Connect with us
Saturday,10-May-2025
Breaking News

Sports

IPL 2025: LSG were well prepared for ‘toughest assignment’ of beating SRH in Hyderabad, says Williamson

Published

on

Hyderabad, March 28: New Zealand veteran Kane Williamson was full of praises for Lucknow Super Giants’ win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2025, noting that Rishabh Pant-led side’s execution was flawless in limiting SRH to under-par total.

Opting to bowl first, LSG all-rounder Shardul Thakur bagged a four-wicket haul to help SRH to 190/9 in 20 overs. In reply, Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh slammed swashbuckling fifties to guide the visitors to a five-wicket win at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

“I think it’s one of the toughest assignments—to go to Hyderabad and take on SRH. But LSG was extremely well-prepared. They had the courage to execute their plan immediately. They bowled full and straight—actually, fuller than full—targeting the yorker length and occasionally missing on either side. But in doing so, they limited SRH’s scoring options, preventing them from dictating the game or throwing the opposition off their lengths and lines.

“Hats off to the leadership for the planning and thought process that went into it. The execution was flawless, which helped restrict SRH to what was perhaps an under-par total,” Williamson said on JioHotstar.

Thakur, who was a late editiin to LSG as a replacement of Mohsin Khan, completed the milestone of 100 IPL wickets. He claimed the big wickets of Abhishek Sharma (6), Ishan Kishan (0) along with Abhinav Manohar (2) and Mohammed Shami (1) to complete his figures of 4-34. He wad also adjudged Player of the match for his impressive show.

Williamson further shared his thoughts on Thakur’s performance, saying, “A fantastic last-minute addition for LSG, Shardul is an experienced international player, and opening the bowling against SRH in Hyderabad is no easy task. But he came in with a solid plan, aligned with the team’s strategy, and executed it brilliantly. They bowled with variety, kept it really full, and brought in all possible modes of dismissal.

“It was a highly effective approach, and he did a fantastic job. Being named Man of the Match was well-deserved for such a special performance

Sports

PCB postpones men’s domestic tournaments with immediate effect amid India-Pak tensions

Published

on

Lahore, May 10: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Saturday announced the immediate postponement of all men’s domestic tournaments in the country owing to escalating cross-border tensions with India.

“The Pakistan Cricket Board confirms that the ongoing President’s Trophy Grade-II, Regional Intra-District Challenge Cup, Inter-District U19 One-Day tournament have been postponed with immediate effect due to prevailing security condition in the country.”

“The tournaments will resume from the same stage later and a revised schedule will be shared closer to the resumption,” said the PCB in its official statement on Saturday.

Previously on Friday, after the BCCI paused IPL 2025 for a week due to growing tensions between the two nations on the border areas, the PCB had announced it has postponed the ongoing edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) for an indefinite period, citing the advice given by Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

The tournament’s postponement news came hours after PCB claimed it was going to host the remaining eight matches of the tournament in the UAE, though the organisation didn’t specify the dates or venues of those rescheduled matches.

PSL’s future had come under great uncertainty after a drone had crashed at a food street near the Rawalpindi International Cricket Stadium, which resulted in Thursday’s match between Peshawar Zalmi and Karachi Kings being postponed indefinitely.

Two weeks after 26 people were gunned down by terrorists in Pahalgam – a popular tourist destination in Jammu & Kashmir, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’ to target terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed.

Pakistan continued its aerial attacks, comprising drones and missiles, on Indian border cities as well as across other military stations in Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat on Friday. But all of them were successfully foiled by India’s defence systems.

Continue Reading

Sports

IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely, BCCI cites national interest

Published

on

New Delhi, May 9: Amid the escalating military conflict between India and Pakistan, the BCCI has decided to suspend the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season indefinitely in an emergency meeting on Friday, sources told Media.

After Thursday’s IPL 2025 match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals was called off after 10.1 overs of play at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala following the air and drone strikes from Pakistan which resulted in blackouts in Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur, all of which are in close proximity to Dharamshala, the future of the tournament looked uncertain and BCCI convened emergency meeting to decide the way forward.

“IPL to be suspended, BCCI will issue detailed information anytime soon, the BCCI sources told Media on Friday. “Yes, the meeting just got over. After discussing with all the concerned authorities, this decision was made. Further details will be shared by the BCCI, ” it added.

“BCCI wants to stand with the nation at this time and thus suspends IPL 2025 with immediate effect. It’s indefinite at the moment (on a window to resume IPL 2025 in future). It will only happen if there will be time later in the year. But for now nothing,” said IPL sources to Media.

Following the abandonment of the Dharamshala match, several Australian players involved in the league reportedly expressed anxiety over their safety.

A special train has been arranged to evacuate both Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals players and support staff members, match officials, commentators, broadcast crew members and other key personnel associated with IPL 2025 to get them to a safe place.

After India launched precision strikes targeting nine high-value terror camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (Pok), in response to the horrific terrorist attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Pakistan attempted to engage in number of military targets in Northern and Western India on May 7-8.

India on Thursday morning targeted the Air Defence Radars and systems at several locations in Pakistan, during which the one at Lahore has been neutralised.

Later, Pakistan launched aerial attacks on Jammu as well as several military stations near the western border, but those were successfully foiled by India’s air defence systems.

Continue Reading

National

High alert sounded in Rajasthan border districts, leaves of govt employees cancelled

Published

on

Jaipur, May 8: A high alert has been issued in districts near the Rajasthan border following India’s airstrikes on nine terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. As a precautionary measure, all flight operations at Kishangarh and Jodhpur airports have been suspended until May 10.

Rajasthan shares a 1,037-km border with Pakistan, which has been sealed with the Border Security Force personnel maintaining high vigilance. The Indian Air Force is also on high alert.

All government and private schools, along with anganwadi centres in the border districts of Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Sri Ganganagar have been declared closed until further notice.

The government employees in these areas have had their leaves cancelled and were instructed to remain at their headquarters.

The state authorities have called for heightened surveillance on social media platforms and reinforced security at sensitive locations.

Hospitals have been directed to maintain an adequate blood supply and life-saving medicines, while fire services remain on high alert to handle any emergencies.

The Home Department has instructed all District Collectors, especially those in border districts — Ganganagar, Bikaner, Phalodi, Jaisalmer, and Barmer — to maintain close coordination with the army and central agencies.

Key instructions issued include ensuring hospitals are equipped with life-saving medicines and sufficient blood supplies, identifying and preparing safe zones with backup power (generators) for emergencies, acting swiftly against any provocative content or misinformation on social media, monitoring food supplies, discouraging hoarding, and ensuring availability of essentials.

Fuel pumps have been asked to stock adequate quantities of petrol and diesel.

Directions to prepare evacuation plans for border villages in case of escalations and compiling a list of vulnerable locations, and strengthening security at these sites have also been issued.

In Jodhpur, District Collector Gaurav Agrawal announced late at night holidays for all government, private schools, colleges, anganwadi and coaching institutes. Also, exams to be held on May 8th have been postponed.

Barmer District Collector Tina Dabi has announced holidays for all government and private schools, anganwadis, and madrassas from May 8 in response to any emergency situation.

In Jaisalmer, District Collector Pratap Singh Nathawat has issued closure orders for all educational institutions. Additionally, a 4-hour blackout was imposed in Jaisalmer from 12 midnight to 4 a.m. on Thursday to enhance operational security.

Sri Ganganagar and Bikaner District Collectors Dr. Manju (Sri Ganganagar) and Namrata Vrishni (Bikaner) have announced school closures until further notice, citing heightened tensions along the border.

These precautionary steps have been taken as India prepares for potential retaliation from Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.

Continue Reading

Trending