Kolkata: Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Abhishek Sharma (PTI Photo)

Abhishek Sharma found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reason despite Sunrisers Hyderabad producing a dominant performance against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. The all-rounder has been fined 25 per cent of his match fees and handed one demerit point for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during Thursday’s clash. Abhishek admitted to the Level 1 offence under Article 2.3 and accepted the sanction imposed by the Match Referee. As per IPL rules, decisions on Level 1 breaches are final and binding. The disciplinary action came on a night when SRH were otherwise clinical across departments. Heinrich Klaasen anchored the innings with a composed 52 off 35 balls, guiding his side to a formidable 226/8 after being put in to bat. SRH’s innings was built on an explosive start from Travis Head and Abhishek, who stitched together an 82-run opening stand in just 34 balls. Abhishek himself looked in fine touch, smashing 48 off 21 deliveries and taking on the KKR spinners with intent. However, a middle-order wobble saw SRH briefly lose momentum before Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy steadied things with a crucial 82-run partnership, ensuring the total remained well beyond KKR’s reach. In reply, KKR’s much-talked-about batting lineup failed to click. Ajinkya Rahane struggled again at the top, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s fluent 52 lacked support from the other end. A series of poor partnerships and costly run-outs derailed the chase as KKR were bowled out for 161 in just 16 overs. SRH’s bowling unit shared the spoils, with Jaydev Unadkat, Ehsan Malinga and Nitish Kumar Reddy making key breakthroughs. Despite Blessing Muzarabani picking up four wickets, KKR never recovered from their chaotic middle phase. While SRH celebrated a convincing 65-run victory to get back to winning ways, Abhishek’s fine adds a small blemish to an otherwise impressive outing for the young all-rounder.

HAZARIBAG: Police have arrested a 35-year-old mother, an occult practitioner, and a man in connection with the strangulation of a teenage girl during a sacrificial ritual in Kusumbha village, officials said on Wednesday.According to Hazaribag SP Anjani Anjan and DIG Anjani Jha announced the arrests during a late-night press briefing.The arrested include Reshmi Devi, the mother of the girl, 55-year-old Shanti Devi, an occultist, and 40-year-old Bhim Ram, all residents of the same village.Anjan said Reshmi Devi frequently visited a ‘tantrik’ in her village for the treatment of her youngest son, who suffers from physical and mental ailments.“The occult practitioner told the mother that they needed to sacrifice a virgin girl to cure the son of all ailments,” she said.The officer explained that on March 24, during the Ashtami night when the village was busy with Mangla Julus (Ram Navami procession) celebrations, the girl was strangled at Shanti Devi’s house, allegedly by her mother and Bhim Ram.Police claimed the tantrik inserted a wooden stick into the girl’s private parts, while Bhim Ram struck her head to collect blood for the ritual. The trio then buried her body in a garden.Anjan said the suspects tried to mislead investigators by claiming the girl had been raped, which was not confirmed by the postmortem or forensic report.Bhim Ram also faces allegations in the murder of his sister-in-law and another person, she added.

The Jharkhand High Court took suo motu notice of the alleged rape and murder on Monday and issued notices to the state administration and the police chief. A division bench of Justice Sujit Narayan Prasad and Justice Sanjay Prasad acted after reviewing media reports.Earlier, the girl’s mother had claimed her daughter was abducted. The body was later found on March 25 in a village field.In protest against the killing, the Opposition BJP staged a 12-hour bandh in Hazaribag on Monday.

Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) finishers Jitesh Sharma and Romario Shepherd opened up about their on-field chemistry, highlighting how their contrasting styles make them a dangerous pair for bowlers in the Indian Premier League (IPL). As RCB gear up for their second match against five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday, the duo reflected on what makes their partnership effective.Jitesh underlined the tactical advantage of their partnership, noting how their differing strengths complicate field placements for the opposition.