Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are set to be rested during the ODI series against New Zealand (PTI)

New Delhi: Since the 2025 edition of the Asia Cup, India’ spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has missed just three T20Is. While he was rested for the final group game against Oman and dead rubber versus Sri Lanka in the multi-nation tournament, Bumrah didn’t feature in the third T20I versus South Africa due to personal reasons. Apart from these three games, he has been on the park for 13 T20Is and even played four home Tests against West Indies and South Africa, respectively. The 50-day countdown to India’s title defence at 2026 T20 World Cup has begun and the biggest priority for the thinktank right now is to keep their Most Valuable Player (MVP) fresh and fit for the tournament. There are five more T20Is against New Zealand next month before the focus shifts to the World Cup and the management has made up their mind to not make the bowler play the three ODIs starting January 11. It is understood that the coaching group has already had discussions in this regard and don’t want to compromise on the player’s readiness for the multi-nation tournament to be held in India and Sri Lanka during February and March.

“The management is very clear with regards to Bumrah. People outside can create all sorts of fitness theories but it’s very simple – you prioritise the formats and matches you want Bumrah to feature in. It was important from a team’s perspective that he plays maximum T20Is in buildup to the World Cup and he has been on the park since the Asia Cup in the format. Bumrah playing was not just important for his continuity in the format but also for the captain and coach to figure the bowling combination alongside Bumrah. These games have given a clearer picture to selectors also and now the five T20Is vs New Zealand will be just about firming up plans,” a well placed source tells TimesofIndia.com.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“So the three ODIs against New Zealand serve no purpose. You will see more of Bumrah in ODIs when the team shifts focus to 2027 World Cup. That’s how coach Gautam Gambhir plans to use his premier fast bowler,” adds the source.

Jasprit Bumrah celebrates a wicket with Hardik Pandya and Sanju Samson

Bumrah not alone

The discussions have just not been restricted to Bumrah as the think tank will be following a similar approach with Hardik Pandya. It is understood that this was the prime reason he wasn’t rushed for the ODI series against South Africa and was asked to skip the third Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy games for Baroda. He made two appearances for his state before joining the team in Cuttack for the first T20I of the five-match series against South Africa. The all-rounder, after getting injured in the Asia Cup and missing the white-ball series in Australia and ODIs at home against South Africa, featured in all four T20Is against the Proteas and will have some time to rest and recover before turning up for the T20Is against New Zealand next month. It is further understood that Pandya could be asked to play one or two Vijay Hazare Trophy games for Baroda but it’s not been decided which ones he would play.

India’s Hardik Pandya plays a shot during the fifth T20 cricket match between India and South Africa in Ahmedabad, India, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

“The approach will be the same for Hardik. Both Bumrah and Hardik are the most important players in the T20I set-up right now and the series vs South Africa showed that. There is a possibility of Hardik playing some domestic games for Baroda just to keep his body ready but no final decision has been taken in that regard,” explains the source.

The Standbys

In the team’s last international match of the year, Hardik was adjudged player of the match for his destructive 25-ball 63 and Bumrah was at his best in the run-fest as he returned with figures of 2/17. The two players served another reminder of their abilities in the format and why they should be handled with utmost care in the build-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

Lucknow: From left, India’s Arshdeep Singh, Washington Sundar and other players ahead of the fourth T20 International cricket match of a series between India and South Africa, at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. (PTI Photo/Ravi Choudhary)(PTI12_17_2025_000490A)

The selectors will pick the squad, and possibly standbys, for the tournament on Saturday, and it’s likely to be along expected lines. The team has opted for continuity since the Asia Cup, leaving little room for surprises when chief selector Ajit Agarkar addresses the media in Mumbai.Rinku Singh was picked for the Asia Cup and the T20Is against Australia, but the left-hander only played the final against Pakistan due to Hardik Pandya’s injury, and featured just once in the five T20Is Down Under. The game in which he made the XI was unfortunately washed out in Brisbane.Washington, who wasn’t part of the Asia Cup squad, has been given outings in the format and even bowled his full quota of overs against South Africa in Ahmedabad. His all-round abilities could help him pip a specialist batter, as his off-spin allows the think-tank to use match-ups against left-handers, if the need arises.

The Union government has cleared a Rs 887-crore plan to develop a world-class marina in Mumbai Harbour, a move aimed at boosting coastal shipping, maritime tourism and waterfront development in India’s financial capital. The project, called the ‘Viksit Bharat Mumbai Marina’, has been approved by the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways and is aligned with the Centre’s broader blue economy push.

What is the Mumbai Marina project?

The proposed marina will be developed over nearly 12 hectares of water area in Mumbai Harbour. It will have the capacity to berth 424 yachts of up to 30 metres in length, making it one of the major such facilities in the country.

The project is designed to place Mumbai firmly on the global maritime tourism map, according to official statements.

How much will it cost, and who will invest?

The total project cost is estimated at Rs 887 crore. The Mumbai Port Authority will invest around Rs 470 crore to build the core marine infrastructure on an EPC basis. The remaining Rs 417 crore will be invested by a private operator, who will develop the onshore facilities. Tenders have already been floated and bids are scheduled to close on December 29, 2025.

What infrastructure will be created?

The marine side will include an approach trestle, piled breakwater, service platforms, pontoons and gangways to ensure safe yacht operations.

Onshore, the private developer will build a marina terminal, a Namo Bharat International Sailing School, a maritime tourism development centre, hotel and clubhouse facilities, a skill development centre, and yacht repair and stacking infrastructure.

Why is the project important?

Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the marina will “create world-class infrastructure, open the waterfront for public use, encourage private investment and generate new employment opportunities”. The project is expected to create over 2,000 jobs across marina operations, hospitality, cruise services and allied sectors, as per news agency PTI.

How does it fit into national plans?

The marina aligns with key national frameworks, including Maritime India Vision 2030, Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047, the Sagarmala Programme and the Cruise Bharat Mission, strengthening Mumbai’s role as a major maritime and tourism hub.

MUMBAI: Billionaire Gautam Adani is checking into hospitality in a big way, with plans to build “one of the country’s largest hotel portfolios”, anchored around his group’s airports and real estate assets. The move positions the group in direct competition with Tata Group’s Taj, ITC Hotels, and the Oberoi chain (in which Reliance Industries and ITC hold about 19% and 16% stakes, respectively). “We will have upwards of 60 hotels across our airports and real estate businesses. It’s like one of the largest hotel portfolios in the country,” Jeet Adani, director of Adani Group told TOI. “All the hotels will be developed by the group, with the exception of Sahara Star hotel (near Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1),” Jeet said.The group has expressed interest in acquiring Sahara Group’s 88 assets, including the landmark Sahara Star, and has already secured creditors’ approval to buy Jaypee Group assets, which include five hotels in northern India. Navi Mumbai will be a major focus. “We are building about 15 hotels in Navi Mumbai,” Jeet said, underscoring the scale of the group’s hospitality ambitions. The group will “tie up with international hotel operators” to manage these properties. The hospitality push is part of Adani Group’s broader city-side development plan, which includes retail, convention centres, and F&B outlets built alongside its airport terminals. The move is to shift away from dependence on aeronautical revenues, which are expected to fall to just 10% from nearly half today, as city-side development and airport lounges take centre stage.A large convention centre is planned for Mumbai, while Navi Mumbai will feature a smaller 25,000-seat arena, Jeet said. RIL’s Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai’s BKC, opened in 2022, is among the country’s largest such facilities. When asked if the group plans to hive off the hotel portfolio into a distinct entity, Jeet responded negatively. “Real estate will stay with Adani Realty and Adani Properties. Whatever is related to the airport will remain within the airport business. However, we have created a common management team to extract maximum value across both,” Jeet said.

MUMBAI: Adani Group, India’s fifth-largest conglomerate by market value, intends to bid for nearly a dozen airports slated for privatisation as part of its Rs 1-lakh-crore investment plan for aviation infrastructure over the next five years. Earlier this year, govt announced plans to lease out 11 airports, including those in Amritsar and Varanasi.“Out of the Rs 1-lakh-crore, some part is earmarked and provisioned for the next round of airport bidding,” Jeet Adani, director at Adani Group, who oversees the country’s largest private airport network, told TOI. The investment, which will be funded through a mix of debt and equity, will also be deployed to build new terminals and upgrade aircraft-handling facilities and passenger amenities across its airports.

The group entered the airport sector in 2019 after winning six airports in govt’s privatisation drive. Two years later, it acquired the Mumbai airport from GVK Group, expanding its footprint. It is set to operationalise the Navi Mumbai airport next week, its first greenfield airport project.Jeet (28), the younger son of group chairman Gautam Adani, is also preparing the airport business for a potential listing by 2030 through a demerger. The group has previously listed businesses such as power transmission and renewable energy through similar demergers, bypassing the traditional IPO route.Before a listing, however, the airport unit must meet key milestones, including turning cash positive. Housed under flagship Adani Enterprises, the unit is ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) positive. In FY25, it made an operating profit of Rs 3,480 crore. “Once the capex cycle slows and revenues start flowing from the Navi Mumbai airport, city side development such as retail, food and beverage, hotels, and from ongoing expansion, the business will become cash positive and will not need support from the parent,” said Jeet.For now, the group’s airport ambitions remain firmly domestic. Jeet said the group will focus on India for five years, following the cancellation of an airport contract in Kenya last year amid criticism over transparency. This story had continued from a page 35 story in the newspaper. For your reading convenience we have added it below.Adani Grp eyes 12 airports in 1L cr infra planThe Adani Group intends to bid for nearly a dozen airports slated for privatisation as part of its Rs 1 lakh-crore investment plan for aviation infrastructure over the next five years, group director Jeet Adani said. Govt announced plans to lease out 11 airports, including those in Amritsar and Varanasi, earlier this year.

It’s finally that time of the year! Winters in North India come with a distinct mood altogether. The atmosphere is cold, the quilt is all the more cozy, and the food table transforms into a procession of all sorts of delicacies: gajar ka halwa, butter chicken, sizzling pakode, revdi, and gajak. The catch is that while the “pure joy of winters” may unfold with innocence in the mouth, it may become a reality show of sorts in the heart, especially when the mercury goes down, and the blood pressure starts rising naturally.Now, here are the four most loved winter delicacies of all time that are a treat for taste buds but bane for our hearts and arteries. Dr Manan Aggarwal, a respected doctor warns about the dangers of our favourite deserts and crispy delights.

Carrot Halwa: Healthy name, Heavy game

The story begins every time with, “its just carrot, it shouldn’t be tha complicated! because carrot is actually the sidekick. The main stars are actually full cream, khoya, ghee, and sugar that transform that innocent-looking dish into a calorie and fat bomb.In fact, since everyone is less active during the winter months and their blood is a bit thicker, this regular indulgence in something like this can cause sugar, triglycerides, and weight to shoot up. Because the heart has to work so much harder to maintain blood flow during a cold climate, this heart, already working overtime, shouldn’t receive a steel bowlful of this on a daily basis.

Butter chicken & rogan josh: Comfort for the tongue, pressure on the arteries

There’s something about a cold night, some hot naan, and an indulgent, creamy gravy that makes everybody feel like they are in heaven! But the same elements that make the gravy so indulgent are what make it so bad for our heart. This cream, this saturated fat, this butter, it all increases the bad cholesterol in the body, fueling the chunks that clog heart vessels that are already narrowed down due to the cold.This doesn’t translate to a life imprisonment diet of boiled food. This is a guideline on how to reserve the rich gravy dishes for the real indulgences and not for every second day. Smaller helpings, lower use of cream, emphasis on tandoori or BBQ meals, and a minimum of fifty percent alongside rotis and sabzi can sustain the taste buds as well as the heart.

Samosa, Kachori, and Pakode: The Crispy treat with a price tag

Every chai wala’s table in winter features one common guest – something fried. The initial bite of a hot samosa or pakoda during a foggy night can never be compared to anything else. However, the catch with these delights is that they are often fried with very hot oil, which makes them chock-full of unhealthy fats and oxidants. These unhealthy fats increase LDL levels, which increases inflammation, leading to increased coagulation levels, which can be very harmful as “winter itself” is pushing blood to become thicker and “stickier”.Nor will it be the same when, instead of platefuls of fried snacks for dinner, you get to enjoy them as weekend snacks. Roasted chanas, moderate peanuts, corn chaat, and air-fried snacks can be had on other days.

Revdi and gajak: Big on taste, bad for heart

Revdi and gajak are festive, nostalgic, and innocent because they are so small. “Bas do-chaar hi toh liye,” goes the typical remark. But the “two-four” bits are actually sesame or peanuts held together with sugar or jaggery, and lots of added fat too. This translates into a quick burst of calories and sugars with every mouthful. With minimal physical activity and increased sedentary time, such constant snacking silently contributes to increased weight, sugars, and triglycerides – all the wrong signals for the heart.The key is not to banish them, but to ritualize them: perhaps two little pieces after lunch on special days, and not a constant background snack throughout the evening. Keep them stored in a small dabba, and not in an open, overflowing thali that begs to be mindlessly grazed from.