New Delhi, March 21: Though Hardik Pandya will miss Mumbai Indians’ opening game in IPL 2025 against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday in Chennai due to a one-match suspension carrying forward from last year’s IPL, former India spinner Harbhajan Singh believes the all-rounder’s belief in himself to do things separates him from others.

IPL 2025 shapes up as an important tournament for Pandya, the IPL 2022 winning captain who had a torrid last season in every aspect. The decision taken by MI management to make him the captain in place of Rohit Sharma after coming in from the Gujarat Titans resulted in the crowd booing the all-rounder in first half of IPL 2024, even as the five-time champions finished last in the points table.

“He was always a very confident player from day one of joining the team in 2015. He was also a very positive guy with ‘yes I can do this’ attitude. Since then, his positive instinct has been better than before.”

“He has more belief in himself now that I can do these things and he’s done it. So, that’s one of his biggest strengths which differentiates himself from others. Now he has got the experience of playing almost 10 years now – not just the IPL, but also a lot of international cricket,” said Harbhajan, a JioStar expert, to IANS in a virtual interaction prior to the 18th edition of the tournament.

Harbhajan had seen a young Pandya coming in as a rookie in the star-studded MI set-up and shine in 2015 IPL, and he believes the all-rounder still has that confidence plus positivity from that phase to emerge stronger as the side’s leader in the upcoming tournament starting from Saturday.

“It’s good to see the way he progressed himself for Mumbai Indians over the years, and then he was leading GT for 2 years, where he was brilliant there as well. Yes, last year wasn’t that great for him since he was coming back to Mumbai Indians.”

“But I think he has left everything behind, as after that, a lot of good things have happened – like he played a major role for Team India to lift two ICC trophies. So, I think that this year Hardik Pandya will be at his best when we talk about his captainship or skillsets wise. When you are at peace, you are happy, enjoying yourself and kind of getting the best out of the other players.”

“So, hopefully, we will see the best of Hardik Pandya this year, because it seems like whatever wrong has happened last year is gone and this year will be a fresh start. I am hoping for him and his team to fire at the right time,” concluded Harbhajan.

Mumbai, March 20: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a cash reward of Rs 58 crore for Team India after their triumph at the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 to honour the players, coaching and support staff and members of the selection committee.

India registered a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the summit clash to lift their third Champions Trophy title on March 9. This was India’s second ICC silverware in less than nine months after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup title by beating South Africa in the final in Bridgetown.

Roger Binny, President, BCCI, “Winning back-to-back ICC titles is special and this reward recognises Team India’s dedication and excellence on the global stage. The cash award is a recognition of the hard work that everyone puts in behind the scenes. This was also our second ICC Trophy in 2025, following the ICC U19 Women’s World Cup triumph, and it highlights the strong cricketing ecosystem in place in our country.”

Rohit Sharma and Co. dominated the tournament, registering four commanding victories en route to lifting the trophy. They began their campaign with a six-wicket win over Bangladesh, then secured a convincing six-wicket triumph against Pakistan. They continued their momentum with a 44-run victory over New Zealand before ultimately overcoming Australia by four wickets in the semifinal.

Devajit Saikia, BCCI secretary, added, “The BCCI is proud to honour the players and support staff with this well-deserved reward. Their dominance in world cricket is a result of years of hard work and strategic execution. This victory has justified India’s top ranking in white-ball cricket, and we are sure the team will continue to excel in the years to come. The dedication and commitment shown by the players have set a new benchmark, and we are confident that Indian cricket will keep raising the bar on the global stage.”

India also became the first country to win the Champions Trophy for a record third time in the eight-team tournament’s history.

Rajeev Shukla, BCCI vice-president, said, “This cash reward is a tribute to the outstanding performances delivered by the team throughout the tournament. The players exhibited remarkable composure under pressure, and their success is an inspiration to aspiring cricketers across the country. The team has once again proved that Indian cricket is built on a strong foundation of skill, mental toughness, and a winning mentality.”

Mumbai, March 19: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday allowed an application filed by cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and his choreographer wife Dhanashree Verma seeking waiver of the cooling-off period in their ongoing mutual consent divorce proceedings.

A bench of Justice Madhav Jamdar directed the family court to decide the divorce petition on Thursday considering Chahal’s participation in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL). The leg-spinner was picked by Punjab Kings (PBKS) for Rs 18 crore in the IPL 2025 auction.

The bench took note of the fact that the parties had been living apart for over two and a half years and had duly complied with the consent terms regarding the payment of alimony arrived at during the mediation process.

Under Hindu law, if the husband and wife have been living separately for one year or more, they may apply to obtain a decree of divorce by mutual consent. However, under Section 13B(2) of the Hindu Marriage Act, a statutory cooling-off period of at least 6 months from the date of presentation of the divorce petition is provided, to explore possibilities of settlement and reunion between the couple.

The Supreme Court, in a landmark verdict in 2017, held that the 6-month cooling-off period is not mandatory, and the court may waive the condition if it is satisfied that there exists no possibility of parties resuming cohabitation.

Dhanashree and Chahal got engaged in 2020 and got married in December of the same year in a private ceremony in Gurugram.

The 28-year-old dancer, Dhanashree is known for her fusion dance performances that blend traditional Indian dance forms with contemporary styles. Recently, Chahal was spotted amongst the spectators sitting next to social media star RJ Mahvash during the Champions Trophy Final. However, this was not the first time the two have been linked together. Last year, in December, a picture of RJ Mahvash with the cricketer from a Christmas celebration went viral.

The social media star then took to Instagram to set the record straight. In a note, she wrote: “Some articles and speculations have been circulating around the Internet. It’s literally funny to see how baseless these rumours are. If you get seen with a person of the opposite gender, does that mean you are dating them? I’m sorry, what year is this? And how many people are you all dating then?”

“I have been patient for 2-3 days now, but I won’t let any PR teams drag my name into this to cover up other people’s images. Let people live in peace with their friends and family during tough times.”

Chahal’s IPL journey, spanning over 160 matches, has been nothing short of remarkable. With 205 wickets to his name, he is the leading wicket-taker in IPL history, having surpassed Dwayne Bravo’s record of 183 wickets during the 2023 season. His career average of 22.44 and an economy rate of 7.8 underline his ability to combine wicket-taking prowess with miserly spells, a rare feat in the T20 format.

Chahal’s crowning moment came in 2022 when he donned the Purple Cap for Rajasthan Royals (RR), scalping a phenomenal 27 wickets in the season. During the 2024 edition, Chahal became the first bowler in IPL history to breach the 200-wicket milestone. His IPL tally includes six four-wicket hauls, one five-wicket haul, and a hat-trick. Between 2014 and 2021, Chahal was Royal Challengers Bangalore’s go-to spinner. In 113 matches for the franchise, he scalped 139 wickets, a record that still stands as the highest for any bowler in its colours. Despite his dominance, RCB made the surprising decision not to retain him ahead of the 2022 mega auction. Chahal’s resurgence post-RCB was nothing short of spectacular. Representing RR in the last three seasons, he claimed 66 wickets, underlining his consistent impact.