Sports
IPL 2022: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell will have to score runs for RCB to win against RR, says Chopra

Former India opener Aakash Chopra feels senior players like captain Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli, and Glenn Maxwell will have to step up for Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Qualifier 2 match against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2022.
During the 14-run win over Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at Kolkata, the grand total of runs scored by du Plessis, Kohli and Maxwell was just 34 as Rajat Patidar struck a scintillating century, an unbeaten 112 off just 54 balls though the trio has chipped in patches throughout the tournament.
“Experience will be helpful in today’s match. I believe but I could still be wrong because if we look at RCB’s performance so far in this season, they reached this stage after winning the Eliminator without Kohli, Maxwell and Faf du Plessis scoring runs. If you still reached there, it means RCB’s season has been good.”
“So, well done RCB! But if you want to go forward from here and win today’s match, and then defeat Gujarat in the final, then it is not going to be possible without Faf, Kohli, and Maxwell scoring runs,” said Chopra on Game Plan show on Star Sports.
Chopra cautioned that the senior trio will have to get runs, especially against left-arm pacer Trent Boult and right-arm fast bowler Prasidh Krishna as whirlwind knocks like what Patidar produced in the Eliminator won’t happen every time. “They have a lot of experience. Trent Boult will be up against Faf du Plessis and he has struggled against left-armers. So, it will be a key battle to watch how he faces Boult. Virat Kohli has no such issue, he only needs to play Prasidh Krishna a little cautiously.”
“The rest he will handle pretty well. He hasn’t been dismissed by Trent Boult till now. But Faf has to score runs. It will not work every time that he gets a golden duck and expect someone to rescue the team from danger and reach 200. Rajat Patidar won’t be able to do it every time like he did in the Eliminator. Someone else will have to take the responsibility.”
Chopra further felt Rajasthan Royals’ leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, currently, the leading wicket-taker with 26 scalps in 15 matches, needs to bring out his best against his former IPL side in the contest for a spot for the final on Sunday. “They (Rajasthan) are not very over-dependent off-course. He is the highest wicket-taker not only for his team but has got the most wickets in the league. They’ve got other bowlers too, so it’s a good bowling unit.”
“In the opposition’s batting unit, looking at your main batters – Virat Kohli or Faf du Plessis – if they don’t score runs, then Rajat Patidar will score runs once in a while else it will become difficult for him. The same is happening with Jos Buttler if you look at his current batting. Yuzi Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin have played only once or twice where both have failed to take any wickets and RR lost both the matches.”
“So, it’s no doubt that they are important players and bowl important overs. But the good thing about today is that the field is very big and if there’s no dew on the field, you’ll see these bowlers bowling smartly. You will see Chahal bowling his best against his former team. In the previous match, he bowled well, but this time he needs to do even better since he needs to make his former team regret for not keeping him.”
Chopra signed off by saying Bangalore might win Qualifier 2 and face Gujarat Titans in the final. “Royals will win it. Let’s go with Royal Challengers Bangalore though the Rajasthani Rajwadas won’t let me enter Jaipur. They are very close to my heart but this time I would go for RCB.”
National News
Virat Kohli Breaks Silence 91 Days After Bengaluru Stampede With Emotional Note, Says ‘Together We Will Move Forward With Care’

Virat Kohli penned down an emotional note for RCB fans and people who lost their lives in the Bengaluru Stampede on June 4th. Royal Challengers Bengaluru shared message on their social media handle in which Kohli said, “Nothing in life really prepares you for a heartbreak like June 4th. What should’ve been the happiest moment in our franchise’s history… turned into something tragic. I’ve been thinking of and praying for the families of those we lost… and for our fans who were injured. Your loss is part of our story now. Together, we will move forward with care, respect and responsibility.”
11 people were dead and 47 others were injured in the stampede near the city’s M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans. Kohli’s statement on the incident is a part of the team’s ‘RCB CARES’ initiative to ensure better crowd management in the future to avoid untoward incidents such as the June 4 stampede.
Recently, RCB made their first social media post 84 days after the tragic stampede incident in Bengaluru. In a post shared on Thursday, the franchise says they have launched RCB Cares in response to the tragedy that unfolded a day after the franchise won their maiden IPL title.
Here’s the full statement,” Dear 12th Man Army, this is our heartfelt letter to you. It’s been close to three months since we last posted here.The Silence wasn’t Absence. It was Grief.”
“This space was once filled with energy, memories and moments that you enjoyed the most.. But June 4th changed everything.That day broke our hearts, and the silence since then has been our way of holding space.” The franchise announced a financial compensation of ₹25 lakh to families of stampede victims
Meanwhile, the Chinnaswamy Stadium has been deemed ‘unsafe’ to host large-scale gatherings, as part of the findings of the report submitted by the Commission to the Karnataka Government. ESPN Cricinfo reported that the venue’s design and structure are ‘unsuitable and unsafe’ for mass gatherings.
As a result, the venue was also ticked off as one of the hosts of the upcoming Women’s ODI World Cup. It has been replaced by the D.Y. Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
National News
Mitchell Starc Retires From T20I Format, Set To Focus On Test & ODI Career

Australia’s left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc on Tuesday announced his retirement from T20I format as he looks to lengthen his Test and 2027 ODI World Cup. The decision comes merely six months before the next edition of the marquee event in India & Sri Lanka. Starc, last played in this format, was during the last T20 World Cup in the USA & West Indies.
Starc’s retirement opens the door for fellow seamer Nathan Ellis to play a major role in the upcoming T20 World Cup. The left-armer’s departure also comes as a massive boost for fringe quicks Sean Abbott, Ben Dwarshuis and Xavier Bartlett, who are fighting for more opportunities in Australia’s white-ball teams.
Starc’s retirement, the latest in a series of high-profile white-ball exits by Australian stars, comes as a significant setback to the Mitch Marsh-led squad’s ambitions of clinching the upcoming T20 World Cup, scheduled for February in India and Sri Lanka.
Speaking of his retirement, Starc said,”Test cricket is and has always been my highest priority. I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way.”
“Looking ahead to an away Indian Test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns.
“It also gives the bowling group time to prepare for the T20 World Cup in the matches leading into that tournament.”
Starc finishes as Australia’s second-highest wicket taker in the format, behind only Adam Zampa. In a 65-game T20I career, Starc claimed 79 wickets at an economy of 7.74. He also played five of the six T20 World Cups, missing only the 2016 edition with an injury. He was a central figure as Australia completed their trophy set by lifting the title in Dubai in 2021.
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.
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