NEW DELHI: A single mother shuffles like a shadow in her house in Dwarka, hemmed in by the tangible manifestations of her son’s unfulfilled dreams — medals hanging on the walls and his handwritten quotes that bear a glimpse of a future that could have been. A deathly silence reigns in the house, one that has shrouded her since a fatal crash on Feb 3.Sahil Dhaneshra — Kabir to her — was in the final semester of his BBA course and had charted a promising path for his future. Having secured admission to a reputed university in Manchester, the 23-year-old was preparing to fly to the UK in Sept to pursue his master’s degree. Independent and focused, he managed his university applications on his own and even took up a part-time job at an insurance firm to help fund his education and ease the financial strain on his mother, Inna Makan.

Sahil had stepped out for work on the morning of Feb 3 . Around noon, Inna returned home and was about to call him to check where he was when her phone rang. Cops gave her the devastating news: Her son, who was on a bike, had been hit by an SUV near a college in Dwarka’s Sector 11. Sahil died instantly. A cab driver was critically injured in the collision involving the three vehicles.When Inna rushed to the location, she found her son lying motionless on the road. According to her, some bystanders had gathered but were recording videos even as he lay there dying.It later emerged the SUV was being driven by a teenager, who at 17 was not supposed to be behind its wheels. A case was registered at the Dwarka south police station for rash and negligent driving and causing death due to negligence. The minor was apprehended, produced before Juvenile Justice Board and sent to an observation home. He was later granted interim bail so that he could write his Class X exams.Inna had raised Sahil as a single parent, navigating financial hardship to keep his education going. When sustaining private schooling became tough, he completed classes XI and XII from a govt school before taking admission to the BBA course. Inside Sahil’s room, traces of his buoyant personality are still vivid. The quotes he wrote on the walls, including one that reads, ‘obsession is going to beat talent every time’, sit alongside medals in sports he earned over the years.Since the accident, Inna has turned to social media to seek accountability for his son’s death. On an Instagram handle titled ‘Justice for Sahil’, an online petition started by her has gathered more than 3,000 signatures, and her posts have drawn over a million views.“I will keep on posting till the day I am given an answer as to why action can’t be taken against someone who was not supposed to drive in the first place,” she told TOI.The petition outlines her demands: strict legal action against the underage driver, accountability of the vehicle owner who permitted the minor to illegally drive, and stronger implementation of traffic laws to prevent similar tragedies.

Gautam Gambhir to step down from Team India‘s head coach position soon? The question has been doing rounds on social media platforms ever since a report related to the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) has emerged.

It is reported that the winner of the IPL 2008 has approached Gautam Gambhir, who is serving the Indian Men’s senior cricket team as the head coach, to come on board. As per reports, the former Indian cricketer has been offered to join the franchise as CEO, mentor.

Rajasthan Royals offered Gautam Gambhir some stakes as well

As per a Dainik Jagaran report, a majority of Rajasthan Royals shareholders are selling their stake to the new owners. The deal is in a transferable state. One of the owners in RR’s new management has offered Gambhir a two-three percent stake, in addition to becoming CEO and mentor.

Your daily dose of cricket!

As a player and as a mentor, Gautam Gambhir has had a significant amount of success in the franchise league. With the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he claimed the title twice—first as a captain, then as a mentor. During his two-season stint with Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), as a mentor, he helped the team to secure the third place on the points table and qualify for the playoffs.

Lodha Committee can restrict Gambhir

With some notable achievements, there can be multiple franchises that would like to offer Gambhir an offer. But will Gautam Gambhir be able to accept the possible offer made by Rajasthan Royals? Maybe not, as he is currently associated with Team India.

According to the Supreme Court’s ruling based on the Lodha Committee, the former Indian cricketer, now a coach, will not be able to conduct two separate roles at the same time. Which means, being the head coach of the team, he will not be eligible to join the Rajasthan Royals. If he wants to join the IPL franchise, then Gambhir will have to say goodbye to the national side.

Will Gautam Gambhir step down from Team India role?

“Sources close to Gambhir, however, declined to comment on the matter. They only said that Gambhir is committed to the Indian coaching position. His goal is to help the Indian team win the 2026 T20 World Cup and the 2027 ODI World Cup,” the media report also claimed.

Media reports also claimed that as of now, Gambhir has no intention to leave Team India, and his current contract with the Indian team runs through the 2027 ODI World Cup. Currently, Suryakumar Yadav and his men are enjoying a dominating run in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. Next year, the Men in Blue will be in action for the ODI World Cup. It is highly unlikely to see Gambhir leaving the team amid such crucial tournaments.

Read More: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi ditches Class 10 board exam for cricket, school marks U-19 star absent

India’s Ishan Kishan (ANI Photo)

Ishan Kishan has emerged as India’s standout performer with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup, playing a pivotal role in the team’s smooth progression to the Super 8s. The left-hander has struck consecutive half-centuries, underlining a dramatic resurgence in his career. Just six months ago, he was out of the national reckoning and far from selection discussions. Since making his return, however, Kishan has made every opportunity count.His defining contribution came in the high-pressure clash against Pakistan. On a challenging surface where stroke-making was far from easy, Kishan delivered a commanding 77 off 40 balls, laced with 10 fours and three sixes. His innings proved decisive, allowing India to seize control at a crucial juncture of the tournament.

Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar attributed the knock to Kishan’s fearless mindset and clearly defined role at the top of the order.“To bat like Ishan Kishan, the way he did against Pakistan, I believe there have to be a couple of factors that have to be your advantage. Number one, he is batting at the top of the order. He has the backing of the team to go out and play by taking a lot of risks, which, at the moment, are coming off,” Bangar said on Star Sports.Bangar emphasised that Kishan’s success is rooted in form and method rather than reckless strokeplay.“Number two, he is the man in form, and T20 cricket is basically for form players. So he is maximising whatever form that he has. There is a method in which he dominated. It isn’t that he was targeting each and every bowler,” Bangar observed.He further analysed the innings, noting how Kishan strategically attacked specific bowlers.“Even till the fourth over, he first attacked Shaheen Shah Afridi in the second over, then gave respect to the off-spinners, and when the leg-spinners came, he took them to the cleaners. So all in all, a very calculative innings. I must say that even though he was getting the majority of the strike, he was farming the strike pretty well and made those 77 possible out of the 88 runs that were there on the scoreboard,” he elaborated.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in Mumbai for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Defence, artificial intelligence, and critical minerals are key topics.

President Emmanuel Macron extended an invitation to PM Modi to participate in the G7 Summit to be hosted by France in 2026. According to a joint statement, he invited India to participate actively in the discussions and preparatory work ahead of the Summit, mainly on the key issues of tackling global macroeconomic imbalances and defining a new paradigm for international partnerships and solidarity.The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. “The elevation of the relationship will strengthen cooperation between the two countries in sectors of the future, so as to reinforce their sovereignty and decision-making autonomy, and to respond together to the major challenges confronting our world, including through cooperation between India and the European Union,” said the joint statementThey reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains. The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council, with France reiterating support for India’s permanent membership of the Council.The two leaders also reiterated their concern over the war in Ukraine, which continued to cause “immense human suffering and negative global consequences”.“They stressed the importance of cessation of hostilities and expressed support for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine through dialogue and diplomacy in accordance with the principles of the UN Charter and international law, including independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said the statement. They also agreed to intensify joint research, co-design, co-development and co-production of advanced defence platforms, including in the field of air, naval and land systems, and emerging dual-use technologies, in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024.Building on the existing trust in high technology collaboration, both leaders agreed to constitute a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group to explore opportunities to co-develop emerging and critical technologies in identified niche areas to retain a competitive military edge, and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.”

Bengaluru: Defence minister Rajnath Singh with French counterpart Catherine Vautrin during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, “to raise India-made component” in the upcoming deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets to “up to 50%”, defence sources told TOI.During their 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, Rajnath also told Vautrin to “try to ensure that engines of the (fighter) planes are made and overhauled in India. This will help our ‘Make-in-India’ effort,” one source said.The two ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. India and France also renewed their defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years, announced reciprocal deployment of army officers and inked an MoU to manufacture Hammer missiles in India. The MoU was signed for manufacturing of Hammer missiles under a JV between defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited and French major Safran.Earlier, Rajnath and Vautrin attended the inaugural ceremony of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter final assembly line, jointly built by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Airbus at Karnataka’s Vemagal, with PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurating the facility from Mumbai.After the facility’s inauguration, Modi said, “We take pride in the fact that, together, India and France will manufacture in India the world’s only helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest and export it to the entire world.” The delivery of the first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected in early 2027, and the helicopter will help meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces for a light multi-role helicopter and boost army operations on the icy heights of the Himalayas. Rajnath said the total investment for the H125 project is expected to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and create direct and indirect employment.In the presence of Modi in Mumbai, Macron said, “From Rafale jets to submarines, we are expanding defence cooperation. India and France are also working together to build helicopter assembly line and fifth-gen fighter jet engines.” Macron’s remark came days after Rajnath-led Defence Acquisition Council gave the go-ahead for the purchase of 114 Rafale jets from France. The cost negotiations between the two sides for the upcoming Rafale deal will get a big push after Tuesday’s meeting between Modi and Macron, and the agreement will be signed after the Cabinet’s clearance.India may also buy additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines from France. India had already acquired six Scorpene-class submarines (Kalvari class) from France. The French defence minister appreciated the conversion of Exercise Shakti with the Army from a biennial to an annual event.

Mumbai: While the gut microbiome is becoming a familiar term for many, further understanding of the microbiome of the cervix is only now coming into focus.In a freshly published study of 43 healthy women at Mumbai’s ICMR-NIRRCH, scientists discovered that “silent” infections are secretly rewriting the body’s immune environment, undermining the protective power of the “good bacteria” naturally found there.

Between 2021 and 2023, researchers mapped the cervical microbiome of sexually active, non-pregnant women (ages 18-45) using advanced genetic sequencing. This was the first in the Indian context, as this microbiome could change based on demographic and ethnic factors.Though all participants appeared perfectly healthy, laboratory results told a different story. The study, published in the Indian Journal of Clinical Microbiology, found that 32.55% of the women had asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis (BV) and 16.27% had silent yeast (Candida) infections, with 13.95% harbouring both simultaneously.“Our earlier studies looked at the vaginal microbiome; this study goes a step further,” said lead author Dr Deepti Tandon, a gynaecologist and researcher at the ICMR-NIRRCH department of clinical research.The team found that the cervical environment was dominated by Lactobacillus iners (45.69%). These play a vital role in women’s health and immune response to a range of cervical and reproductive issues.However, when silent infections move in, they trigger a “chemical alarm” in the body by raising pro-inflammatory markers, forcing the immune system into a state of high alert and disrupting the delicate balance that keeps the cervix healthy.Co-lead of the study Dr Vikrant Bhor, from the department of molecular immunology and microbiology, said that in women who carried asymptomatic infections, the abundance of Lactobacillus iners was reduced. “These variations were never mapped in our population.”He added that, as of now, it is difficult to say if the same findings apply to women who did not have childbirth. “It could be the same case, it could be different. But essentially, in our study, we were able to map the signatures of each of these asymptomatic infections. And we correlated inflammation, which is a hallmark of immunity and infection status, with the presence of different Lactobacillus species,” said Dr Bhor.The scientists said these findings will now open doors to a wide range of diagnostic tools in the near future.

Mumbai: Ruling that driving on the wrong side of the road in a crowded area is a clear act of rashness and negligence, a sessions court upheld the two-year sentence of a now 60-year-old man for a 2009 road accident in Ghatkopar that killed two people and injured several others. The accused, Kailash Gaikwad, was driving a red Maruti van at high speed when he veered onto the wrong side of the road. He had challenged a 2018 magistrate court order that found him guilty of causing death by negligence. Additional sessions judge Kunal Dhanaji Jadhav dismissed the appeal. The judge noted that the manner of driving, rather than speed alone, was the deciding factor in determining criminal liability. Analyzing the spot panchnama, the judge observed that the site was a busy junction heavily populated by pedestrians. “At that place, driving a vehicle puts responsibility on the driver to be more careful and cautious and therefore driving in high speed at such places can be a reckless act or an act without any proper care and caution,” the judge said.

The incident occurred on Jan 9, 2009, near the fish market outside Ghatkopar railway station. The vehicle struck three vegetable vendors, Sunil Ratnaparkhi, Daya Kharvi, and Lalita Jadhav, and a pedestrian, Genubhau Bombale. The van eventually stopped after its front wheel crashed into a gutter. While Ratnaparkhi and Kharvi survived their injuries, Jadhav and Bombale died during treatment at Rajawadi Hospital. Gaikwad argued that witnesses failed to properly identify him and suggested the vendors contributed to the accident by hawking on the road. However, the court found the testimony of survivors and police officers to be credible. Jadhav noted that minor discrepancies in registration details were expected given that evidence was recorded more than six years after the event.Addressing the technical state of the vehicle, the court noted that an RTO report found no mechanical defects, meaning the accident resulted solely from human error. “The panchnama of the scene of incident and the map reveal that Maruti van was driven on the wrong side of the road… This clearly makes out a case of rash and negligence.”The judge found the defence that Gaikwad was not behind the wheel to be untenable, especially since he had previously sought custody of the impounded van. “In the absence of any evidence and explanation, it must be concluded that the accused was driving the Maruti van rashly and negligently on the date, time and place of incident,” said the judge.

NEW DELHI: Curiosity defined Shreyas Mishra’s childhood. As a Class V student, the world around him seemed buzzing with questions. Bridges, trains, monuments and machines weren’t just everyday sights; they were puzzles to be understood. Why is a bridge shaped the way it is? Why are trains designed differently? Why hasn’t the Ashokan iron pillar rusted?

Toppers from Rajasthan

Today, at a little over 17, Shreyas has turned that curiosity into an extraordinary achievement. He is among 12 candidates nationwide, and the only one from Delhi, to secure a perfect score of 100 in the engineering entrance exam, JEE Main 2026. The feat stands out even more considering the scale of the examination, with more than 13 lakh candidates appearing for its first edition this year.Shreyas says the milestone is the result of years of disciplined preparation. “I prepared for the exam since 2019, when I wasin Class VI, and I used to put in 12–14 hours of study every day for it. Apart from that, whenever I get time, I pursue cricket and music,” said the student of Kulachi Hansraj Model School in Ashok Vihar. Balancing rigorous study with personal interests, he credits consistency as the key to sustaining such an intense routine over the years. Originally from Odisha, Shreyas’s father Sumant Mishra moved to the capital 24 years ago in search of better job opportunities and now works as a cybersecurity consultant. His mother is an associate professor in the computer science department at a private university. The family lives in Noida Extension. His father enrolled him in speed mathematics and Abacus competitions during his childhood. The exposure sharpened his numerical skills and confidence. “He won 2nd prize in the Western UP Abacus Championship. He had an interest in mathematics, and that interest gradually grew to this level,” Mishra said about the journey that began with questions and culminated in a perfect score.

In a dire turn of events at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on February 17, 2026, Australia‘s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign is currently being decided by the weather. Following back-to-back losses against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, Mitchell Marsh‘s side no longer controls its own destiny. The equation has shifted from the pitch to the rain-heavy skies over Kandy, with the Ireland vs Zimbabwe clash serving as the final barrier to an historic Australian exit.

Australia’s Super 8 road ahead: What happens if IRE vs ZIM in Pallekele is washed out?

If the Ireland vs Zimbabwe match is washed out today, Australia will be mathematically eliminated from the 2026 T20 World Cup before they even play their final group game against Oman. The logic is based on simple points accumulation rather than Net Run Rate (NRR):

• Zimbabwe’s Current Position: Zimbabwe entered today with 4 points from two matches.
• The Washout Effect: A “No Result” awards 1 point to each side. This would take Zimbabwe to 5 points.
• Australia’s Ceiling: Australia currently sits on 2 points with only one game remaining (vs Oman). Even with a win, Australia can reach a maximum of 4 points.
• The Result: Since Zimbabwe would hit 5 points and Sri Lanka has already qualified with 6 points, Australia would be unable to finish in the Top 2, turning their final fixture into a dead rubber.

Also READ: From Kapil Dev to Clive Lloyd – Check out the full list of 14 legendary captains demanding justice for Pakistan great Imran Khan

Qualification scenarios: Australia’s only path to survival in T20 World Cup 2026

For Australia to remain in the tournament, they require a specific sequence of results that starts with the rain clearing in Pallekele for a full (or shortened) match.

Australia Qualification Scenario – Step-by-Step Requirements

Also READ: Top 5 youngest centurions in T20 World Cup history ft. Yuvraj Samra