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New Zealand kept their semifinal dreams alive and effectively knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup 2026 with a commanding 61-run victory in Colombo on February 25, 2026. The hero of the night was Rachin Ravindra, whose all-round brilliance turned a precarious situation into a dominant win at the R. Premadasa Stadium. This win boosts New Zealand’s Net Run Rate significantly as they head into a crucial final Super 8 clash against England. For Sri Lanka, a second consecutive Super 8 loss ends their home-soil campaign in heartbreak, confirming their elimination from the tournament.
New Zealand’s innings was a tale of two halves, recovering from a dire middle-order collapse to post a formidable 168/7 on a challenging Colombo surface. After choosing to bowl, Sri Lanka seized early control through Maheesh Theekshana, who produced a stellar spell of 3/30, removing the dangerous Finn Allen (23) and Mark Chapman for a duck.
Rachin Ravindra looked elegant during his 32 off 22 balls, providing some stability, but when Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Glenn Phillips (18), the Black Caps were staring at a sub-par total at 84/6 in the 13th over. However, the game shifted dramatically during an 84-run seventh-wicket partnership between Mitchell Santner and Cole McConchie, who plundered 70 runs from the final four overs alone. Santner played a captain’s knock, smashing 47 off just 26 balls, featuring four massive sixes that targeted the shorter leg-side boundaries.
McConchie provided perfect support with an unbeaten 31, ensuring that the momentum was firmly with New Zealand heading into the break. The late-overs carnage left the Sri Lankan bowlers looking shell-shocked, as they surrendered a position of absolute dominance to concede a total that was well above the ground’s average first-innings score.
Defending 168, New Zealand delivered a clinical bowling performance to bundle out Sri Lanka for just 107, with Rachin proving to be the architect of the collapse. The chase began in disastrous fashion for the co-hosts as Matt Henry removed Pathum Nissanka on the very first ball of the innings, followed by the dismissal of Charith Asalanka to leave the hosts at 6/2.
Ravindra then took center stage with his left-arm orthodox spin, claiming a sensational 4/27 to rip the heart out of the Sri Lankan middle order. He first removed Kusal Mendis (11) and Pavan Rathnayake (10) in the same over, both beaten by flight and turn before being expertly stumped by Tim Seifert. Ravindra continued his rampage by dismissing captain Dasun Shanaka and Dushan Hemantha, effectively ending any realistic chance of a home-side comeback.
Despite a fighting 31 from Kamindu Mendis and a late 29 from Dunith Wellalage, the required run rate soared past 15, forcing the batters into desperate shots that resulted in a flurry of wickets. Santner capped off his brilliant day by removing the set Kamindu Mendis, while Glenn Phillips polished off the tail to seal the 61-run win. The victory leaves New Zealand on two points above Pakistan, setting up a thrilling finale to Group 2, while Sri Lanka becomes the first team to be officially eliminated from the Super 8 stage.
Why would Sri Lanka win the toss and choose to field at RPS Colombo? After failing to chase 146 against England in the last game?
When the team has lost confidence in chasing, batting looks fragile, and the pitch has turn, why chase again?
Had raised this question during the…
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) February 25, 2026
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 25, 2026
Massive momentum shift in the game. Great late rally by the kiwis setting Sri Lanka a tough target in my opinion. 169 definitely 25 too much on this surface.
— Roshan Abeysinghe (@RoshanCricket) February 25, 2026
Sri Lanka is literally minnow level since 2015. It’s sad to see that the country which once produced the likes of Sangakkara, Jayawardene, Malinga, Jayasuriya, Dilshan, Vaas etc is now languishing at the bottom of the barrel.
— yang goi (@GongR1ght) February 25, 2026
IF:
-Pakistan wins against Sri Lanka with better NRR
– And NZ lost to EnglandPakistan will sneak into the Semi-Final.
But aisa nahi hoga because we have full confidence in Pakistan.— Farrago Abdullah Parody (@abdullah_0mar) February 25, 2026
NZ made sure below things –
-Pakistan out of the world cup
-No semi final and finals in Sri Lanka— Sunil The Cricketer (@1sInto2s) February 25, 2026
Sri Lanka to Pakistan: hum to doobenge sanam tujhko bhi saath hi leke jayenge
Lanka out of this World Cup. Pakistan all but out. #SLvsNZ #ICCT20WorldCup
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) February 25, 2026
New Zealand have thrown Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup, and have put Pakistan on the brink of an exit.
Fans can now buy tickets of the two semifinals in Kolkata and Mumbai and then the final in Ahmedabad.— Rahul Rawat (@rawatrahul9) February 25, 2026
Victory in Colombo 💥
Matt Henry set the tone with 2-3 off his 2 overs as Rachin Ravindra picked up 4-27 off his 4 overs 🔥
📷 = ICC/Getty#SLvNZ #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/VlGbcNBdfu
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 25, 2026
RACHIN RAVINDRA STEALS THE SHOW 🌟🇳🇿🔥
Won POTM for a match-winning all-round display 🏆💥
32 off 22 with the bat 🏏⚡ 4 overs • 27 runs • 4 wickets 🎯🔥#T20WorldCup2026 #RachinRavindra #srilanka #Cricket #NewZealand #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/k5tJTjflJT
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) February 25, 2026
NEW DELHI: Aaam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh slammed the govt over Parliament’s global outreach program, in which he’s also named as a leader for Suriname, a country in South America. He called the decision “a joke” as his passport his seized. ‘What kind of joke is this? Govt has seized my passport and now made me head of the friendship group for Suriname,” he said. Several Parliamentary Friendship Groups were constituted by Lok Sabha Speaker OM Birla, including outreach to over 60 countries, in a move to boost “India’s inter- parliamentary engagement with the world”, according to the Lok Sabha secretariat’s announcement on Monday. In addition to Sanjay Singh, leaders across party lines have been named, including Shashi Tharoor (Congress), Akhilesh Yadav (SP), and Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMIM).Read more: Om Birla sets up ‘Parliamentary Friendship Groups’ with over 60 nationsSanjay Singh’s passport had been seized earlier in 2024, as part of bail conditions, after a Delhi court directed him to submit it and not tamper with evidence in the allegations around the Delhi excise policy case. The directives also included a Rs 2 lakh surety and informing the investigating officer before leaving the NCR.The AAP Rajya Sabha MP was arrested in 2023 in connection with a money laundering case related to the alleged Delhi excise scam.
Dubai: The lines are blurring for today’s top tennis pros, chalk markings smudging the clean cuts of the fashion world.Arthur Fils, the 21-year-old ranked No. 34 on the ATP Tour, was recently signed by luxury fashion house Balenciaga. The talented Frenchman, who pulled out of the Dubai Duty Free tennis tournament with a strained hip, spends up to 15 minutes in front of his wardrobe deciding what to wear for dinner.“I take this, this and this and the mix always works. I’m pretty simple. I don’t go with crazy things,” he told TOI in an exclusive chat about his choices, which aren’t very different from what he does on the court. “Tennis is much more open now. More new brands are coming into the sport, we’re also signing with luxury brands. We are invited to a lot of events and there’s much more media now.”In the Carlos Alcaraz–Jannik Sinner era, forehands meet fashion collaborations, global luxury powerhouses walk alongside sports brands expanding into athleisure. The game’s new icons are not just chasing trophies; they are setting the tone for a generation that treats tennis as a vibe and lifestyle as much as grind and legacy.If the Roger Federer–Rafael Nadal–Novak Djokovic years were defined by sculpted perfection, the Alcaraz–Sinner era is about expression.Alexander Bublik, the second seed at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, points to age. He is 16 years younger than Federer and more than a decade younger than Nadal and Djokovic. Bublik, 28, ranked No. 10, was already on Tour when Alcaraz, 22, and Sinner, 24, emerged.“For me it was about looking up to them,” Bublik said of the golden generation. “We’re not friends; we are not going to be friends. With Carlos and Jannik it is a friendly relationship. Carlos is a funny guy, very, very loud. He wears crazy gear and Jannik is more style and elegance, an ice-cold approach on the court.”Bublik, who noted that these were much cooler times, as against the result-oriented stretch of the game’s golden era, said that back home in Kazakhstan or Russia, he even had movie offers.Andrey Rublev, whose unruly mop mirrors his temperament, calls it “a generational thing”.“Each generation had to contend with something,” he said. “Before Roger and Rafa, it was Sampras and Agassi; before that it was McEnroe and Borg. That was a different time, with no social media. They were doing many more things outside the court. In the time of Roger and Rafa, social media started and tennis also became more professional. Players were more kind of locked down, super professional.”“Now there’s a new generation, like the TikTok generation, so it’s just different,” the 28-year-old Russian said.Fils, for his part, admires the unapologetically expressive style of Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton.“There’s a lot of character in Lewis Hamilton’s style. When he goes anywhere, everyone looks at him because of what he’s wearing; it looks great on him. I like fashion and now I can wear a lot of cool stuff that I really like. So every time I’m going out to dinner or whatever, I try to put on something cool.”In a sport once defined by whites and restraint, self-expression is no longer a sideshow; it is part of the main event. The new generation is as comfortable fronting fashion campaigns as it is trading blows from the baseline, unafraid to let personality sit alongside performance.For the likes of Fils and his peers, style is not a distraction but a declaration. The forehand still does the talking, but increasingly, so does the fit.
NEW DELHI: Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta on Wednesday released the one-year report card of her government, highlighting achievements across various sectors as the BJP-led administration completed its first year in office.Speaking on the occasion, the CM said, “These 365 days were the days that changed the course of Delhi, and the coming 4 years will change the condition of Delhi. Taking new decisions in the interest of the people of Delhi and carrying out development works in Delhi is our daily routine. On completion of one year, I congratulate the people of Delhi.”Rekha Gupta elaborated on her government’s performance, stating, “Today’s report card reflects the facts of our one year of hard work and change. This government is not a government of promises, but of results. This government is not a government of announcements, but of action.”She added, “In one year, we have tried to take Delhi from stagnation to progress. We tried to take it from excuses to solutions, from advertisements to development. With every step we took, the government focused on less paperwork and more work. I can say that the government in Delhi today does not engage in poster politics, does not engage in tweet politics. We have transformed Delhi’s work culture. We offer solutions, unlike previous governments, who used to make noise.“The CM further asserted, “Today, as we complete one year, I can confidently say to the people of Delhi that we have worked across every sector to bring about positive change in Delhi.”Speaking on the education sector, Rekha Gupta said, “The previous govt spoke a lot about education, but the public knows the reality. They spent more money on publicity than on infrastructure. Today, the govt took a daring step of passing the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025, which showed the way on how we can stop education from becoming a business. We want every school to have smart classrooms and digital libraries.“
By: K KamleshBUXAR: An 18-year-old bride was shot during her varmala ceremony in Chausa under Mufassil police station limits of Buxar district on Tuesday night. She is undergoing treatment on a ventilator at a hospital in Varanasi, police said on Wednesday.The incident occurred at Mallah Tola in Chausa Nagar Panchayat. Aarti Kumari, daughter of Nandji Mallah, was on stage exchanging garlands with the groom when the attack took place.Eyewitnesses said a masked man suddenly climbed onto the stage and opened fire. The loud music at the venue initially masked the gunshot, but panic ensued when Aarti collapsed moments later. Guests noticed she was bleeding from her abdomen.She was first taken to Sadar Hospital in Buxar and later referred to Varanasi due to her critical condition. Doctors said she remains on ventilator support.Before being shifted, Aarti allegedly named the attacker, telling family members that “Deenbandhu shot me.”Family members alleged that the accused, identified as Deenbandhu, is a neighbour who was involved in a one-sided relationship with the victim. They claimed Aarti did not reciprocate his advances. Her marriage had been arranged with a man from Ballia district in Uttar Pradesh.Locals said the accused had allegedly been pursuing Aarti for nearly two years. They further claimed that after her marriage was fixed earlier, he harassed the groom’s family, leading to the cancellation of a previous wedding arrangement.The accused’s father, Ramashankar Chaudhary, said he was unaware of any alleged relationship between his son and the victim.Police from Mufassil Police Station reached the spot and launched an investigation. Additional SHO Chandan Kumar said preliminary findings suggest the incident may be linked to a personal dispute.Raids are underway to arrest the absconding accused.
More than a year into US President Donald Trump’s second term, his sweeping economic policy changes have produced a mixed outcome, with strong growth and a tech investment boom on one hand, but stalled job gains and persistent inflation concerns on the other.The uncertainty surrounding the US economic outlook has deepened further following last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down the emergency tariffs that were a central feature of Trump’s economic agenda.
Trump’s policies have spanned tax cuts, tariffs, immigration restrictions and deregulation, often overlapping with his “America First” political platform and foreign policy stance.Here is an overview of where key indicators of the $30 trillion US economy stand, as per a Reuters report.
The US economy started last year with a contraction as businesses front-loaded imports to get ahead of impending tariffs. Growth slowed again toward the end of the year, partly due to a record-long government shutdown that temporarily curtailed public spending.However, in between, economic growth exceeded expectations. Reuters reported that tailwinds from tax cuts in Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” are expected to further bolster growth this year, all else equal.Investment in artificial intelligence has been a major driver of expansion, alongside robust consumer spending.
Tariffs have remained central to Trump’s economic strategy. Even before his inauguration, companies accelerated imports in anticipation of levies, temporarily widening the US trade deficit — the very imbalance Trump’s tariff policy aimed to narrow, Reuters said.While analysts believe tariffs may reduce the gap between imports and exports over time, Reuters noted that so far this has not materialised.The Supreme Court’s ruling invalidated Trump’s sweeping “emergency” global tariffs. However, the administration has already imposed new 15 per cent tariffs to partially offset the scrapped measures and has pledged to use other authorities to maintain revenue from import levies, reported Reuters.
Reuters reported that US manufacturing output has rebounded, supported by strong AI-related investment and despite the pressure of import tariffs and high borrowing costs.Analysts expect the recovery to continue and broaden this year as tax cuts take effect.However, the rebound in output has not translated into job growth. Factory employment has declined during Trump’s second term, undermining one of his stated goals of reviving US manufacturing employment through aggressive trade policy changes, according to Reuters.
The unemployment rate has edged up but remains relatively low at 4.3 per cent as of January, Reuters said.Monthly job gains slowed significantly last year, with total employment rising by 180,000 for the entire year — only slightly above the 168,000 average monthly gain recorded in 2024.Analysts cited by Reuters attribute the slowdown partly to Trump’s immigration crackdown, which reduced both labour supply and job demand. In January, employers added 130,000 jobs, though it remains unclear whether that pace will continue.
Inflation has eased since the post-pandemic surge under former President Joe Biden, but year-over-year price growth, measured by the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge, was trending upward at the end of last year, Reuters reported.Analysts expect inflationary pressures to persist for several more months until the effects of earlier tariffs fade.Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh to succeed Jerome Powell as Fed chair in May. Financial markets are betting that inflation will have cooled by then and that Warsh could oversee interest rate cuts starting in June, Reuters said. Rate reductions may also be driven by further labour market weakness.Despite economic growth, affordability concerns remain central for American households. Mortgage rates are still elevated and housing supply remains insufficient in much of the country, keeping home ownership out of reach for many families whose incomes are not well above the median, as per Reuters.Overall, more than a year into Trump’s second term, the US economy reflects a combination of solid growth momentum and persistent structural challenges, with trade policy uncertainty continuing to cloud the outlook.
Israeli opposition leaders were seen walking out during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Knesset.In a stand-off over the Knesset speaker’s decision not to invite Israel’s Supreme Court President, Isaac Amit, to the evening speech by PM Modi at the Knesset, the opposition staged a walkout during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.However, shortly after members of the Knesset left the plenum, former coalition lawmakers took their seats to fill the vacant spots. The Knesset speaker had earlier assured that PM Modi would not be addressing an empty chamber after the opposition announced its boycott, according to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.
Several opposition parties issued statements saying they would not attend Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address and would reenter the plenum only when PM Modi began speaking, in order to respect the alliance between the two nations.“We will only return for the Indian prime minister’s speech to respect the alliance between the countries and express our appreciation for Prime Minister Modi’s standing by Israel,” opposition leaders Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beytenu parties say in identical statements, local media reported.Reentering the Knesset after boycotting Netanyahu’s speech, opposition leader Yair Lapid shook hands with PM Modi and welcomed him to the Knesset.Lapid told PM Modi that the opposition walkout during this evening’s special session had “nothing to do with him,” which then drew boos from coalition lawmakers, to which he replied, “Let’s try not make things worse.”During his address to the Knesset, Lapid thanked Prime Minister Modi for his support for Israel and said that they looked forward to his address.“The entire State of Israel is filled with admiration for your leadership, for your friendship, for the fact that you were here for us in our time of trouble, and for the alliance, the eternal alliance between our two states,” Lapid says.“So thank you very much for being here. And we are all, both sides of the aisle, looking forward to hearing your speech,” he added.Later, sharing the moment of his handshake with PM Modi in a post on X, Lapid wrote, “Indian Prime Minister Modi, the entire nation of Israel appreciates your leadership, your friendship, your standing with us in difficult times. Thank you for coming here.”
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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Wednesday conferred the “Speaker of the Knesset Medal” during his address to Israel’s parliament. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to receive this honour.The medal is the highest honour given by the Knesset. It was awarded in recognition of his personal leadership in strengthening strategic relations between India and Israel.After being conferred the medal, PM Modi took to X to express his gratitude. He wrote: “I am deeply honoured to receive the Medal of the Knesset. I accept it with humility and gratitude. This honour is not a tribute to an individual, but to the enduring friendship between India and Israel. It reflects the shared values that guide our two nations.”
PM Modi is among the few world leaders to have received top civilian honours from both Israel and Palestine. In 2018, he was conferred the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest Palestinian honour given to foreign leaders.
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PM Modi receiving the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine (2018 photo)Addressing the Knesset, the prime minister said, “I bring with me greetings of 1.4 billion Indians and a message of friendship, respect and partnership.”Before his address, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that India and Israel would build an “iron alliance” in the face of extremist Islam.Earlier in the day, PM Modi was received at the airport by Netanyahu and his wife, Sara Netanyahu. He is on a two-day visit to Israel, during which he also met President Isaac Herzog.The visit focuses on deepening cooperation between the two countries in key areas, including strategic and bilateral ties.
Nasa on Wednesday announced that it has begun rolling its grounded Artemis II moon rocket and Orion spacecraft off the launch pad and back to the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center for additional repairs, following the emergence of a new technical problem.The 322‑foot (98‑metre) Space Launch System (SLS) rocket had remained at Launch Complex 39B for about a month in preparation for liftoff, but engineers discovered a malfunction in the rocket’s helium pressurisation system that required more detailed inspection and troubleshooting.Nasa said the slow‑motion rollback began at about 9.28 am EST and will take roughly 12 hours as the massive stack crawls the roughly 4‑mile (6.4‑km) distance back to the hangar.“Teams are rolling the Artemis II rocket and spacecraft off the launch pad and back to the Vehicle Assembly Building. There, we will work to fix a helium flow issue,” Nasa wrote in an X post announcing the move.The rollback will be streamed live on Nasa’s YouTube channel, giving space enthusiasts and the public a full‑day view of the trek and recovery operations.The mission, which aims to send four astronauts on a mission around of the moon, was already delayed last month due to hydrogen fuel leaks during earlier tests. With the rollback now underway, Nasa officials say the March launch window is out of reach.Because of the delay, the four Artemis II astronauts were in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday night as special guests at US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, no longer needing to quarantine ahead of flight preparations.According to Nasa, Artemis II mission will be the first crewed flight of the Artemis programme. It aims to send astronauts on a lunar flyby, and marks a key step toward a long-term return of humans to the Moon.
