NEW DELHI: Election Commission Tuesday held a meeting with chief secretaries, chief electoral officers and police chiefs of poll-bound states/UT and 12 other states they share borders with, to review overall election preparedness, law and order issues and expenditure enforcement.Special focus was placed on bordering districts and the sealing of borders to maintain peace and order in the poll-bound states/UT, EC said in a statement issued after the meeting, which was also attended by heads of various enforcement agencies.EC said the meeting, chaired by CEC Gyanesh Kumar along with election commissioners S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, discussed poll readiness; enhanced coordination; law and order situation; seizures of illegal cash, liquor, narcotics, arms; and review of expenditure-sensitive constituencies across Assam, Kerala, TN, Bengal and Puducherry.“The EC directed all concerned to ensure violence-free, intimidation-free and inducement-free elections,” said an EC spokesperson.Senior officials of the poll-bound states briefed the election body on their overall preparation, law & order issues and expenditure enforcement and any concerns or pending issues with central agencies and neighbouring states.The neighbouring border states were directed to take all possible steps to aid the poll-bound states/UT in checking poll inducements and violence.Heads of agencies like CBDT, CBIC, ED, DRI, CEIB, FIU-IND, RBI, IBA, NCB, ICG, BCAS, AAI, Postal Service, CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB, RPF, ITBP, Indian Coast Guard and Assam Rifles were instructed to ensure heightened vigilance in poll-bound states/UT and in areas bordering these states/UT, with enhanced checks at inter-state check posts.

English opener Ben Duckett announced on Tuesday that he has pulled of IPL 2026. Duckett was picked by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore in the auction.Ben Duckett’s late withdrawal from the Indian Premier League 2026 could come at a significant cost, with the England batter facing a potential two-season ban under league rules.Duckett had been signed by Delhi Capitals for Rs 2 crore. However, his decision to pull out after the auction phase places him in the category of players who withdraw without an injury replacement clause, triggering disciplinary provisions.As per existing IPL regulations, such a withdrawal can lead to a ban from participating in the next two seasons. If enforced, Duckett would not only miss IPL 2026 but would also be barred from entering the player auctions for IPL 2027 and 2028, effectively keeping him out of the league until 2029.Duckett’s last-minute withdrawal is expected to earn him a two-year ban from the IPL, after franchises voted last year to penalise overseas players who pull out of their contracts at short notice. Duckett’s England team-mate Harry Brook is serving a similar ban after withdrawing from his deal, also with DC, shortly before the start of the 2025 season.For Duckett, the impact is both financial and professional. Missing multiple IPL cycles means losing access to one of the highest-paying T20 leagues, reduced exposure in franchise cricket, and fewer opportunities to build a global T20 profile.In a statement, Duckett said the call was made with a focus on his commitments with England and managing his physical and mental workload ahead of the international season.“I have made the extremely difficult decision to withdraw from the IPL. I have given this a lot of thought and it has not been an easy choice. Representing England is something I have dreamed of since I was a child, and I want to give everything I can to English cricket. To do that, I need to ensure I am in the best possible place physically and mentally ahead of the summer,” he wrote.“I would like to sincerely apologise to everyone at Delhi. I was genuinely very excited about the opportunity to represent the franchise, and I fully appreciate the time and planning that goes into building a squad. I am sorry for any disruption my decision may cause. I would also like to apologise to all the fans as I know how much it means to everyone in Delhi.”This comes after a difficult Ashes series for Duckett, where he scored 202 runs in 10 innings at an average of 20.20, and now faces a period away from the IPL at a crucial stage of his T20 career.

The TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 is around the corner. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) hosted the Knights Unplugged 3.0 event in Kolkata, where they introduced the whole KKR team and coaching staff formally to the fans and announced the captain in the form of Ajinkya Rahane and vice-captain Rinku Singh for the upcoming edition of the IPL.

KKR management also gave felicitation to the former Knight Andre Russell, who retired from the IPL after the management released him during the mini-auction last year. Russell was the part of the KKR since 2014 and has won two trophies with the franchise. He has been added as the power coach for the upcoming season for KKR.

KKR retires Andre Russell’s number 12 jersey

The Purple and Gold side have now honoured Andre Russell as they have retired the number 12 jersey to respect the legacy of the West Indies all-rounder. The newly appointed power coach landed in Kolkata late at night and joined the side for the event.

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Andre Russell has been a part of the KKR family for nearly 12 years. He won the IPL in his first season with the franchise and later on in 2024. The Caribbean powerhouse has been a match-winner for the side over the years and won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award twice back in 2015 and 2019 for his exceptional all-round performances.

The 37-year-old made 133 appearances for KKR, scoring 2651 runs with a strike rate of 174.18. Russell has proved his worth each time for the franchise with powerful batting and bowling performances in the past. However, with age catching up, he failed to deliver the same in the last season, scoring just 167 runs and his average also dipped to 18.56.

We would like to retire this number- Venky Mysore

“In your honour, we would like to retire this number for KKR,” KKR CEO Venky Mysore announced, a declaration that ensures no other Knight will ever wear the number that Russell turned into a symbol of fear for bowlers worldwide.

KKR RETIRING NUMBER 12 JERSEY FOR ANDRE RUSSELL 🥹

– A Standing Ovation for the Iconic moment. pic.twitter.com/50Otzi2y1c

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) March 24, 2026

During the event, a video was played of his decade-long journey with the franchise, and he got emotional after watching the video. “I got a bit emotional watching that video,” Russell admitted to the cheering crowd.

I played like it was the last game- Andre Russell

“It’s been over a decade of amazing achievements, having been part of two title-winning teams. To see what it meant to everyone… that’s a different enjoyment. World Cups feel special. When you win the IPL, it’s something different. The last one we won, I got teary-eyed.”

“When you have left everything on the field, you don’t regret walking away from the game. Every game I played, I played like it was the last game of my IPL career”, he said.

“I have no regrets about being in this role. I am excited,” Andre Russell said. “We have one of the youngest and very talented coaching staff. I would love to be a part of a coaching staff like this. It makes my job easier. I hope whatever knowledge I bring to the table can make their job easier.”

Also Read: RCB gets new buyer ahead of IPL 2026, sold to…..

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NEW DELHI: Supreme Court on Tuesday said trials in UAPA cases investigated by National Investigation Agency must be concluded within one year by additional exclusive special courts to allay misgivings about long pendency and consequent denial of bail for years.A bench of CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the Centre and states must take steps to depute a dedicated public prosecutor for these special courts to expedite pending trials.Identify how many special NIA courts needed for speedy trial: SC to statesThe advocates general of 17 states, where more than 10 cases are pending, expressing the willingness of each state to avail of the central funding to set up exclusive NIA courts.“The state govts must identify how many such exclusive special courts are required to be established for trial of NIA-investigated cas-es on a day-to-day basis with a categorical commitment that each trial must be completed in all circumstances within a year,” the bench said.Seeking the states’ response to this within four weeks, the bench asked the HCs to take necessary steps for adequate number of court staff for these special courts.“The prosecuting agency, Centre and states must take steps to appoint a dedicated public prosecutor, and notify special PP where sufficient PPs are not available in the cadre, to each of these special courts,” the bench said.Since the opinion of the HCs is required for some of the issues relating to establishment of special NIA courts, the registrars general will present their views before the court during the next date of hearing, it said.Additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati informed that the ministry of home affairs has written to the states that “in view of the security concerns, it is not advisable to construct a separate court complex for this purpose. It is, however, suggested that state govts may earmark one existing court for setting up a special court, exclusively for trial of NIA cases”. Bhati also had informed the court about the central funding for setting up of NIA courts.Delhi has the highest number of NIA cases pending at 59, followed by J&K (38), Assam, Kerala and Gujarat (33 each), Punjab and West Bengal (32 each), Jharkhand (28), Karnataka (27), TN (23), Telangana (22) and Maharashtra (21).Bhati had informed the court that the Centre has taken a decision to grant Rs 1 crore one-time grant for establishment of special NIA courts and bear a recurring expenditure of Rs 1 crore annually.Additional solicitor general S D Sanjay said the Narcotics Control Bureau is in the final stages of preparing a policy for establishment of special courts for cases under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. He said in Delhi 14 more special courts would come up in Rouse Avenue Court complex for MCOCA and UAPA cases.

Virat Kohli with the IPL trophy. (AP Photo)

Mumbai: Aditya Birla Group, The Times of India Group, Bolt Ventures, and Blackstone have signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) franchise that will include both the men and women’s teams.The Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Women’s Premier League (WPL) franchises are being acquired from United Spirits Limited (USL), a subsidiary of Diageo plc. The transaction has valued the franchise at US$1.78b (approx. INR 16,600 crore).

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the approval from BCCI, the IPL governing council and other authorities.The franchise, under its new ownership structure post the 2026 edition, will see Aryaman Vikram Birla, director at Aditya Birla Group serve as chairman while Satyan Gajwani of the Times of India Group will be the vice-chairman.“Over the past 2 decades, the IPL has morphed to become a global sporting powerhouse that has changed the face of Indian cricket creating enormous value for India. RCB, as one of the most compelling franchises in modern sport, offers the Aditya Birla Group a distinctive platform to extend its legacy of institution-building into the arena of global sport. We are delighted to become custodians of this asset and committed to further building this extraordinary legacy,” said Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group.

File photo of Kumar Mangalam Birla of the Aditya Birla Group.

Times Internet Limited’s Gajwani said in a media note, “RCB is the reigning champion and the most popular brand in the IPL. As The Times of India Group, together with our partners, we will build RCB into a global sporting institution, while remaining rooted in Bengaluru and Karnataka and its incredible fanbase. We are committed to the people who built this championship-winning culture – the players, coaches, the leadership team, and the fans. We look forward to supporting the team as they take the pitch on Saturday to defend RCB’s title.”

File photo of Satyan Gajwani of the Times of India group.

Adar Poonawalla of the Serum Institute of India, Ranjan Pai of Manipal Hospitals, private equity firms EQT, TPG and Temasek and the Glazer family that owns the Manchester United club were among the other interested bidders when Diageo Plc had first initiated the process to sell RCB.In 2008, when the BCCI floated IPL, United Spirits had submitted a winning bid of US$111.6m (approx Rs 485 cr) to acquire the Bangalore franchise. In 2023, the RCB management had paid another Rs 901 crore to acquire the WPL team. In 2024, RCB won the WPL and followed it up with their first-ever IPL title win in 2025.The franchise has featured some of T20’s greatest icons including Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Anil Kumble, Glenn Maxwell, Yuvraj Singh and Faf du Plessis among others.

Virat Kohli led the Royal Challengers Bengaluru team before Rajat Patidar took over. (Photo Credit- X/RCB)

In 2013, after Kohli took over as captain of the IPL, the franchise’s popularity catapulted from being just one among the eight teams to becoming one of the most popular and sought-after properties in the tournament.Kohli’s rise as Team India captain and cricket’s most authoritative brand coincided with RCB’s rise as one of IPL’s most followed teams. Despite the lack of a title win in 17 years, the franchise acquired mass following among fans in Karnataka, across the country and social media.As of 2026, RCB remains right on top where its social media reach and general popularity across broadcast media is concerned.In 2025, Brand Finance had listed RCB as IPL’s second most valuable brand after Mumbai Indians and among the top three strongest IPL brands alongside Mumbai and Chennai. The same year, global investment bank Houlihan Lokey had also listed the RCB as IPL’s foremost brand.