In a hugely provocative statement, Abdul Basit, former high commissioner of Pakistan to India, has said that striking Indian cities like New Delhi and Mumbai should be Islamabad’s “default move” if the country comes under attack from the US.“America won’t attack Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. Even if we believe that in a hypothetical situation, America attacks Pakistan, we won’t be able to hit back as America does not fall within our nuclear range. (Asking a TV anchor) What do you think will be our option then? India,” Basit asserted during an interview with a local Pakistani channel. “If somebody casts an evil eye on us, we will attack Mumbai and New Delhi in India without even thinking twice. We will see whatever happens later,” he told ABN News.The ex-envoy-turned-defence strategist further said, “Right now, neither America nor Israel is under our nuclear range. But the world should know that if we come under attack, we will, in turn, attack India wherever we want.” Basit made the controversial remark while reacting to US National Intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard’s recent statement before the Senate intelligence committee in which she had said that Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme could develop into a threat for the US homeland.Some media reports also quoted Basit as saying that Gabbard’s “anti-Pakistan” worldview was a known fact. “Pakistan’s deterrence is India-specific. Tulsi Gabbard saw our missiles, but not India’s Agni-5 and Agni-6. They are intercontinental missiles,” he was reported to have said.Presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the House intelligence committee, Gabbard had said that Pakistan is among countries “researching and developing an array of novel advanced or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our homeland within range”.According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Pakistan has six operational types of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Its overall arsenal consists primarily of short to medium-range ballistic missiles, but it is making significant progress in strengthening its cruise missile capabilities. Its ground arsenal consists of 106 land-based missiles with yields of 5-40 kt. Pakistan’s roadmobile ballistic missiles include short-range Abdali, Ghaznavi, Shaheen-1 and NASR, as well as the medium-range Shaheen-2 and Ghauri. The Shaheen-3 and the Ababeel medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) are currently under development.The longest-range Shaheen-3 can hit targets up to 2,750 km. But Shaheen-3 is not an ICBM. To call a ballistic missile ICBM, it needs to have a minimum range of over 5,500 km. The distance between the US and Pakistan is over 11,200 km.Reacting sharply to Basit’s statement, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said on Sunday, “Abdul Basit’s threat that Delhi and Mumbai will be blown up with bombs from Pakistan shows that even today, Pakistan is rattled by strikes during Operation Sindoor. It has lost its mental balance.”Soon after Gabbard’s statement, Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said, “Pakistan categorically rejects the recent assertion by a US official alleging a potential threat from Pakistan’s missile capabilities.” Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are “exclusively defensive” in nature, he said, and are “aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining peace and stability in South Asia”.

In a hugely provocative statement, Abdul Basit, former high commissioner of Pakistan to India, has said that striking Indian cities like New Delhi and Mumbai should be Islamabad’s “default move” if the country comes under attack from the US.“America won’t attack Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal. Even if we believe that in a hypothetical situation, America attacks Pakistan, we won’t be able to hit back as America does not fall within our nuclear range. (Asking a TV anchor) What do you think will be our option then? India,” Basit asserted during an interview with a local Pakistani channel. “If somebody casts an evil eye on us, we will attack Mumbai and New Delhi in India without even thinking twice. We will see whatever happens later,” he told ABN News.The ex-envoy-turned-defence strategist further said, “Right now, neither America nor Israel is under our nuclear range. But the world should know that if we come under attack, we will, in turn, attack India wherever we want.” Basit made the controversial remark while reacting to US National Intelligence director Tulsi Gabbard’s recent statement before the Senate intelligence committee in which she had said that Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile programme could develop into a threat for the US homeland.Some media reports also quoted Basit as saying that Gabbard’s “anti-Pakistan” worldview was a known fact. “Pakistan’s deterrence is India-specific. Tulsi Gabbard saw our missiles, but not India’s Agni-5 and Agni-6. They are intercontinental missiles,” he was reported to have said.Presenting the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment to the House intelligence committee, Gabbard had said that Pakistan is among countries “researching and developing an array of novel advanced or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads that put our homeland within range”.According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, Pakistan has six operational types of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. Its overall arsenal consists primarily of short to medium-range ballistic missiles, but it is making significant progress in strengthening its cruise missile capabilities. Its ground arsenal consists of 106 land-based missiles with yields of 5-40 kt. Pakistan’s roadmobile ballistic missiles include short-range Abdali, Ghaznavi, Shaheen-1 and NASR, as well as the medium-range Shaheen-2 and Ghauri. The Shaheen-3 and the Ababeel medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) are currently under development.The longest-range Shaheen-3 can hit targets up to 2,750 km. But Shaheen-3 is not an ICBM. To call a ballistic missile ICBM, it needs to have a minimum range of over 5,500 km. The distance between the US and Pakistan is over 11,200 km.Reacting sharply to Basit’s statement, BJP national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha said on Sunday, “Abdul Basit’s threat that Delhi and Mumbai will be blown up with bombs from Pakistan shows that even today, Pakistan is rattled by strikes during Operation Sindoor. It has lost its mental balance.”Soon after Gabbard’s statement, Tahir Andrabi, spokesman for Pakistan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said, “Pakistan categorically rejects the recent assertion by a US official alleging a potential threat from Pakistan’s missile capabilities.” Pakistan’s strategic capabilities are “exclusively defensive” in nature, he said, and are “aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty and maintaining peace and stability in South Asia”.

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In the absence of Pat Cummins, Ishan Kishan will lead Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the 2026 Indian Premier League (IPL 2026) season. During the event, where the key players of the teams were on the stage, the temporary skipper made some hilarious comments, which resulted in a wave of smiles among the players and the fans who attended the event.

Like the previous season. SRH will play the IPL 2026 with a star-studded batting line-up. Ishan Kishan, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, and Heinrich Klaasen are among the key batters who will be in charge of claiming most of the runs on the scoreboard.

What did Ishan Kishan say at the event?

During the event, the stand-in captain of SRH jokingly said that he and Abhishek Sharma would happily settle for 70 each. But he would like to see most of the runs scored by the two overseas batting stars, Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen.

Your daily dose of cricket!

“The day we score 300 runs, the most important batters are Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen. Abhishek and I will be happily settled for 70s,” Ishan Kishan said, in a friendly gesture, and the crowd enjoyed the moment thoroughly.

Ishan Kishan says that the day Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen score big (centuries), 300 is possible. Meanwhile, he and Abhishek would happily settle for 70 each🤣🧡 pic.twitter.com/AByoXtDxXW

— Ishan’s (@Ishanworld32) March 22, 2026

SRH formed a batting powerhouse for the IPL 2026 campaign

SRH has a packed batting department with multiple power hitters. Apart from these 4 batters, the squad contains Smaran Ravichandran, Kamindu Mendis, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Liam Livingstone, Jack Edwards, and multiple other domestic talents who have proved their batting skills in the past.

Despite an underwhelming campaign, the franchise protected most of its key talents for the 2026 season. In the IPL 2025 points table, SRH ended sixth in the 10-team league. With three back-to-back wins in the last round of the group stage, they secured 6 wins in 14 matches.

More than their batting firepower, cricket experts like Aakash Chopra are worried about their bowling front, as they will have to play the initial few matches without the service of their prime pacer Pat Cummins. Another overseas pacer, Sri Lanka’s Eshan Malinga also yet to confirm his participation in the league.

“This year, Sunrisers Hyderabad probably won’t be able to do much in the IPL again. I don’t think they will qualify for the top four. Sunrisers Hyderabad have a very strong batting lineup, but their bowling lineup is not that strong,” Aakash Chopra strongly predicted in his YouTube video.

SRH will have to face RCB in the opening match of the tournament

Sunrisers Hyderabad will start their IPL 2026 campaign on March 28, for the opening match of the edition. In the highly anticipated clash, SRH will be up against the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). To start the season on a positive note, both of the teams will try their best to claim the match to keep their morale high.

Expectations will be high around Ishan Kishan as he has guided the Jharkhand Cricket team to claim their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali trophy before winning the 2026 T20 World Cup with team India, defeating New Zealand in the Final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Read More: Ishan Kishan set to apply SMAT-winning strategy at SRH

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SRINAGAR: As hundreds of people gathered in Leh to welcome environmental activist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) member Sonam Wangchuk after his release from jail, he struck a conciliatory tone on Sunday, urging the Union govt to ensure that forthcoming talks with Ladakhi leaders are based on a “win-win” approach for both Ladakh and the Centre.While he emphasised on a “give and take” formula without mentioning the Sixth Schedule or statehood in his address to the gathering, at the same time, Wangchuk said he would continue his struggle, if needed.The reception was organised by LAB, which along with Kargil Democratic Alliance, is seeking statehood and a Sixth Schedule for the UT of Ladakh.“My fight was for Ladakh’s people, its culture, environment, for its rivers, flora and fauna, and glaciers. Their success is my success,” Wangchuk said, as people carried banners reading ‘Justice for Ladakh’, ‘Withdraw Sept 24 cases’, and ‘Ladakh will not forget its fallen heroes’, along with portraits of four people killed in the police firing in Leh on Sept 24 last year.Describing the movement as a “new dawn”, he said it was entering a “new phase”, but he called for “flexible steps”. He said he had been told the govt had acknowledged the Sept 24 firing as a mistake and was seeking to rectify it. He hoped that justice would be delivered in the case and those arrested would also be released.Wangchuk was arrested on Sept 26, 2025 under NSA and lodged in Jodhpur jail. Last week, MHA revoked his detention stating the govt remains committed to providing all necessary safeguards for Ladakh and hoped that the issues concerning the region will be resolved through “constructive engagement and dialogue”.The last round of talks took place on Feb 4, but remained inconclusive. Ladakhi leaders have sought another round of talks soon.Wangchuk said Ladakhi leaders will go for talks with hope that there is a win-win outcome, not otherwise, as is being rumoured in the region. Holding his cards close to his chest, Wangchuk said after forthcoming talks, Ladakhi leaders would again reach out to people across the country and convey whether the talks resulted in a “win-win or a lose-lose outcome”.