Sports
ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup qualification process to begin on June 3

The qualification process for the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held in South Africa in January 2023, is set to begin on June 3 with as many as 19 teams battling it out for the four qualification spots across Asia, Europe, East Asia-Pacific (EAP) and Africa.
The process will start with the Asia Qualifier in Malaysia from June 3 to 9. Six teams will compete in the Asia Qualifier — Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Qatar, UAE — playing 15 matches, with the winner confirming a place at the main event.
Two teams will play the EAP (Indonesia, PNG) and Europe (Netherlands, Scotland) Qualifiers in July and August respectively, and nine teams will battle it out to become the Africa champions in Botswana in September.
The U19 Women’s T20 World Cup event will be a 16-team affair with 11 full-member nations — Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe — getting direct berths.
Out of the five remaining spots, four will be determined by regional Qualifiers, while the fifth spot will be automatically awarded to the US on account of the side being the only Associate nation eligible to compete under the ICC’s Event Pathway Participation Criteria in the Americas region.
The World Cup, which was initially set to take place in 2021, was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic and rescheduled for January 2023. It will act as a curtain-raiser for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, which will also be hosted by South Africa in February 2023.
“We are thrilled to be able to support the development of young female players by holding the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa on the eve of the senior event,” said ICC Head of Events Chris Tetley.
“The ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup has been the stepping stone for so many of the world’s best male players, so we are excited to see how the inaugural U19 women’s edition will drive the growth of women’s cricket and improve the number of elite international playing opportunities for females at this age group in the years to come.”
Asia Regional Development Manager Aminul Islam said he was looking forward to the Qualifier in his region, and believes it will be an effective tool in identifying upcoming talent.
“We are embarking on a very exciting journey where we will see some of the most exciting young female talent in Asia competing in Malaysia next week,” he said.
“The participating teams are all hopeful of making history by competing at the first-ever ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup, and there’s no question we’ll see some excellent cricket take place to determine who qualifies. As part of the ICC Asia event legacy there will be an opportunity for participants to attend high-performance seminar during the tournament.
Schedule of Qualifiers:
June 3-9: ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier Venue: Malaysia; Teams 6 (Bhutan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Qatar, UAE).
July 3-5: ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup EAP Qualifier. Venue: Indonesia. Teams 2 (Indonesia, PNG).
August 9-11: ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Europe Qualifier. Venue: Netherlands. Teams 2 (Netherlands, Scotland).
September: ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup Africa Qualifier. Venue: Botswana. Teams 9 (Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda).
Crime
Two Held With ₹68 Lakh Cash Near India-Myanmar Border In Mizoram; Heroin Worth ₹78 Lakh Seized

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

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.
Maharashtra
MUMBAI’S CRICKET MUSEUM SET TO OPEN SOON

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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