In a touching display of solidarity, Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli has reached out to teammate Rinku Singh with an emotional message following the tragic passing of the young batter’s father, Khanchand Singh, on Friday morning. The 28-year-old, who is part of India’s T20 World Cup 2026 squad, lost his father after a prolonged battle with stage-4 liver cancer at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida.

‘Deeply saddened’: Virat Kohli offer heartfelt condolences 

Virat Kohli took to social media platform X to express his grief and stand by his fellow cricketer during this difficult time. His message resonated deeply with fans and the cricket community alike.

“Deeply saddened by the news of Rinku’s father’s demise. My heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. May you always find strength in his eternal blessings. Om Shanti,” Kohli stated on X, tagging Rinku Singh in his post.

Deeply saddened by the news of Rinku’s father’s demise. My heartfelt prayers and thoughts are with you and your family during this difficult time. May you always find strength in his eternal blessings. Om Shanti. 🙏 @rinkusingh235

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 27, 2026

The former India captain’s words carried the warmth of a senior player reaching out to a younger colleague facing personal tragedy, reflecting the tight-knit bond within the Indian dressing room even as the team fights for survival in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Rinku Singh’s father succumbs after long illness

Khanchand Singh had been battling advanced liver cancer for an extended period. His condition deteriorated significantly over the past few days, leading to his admission to Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida on February 21. He was placed on ventilator support for the last three to four days before succumbing in the early hours of Friday.

Hospital PRO Dr. Sunil Kumar confirmed that Khanchand Singh was suffering from advanced liver cancer, which worsened in his final days. Rinku’s former coach, Masood Amini, also confirmed the tragic news to news agency PTI.

The mortal remains of Khanchand Singh were brought to Aligarh from Greater Noida, where Rinku was seen giving a shoulder to the funeral procession, a poignant image that moved the nation.

Also READ: Fans mourn tragic demise of Rinku Singh’s father during T20 World Cup 2026

Rinku’s race against Time: From T20 World Cup camp to father’s side

Rinku has been shuttling between the Indian team camp and his ailing father throughout the World Cup. He previously rushed back home when his father’s condition worsened after India’s first Super 8 fixture against South Africa.

The left-handed batter rejoined the squad ahead of the crucial Zimbabwe clash on February 26, hoping his father would recover. However, fate had other plans. On Friday morning, Rinku left the team hotel in Chennai at 5:00 am to rush to New Delhi.

According to BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, Rinku will not travel with the team to Kolkata for their must-win Super 8 clash against the West Indies on Sunday. The team management has given him the space to be with his family during this period of mourning, prioritizing his emotional well-being over cricketing commitments.

Also READ: From sixes to flying kiss – Hardik Pandya dominates, Mahieka Sharma charms the internet 

India and the European Union are preparing to grant each other Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status once their landmark free trade agreement comes into force. The move, embedded within the draft text of the agreement, will bind both sides to World Trade Organization (WTO) disciplines and ensure they do not impose new import or export restrictions beyond agreed global rules, as per a report by Reuters.The pact, concluded after nearly 18 years of negotiations, is expected to take effect within a year following legal vetting and ratification by the European Parliament and India’s authorities. It will progressively eliminate or reduce tariffs on 96.6% of traded goods by value. Brussels estimates the deal could double EU exports to India by 2032 and save European companies around €4 billion annually in duties.Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the agreement as “a new blueprint for shared prosperity”, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it would create “a free trade zone of two billion people”, strengthening economic security in an increasingly volatile world.Under the agreement, India will ultimately remove duties on 96% of goods by trade value, with phased reductions over up to ten years. The EU, in turn, will open 99.5% of its market by trade value, with most tariff lines falling to zero immediately or within seven years. Sensitive agricultural sectors including dairy, rice, sugar and beef have been excluded.Beyond tariffs, the draft text locks in WTO-aligned food safety and plant health standards, streamlined customs procedures and binding appeal mechanisms. Both sides have also committed to deeper digital trade cooperation, recognising privacy as a fundamental right while retaining authority over personal data protection and cross-border data flows.Indian exporters in textiles, leather, gems and seafood are expected to gain immediate zero-duty access to the EU market, while European carmakers and alcohol producers will benefit from steep tariff cuts in India. The agreement also opens wide-ranging services sectors and includes provisions on intellectual property, labour and sustainable development.

NEW DELHI: India’s title defence roared back to life with a commanding 72-run win over Zimbabwe, and at the heart of the statement victory was a fearless message from Tilak Varma: “We want to show the fear to the opposition.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Coming in at number six in a high-pressure encounter, Tilak smashed an unbeaten 44 off just 16 balls, striking at a staggering 275.00. The knock, laced with three fours and four sixes, helped India post their highest total of this T20 World Cup — 256/4 — and kept their semifinal hopes alive.

Designated as India’s number three for much of the tournament, Tilak had endured a lean patch. With a strike rate hovering around 118 in his previous five innings and visible struggles against spin on sluggish surfaces, questions had begun to surface over his role. But at Chepauk, he flipped the narrative in style.“I always say that whatever team needs, I am up for it,” Tilak said at the post-match press conference. “I have done the same role for the last four years in IPL for Mumbai Indians, switching between stabiliser and hitter. I have done it in a few games for India as well. According to the situation, I can adjust.”He added, “As I said before, I was just waiting for one innings. I am really grateful to God for that. I am pretty confident now that, going forward, I can win games for the team.”

India’s aggressive template was evident from the start. “Sanju started brilliantly this evening,” Tilak noted, praising the openers for setting the tone. “We discussed that whatever the situation is — even if we lose three or four wickets in the powerplay — we will bat with the same rhythm. We want to show the fear to the opposition that these guys are ready to hit each and every ball.”Tilak admitted the team closely followed South Africa’s dominant win over West Indies in Ahmedabad, knowing net run rate scenarios could come into play. “We were all watching the match. But as individuals and as a team, we felt it was important for us to win,” he said.“If you play good cricket, the run rate will automatically improve. We needed our cricket to be good. If our cricket is good, then God will help us in the tournament.”

Badlapur: In the fourth case of sexual assault on minors in Badlapur since Sept 2024 and the second in just over a month, a 38-year-old school bus driver was arrested on Thursday for allegedly molesting a 12-year-old student.Thursday’s crime has reignited outrage among local residents who pointed to negligence by local schools in adhering to mandatory child safety norms, the absence of female attendants on school transport, and inadequate police verification of school staff.According to the FIR lodged at Badlapur police station, the accused, a Nerul resident who has driven a school bus for eight years, allegedly touched the child inappropriately and passed lewd comments after she boarded the bus after school hours at the gate. On reaching home she confided in her parents, who later filed the complaint. Police booked the accused under the Pocso Act and relevant BNS sections. He was produced in court and remanded in custody till March 2. Police are now probing if the accused had committed similar offences in the past.It may be recalled that on Jan 22, a four-year-old pre-primary student was allegedly molested by a school van driver in Badlapur, leading to his arrest.On June 1, 2025, a teacher was arrested for allegedly molesting a 14-year-old girl.In Sept 2024, in a case that sparked nationwide protests, two pre-primary schoolchildren were sexually abused by the accused Akshay Shinde, who was later killed in an alleged police encounter. This had prompted the state education department to mandate female attendants on school buses, alongside rigorous police verification for drivers and staff.No female attendant, though, was present on the bus during Friday’s assault, flouting rules enforced post-2024.A senior police officer said, “We have repeatedly urged different Badlapur school administrations to comply with the norms, especially regarding female attendants and police verification for all staff. But they ignore it.’The RTO said, “We have acted against non-compliant buses daily. In the past month alone, following the last incident, we impounded 23 school buses lacking male or female attendants. However, penalising errant schools falls under the purview of the education department.”The Maharashtra education department had issued strict advisories after 2024, empowering RTOs and police for inspections. Non-compliance invites fines up to Rs 1 lakh and suspension of license and vehicle seizure, but enforcement gaps persist.After news of the crime spread, parents took to social media to demand a special audit of all school transport and buses in Badlapur and strict action against school administrations not following govt norms.

How This Indian American Millionaire Broke Barriers And Is Now Teaching Others to Win

At 80 years old, Kanwal Rekhi, a self-made Indian-American millionaire, Silicon Valley pioneer and mentor to thousands, has chronicled his remarkable rise and lifelong mission to empower others in a new book titled The Ground Breaker. The memoir, released on February 23, 2026, charts Rekhi’s journey from a young graduate student in Michigan to the first Indian-American founder to take a venture-backed company public on the NASDAQ, then goes further, sharing the hard-earned lessons he now uses to help other entrepreneurs thrive.Rekhi’s story embodies classic elements of the American Dream including discipline, innovation and resilience but it is his dedication to lifting others that defines his legacy today. Despite facing early cultural barriers in the tech world, Rekhi went on not only to build and lead successful ventures like Excelan, a networking pioneer in Silicon Valley, but also to co-found TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs), a global organisation that supports and mentors entrepreneurs around the world. Through TiE, he has invested in over 200 startups and counselled more than 10,000 founders, a testament to his belief that success is most meaningful when shared.

Kanwal Rekhi: From humble beginnings to high tech

Rekhi’s entrepreneurial arc began when he moved from Bombay (now Mumbai), India, to pursue a master’s degree in engineering at Michigan Tech in the late 1960s. After a stint supplying computers to NASA and working on flight-simulator technology for the US Air Force and Navy, Rekhi realised traditional corporate ladders offered limited opportunities for Indian-American engineers at that time. Undeterred, he bet on himself, launching Excelan at a time when the idea of networking computers was still cutting-edge. Under his leadership, Excelan grew rapidly and five years after its founding, Rekhi made history by taking the company public on the NASDAQ, a major milestone for non-white tech founders in the US. His success broke ceilings and helped reshape expectations for immigrant entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley long before multicultural leadership became a rallying cry.

The Ground Breaker: Kanwal Rekhi’s book born of lessons and purpose

The Ground Breaker, Rekhi’s memoir, is not just a narrative of success; it is a guide to mindset and perseverance. Drawing on decades of experience, he advocates for qualities like humility, adaptive leadership and continuous learning. One of his key messages, that you need to prove your worth even if no one initially believes in you, resonates deeply with aspiring entrepreneurs who face doubt or lack of access to traditional paths. What makes The Ground Breaker particularly compelling is how Rekhi balances personal trials with practical wisdom. He openly discusses the loneliness of forging new paths when mentors and role models are scarce and how creating supportive structures like TiE became an answer to that gap. The book blends memoir with mentorship, offering readers not only a story but also insights they can apply to their ventures and lives.Beyond the book, Rekhi’s ongoing work with TiE and other mentoring efforts demonstrate his commitment to pay forward the opportunities he carved out. By investing in startups across sectors, from early-stage tech to scalable innovations, he has helped founders navigate challenges that once hampered his own early career. His mentorship is not theoretical but deeply grounded in real business experience, often focused on helping others avoid the setbacks he encountered. Rekhi’s journey reflects a broader trend in the entrepreneurial ecosystem where seasoned founders become ecosystem builders, not just investors. This community-oriented approach empowers the next generation of innovators to scale ideas faster and with more support than previous generations had. It is a cycle of innovation and contribution that has implications far beyond Silicon Valley, resonating in cities and startup hubs worldwide.

Takeaways from Kanwal Rekhi’s success story

What makes Rekhi’s book and mission particularly relevant in 2026 is the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship itself. Economies around the world are recognising that diversity in leadership drives better outcomes and stories like Rekhi’s showcase how immigrant founders have historically contributed disproportionately to breakthrough innovation.In an era overflowing with business advice, personal narratives that pair authentic experience with actionable strategies, like The Ground Breaker, offer guidance that feels both relatable and grounded. Rekhi’s transition from founder to mentor reflects a growing consensus that entrepreneurial success is not a solo sport; it thrives within networks of support, capital access and shared knowledge, a trend increasingly visible in global startup ecosystems. Kanwal Rekhi’s book The Ground Breaker encapsulates his journey from immigrant student to NASDAQ-listed tech founder and now mentor to thousands. His story reflects innovation, resilience and the importance of mentorship in building sustainable entrepreneurial communities. Through organisations like TiE, Rekhi continues to empower founders and investors alike, multiplying his impact far beyond his own ventures. His message resonates in a world where inclusive support and shared knowledge increasingly define how and why success happens.

NEW DELHI: Indian cricketer Rinku Singh suffered a heartbreaking personal loss on Friday morning as his father, Khanchand Singh, passed away at Yatharth Hospital in Greater Noida after battling advanced-stage liver cancer. He was on ventilator support for the past few days, hospital officials confirmed.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Dr Sunil Kumar, spokesperson of the hospital, said Khanchand Singh’s condition had deteriorated significantly after being admitted on February 21. “He was placed on ventilator support and breathed his last early this morning,” Kumar stated. Family sources also confirmed the news, saying he had been fighting liver cancer for some time.Rinku, who is part of India’s T20 World Cup squad, had briefly returned home earlier in the tournament after his father’s health worsened following India’s Super 8 fixture against South Africa. Despite the emotional turmoil, the 28-year-old rejoined the squad in Chennai ahead of the Zimbabwe clash on February 26. Though he did not feature in the playing XI, he was present with the team during India’s convincing win.Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh expressed his condolences in a heartfelt post on X. “Pained to learn about the demise of Shri Khanchand Singh Ji, father of Rinku Singh. This must be an especially difficult time for Rinku and his family… May Waheguru grant eternal peace to the departed soul and give strength and courage to the bereaved family,” he wrote.Rinku’s former coach, Masood Amini, also confirmed the passing, noting that Khanchand Singh had been on ventilator support for the last three to four days.A father’s sacrifice behind Rinku’s riseA resident of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh, Rinku has often spoken about his father’s sacrifices. Khanchand Singh worked in gas cylinder distribution and supported his son’s cricketing ambitions despite financial hardships. In a touching moment last year, he attended Rinku’s engagement ceremony in Lucknow, even while battling illness. The cricketer is engaged to Samajwadi Party MP Priya Saroj.The last rites will be performed in Aligarh later in the day, with Rinku expected to attend. As India prepare for their upcoming clash against West Indies, cricket takes a backseat for the young batter, who now mourns the loss of the man he credits as his biggest pillar of strength.

India’s commanding 72-run victory over Zimbabwe in the T20 World Cup 2026 Super 8 clash at Chepauk was filled with explosive batting and roaring celebrations. But while the Men in Blue dominated on the field, it was a young woman in the stands who unexpectedly became the internet’s newest sensation. Dubbed the ‘Mystery Girl’ within minutes of her appearance on live broadcast, her animated reactions and infectious energy quickly turned her into a viral phenomenon across social media platforms.

A dominant win and an unexpected star

At the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, India piled up a massive 256/4, leaving Zimbabwe with a mountain too steep to climb. The 72-run triumph strengthened India’s position in the Super 8 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and sent fans into celebration mode.

However, as broadcasters captured the electric atmosphere inside the stadium, cameras repeatedly focused on one particular fan. Her expressive celebrations, nervous anticipation during tense overs, and pure joy after every boundary made her stand out in a sea of blue jerseys.

Within minutes, clips of her slow-motion reactions began circulating online. Memes flooded X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and other platforms.

Who is the mystery girl?

Initially, her identity was unknown. Social media users speculated wildly — was she a model, influencer, or actor? The suspense only fueled the viral wave.

Soon enough, the internet did what it does best. The mystery girl was identified as Naina Bhan — a well-known face in the OTT space with an impressive creative résumé.

Born on April 20, 1992, in Delhi, Naina graduated in History from Miranda House, Delhi University. She later pursued a Master’s degree in Film and Video Communication from the National Institute of Design (NID), Gujarat. Before stepping fully into acting, she worked with reputed organisations including ELLE India, INTACH, and NDTV Goodtimes, sharpening her storytelling skills across platforms.

Rising star of the OTT world

Naina gained early recognition for her role as Dilshad in the Amazon Prime Video series Made in Heaven. However, her breakthrough performance came in Netflix’s Class, the Indian adaptation of the Spanish hit “Elite,” where she portrayed Koel Kalra. Her nuanced performance earned critical praise and positioned her as one of the promising young talents in the digital entertainment space.

Beyond acting, she is also a certified intimacy coordinator associated with the Intimacy Professionals Association. Notably, she worked on the critically acclaimed film All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia, which won the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024.

Apart from her film and web projects, Naina is active as a podcaster, lifestyle creator, and singer. Her social media presence reflects a mix of cinema, wellness, travel, and everyday Mumbai life — making her relatable yet aspirational to a growing audience.

Also READ: From Grace Hayden to Sanjana Ganesan: Meet the digital ICC Insider team at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026