India is actively looking to offset supply disruptions from the Middle East caused by the Iran conflict. (AI image)

Amid the raging US-Israel-Iran war, India is set to get high volumes of crude oil from Venezuela as the Strait of Hormuz supply disruptions continue. Shipping data quoted by Kpler indicates that over 12 million barrels of Venezuelan crude are expected to arrive on India’s western coast this month, the largest volume since February 2020. This marks the highest level of Venezuela crude oil purchases in the last six years for India.India is actively looking to offset supply disruptions from the Middle East caused by the Iran conflict.

Venezuelan Crude Flows Into India

According to a Bloomberg report quoting Kpler’s lead research analyst Sumit Ritolia, the shipments arriving in April were likely contracted before the recent disruptions in Middle Eastern supplies. “This underscores a longer-term strategic shift rather than a purely reactive move,” he was quoted as saying.India, which relies on imports for about 90% of its crude oil needs, has been exploring alternative sources after the conflict affected flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that typically handles nearly 40% of its oil supplies.

Venezuela produces similar sulphur-heavy grades, and India had earlier been a major buyer from the OPEC nation before trade declined due to US sanctions, which were eased by Washington following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in January.The Suezmax vessel Ottoman Sincerity, transporting close to 1 million barrels of Boscan crude, has reached the Sikka port operated by Reliance Industries Ltd., marking the first shipment of Venezuelan oil to India in the past year. The cargo, consisting of asphaltic-grade crude, was loaded through ship-to-ship transfers near the Caribbean island of Aruba.Reliance, which holds approval from the US to directly procure crude from Venezuela’s state-run PDVSA, has also taken delivery of another shipment this week. This consignment was loaded onto the Bahamas-flagged very large crude carrier Helios, indicating a shift away from earlier sourcing methods that involved intermediaries such as Vitol Group and Trafigura, the Bloomberg report said.

According to Ritolia, heavier Venezuelan crude typically produces a larger share of middle distillates, including diesel and jet fuel, which is particularly relevant at a time when these segments remain in tight supply. Data from Kpler indicates that a significant portion of these imports consists of Venezuela’s key export grade, the Merey blend.

NEW DELHI: Sunrisers Hyderabad batter Heinrich Klaasen has made a striking assessment of Chennai Super Kings, stating that the absence of their charismatic former skipper MS Dhoni “doesn’t really make much of a difference” to the five-time champions in IPL 2026.Speaking after Sunrisers Hyderabad’s mixed start to the season, Klaasen downplayed the impact of Dhoni’s absence as a player, suggesting that CSK’s strength lies beyond one individual.“CSK has got an incredible IPL record. Even with Dhoni not being there, they are not much of a lesser side. They are a very strong side. It’s not going to be an easy game,” Klaasen told the JioStar Press Room.‘Impact more in leadership than batting’While acknowledging Dhoni’s stature, Klaasen emphasised that the veteran’s absence is felt more in leadership than in his on-field contributions with the bat.“Dhoni not being there doesn’t really make much of a difference. It is more about other guys. I don’t think his absence will make such a big impact except for his leadership,” he noted.The South African also pointed out that Dhoni’s recent batting roles have been limited. “He has been coming to bat for just 5-10 balls in the last few years,” Klaasen added, underlining why CSK remain competitive even without their iconic finisher.SRH confident despite slow startKlaasen’s comments come at a time when SRH are looking to bounce back after two defeats in their first three matches. Their only win so far has come against Kolkata Knight Riders, while losses to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants have exposed gaps.Despite the setbacks, Klaasen remains optimistic. “It’s still early days in the tournament. We are confident we will fire in all departments going forward,” he said.SRH are also dealing with the temporary absence of skipper Pat Cummins, with Ishan Kishan stepping in as captain.Targeting CSK’s batting depthLooking ahead to their clash against CSK, Klaasen stressed the need to apply pressure on a strong batting lineup.“Shivam (Dube) is in good form, their openers are fantastic — we just need to squeeze them a bit more,” he said.Klaasen, known for his aggressive approach, also spoke about his comfort against spin. “I’ve played a lot against spinners. They are coming for me and I am going after them,” he said.With both teams aiming to find consistency, Klaasen’s candid take adds spice to what promises to be a high-stakes encounter.

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As tensions rise in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States could take control of Iran’s oil, saying he looks at it from a business point of view and that the spoils belong to the “winner”. Speaking at the White House, Trump said, “if I had my choice, I’m a businessman first”, when asked about securing Iranian oil. He further referred to US actions in Venezuela, saying, “If I had my choice. Yeah, cause I’m a businessman first. We are a partner with Venezuela, and we’ve taken hundreds of millions of barrels.” Trump also spoke about the idea of gaining from war. “You know that to the winner belong the spoils. Go for the spoils. I’ve said why don’t we use it to the victor go the spoils. We haven’t had that in this country, probably in a hundred years. We didn’t have it with the Second World War. We helped rebuild all those countries,” he said. He criticised US allies for not supporting Washington in the conflict with Iran. “Japan didn’t help us, Australia didn’t help us, South Korea didn’t help us, and then you get to Nato, Nato didn’t help us,” Trump said. He added, “We’ve got 50,000 soldiers in Japan to protect them from North Korea; we have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea to protect us from Kim Jong Un.” At the same time, Trump praised some Persian Gulf countries. “Saudi Arabia has been excellent, Qatar has been excellent, UAE has been excellent, Bahrain, Kuwait,” he said. Trump also warned that Iran could be “taken out” in a single night, and said this could happen as early as Tuesday. He claimed that US forces have carried out more than 10,000 combat flights and struck over 13,000 targets in the past 37 days. These developments come at a time when the Middle East crisis has stretched into the sixth week, disrupting key energy supplies across the world. The conflict began on February 28, when Israel and US launched joint strikes on Iran, after which Iran choked the crucial Strait of Hormuz, effectively disrupting oil supply flows acorss the globe.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya (Agency Image)

As Rajasthan Royals take on Mumbai Indians in Guwahati, the contest brings together a side riding early momentum and another eager to bounce back with a full-strength XI. With key match-ups likely to shape the outcome, here are five players who could define the clash. 1. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi The teenage sensation has been at the centre of Rajasthan Royals’ explosive starts this season. But this is his biggest test yet. Having dominated bowlers over the past year, Sooryavanshi now comes up against a completely different challenge in Jasprit Bumrah. If he can counter the MI spearhead, it could once again set the tone for Royals. 2. Jasprit Bumrah Whenever Mumbai Indians need control, Bumrah delivers. His record against several RR batters, including Shimron Hetmyer, makes him a key figure yet again. Whether it is early breakthroughs or death-over precision, Bumrah’s impact could dictate the game. 3. Yashasvi Jaiswal Jaiswal has been crucial at the top but faces a tricky match-up against Hardik Pandya. His struggles against the MI skipper in previous encounters make this a battle to watch. If Jaiswal can overcome that hurdle, RR’s powerplay could once again be dominant. 4. Hardik Pandya Expected to return after missing the last game, Pandya adds balance to the MI lineup. His ability to contribute with both bat and ball, especially against key players like Jaiswal, could prove decisive in shifting momentum. 5. Sandeep Sharma Often underrated, Sandeep holds a strong record against MI’s biggest names. His success against Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav makes him a vital weapon with the new ball. Early wickets from him could put Mumbai on the back foot.With Rajasthan Royals already off to a perfect start, a third straight win would take them to the top of the table and further strengthen their early-season momentum. However, Mumbai Indians, bolstered by the expected return of Hardik Pandya, will be desperate to turn their fortunes around. With conditions in Guwahati offering some early movement but promising runs once set, the contest could swing either way. In what shapes up as a high-scoring clash, these key battles might ultimately decide whether Rajasthan continue their surge or Mumbai mount a strong comeback.

Aviation giant Air India group on Tuesday revised its fuel surcharge across domestic and international routes, as Middle East tensions continued to weigh oil supplies across the globe. The move follows the decision by the ministry of petroleum & natural gas and the ministry of civil aviation to cap the increase in domestic aviation turbine fuel (atf) prices at 25%. For domestic travel, the airline will replace its existing flat surcharge with a distance-linked structure. The revised domestic surcharge will come into effect from 0901 hrs IST on April 8, 2026, and will apply across the group, including Air India Express flights.As per the latest data released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the global average jet fuel price nearly doubled within a month, rising from $99.40 per barrel at the end of February to $195.19 for the week ending March 27, 2026.

Here’s how much more you will pay from Wednesday:

On the international front, the airline has introduced steeper revisions, citing the lack of similar price controls on ATF. Effective from 0901 hrs IST on April 8, 2026, passengers flying to SAARC destinations (excluding Bangladesh) will pay a surcharge of $24 per sector. Charges for the Middle East have been set at $50, while routes to China and Southeast Asia (excluding Singapore) will attract $100. The surcharge for Singapore stands at $60, and for Africa at $130.For flights to Europe, including the United Kingdom, the surcharge has been fixed at $205. Meanwhile, passengers travelling to North America and Australia will be charged $280 per sector, with these rates taking effect from 0001 hrs IST on April 10, 2026.

Why Air India introduced the surcharge?

The airline pointed out that the increase is not limited to crude oil prices alone. Refinery margins, referred to as ‘crack spread’, have also surged sharply, climbing from $27.83 per barrel for the week ending February 27 to $81.44 by March 27. This combination has intensified cost pressures for airlines worldwide. Air India stated that even after the revision, the updated international fuel surcharge does not fully offset the rise in fuel costs, and a substantial portion continues to be absorbed by the airline. The airline added that revisions for flights to and from Bangladesh, along with Far East destinations such as Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, will be announced later, subject to regulatory approvals. Air India clarified that tickets issued before the revised timelines will not be subject to the new surcharge unless passengers make changes to their travel plans that require a recalculation of fares.

LSG pacer Mohsin Khan during a practice session.

LUCKNOW: Lucknow Super Giants left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan, who has made a comeback in IPL after a 14-15 months’ rehabilitation following an injury, said that he could return due to the inspiration of his mother who passed away two months ago.“The long injury layoff pushed me into self-doubt, but my mother kept encouraging me throughout my recovery. When I was unavailable for competitive cricket, and after surgery during rehab, many times negative thoughts came to my mind,” he said.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I wondered if I would ever play again because I was out for 14-15 months. But my mother always supported me and told me that I would play again,” he said.“My mother’s dream was to see me play IPL and competitive cricket again. I was in the LSG camp and had returned from Bengaluru, and she passed away the same day,” Mohsin said.He said he was close to his mother and used to speak to her a lot on phone calls.“After her death, I was in trauma. I did not practice for a month,” he said.On being retained by LSG despite his injury struggles, Mohsin admitted he did not expect it.He credited LSG physio Vaibhav Daga, trainer Soham, and bowling coach Bharat Arun for helping him regain fitness and rhythm.“I also practised with pacer Mohammed Shami at his farm in Amroha. He has set up a good gym and ground at his farm. We discussed bowling nuances and told me about any shortcomings,” Mohsin explained.

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Australia bowler Mitchell Starc has yet to join the Delhi Capitals camp and it’s learnt that the 36-year-old is likely to miss at least three more games for the franchise. Starc is managing a shoulder and elbow injury back home and is highly unlikely to join the squad till April 20. Before that, Delhi are scheduled to play three games – against Gujarat Titans on April 8, CSK on April 11 and RCB on April 18 – and will miss the services of the star bowler.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The DC think tank is optimistic on having Starc with them at some point in the season but timelines are unclear at this stage. In the left-armer’s absence, the Axar Patel-led unit has won both its games against the Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians, and the versatile bowling unit put up a strong show. Mukesh Kumar has been very penetrative with the new ball. Lungi Ngidi and T Narajan have been accurate in the tough overs and the spinners—Axar, Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam—have controlled the middle overs.Starc’s addition will only add significant bite to this potent attack, and the bowler remains in constant touch with the management. In a social media post last month, he revealed the nature of his injury and hit out at the “misinformed opinions of players.”“Despite the opinions and views of certain individuals with their platforms in and through the Indian media, I’m currently rehabbing and managing an injury in my shoulder and elbow, the extent of which I didn’t know during the Australian summer. These individuals have made some strong statements around involvement in the IPL and provided heavily misinformed opinions of players, preached them as facts, and claimed to know my body better than me,” Starc wrote in a statement.The bowler asserted that he is committed to joining the DC squad “as soon as possible”.“With that said, I do acknowledge this injury setback and that the timing is disruptive to the Delhi team, and I apologise for that and to the fans for not being available for the early part of this season. I remain committed to joining DC, am in continual communication with the team, and will continue to do what I can to be available for DC as soon as possible,” he added.Delhi Capitals next take on Gujarat Titans at home on April 8 and will look to continue their unbeaten run in the tournament. Young batter Sameer Rizvi has aced two chases under pressure and the management would now hope the experienced batters around him step up and make substantial contributions. DC are one of the four unbeaten teams in the tournament and a win over GT will take them to top spot in the IPL 2026 points table.