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IPL 2025: Bowlers, Salt shine as Royal Challengers Bengaluru march into IPL final

Published

8 months ago

2025/05/30

Priyan

Rajat Patidar and Phil Salt wrapped the chase [Cricinfo]

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) waltzed their way into their first IPL final since 2016 as they blew Punjab Kings (PBKS) away for 101 on a surface with seam and extra bounce. Batting didn’t get any easier in the second innings, but Phil Salt broke the back of the small chase in the powerplay that went for 61 despite a wicket-maiden in it.

The RCB fast bowlers kept bashing the hard lengths as PBKS refused to dial down the aggression on the challenging surface, taking seven wickets between them. The legspinner Suvash Sharma was the beneficiary of some reckless sweeping; the PBKS batters didn’t pick any of the wrong’uns, losing three wickets to him.

The ball bounced and moved more in the second innings than the first, just the time for Salt to unleash his quickest fifty in the IPL – off just 23 balls – to take RCB home with a whole ten overs to spare.

Even before the nature of the pitch made itself apparent to the outside eye, Priyansh Arya failed to keep a drive down. It wasn’t as much failing to keep it down but not even going up and over. Prabhsimran Singh, the other part of the dynamic opening partnership, charged Bhuvenshwar Kumar twice and hit two fours. At the third time of asking, Bhuvneshwar shortened the length, the ball seamed, and took the edge.

It was when the returning Josh Hazelwood took the ball in the fourth over that it became clear it was a difficult track. Shreyas Iyer, only 25 runs to his name in four innings in New Chandigarh, tried to pull Hazlewood in front of square and edged him to the keeper. Josh Ingis tried a more regulation pull in Hazlewood’s next, and the extra bounce took the top edge.

This was the time that PBKS could have perhaps lowered their sights and aimed for 160 or so. In hindsight, when the ball hooped around in the second innings, this seems like the right thing to have done. But when things are happening so quickly in T20 cricket, it can’t be easy to have that kind of foresight.

However, it is easier to watch the ball closely and pick the wrong’un. RCB kept pace on for eight overs for excellent results of 59 for 5. The first sight of spin brought out the reckless side of PBKS. Shashank Singh tried to slog-sweep Suyash, and lost his middle stump to a wrong’un.

A dramatic move to bring in another batter – Kyle Jameison was listed at No. 10 – brought naught. Literally. Musheer Khan, playing for the first time all season, failed to pick a wrong’un but survived before getting out lbw to a legbreak.Marcus Stoinis, who looked like in the best touch of all the PBKS batters, again failed to pick the googly and was bowled comprehensively on the slog-sweep.

The ball kept seaming appreciably even when Romario Shepherd came on to bowl the 14th over, hitting Harpreet Brar on the elbow en route to the stumps. Hazlewood came back to mop up the innings.

It was a brief innings but Virat Kohli set the tone with an emphatic pulled four first ball. By the time he got out – reprising one of his Border-Gavaskar Trophy dismissals – for 12 off 12 balls, RCB had already taken off 30 runs from the already paltry target. However, in that over, Jamieson looked unplayable. He went past Mayank Agarwal’s outside edge in three balls out of four. The average swing for PBKS was 1.7 degrees, for RCB it was 0.7.

Then again, PBKS didn’t have any total on the board, and needed every good ball to take the edge and go to hand. That almost never happens. After a string of good balls, the moment they erred, Salt came down on them with great fury. Jamieson’s next over went for 21 runs. It included a ferocious cut, an emphatic pull, and a drilled extra-cover drive.

The last of PBKS’ chance to reprise their successful defense of 111 at the same venue gone, Rajat Patidar finished off in style with a massive slog sweep for six.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru 106 for 2 in 10 overs (Phil Salt 56*, Virat Kohli 12, Mayank Agrawal 19, Rajat Patidar 15*; Kyle Jamieson 1-27, Musheer Khan 1-27) beat Punjab Kings 101 in 14.1 overs (Prabhsimran Singh 18, Marcus Stoinis 26, Azmatullah Omarzai 18; Bhuvenshwar Kumar 1-17, Suyash Sharma 3-17, Josh Hazlewood 3-21, Yash Dayal 2-26, Romario Shepherd 1-05)by eight wickets

[Cricinfo]

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Trump threatens tariffs for countries trading with Iran

Published

29 mins ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

[pic BBC]

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order threatening to impose additional tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Iran.

The order, issued on Friday, does not specify the rate that could be imposed, but uses 25% as an example. It says the tariff could apply to goods imported into the US from any nation that “directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise acquires any goods or services from Iran”.

Trump has not directly commented on the order but reiterated “no nuclear weapons” for Iran when speaking from Air Force One on Friday night.

It comes as talks continue between senior US and Iranian officials in Oman, following several weeks of threats from both sides.

Trump threatened a 25% tariff of countries doing business with Iran earlier this year, in a post to Truth Social.

On 12 January, he wrote: “Effective immediately, any country doing business with the Islamic Republic of Iran will pay a tariff of 25% on any and all business being done with the United States of America.”

At the time, no further detail was provided on how the tariffs would work in practice.

[BBC]

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Advisory for Severe Lightning for the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and Galle and Matara districts

Published

38 mins ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

Advisory for Severe Lightning
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 12.00 noon 07 February 2026 valid for the period until 11.00 p.m. 07 February 2026

Thundershowers accompanied with severe lightning are likely to occur at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa province and in Galle and Matara districts.

There may be temporary localized strong winds during thundershowers.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning activity.

ACTION REQUIRED:

The Department of Meteorology advises that people should:
 Seek shelter, preferably indoors and never under trees.
 Avoid open areas such as paddy fields, tea plantations and open water bodies during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using wired telephones and connected electric appliances during thunderstorms.
 Avoid using open vehicles, such as bicycles, tractors and boats etc.
 Beware of fallen trees and power lines.
 For emergency assistance contact the local disaster management authorities.

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Decisions and judgments of the Supreme Court are a reflection of justice in the country – PM

Published

1 hour ago

2026/02/7

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the decisions and judgments delivered within the Supreme Court complex serve as a mirror that clearly reflects the justice, democracy, and the rule of law in Sri Lanka.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the ceremony to handover the refurbished Supreme Court complex for judicial proceedings, following its modernization with assistance from the Government of China.

The renovation project was carried out in accordance with an agreement between the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China, the Ministry of Justice of Sri Lanka, and the China International Development Cooperation Agency.

While preserving the original appearance and structural integrity of the Supreme Court building, the complex has been upgraded with modern technology. The renovations include seven new court court rooms equipped with single-judge, three-judge, five-judge, and seven-judge benches; 20 new official chambers for judges; staff facilities; elevators; a modern library; a case records room; an auditorium; and a control room with an automated camera system covering all areas of the complex.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister noted,

“The complex, originally constructed in 1988 with the support of the Government of China, has now been modernized in line with contemporary needs after more than three decades, marking a significant step forward.

The investment in judicial infrastructure is, in essence, an investment in public trust. A secure and efficient environment strengthens the independence and dignity of the judiciary”.

The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the continuous support extended to Sri Lanka by the Government of China, including President Xi Jinping and expressed that these modern facilities would serve as a strong foundation in fulfilling the public’s expectation that justice will be delivered equally to all.

The event was attended by Minister of Justice Harshana Nanayakkara, Chief Justice Padman Surasena, Ambassador of China to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong, Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe, as well as several judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]