Sports
Champions Trophy: Chakaravarthy versus NZ batters will be a good contest, says Lalchand Rajput

New Delhi, March 8: In the 2025 Champions Trophy, India wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy has carved a reputation for turning the game in his side’s favour via his guile and variations. With India -coach Lalchand Rajput feels all eyes will be on how the Blackcaps batters stand up to the challenge posed by Chakaravarthy’s wizardry.
In the Group A clash between the two teams last week in Dubai, which India won by 44 runs, Chakaravarthy bamboozled them with his variations to pick 5-42, as the Indian spin quartet accounted for nine wickset to face New Zealand in the title clash in Dubai on Sunday, former cricketer-turnedets. In the semi-final against Australia, Chakaravarthy took two wickets, including dangerous Travis Head in the first power-play.
But with Rachin Ravindra and Kane Williamson coming into the final on the back of scoring stellar centuries in the semi-final against South Africa in Lahore, the Blackcaps batters versus Chakaravarthy match-up shapes up as a significant match-defining clash.
“It will be a good contest, to be very honest, because as we all know he is a mystery spinner. But New Zealand players have played him in the IPL as well like, Conway, then Rachin Ravindra and even Williamson. So, they have a little bit of idea of how he bowls. But in a big match like this, he is definitely a mystery spinner, because if you try to take him on, you are bound to get out at some stage or another,” said Rajput in an exclusive conversation with media from Dubai.
He also feels the other Indian spinners – Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja – will be handy in keeping New Zealand on a tight leash. “But sometimes you might get away, and that is the area where I think we are one step ahead because we have got two spinners like that – Kuldeep and Varun Chakaravarthy. Kuldeep is the other way chinaman, but I think he is also a difficult customer for a batter to really take him on.”
“Then we have got two left-arm spinners (Axar and Jadeja) who really bowl tight. They will just keep the batsmen tight under pressure, and then when that happens, they try to take on other bowlers, and that’s where we get wickets. So, that’s the area where I think we are really one step ahead than other teams.”
In the eight-team competition, New Zealand are the only team closest to India’s spin-bowling resources, led by captain and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, followed by Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Michael Bracewell. Rajput, though, thinks Santner will be under more pressure as the Blackcaps will be largely dependent on him to succeed in the final.
“Santner is one of the best spinners they have, that’s for sure. Ravindra also bowls and Bracewell is also there. But I think our batsmen take him on as again, the matchup starts, because some batsmen will take like Shreyas Iyer and all those, they take Bracewell on. Santner, I think, Axar Patel, he takes him on.”
“I still feel that our bowling spinners have got much edge over their bowling. Yes, they have got world-class bowler in Santner. But it depends too much on him because there’s so much pressure on him than our bowlers, because we have got four spinners to bowl at.”
“So, that will be a plus point for Indian spinners that we will be one step ahead of them, because to negotiate four spinners on that pitch where it is little bit on the slower side, it will be difficult for the batsmen.”
There is still a bit of doubt on pacer Matt Henry’s availability, after he injured his right shoulder while taking a catch in Lahore. Henry had picked 5-42 against India in Dubai, and Rajput thinks his absence will be advantageous to the Rohit Sharma-led side.
“He is one of the bowlers who bowls with a good pace and he mixes up well. He got good bouncer, and good yorker as well. Then he bowls a slower one too. If you look at the last game as well, on a slow wicket, he took fifer, and that shows the quality of his bowling as well. If it’s not that, definitely, they will miss him badly. Another thing is that it will be advantage to the Indian batting,” he concluded.
Sports
PCB postpones men’s domestic tournaments with immediate effect amid India-Pak tensions

Lahore, May 10: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced the immediate postponement of all men’s domestic tournaments in the country owing to escalating cross-border tensions with India.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board confirms that the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-II, Regional Intra-District Challenge Cup, Inter-District U19 One-Day tournament have been postponed with immediate effect due to prevailing security condition in the country.”
“The tournaments will resume from the same stage later and a revised schedule will be shared closer to the resumption,” said the PCB in its official statement on Saturday.
Previously on Friday, after the BCCI paused IPL 2025 for a week due to growing tensions between the two nations on the border areas, the PCB had announced it has postponed the ongoing edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for an indefinite period, citing the advice given by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
The tournament’s postponement news came hours after PCB claimed it was going to host the remaining eight matches of the tournament in the UAE, though the organisation didn’t specify the dates or venues of those rescheduled matches.
PSL’s future had come under great uncertainty after a drone had crashed at a food street near the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium, which resulted in Thursday’s match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings being postponed indefinitely.
Two weeks after 26 people were gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam – a popular tourist destination in Jammu & Kashmir, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.
Pakistan continued its aerial attacks, comprising drones and missiles, on Indian border cities as well as across other military stations in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat on Friday. But all of them were successfully foiled by India’s defence systems.
Sports
IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely, BCCI cites national interest

New Delhi, May 9: Amid the escalating military conflict between India and Pakistan, the BCCI has decided to suspend the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season indefinitely in an emergency meeting on Friday, sources told Media.
After Thursday’s IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was called off after 10.1 overs of play at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala following the air and drone strikes from Pakistan which resulted in blackouts in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, all of which are in close proximity to Dharamshala, the future of the tournament looked uncertain and BCCI convened emergency meeting to decide the way forward.
“IPL to be suspended, BCCI will issue detailed information anytime soon, the BCCI sources told Media on Friday. “Yes, the meeting just got over. After discussing with all the concerned authorities, this decision was made. Further details will be shared by the BCCI, ” it added.
“BCCI wants to stand with the nation at this time and thus suspends IPL 2025 with immediate effect. It’s indefinite at the moment (on a window to resume IPL 2025 in future). It will only happen if there will be time later in the year. But for now nothing,” said IPL sources to Media.
Following the abandonment of the Dharamshala match, several Australian players involved in the league reportedly expressed anxiety over their safety.
A special train has been arranged to evacuate both Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals players and support staff members, match officials, commentators, broadcast crew members and other key personnel associated with IPL 2025 to get them to a safe place.
After India launched precision strikes targeting nine high-value terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok), in response to the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Pakistan attempted to engage in number of military targets in Northern and Western India on May 7-8.
India on Thursday morning targeted the Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan, during which the one at Lahore has been neutralised.
Later, Pakistan launched aerial attacks on Jammu as well as several military stations near the western border, but those were successfully foiled by India’s air defence systems.
National
High alert sounded in Rajasthan border districts, leaves of govt employees cancelled

Jaipur, May 8: A high alert has been issued in districts near the Rajasthan border following India’s airstrikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As a precautionary measure, all flight operations at Kishangarh and Jodhpur airports have been suspended until May 10.
Rajasthan shares a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, which has been sealed with the Border Security Force personnel maintaining high vigilance. The Indian Air Force is also on high alert.
All government and private schools, along with anganwadi centres in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar have been declared closed until further notice.
The government employees in these areas have had their leaves cancelled and were instructed to remain at their headquarters.
The state authorities have called for heightened surveillance on social media platforms and reinforced security at sensitive locations.
Hospitals have been directed to maintain an adequate blood supply and life-saving medicines, while fire services remain on high alert to handle any emergencies.
The Home Department has instructed all District Collectors, especially those in border districts — Ganganagar, Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer, and Barmer — to maintain close coordination with the army and central agencies.
Key instructions issued include ensuring hospitals are equipped with life-saving medicines and sufficient blood supplies, identifying and preparing safe zones with backup power (generators) for emergencies, acting swiftly against any provocative content or misinformation on social media, monitoring food supplies, discouraging hoarding, and ensuring availability of essentials.
Fuel pumps have been asked to stock adequate quantities of petrol and diesel.
Directions to prepare evacuation plans for border villages in case of escalations and compiling a list of vulnerable locations, and strengthening security at these sites have also been issued.
In Jodhpur, District Collector Gaurav Agrawal announced late at night holidays for all government, private schools, colleges, anganwadi and coaching institutes. Also, exams to be held on May 8th have been postponed.
Barmer District Collector Tina Dabi has announced holidays for all government and private schools, anganwadis, and madrassas from May 8 in response to any emergency situation.
In Jaisalmer, District Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat has issued closure orders for all educational institutions. Additionally, a 4-hour blackout was imposed in Jaisalmer from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. on Thursday to enhance operational security.
Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner District Collectors Dr. Manju (Sri Ganganagar) and Namrata Vrishni (Bikaner) have announced school closures until further notice, citing heightened tensions along the border.
These precautionary steps have been taken as India prepares for potential retaliation from Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.
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