Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

England Test captain Ben Stokes has admitted that the past three months have been the most challenging period of his captaincy, following England’s disappointing 4-1 defeat in the Ashes in Australia.Despite the setback, Stokes has reaffirmed his commitment to leading the team forward alongside head coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key, all of whom have retained the backing of the England and Wales Cricket Board.In an emotional Instagram post, Stokes described the mental and emotional toll of leading England through a difficult Ashes campaign.”Being England captain is the greatest honour a player can be given and I do not take it for granted. It has its highs and it has its lows, it makes you want to smile it makes you want to cry. It completely and utterly consumes you and feels like it’s the only thing in your life at times. The last 3 months has without a doubt been the hardest period of my captaincy journey, it’s tested me in so many different ways and I’m sure every other captain has gone through this as well,” Stokes said.Stokes emphasised that the leadership group remains united and determined to improve, ”Baz,Rob and myself have the passion and desire to take this team forward, we are going to give you everything we have, we know we made mistakes along the way and we have learnt from those mistakes, you learn more from failure than success. I have learnt a lot about myself but the most important thing that I want the fans to know is that….” he added.Ben stokes gives a strong and bold message to the cricket fans after his captaincy was questioned post 4-1 ashes loss. Stokes said,” I F*****G love cricket, I F*****G love this team, I F*****G love being England captain and I have got so much more to give to this role and I’m so happy that I get to do it with Baz and Rob.””We all appreciate every single person who supports us. We do what we do for many reasons but one of those reasons is to bring our supporters and fans happiness and and a sense of pride and we will aim to do those things as much as we can in the future, See you all in June for the start of the Test Match summer” he concluded on Instagram.

Why did England struggled in the Ashes Series

England’s defeat in The Ashes was more than just a loss, it was a systemic failure. Poor preparation, including the lack of meaningful warm-up matches, left the team underprepared for Australian conditions. The aggressive “Bazball” approach, once hailed as revolutionary, unravelled quickly after a heavy defeat in Perth, leaving England without a fallback plan.The report quoted by Telegraph sports was the cultural issues within the dressing room which says that, ” There were players in the Ashes who felt McCullum was naturally drawn to those like him who enjoy a beer, a vape and a round of golf. Unintentionally it created a clique that became more apparent under the stress of an Ashes loss and there were players who felt a non-serious environment had cost them the opportunity of a lifetime in Australia.” Since then, a midnight curfew has been introduced, while the ECB is looking to appoint a new national selector after Luke Wright stepped down for family reasons.

A CAG report revealed Arvind Kejriwal’s former Delhi residence renovation cost ₹33.6 crore, significantly exceeding estimates.

NEW DELHI: Renovation work at former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s then official residence (6, Flagstaff Road), was completed with Rs 33.6 crore, 342% above the estimated cost, said a CAG report tabled in the assembly on Monday.The Comptroller and Audition General report for 2022, tabled in the assembly by CM Rekha Gupta, also mentioned that out of the total 33.6 crore, an amount of Rs 18.8 crore was spent on “superior specifications, artistic, antique and ornamental” items. The 6, Flagstaff Road bungalow was where Kejriwal lived as CM from 2015 to 2024. After allegations of corruption, BJP termed the house “Sheesh Mahal” to hit out at alleged corruption of AAP and its national convener.

‘PWD used 1-yr-old rates, raised them by 50%’‘Sheesh Mahal’ became one of the main issues of BJP ahead of the election in Feb 2025 that led to upstaging AAP and removing it from power in Delhi after a decade.According to the findings, Public Works Department (PWD) adopted restricted tendering in multiple stages of the project without adequate justification. In the case of consultancy services, no basis was made available for the selection of three firms invited for bidding. Additionally, while calculating the justified cost, PWD used one-year-old rates and increased them by 50%, resulting in higher estimated costs.During execution, five contractors were shortlisted on the grounds of financial capacity and experience in similar works in VIP areas. However, scrutiny revealed that only one contractor met the stated criteria, raising concerns over the arbitrariness of the selection process.The scope of work also saw significant changes during execution. The built-up area increased from 1,397 sq m to 1,905 sq m a rise of 36%. Alongside this, several items of superior specifications, artistic and antique elements, and ornamental works were introduced, it read. The report notes that Rs 18.8 crore was incurred on such extra items, executed beyond prescribed limits, without recorded justification.To accommodate these additions, preliminary estimates were revised four times. Work amounting to Rs 25.8 crore under subsequent estimates was executed through the existing contractor without exploring fresh tendering options, thereby limiting competitive rates, it said. In another instance, approval for the fifth revised estimate amounting to Rs 9.3 crore was issued more than two months after the completion of the work, resulting in the creation of liability without prior approval.The second project concerning the Staff Block and Camp Office was awarded at Rs 16.5 crore against an estimated cost of Rs 18.4 crore and was also executed through restricted tendering. However, records explaining the reasons for adopting this method were not made available.Out of Rs 19.8 crore sanctioned for the Staff Block and Camp Office, funds were diverted to other works. The Staff Block itself was not constructed, while seven servant quarters were built at a different location unrelated to the original project.Further, the Camp Office was altered from a permanent structure to a semi-permanent one, rendering the original approvals and estimates inconsistent with the work executed. The report states that only the raw structure of the Camp Office was completed, as funds were exhausted, and the work was eventually foreclosed in June 2023.

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MEERUT: Two men were arrested on Monday for allegedly beheading a Delhi-based woman and dumping the body near a canal in a forested part of a village in Bulandshahr’s Narsena area. One of those nabbed was her ‘lover’, Vikas Kumar, who had lived with her in Delhi for about three years, police said.Babli Devi, 38, was a resident of Kalyanpuri in East Delhi. Her decomposed torso was found in Ghunghrawali village on March 15. With no immediate clues, cops conducted her last rites on March 18.A breakthrough was achieved days later when Babli’s Delhi-based family — her mother, daughter and brother-in-law — noticed her photo, posted by cops, on social media and approached police on March 22, confirming her identity.Bulandshahr SP city, Shanker Prasad, said, “Investigation found that the prime accused, Vikas Kumar, 32, a Bulandshahr native, had earlier worked with Babli’s late husband at a private hospital in Delhi and was known to the family. After the husband’s death owing to cancer two-and-a-half years ago, they developed a relationship and started living together in Delhi.”However, their relationship began to collapse when Vikas decided to get married elsewhere in Dec 2025, and Babli allegedly continued to pressure him to stay with her. “Babli has three daughters. They live with their grandmother… On March 15, Vikas lured her to his village in Bulandshahr. They went there on a bike,” the SP said.Once there, Vikas called his cousin Sachin and Aman Kumar, a friend, and consumed alcohol. All of them met in a forested stretch, and grabbed Babli by her limbs, decapitated her with a sharp weapon and threw her head about 500m away to “hide her identity”.After the horrific act, Vikas attended a family function in his village and later returned to Muradnagar, Ghaziabad, where he’d shifted after marriage. He also lodged a “missing” complaint to mislead cops.The SP added: “Through surveillance, we established his presence near the crime scene and he was held in Muradnagar. Aman was picked from Bulandshahr. The weapon used to kill Babli along with illegal firearms and the bike were found. An FIR was registered under BNS sections of ‘murder’ and ‘disappearance of evidence’. Vikas and Aman confessed. Efforts are on to nab Sachin.”

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 draws near, the spotlight has shifted toward a revitalized Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) camp. In a surprising but strategic leadership shuffle, the franchise confirmed that Ishan Kishan will captain the side for the opening leg of the tournament. This decision comes as regular skipper Pat Cummins continues his recovery from a lingering lower back injury sustained during the 2025–26 Ashes.

Stepping onto the stage at a recent pre-season event, Kishan, fresh off a historic T20 World Cup triumph with Team India, displayed the same infectious confidence that has defined his recent ‘redemption arc.’ When asked about the team’s strategy to break the elusive 300-run barrier in T20s, the stand-in skipper offered a blueprint that was as tactical as it was humorous.

Ishan Kishan explains how SRH plans to smash 300 in IPL 2026

Kishan’s vision for SRH involves leaning heavily into the ‘Orange Army’s’ greatest strength: raw, unadulterated power. Addressing the fans and media, he jokingly sidelined his own personal milestones in favour of a collective explosion. “The day we score 300 runs, the most important batters are Travis Head and Heinrich Klaasen,” Kishan remarked with a grin.

The strategy appears simple yet terrifying for opposition bowlers. Kishan suggested that while he and vice-captain Abhishek Sharma would be happily settled with quick-fire 70s to lay the foundation, the heavy lifting for a triple-century total must come from their overseas enforcers. By prioritizing strike rates over centuries, Kishan is fostering a selfless batting culture aimed at maximizing the scoring potential of every delivery. With a middle order featuring Liam Livingstone, Kamindu Mendis, and the rising Nitish Kumar Reddy, SRH possesses the depth to maintain a 15-runs-per-over clip.

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

Also WATCH: Shubman Gill trolls Abhishek Sharma and SRH in fun segment with Sahiba Bali

Can SRH batting powerhouse offset bowling concerns?

Despite the optimism surrounding their batting, the road to the playoffs looks steep. SRH finished a disappointing sixth in 2025, and experts like Aakash Chopra have raised red flags regarding their depleted bowling stocks. With Cummins sidelined and Sri Lankan pacer Eshan Malinga‘s participation still uncertain, the burden falls on Harshal Patel and England’s Brydon Carse to lead the attack.

Chopra recently predicted that SRH might struggle to reach the Top 4, noting that while they can post 250, their lack of a specialist wicket-taking spinner beyond Zeeshan Ansari might see them concede just as many. However, Kishan’s recent track record offers a glimmer of hope. He recently led Jharkhand to their maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy title, proving his mettle as a tactician who can punch above his weight in domestic conditions.

SRH will face a trial by fire in their opening match on March 28, taking on the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium. For Kishan, the match is more than just a season opener; it is an opportunity to prove that his blueprint for a 300-run total is more than just a joke, it’s a warning to the rest of the league.

Also READ: IPL: Complete list of all SRH captains so far ft. Ishan Kishan

Global oil prices moved higher on Tuesday, recovering from a sharp drop in the previous session, as concerns over an escalation in the Middle East conflict and uncertainty around US-Iran diplomacy keeps the markets volatile.Brent crude climbed toward $104 a barrel, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate rose nearly 4%, reversing part of Monday’s steep decline triggered by US president Donald Trump delaying potential strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure, according to Bloomberg. Market sentiment remains driven by mixed messaging from Washington and Tehran. Trump had said there were “productive” talks with Iran and suggested oil prices could “fall like a rock” if a deal is reached. However, Iran has denied any negotiations.Adding to uncertainty, Iranian deputy parliament speaker Ali Nikzad ruled out talks with the US and indicated the Strait of Hormuz would not return to normal operations, according to Fars news agency.

Strait of Hormuz disruptions tighten supply outlook

The Strait of Hormuz continues to be the focal point for global energy markets. The key oil transit route has seen severely reduced traffic, forcing Gulf producers to cut millions of barrels of daily output.Although a limited number of vessels have exited the Persian Gulf in recent days, most shipping remains stalled, keeping supply tight and supporting prices.Crude has surged over 40% this month amid fears of prolonged disruption, with refined products like diesel and jet fuel rising even faster, adding pressure on consumers and governments.Concerns have also grown over potential escalation, with a Wall Street Journal report indicating that US allies in the Gulf, including Saudi Arabia, may be moving closer to joining the conflict.At the same time, Israel has continued strikes, while reports of damage to gas facilities in Iran’s Isfahan region have added to supply worries.Analysts say markets are likely to remain sensitive to both geopolitical developments and actual supply flows.“It is unclear how far back-channel talks have progressed or if the IRGC is in any mood to settle at this stage when they remain in firm control of the Strait of Hormuz,” RBC Capital Markets analysts said, adding, “Ships, not soundbites, will likely be what ultimately matters for physical markets.”Goldman Sachs’ Daan Struyven told Bloomberg TV, “If this shock lasts longer, this extreme tightness that’s now concentrated in Middle East and Asia would spread,” warning that demand destruction may eventually be needed to rebalance supply.Oil markets have seen sharp swings in recent sessions, with prices still up over 30% this month despite Monday’s decline. Analysts note that repeated shifts in US messaging and uncertainty around diplomacy have left investors cautious.With negotiations unclear and supply disruptions ongoing, traders are closely tracking developments around the Strait of Hormuz, which remains central to global oil flows.(With inputs from agencies)