The stage is set for a high-octane rematch of the last edition’s final as Southern Super Stars take on Konark Suryas Odisha. With both teams boasting a roster of legendary cricketers, this third match of the Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2026 promises to be a masterclass in strategy and skill.

This encounter is more than just a regular-season game; it is a battle for redemption for Konark Suryas Odisha. After losing the previous final, Ravichandran Ashwin and his men will be eager to settle the score. Ashwin, making his LLC debut this season, brings a tactical edge that could neutralize the explosive top order of the Super Stars.

The Southern Super Stars, led by the Harbhajan Singh, remain the team to beat. Their squad is built on aggressive batting, spearheaded by Martin Guptill, and a spin department that thrives on pressure. While their batting depth is their greatest asset, the Suryas’ balanced bowling attack, featuring Piyush Chawla and Vinay Kumar, will look to exploit any early-season rustiness.

Konark Suryas Odisha vs Southern Super Star: Match Details

• Date and Time: March 13; 2:00 pm GMT/ 7:30 pm IST
• Venue: Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground, Coimbatore

Konark Suryas Odisha vs Southern Super Stars Head to Head Record

Matches Played: 3 | KSO won: 0 | SSS Won: 3 | No results: 0

Sri Ramakrishna College of Arts and Science Ground Pitch Report

The surface at Coimbatore is traditionally known to be a balanced T20 wicket with something in it for everyone. The track offers good bounce and carry initially, allowing stroke-makers like Ross Taylor and Ben Dunk to play through the line. Pacers can expect some early swing under the lights. However, as the game progresses, the pitch tends to slow down, making it a spinner’s paradise. Dew is expected to play a significant role in the second innings. This makes the ball harder to grip for spinners, often giving the chasing side a distinct advantage.

Squads

Konark Suryas Odisha: Ross Taylor, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Jermaine Blackwood, Ben Dunk (wk), Chandrapaul Hemraj, Malinda Pushpakumara, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Rayad Emrit, Piyush Chawla, Vinay Kumar, Miguel Cummins, Junaid Siddiqui, Rituraj Singh, Ankit Rajpoot, Akshay Wakhare, Vikas Tokas, Jesal Karia, Monu Kumar, Kennar Lewis, Lasith Lakshan

Southern Super Stars: Martin Guptill, Chirag Gandhi, Saurabh Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Dilshan Munaweera, Adeesha Thilanchana, Harbhajan Singh (c), Hamid Hassan, Siddharth Trivedi, Sudeep Tyagi, Sarabjit Ladda, Waqarullah Ishaq

Also READ: Legends League Cricket (LLC) 2026 Squads: Players list and Captains of all six teams

Konark Suryas Odisha vs Southern Super Stars: Today’s match prediction

Case 1:

• Konark Suryas Odisha wins the toss and bowl first
• Southern Super Stars’ powerplay score: 40-50
• Southern Super Stars’ total score: 160-170

Case 2:

• Southern Super Stars wins the toss and bowl first
• Konark Suryas Odisha’ powerplay score: 45-55
• Konark Suryas Odisha’ total score: 165-175

Match result: Team bowling first will win the game

Also READ: Legend League Cricket 2026 Schedule, Broadcast and Live Streaming details: When and where to watch in India, Australia & USA

Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Amy Carr dies at 35 after long battle with brain tumour (via mirror)

Former England youth international Amy Carr has sadly passed away at the age of 35 after fighting a brain tumour for more than a decade. Carr, who once played for top clubs such as Chelsea F.C. Women, Arsenal W.F.C., and Reading F.C. Women, inspired many people through her courage and determination during her illness. She was first diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumour in 2015. Despite the challenges, Carr continued to raise awareness and support research related to the disease.Even while dealing with her illness, Carr remained determined to help others. In 2024, she completed the Dublin Marathon and raised £28,718 for Brain Tumour Research. Her effort impressed many supporters and fellow athletes. Friends, fans, and former teammates have since shared emotional tributes, remembering her strength and positive spirit. Carr had been battling the condition for 11 years before her passing.

Amy Carr’s long and brave fight against illness

Former Chelsea and Arsenal star Amy Carr dies at 35 after long battle with brain tumour (via The sun)

Amy Carr’s health problems first began in 2015 after she suddenly fainted when she saw a spider. The unusual reaction worried her and led doctors to run further tests. An MRI scan later revealed a tumour in her brain that doctors described as being roughly the size of a golf ball.Speaking earlier to the BBC, Carr explained that she had always been uncomfortable around spiders. However, she felt something was wrong because losing consciousness seemed far too extreme compared to her normal reactions.She recalled that she had never responded so strongly to anything before and that the incident felt unusual. After that moment, she said she began to realise that something serious might be happening with her health.Within the next 18 months, Carr experienced two more episodes where she fainted, including one at a gym. Doctors later performed a craniotomy to remove as much of the tumour as possible. The surgery was extremely difficult and left her unable to walk or speak for eight days.Following the operation, Carr went through radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She also needed long periods of physiotherapy to regain her movement and speech. Her recovery required determination and patience.Despite those challenges, Carr still managed to run the Dublin Marathon years later to raise money for research. The achievement showed her remarkable resilience.Carr also represented England women’s national under-19 football team 16 times at youth level during her playing career. Her celebration of life will be held in Hertfordshire on March 23.

Escalating tensions in West Asia are casting a shadow over global technology networks, with experts warning that threats by Iranian forces to target US-linked digital infrastructure in the Gulf could expose billions of dollars of investments to conflict-related risks.On Wednesday, Iranian forces warned they could strike facilities linked to major technology companies including Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia and Oracle across the Middle East and Israel. The region hosts more than 70 operational data centres with an estimated 557-738 megawatts of live IT capacity, alongside 10 cloud regions run by Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Oracle and Alibaba. Projects worth an additional $30 billion are also under development.Recent incidents have already highlighted the vulnerability of such infrastructure. Reports of a March 3 drone attack on two AWS facilities disrupted operations for businesses including Emirates NBD, Snowflake and Policybazaar UAE, while also affecting banking applications and stock market activity in the UAE. “Incidents of this scale typically generate tens of millions of dollars in combined operational losses when infrastructure repair, service downtime, and mitigation costs are included,” said Matvii Diadkov, technology investor and advisor to Gulf businesses. “Cloud operators must repair damaged equipment and restore systems, while customers absorb the cost of interrupted digital services.”Amid growing uncertainty, hyperscale cloud operators such as Microsoft Azure and AWS are exploring the possibility of shifting workloads from data centres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Oman to relatively safer hubs like India and Singapore, according to earlier reports. Industry executives say such disruptions could also have indirect effects on Indian firms that depend on globally hosted digital systems. “Consumer and FMCG firms such as HUL or Nestlé rely heavily on globally hosted ERP (enterprise resource planning), supply-chain, finance and analytics platforms,” said an executive at a global advisory firm. “Disruption to cloud availability or regional data-centre operations can interrupt forecasting, procurement, billing and distribution systems, with downstream effects in India.”The Gulf also serves as a critical conduit for global internet traffic, with about 90 per cent of Europe-Asia data flows passing through submarine cable routes supported by around 20 undersea cable systems and 13 active internet exchange points. “Undersea cables and regional network hubs represent latent risk, not because of constant attack, but because temporary outages or rerouting can degrade performance, increase latency and destabilise time-sensitive digital services across continents,” the same executive said.Experts caution that workforce and cyber-security challenges may add to operational vulnerabilities. Siddharth Vishwanath, partner and risk consulting leader at PwC India, said even traditional companies face exposure in a highly interconnected digital ecosystem. “What is at stake is service availability, data integrity and trust in shared digital platforms that underpin global commerce,” he said.Analysts also see the threats as a reminder of the growing geopolitical dimension of technology infrastructure. “US tech vendors should treat these threats as a signal that digital infrastructure is now part of geopolitical conflicts,” said Ashish Banerjee, senior principal analyst at Gartner. “They should ensure critical workloads can fail over to other cloud regions if disruptions occur.”Supply chain dependencies may further complicate the outlook. Diadkov noted that around one-third of global helium production is concentrated in Qatar, a key input for semiconductor manufacturing. “If supply from the region is disrupted, it could affect chip production, equipment repair, and the ability to build new semiconductor devices,” he said.

NEW DELHI: India on Friday denied reports that it was holding off bilateral engagement or delaying a trade deal with the United States, saying discussions between the two countries are continuing for a “mutually beneficial agreement.” “We have noted a media report regarding ongoing trade talks with the US. It is denied that there is any hold off in bilateral engagement. It is reiterated that the two sides remain engaged for a mutually beneficial trade agreement,” the commerce ministry said in a statement.The clarification came after a Reuters report claimed that India may delay signing a trade deal with the United States for several months while adopting a “wait and watch” approach on tariff policy.According to the report, four government officials familiar with the matter said the timeline for finalising the agreement could slip by several months. However, the commerce ministry rejected the claim, reiterating that engagement between the two sides remains ongoing.The development comes amid fresh trade investigations launched by the administration of Donald Trump into “unfair trade practices” by around 60 economies, including India.The probe focuses on concerns such as forced labour in imports. The United States has also initiated separate investigations into excess industrial capacity among 16 major trading partners.Officials said the Section 301 investigation could potentially lead to new tariffs on several economies, including India, China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Mexico, as early as this summer.

What the report said?

According to the report, negotiations lost momentum after the US Supreme Court struck down Trump’s tariffs in late February. Since then, there have been no substantive talks between the two sides, partly because Washington has been focused on the escalating conflict involving Iran.India had initially hoped to sign an interim trade deal in March, followed by a comprehensive agreement later in the year. The earlier understanding came after Trump agreed in early February to ease steep US tariffs on Indian imports in exchange for several commitments from New Delhi, including reducing purchases of Russian oil, lowering duties on American goods and pledging to buy $500 billion worth of US products.

However, India did not halt Russian oil imports, though purchases slowed somewhat. US officials are now urging New Delhi to increase imports to help ease the global energy crunch triggered by the ongoing conflict.“We are not in a hurry to sign any deal,” the source told Reuters. “The new investigation is a pressure tactic to force countries into signing deals after the court order. It’s a spanner in the works,” it addedThe report noted that India would largely adopt a “wait and watch” approach as US tariff policy evolves.Earlier, Trump had announced a 25% punitive tariff on India but later dropped it after saying New Delhi had agreed to curb Russian crude imports. India, however, only said it would diversify its supply sources. At one point, the overall tariff on Indian goods had reached about 50%, among the highest globally.

US expects India to honour commitments

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said Washington expects countries that have negotiated trade deals with the United States to follow through on their commitments.“So we fully expect the nations that we’ve made deals with to honour those deals,” he said at the India Today Conclave on Friday.“I think India will do that because … it’s not just about honouring it – it’s a win-win situation,” he added.Following the Supreme Court ruling, the Trump administration imposed a temporary 10% tariff on imports from all countries until July 24.Under the earlier framework for an interim agreement, Indian exports to the United States were expected to face duties of around 18%. However, New Delhi is now left with a question on seeking clarity on whether Washington will return to that rate or apply a different tariff level.

Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav will marry his longtime partner Vanshika Chadha on March 14 in Mussoorie. The couple, childhood friends from Kanpur, saw their friendship grow into a lifelong relationship. Vanshika works at the Life Insurance Corporation of India and maintains a private life away from the spotlight. Wedding festivities begin March 13, with cricket stars like Virat Kohli expected to attend.

Preparations are in full swing in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, for the wedding of Indian cricketer Kuldeep Yadav, who is set to marry his longtime partner Vanshika Chadha on March 14. While the wedding has attracted significant attention because of the star cricketer, many people are also curious about the bride and her background.

Who is Kuldeep Yadav’s bride-to-be Vanshika Chadha?

Vanshika Chadha shares a long-standing bond with Kuldeep Yadav that dates back to their childhood. The two grew up in Kanpur and were friends long before their relationship developed into a lifelong partnership. Kuldeep hails from Lal Bungalow in Kanpur, while Vanshika is from the Shyam Nagar area of the city.Their friendship gradually turned into a serious relationship over the years. Despite Kuldeep’s fame in international cricket, Vanshika has largely remained away from the public spotlight and has maintained a private life.

What does Vanshika Chadha do?

Professionally, Vanshika Chadha works with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), one of India’s most respected financial institutions. According to reports, she holds an administrative or managerial role within the organisation.Unlike many partners of high-profile athletes, Vanshika has built a stable career outside the glamour and attention that often accompanies celebrity life. She is also known to keep a low public profile and is rarely seen on social media or at public events.While Kuldeep Yadav’s cricketing achievements have kept him in the limelight for years, Vanshika Chadha has chosen a quieter path. Very little is publicly known about her personal life, and she has stayed largely out of media attention.Those close to the couple say Vanshika has been a steady support system for Kuldeep throughout the ups and downs of his cricket career. Her preference for privacy has only increased public curiosity about the woman who will soon marry the Indian cricket star.The wedding celebrations are set to begin on March 13 with traditional Haldi and Mehendi ceremonies. The couple will tie the knot on March 14 in Mussoorie in the presence of close friends and family.Several prominent cricket personalities are expected to attend the ceremony, including Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Jasprit Bumrah, along with officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India.Following the private mountain wedding, the couple will host a grand reception in Lucknow on March 17, which is expected to attract cricket stars, political leaders, and other prominent guests.

Gold prices slipped by Rs 992 to close at Rs 1.59 lakh per 10 grams in futures trade on Friday, following a weaker trend in international markets and a firmer US dollar. On the Multi Commodity Exchange, April gold contracts fell 0.62%, or Rs 992, to Rs 1,59,279 per 10 grams, with 7,891 lots changing hands. In global markets, Comex April gold futures fell nearly 1%, or $31.69, to $5,094.11 per ounce. Analysts pointed to the strengthening US dollar as a key factor pressuring the precious metal. “Gold is currently consolidating as markets balance macroeconomic headwinds with geopolitical risk,”Renisha Chainani, Head of Research at Augmont told PTI. Traders are also keeping a close eye on geopolitical developments in West Asia and macroeconomic signals that could influence the Federal Reserve’s policy decisions.Here’s how much gold costs in your city today:

Ahmedabad

24K gold in Ahmedabad is priced at Rs 16,129 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,783 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,098 per gram.

Bangalore

24K gold in Bangalore is priced at Rs 16,124 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,780 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,093 per gram.

Bhubaneswar

24K gold in Bhubaneswar is priced at Rs 16,124 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,780 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,093 per gram.

Chennai

24K gold in Chennai is priced at Rs 16,256 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,900 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,550 per gram.

Delhi

24K gold in Delhi is priced at Rs 16,139 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,793 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,108 per gram.

Hyderabad

24K gold in Hyderabad is priced at Rs 16,124 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,780 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,093 per gram.

Jaipur

24K gold in Jaipur is priced at Rs 16,139 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,793 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,108 per gram.

Kanpur

24K gold in Kanpur is priced at Rs 16,139 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,793 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,108 per gram.

Kolkata

24K gold in Kolkata is priced at Rs 16,124 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,780 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,093 per gram.

Mumbai

24K gold in Mumbai is priced at Rs 16,124 per gram. 22K gold costs Rs 14,780 per gram, while 18K gold is Rs 12,093 per gram.

Four out of six crew members were killed after a US refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq on Friday, US Central Command confirmed.According to the US military, the circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, it rejected that the crash was a result of hostile fire or friendly fire.“At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a US KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq. Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased as rescue efforts continue,” US military Central Command said.“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified,” it added.The KC-135 tanker marks at least the fourth US military aircraft lost in the Middle East conflict, after three F-15E fighter jets were earlier shot down in a friendly-fire incident over Kuwait.The KC-135, a refuelling aircraft that has been in service for more than six decades, typically operates with a three-person crew, a pilot, a co-pilot and a boom operator responsible for refuelling other aircraft, according to the US Air Force.Some missions also require a navigator, and the aircraft is capable of carrying up to 37 passengers, an Air Force factsheet says.Earlier in the conflict, which began on February 28, Kuwaiti forces mistakenly shot down three American F-15E fighter jets, though all six crew members ejected safely, according to US Central Command. The incident took place amid active combat involving attacks by Iranian aircraft, ballistic missiles and drones, the command said at the time.

Veteran Bollywood star Mumtaz, whose birth name is Mumtaz Askari, was among the most popular actresses of the 1970s, known for films such as ‘Khilona’, ‘Do Raaste’, ‘Aap Ki Kasam’, ‘Tere Mere Sapne’, ‘Roti’ among others. Her onscreen pairing with Rajesh Khanna and some of their songs together continue to remain iconic. At the peak of her film career, she married businessman Mayur Madhvani in 1974 and stepped away from acting. In a recent interview, the veteran actor opened up about her interfaith marriage and how marrying a Hindu influenced certain aspects of her spiritual life. She also spoke about her deep faith in Hindu deities despite being born into a Muslim family.Mumtaz shared details about her personal beliefs and the spiritual practices she follows at home. She said in an interview with Sitaron Ka Safar, “My favourites are Lord Shankar and Lord Krishna. I believe in them deeply, even though I am a Muslim.”She went on to describe how devotion is part of her everyday routine. “Whenever I walk down the stairs in my house, there is an idol of Lord Ganesha, who is my favourite, and I bow at his feet. I also believe in Lord Shankar. Since childhood, I have always loved good-looking people, and I feel he is the most handsome god. So I love him. These are the two deities I especially believe in.”

During the same conversation, Mumtaz also spoke about her interfaith marriage, noting that both she and her sister married Hindu men and have found happiness in their relationships. “I believe in both religions. I married a Hindu, and my sister also married a Hindu. We are both happy. My husband takes great care of me. I don’t understand why people keep talking about Hindu and Muslim divisions, I don’t believe in that.”

The actor also shared her personal views on polygamy, saying she strongly disagrees with the practice followed by some Muslim men. “I always say that I married a Hindu, and so did my sister, and we are very happy. Among Muslims, many men have married three or four times and then left their wives. How does that make Muslims better than Hindus? A man should not marry three or four times in the first place. I myself am Muslim, and I say this is wrong, to keep one wife and then marry another, and then a third. Have you ever thought about how possessive women are in relationships? This is one relationship where every woman is possessive. Leaving one and marrying another, how is that right? Isn’t that a sin?”She concluded by comparing it with what she sees among Hindus, adding, “In that sense, Hindus seem better, they usually marry once. Sometimes they may marry twice, but it’s not about easily leaving one person and moving on to another. That is wrong.”

The 2026 edition of The Hundred was always destined to be a transformative chapter for English cricket, but few predicted the geopolitical firestorm ignited during this week’s Men’s Auction. In a move that sent shockwaves from Headingley to Hyderabad, Sunrisers Leeds, the franchise recently acquired in full by India’s Sun Group secured the services of Pakistan’s mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for a staggering £190,000.

However, the celebratory atmosphere was short-lived. Within hours of the high-stakes bid, the franchise’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle was abruptly suspended. Visitors to the page are currently met with a cold, automated message: “Account suspended. X suspends accounts which violate the X rules.” While X has not released an official statement, the timing suggests a coordinated campaign of mass reporting following a surge of vitriolic backlash from a segment of the team’s international fanbase.

The signing of Abrar is more than just a tactical masterstroke by head coach Daniel Vettori; it is a direct challenge to a decades-long status quo. Since the 2008 inaugural IPL season, Pakistan players have been conspicuously absent from Indian-owned franchises across global leagues, from the SA20 to the ILT20, due to the deeply strained diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

Abrar’s entry into the Sunrisers Leeds roster marks a historic shift. He follows spinner Usman Tariq (Trent Rockets) as the second Pakistani player sold in the 2026 auction, but more significantly, he is the first to be signed by a team under 100% Indian ownership. Addressing the strategic logic behind the pick, Vettori noted that the team pivot was necessary after missing out on local favourite Adil Rashid. “Abrar was one of four or five guys we were looking at, very pleased to get him,” Vettori stated via ESPNcricinfo.

Also READ: ‘Shame on Kavya Maran’: Sunrisers owner faces backlash for signing Pakistan spinner Abrar Ahmed in The Hundred Auction

ECB’s stance amidst growing diplomatic friction

The controversy is further complicated by conflicting narratives surrounding the eligibility of Pakistani talent in the newly privatized Hundred. Prior to the auction, reports surfaced via the BBC suggesting that a senior ECB official had hinted that Indian-owned franchises would skip over Pakistan players to avoid political complications.

The ECB was quick to debunk these claims, asserting that the draft process remained strictly meritocratic, based on “performance, availability, and the needs of each team.” By completing a 100% takeover of the Leeds-based franchise—buying both the ECB’s 51% investment stake and Yorkshire CCC’s 49% share, the Sun Group has effectively tested the limits of this independence.

As the Sunrisers Leeds management works to restore their digital platform, the cricketing world watches closely. The suspension of their X account serves as a stark reminder that in the modern era, the boundary ropes of the cricket field offer little protection from the complex, often volatile world of digital geopolitics.

Also READ: The Hundred 2026 Auction: Complete list of sold players with their price