Before the US and Israel even launched strikes, Iran had a plan ready, and it didn’t solely rest on conventional firepower. The country has been quietly preparing to turn the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for the world’s oil supply, into a strategic lever, according to sources cited by Reuters. Any disruption to the vital passage ripples instantly through global energy markets.Iran’s approach builds on lessons from the 1980s “Tanker War” during the Iran-Iraq conflict, when attacks on ships turned the Gulf into a dangerous corridor, requiring US naval escorts. Today, the country has far more sophisticated, cost-effective options, including missile and drone arsenals capable of threatening shipping over a wide area. Recent strikes demonstrate how quickly Iran can disrupt movement without laying mines.“Iran is outgunned — there is no way it can defeat them in a direct confrontation,” said Ali Vaez, Director of the International Crisis Group’s Iran Project. Following a 12-day war last June, Tehran explored ways to extend any future conflict “in time and space.” Vaez told Reuters, “If Iran takes the global economy hostage, Trump would blink first.”

‘Goal is to create economic pain’

According to the sources, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) had long prepared for a clash with Washington and Tel Aviv. The plan was activated on February 28, after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei died on the first day of the conflict. Rather than confronting superior forces head-on, Iran aims to inflict economic and military pressure on the United States by targeting oil flows and striking US positions across the Gulf.“This is asymmetric warfare par excellence, in which Iran achieves outsized, even global effects through a small number of attacks that impose painful costs,” said Michael Eisenstadt of the Washington Institute. “The goal is to create economic pain, further undermining support for the war in the United States and increasing pressure on Washington to end it.”Tehran is dispersing attacks across the region using drones and low-cost missiles, tactics once carried out by proxies in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon. This decentralised “Mosaic” strategy spreads command and control to withstand any attempt to remove Iran’s leadership. Even after Khamenei’s death, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and national security chief Ali Larijani continue to direct operations from Tehran.Vaez criticised the US response as lacking preparation, saying Washington failed to anticipate drone attacks, shipping disruptions, and evacuation needs. While the United States could severely weaken Iran, a complete defeat would require a large-scale land invasion involving up to a million troops, a level of commitment it has shown little appetite for.For Iran, survival is the immediate objective. Beyond that, Tehran seeks to show that coercion, whether military, economic, or diplomatic, cannot force compliance. By controlling the Strait of Hormuz and expanding the battlefield far beyond its borders, Iran is betting it can outlast a militarily superior opponent.

MS Dhoni (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan believes the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League could be the “last time” fans see MS Dhoni playing for Chennai Super Kings.As the IPL 2026 season approaches, discussions around Dhoni’s retirement have once again gathered momentum.

Speculation intensified after CSK traded Sanju Samson from Rajasthan Royals, a move that many believe could allow the veteran to further reduce his on-field role while continuing to mentor the team.“CSK is incomplete without MS Dhoni. This season might be the last time we see him in the yellow jersey and it’s tough to imagine CSK and the IPL without him,” Irfan said on JioHotstar’s ‘Game Plan’.“As soon as the IPL comes around, we start seeing Mahendra Singh Dhoni again, which means he is fully prepared for it, and he is looking very fit as well,” he added.The 44-year-old joined the CSK camp in Chennai earlier this month and has been training with the squad led by captain Ruturaj Gaikwad.Pathan said Dhoni’s role could increasingly focus on guiding the team and helping develop the next generation of leaders within the side.“This season, Dhoni will play an important role in bringing everyone together. I’m not sure how many games he will play. But his presence in the dressing room will help a lot.“Sanju will benefit because he will be part of the leadership group as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad is the leader. But as a group, two or three guys are being groomed for the future. That is where MS Dhoni comes in. I hope he makes a difference.“Questions about his fitness, batting position, and whether he will play all games will still come up. The CSK team management will take it step by step. They will definitely look to give him a perfect farewell by lifting their sixth IPL trophy.”Dhoni has featured in 278 IPL matches across two franchises — CSK and Rising Pune Supergiant during the 2016 and 2017 seasons when CSK were suspended — scoring 5,439 runs in the tournament.Last season, he was mostly seen in brief cameo roles during the death overs, scoring 196 runs from 13 innings.CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan, however, has stated that the veteran will be available for the full season and is expected to play “all matches” in the 2026 campaign.Pathan also feels the time has come for younger players to gradually take on more responsibility within the franchise.“We have seen him take responsibility for a number of years now, but I think this is the time for the baton to pass on to the likes of Ayush Mhatre, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who is a young captain as well.“CSK’s ideology has changed. It will be key for the youngsters to learn from MS Dhoni’s experience, and for him to take the players ahead alongside him. It is a very exciting team on paper. In terms of six-hitting ability and intent, I am really looking forward to seeing the fearlessness from this young CSK side.”The trade between CSK and Rajasthan Royals means Ravindra Jadeja has returned to his former franchise, while Rajasthan have also parted ways with Jos Buttler.Former India cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar believes Rajasthan’s younger players must now step up following the departure of two experienced batters.“First they let go of Jos Buttler, and now there is no Sanju Samson as well. The young batsmen in the team will have to take the lead,” Bangar said.“It will be a good start for Riyan Parag, playing three games at home. He will get home support in Guwahati as a local boy, coming here for the first time as a full-time captain. He will definitely want to perform well in front of his home fans, but it won’t be easy for the Rajasthan Royals.”Former India opener Abhinav Mukund also raised concerns about Sunrisers Hyderabad’s early fixtures and the availability of their captain Pat Cummins.“SRH have some difficult games coming up at the start, and you don’t know whether Pat Cummins is fully available or not. They haven’t made any statement yet, so we’ll have to wait for that because he has been a lynchpin for them,” he said.SRH will begin their campaign against defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru on March 28 before travelling to face Kolkata Knight Riders on April 2 and returning home to take on Lucknow Super Giants on April 5.

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The second ODI between Bangladesh and Pakistan at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur was memorable for more than just the result. Pakistan registered a commanding 128-run victory, but the match also produced one of the most debated moments of the series – an unusual run-out involving Pakistan batter Salman Ali Agha and Bangladesh skipper Mehidy Hasan Miraz.

The incident, which took place during Pakistan’s innings, sparked heated exchanges between players and quickly became the centre of discussion among fans and experts. After the match, both captains addressed the controversy and explained their perspectives on what happened.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz defends his decision to run out Salman Agha

Bangladesh captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz stood by his actions during the post-match presentation, insisting that he simply reacted to the situation while trying to prevent a possible run.

“He was away from the wicket, and I was just looking for the ball. If you miss, he would go for the run. So I was just thinking like that,” Mehidy explained.

The Bangladesh skipper further elaborated on what was going through his mind at that moment in the 39th over of Pakistan’s innings.

“My intention was only to stop the ball and save a potential run. He was outside the crease and I was just going towards the ball. If I had missed the ball, he could have easily taken a run, so I decided to throw at the stumps,” he said.

The quick reaction from Mehidy resulted in Agha being run out, a dismissal that briefly shifted the momentum of the match. Following the incident, Pakistan lost several quick wickets, with their batting lineup collapsing towards the end of the innings.

However, Bangladesh could not capitalize on that momentum. Reflecting on the overall match, Mehidy admitted that his side needed to improve their batting performance after being bowled out for just 114 runs while chasing a revised DLS target.

Salman Agha reflects on the incident

Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha, who had played a crucial knock of 64 runs off 62 balls, offered a more measured view while speaking after the match. Although he acknowledged that Mehidy’s action was within the laws of cricket, he suggested he personally would have handled the situation differently.

“I think sportsman spirit has to be there,” Agha said. “What he [Mehidy] has done is in the law. I think if he thinks it’s right, it’s right, but if you ask me my perspective, I would have done differently. I would have gone for sportsman spirit. We haven’t done this [type of thing] previously, we would never do that in the future as well.”

Agha also explained why he had stepped out of his crease in the first place. According to him, he believed the ball had already become harmless after hitting both his pad and bat.

“Actually, the ball hit on my pad and then my bat,” Agha explained. “So I thought he can’t get me run-out now, because the ball already hit on my pad and my bat. I was just trying to give him the ball back. I was not looking for the run or anything like that, but he already decided [to make the run-out].”

The moment also saw Agha visibly frustrated on the field, throwing his gloves and helmet to the ground and engaging in a brief exchange with Bangladesh wicketkeeper Litton Das. Looking back, the Pakistan captain admitted that his reaction was driven by emotion in the heat of the moment.

“It was just heat-of-the-moment kind of stuff,” Agha admitted. “If you ask me what would I have done, I would have done things differently. But it was everything, whatever happened after that, it was in the moment.”

Also WATCH: Salman Agha loses cool after unusual run out by Mehidy Hasan Miraz in BAN vs PAK 2nd ODI

Speaking about the verbal exchange with Litton Das, Agha offered a candid reflection.

“I can’t remember what I was saying and I can’t remember what he was saying. I’m sure I wasn’t saying nice things, and I’m sure he wasn’t saying nice stuff as well. But it was just heat of the moment, so we are fine.”

When asked whether he had spoken to Mehidy after the match, Agha responded with a hint of humor while acknowledging that emotions were still fresh.

“I haven’t yet, but don’t worry, I’ll find him,” Agha said with a wry smile.

He later added: “I haven’t spoken to him yet, but we will. Don’t worry, we are fine.”

Despite the controversy, Pakistan delivered a dominant performance to level the three-match ODI series 1-1. After posting 274 runs, they bundled Bangladesh out for 114 while chasing a rain-adjusted target of 243 in 32 overs.

With the series now tied, the third and final ODI – scheduled for March 16 in Mirpur – promises a thrilling decider, with both teams eager to settle the contest on the field.

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Indian Premier League (IPL) is set for his blockbuster start from March 28, and fans are eagerly waiting for the thrilling performance of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi who heads into his second IPL season after an impressive breakthrough campaign with Rajasthan Royals. While expectations around the young batter are high, former India cricketer Robin Uthappa believes the upcoming season could prove to be a learning phase for the youngster.

From fearless newcomer to studied opponent

Vaibhav made his debut last season and emerged as the fearless teenager who surprised opposition bowlers with his aggressive batting and quickly became a key part of the Rajasthan Royals lineup.

However, things could be different this year as teams now have more information about his strengths and weaknesses. According to Uthappa, Sooryavanshi is entering a phase where opponents have started analysing his game and building strategies to counter him.“I have been keenly observing every game Vaibhav is playing over the last 12 months. He is phenomenal. But if you are going to watch him bat, I feel he is riding his luck a little bit. And when the standard gets a little bit higher, little tougher, and people now know where to bowl to him. The novelty has worn off. I think that right now, he is riding that luck a little bit, which is fine. I think this season will be educational for him and will serve him in the long run. He will still score runs, but I don’t think he will be all that he was last year,” Uthappa said on Star Sports.

Why Uthappa’s warning matters

Unlike last season, when he entered the tournament as a relatively unknown youngster with little pressure, Sooryavanshi now returns with greater expectations and increased scrutiny. Opposition teams have had time to analyze his batting approach, meaning the young opener will likely face more calculated bowling strategies this year.

All eyes on Sooryavanshi in IPL 2026

As the IPL gears up for another blockbuster season, the spotlight will once again be on the league’s emerging stars. For Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, IPL 2026 represents an opportunity to prove that his debut season was not just about surprise and luck, but the beginning of a promising career.

Oil cos say India’s petrol & diesel supply is stable and authorities urge consumers not to hoard, still families and businesses have been running scared, from paring down menus to performing ‘Opparis’ around cylindersThe day she heard about the LPG cylinder crisis, Preetha Rengaswamy decided to go fireless. And first up for breakfast in her raw new menu was the Indian flag — a sandwich of carrots, cheese and coriander — that heralded that the stove was now off-limits.Over the past few days bhelpuri has replaced puris, chapathis have made way for chatpata salads; as for dosas, they’re just a distant dream now in the Rengaswamy household.

With cylinder deliveries delayed by up to 25 days across the city, households such as the Rengaswamys are being forced to rethink the way they cook, rationing gas, reviving old induction stoves and rediscovering meals that need little or no fire.“We’re living on a staple of salads, sprouts and teamwork,”says Preetha. “We’re eating healthier, feeling lighter, sleeping better, and most important, cooking together, because I’ve realised over the past week that salads are a heck of a lot of work for a family of six with all the grating and dicing and chopping,” she says.

After her booking attempts failed, R Saraswathi dusted off an old induction stove, which she was pleased to note worked to her advantage. “I am cooking dal in half the time that it took on my gas stove. The LPG crisis is making me look at cooking in a different light. Spurred by herinduction stove rediscovery, the West Mambalam resident is now considering roof-top solar panels.If there is one person unfazed by the LPG crisis, it’s Krish Ashok, techie and author of ‘Masala Lab’, a book on the science of Indian cooking. Ashok says he went the induction route a long time ago, finding it to be 30% more efficient than LPG, calling it “the single biggest kitchen hack”. “I change my cylinder once every 10 months now,” says Ashok, who uses the stove only to puff up his chapathis.“The physics behind an induction stove is different from LPG. With gas, the flame first heats the burner and the vessel, and only then does the heat transfer to the food. Much of the heat is lost in that process. In induction cooking, electromagnetic induction generates heat in the vessel itself. That is why water can boil up to 70% faster.”The Chinese, says Ashok, mastered the art of cooking with less energy. “There is a reason behind cutting vegetables into small pieces in many Asian cuisines. In China, cooking fuel was historically scarce. So, people developed methods that used high heat for short periods in a wok. The actual cooking time could be as little as 30 seconds.”Shorter cooking times preserve more micronutrients such as vitamins C and B, which degrade with prolonged heat and leach into water during boiling. Steaming, microwaving, or stir-frying minimises losses compared to long boils, says Meenakshi Bajaj, chief dietitian at Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital. “A microwave cooks food from the inside out, whereas a stove heats from the outside. Because the cooking time is shorter, fewer nutrients are lost overall.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday criticised Congress during a public address in Silchar, Assam, saying it was acting as a puppet of forces against India’s growth.Speaking on the second day of his Assam visit, the Prime Minister said, “The forces across the globe that are unable to digest India’s rapid development, the Congress is increasingly becoming a mere puppet in the hands of these very forces,” he said.

The prime minister further accused Congress of neglecting the Barak Valley for decades after independence. PM Modi said the region once played a key role in trade but lost its strength after the country’s borders were drawn in a way that cut off its connection to the sea.

“The Congress party had left the North East to its own fate. When the country attained independence, the Congress permitted the drawing of the boundary in such a manner that the Barak Valley’s vital link to the sea was completely severed,” he said.The Prime Minister said the BJP’s double-engine government was now working to change the situation by improving infrastructure and connectivity in the region.PM Modi inaugurated projects worth around Rs 24,000 crore in Silchar, including the Shillong–Silchar high-speed corridor.“Just ask the Congress leaders about this. Hand them a pen and paper, and ask them to write down Rs 24,000 crore, and they won’t even be able to do it,” he said.The 166 km corridor, with an investment of around Rs 22,860 crore, is supposed to significantly improve connectivity between Meghalaya and Assam. Speaking at the occasion, Chief Minister of the poll-bound state, Himanta Biswa Sarma, said, “Elections in Assam are just around the corner. On behalf of the Barak Valley and the people of Assam, I wish to convey this message to the Prime Minister: The people of Assam will bring back the Modi government”. The Prime Minister is scheduled to hold a rally in Bengal in the afternoon.