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Champions Trophy: NZ beat SA by 50 runs, set up finale meeting with India

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Lahore, March 5: New Zealand set up a meeting with India in the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai after beating South Africa by 50 runs in the second semifinal at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Wednesday.

After Rachin Ravindra smashed his fifth ODI hundred and second ton of the tournament and Kane Williamson notched up his third century in a row against South Africa to take New Zealand to 362/6, the highest total in the competition’s history, the Proteas ended up at 312/9, with David Miller’s unbeaten century coming off 67 balls going in vain.

For the Blackcaps, captain Mitchell Santner broke the back of South Africa’s chase with 3-43, while Glenn Phillips and Matt Henry took two wickets each. Michael Bracewell and Rachin Ravindra bagged a scalp each as New Zealand got a clinical win and will now meet India for the second time in this tournament.

Chasing 363, the in-form Ryan Rickleton began by hitting four early boundaries before he was undone by Matt Henry’s cutter, and the leading edge was caught by short-cover in the fifth over. Temba Bavuma was struggling to get going, as seen from him being three off 18 balls, before breaking the shackles by hitting a four each off Henry and Kyle Jamieson.

While van der Dussen took two fours off Henry, Bavuma pulled Jamieson over square leg for six. After the duo took a four each off William O’Rourke, Bavuma brought up South Africa’s hundred by going inside-out against Michael Bracewell for four and got his seventh ODI fifty in 64 balls.

Shortly after, van der Dussen brought up his third consecutive fifty with a single as South Africa’s chase got a stable look, especially with Bavuma’s catch being dropped by Kane Williamson at short mid-wicket. But in the 23rd over, Bavuma looked to slice a flighted delivery from Santner but was caught at backward point for 56. Three overs later, Santner struck again as he got one to turn enough and castled van der Dussen for 67. In his next over, he landed a huge blow to South Africa’s chase by having Heinrich Klaasen pull to Henry at long-on, though he injured himself after landing on the right shoulder.

From there, South Africa’s slide in the chase began – Rachin Ravindra held on to a chip from Aiden Markram’s bat off his own bowling, Wiaan Mulder miscued a slog-sweep to deep square leg off Bracewell and had Marco Jansen trapped lbw by Glenn Phillips, who later had Keshav Maharaj caught behind.

Despite Rabada hitting two boundaries in his 22-ball 16 and David Miller carting bowlers all around the park to complete a century on the last ball of the innings, it wasn’t enough for South Africa to stop New Zealand from progressing into the Champions Trophy final.

Brief scores:

New Zealand 362/6 in 50 overs (Rachin Ravindra 108, Kane Williamson 102; Lungi Ngidi 3-72, Kagiso Rabada 2-70) beat South Africa 312/9 in 50 overs (David Miller 100 not out, Rassie van der Dussen 69, Temba Bavuma 56; Mitchell Santner 3-43, Glenn Phillips 2-27) by 50 runs

Crime

Two Held With ₹68 Lakh Cash Near India-Myanmar Border In Mizoram; Heroin Worth ₹78 Lakh Seized

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Aizawl: Two persons were arrested with Rs 68 lakh in cash near the India-Myanmar border in east Mizoram’s Champhai district, officials said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, the Assam Rifles intercepted a vehicle at Zote village on August 11, they said.

Upon thorough checking, Rs 60 lakh in cash was recovered from two persons in the vehicle.

The duo, identified as Joseph Lalthansanga and Vanlalruati, could not state any proper reason why they were carrying such a huge amount of cash. They were subsequently handed over to the police for legal action, officials said.

In another operation, the Assam Rifles recovered 94.6 gram of heroin, worth Rs 78 lakh, from the village on Wednesday.

The drugs were handed over to the Excise and Narcotics Department, officials said.

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National

India’s AI Tech Spending Projected To Reach Rs. 92 Thousand Crore By 2028: Report

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India’s AI technology spending is projected to grow at an annualised rate of 38 per cent from 2023 to reach $10.4 billion (approximately Rs. 92 thousand crore) in 2028, a report said on Thursday.

Around 40 per cent of organisations in India have already implemented agentic AI, and close to 50 per cent are planning to use the technology within the next 12 months, IDC InfoBrief and UiPath said in a joint report.

In 2025, AI investments are focused on building the foundational infrastructure required to power transformative, high-value use cases.

According to the report, the adoption is surging, fueled by a tech-savvy workforce, expanding digital infrastructure, and government-backed initiatives.

Organisations’ spending on enterprise automation, multilingual AI models, and agentic deployments is driving this momentum further.

The benefits are already visible, as 80 per cent of Indian companies say agentic AI boosts productivity, while 73 per cent say it improves decision-making, the report said.

According to the report, agentic AI is gaining strong traction across the manufacturing, retail and wholesale, healthcare, and life sciences industries, which heavily rely on data and repetitive decision-making cycles.

“Agentic automation is rapidly redefining business operations across India. While enterprises in this region are embracing the full potential of AI agents to streamline workflows and autonomously execute complex business processes, trust and security remain barriers to widespread implementation,” said DebDeep Sengupta, Area Vice President, South Asia, UiPath.

Our agentic automation platform directly addresses these challenges, breaking down barriers to enterprise AI adoption by enhancing security and compliance, improving accuracy and reliability for agentic outcomes, Sengupta added.

About 69 per cent of Indian organisations are using agentic AI to enhance productivity, 59 per cent to drive personalised customer engagement, while 57 per cent apply it to risk and fraud detection, highlighting how agentic AI is being applied across front and back-office functions, the report highlighted.

“Becoming an AI-fueled business is no longer an option in today’s unpredictable climate. For many organisations, it’s fast becoming a strategic necessity,” said Deepika Giri, Associate Vice President, IDC Asia/Pacific.

Across the region, organisations are embracing agentic AI and agentic automation at scale, Giri added.

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Maharashtra

MUMBAI’S CRICKET MUSEUM SET TO OPEN SOON

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The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) is pleased to announce the upcoming inauguration of the MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum in the second half of August 2025. Located at the iconic Wankhede Stadium, the museum is a tribute to Mumbai’s rich cricketing heritage and the legendary figures who have shaped its success.

At the museum’s entrance, visitors will be welcomed by life-size statues of Shri Sharad Pawar and cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar who remains one of Mumbai’s and India’s most iconic sporting figures. Gavaskar’s statue, in particular, stands as a symbol of excellence and dedication that will inspire aspiring young cricketers for generations to come.

The highlight of the museum is a priceless collection of rare and iconic memorabilia donated by Mumbai’s legendary cricketers. These historic items reflect the deep-rooted legacy of Mumbai cricket and its contribution to Indian and world cricket.

The museum also features a cutting-edge audio-visual experience centre, bringing to life the stories, milestones, and memorable moments of Mumbai’s cricketing journey.

“The MCA Sharad Pawar Cricket Museum is our heartfelt tribute to the stalwarts of Mumbai cricket and a testament to the visionary leadership of Shri Sharad Pawar. This museum stands as a living chronicle of Mumbai cricket’s unparalleled legacy, dedicated to preserving its rich history and inspiring future generations.

The statue of Shri Sunil Gavaskar, one of India’s greatest cricketing legends, will serve as a powerful symbol of excellence and determination. His monumental contributions to Indian and Mumbai cricket will continue to motivate young cricketers to dream big and aim high,” said MCA President Shri Ajinkya Naik.

“The MCA invites all cricket lovers and the public to visit and experience this one-of-a-kind tribute to Mumbai cricket” said Shri Abhay Hadap, Secretary MCA.

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