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IPL 2025: MI skipper Hardik shares simple message ‘believe in yourself’ for young players

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New Delhi, March 17: The 2025 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is now just a couple of days away, and Mumbai Indians’ skipper Hardik Pandya said his message for the youngsters coming into the ten-team tournament was to just believe in themselves and stay neutral amidst the highs and lows.

“The young players coming into the IPL are extremely talented. My message to them is simple—believe in yourself. They are here because they are good enough, but the biggest challenge at this stage is self-doubt. Sometimes, players start questioning whether they belong at this level, and that doubt can take away from their skill set.

“Managing that mental aspect is crucial. What I can offer them are the lessons I have learned over the years. In this game, there will be highs and lows. The key is to remain balanced, not just for one season but throughout their careers. Staying neutral will allow them to maximise opportunities and seize crucial moments.

“They will face tough tests, but sometimes all they need is a little patience. In terms of skill set, they are far ahead of where we were at 21 or 22. Their talent and fearless approach are already there—it’s just about reinforcing their belief in themselves,” said Pandya to JioHotstar.

MI, who finished at bottom of the points table in IPL 2024, will start their 2025 campaign in Chennai against fellow five-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on March 23, before travelling to Ahmedabad to play against Gujarat Titans (GT), a team Pandya captained to win the 2022 season, on March 29.

Pandya further talked about the importance of perseverance and resilience in a cricketer’s life while navigating the various phases in a playing career, citing his own experiences. “For me, it has always been about never leaving the battlefield. There have been phases in my career where my focus wasn’t necessarily on winning but on surviving and holding my ground.

“I realized that no matter what was happening around me, cricket would always be my greatest ally—it was my way forward. I kept pushing through, and when all the hard work finally paid off, it was beyond anything I could have scripted.”

Last year was a roller-coaster time for Pandya – from being booed by crowds while leading MI in IPL 2024 to being a key figure in India winning T20 World Cup and the recent Champions Trophy.

“The six-month phase where we won the World Cup, and then the kind of love and support I received upon returning—it was a complete 360-degree turnaround for me. Throughout that time, I knew that if I remained persistent, honest with my work, and gave my absolute best, I would come out stronger. I didn’t know exactly when that would happen, but as they say, destiny had its plan, and in my case, everything changed within two and a half months,” he concluded.

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Centre approves reopening of 32 airports as tensions ease on India-Pakistan border

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New Delhi, May 12: The Centre on Monday issued the NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) to reopen the 32 airports that had been shut down since May 9 due to the cross-border drone and missile attacks following heightened tensions between India and Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre of 26 tourists by Islamabad-backed terrorists.

The airports that will gradually reopen include Chandigarh, Srinagar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Kishangarh, Patiala, Shimla, Kangra-Gaggal, Bathinda, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Halwara, Pathankot, Jammu, Leh, Mundra, Jamnagar, Hirasar, Porbandar, Keshod, Kandla and Bhuj.

The airports will be opened gradually as, although the ceasefire announced following the Pakistan DGMO’s (Director General of Military Operations) request is largely holding, the government does not want to take any chances.

“The night remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir and other areas along the International Border. No incidents have been reported, marking the first calm night in recent days,” according to a statement issued by the Indian Army on Monday.

The opening of these airports which are close to the Pakistan border reflects a de-escalation in the cross-border hostilities which saw India successfully launching ‘Operation Sindoor’ to avenge the Pahalgam killings.

The reopening of these airports will help to restore normalcy in flight operations which have undergone widespread disruption due to the conflict.

Meanwhile, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Monday that operations at the airport are “currently smooth,” however, due to changing airspace conditions and increased security measures, some flight schedules and security checkpoint processing times may be affected.

The airport management has advised passengers to follow updates and instructions from their airlines, allow extra time for security checks due to heightened measures and adhere to hand baggage and check-in luggage regulations.

Passengers have been advised to check the latest flight status through their airline or the official Delhi Airport website.

Although an agreement for a ceasefire was reached on Saturday, the government is not taking any chances on the security front.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting on Sunday with the three service chiefs and the Chief of Defence Staff to take stock of the latest situation.

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Sports

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

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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.

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IPL 2025 suspended indefinitely, BCCI cites national interest

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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.

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