Sports
Champions Trophy: Connolly approved as replacement for Short in Australia squad

Dubai, March 3: Spin-bowling all-rounder Cooper Connolly has been approved as a replacement for injured opener Mattew Short in Australia’s squad for the ongoing 2025 Champions Trophy.
Connolly, who has played three ODIs since his debut in England last year, was named as a replacement after Short was ruled out due to an injury to his left quadriceps which he sustained during Australia’s washed out Group B game against Afghanistan.
Connolly, 21, was initially named as a travelling reserve for the tournament, and him being drafted into the main squad was approved by the ICC Event Technical Committee comprising of Wasim Khan (ICC General Manager – Cricket), Sarah Edgar (ICC Senior Manager – Events), Usman Wahla (PCB Director – International Cricket Operations), Shaun Pollock (Independent Representative).
There could be a temptation in the Australian camp to bring in Connolly, who bowls left-arm spin, for the all-important semi-final clash against India on slow pitch of the Dubai International Stadium on Tuesday.
Australia’s spin options include leg-spinner Adam Zampa and Glenn Maxwell’s part-time off-spin, along with Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne capable of sending down some overs of handy spin bowling.
The 2023 ODI World Cup champions also have another leg-spinner in Tanveer Sangha, who can come in for either of the quicks if Australia take a leaf out of India’s book of playing four spinners in their 44-run win over New Zealand on Sunday.
Short’s absence also means that Australia could also consider having Jake Fraser-McGurk in the playing eleven and partner with Head at the top of the batting line-up. Fraser-McGurk, though, hasn’t got going in ODIs so far – going past 16 just once.
Australia squad: Steve Smith (captain), Sean Abbott, Alex Carey, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Spencer Johnson, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell, Tanveer Sangha, Adam Zampa, and Cooper Connolly.
Sports
IPL 2025: Langer confirms Mayank Yadav bowling at ’90-95 percent’

Lucknow, April 5: Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) head coach Justin Langer has offered a promising update on tearaway pacer Mayank Yadav, revealing that the speedster is bowling at “90 to 95 percent” intensity at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru and could return to the squad in the coming weeks.
Speaking after LSG’s thrilling win over Mumbai Indians on Friday night, Langer sounded upbeat about Mayank’s recovery. “Mayank is up and running, which is really great for Indian cricket and for the IPL. I saw some video of him bowling yesterday at the NCA. He was bowling at about 90 to 95%,” Langer said in the post-match press conference.
“We saw the impact he had last year. I don’t think there’s been a bowler in India who’s bowled faster than Mayank Yadav — that’s why there’s so much talk about him.”
Mayank has been sidelined with a back injury and was close to returning earlier this season before a freak toe injury — sustained after stubbing it against his bed — caused an infection that further delayed his comeback. While Langer did not provide a definitive return date, he indicated that the pacer is edging closer to a much-anticipated return.
“He’s keen to get going. The NCA have done a great job with our bowlers — they got Avesh Khan and Akash Deep back for us, and now hopefully Mayank as well,” he added.
The 21-year-old speedster took the IPL by storm last season with his raw pace and wicket-taking ability, consistently clocking speeds above 150 km/h. His return will be a massive boost for LSG, who have had to manage a severely depleted bowling lineup since the start of IPL 2025.
LSG’s injury crisis began before the season opener with Mohsin Khan, Mayank, Avesh Khan, and Akash Deep all unavailable. The franchise brought in veteran Shardul Thakur to bolster the attack, and the move has paid dividends. Thakur has picked up seven wickets in four matches, including a match-defining 19th over against Mumbai, where he gave away just seven runs despite facing the dangerous duo of Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma.
Akash Deep made his return on Friday, finishing with figures of 4-0-46-1, while Avesh has played three matches but has struggled with economy, collecting just two wickets so far.
While LSG’s bowling resources have been stretched thin, the performances of Thakur and the gradual return of key players have kept them competitive.
Entertainment
Art remains immortal: Assam CM condoles death of legendary actor Manoj Kumar

Guwahati, April 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday condoled the death of ace Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar and asserted that art remains immortal.
Taking to X, Sarma mentioned, “Even today, Manoj Kumar ji’s films inspire countrymen and fill them with energy to dream new dreams. Many of my childhood memories are associated with the songs of his films.”
“Whether an artist lives or not, his art remains immortal. Om Shanti,” he further mentioned in the X post.
Veteran actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar breathed his last on Friday at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital. He was 87.
Reportedly, the medical reports reveal that Manoj Kumar’s death was caused by cardiogenic shock resulting from an acute myocardial infarction, a severe heart attack.
The reports also indicated that he had been struggling with decompensated liver cirrhosis in recent months, which had worsened his health.
The legendary actor was admitted to the hospital on February 21 when his health deteriorated.
Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO and Executive Director at Kokilaben Ambani Hospital, said in an official statement, “Veteran actor Shri Manoj Kumar ji passed away peacefully at the Kokilaben Ambani Hospital early this morning at around 3:30 am, due to age-related health issues. He had been hospitalised for the past few weeks.”
Following the news of his passing, tributes quickly flooded in from celebrities, politicians, and fans alike.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his sorrow, mourning the loss of the legendary actor-director.
Taking to his X handle, he tweeted, “Deeply saddened by the passing of legendary actor and film-maker Manoj Kumar ji. He was an icon of Indian cinema, who was particularly remembered for his patriotic zeal, which was also reflected in his films. Manoj ji’s works ignited a spirit of national pride and will continue to inspire generations. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti.”
Sports
IPL 2025: ‘Aggression isn’t about hitting sixes but showing correct intent’, Venkatesh on KKR’s win over SRH

Kolkata, April 4: Kolkata Knight Riders vice-captain Venkatesh Iyer provided valuable insights into his team’s comprehensive 80-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025 on Thursday and explained that aggression isn’t about hitting every ball for a maximum; it’s about showing correct intent.
Iyer, who smashed a brilliant 60 off just 29 balls with 7 fours and 3 sixes, played a crucial role in taking KKR to a formidable total of 200 after a cautious start at the Eden Gardens in a replay of the last edition’s final.
“A basic but very important meaning of aggression is to show positive but correct intent when we play cricket,” Iyer explained when asked about KKR’s batting approach.
“If we are 50 for six and I still go and tonk everything, that’s positive but not correct. If we are to call ourselves smart cricketers, it’s very important to read any situation and then react accordingly.”
The left-hander clarified that KKR’s definition of aggression isn’t about mindlessly hitting every ball for boundaries. “Aggression does not mean hitting every ball for a maximum. It’s about how you understand the conditions and can maximise the conditions in your favour,” he elaborated.
Iyer credited his teammates — especially skipper Ajinkya Rahane and young batter Angkrish Raghuvanshi — for providing valuable inputs during the strategic timeout that helped him assess the pitch conditions better. Stitching a crucial partnership of 81 in 51 balls, Rahane scored 38 runs, while Raghuvanshi hit 50.
“The main communication was by Ajinkya and Angkrish. The messages they sent during the time-out made us understand that it’s not an easy pitch to just go out there and hit. You have to take your time,” he said.
KKR’s batting strategy relied on Iyer and Rinku Singh laying a foundation before accelerating in the death overs, knowing they had destructive batters like Andre Russell waiting in the dugout. “I have that luxury because we have Rinku, Ramandeep (Singh), and (Andre) Russell in the back end. Even if I take a few balls, I know that I can cover it to an extent. We still have our engine room which can demolish any bowling attack,” Iyer added.
When discussing SRH’s ultra-aggressive batting approach that faltered against KKR’s bowling attack led by Vaibhav Arora and Varun Chakaravarthy (who took three wickets each), Iyer mentioned, “We’re not comfortable with any score when it comes to SRH. A team which is ultra-aggressive always carries the risk of losing wickets, and that’s what we wanted to exploit.”
Iyer also expressed appreciation for facing star Indian pacer Mohammed Shami, who recently returned to cricketing action after a long layoff due to injury. “The cricket fan in me is very happy to see Shami Bhai back and running in full flow. It was extremely challenging to play him in the Ranji trophy as well, but here in T20, the bowler also has a mindset that if they err, they can get hit for a boundary,” he concluded.
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