Panaji: Indian Super League (ISL) clubs have collectively urged the All India Football Federation (AIFF) not to take any “binding decision” on the new long-term commercial rights holder when it comes up for discussion before the executive committee on Sunday.The clubs have cited lack of meaningful opportunity to evaluate the bidders since the Request for Quotations (RFQ) document was shared with them just 12 hours prior to the bids being opened.

The Wankhede Stadium is set to erupt this Sunday as Mumbai Indians (MI) host Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the second match of IPL 2026. While the atmosphere in Mumbai is electric, a familiar shadow hangs over the five-time champions. Despite their trophy-laden history, MI have notoriously struggled to find their footing in season openers, a trend that head coach Mahela Jayawardene is no longer willing to ignore.

Mahela Jayawardene denotes Mumbai Indians’ opening-match woes as ‘the elephant in the room’

Mumbai Indians’ inability to win their first match of an IPL season has moved beyond a statistical quirk and into the realm of a psychological ‘hoodoo.’ Speaking on the eve of the clash against KKR, Jayawardene was refreshing in his candor, labeling the opening-game slump as the ‘elephant in the room.’

“I haven’t had a disappointing Wankhede crowd. Now, eight years with the team…six years as a coach. The elephant in the room is the first game for us. How do we get over the line? I am going to really focus on that first game. Cross that, get a good start this season rather than us playing catching up later. I want to do things in a different way, if possible… so that we have the flexibility of trying different combinations as well,” Jayawardene admitted. He emphasized that while the preparation remains consistent across the season, the focus this year has shifted toward immediate mental readiness.

A significant factor in this year’s preparation is the emotional hangover from India’s recent T20 World Cup triumph. With core players like Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma and Jasprit Bumrah coming off the ultimate international high, Jayawardene acknowledged the difficulty of recalibrating. To combat burnout, the MI management granted these stars an extended break to reset. The coach remains confident that their familiarity with the MI groove and a few high-intensity practice games over the last week have primed them to break the season-opening curse.

Also WATCH: Suryakumar Yadav’s heartwarming act for KKR’s new deputy Rinku Singh ahead of IPL 2026 clash

Jayawardene’s shocking philosophy on MI’s sixth title

As the wait for a sixth IPL title enters another year, fans and critics alike have begun questioning the gap since Mumbai’s last trophy. However, Jayawardene offered a perspective that shifts the focus from the silverware itself to the process behind it. In what some might consider a shocking take, he insisted that the number of years between titles isn’t the primary metric of success for the franchise.

“To be honest, every year we want to win, so it’s not about the gap, That’s how I see things. How we see is that we will play our best cricket to win the title. So for us, the gap is not the thing. It’s about, it’s bigger than – yes, the IPL trophy is massive – but for us, it’s even bigger how we go about doing things. As long as we have the culture, the winning culture and doing that, I know that we will have enough trophies to celebrate that,” Jayawardene explained. For the MI think-tank, the focus remains on maintaining a winning culture rather than obsessing over the drought. He suggested that the identity of the team and how they execute their brand of cricket is bigger than the trophy itself.

The strategy for IPL 2026 appears to be a blend of honooring that internal culture while demanding elite performance from the experienced heads. Jayawardene’s philosophy is simple: if the standards are met and the intensity is locked in from ball one, the trophies will naturally follow. As they face a formidable KKR side, the cricketing world will be watching to see if Mumbai can finally silence the elephant and start their campaign on a winning note.

Also READ: MI vs KKR, IPL 2026: Probable XI for Match 2, Wankhede Stadium T20 Stats and Records

Harbhajan Singh (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh found himself at the centre of a viral social media moment after hitting back at a troll during an IPL broadcast. Known for his outspoken nature, Harbhajan didn’t hold back when he saw a disrespectful comment aimed at him and his fellow commentators.The incident began when a user on X posted a picture of Harbhajan Singh along with Virender Sehwag and Aakash Chopra from an IPL commentary panel and captioned it “three clowns.”

The National Stock Exchange (NSE) has announced that launching Dated Brent Crude Oil (Platts) futures contracts in its commodity derivatives segment after receiving approval from Sebi. Trading in these contracts will begin on April 13, 2026.According to an NSE circular, the contracts will be introduced with monthly expiries extending up to 2027. They will be based on the S&P Global Energy (Platts) Dated Brent assessment and will trade under the symbol “BRCRUDEOIL”.The exchange said that the launch is aimed at expanding its commodity derivatives offerings and giving market participants a tool linked to a global crude oil benchmark. The Platts Dated Brent assessment tracks international crude oil prices, and the contracts are expected to help improve price discovery and support hedging in line with global markets.Each contract will have a trading unit of 100 barrels, with a maximum limit of 10,000 barrels. A 6% daily price limit will apply at first. If this limit is crossed, trading will pause for 15 minutes, after which the limit can be widened to 9%.“In case price movement in international markets is more than the maximum daily price limit (currently 9%), or if the international price is beyond the maximum daily price limit range (after appropriate currency conversion) when compared with the previous day’s closing price on the domestic exchange, the same may be further relaxed in steps of 3% beyond the maximum permitted limit, by giving appropriate notice to the market,” the circular noted.The contracts will be cash-settled. The final settlement price will be based on the monthly simple average of the Platts Dated Brent assessments in rupee terms.The NSE circular states, “Final Settlement Price shall be the monthly simple average price, in Indian rupees, of the S&P Global Energy’s (Platts) Dated Brent assessments (midpoint of the high and low) for the respective contract month. The monthly simple average RBI USD/INR reference rate of the respective contract month will be used for conversion. The price so arrived at will be rounded off to the nearest tick.”The NSE said the move will help Indian market participants access global crude benchmarks, improve hedging for refiners, importers and institutional traders, and strengthen price discovery by linking domestic markets with international prices. It is also expected to increase liquidity and participation in the segment.Further details on risk management, clearing and settlement will be issued separately by NSE Clearing Ltd.

The war in Iran has inflicted significant damage on US military assets, with losses and repairs estimated between $1.4 billion and $2.9 billion within the first three weeks, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.The bulk of the damage has been attributed to Iranian ballistic missiles and drone strikes targeting US and allied infrastructure across the Middle East. The Pentagon is expected to account for these losses in a proposed $200 billion supplemental spending request sent to the White House.

Fighter aircraft losses

Among the most high-value losses are advanced fighter jets. Three F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft were mistakenly shot down by a Kuwaiti F/A-18 on March 1, though all six crew members ejected safely. Each jet is estimated to cost around $100 million.A F-35A Lightning II also made an emergency landing on March 19, with Iran claiming it had targeted the aircraft. Each F-35A is valued at approximately $82.5 million.

Tankers and personnel losses

The conflict has also affected aerial refuelling operations. A KC-135 Stratotanker crashed over Iraq after colliding mid-air with another tanker, killing six crew members.In addition, five KC-135 aircraft were damaged during an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. As the aircraft is no longer manufactured, replacements are likely to be the KC-46 Pegasus, each costing about $165 million.

Drone fleet hit

Unmanned aerial systems have suffered repeated losses. More than a dozen MQ-9 Reaper drones have been lost since the conflict began.This includes at least eight shot down by Iranian missiles, three destroyed on the ground and one downed by a Persian Gulf nation. Each MQ-9 costs at least $16 million, while newer MQ-9B variants are priced at around $30 million.

Missile defence and radar damage

Key surveillance and missile defence systems have also been targeted. An AN/TPY-2 radar in Jordan, part of a THAAD battery, was struck, with an estimated cost of over $300 million.In Qatar, damage was reported to an AN/FPS-132 radar at Al-Udeid Air Base, a high-value system capable of tracking multiple threats simultaneously and costing around $1 billion.Additional attacks have reportedly impacted radar, communications and air-defence systems in countries including the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Naval setback

Apart from combat-related damage, operational incidents have also added to the overall cost. A fire broke out aboard the USS Gerald R Ford on March 12, affecting multiple sections of the vessel, including living quarters. The carrier is currently undergoing repairs in Greece.

Cost of escalation

The early financial toll reflects the scale of material losses in the conflict, even without a full-scale ground war. With high-value platforms, surveillance systems and drones affected, the overall cost is expected to rise further as operations continue.

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