New Delhi, Dec 17: Former India batting coach Sanjay Bangar highlighted Hardik Pandya’s impact with bat and ball, stating that the Men in Blue have benefited massively because of the all-rounder’s abilities.

Pandya returned to competitive cricket earlier this month after missing out for over two months due to the injury he sustained during the Asia Cup semi-final in September. He made an immediate impact in the game for the Men in Blue and played a crucial role in the team’s successful outings against South Africa in the ongoing five-match T20I series.

Speaking to JioStar, Bangar lavished praise on Pandya, emphasising the Baroda cricketer’s unique batting mechanics and his value as a bowling option in T20 cricket, as he said, “Going deep inside the crease is Hardik Pandya’s speciality.

Even when he goes that deep, his weight remains on the front foot, which is a very good thing. As a batter, we always encourage waiting for the ball. He plays with a very wide base, which allows him to generate a lot of power.”

“He can play front-foot shots, back-foot shots, baseball-style hits, full shots and the upper cut. He opens up both sides of the ground, which is a special ability. He bowls at around 132–133 kmph with a fuller length, where close to 54 per cent of his deliveries are pitched up, and he gets wickets from there. He allows the ball to swing, and when required, he goes for the yorker as well. The Indian team has benefited immensely from his ability,” he added.

Bangar highlighted Abhishek Sharma’s fearless approach, underscoring the technical elements that enable the young batter to dominate bowlers. Opining on his attacking mindset, Bangar stated, “First of all, it’s his attacking mindset. If there’s a delivery outside the off stump, he hits it very hard. One very important aspect of his batting is his high backlift. He holds the bat above the handle, which gives him excellent reach. Because of the swing he generates, he can hit big sixes, especially over the covers. Hitting sixes over the covers is a special ability. He doesn’t try to hit from below, which gives him an incredible range.”

Turning his attention to Shubman Gill, Bangar acknowledged the Indian opener’s form while pointing out specific areas that need refinement, particularly against straight deliveries.

“In the beginning, his footwork was very positive. But if you remove three or four boundaries over 28 games, the issue has been on straighter lines. Against straight deliveries, his strike rate has fallen quite low. Outside the off stump, his strike rate is good, but there have been a few edges as well.

Overall, he has scored runs, but straight-line play is something he will want to improve. In the second game, the ball that got him out was a very good delivery—it could have dismissed any batter. His footwork has improved, and if he continues to play with clear footwork, he will be able to hit the same shots consistently, like the three or four boundaries we’ve seen,” he noted.

While India have enjoyed the upper hand in the series so far, Bangar cautioned against underestimating South Africa, particularly with the conditions on offer in Lucknow, saying, “The way this series has gone, South Africa has fought well in every format. On the Lucknow pitch, there is bounce and seam, and South Africa’s fast bowlers will look to make early inroads. India will need to be prepared for that challenge.”

With India holding a 2–1 advantage in the five-match T20I series against South Africa, the spotlight now turns to Lucknow for the fourth game, as the two sides gear up to face off at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

New Delhi, Dec 17: Geopolitical uncertainties driven by the delay in the India-US trade deal have been the single-most important reasons for the rupee sliding against the US dollar, an SBI Research report said on Wednesday, adding that the rupee is likely to bounce back strongly in the second half of the next fiscal.

India’s trade data shows the remarkable resilience in navigating through prolonged uncertainty, more protectionism and labour supply shocks.

“While the geopolitical risk index has moderated since April 2025, the current average value of the index for April-October 2025 is much greater than its decadal average, which indicates how much pressure global uncertainties are exerting on INR,” State Bank of India’s (SBI) Group Chief Economic Advisor, Dr Soumya Kanti Ghosh, said.

Dr Ghosh further stated that consistent with their empirical analysis, “the rupee is currently in a depreciating regime and is likely to exit it”.

After breaching the psychologically important mark of 90 per US dollar, the rupee crossed the 91-level on Tuesday.

However, the rupee staged a sharp recovery on Wednesday, trading as strong as 90.25 during the day, as the cooling of crude prices also contributed to improved sentiment.

According to the SBI report, the data also indicates that the current fall is the quickest (in terms of number of days) of the rupee, scaled to 5 per USD. In less than a year, the rupee has slid from 85 to 90 per dollar.

The current slide appears to be primarily driven by FPI outflows, chiefly equities (after two years of robust inflows) and uncertainty regarding the US-India trade deal.

Since April 2, 2025, when the US announced sweeping tariff hikes across economies, the Indian rupee (INR) has depreciated by 5.7 per cent against USD (most amongst the major economies), notwithstanding sporadic phases of appreciation owing to optimism over the US-India trade deal.

“While INR is the most depreciated currency, it is not the most volatile. This clearly indicates that the 50 per cent tariff imposed on India is one of the major factors behind the current phase of rupee depreciation,” the SBI report noted.

Latur: Police have registered a case against the owner of a cafe premises in Maharashtra’s Latur district where a minor girl was allegedly raped earlier this month, officials said.

The incident occurred at the cafe on December 4.

The minor girl, who belongs to the Dalit community, was allegedly kidnapped and raped by an 18-year-old man at the establishment, they said.

Police traced the girl within hours of registering the complaint. The main accused and two persons who operated the cafe were subsequently arrested and booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), an official said on Tuesday.

The police on Tuesday also booked the owner of the premises, where the cafe was being operated, under section 21 (punishment for failure to report or record a case) of the POCSO Act.

The cafe owner had illegally created a secluded compartment near the kitchen area by charging extra money, offering private seating arrangements. Despite being aware of this unauthorised setup and its misuse, the premises owner allegedly ignored it and allowed the cafe owner to continue with the arrangement, the official said.

He also failed to report the matter to the police or other authorities concerned and is accused of deliberately suppressing information, the official added.