New Delhi, April 25: Sanjay Bangar, the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) head coach, said the way Virat Kohli paced his composed knock of 70 propelled the side to post a total which was slightly above-par and was eventually enough to give them an 11-run win over Rajasthan Royals.

At the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli hit his fifth fifty of the ongoing season, while sharing a 95-run stand with Devdutt Padikkal, who also hit a half-century, to set the base for RCB posting 205/5. In reply, led by Josh Hazlewood’s 4-33 and stifling act by spinners, RCB got their first home win of IPL 2025.

“This was typical Virat Kohli. After a couple of low scores, he returned to his default style—risk-free cricket, constructing the innings patiently. Once the game was set up, he opened up with attacking shots.”

“The key was how he handled the first 7-8 overs and gave assurance not just to his partner, but also to the dugout. The way he paced the innings helped RCB post a slightly above-par total,” said Bangar on JioStar.

Bangar, who also served as India’s batting coach, also pointed to key tactical errors and reckless shot selection which led to RR imploding in a run-chase for the third straight time. “Things look really bad for Rajasthan at the moment, and they have only themselves to blame for this loss. They failed to seize key moments—both while batting and bowling.”

“Not giving Jofra Archer back-to-back overs, especially around the 18th, cost them extra runs. In the chase, Jaiswal had taken 14 off Hazlewood but still went after him, and Riyan Parag, despite a lucky start, kept swinging recklessly and threw away a winning position. These lapses have hurt them in the last three games. Losing crucial moments is what’s costing Rajasthan badly.”

Bangar signed off by sharing his thoughts on who can emerge victorious in the upcoming clash between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH), happening at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Friday evening.

“I believe CSK will win against SRH. CSK’s spin strength, backed by MSD, will be key, and they’ll ensure there’s assistance for the spinners. The team is evolving, moving away from their earlier pattern with more focus on youngsters. SRH, on the other hand, has been inconsistent.”

Mumbai, April 24: The mortal remains of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote, who were killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, were brought to Pune early Thursday morning.

Chants of ‘Pakistan jala do (burn down Pakistan)’ were raised during Jagdale’s funeral procession. NCP(SP) president Sharad Pawar met the families of Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote and expressed grief.

The Jagdale family, shattered by the brutal killing of Santosh Jagdale, burst into tears. “Today my life has been completely ruined, I cannot see my husband anymore,” said Jagdale’s wife, Pragati Jagdale, while venting out her emotions. She also demanded in front of Sharad Pawar that those terrorists should be shot the same way they killed her husband and others.

Pragati Jagdale further narrated the entire incident. “They (terrorists) had come wearing masks. There was no one there, there should have been an officer or security guard. Further, there was a delay in treatment. They didn’t tell us anything,” she said.

She added that the terrorists did not even spare the horse puller as he resisted and told them that they should not shower bullets on the tourists. “Don’t put people’s lives in danger, people’s lives are being ruined, tell me where I am going to look. My husband is not with me, what should these children do?” she asked in despair.

“I have not been able to see my husband’s face since yesterday. While in Kashmir, we could not see his face; here, too, his face is not being revealed. Terrorists shot my husband in the head. Do something for us. Find and kill those terrorists. Terrorists shot our people in the head and took out the flesh, took out the blood, do the same with them and show us the bodies of the terrorists. Terrorists shot their father in front of the children. The children were crying then. While coming down from there, we fell into the mud. Because of this, I cannot even stand on my feet,” said Pragati Jagdale.

“The local people there also cried for us, they felt bad because everything the terrorists did was against tourists, and they attacked tourists. The officers there also cried for us, they felt bad about what had happened. The lives of family members of 26 people killed in the terror attack have been completely destroyed,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, Kaustubh Lele, who lost his cousins Sanjay Lele, Hemant Joshi and Atul Mone from Dombivli in the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on Tuesday, slammed the government, asking it to first ensure safety to its citizens instead of making tall claims about becoming a trillion-dollar economy.

“Focus on bringing ‘acche din’ of safety and security in the lives of Indian citizens, then show them the dream of becoming a dollar economy. Stop show-offs, branding and making loud claims. Take adequate steps for the safety of the people,” he said, expressing his anguish. “It is a big loss for three families as they have lost the head of the families. It has created a big vacuum which cannot be filled. Terror attacks are taking place unabated. Now take some concrete and firm steps against terrorism,” he said.

New Delhi, April 19: India on Saturday issued a sharp condemnation of the abduction and brutal killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu community leader in northern Bangladesh, calling it part of a “pattern of systematic persecution” of minorities under the country’s interim government.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal voiced India’s grave concern, stating that the incident reflects an alarming trend of targetted violence against Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh.

“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government, even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” Jaiswal said in a post on social media platform X.

He added, “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”

India has previously expressed similar concerns over rising attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, but this latest incident has drawn particular attention due to Roy’s prominence in the Hindu community.

Roy, who served as the Vice-President of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, was abducted from his residence in Dinajpur district on Thursday evening. According to police and family accounts, he received a phone call around 4:30 p.m., after which four unidentified men arrived on motorcycles and forcibly took him to Narabari village. He was reportedly assaulted and later found unconscious. He was rushed to a hospital in Dinajpur, where he was declared dead on arrival. His wife, Shantana Roy believes the attackers used the call to confirm his location before carrying out the abduction.

Opposition leaders in India also slammed the shocking incident in the neighbouring country.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted that religious minorities, especially Hindus, are being persecuted in Bangladesh.

“Attacks on other religious minorities are also continuing. Recently, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh made a very condemnable and disappointing comment about the northeastern states of India. The persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, human rights violations, and the attempt to erase the memories of the 1971 Liberation War are efforts to weaken the relationship between India and Bangladesh. From 1971 till today, India has always wished for peace and prosperity for all the people of Bangladesh. This is in the best interest of the subcontinent,” he said.