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Champions Trophy: Playing four spinners is tempting, but will think over right combination, says Rohit

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6 months ago

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Dubai, March 3: Ahead of meeting Australia in the first semi-final of 2025 Champions Trophy, India skipper Rohit Sharma admitted that retaining their bowling combination of four spinners is a tempting option, but at the same time, he will give a thought over what the right bowling combination should be.

At the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, India fielded four spinners, who picked nine wickets collectively. Wrist-spinner Varun Chakaravarthy was the standout bowler with 5-42, the best bowling figures in the ongoing Champions Trophy, in just his second ODI game to bamboozle New Zealand and ensure India end as Group A toppers.

“We really need to think, even if we want to play four spinners, how we can squeeze them. If we don’t, then we don’t. Whatever works for us in terms of the bowling options, we will try and do that.

“The reason I say that is because we are very much aware of the conditions, and know exactly what works and what doesn’t work. So, we’ll just give it a day. We’ll think about it, what is the right combination to go with. But it is tempting,” said Rohit in the pre semi-final press conference.

Asked if Chakaravarthy had made a case for his selection in the semi-final against Australia, which is a rematch of the 2023 ODI World Cup final, Rohit remarked, “He just showed what he’s capable of. Now it is up to us to think and see how we can get that combination right. Obviously, look, he got a game. He did everything that was asked for. I said it at the post-match (presentation ceremony) as well that he’s got something different about him.

“When he gets it right, he knocks people over and takes five wickets. It is very tempting to think about what to do, which is a good headache to have. We’ll just try and assess. We just want to go back and think about what the Australian batting lineup will look like and how we can try and see what kind of bowling options will work against them.”

It was in 2021 in Dubai that Chakaravarthy had endured a horror time in the Men’s T20 World Cup by going wicketless in the matches he played. On Sunday, Chakaravarthy made a very successful return to the very same venue with an incredible five-wicket haul in just his second ODI.

Rohit believes that what Chakaravarthy has been doing differently in 2025 as compared to his 2021 stint with the Indian team is his accuracy in deliveries and getting more match-playing experiences across all formats.

“Look, speaking about Varun, I think he’s become more accurate now from the last time he played for India, which was way back in 2021. I mean, there was a little bit of inexperience in him as well, because he hadn’t played a lot of cricket. But right now, in the last two or three years, he’s played a lot of cricket, whether it’s domestic cricket, IPL, and for India in T20Is, and now the ODIs as well.

“He understands his bowling really well. There is definitely something about his bowling which he’s using to his advantage. Some of our batters also couldn’t figure that out, which is always nice. But to answer that question, I think he has become more and more accurate, and the pace variation is superb.

“Watching from behind when I was standing in the slips, his variations have developed a lot more. When you have a little bit of mystery, you don’t want to be one-dimensional bowler and bowl with the same speed. You need something different in the pace variation, and the accuracy as well. So, he’s worked on both of it, and now you see that he’s getting a lot of wickets and getting more often as well, which is a good sign for us as a team,” he said.

Rohit signed off by explaining of the time when the think-tank felt it would be better to draft Chakaravarthy in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal in the main Champions Trophy squad on February 12. “With Varun, especially, we felt we had to sacrifice a batsman, as we thought it’s only five games in this tournament. It’s very unlikely that that batter is going to play at any stage, unless there’s an injury. You don’t make team thinking the worst, which is someone getting injured.”

“If somebody is injured, you can always call them upon. But with Varun, we knew that there is a chance that he might play without any injury in the team. I know there are four spinners and all of that, but we played four spinners in this game. So, looking at the surfaces here, hearing about what has happened in Dubai in the past two months, there’s a lot of cricket that has been played.”

“So, we somehow kind of knew that the surfaces are going to be slow. We were watching ILT20, which was played here, and we thought the slower bowlers will be a lot more helpful. Then we’ve got a batter sitting in the dugout anyway. If we need a batter to come in, Rishabh (Pant) is there for us. So, we thought with an extra option of the spin, there’s always a chance that we can play those guys. So that was pretty much the thinking behind that.”

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Crime

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

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3 days ago

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August 14, 2025

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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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1 week ago

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August 9, 2025

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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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2 weeks ago

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August 1, 2025

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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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