Pakistan’s Babar Azam being bowled by India’s Axar Patel. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s emphatic 61-run demolition of Pakistan in the T20 World Cup has triggered an extraordinary outpouring of anger and anguish from former Pakistan great Mohammad Yousuf, who described the current phase as “the darkest period in our cricketing history.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The defeat extended Pakistan’s dismal World Cup record against India, who have now won eight of nine T20 World Cup meetings and all eight ODI World Cup clashes between the rivals. On Sunday night, Suryakumar Yadav’s side piled up 175/7, powered by a blistering 77 from Ishan Kishan, before bowling Pakistan out for 114 in 18 overs to storm into the Super Eights alongside the West Indies.

Soon after the defeat, Yousuf vented his frustration on social media, writing, “Time’s up for Shaheen, Babar, and Shadab, Pakistan’s T20 squad needs new performers, not empty wins against weaker sides.” A day later, his criticism deepened. “Unless we remove political influence and personal agendas from Pakistan cricket, we cannot return to the team we once were. This is the darkest period in our cricketing history, and my heart bleeds for it. Incompetent individuals must be removed from office and from the team,” he posted on X.Pakistan’s collapse was swift and brutal. Chasing 176, they were 13/3 inside three overs after early strikes from Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah. When Axar Patel bowled Babar Azam for five, the scoreboard read 34/4 and the contest was effectively over. Usman Khan’s 44 provided brief resistance, but a reckless charge at Axar ended his stay and triggered another collapse.Earlier, Kishan had set the tone with fearless strokeplay, bringing up his fifty in just 27 balls. “I was just keeping it simple and watching the ball,” Kishan said, while Suryakumar added, “After we were 0-1, someone had to take responsibility and the way he took it was amazing.”For Pakistan, however, the conversation has shifted beyond one defeat. Yousuf’s stinging words have framed it as something deeper.

India plans to unveil a new “rail tech” policy in the coming weeks to boost domestic manufacturing of next-generation railway technology and equipment. Under the proposed framework, the Railway Board is expected to offer partial funding, technical support, and access to testing facilities to manufacturers. The policy is part of the government’s rail modernisation drive and aims to reduce dependence on imported railway technology, including from China.“A new Rail Tech policy will give much needed impetus to innovation for mass transport,” a senior official told ET, noting that is would encourage collaboration between domestic firms and research institutions. India’s imports of railway and tramway locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment stood at about Rs 6,098 crore in FY25, with locomotive components forming the bulk of the import basket, reflecting reliance on imported sub-systems.Trade data and project reports for 2024–25 estimate that around 55% of railway component imports are for Indian Railways, with 45% for metro and rapid rail systems. Imports account for a limited share of India’s overall railway component requirements. The FY27 Union Budget allocated Rs 52,108.73 crore for rolling stock capital expenditure, up from Rs 50,007.77 crore this fiscal year, primarily for new locomotives, coaches, including Vande Bharat train sets, and wagons as part of fleet modernisation.The government’s proposed rail technology policy builds on the Indian Railway Innovation Policy launched in June 2022, which offered grant support of up to Rs 1.5 crore on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis for startups and smaller companies to develop functional prototypes. The earlier policy focused on improving safety, efficiency, and maintenance, and provided innovators with ownership of their solutions, access to a secure testing environment, and assured procurement for successful low-cost technologies.India plans to be entirely self-sufficient in building seven new bullet train networks, the railway minister said. Currently, China dominates India’s railway equipment imports, followed by Germany and Austria for engineering systems, and the US and Japan for specialised propulsion and signalling components.

Popular radio show host David Greene has sued Google, alleging the tech giant of ‘stealing’ his voice for its NotebookLM tool, which uses AI to create on-demand podcasts. The lawsuit, filed in Santa Clara County alleges that Google cloned Greene’s voice and distinctive broadcasting style without permission or compensation. Greene argues that Google’s NotebookLM T tool voice’s rhythm, intonation, and even his characteristic verbal tics are so similar that even his friends, colleagues, and listeners assumed he’d licensed his voice to Google.“So… I’m probably the 148th person to ask this, but did you license your voice to Google? It sounds very much like you!,” a former co-worker asked David Greene in a fall 2024 email, a Washington Post report says.

What David Greene says

“I was, like, completely freaked out,” Greene told the publication, adding “It’s this eerie moment where you feel like you’re listening to yourself.” Greene said the AI voice sounds very similar to his own, and that the impact goes beyond losing a chance to make money from his best-known asset. “My voice is, like, the most important part of who I am,” Greene reportedly said. In the lawsuit, Greene’s lawyer argues that the recordings make the resemblance clear. “We have faith in the court and encourage people to listen to the example audio themselves,” said Joshua Michelangelo Stein, a partner at the firm Boies Schiller Flexner.

Google responds to the lawsuit

Google responded denying the allegations. Google spokesperson José Castañeda told Washington Post: “These allegations are baseless. The sound of the male voice in NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews is based on a paid professional actor Google hired.”The Washington Post reported, “The lawsuit is the latest to pit the rights of individual human creators against the rights of a burgeoning AI industry that promises to transform the economy by enabling the on-demand generation of stunningly lifelike speech, prose, images, and video. Behind the artificial voices found in tools like NotebookLM are language models trained on vast libraries of real-life human text and speech. The humans used to train these models are unaware that their words and voices will be used by AI, raising serious questions about copyright and ownership.”.

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Pakistan‘s crushing 61-run defeat to India in the T20 World Cup 2026 group-stage clash at the R Premadasa Stadium has ignited fierce criticism from former fast-bowling great Shoaib Akhtar, who launched a blistering attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and its leadership.

Speaking in the aftermath of the high-voltage encounter, Akhtar did not mince words as he questioned the direction of Pakistan cricket and the decision-making at the top. His remarks, widely circulated across television and digital platforms, have added fuel to an already raging debate about accountability within the board and the team.

Shoaib Akhtar questions PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi’s leadership

Without directly naming him at first, Akhtar’s criticism was clearly aimed at PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. The former pacer expressed serious doubts over whether the board’s current leadership possesses the vision and competence required to steer Pakistan cricket through turbulent times.

He argued that appointing individuals without adequate cricketing understanding to crucial administrative roles can have damaging consequences. According to Akhtar, leadership at the top plays a defining role in shaping team culture, performance standards and long-term planning.

In a strongly worded statement, Akhtar suggested that giving major responsibilities to those lacking the necessary expertise inevitably leads to organizational decline. His remarks were not limited to a single defeat but reflected broader concerns about systemic issues within Pakistan cricket.

“Now one guy doesn’t even know he’s the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board. How will the team run now? You’re saying one guy, you’ve made him a superstar, he can’t win a single match. You’ve made him a star who can’t win a single living match. Brother, when you make these kinds of stars, when you choose them, when you pick them, then you’ll have this problem only. But again, the point is, if you see, you know what the biggest crime in the world is? The biggest crime in the world is that you give a big job to an incompetent person,” said Akhtar on ABP News.

Also READ: T20 World Cup 2026: Fans celebrate Ishan Kishan’s heroics as India hammer Pakistan to secure Super 8 spot

Senior players under fire

Akhtar also turned his attention to Pakistan’s senior cricketers, questioning the continued faith placed in experienced names who failed to rise to the occasion. He pointed out that repeated underwhelming performances in marquee matches cannot be overlooked indefinitely.

Against India, key figures such as Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi and Shadab Khan struggled to make an impact. Their inability to deliver in one of the tournament’s most anticipated clashes has intensified scrutiny on team selection and leadership dynamics. Akhtar appeared particularly frustrated with what he described as the creation of “untouchable stars.” He warned that elevating players beyond accountability can foster complacency and weaken competitive spirit within the squad.

“When you give a big job to an incompetent and ignorant person, he will destroy the country. He will bring down any organization. The example is in front of you, you’re intelligent enough to understand,” Akhtar concluded.

India dominate once again

The defeat further extended Pakistan’s recent struggles against India in global tournaments. In front of a packed Colombo crowd, India outclassed their rivals in all departments — from disciplined bowling to calculated batting under pressure. Pakistan’s batting faltered during the chase, while their bowling unit failed to contain India’s aggressive top order. The one-sided nature of the contest left fans disappointed and intensified calls for structural reforms.

Also WATCH: Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav lose cool at Kuldeep Yadav during IND vs PAK T20 World Cup 2026 showdown

There are several changes in the draft income tax rules that impact the way you pay income tax. (AI image)

Draft Income Tax Rules 2026: The Income Tax Department has released a new set of draft income tax rules, which once finalised, will be applicable for financial year 2026-27. There are several changes in the draft income tax rules that impact the way you pay income tax, withdraw cash, pay in cash etc. and the need to quote your PAN card number for a variety of transactions.Following the release of the draft rules, the government has invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders, with February 22, 2026 set as the deadline for submitting feedback. After reviewing the responses received, the revised rules will be finalised, formally notified, and are expected to take effect from April 1, 2026.Under the proposed framework, the threshold limits for several transactions requiring PAN Card details to be disclosed have undergone a change.

Draft Tax Rules 2026: Changes in Mandatory PAN Card Quoting

One of the main changes related to mandatory quoting of PAN Card relates to the limit for quoting PAN in transactions involving the purchase or sale of immovable property has been raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.Also Read | Draft Income Tax Rules 2026 explained: How you can save Rs 1.41 lakh tax outgo – top points on HRA, PAN changes Similarly, the requirement to disclose PAN for cash deposits has been modified, increasing the threshold from Rs 50,000 in a single day to cash deposits of Rs 10 lakh or more during a financial year in a bank, cooperative bank, or post office. Mandatory Quoting of PAN – Rule 159 (earlier Rule 114B)

Table source: Grant Thornton BharatThe draft also proposes that PAN Card details be shared if the total cash withdrawals reach Rs 10 lakh or more in a financial year across one or multiple accounts held by an individual.Cash depositsUnder the current rules, PAN must be quoted when cash deposits of more than Rs 50,000 in a single day at a bank or post office are made. The draft income tax rules seek to revise this by introducing a higher threshold, requiring PAN details to be shared when total cash deposits are of Rs 10 lakh or more during a financial year across multiple accounts. The same annual limit has also been proposed for cash withdrawals, making PAN mandatory once withdrawals reach Rs 10 lakh in a financial year.Purchase of motor vehiclesIf you buy a motor vehicle at present, the PAN Card details are required for all, excluding motorcycles. However, as per the proposed new income tax rules, PAN disclosure is compulsory only when the value of your motor vehicle or motorcycle is over Rs 5 lakh.Hotel and restaurant paymentsCurrently, PAN must be provided for payments made towards hotel or restaurant bills of over Rs 50,000. The draft rules suggest increasing this threshold to Rs 1 lakh.Transactions involving immovable propertyExisting regulations require PAN to be quoted for property transactions valued above Rs 10 lakh. The proposal recommends raising this limit to Rs 20 lakh.Insurance policiesAt present, PAN Card details are required when insurance premium payments are made above Rs 50,000. The draft income tax rules broaden this requirement. They extend the need for PAN Card to any account-based relationship maintained with insurance companies.

IT stocks have taken a massive hit, losing over Rs 6 lakh crore in market value across eight sessions, with the Nifty IT index dropping more than 8 per cent. The sell-off stems from fears that AI could automate core IT services like application development, maintenance, and testing – the backbone of Indian IT companies’ outsourcing model. However, major software companies are actively working to adapt their business models and convince stakeholders that AI won’t eliminate their services entirely.The situation isn’t entirely negative, according to recent research. JP Morgan belives that AI is “discounted for extinction” , but will create new opportunities in areas like modernising old systems and building AI trust services, as quoted by ET.HSBC pointed out that AI typically needs to work within existing business systems, where IT companies still play a crucial role. “In large organisations, AI is unlikely to run as a standalone “magic box”. It usually has to work with data systems, access permissions, audit checks and risk controls, areas where large IT vendors and enterprise platforms still matter,” it said.The main concern for investors is whether AI will cut into IT companies’ profits by reducing the workforce needed for projects. Motilal Oswal estimated 9-12 per cent of sector revenue could be lost over 3-4 years due to AI-driven productivity gains.India’s top IT firms are responding with practical changes. They’re using AI coding assistants and automation tools across their operations. As Sandeep Gogia from Equirus Capital said, “They’re training their manpower on AI tools and AI-assisted coding, and learning to work with AI agents, either their own or through partners.”Among the major players, TCS has invested in a 1 GW AI data center and trained over 350,000 employees in AI skills. Infosys is focusing on its Topaz platform and has developed more than 100 AI agents for specific business tasks. HCL Tech is differentiating itself through engineering-focused AI solutions, while Wipro has committed $1 billion to AI development over three years.The key challenge isn’t whether companies will use AI, but rather who will benefit most financially. IT companies are trying to move up the value chain, offering more sophisticated services while using AI to maintain their profit margins.As Vinit Bolinjkar from Ventura said, there’s a shift happening “from a headcount-led model to an outcome-led, IP-led model.”(Disclaimer: Recommendations and views on the stock market and other asset classes given by experts are their own. These opinions do not represent the views of The Times of India)