AAP’s Durgesh Pathak Says CBI Raids Meant To Scare Him

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak on Thursday launched an attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the centre, accusing them of using raids to “scare” him and others in the party.

He said he would cooperate with the investigative agencies but would not get scared.

“I think this is merely a tactic to scare AAP leaders and workers. I will fully cooperate with the investigative agencies, but I will not be scared,” Pathak, who is the co-incharge of AAP in Gujarat, said while addressing a press conference.

He said that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials who came to his residence with a search warrant didn’t find anything and failed to inform him about the matter at hand.

“The CBI team thoroughly investigated my two-room house for three to four hours. They search every corner (in the house). If they found a book, they turned each page. They checked everything but didn’t find anything. While going back, they took photocopies of the Aadhaar cards of people who used to come for assistance regarding their work when I was an MLA. There were nearly five to six people,” Pathak said.

He called out the ruling party’s alleged “tactic” of “scaring” AAP leaders and workers. Pathak claimed that the raids happened after the party appointed him in charge of Gujarat ahead of the forthcoming assembly elections, which are scheduled to be held in 2027.

“I have no idea why they came, and in connection with what case…they didn’t tell me either. They showed me a search warrant, and I invited them in. Since the party has made me co-incharge in Gujarat, I think they came to scare me because of that. I think like this because AAP emerged as an alternative during the previous assembly elections in Gujarat, where five of our MLAs had won, after which they arrested Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendra Jain, and Sanjay Singh,” he added.

The CBI is probing AAP leaders Durgesh Pathak and Kapil Bhardwaj for alleged FCRA violations. The case pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and some of its office bearers for allegedly violating the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010, as amended in 2020.

According to the FIR, the case is against AAP office bearers, including Durgesh Pathak and Kapil Bhardwaj.

The CBI is now formally investigating, based on permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated the probe under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and shared findings with the MHA. (ANI)

Centre Seeks Seven Days To File Reply In Waqf Act Case; SC Rules Out Complete Stay

The Supreme Court on Thursday recorded the Centre’s request for additional time to file a response in the matter related to the Waqf Act. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, submitted that a preliminary reply will be filed within seven days, along with relevant documents.

The court took note of the Solicitor General’s assurance that no appointments to the Waqf Board or Council will be made until the next hearing. The court also stated that existing Waqf properties, including those registered by the user or declared through notification, will not be identified.

The Solicitor General said that the Waqf Act is a considered piece of legislation and that the Centre has received a large number of representations regarding the classification of land as Waqf. He added that staying the entire Act would be a severe step and sought one week to submit a reply.

The Supreme Court stated that it had earlier noted some aspects of the legislation as positive and reiterated that there can be no complete stay of the Act at this stage. The court also said that it does not want the current status to be altered while the matter is under its consideration.

The bench reiterated that the objective is to maintain the existing situation without changes while the matter remains under judicial review.

Earlier on Wednesday, following a two-hour-long hearing, the apex court indicated that it may stay certain key provisions of the Act, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, powers of Collectors on deciding disputes over Waqf properties and provisions on de-notifying properties declared as Waqf by courts.

The top court was about to dictate the order, but Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, and other counsels who were appearing for parties defending the Act said they should be heard before passing the interim order.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan are hearing the case.

During the hearing yesterday, the bench had said that it was considering passing an interim order that would balance equities.

“We will say that whichever properties have been declared by the court to be Waqf or held to be Waqf will not be de-notified as Waqfs or be treated as non-Waqf properties, whether they are by Waqf-by-user or waqf-by-declaration or otherwise… declared by courts or otherwise also,” the bench had said.

“Second, Collector can continue with proceedings, but the proviso will not be given effect to. If he wants, he can move an application before this court, and we can modify it. Third, as far as the constitution of the Board and Council is concerned, ex officio members can be appointed, regardless of their faith, but the other members should be Muslims,” the CJI had added.

CJI had observed that “government cannot rewrite history” through the changes brought in by the amendments to Waqf law while referring to the scope under the new Act to de-notify properties declared as Waqf long ago.

On the issue of non-Muslim members in Waqf Boards and Councils, the bench had said that the nearest example is the Hindu Charitable Endowments Act.

“Whenever it comes to Hindu endowments, it would be Hindus who would be governing,” Justice Viswanathan had said.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for one of the petitioners, had said that a Collector is the officer designated to decide whether a property is Waqf or not; if there is a dispute, this person is a part of the government and is thus a judge in his own cause.

“This is per se unconstitutional. This also says that property will not be a Waqf till the officer decides so. Only Muslims had been part of the Waqf council and Boards, but now, after the amendment, even Hindus can be a part of it,” he had contended.

“It is a parliamentary usurpation of the faith of 200 million persons,” Sibal had added.

At the fag end of the hearing, the bench had also expressed concern over violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district over the Act and said, “The one thing is very disturbing the violence that is taking place. The issue is before the court and we will decide.”

Several petitions were filed in the apex court challenging the Act, contending that it was discriminatory towards the Muslim community and violated their fundamental rights.

President Droupadi Murmu on April 5 gave her assent to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which was earlier passed by Parliament after heated debates in both Houses.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Member of Parliament Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress MPs Mohammad Jawed and Imran Pratapgarhi, MP Mahua Moitra, AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, MLA from National People’s Party India (NPP) party in Manipur Sheikh Noorul Hassan, MP and President of the Azad Samaj Party Chandra Shekhar Azad, Samajwadi Party MP from Sambhal Zia Ur Rehman Barq, President of the Islamic cleric’s body Jamiat Ulema-i-Hind Maulana Arshad Madani, Kerala Sunni scholars’ body Samastha Kerala Jamiatul Ulema, Social Democratic Party of India, Indian Union Muslim League, and NGO Association for Protection of Civil Rights have already approached the top court against the Act.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) also challenged the Act, saying it strongly objected to the amendments passed by Parliament for being “arbitrary, discriminatory and based on exclusion”.

Manoj Jha and Faiyaz Ahmad, MPs in Rajya Sabha from Bihar’s RJD, have also challenged the Wakf (Amendment) Act, 2025, on the grounds that it facilitates large-scale government interference in Muslim religious endowments. RJD MLA from Bihar Muhammad Izhar Asfi also challenged the Act.

The ruling party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu, through its MP A Raja, who was a part of the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Waqf Bill, also approached the apex court against the Act. The Communist Party of India, through its General Secretary D Raja, YSR Congress, and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President and actor Vijay, have also challenged the Act, among others.

Defending the Act, BJP-led governments in the states of Rajasthan, Haryana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh approached the apex court and filed impleadment applications.

Apart from state governments, advocate Mahendra Pratap Singh; Aadivasi Seva Mandal; Jay Omkar Bhilala Samajh Sangathan –organisations operating for the protection of rights of Tribals in Madhya Pradesh; Satish Kumar Aggarwal — a member of Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha; and Vishnu Gupta — National President of NGO Hindu Sena — also filed applications while opposing the petitions challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

Two PILs were also filed challenging the various provisions of the Waqf Act,1995 and certain provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, alleging discrimination against other communities and demanding equal status and safeguards for their properties. (ANI)

Sensex Surges Over 1000 Points, Nifty Up Over 300 Points

Indian stock markets turned around on Thursday after a negative start in the morning session. The markets surged around 1 per cent by mid-session due to a strong domestic structural story and FPI buying.

The Nifty index gained more than 250 points to 23,707.45 or 1.15 per cent up after opening down 35.35 points or 0.15 per cent, while the BSE Sensex also surged more than 950 points to reach 78,007.05 by mid-session, gaining +950.76 or +1.27 per cent.

Ajay Bagga Banking and Market Expert told ANI “India held up well in the post April 2 sell off. There has been a positive rerating of the Indian markets in view of the domestic structural story and lack of external sector fragility FPIs have turned net buyers this week on the back of rerating rupee strength and forward outlook of a resilient Indian corporate sector A normal to above normal monsoon forecast has strengthened the domestic consumption story Add to that the monetary easing and the ample domestic liquidity injected by the RBI , that is helping the financial conditions and the market’s sentiment both”

In the sectoral indices, except Nifty IT, all other sector stocks surged into the green territory. Nifty Banking shares led in gains with the Private Bank index gaining more than 1.3 per cent, while other sectors also showed signs of recovery.

Nifty IT also reduced the gap and was down by 0.95 per cent at the time of filing this report, as in the opening it had declined more than 2 per cent.

Vijay Chopra, Market Expert told ANI “Markets are in rally mode, supported by easing crude, a strengthening rupee, falling inflation, and a promising monsoon. Bank stocks, in particular, are leading the charge–strong deposit growth, likely fuelled by six months of market weakness, could be setting the stage for robust earnings. Shorts seem trapped amid Trump’s pause and the long weekend.”

In the Nifty 50 index, Bharti Airtel, Eternal, ICICI Bank, and Adani Ports are some of the top gainers in this recovery, while the top losers include Wipro, Hero MotoCorp, Tech Mahindra, and Coal India. (ANI)

‘Too Much of Cricket? Try Pickleball, The New Kid In Sports Town’

Shubham Paliwal, vice president of the Uttar Pradesh Pickleball Association, says even if cricket rules your heart, there is room for Pickleball. Find out how:

Let’s face it—cricket is everywhere. From tea stalls to living rooms, from school breaks to boardroom banter, it’s the one sport that has glued generations together in India. We’ve grown up with it, we celebrate it like a festival, and we carry its stories like family heirlooms.

And I say this as someone who deeply respects cricket. It’s a beautiful game, rich with emotion, legacy, and pure magic. But sometimes, just sometimes, I wonder—have we left any space for something new?

Cricket’s popularity isn’t a mystery. It’s got everything—celebrity players, nail-biting finishes, massive crowds, and of course, the legacy of that iconic 1983 World Cup win. It became more than a sport; it became ours. And today, with leagues like IPL and global coverage, it’s not just a game—it’s a mega-industry.

But here’s something I want to share with you—there’s a new game in town, and it’s quietly making its way into hearts, homes, and high-rises across India. It’s called Pickleball.

Yes, the name makes people smile at first. I get that. But once they try it, they’re hooked. And as someone who’s working on the ground, both as a coach and as the Vice President of the Uttar Pradesh Pickleball Association, I can tell you—this game is special.

Pickleball is simple. It’s played on a small court with a paddle and a plastic ball. It’s a mix of tennis, badminton, and table tennis—but way more accessible. You don’t need to be a pro. You don’t need a huge field or expensive gear. You just need a bit of space, a few friends, and that first serve.

So why are people loving it?

Well, because it feels good. It’s light on the body, easy to learn, and great for all ages—kids, adults, even grandparents. I’ve seen three generations from the same family play together and laugh like kids. That’s powerful.

ALSO READ: ‘Too Much Cricket Has Taken A Toll On Its Quality’

It doesn’t eat up your day either. One game takes about 15 minutes. Perfect for a quick match after dinner or during your lunch break! You can play it indoors, outdoors, in schools, societies—anywhere.

And here’s the part that’s really exciting—Pickleball is growing fast. We’re seeing leagues form across India. Some team prices have already crossed ₹18 crore. Celebrities like Ritesh Deshmukh, Atlee, and Rishabh Pant are investing. There are state and national tournaments with real prize money. It’s no longer “that new game with a funny name”—it’s becoming a serious sport.

We’re also working hard to bring it into CBSE and SGFI schools, and internationally, there’s a strong movement to make it an Olympic sport. And at our academy, Pro Play Zone in Crossings Republik, we’ve already introduced it to our community. The response? Overwhelming. Pure joy, real connection, and so much fun.

Cricket will always be close to our hearts. But maybe it’s time to make space for a little more play. A sport that welcomes everyone, doesn’t need a stadium, and fills your soul just as much.

So the next time you ask, “What else is out there besides cricket?” Come pick up a paddle. I promise, Pickleball has something beautiful to offer.

As told to Deepti Sharma

Bengali Flavour At Bollywood Banquet

The Bombay film industry among the largest in the world has from its beginning been enriched by participation of the country’s best in the trade, from story to script-writing to direction to music to acting. It is only natural that Bengal where creativity gets precedence over wealth generation will have historically a major presence in films made in Bombay, since renamed Mumbai.

So when silent films were made and then through the decades of evolvement to the present times, geniuses and also brave hearts of the kind of Himanshu Rai to Devika Rani (they were a married couple), to Nitin Bose to Bimal Roy to Mukherjee brothers to Ashok Kumar brothers to Sachin Dev Burman to Hemanta Mukherjee to Salil Chowdhury made a mark in the industry in western India, which in course of time gave itself the moniker Bollywood.

If you leave the distinguished Ashok Kumar and Kishor Kumar and in recent times the immensely talented and versatile Mithun Chakraborty, recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Bengali male actors have been found shy in trying out their luck in Bollywood. Having some hold on the Bengali screen, they don’t want to navigate the uncharted waters of Bollywood for fear of losing of what they have achieved in their home state.

Good looking but not so good in acting Biswajit had a few remarkable successes such as Bees Saal Baad and Kohraa, where he had the good fortune of teaming up with Waheeda Rehman. But as it happens with many in the industry he could not hold on to the success for long. Bollywood or for that matter other film centres across the world are replete with instances of promising careers of both male and female actors going down the tubes for which they themselves have to blame.

Legendary Uttam Kumar, whom Satyajit Ray considered a “star in the true Hollywood sense” and an “instinctive actor” postponed it far too long before he made his debut in Bollywood with a forgettable Chhoti Si Mulaqat. The film bombed leaving Uttam Kumar in financial and mental despair. Perhaps, he would have done better had he accepted the Raj Kapoor offer to act in his film. Raj Kapoor had other major disappointments with two other Bengalis: He could not prevail upon Suchitra Sen to act in his film and then nothing would have made him happier if Ray would be ready to make a film under the RK banner.

ALSO READ: Dada Moni – The Actor Who Could No Wrong

In contrast to the verily indifferent presence of Bengali male actors in Bollywood films, their female counterparts from Suchitra Sen (Devdas, Andhi, Mamta, Bombai Ka Babu and Musafir) to Sharmila Tagore (An Evening in Paris, Anupama, Aradhana, Amar Prem), to Rakhee Gulzar (Jeevan Mrityu, Lal Patthar, Reshma Aur Shera, Sharmeelee) to Moushumi Chatterjee (Zindagi, Aag hi Aag, Agnee, Piku) had had a commanding screen presence over as long as they were doing their work.

Among them all, Suchitra Sen will always remain an enigma, for she would jealously guard her privacy. Suchitra conquered the hearts of millions, especially when she was paired with Uttam Kumar even though she never had much time for film journalists. When she was still in demand, Suchitra in search of inner peace quit acting and became a recluse much to the disappointment of her legions of fans.

Her withdrawal reminded one of German actress Marlene Dietrich, who became increasingly reclusive in her final years, both physically and emotionally. Didn’t iconic Swedish actress Greta Garbo seek a kind of oblivion once she settled down in a New York apartment on retirement from acting? She wrote in a letter: “I am almost always alone. I would often talk to myself.” Suchitra Sen was never lonely in that sense. She had for company her daughter Munmun and two granddaughters.

Fortunately for cine lovers, the three other Bengali actresses – Sharmila, Rakhee and Moushumi – are still engaged in acting in films and people are saluting them for their efforts defying age. Sharmila’s return to the Bengali screen with the just released Puratawn (ancient in English) which deals with mother-daughter relationship, family challenges of adjustment in the face of changing values and problems of ageing, including forgetfulness. Sharmila who plays the role of Mrs Sen the mother has always been as candid as one cane be where she would be unsparing of herself.

This streak of her character was once again in evidence when she told The Telegraph: “Normally, I don’t like myself. I am very critical of myself. I keep finding out faults and saying I could have done better. But in Puratawn, I felt I did okay… I think I have done a good job and convincing job.” Incidentally, she recently had an occasion to see Nayak and “I loved myself there as well.”

Alas, we may not once again see Sharmila doing any more films because of the age factor and heavy demands that film shooting makes on actors. The other day, Sharmila made admission that Puratawn was her swan song in film acting. “You need to be physically fit to shoot a film, and I’m not sure my health will permit that anymore.” Sad that is. But she is leaving behind a rich oeuvre, with the maiden film being Apur Sansar by Satyajit Ray. Sharmila is one actor who with equal ease essayed a role in an art film as in a commercial cinema.

West Bengal Police Forms SIT To Probe Murshidabad Violence

West Bengal Police has constituted a nine-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the recent incidents of violence in Murshidabad district, officials said on Wednesday.

The SIT comprises an Additional Superintendent of Police (Intelligence Branch), two Deputy Superintendents — one from the Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) and the other from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) — five inspectors (including four from the CID and one from Traffic Police), and the in-charge officer of the Cyber Crime Police Station under Sundarban Police District.

The violence that erupted last week in Murshidabad district against the new Waqf law has left at least three people dead.

Meanwhile, Ahmed Hassan Imran, Chairman of the West Bengal Minorities Commission, on Wednesday condemned the violence, saying, “Mamata Banerjee said a very good thing that we should go to Delhi and hold a protest there (against the Waqf Amendment Act). She also said that the TMC MPs will join us in the protest. This Act is unnecessarily imposed on us. Violent protests against the Act are not good. Even Mamata Banerjee said that this should not have been done. An investigation is going on regarding this. We condemn it. We all believe that protests should be done peacefully.”

Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met muslim clerics in Kolkata. During the meeting with religious leaders, CM Banerjee had announced Rs 10 lakh compensation to the families of those killed in the Murshidabad violence.

She also said that she will ask the Chief Secretary to file a report on it. Violence broke out in Murshidabad during a protest of the Muslim community against the Waqf Amendment Act on April 11. The protests turned violent, resulting in the death of a father-son duo and injuries to several others, with widespread property damage. One person was also killed in the police firing.

Following the violence, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs deployed nearly nine companies, at least 900 personnel, of the Border Security Force in Murshidabad. Of these nine companies, 300 BSF personnel are locally available, with additional companies at the request of the state government.

So far, 150 people have been arrested in connection with the Murshidabad violence, and adequate police forces have been deployed in Samserganj, Dhuliyan, and other affected areas of Murshidabad, police said.

On Monday, the West Bengal police said that the situation in the violence-hit areas had returned to normal. “The situation is normal now. Everyone is safe,” said Additional Director General of Police, South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar. “The CRPF, state police, and joint forces are deployed. The DGP of West Bengal police himself was present at the Samserganj police station. We request everyone not to go through rumours. We opened a control room. Anyone facing any issue can contact us at any time.” (ANI)

Delhi Govt Cracks down on dummy schooling; 10 schools served notice

The Delhi government has launched an inspection drive across several schools under the supervision of the District Magistrate (DM), issuing notices to 10 schools, and initiating the process of de-recognising institutions found in serious violation of norms, officials said on Wednesday.

During the inspections, the DM was accompanied by senior academicians and officials from the Directorate of Education.

The action comes amid rising concerns over dummy schooling and the neglect of Economically Weaker Section (EWS) students.

Dummy schooling refers to the practice where students are enrolled on paper but do not attend classes, often to focus exclusively on coaching for competitive exams.

This crackdown follows the identification of at least 20 schools allegedly engaged in such operations.

This development also comes a day after Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta directed strict action against private schools over arbitrary fee hikes. The issue came to light during a Jan Samvaad at her residence, where concerned parents brought it to her attention.

One such incident involved the Queen Mary School in Model Town. Reacting immediately, the Chief Minister instructed the Education Department to identify such schools and issue notices.

“It is completely unacceptable for any school to mentally harass parents or students, threaten them with expulsion, or increase fees without following due process,” said Chief Minister Gupta.

She reaffirmed that the Government is committed to ensuring that every child receives access to quality and modern education. “Parents of children from some schools are constantly meeting me and telling me their problems. There are rules and laws for this, which are very important to follow. If any school is found violating this, then it will have to bear the consequences. We have issued notices to all the schools against which we are receiving complaints,” she added.

CM Gupta assured that the Delhi Government will not tolerate any tampering with a child’s future, and strict action will be taken against guilty institution. (ANI)

All India Muslim Jamaat Issues Fatwa Against TVK Chief Vijay Over Iftar Party

All India Muslim Jamaat president Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi has issued a fatwa against Tamil Nadu’s actor-turned-politician Vijay, the President of the Tamil Nadu Vijay Karthik (TVK) party.

Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Razvi Bareilvi criticised Vijay for allegedly portraying Muslims negatively in his movies and for inviting individuals involved in gambling and liquor consumption to his Iftar party.

“He (Vijay) has formed a political party and maintained cordial relations with Muslims. However, he has portrayed Muslims in a negative way as those who spread terrorism in his films. Gamblers and liquor consumers were invited to his Iftar party. Due to all this, Sunni Muslims of Tamil Nadu are angry with him. They asked for a fatwa. So, in my answer, I have issued a fatwa mentioning that Muslims should not stand with Vijay,” Maulana Razvi Bareilvi said.

Recently, TVK chief Vijay filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Waqf (Amendment) Act 2025.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard a batch of petitions challenging the Constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

The Supreme Court indicated that it may pass an interim order to stay certain key provisions of the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, and also expressed concern over violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

A three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justices PV Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said, “The one thing that is very disturbing is the violence that is taking place. The issue is before the court, and we will decide.”

The bench didn’t pass any order but suggested that certain provisions may stay, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, powers of collectors in deciding disputes over Waqf properties and provisions on de-notifying properties declared as waqf by courts.

During the hearing, the bench said that it is considering passing an interim order which will balance equities.

“We will say – Whichever properties were declared by a court to be Waqf will not be de-notified or be treated as non-Waqf, whether it is Waqf by user or not. Second, the Collector can continue with the proceedings, but the proviso will not be given effect. Third, regarding Waqf Boards and Council… ex officio members can be appointed, but the other members have to be Muslims,” said the bench.

CJI Khanna was about to dictate the order, but Solicitor General Tushar Mehta representing Centre and other counsels who were appearing for parties defending the Act said they should be heard before passing the interim order.

The bench then posted the matter for further hearing on Thursday at 2 pm. (ANI)

BCCI Sacks Abhishek Nayyar, Fielding Coach, After Poor Australia Tour

Following a disappointing performance in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 against Australia, India has decided to remove assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and fielding coach T Dilip.

BCCI sources informed ANI that assistant Batting coach Abhishek Naiyyar, fielding coach T Dilip, and Strength and Conditioning coach Soham Desai have been removed following India’s poor performance in the BGT series and alleged dressing room leaks.

India conceded a disappointing 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 and lost the opportunity to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) Final at Lord’s.

Skipper Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli were criticised for an underwhelming Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign and a very disappointing 2024/25 season of Test cricket overall.

Sharma (31 runs in three matches and five innings at an average of 6.20) and Virat Kohli (190 runs in five matches and nine innings at an average of 23.75 with a century) lacked big time with the bat. Virat fell for the outside-off-stump trap throughout the series, most notably by pacer Scott Boland, who dismissed him four times.

India began the series with a historic win in Perth but failed to sustain their momentum and lost the series 1-3.

Abhishek Nayar’s role was scrutinised as the Board was not happy with the apparent ‘Kolkata Knight Riders touch’ in the team management. Former Indian all-rounder Abhishek Nayar and former Netherlands star Ryan Ten Doeschate joined Team India’s support staff as assistant coaches during the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Nayar and Doeschate were also assistant coaches at KKR and worked with Gambhir.

In January, BCCI also issued strict guidelines for the Senior Men’s Cricket Team, aiming to enhance discipline, streamline logistics, and promote team unity during domestic and international tours.

The new guidelines include travel, baggage limits, family visits, and team dynamics. Players are expected to travel with the team for all matches and practice sessions. Separate travel arrangements with families are discouraged to maintain discipline and team cohesion. Any exceptions must be pre-approved by the head coach and chairman of the selection committee. (ANI)

Saif Turns ‘Seedha Saadha’ Chor In ‘Jewel Thief’

The wait is finally over as the trailer of ‘Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins’ was unveiled on Monday evening.

‘Jewel Thief’ stars Saif Ali Khan, Kunal Kapoor, Jaideep Ahlawat and Nikita Dutta in pivotal roles. The trailer shows Saif as a “seedha saadha” “chor” who teamed up with Jaideep to steal the ultra-rare African Red Sun diamond. And then there’s a detective (Kunal Kapoor) who is behind the two and wants to arrest them.

Directed by Kookie Gulati and Robbie Grewal, and produced by Marflix Pictures in its streaming debut, Jewel Thief – The Heist Begins marks the first collaboration between Netflix and the production house founded by Siddharth Anand and Mamta Anand.

Excited about the film, the producers shared, “As filmmakers, we’re constantly exploring new ways to tell stories that are stylish, compelling, and surprising. With Jewel Thief, we wanted to create a cinematic universe that felt both classic and fresh — a modern-day heist with emotion and pace. This is our first streaming venture, and we couldn’t have asked for a better partner than Netflix to bring that vision to life. The story is slick, the characters are layered, and the scale is massive, so gear up for this action-packed adventure.”

At the trailer launch, Siddharth Anand opened up about his camaraderie with Saif Ali Khan and shared insights of his gracious nature on the sets. Besides this, he also revealed one aspect he’d never want to change in the seasoned actor.

“He is loveable. He is somebody who is a darling on set. He makes everybody comfortable. And I’m glad that this quality about Saif hasn’t changed. He makes everybody really comfortable, eases out everybody. Sometimes his jokes scare some people, his sense of humour is such. But, he is amazing, and that is something he shouldn’t change,” shared Siddharth Anand.

‘Jewel Thief: The Heist Begins’ is slated to stream from April 25. (ANI)