MUMBAI: The rupee fell to a record low on Monday and closed at 92.33, down 58 paise from Friday’s close of 91.75, as escalating conflict in West Asia pushed crude oil prices to around $119 a barrel and triggered foreign capital outflows from oil-importing markets seeking safer assets. The currency touched a record low of around 92.35 during the session, pressured by rising oil prices, a stronger dollar, and foreign portfolio outflows, while central bank intervention through dollar selling likely helped limit steeper losses.Crude oil prices surged above $100 a barrel, reaching levels last seen in mid-2022 and increasing pressure on oil-importing Asian economies. Several regional currencies also weakened sharply, with some touching record lows as investors reassessed risks linked to higher energy costs and geopolitical tensions.

“India imports nearly half of its total energy needs, including crude oil, gas, fertilisers and edible oils. That exposure becomes a major risk when global prices rise sharply. Roughly speaking, every one-dollar increase in the price of crude adds about $1.8 billion to India’s annual import bill. If crude were to rise by about $50 a barrel, the additional cost could reach close to $90 billion, which is more than 2% of GDP,” said Neelkanth Mishra, chief economist, Axis Bank. He said that if prices remain elevated for an extended period, it would create a significant distortion in the balance of payments. Even if the increase were closer to $50 billion rather than $90 billion, the strain would still be substantial. In the near term, prices could move even higher as tensions build, he said.He said the conflict could be short lived because it does not serve the interests of major powers such as the United States or China to allow it to drag on. “What we are likely seeing is a phase of brinkmanship that may last a few weeks—perhaps four to six weeks—before some form of resolution emerges,” he said.

Veteran Pakistani cricketer Ahmed Shehzad expressed his frustration after India national cricket team won the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, beating New Zealand national cricket team by 96 runs in a one-sided final at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India posted 255 runs and bowled out New Zealand for 159, setting several records along the way.Shehzad criticized Pakistan’s cricket system, saying that while Pakistan has plenty of talent, it lacks the structure and discipline seen in India.

He highlighted players like Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan, who were given few opportunities before the T20 World Cup but became match-winners. Samson was even named Player of the Tournament.“Pakistan has a lot of talent. There is no lack of talent. The flaw is in our system. What is there in India? There is both talent and system. You can see that through talent and system, players are being produced. Who is this player? This is Sanju Samson, who never gets a chance. He has become the man of the series in the World Cup. This is Ishan Kishan, who rarely plays. Discipline is such that he was also put aside. He has just come here after performing in domestic cricket,” Shehzad said on the Haarna Mana Hai show in Pakistan.He also praised Abhishek Sharma, who scored 52 runs in 21 balls in the final under pressure.Shehzad criticized Pakistan for celebrating wins against lower-ranked teams like Zimbabwe, Uganda, and Kenya. “Now, what level of cricket are you playing in Pakistan? And you just keep doing this, calling Zimbabwe and beating them, calling Kenya and beating them, calling Uganda and beating them.” Shehazad added.Shehzad even suggested that Pakistan should have separate ICC rankings against weaker teams like Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Uganda, instead of competing against top teams like India, Australia, and England.“Make our rankings separate, in which there is only Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe,” he concluded.

India’s historic T20 World Cup 2026 triumph produced many unforgettable moments, but one video that quickly went viral featured Ishan Kishan celebrating the title win with his girlfriend Aditi Hundia at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

As the celebrations continued past midnight, the stadium was still buzzing with excitement when a heartwarming scene unfolded on the field. Kishan, draped in the Indian tricolour after helping India secure the title, shared an emotional embrace with Hundia, who had come down from the stands to join the jubilant players. The candid moment, captured by cameramen and widely circulated on social media, became one of the defining moment of India’s third T20 World Cup victory.

A night of glory and celebration for Team India

The celebrations followed a memorable performance from Kishan in the final. Coming in at number three after the early dismissal of Abhishek Sharma, the left-handed batter played a crucial role in building India’s massive total.

Kishan smashed 54 runs off just 25 balls, striking four boundaries and four sixes. His aggressive knock provided the momentum India needed and helped power the team to 255 for 5, the highest total ever recorded in a T20 World Cup final. The innings marked his third half-century of the tournament and played a key role in India’s commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand.

Adding to the moment was the presence of Aditi Hundia in the stands throughout the match. The Jaipur-based model was spotted several times on the live broadcast cheering enthusiastically for the Indian team. Dressed casually in a red tank top and denims, she was seated among family members of other Indian players, including Abhishek Sharma’s sister Komal.

Once India sealed the win, the celebrations spilled onto the field. Hundia made her way from the stands onto the iconic Ahmedabad pitch, navigating through the sea of jubilant players and support staff. When she finally reached Kishan, the two shared a warm embrace as the wicketkeeper-batter stood proudly wrapped in the Indian flag.

😍”चलो ना उधर” pic.twitter.com/KcopnCRKVa

— Magadh Updates (@magadh_updates) March 9, 2026

Fans on social media quickly labeled the moment the “perfect ending to a perfect night.” Videos from the celebrations also showed Hundia joining other players and their companions during the post-match festivities, including dancing alongside Hardik Pandya and his partner Mahieka Sharma.

Ishan Kishan was seen dancing and sharing a kiss with his girlfriend, Aditi Hundia. 💃❤️pic.twitter.com/Bbw0QyQlpf

— Magadh Updates (@magadh_updates) March 9, 2026

Also READ: Explained – Why Gautam Gambhir thanked Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman after India’s T20 World Cup 2026 title triumph?

“I dedicate this win to her:” Ishan Kishan

The celebrations also carried a deeper emotional layer for Kishan. Just two days before the final, tragedy struck his family when his cousin sister Vaishnavi Singh and her husband Ritik Singh died in a car accident in Siliguri while traveling to attend a wedding.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Kishan chose to stay with the team and play the final. After the match, he revealed the emotional burden he had carried onto the field.

“To be honest, before the game, I lost my cousin sister yesterday in a car accident. I played well for her. I spoke to Hardik bhai, he said to put the team ahead. I dedicate this win to her, and today is Women’s Day, so it makes it all the more special,” he said, his voice heavy with emotion.

Also READ: President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulate India on clinching the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 title

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the Iran war was going to “end soon”, without providing any specific timeline. He also warned Tehran that if they tried “anything cute”, the US would end the nation. He called the Iran war a “short term excursion.”“It’s going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they’ll be hit even harder,” Trump told a news conference in Florida. “We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some people. And I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short-term excursion,” he said.

Earlier, during a CBS interview, he said that the war was “very complete” and warned Iran against doing “anything cute”.“They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country,” the US president said during a CBS interview. “If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran and you’d never hear the name again,” he added.“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” he had said.Though he declared that US and allies had won, he added that it was not enough and would go “forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory”.“We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough. We go forward more determined than ever to achieve ultimate victory that will end this long-running danger once and for all…The United States of America is the greatest and most exceptional nation in human history and will not be threatened by evil terrorists and lunatics any longer,” he said.He further said that if US and Israel did not attack Iran, Tehran would have initiated the attack.“If we didn’t go in, they would have come in after us…Within a week, they were going to attack us 100 per cent. They were ready. They had all these missiles far more than anyone thought and they were going to attack us. They were going to attack all of the Middle East and Israel. If they had a nuclear weapon, they would have used it on Israel. This was going to be a major attack. They had all of those missile sites and all those launchers that we got rid of about 80 per cent of them right now...They have very few launchers left. What our military has done is amazing,” he said.The US leader has offered similar assessments in recent days about the damage caused by the US-Israeli strikes that began on February 28, though he had not previously gone so far as to suggest the war might be nearing an end.As recently as last Friday, Trump said Iran’s “unconditional surrender” was the only acceptable outcome for ending the conflict.His latest remarks also came about an hour after the Pentagon wrote on social media that the United States had “only just begun to fight.”

Gautam Gambhir and Arshdeep Singh (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: The celebrations, laughter, tears, dance, bhangra, hugs and high-fives were everywhere among the Indian players after Team India crushed New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift the T20 World Cup 2026 title. This was India’s third T20 World Cup triumph, having previously won it in 2007 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and in 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.After India won the final, Arshdeep Singh, who did not take a wicket in the title clash, was seen making reels with his teammates, including head coach Gautam Gambhir. He was playfully trolling teammates and members of the support staff.

Arshdeep posted a video reel with Gambhir. Turning the phone camera towards the head coach, he teased him by saying, “Paaji, kade has vi leya karo yaar (brother, you should smile sometimes).”

Arshdeep’s playful remark left Gambhir, who is usually seen in a serious mood, laughing.In another reel with Sanju Samson, Arshdeep said: “Justice mil gaya (finally got justice).”India scripted history by becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home and the first team to claim three T20 World Cup trophies.With this triumph, captain Suryakumar Yadav surpassed former skipper Rohit Sharma to register the best winning percentage by an Indian captain in T20Is.Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India have played 52 matches, winning 42, losing eight, while two ended in no result, giving him a win percentage of 80.77.Following India’s record-breaking third T20 World Cup win, captain Surya reflected on the importance of mental resilience, team understanding and off-field preparation in building a championship-winning culture. He also emphasised that the most important thing is to remain true to oneself.Speaking about the lessons from his own career, Surya stressed that failure is an inevitable part of sport.“It’s really important to understand that you’ll definitely fail more times than you succeed in sports. I mean, he must have seen it in his career. I have seen it last year, 2025. Whole year, I couldn’t get a 50. It took me 400 plus days to get a 50 for India. But that’s what I told the boys, the same thing. Ups and downs will definitely keep on coming in sport,” he said while addressing the media in the press conference.For Surya, success comes not just from technical skill but also from character, discipline and fostering trust within the team.“You have to understand, you have to respect the game. You have to try and spend time with all good people around you. That’s more important. Be true to yourself. You can’t cheat the man in the mirror when you get up in the morning or you’re going to sleep,” he added.He also highlighted the importance of understanding teammates’ temperaments, strengths and weaknesses, and building confidence through personal connection and freedom of expression.“So, those small, small things which you do off the field, I think when we come on the field, that actually gives you a lot of confidence, that gives them a lot of composure. Also, I feel you need to understand each character on the team. Everyone is different. They bring a different skill to the table. So, you need to speak to them, their temperaments, understand them. That is actually very important and that’s what we did throughout the last one and a half years, two years,” the skipper stated.

Noted Leftist historian K N Panikkar, who critiqued colonial historiography’s simplistic view of culture and highlighted how indigenous intellectuals offered an alternative paradigm of modernity, passed away at a private hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. He would have turned 90 next month.Panikkar, affectionately called KN by his colleagues, belonged to a select group of historians such as Bipan Chandra, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and S Gopal who created a strong department of modern Indian history at JNU’s Centre for Historical Studies.His course on the history of ideas in India in the 19th century was pioneering. “Panikkar taught it at a time when history writing was dominated by economic and political concerns. He endeavoured, through his research, to claim a position of centrality for culture as an important ingredient both in human action and large political movements,” says modern India historian Salil Misra.Historian Rakesh Batabyal adds that Panikkar brought to attention how the ideas of Akshay Kumar Dutt, Lokahitawadi and other 19th century intellectuals needed no western validation: they were modern in their own right, and gave us a sense of the new world opening before us. “When he discussed the tradition of knowledge in Ayurveda, we began to understand the complexities of the Indian knowledge processes under colonialism,” he says.Modern India historian Aditya Mukherjee was both student and colleague of Panikkar. “He acquired the reputation of a great teacher when he taught in a college in Delhi University, and was invited to join JNU in 1972. He was a brilliant teacher who taught us social and religious reforms in the 19th century, making the subject come alive even to students like me who had no background in history, having graduated in economics,” says Mukherjee.Born in Guruvayoor, Panikkar left Kerala after completing his undergraduate studies and went on to earn his Master’s degree and doctorate from Rajasthan University, where he later married his college mate, (late) Usha Bhargava. He was also the founding vice-chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady.The historian’s books include, “Against Lord and State: Religion and Peasant Uprising in Malabar”. “His role in presenting Malabar rebellion in its true historical context and highlighting its aspects as a freedom struggle, agrarian revolt and anti-imperialist movement is of historical significance”, noted Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message. “He was a proud Marxist yet he engaged with questions perceived as outside the mainstream of Marxist ideology, as seen in his important essay ‘Culture and Consciousness in Modern India,” says R Mahalakshmi, eminent historian of South India. Historian M G Sashibhooshan endorses the view. “I remember Panikkar accepting my request to present a paper on Pattanam at the History Congress, despite knowing that my opinion on Pattanam (Muziris) was different from that of Marxist historians”.Misra recalls Panikkar encouraging his students to disagree with him. “It was believed that he was more likely to reward dissenting ideas with higher grades, than those that simply conformed to his ideas. His classrooms became contestatory spaces in which he was not the only voice. Many other students offered their own ideas and he warmly endorsed all of them”.

NEW DELHI: From states as afar as Bihar and Uttarakhand, home minister Amit Shah is leading BJP’s push to put the issue of infiltrators on the front burner with an eye on not only the upcoming assembly elections, especially in West Bengal and Assam where it has a certain resonance, but also on shaping the national agenda by coopting a core party plank into its central theme.Shah, who has long championed national security and demography concerns over the alleged influx of infiltrators from Bangladesh, recently stepped up his efforts by camping for three days in Bihar’s Seemanchal region, which borders the eastern neighbour, and then sending out a stern message from Uttarakhand last week.He chose the launch of several development initiatives in Haridwar to underscore the Modi govt’s determination over the issue. “From Kedarnath to Kanyakumari wherever infiltrators are present across the country, we will identify and remove each and every infiltrator from India,” he said, accusing opposition parties of trying to shield them as they see their vote bank in them.BJP has framed its strong backing to the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls – which has in turn drawn protests from the opposition for its alleged intent to benefit the governing party – around its potential to identify and delete illegal voters, a large section of whom are likely to be illegals.More than any other state, SIR has become a political flashpoint between the Mamata Banerjee govt in poll-bound West Bengal and BJP, leading to frequent interventions from Supreme Court.BJP has cited “unnatural” surge in Muslim voters in different parts of the state, which borders Bangladesh, to back its claim of the presence of infiltrators in large numbers. With SC giving a go ahead to SIR while offering some directives, TMC has nuanced its opposition but questioned the process and accused EC of working with BJP to target voters unsympathetic to the national party.In his speech in Haridwar, the home minister said over 10,000 encroachments, which are often allegedly linked to infiltrators, were demolished in the hilly state under its the BJP govt’s action against them. The opposition, on the other hand, are shielding them, he claimed in a message meant as much for people in the state as outside.