BENGALURU: A 23-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner at Ramdas Layout, Kodathi, in the wee hours of Thursday. The accused allegedly tried to make the crime appear like a suicide. However, a police investigation led to his arrest.The deceased has been identified as Ranjitha HG, and the accused as Ayyappa KB. The couple had been living together in a rented house. Ayyappa worked in a dry fruit shop, while Ranjitha was employed as a domestic help. Both are natives of Kodagu district.According to a complaint filed by Ranjitha’s mother Rani, her daughter had fallen in love with Ayyappa. On Dec 31, 2025, she took him home and introduced him to the family as her boyfriend, telling them that she intended to marry him. Ayyappa reportedly told the family that he had already been married but was living separately from his wife due to marital issues. He allegedly promised to marry Ranjitha after obtaining a divorce.

Two weeks before her death, Ranjitha had called her mother and complained that Ayyappa would assault her frequently over trivial issues. She also alleged that he often partied with friends at home and harassed her. On March 1, he allegedly assaulted her, abused her over her caste, and wished that she would die.In the early hours of March 12, Ayyappa called Ranjitha’s sister and claimed that she had attempted suicide. He said he had taken her to a private hospital on Sarjapura Road, where the doctors declared her brought dead. The family, however, suspected foul play and alleged that Ayyappa had killed her and tried to portray it as suicide.During the preliminary investigation, police found that Ayyappa had strangulated Ranjitha with a wire before attempting to fabricate a suicide scene by tying a rope to the ceiling fan. During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to the crime.A senior officer said a case has been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 103 (punishment for murder) along with provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has highlighted a potential weakness in the Gujarat Titans (GT) squad ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. According to Chopra, the franchise may face challenges due to its heavy dependence on the top-order batters, particularly if one of their key players fails to deliver consistently.

The Gujarat-based franchise enjoyed a solid campaign in IPL 2025, reaching the playoffs after impressive performances from Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, and Jos Buttler at the top of the order. However, their journey ended in the Eliminator after a defeat to the Mumbai Indians, with Buttler unavailable for the match due to national commitments. As the team prepares for the upcoming season, Chopra believes their reliance on the top three could become a vulnerability.

Aakash Chopra explains weakness of Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2026

The success of Gujarat Titans last season was largely built on the consistency of their top-order batters. Captain Gill led from the front, while Sudharsan continued to grow into one of the most reliable young batters in the tournament. Meanwhile, Buttler provided the explosive firepower expected from him in the shortest format.

Chopra noted that the team performed best when the top three managed to bat deep into the innings. When at least one of them stayed at the crease until the middle overs, the Titans were able to build strong platforms for competitive totals.

Chopra explained that the team’s approach worked well last season but could become risky if the top order fails to fire regularly. He pointed out that the ideal scenario for Gujarat Titans is when the top three occupy the crease until the 14th or 15th over, ensuring stability and momentum in the innings. However, relying too heavily on this strategy could leave the middle order exposed if early wickets fall.

“What are their weakenesses? They can be called weaknesses or challenges. A slight overdependence is still seen on the top three. It’s great if they replicate what they did last year, which means the top three together bat till the 14th or 15th over, and at least one of them should 100 percent be there till the 15th over,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.

Also READ: IPL 2026: 3 players who can replace injured Harshit Rana in Kolkata Knight Riders squad

Star batter’s recent form raises concerns

Another factor Chopra highlighted was Buttler’s recent dip in form during the T20 World Cup 2026. The England star had an unusually quiet tournament, scoring only 87 runs in eight innings at an average of 10.88.

For a player known for dominating bowlers across conditions, the numbers were surprising. Chopra remarked that it was rare to see Buttler struggle to such an extent in a World Cup tournament. He also noted that the right-handed batter appeared uncomfortable even on batting-friendly pitches, which raised questions about whether the slump could carry into the IPL season.

According to Chopra, Gujarat Titans would ideally want Buttler to provide explosive starts alongside Gill. However, if the English wicketkeeper-batter continues to struggle, the team might face difficulties at the top of the order.

“However, the truth is that Jos Buttler’s current form is very, very pedestrian. We have not seen Jos Buttler playing more ordinary than this in any World Cup edition. He was seen struggling in good conditions this time. So will that be a bit of an issue for the Gujarat Titans? You want to start with Jos Buttler, but what if the form doesn’t remain good? Both openers can’t score runs every time,” Chopra added.

Also WATCH: MS Dhoni repairs his bat using an electric sander during IPL 2026 practice session

BENGALURU: Edtech firm Upgrad has signed a term sheet to acquire rival Unacademy in an all-stock transaction, founders of the two companies said in separate posts on X on Saturday, marking a significant consolidation move in India’s education technology sector.“We at Upgrad have signed a term sheet to acquire Unacademy in an all-stock deal,” Upgrad founder Ronnie Screwvala wrote. He added that Unacademy cofounder and chief executive Gaurav Munjal will continue to lead the company and focus on building online education products.Screwvala also said the agreement includes a break fee clause if the transaction does not close, signalling that the companies have moved beyond early exploratory discussions to a more formal stage of negotiations.Munjal separately confirmed that the companies have agreed to a 100% share-swap transaction, adding that valuation details will be disclosed only after the deal closes and regulatory filings are completed.The development comes after earlier discussions between the two companies had stalled over valuation differences. Screwvala had earlier indicated that preliminary talks were called off after both sides were unable to agree on valuation expectations.

Reset after edtech boom

In his post, Munjal said the past year had seen significant changes at Unacademy as the company sought to refocus its operations. These included consolidating offline learning centres with franchise partners and concentrating efforts on building core online education products.He added that the company completed a Rs 50 crore ESOP buyback, with nearly 40% of former employees participating, and that Unacademy’s global product Airlearn is gaining traction in markets including the US, UK, Germany and Canada. Munjal also said the company currently holds more than $100 million in cash reserves.Founded in 2015, Unacademy was among the startups that expanded rapidly during the pandemic-driven edtech boom but has since narrowed its focus to its core test-preparation business. The company also went through leadership restructuring in recent months, with cofounders stepping back from operational roles and management attention consolidating around its main revenue-generating vertical.The startup had also undertaken multiple rounds of layoffs and other cost-cutting measures as funding conditions tightened across the sector. Munjal said last year that the company had become “default alive” after significantly reducing its cash burn, while maintaining reserves of around Rs 1,200 crore.

Different paths in edtech

If completed, the transaction would bring together two companies that built scale in different segments of the education market. According to Tracxn, Unacademy has raised about $880 million in funding across multiple rounds and was last valued at around $3.5 billion in 2021. Upgrad, also founded in 2015, has raised roughly $329 million and was last valued at about $2.25 billion in 2024, the data platform shows.Both companies have also pursued acquisition-led expansion strategies. Tracxn data shows Unacademy acquiring companies including PrepLadder, CodeChef, NeoStencil, Mastree and SwifLearn, while Upgrad has bought startups such as Harappa Education, Talentedge, KnowledgeHut, Centum Learning and Internshala as it expanded into professional skilling, higher education and career services.Screwvala said the combined entity could build a broader learning platform spanning K-12 education, higher education and lifelong professional learning.“They disrupted the sector once, and now with AI they plan to do it again,” he wrote, referring to Unacademy’s early role in shaping India’s online test-preparation market.If the transaction closes, the deal would mark one of the most notable consolidation moves in India’s edtech industry since the funding slowdown that followed the pandemic-era boom.

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Rahul Dravid, Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav (PTI)

Former India captain and head coach Rahul Dravid on Sunday said the country’s vast cricketing potential is finally translating into consistent success, with a series of victories in global tournaments reflecting the immense talent long present in Indian cricket. India have enjoyed a remarkable run in ICC events, winning both of the last two men’s T20 World Cups, the women’s ODI World Cup, the men’s U-19 World Cup and the women’s U-19 T20 World Cup over the past two years.

Dravid, who was honoured with the Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual awards function of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, spoke about the team’s success in an interaction with Star Sports. “It just kind of feels right, right? “Almost everything coming together at this point of time where Indian cricket has always had great potential and it’s (about) realising that potential on the field as well. Off the field, I think we’ve always had everything we needed and on the field, it’s been great to see that potential being realised.” Dravid said the sustained success is the result of several elements aligning, from players and administrators to coaches and fans. “It’s been phenomenal. It’s just been amazing to see the way Indian cricket has grown over these three decades,” he said while reflecting on the journey since making his international debut in 1996. “Indian cricket has always had amazing talent. We’ve always had really good administrators. We’ve always had really good coaches (and) we’ve been able to back that up with incredible infrastructure. We’ve always had a fantastic domestic system, (a) very good junior cricket system.” “Some of the most incredible fans in the world. The kind of supporters and fans that we have, deserved all of this to come together, to have success on the field. It’s amazing to see how that all of that is coming together now.” Dravid, who guided India to the T20 World Cup title in 2024, also credited the current team for handling the weight of expectations and delivering on the big stage. “It was just lovely to see… Just the performance of the world T20 side, the expectations were immense. They started off as favourites, and it’s not always easy,” Dravid said. “Yes, of course, they’re a very good side, but it’s not always easy to start off as favourites and be there right at the end and lift a trophy. It comes with its own pressures, its own challenges. It was just really good to see Surya (Suryakumar Yadav) and Gautam (Gambhir) and the team really do that,” he said.

The decision to push Babar Azam down to No.4 during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup created plenty of debate in Pakistan, and the experiment ultimately failed to deliver. The former Pakistan captain endured a difficult campaign as he struggled to accelerate in the middle order throughout the 20-team tournament.The situation worsened as the competition progressed. Babar was not sent out to bat in Pakistan’s must-win group-stage clash against Namibia. Later, he was also left out of the Super 8 fixture against Sri Lanka, a match where the Green Shirts had to secure a victory by at least 65 runs to keep their semi-final hopes alive.

Former Pakistan batter Basit Ali has now criticised how the situation was handled, saying Babar should have strongly opposed the decision to move him down the order. According to Basit, the batter should have challenged head coach Mike Hesson rather than accepting the role.Speaking on the ‘Game Plan’ show, Basit also cited Virat Kohli as an example while discussing how top players sometimes take strong stands.

“Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman don’t have a voice. How come they agreed to bat in the middle order?” said Basit on the ‘Game Plan’ show.“I just have one example. Virat Kohli was not made the captain, he said, ‘Okay bye’. Virat Kohli. He took the retirement; he should have been made the captain for the England series. He was told that you are not in our scheme of things as far as captaincy goes. He said, ‘Okay, tata, bye-bye.’ He doesn’t have a shortage of money. Babar should not have accepted the decision to bat at No.4. If I were his close aide, I would have told him to refuse. You just threw him under the bus,” he added.Kohli had announced his retirement from Test cricket in May last year. However, there has been no official confirmation that the decision was linked to captaincy matters. Following the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Kohli, Shubman Gill was appointed India’s Test captain. Under his leadership, India went on to draw the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against England.Meanwhile, former Pakistan wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal disagreed with Basit’s view, arguing that players rarely challenge team management, especially when they are struggling for form.“No player dares to go against the team management. I have just seen Younis Khan being adamant about his position. As a player, you just cannot say that. You will be thrown into the sidelines if you say such things,” said Akmal.“When the form is not there, no player says such things. Before the Champions Trophy, his form was not there. He had left the captaincy. Big players even agree to such things. The form is very important. When form is not there, a batter would even agree to bat at No.8,” he added.

On the occasion of their fifth wedding anniversary, ICC Digital Insider Sanjana Ganesan melted hearts across social media with a loving tribute to her husband, Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah. The couple, who tied the knot on March 15, 2021, in a private ceremony, has since become one of the most adored pairs in the cricketing world, and Sanjana’s heartfelt post offered fans a rare glimpse into their enduring bond.

“My favourite story, always and forever”: Sanjana Ganesan’s heartfelt Instagram post

Taking to Instagram on their fifth marriage wrote: “no matter where life takes us,
no matter how loud the world gets, there’s always this – you, me and a hug that feels like home. Five years married to my best friend. My favourite story, always and forever. A Love Story Born on the Cricket Field.”

Sanjana and Bumrah’s love story has its roots in the game that brought them together. The couple first met during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 in England, where Sanjana was working as a presenter and Bumrah was starring for India. Their professional paths crossed repeatedly over the following months, with their connection blossoming into romance.

After nearly two years of dating, the couple surprised fans by announcing their engagement in February 2021. They followed up with an intimate wedding ceremony on March 15 that same year at a resort in Goa, attended only by close family members due to COVID-19 restrictions. The low-key affair stood in stark contrast to the grand cricketing weddings the sport has often witnessed, reflecting the couple’s preference for privacy.

In September 2023, the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Angad. Bumrah, who had been recovering from a back injury at the time, took a brief paternity break before returning to international cricket. Since becoming parents, both Sanjana and Bumrah have occasionally shared glimpses of their family life, carefully balancing public affection with their desire to keep Angad away from the spotlight.

Also: Explained – Why Michael Vaughan called South Africa ‘the stupidest team’ of T20 World Cup 2026?

Bumrah’s stellar form: From T20 World Cup glory to personal milestones

The anniversary celebration comes at the peak of Bumrah’s professional career. Just one week ago, the 32-year-old pacer delivered a match-winning spell of 4/15 in the T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium, earning the Player of the Match award and cementing his legacy as one of India’s greatest match-winners. He also finished as the tournament’s joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Varun Chakravarthy, with 14 scalps at an astonishing average of 12.43.

Meanwhile, for Sanjana, the past year has been equally eventful. She has established herself as one of the ICC’s most prominent presenters, covering major tournaments worldwide while also hosting her own cricket podcast. Her professional commitments have occasionally overlapped with Bumrah’s playing schedule – most notably during the 2025 tour of Australia, where Sanjana conducted several on-field interviews with her husband, much to fans’ delight.

Also READ: Former RCB coach takes blind rank challenge, puts Virat Kohli at No. 5 among 6 IPL captains

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the United States has upped the ante against Iran by carrying out heavy airstrikes on Kharg Island — Iran’s economic lifeline and a strategic defense point in the Persian Gulf.During the recent attacks, the US forces conducted airstrikes on military installations on Kharg Island, including missile storage areas and other defence sites. According to media reports, the strikes focused on military facilities, while the oil export infrastructure itself was largely left intact.

In an interview with NBC News, US President Donald Trump said previous US strikes had “totally demolished” most of the island’s oil infrastructure. He added that the US “may hit it a few more times just for fun”.Why it matters“He who controls Kharg Island controls the destiny of this war,” US Senator Lindsey Graham posted on X soon after the airstrikes.Kharg Island is widely seen as the backbone of Iran’s crude export system. Located about 25 kilometers off Iran’s northwestern Gulf coast, the island acts as the country’s main oil gateway, where crude is stored and loaded onto tankers bound for global markets.

Though small in size, about 6 kilometers long and 3 kilometers wide, the coral outcrop handles nearly 90 per cent of Iran’s crude oil exports. Its deep-water jetties allow large tankers to load oil directly, something much of Iran’s shallow coastline cannot support.The island’s loading terminals were originally designed to handle up to seven million barrels of oil per day and can service eight or nine supertankers at the same time. More than 50 storage tanks spread across the island can hold over 34 million barrels of crude.Most of the oil shipped from Kharg does not come from the island itself. Instead, pipelines bring crude from oil fields in southern Iran to the terminals before it is loaded onto ships.Other export sites are far smaller in comparison. Lavan Island can process about 200,000 barrels per day and has storage capacity of roughly 5.5 million barrels. Sirri Island provides around 4.5 million barrels of storage. Meanwhile, the energy hub at Assaluyeh mainly handles gas condensate rather than crude oil.Kharg’s location also adds to its importance. The island sits close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest oil routes. Any disruption there could quickly affect Iran’s oil revenues and send ripples through global energy markets.Petras Katinas, an energy researcher at the Royal United Services Institute told news agency PTI that Kharg Island was critical to funding Iran’s government and military.If Iran were to lose control of Kharg, it would be difficult for the country to function, even though the island isn’t a military or nuclear target, he said.“It doesn’t matter which regime is in power — new or old,” Katinas said. A takeover would give the US leverage over negotiations with Iran because the island is “the main node” of its economy.Strait of Hormuz factorKharg’s strategic importance is closely linked to the Strait of Hormuz, which lies southeast of the island.This narrow maritime passage connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean. Roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passes through this chokepoint every day.Tankers carrying crude from Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all transit the strait before heading to global markets.Although Iran itself accounts for only about 3–4% of global oil supply, its geographic position along the strait gives it the ability to threaten a much larger share of global energy flows.A military hubAdditionally, Kharg is also one of Iran’s most significant military locations. Access to the island is tightly restricted and guarded by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).The IRGC Navy maintains a presence there, including the 112th Zolfaghar Surface Combat Brigade, a unit that operates fast-attack boats designed for asymmetric naval warfare in the Persian Gulf.These vessels are typically equipped with anti-ship missiles, rockets and naval mines, allowing them to threaten commercial shipping and larger naval vessels operating nearby.Military infrastructure around the island includes coastal missile launchers, radar systems, surveillance networks and drone facilities used to monitor activity across the northern Persian Gulf.Iran’s regular navy, known as the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, also operates in the broader Bushehr–Kharg region. It uses helicopters and boats for maritime patrols and potential mine-laying operations.Together, the IRGC Navy and the conventional navy maintain a presence that could pose risks to shipping lanes during periods of conflict.Why US did not target oil infrastructureUS forces struck defensive positions, bases and helicopter facilities in the Island. However it left the oil installations untouched.After the strikes, Trump said that he chose “not to wipe out” the oil infrastructure in the Kharg Island for “reasons of decency.” “Our weapons are the most powerful and sophisticated that the World has ever known, but, for reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island,” Trump said in a social media post on Truth.“However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,” he added.However, observers believe that Trump’s decision not to strike oil infrastructure could signal a broader US strategy.Here are the list of possible reasons

Could US forces seize the island?Some reports suggest United States may be considering more aggressive options, including a possible amphibious assault on Kharg Island.According to security expert, capturing the island could severely disrupt Iran’s oil exports and give Washington leverage in future negotiations.However, the risks would be significant. Kharg lies close to the Iranian mainland, which would leave any landing force exposed to missiles, drones and naval attacks.While talking to news outlet CGTN, Military analyst Hossein Kanani Moghaddam pointed out Iran’s long maritime border along the Persian Gulf and said that Iranian forces could strike US units attempting operations near the Strait of Hormuz.“We have a 2,000-kilometer maritime border with the Persian Gulf. If all US forces were to enter the Strait of Hormuz, we could easily strike and neutralize them from our own territory along this maritime border,” Moghaddam said.Meanwhile, US officials have already deployed the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli (LHA-7) along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East.The force typically includes around 2,200 Marines and aircraft such as Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey, helicopters and Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. With support units, the deployment can expand to roughly 5,000 personnel.A Pentagon official told Fox News that the deployment broadens military options and that the unit is prepared for ground operations if ordered.Kharg Island has shown remarkable resilience over the years. During the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s, Iraqi forces repeatedly bombed the island and destroyed several storage tanks. Despite this damage, Iran continued to export more than 1.5 million barrels of oil per day.More than six decades after exports began in 1960, Kharg remains Iran’s primary energy gateway and a key strategic point in the security architecture of the Persian Gulf.As long as a significant share of the world’s oil continues to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, this small island will remain one of the most consequential pieces of infrastructure in the region.