Former India captain Anil Kumble believes Kolkata Knight Riders made a significant mistake by releasing key players Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt after their title-winning campaign in the Indian Premier League 2024 season. Kumble warned that unless KKR learn the importance of retaining their core players, the three-time champions may struggle to remain serious contenders for the IPL title.

KKR lost key pillars of their title-winning side

KKR lifted their third IPL trophy in 2024 with Iyer leading the side and Salt playing a crucial role at the top of the order. However, both players moved to new franchises soon after. Iyer joined Punjab Kings and guided them to their first IPL final in nearly a decade in his very first season. Meanwhile, Salt moved to Royal Challengers Bengaluru, where he played a key role in their maiden IPL title win.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Kumble questioned KKR’s decision to release both players.“Two years ago, KKR won the IPL and lifted their third trophy. Two important cogs in that wheel were Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt. Both played crucial roles in helping them win but KKR let both of them go,” Kumble noted in a JioHotstar release.

“There is no consistency from them in terms of player retention. KKR took the wrong decision by letting Shreyas Iyer and Phil Salt leave (and) that has left them without an IPL-winning captain.” KKR have since appointed Ajinkya Rahane as their captain. While Kumble acknowledged Rahane’s experience, he noted that the veteran batter has yet to win the IPL as a captain.“Yes, Ajinkya Rahane is an experienced campaigner. He has led Mumbai in domestic cricket and Rajasthan Royals in the IPL. But he has not lifted the IPL title as (a) captain (yet),” Kumble said.“Having a skipper who has won the trophy gives you an advantage. KKR let go of that advantage. They need to learn how to keep hold of their key players. Otherwise, they will keep struggling and cannot be considered favourites to win the trophy,” the legendary spinner added.

Kumble praises Iyer’s leadership

The legendary spinner also praised Iyer’s leadership, calling him an underrated captain.“Shreyas Iyer is certainly an underrated skipper. It is not easy to win a trophy with one franchise and then go to another. There is a different management, atmosphere and a team. The pressure is also different,” he noted.“…the new franchise he joined had not played in the final in the last 10 years and in just his first season with the Punjab Kings, he took them to the final. I was not just impressed by his captaincy, but (also with) the way he led the team from the front.”“There are some players who have to prove themselves every time. Shreyas is like that. Even after performing, questions still come up. I think he is underrated, but is an exceptional leader.”

Mumbai: Observing that the child only accompanied him because she trusted him as a grandfather, a special court convicted and sentenced a 79-year-old man to three years of simple imprisonment for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in 2019. The court found the accused guilty of luring a neighbour’s daughter into his home and kissing her. Special judge S V Sahare clarified the legal requirements for conviction under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, stating, “Touch with sexual intent is necessarily proved by the prosecution. The offence under the said section also covers physical contact with the child.”The incident occurred on June 13, 2019, when the child was playing near a temple during her school vacation. The accused called her to his residence under the pretext of offering her wafers and a cold drink. Once inside, he pushed the door shut and kissed the girl on her lips. The child immediately fled home and informed her mother, a flower seller, who then confronted the accused with the help of local residents before alerting the police.During the trial, the defence argued that the accused had been falsely implicated and pointed to CCTV footage from the house—provided by his daughter-in-law— which they claimed showed no such incident. However, the court found the oral testimony of the child to be “heavily reliable” and noted that the absence of footage did not disprove the crime, suggesting the possibility of tampering before the device was handed over to the investigators. The court also observed that the accused specifically targeted a minor girl while other children were playing nearby, indicating sexual intent.While convicting the accused for sexual assault, the court acquitted him of the charge of outraging modesty under the Indian Penal Code, reasoning that the specific elements of criminal force required for that section were not distinct from the sexual assault already established. Regarding the final sentence, the judge observed, “The accused was aged about 74 years at the time of filing of the charge sheet. Considering his advanced age, the court deems it appropriate to award simple imprisonment instead of rigorous imprisonment.“In addition to the three-year prison term, the accused was ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5,000. Out of this amount, Rs 3,000 of that amount was directed to be paid to the child as compensation.

NEW DELHI: Former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen has stepped down as mentor of Delhi Capitals ahead of the 19th season of the Indian Premier League. The 45-year-old said he would not be able to give the role the time it demands, though fans will still see him during the tournament as a commentator.

Pietersen had joined the franchise as a mentor in February last year for the 2025 season.

In that role, he worked closely with the coaching staff that included Director of Cricket Venugopal Rao, head coach Hemang Badani, assistant coach Matthew Mott and bowling coach Munaf Patel.Confirming his decision on social media, Pietersen explained that his schedule would not allow him to continue in the position. “I cannot be a mentor for Delhi Capitals in this IPL season,” he wrote on X. “I can’t commit to the time that the job requires. Best wishes to all the players for this season! However, I’ll see you back in the commentary box! IPL is the world’s best league, and I can’t wait to see all of you soon!”Pietersen remains one of England’s most recognised cricketers. During his international career with the England national cricket team, he scored more than 8,000 runs in Tests and over 4,000 runs in ODIs. He also played 36 IPL matches for teams including Delhi Daredevils, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (then Royal Challengers Bangalore), Sunrisers Hyderabad and Pune Warriors India, scoring 1,001 runs in the league. Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the first phase of the IPL 2026 schedule, which will run from March 28 to April 12. The season will begin with defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru facing Sunrisers Hyderabad at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

The Hundred auction on Thursday produced several talking points, with Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman and two Pakistan players finding buyers and grabbing headlines.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Mustafizur was snapped up by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 100,000 (approximately Rs 1.23 crore), marking a fresh chapter after a turbulent few months that began with his sudden release from Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.The Bangladesh left-arm pacer had been let go by KKR at the direction of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, triggering widespread debate in Bangladesh. The decision created a diplomatic and cricketing ripple effect that eventually culminated in Bangladesh withdrawing from the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, turning Mustafizur’s franchise exit into one of the most talked-about controversies of the season.

While Mustafizur’s signing grabbed attention, the auction also saw two Pakistan players picked. Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed was bought by Sunrisers Leeds for GBP 190,000 (around Rs 2.34 crore) after a bidding war with Trent Rockets. Abrar’s signing is significant as Sunrisers Leeds are owned by the Chennai-based Sun Group, making him the first Pakistan player to join an Indian-owned franchise in the competition.

Another Pakistan mystery spinner, Usman Tariq, was picked by Birmingham Phoenix for GBP 140,000 (about Rs 1.72 crore). However, Phoenix have no direct connection to any IPL franchise.Several other Pakistan stars failed to attract bids. Fast bowler Haris Rauf, all-rounder Saim Ayub and spinner Shadab Khan went unsold, while seasoned pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi had earlier withdrawn from the auction.Among other big deals, Sussex all-rounder James Coles secured the top bid of the day, joining London Spirit for GBP 390,000 (around Rs 4.8 crore).The upcoming edition of The Hundred is scheduled to run from July 21 to August 16.

As Team India embarks on a new cycle that will culminate in the ODI World Cup next year, will Sanju and Ishan’s T20 WC heroics be good enough for them to be candidates in the set up?The bubbly of euphoria of the T20 World Cup triumph was still spilling over when Gautam Gambhir was asked whether the current Indian white-ball generation is the best in business. The coach was at his pragmatic best when he said: “I am not so sure when you’ve lost two bilateral ODI series recently.”Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The indications were quite clear. The T20 World Cup win is all fine but it’s time to look forward because India will be judged in the next one-and-a-half years on its ODI performances. Reason: The ODI World Cup in South Africa in October-November 2027.While the Indian T20 team has been a force of nature in the last couple of years, the ODI team has stuttered a bit. While the Mr Matchwinner for India, Jasprit Bumrah hasn’t played a single ODI since the 2023 World Cup final, the results haven’t always been that convincing.

In 2024, India lost an ODI series in Sri Lanka, one in Australia in 2025 and one at home to New Zealand earlier this year. In between, there was a Champions Trophy triumph in Dubai, but those matches were played in designer spinfriendly conditions which won’t be replicated in South Africa.

That brings us to a pertinent question — is India lacking something in the ODI format?Given the way new-age whiteball cricket is being played, one may be tempted to say it is the explosivity in the batting department that can be an area of discussion. Of course, ODIs are not T20s — which is mostly sixth gear cricket — and you need a little bit of balance in the 50-over format. Still, it won’t be a bad time to ask whether some of the T20 superstars who have the wherewithal to play the longer format should be looked at in ODIs in the lead-up to the World Cup.

The two obvious names that can come up for immediate discussion are that of Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan. Sanju made the difference at the most crucial stages of the T20 World Cup while Ishan is a proven player in 50 overs — boasting of a highest score of 210 in ODIs. Sanju, on the other hand, has an impressive ODI average of 56.66 and a strike-rate of 99.60.Former India batter WV Raman feels Sanju has all the elements in his game that can make him a success in ODIs. “He is a terrific player and whatever problems he was having with his temperament, he has addressed that. I am convinced that Sanju has the game to succeed in ODIs,” Raman told TOI.But then, the question begs: Where is the vacancy? Sanju is essentially an opener and India’s two current ODI openers are Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. Rohit has been a little up and down in the only format that he plays, while Shubman is team captain. Former national selector Devang Gandhi added the name of Yashasvi Jaiswal to the list. “Next in line is Jaiswal and if a slot opens up, how can you give somebody a go ahead of him? I have nothing against Samson, but let him go back to domestic one-day cricket get runs, and then try for an ODI comeback. That’s how the selectors should think,” Gandhi said.Raman, though, is a believer of backing a player when he is in form. “It’s for the team management to find a place for Sanju. For me, Sanju is good enough for ODIs,” Raman said.Ishan, meanwhile, may have a little more flexibility in finding a place. The Jharkhand left-hander can play in top-three as well as lower down the order. Additionally, like Sanju, he is a keeper as well and can be a deputy to KL Rahul. “But then, there’s Rishabh Pant. What has Pant done wrong to be dropped from the ODI set-up? These are very talented young players we are talking about and they should be handled with care,” Gandhi said.Indian cricket will dive deep into IPL in a couple of weeks’ time and as per the recent trend, performances in the two-month tournament will become a serious benchmark for selection across formats.Ishan, playing at No. 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad, and Sanju, opening the batting for his new side Chennai Super Kings, will have the opportunity to break every selection door down.Gandhi, though, argues that shouldn’t be the case.“Don’t forget, there are hardly any close-in fielders in T20s. The aim of every bowler is containment. It’s not always the case in ODIs,” the former India opener said.

Lara Dutta is one of the Indian celebrities who was stuck in Dubai amid the conflict in the Middle East. The actress shared a video expressing her anxiety about being caught in the middle of tensions in West Asia. And now, she and her 14-year-old daughter have returned to Mumbai safely.

Lara Dutta talks about her ‘scary’ return journey to India from Dubai

In an interview with the Hindustan Times, Lara Dutta shared that she generally avoids posting such videos to prevent panic among her followers. The actress also opened up about her return journey. She said, “We lived just about 10 kms away from the Jebel Ali Port, which was being bombed every day. So we decided to take a chance, as I wanted to be with my husband and my family. We drove two hours to Fujairah, and just a day earlier, Fujairah port and the oil refinery had been bombed. It was scary; I am not going to lie about it.”

Lara went on to add, “I was joking with my co-star Akshay Kumar that I felt like I was part of ‘Airlift 2’.”The actress shared that they could hear the explosions at the airport and hoped nothing would get hit. She added, “Hats off to the airlines as well. I am very sure my daughter is going to have some amount of trauma after this experience.”

Lara Dutta reveals why she posted a video on social media from Dubai

In the same conversation, Lara Dutta shared that there was a “personal reason” behind posting the video about being stuck in Dubai on social media. She said, “Maybe it sounds stupid to other people, but I was going to undertake, for me, what was going to be quite a dangerous journey back with my daughter alone.”The actress added that she had no idea what was going on on the other side, as these were really uncertain times. She expressed that no one had ever experienced something like that in the UAE. She added, “The reason that I wanted to put that video out was just a 1 percent thought in my head that it could possibly be the last thing that ever goes out.”

More about Lara Dutta

For those unaware, Lara Dutta has been living in Dubai since three years. She revealed that she moved to the Gulf country so her daughter could train with a renowned tennis coach based there. Meanwhile, her husband, Mahesh Bhupati, was in London for his work commitments.The actress is set to star in Ahmed Khan’s ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ which Akshay Kumar leads. Meanwhile, Lara Dutta was not the only one who rushed to India due to the conflict in the Middle East. Celebs like Sonal Chauhan, Esha Gupta, Nargis Fakhri, Vishnu Manchu, and Ajith Kumar were also stranded in Dubai.

It’s been acclaimed as the knock of the century. No other innings evokes such fond memories and awe as VVS Laxman’s 281 at the Eden Gardens in 2001. The stylish Hyderabadi’s chutzpah and steely resolve allied beautifully in constructing a magnificent edifice that halted the bull run of Steve Waugh’s rampaging Aussies. Laxman vividly recounts that epic innings for TOI… Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Your tally of 1415 runs is still a record for a domestic season. Did playing quality spinners in the Hyderabad nets help in countering Shane Warne better?My dream was always to win the Ranji Trophy for Hyderabad and the 1415 runs I scored in nine matches were really a by-product of trying to contribute towards that goal. Looking back, the 1999–2000 domestic season is very special to me. That season gave me a lot of confidence and reassurance about my game. The 353 I scored in the Ranji semis against Karnataka was another memorable moment because it demanded a lot of concentration, patience and the ability to stay focused for long periods.

Coming into the Indian team after that season, naturally the confidence levels were quite high. But international cricket is always a different challenge especially when you are facing the quality bowling that Australia had at that time.

In Hyderabad, I was fortunate to face some very good spinners in the nets. Those sessions were extremely valuable because they helped me develop methods against quality spin. Of course, nothing can truly replicate the skill and variation of someone like Shane Warne but regularly facing quality spin certainly helped build the confidence and clarity needed to counter him in matches.Tell us how did physio Andrew Leipus manage to put you on the park?Two days before the Test my back went into a severe spasm and I could barely move. The credit for getting me on the field really goes to Leipus. He worked tirelessly through the night and early morning, giving me treatment, stretching the muscles and managing the pain. Even though I was probably only about 50–60 per cent fit, both Sourav and John Wright wanted me to play the Test. For the entire match I wasn’t physically comfortable. Every movement reminded me of the pain in my back, but when you are representing your country, you simply find a way to endure the pain and keep going and the mind becomes stronger than the body.Pain seems to get the best out of you. Eden and then Mohali…I wouldn’t say pain brought the best out of me, but those moments certainly tested my resolve. At Eden the situation demanded patience and belief especially while building that partnership with Rahul. In Mohali (against Australia, Oct 2010), the back pain made every movement difficult, but when you are so close to helping your team win, you somehow find the strength to keep going. I feel grateful that on both occasions I could contribute in a way that helped India.Since your early days too, the longer you stay at the wicket, better the run flow…Early in the innings my focus was always on giving myself time at the crease and understanding the conditions, the pace of the wicket and how the bowlers were operating. Once I spent some time in the middle, my footwork became more decisive and I could pick the length much earlier, which makes a big difference. When that happens, the mind becomes clearer and the shots you practice in the nets start coming naturally in the game. From there it’s about trusting your natural game and being a little more proactive once you are set.

VVS Laxman (Getty Images)

Picking the length early is clearly the hallmark of your batting. Did you sense that it was your day?On that day even though we were under pressure, I felt I was seeing the ball well and my footwork was quite decisive, which helped me control my strokeplay. Picking the length early always gives you that extra bit of time to play your shots. But as a batsman you never really assume it’s going to be your day. The focus is simply on staying in the moment, being disciplined and building the innings session by session.In the first innings, Steve Waugh had fielders on the boundary to get you off strike and you were stroking the ball along the carpet…When you are in good rhythm you can still pierce the gaps along the ground and find the boundary. I was timing the ball really well at that stage and even though Steve Waugh had pushed a lot of fielders to the boundary, my focus was on placement. The idea was to stay positive, take most of the strike and continue building the innings without forcing anything.You and Rahul were involved in many partnerships for South zone. But here it was different. Rahul came down the order. Did he let it show at any point during that long partnership? And what were the mid-pitch conversations all about?Rahul and I had built some memorable partnerships right from our age group cricket. Just about a month before this Test, we had a 300-run stand for South zone against West in the Duleep Trophy. But here the situation was completely different. The match situation was quite grim and when he came in at No. 6, he was incredibly calm and professional. He understood exactly what the team needed and focused on the job at hand. Our conversations were mostly about staying patient, being proactive when the opportunity came and breaking the day into small passages. The key was to keep supporting each other and keep the scoreboard moving.The fifth-wicket partnership of 376 runs turned out to be pivotal…The immediate focus was on rebuilding the innings and batting time. Once Rahul and I settled in, the idea was to make the bowlers work hard and slowly wear them down. We tried to play to our strengths, rotate the strike and capitalise whenever they offered us an opportunity. As the partnership grew you could sense the pressure gradually shifting back onto Australia. Even after reaching our individual milestones, we never became complacent as the objective was to keep batting as long as possible and ideally get through the entire fourth day.

Given both your physical condition, playing sessions was a steep climb. How did you break it down?Physically it was very demanding, especially in those conditions, but both of us understood how important that partnership was for the team. Both of us had the ability to bat for long periods but we tried to break the day into smaller phases. When you approach it that way it really helps because you are only focusing on the next passage of play. We kept encouraging each other and reminding ourselves that the longer we stayed there the more the pressure would shift back onto Australia.The second new ball on the fourth morning was crucial…We knew the bowlers would come hard at us. So, the second new ball was a very important phase of the game. Our plan was to stay very compact, play late and leave well outside off stump as much as possible. The idea was to see off that initial spell and not give them any early wickets. Once the shine went off and we got through that period, it allowed us to regain control and start building the innings again.And the pressure got to the Australians because boundary balls started flowing?When a bowling attack has to keep coming back for long spells without success it can be quite challenging. Once Rahul and I were set, we tried to capitalise whenever they slightly missed their lengths and converted those opportunities into boundaries. That gradually shifted the momentum in our favour.Did players carrying drinks rile the Aussies too?There was a lot of energy around the ground and in the dressing room. The players bringing drinks would sometimes pass on messages or encouragement from the team and the crowd at Eden Gardens was incredibly vocal. I think at times that enthusiasm probably irritated the Australians a little, but for us it was just part of the support we were getting. What the Eden Test did for Indian cricket?At that time Australia were such a dominant side so beating them after following-on was incredibly significant. That match was very special for Indian cricket because it reinforced the belief that we could come back from extremely difficult situations and still win a Test match. It showed the value of resilience, patience and belief in Test cricket. For us as a team it gave tremendous confidence going forward and proved that if we stayed mentally strong, we could compete with the very best teams in the world.

Oil cos say India’s petrol & diesel supply is stable and authorities urge consumers not to hoard, still families and businesses have been running scared, from paring down menus to performing ‘Opparis’ around cylindersThe day she heard about the LPG cylinder crisis, Preetha Rengaswamy decided to go fireless. And first up for breakfast in her raw new menu was the Indian flag — a sandwich of carrots, cheese and coriander — that heralded that the stove was now off-limits.Over the past few days bhelpuri has replaced puris, chapathis have made way for chatpata salads; as for dosas, they’re just a distant dream now in the Rengaswamy household.

With cylinder deliveries delayed by up to 25 days across the city, households such as the Rengaswamys are being forced to rethink the way they cook, rationing gas, reviving old induction stoves and rediscovering meals that need little or no fire.“We’re living on a staple of salads, sprouts and teamwork,”says Preetha. “We’re eating healthier, feeling lighter, sleeping better, and most important, cooking together, because I’ve realised over the past week that salads are a heck of a lot of work for a family of six with all the grating and dicing and chopping,” she says.

After her booking attempts failed, R Saraswathi dusted off an old induction stove, which she was pleased to note worked to her advantage. “I am cooking dal in half the time that it took on my gas stove. The LPG crisis is making me look at cooking in a different light. Spurred by herinduction stove rediscovery, the West Mambalam resident is now considering roof-top solar panels.If there is one person unfazed by the LPG crisis, it’s Krish Ashok, techie and author of ‘Masala Lab’, a book on the science of Indian cooking. Ashok says he went the induction route a long time ago, finding it to be 30% more efficient than LPG, calling it “the single biggest kitchen hack”. “I change my cylinder once every 10 months now,” says Ashok, who uses the stove only to puff up his chapathis.“The physics behind an induction stove is different from LPG. With gas, the flame first heats the burner and the vessel, and only then does the heat transfer to the food. Much of the heat is lost in that process. In induction cooking, electromagnetic induction generates heat in the vessel itself. That is why water can boil up to 70% faster.”The Chinese, says Ashok, mastered the art of cooking with less energy. “There is a reason behind cutting vegetables into small pieces in many Asian cuisines. In China, cooking fuel was historically scarce. So, people developed methods that used high heat for short periods in a wok. The actual cooking time could be as little as 30 seconds.”Shorter cooking times preserve more micronutrients such as vitamins C and B, which degrade with prolonged heat and leach into water during boiling. Steaming, microwaving, or stir-frying minimises losses compared to long boils, says Meenakshi Bajaj, chief dietitian at Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital. “A microwave cooks food from the inside out, whereas a stove heats from the outside. Because the cooking time is shorter, fewer nutrients are lost overall.”