South Africa bounced back in style to defeat New Zealand by 19 runs in the fourth T20I at Sky Stadium. Riding on a composed half-century from Connor Esterhuizen and a disciplined bowling effort, the visitors squared the five-match series 2-2, setting up a thrilling decider.

Connor Esterhuizen anchors South Africa to competitive total

After opting to bat first, South Africa posted a competitive total of 164/5 in their 20 overs. Despite an early setback with Wiaan Mulder departing for a duck, Tony de Zorzi steadied the innings with a fluent 23 off 21 balls. The innings was anchored by Esterhuizen, who played a match-defining knock of 57 off 36 deliveries, striking seven fours and three sixes.

Esterhuizen found support from Rubin Hermann, who chipped in with 28 runs. Late contributions from Dian Forrester (19), Jason Smith (19), and George Linde (14) ensured South Africa finished strongly, adding valuable runs in the death overs.

For New Zealand, Kyle Jamieson stood out with figures of 2/29, while Ben Sears was economical, conceding just 22 runs and picking up a wicket. However, James Neesham proved expensive, giving away 49 runs, which allowed South Africa to gain momentum during the middle and death overs.

South Africa bowlers seal the deal

Chasing 165, New Zealand started positively with Tim Robinson scoring 32 off 22 balls. Dane Cleaver added a quick 26 off 16, but the hosts failed to build partnerships as wickets fell at regular intervals. Nick Kelly’s 19 provided brief stability, but the middle order struggled to keep up with the required rate. Lower-order contributions from Jamieson (13) and Cole McConchie (10) were not enough as New Zealand were bowled out for 145 in 18.5 overs.

South Africa’s bowling attack delivered under pressure, with Gerald Coetzee leading the charge with three wickets. Keshav Maharaj and Prenelan Subrayen picked up two wickets each, while Ottniel Baartman also bagged two crucial scalps to dent New Zealand’s chase. Esterhuizen was named Player of the Match for his outstanding innings that laid the foundation for the win. With the series now level at 2-2, the stage is perfectly set for an exciting fifth T20I.

Also READ: NZ vs SA T20I Series: Date, Match Time, Broadcast and Live Streaming details

A crucial win for the Proteas as they levelled the series 2-2 💪#cricket #NZvsSA
Scorecard 👉 https://t.co/FwbzXGdHQs #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/nJFL39mlLg

— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) March 22, 2026

Also READ: Lockie Ferguson, Tom Latham sizzle in New Zealand’s commanding win over South Africa in 3rd T20I

Punjab Kings (Getty Images)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the Punjab Kings are finally “moving in the right direction” after making smart and bold decisions at the auction table, raising hopes of ending their long wait for an Indian Premier League (IPL) title.Speaking on IPL Today Live, Pathan highlighted how the franchise has shown renewed clarity in both leadership and squad-building. Punjab Kings finished as runners-up last season, narrowly losing the final to Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

Clear Leadership Driving Punjab’s Turnaround

“Leadership has played a huge role in Punjab’s turnaround. You win half the IPL at the auction table. Big purses don’t necessarily mean you will always get what you want, but they did, and they reached the final,” he said.Smart auction moves key to Punjab’s rise Pathan pointed out that the franchise has not shied away from taking tough calls, including releasing underperforming players such as Glenn Maxwell, while also strengthening their bench. “They took bold but important calls… and now you see all-rounders like Azmatullah Omarzai, Marco Jansen and Marcus Stoinis, along with a young Indian batting core. They also went all-out for Shreyas Iyer after deciding he would be the captain. There is clarity of thought, and I feel Punjab have started to move in the right direction,” he said.

Punjab Kings in IPL 2025

The Punjab Kings enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in IPL 2025, emerging as one of the most consistent teams of the season. Under the leadership of Shreyas Iyer, they topped the league stage and advanced to the final, marking their first title clash after 2014. The team displayed remarkable balance, with Iyer leading from the front with the bat where he finished 604 runs, while Arshdeep Singh spearheaded the bowling attack finishing with 21 wickets. Punjab’s journey included a memorable win in Qualifier 2 against Mumbai Indians after failing in Qualifier 1 from RCB to secure a place in the final, but they ultimately fell short against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in finals. Despite the loss, the 2025 season signaled a major turnaround for the franchise, establishing them as genuine contenders and laying a strong foundation for future success.

Last week’s bloodbath at the Dalal Street erroded the market capitalisation of five of the top-10 most-valued firms by over Rs 1 lakh crore. The broader equity benchmarks also ended on a muted note. The BSE Sensex slipped by 30.96 points, or 0.04%, while the NSE Nifty declined 36.6 points, or 0.15%, reflecting a largely subdued trading environment. Of the top ten firms, HDFC took the hardest hit. Market movement through the week showed a mixed pattern. Ajit Mishra, SVP, Research, Religare Broking Ltd, noted that while early sessions supported gains, selling pressure in later sessions weighed on overall performance. “Markets ended the week on a largely flat note with a negative bias, reflecting underlying caution among participants. The tone remained positive during the first three sessions; however, a sharp decline on Thursday erased the gains, followed by a volatile final session,” he said. Among the major constituents, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance and Hindustan Unilever were the key laggards, together dragging down valuations significantly over the week. The total market value erosion for these five companies stood at Rs 1,02,771.87 crore. Individually, HDFC Bank saw its market capitalisation fall by Rs 56,124.48 crore to Rs 12,01,267.28 crore. Hindustan Unilever lost Rs 18,009.62 crore, bringing its valuation down to Rs 4,89,631.32 crore, while Bajaj Finance recorded a decline of Rs 15,338.42 crore to Rs 5,16,715.12 crore. Tata Consultancy Services witnessed a reduction of Rs 7,127.63 crore, taking its mcap to Rs 8,64,940 crore, whereas ICICI Bank edged lower by Rs 6,171.72 crore to Rs 8,91,673.06 crore. On the other hand, select heavyweights managed to post gains during the week. Reliance Industries led the gains with its valuation rising by Rs 45,942.75 crore to Rs 19,14,235.92 crore. Bharti Airtel added Rs 24,462.03 crore to reach Rs 10,52,893.75 crore, while State Bank of India climbed by Rs 10,707.52 crore to Rs 9,76,968.57 crore. Further, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Infosys also registered increases of Rs 2,624.88 crore and Rs 2,473.79 crore respectively, taking their valuations to Rs 4,91,610.45 crore and Rs 5,08,789.37 crore. At the end of the week, Reliance Industries retained its position as the most-valued listed firm, followed by HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Tata Consultancy Services, Bajaj Finance, Infosys, Life Insurance Corporation of India and Hindustan Unilever.

Twelve years after an HIV-positive woman died by suicide by jumping from the 15th floor of her Goregaon building, a Mumbai sessions court has acquitted a 37-year-old businessman accused of abetting her death, ruling that harassment alone cannot amount to abetment without clear intent to drive a person to take their own life. The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the woman’s former husband, who alleged that the accused had subjected her to harassment after she was diagnosed with HIV. However, the court found no direct or proximate link between the alleged harassment and the woman’s decision to end her life. Emphasising the legal threshold for abetment to suicide, the court observed that mere allegations of harassment, without evidence showing intention or active instigation, are insufficient to hold an accused guilty.Case overview and allegationsThe judgment concludes a 12-year legal battle following the suicide of a woman in May 2013. The prosecution alleged that the woman took her own life due to continuous harassment, physical abuse, and mental torture by a man with whom she was in a relationship. The primary allegations included medical harassment following the woman’s HIV diagnosis, claims that the accused forced her to undergo an abortion against her will, and criminal intimidation involving threats toward her daughter’s safety and the sending of obscene messages.History of the marriage and separationThe relationship between the deceased and the complainant, her ex-husband, was marked by a 2003 marriage and the birth of their daughter in 2004. Although the couple divorced by mutual consent in 2006 due to “stubborn conduct” and persistent disputes, they continued to reside together in Mumbai for the sake of their child. The woman then got into a relationship with the accused, a neighbour. In June 2011, the woman informed her ex-husband that she had married the accused in a temple ceremony. Following the ex-husband’s remarriage in November 2011, the woman moved into separate rental premises which he had arranged for her.Events leading to the suicideThe prosecution’s case focused on a series of alleged harassment beginning in 2012 when the woman was diagnosed with HIV, leading to claims of abuse by the accused. In early 2013, she reportedly informed her ex-husband of a pregnancy by the accused, followed by an alleged forced abortion on March 30. The situation escalated on May 21, 2013, when she claimed the accused threatened to kidnap her daughter. After staying at her ex-husband’s staff quarters for safety that night, she went for a walk at 6 am on May 22, during which the accused allegedly followed her and sent abusive messages. Between 7.30 am and 8 am that morning, she jumped from a 15th-floor terrace. Her daughter was on holiday with relatives with London. Defining abetment to suicide Under Section 306 of the IPC, the court noted that abetment requires a significantly higher burden of proof than simply demonstrating harassment. The judgment highlighted two critical requirements, the presence of specific intent (mens rea), meaning the accused must have intended to provoke or instigate the suicide, and evidence of direct instigation. This requires an active or direct act that leaves the deceased with no other viable option but to take their own life.Why the court acquitted the accusedThe court identified several critical gaps that created reasonable doubt regarding the accused’s guilt. Medical evidence contradicted the prosecution’s claims, as the doctor at the nursing home denied any abortion took place, and the accused tested negative for HIV, weakening the motive for disease-based harassment. Further, witness credibility was questioned because the ex-husband did not witness the alleged assaults, and the victim’s sister’s deposition contradicted her initial police statement. Digital evidence including WhatsApp and text messages was ruled inadmissible because it was not authenticated according to legal standards for electronic evidence.Judge’s reasoning Judge Rajendra V Lokhande noted that a conviction under Section 306 of the IPC requires the essential presence of clear mens rea—the specific intention to abet the act—noting that mere harassment is insufficient on its own. The judge further observed that the prosecution failed to establish any active or direct action by the accused that would have forced the deceased to conclude she had no other option but to commit suicide.Judge’s verbatim quotes “The prosecution evidence does not establish an active or direct action of the accused which leads deceased… to commit suicide finding no other option. There is no prosecution evidence to prove that the accused had the mens rea to instigate or push the deceased… to commit suicide.”“The prosecution has not brought any evidence to prove that the accused forcefully made abortion of (the deceased) without her consent… therefore, the evidence of (the ex-husband) about alleged forceful abortion of (the deceased) by the accused is not believable.”“For a conviction under Section 306 of the IPC, it is a well established legal principle that the presence of clear mens rea—the intention to abet the act—is essential. Mere harassment, by itself, is not sufficient to find an accused guilty of abetting suicide.”“The element of mens rea cannot simply be presumed or inferred; it must be evident and explicitly discernible. Without this, the foundational requirement for establishing abetment under the law is not satisfied, underscoring the necessity of a deliberate and conspicuous intent to provoke or contribute to the act of suicide.”Legal precedents citedThe court relied on two primary Supreme Court rulings to establish the framework for acquittal. In Jayedeepsinh Pravinsinha Chavda vs State of Gujarat (2024), it was established that intent cannot be presumed and must be explicitly discernible. Similarly, Mariano Anto Bruno vs The Inspector of Police (2022) clarified that the actions of an accused must be so severe that they reflect a clear intention to push the deceased to a breaking point where they feel suicide is the only exit.