuster,” Nagarjuna said.

‘Audiences demand international standards of storytelling’

Currently shooting for his 100th film, Nagarjuna also spoke about taking his time with the milestone project.“We are not rushing anything. There is no hurry to complete the film. We want it to be very special. After Dhurandhar, it is clear that the audiences demand international standards of storytelling,” he shared.

What lies ahead

Nagarjuna was last seen in Bollywood in Brahmāstra: Part One – Shiva (2022), where he played Anish Shetty, the wielder of the Nandi Āstra, alongside Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. His next film is slated for a January 15 release during Sankranthi. Meanwhile, Akshaye Khanna is expected to return as Rehman Dakait in Dhurandhar: The Revenge, which is scheduled to release on March 19. After Dhurandhar 2, the actor also has Mahakali and Ikka lined up.

The stage is set for the mother of all battles as arch-rivals India and Pakistan prepare to face off in a high-stakes Group A clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.

On Sunday, February 15, the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo will be the epicenter of the cricketing world.With both teams entering the contest unbeaten, this match isn’t just about bragging rights; it’s a direct fight for the top spot in the group and a guaranteed ticket to the Super 8s.

India vs Pakistan Head-to-Head Record in T20 World Cups

History heavily favours the Men in Blue. Out of the 7 encounters between these two sides in T20 World Cup history, India have emerged victorious 7 times, while Pakistan has secured only 1 win (back in 2021). One match famously ended in a tie in 2007, which India eventually won via a bowl-out.

In the broader T20I context, India leads the head-to-head record 13-3, maintaining a psychological edge over their neighbors.

Key player battles to watch

Suryakumar Yadav vs Shaheen Afridi: India’s captain and 360-degree specialist will face his ultimate test against Shaheen’s lethal incoming deliveries during the powerplay.

Babar Azam vs Kuldeep Yadav: Babar has historically struggled against left-arm wrist spin. Kuldeep’s variations will be vital in the middle overs to keep the Pakistani batting line-up in check.

Jasprit Bumrah vs Sahibzada Farhan: Farhan has been in sublime form this tournament, but facing the world’s best death bowler, Bumrah, under lights is a different challenge altogether.

Also READ: From Mayanti Langer, Laura McGoldrick to Grace Hayden – Complete list of presenters for T20 World Cup 2026

Broadcast and Live Streaming details 

NEW DELHI: For decades, the SC has lamented the erosion of public faith in judiciary because of the slow pace of justice delivery, especially for common citizens. This week, it closed a corruption case that had dragged on for nearly 32 years – six years in trial court, 14 years in HC and 11 years in SC, reports Dhananjay Mahapatra. The case related to the alleged siphoning of 400 cement bags meant for the public works division at Aurangabad on March 24, 1994. The trial court convicted the accused six years later on Apr 3, 2000. To concur with the trial court’s decision, the Bombay HC took more than 14 years.On appeal, the case remained pending for a decade in the SC before getting listed for final hearing before a bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and R Mahadevan, which reserved the verdict on Aug 21 last year. On Friday, after nearly six months, Justice Mahadevan pronounced the judgment acquitting the accused.Justice Mahadevan said, “Both the trial court and the high court held that the appellants (accused) failed to furnish any satisfactory explanation or documentary justification for such possession (of cement bags). These findings are essentially factual and are supported by the evidence on record.” Despite the evidence against the accused, the bench of Justices Nagarathna and Mahadevan acquitted the accused saying the prosecution charged them under provisions of Essential Commodities Act when on the date of siphoning off cement, it was not a commodity covered under that law.“That said, this was a case where the investigating agency ought to have invoked appropriate provisions of the Indian Penal Code, having regard to the nature of the allegations and the evidence collected,” it said and acquitted the accused saying, “The lapse, therefore, lies squarely at the door of the investigating agency.”

Suryakumar Yadav mimics Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s bowling action

NEW DELHI: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav recently copied Pakistan spinner Usman Tariq’s unusual bowling style during practice ahead of the big India vs Pakistan match in the T20 World Cup 2026 on Sunday. A video of Suryakumar mimicking Tariq’s action, including his signature pause before releasing the ball, went viral on social media. Watch:On Friday, the practice session was partly affected by light rain, so the Indian team had to train indoors in Colombo.

Tariq has become a big talking point because of his rare bowling style, which uses a sidearm action and a delayed release that makes it hard for batters to judge the ball. He has played only four T20 matches for Pakistan but has attracted attention since being selected for the World Cup. Although his action was reported twice in the past, the ICC later cleared him. Because of physical issues with his elbows, he cannot bowl with a fully straight arm like normal spinners.Speaking before the match, Suryakumar compared Tariq to a tricky exam question, saying, “See, sometimes there is a question in the exam as well which is out of syllabus. So, we can’t leave that question.” He added that India won’t give up and will prepare their own way to handle him: “To tackle that, you have to adopt your own way. Yes, he is a different character when he comes to bowl. But at the same time, we can’t just surrender. We practise with similar types of bowlers and similar actions. We will try to execute what we are practising in the net sessions.”

NEW DELHI: The Union Cabinet has approved infrastructure projects worth over Rs 31,000 crore, including construction of the country’s first road-cum-rail tunnel under the Brahmaputra in Assam. The twin-tube common tunnel with approach roads for movement of vehicles and trains, only the second in the world, would cost Rs 18,662 crore.It will connect Gohpur and Numaligarh in Assam and will cut travel time from about 6 hours to just 20 minutes. The project, to be fully funded by govt, will not just reduce the travel distance from 240 km to roughly 34 km improving connectivity but also has strategic significance, I&B minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while announcing the Cabinet decision. This four-lane tunnel will ensure high-speed connectivity to Arunachal and provide “strategic resilience” for defence purposes. The minister said the twin tubes would be interconnected at intervals of 500 metres.Officials said the tunnel would be built around 32 metres beneath the Brahmaputra’s lowest bed level. One of the tubes will have provision for a single rail track and no vehicular movement will be allowed when trains run through this tube.

PM Modi called the Brahmaputra tunnel project as a “landmark boost to connectivity in the northeast”.In a post on X, he said, “…This transformative project will enhance connectivity, reduce logistics costs and accelerate growth across Assam and the entire Northeast.”TOI has learnt that originally govt had included the connectivity between Gohpur and Numaligarh as a part of the Special Accelerated Road Development Programme for North East in 2008 by constructing a bridge. But later a proposal was mooted to build a road tunnel beneath the Brahmaputra. Later, it was modified to have a common tunnel for both vehicles and trains.A similar 22-km road-cumrail tunnel passing through Chicken Neck corridor in the northeast is also in planning stage. Besides the tunnel, Cabinet approved three NH projects with a combined cost of over Rs 11,000 crore — a 107.7-km fourlane highway in Gujarat, a 154.6-km highway stretch in Maharashtra and an 80-km corridor of NH-167 in Telangana.In rail sector, three multitracking projects covering 12 districts across Delhi, Haryana, Maharashtra and Karnataka were approved at an estimated cost of Rs 18,509 crore. The approved projects will add 389 km to the existing network of railways. Multitracking works are scheduled for completion by March 2031. These include the laying of third and fourth line between Kasara and Manmad in Maharashtra, which will have the second longest tunnel on the rail network.

Saketh Sreenivasaiah, a 22-year-old Indian student in the US, was found dead, the Consulate General of India, San Francisco said on Sunday. Saketh had been reported missing in Berkeley since the morning of February 12. In a post on X, the consulate said local police had confirmed the recovery of Saketh’s body. It added that consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services. “The Consulate deeply regrets to inform that local police have confirmed the recovery of the body of the missing Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time,” the consulate said. “The Consulate stands ready to provide all necessary assistance to the family, including coordination with local authorities and arrangements for the repatriation of the mortal remains to India at the earliest. Our consular officers are in direct contact with the family and will support them with all required formalities and services,” it added. Sreenivasaiah was pursuing a Master’s degree in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at the University of California, Berkeley. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was enrolled in the MS PDP ’26 programme at UC Berkeley and had completed a BTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 2025. “I’m a Master’s student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley, with an undergraduate degree from IIT Madras. I’m passionate about deep-tech innovations in soft and active materials, semiconductors, and advanced materials,” Saketh wrote on his LinkedIn profile. According to reports, police said Sreenivasaiah was last seen near Lake Anza, in the 1700 block of Dwight Way, on Tuesday. He was described as being 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing about 160 pounds. Police have not disclosed further details about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance but said he was considered at risk.

DIBRUGARH/GUWAHATI: PM Narendra Modi landed on the North-East’s first emergency landing facility, a highway airstrip at Moran in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, and rolled out a package of infrastructure projects worth more than Rs 5,500 crore across the pollbound state, spanning defence preparedness, connectivity, education and digital capacity.Modi flew in from Chabua airfield on Saturday aboard an IAF C-130J, touching down on the 4.2km-long specially reinforced stretch of the Moran bypass built at a cost of Rs 100 crore. Designed for dual civil-military use, the emergency landing facility doubles as a national highway and can serve as a backup to Dibrugarh airport during natural disasters or conflict.

Officials said the strip can handle fighter aircraft up to 40 tonnes and transport planes up to 74 tonnes maximum take-off weight, strengthening rapid de-ployment and relief operations in a sensitive region close to the Chinese border.The Prime Minister’s landing was followed by a 40-minute IAF aerial display underscoring the strip’s operational readiness. Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Rafale fighters conducted takeoffs and landings, An-32 transports showcased short-field operations, and advanced light helicopters simulated humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions. Garud Commandos rappelled onto the strip in a demonstration.Later in Guwahati, Modi inaugurated the Kumar Bhaskar Varma Setu, a six-lane, 7.75km concrete bridge over the Brahmaputra built at a cost of Rs 3,030 crore. The bridge, the first of its kind in the North-east, cuts travel time between Guwahati and North Guwahati to about seven minutes from roughly 30 minutes via the Saraighat bridge. Designed for high seismicity, it uses friction pendulum bearings and a real-time bridge health monitoring system. Modi had laid the foundation stone in Feb 2019.At Lachit Ghat, the PM unveiled the temporary campus of IIM Guwahati, the region’s second IIM and India’s 22nd. The Rs 555-crore permanent campus will be built at Palasbari near Guwahati, with classes beginning from a transit campus at Tech City, Bongora, under mentorship of IIM Ahmedabad.He also inaugurated NE’s National Data Centre at Amingaon in Kamrup, a Rs 348-crore facility with an 8.5-MW sanctioned load and advanced rack capacity to host mission-critical govt applications and serve as a disaster recovery hub under Digital India. A fleet of electric buses and other connectivity projects were also launched.