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Tilak, Gaikwad and spinners fire India into Asian Games final
India’s spin attack restricted Bangladesh to 96 before Tilak Varma blazed away to a 25-ball half-century, supported ably by skipper Ruturai Gaikwad, as they thumped Bangladesh by nine wickets to seal a berth in the final of the men’s cricket competition at the Asian Games.
India’s run-chase got off to a wobbly start with Yashasvi Jaiswal being dismissed by Ripon Mondol for a duck in the first over. Gaikwad, though, took over the mantle almost instantly, hitting the last ball of that over for four. In the third over, the India captain took down Mondol, smashing two fours and two sixes en route a 21-run over.
Tilak came into his own thereafter and found the fence regularly. Mrittunjoy Chowdhury was the first to face his wrath, being pounded for consecutive sixes in the fourth over. Rakibul Hasan was then taken for a four and a six in the fifth over as India and Tilak flexed their muscles, ransacking 68 runs in the powerplay. Tilak hit two more sixes and got to his fifty off 25 balls – his second half-century in nine T20I innings.
Earlier in the day, India’s spinners ruled the roost after inviting Bangladesh to bat. They accounted for eight of the nine wickets that fell, ultimately keeping Bangladesh’s score down to 96.
Arshdeep Singh, India’s solitary front-line pacer, set the tone at the start, getting the ball to move both ways and inducing several false strokes. Parvez Hossain Emon did hit Shivam Dube for a six in the second over but Bangladesh could not follow that up with more boundaries in the powerplay.
India’s early pressure paid off in the fifth over. Mahmudul Hasan Joy tried to hoick R Sai Kishore over his head but only managed to shank it to mid-on. An over later, Washington Sudar, who bowled sparingly in India’s quarter-final victory, struck twice. Saif Hassan was the first to depart, spooning a catch to deep backward square, before Zakir Hasan nicked through to Jaiswal at slip.
Afif Hossain and Emon tried resurrecting the innings but found the going tough. A lack of strike rotation meant that the latter felt the urge to look for boundaries. He perished in that endeavour, with Tilak the beneficiary.
India kept chipping away and rarely allowed the Bangladesh batters freebies to break the shackles. Sai Kishore bagged a three-wicket haul, with Arshdeep, Tilak, Ravi Bishnoi and debutant Shahbaz Ahmed picking up a wicket apiece.
There were brief spurts of Bangladesh momentum, notably when Rakibul hit his first three balls for 14 runs but that was very much an aberration as India kept them down to 96.
Brief scores:
India 97 for 1 (Tilak Varma 55*, Ruturaj Gaikwad 40*) beat Bangladesh (Parvez Hossain Emon 23, Jaker Ali 24*, Sai Kishore 3-12, Washington Sudar 2-15) by nine wickets
(Cricinfo)
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Heat Index likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-western, Northern and North- central provinces and in Monaragala district
Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre of the Department of Meteorology
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 26 March 2026, valid for 27 March 2026.
Thw Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-western, Northern and North-
central provinces and in Monaragala district.
The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum
temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.
Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.
ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.
Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491
Israel says it has killed the Iranian navy chief overseeing what is a near-total blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
Alireza Tangsiri, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) navy, was “directly responsible for the terrorist act of bombing and blocking the Strait of Hormuz”, and has been “blown up”, according to Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz.
He added that a number of other “senior Navy command officials” have also been killed. Iran has not yet commented.
Since the start of the war on 28 February, Israel has assassinated several top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and security chief Ali Larijani.
Effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz – the thin waterway between Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman, through which around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally passes – has been a key pillar of Iran’s strategy in the war.
Oil prices have consequently shot up, placing a direct price of the war on consumers in not only the US and Israel but across the world.
In recent weeks, an X account attributed to Tangsiri and cited by Iranian media has posted frequently about the Hormuz blockade, writing that “no vessel associated with the aggressors against Iran has the right to pass through”.
Tangsiri was appointed as the commander of the Navy in 2018, having previously served as deputy commander since 2010. In 2019, he was sanctioned by the US Treasury along with other IRGC commanders after Iran shot down a US surveillance drone near the strait.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Tangsiri as an individual with “a great deal of blood on his hands” and said his assassination was “yet another example of the co-operation between us and our friend, the United States, toward the common goal of achieving the objectives of the war”.
US Central Command said in a statement Tangsiri’s death “makes the region safer” and that the IRGC’s navy “is on an irreversible decline”. It also called on serving members of the IRGC to abandon their posts and return home “to avoid further risk of unnecessary injury or death”.
Israel’s military said in a statement posted on X that the head of the IRGC Navy’s intelligence directorate, Behnam Rezaei, was also “eliminated”.
(BBC)
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A strong Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system equips individuals with practical, relevant, and future-oriented skills helping to innovate responsibly towards a greener and sustainable future – PM
The Prime Minister, Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Dr. Harini Amarasuriya participated as the Chief Guest in the international conference on ’Transforming TVET Systems for climate resilience and green jobs’ organized by Colombo Plan Staff College, Philippines together with the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Sri Lanka on 24 th of March at Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Conference serves as the flagship event of the five-day Regional Programme on “Transforming TVET for a Digital, Green, and Inclusive Economy” (23-27 March 2026), which continues throughout the week, bringing together representatives from CPSC member countries including Bhutan, Fiji, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, fostering high-level dialogue and knowledge sharing on climate-resilient and green skills development.
The Conference features technical and plenary sessions on climate-responsive TVET systems, green skills development, national policy frameworks, and emerging technologies shaping industry transformation.
Addressing at the event, the Prime Minister emphasized the role of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) that equips individuals with practical, relevant, and future-oriented skills in addressing climate change and shaping a sustainable future.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that this transformation remains a national priority for Sri Lanka. She stressed that education must go beyond knowledge dissemination to empower individuals with opportunities, dignity, and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to society.
She further emphasized the need to integrate environmental sustainability into education and training systems by embedding green skills in curricula, investing in modern training facilities, promoting innovation, and fostering collaboration between training institutions and emerging green industries.
Highlighting the importance of ensuring equity the Prime Minister further stated, that opportunities arising from the green transition must be accessible to all, including youth, young women, people with special needs, and marginalized communities.
Reaffirming Sri Lanka’s commitment to working closely with regional and international partnerships, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of transforming them to actual benefits and partnerships.
The occasion was attended by the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Additional Secretary (Vocational Training) Ms. Samanthi Senanayake Director General Colombo Plan Staff College Prof. Dr. Suresh K. Dhameja , TVET administrators, institutional leaders, policymakers, instructors, industry representatives, and international delegates from across the region and seniors officials and officials from Ministries.
(Prime Minister’s Media division)
Heat Index likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North-western, Northern and North- central provinces and in Monaragala district
Israel says it has killed Iran’s navy chief overseeing Strait of Hormuz blockade
A strong Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) system equips individuals with practical, relevant, and future-oriented skills helping to innovate responsibly towards a greener and sustainable future – PM
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