News Analysis India

Tag: T20 World Cup

  • DNA of those who burst firecrackers in India on Pakistan’s win cannot be Indian: Anil Vij

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday alleged that the DNA of those who burst firecrackers in the country if Pakistan wins a cricket match against India cannot be Indian.

    He also said that one needs to be careful of “traitors” hiding in one’s own country.

    “The DNA of those who burst firecrackers in India on Pakistan winning a cricket match cannot be Indian. Be careful of the traitors hiding in our own house,” Vij tweeted in Hindi.

    The senior BJP leader’s comments come amid media reports of anger against Kashmiris for celebrating the neighbouring country’s victory.

    Pakistan had registered a 10-wicket victory over India in the ICC T20 World Cup tie in Dubai on Sunday.

  • Scuffle between Kashmiri, UP, Bihar students at Punjab institute after India-Pakistan World T20 encounter

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: A scuffle broke out between some Kashmiri students and those from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at an engineering institute in Punjab’s Sangrur district following a T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, police said on Monday.

    The incident took place after some slogans were raised after the match on Sunday night, said police.

    Some students hailing from Kashmir and others belonging to UP and Bihar were watching the match in their respective rooms at Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Sangrur.

    Heated exchanges also took place between the students after the match in which India lost to Pakistan.

    Meanwhile, a video has surfaced on social media purportedly showing a Kashmiri student alleging that some students from Uttar Pradesh barged into their room.

    “We were watching the match here and some students from Uttar Pradesh forcibly came inside. We are here to study,” alleged the student while showing damage to his room in the video.

    Police said they were investigating the matter.

  • Kashmiri students allegedly beaten up at Punjab college after ‘cheering’ Pakistan in T20 World Cup match

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: After India lost the T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday, Kashmiri students allegedly cheering the neighbouring country were reportedly beaten up at an engineering college in Sangrur and at another educational institution in Kharar in Punjab by other students, most of whom were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana.

    A video on social media purportedly showed a Kashmiri student alleging that some students from Uttar Pradesh barged into their room. “We were watching the match here and some students from Uttar Pradesh forcibly came inside and hit us,” a student claimed.

    Sources said students hailing from Kashmir and others belonging to UP, Bihar and Haryana were watching the match in their respective rooms at Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Sangrur. 

    Kashmiri students are housed in two wings of the hostel of the engineering college and were allegedly cheering Pakistan and raising ‘azadi’ slogans. After the match finished, they allegedly burst firecrackers and celebrated the win of the neighbouring country. This did not go well with other students from UP and Bihar who went inside the rooms of the Kashmiri students and had a heated argument which led to a scuffle.

    In another incident, about half a dozen students from Kashmir were allegedly beaten up at Rayat Bahrat University near Kharar by students from Haryana after the match ended.

    Speaking to The New Indian Express, J&K Students Association founder and national spokesperson Nasir Khuehami claimed that Kashmiri students were thrashed in Sangrur and Kharar by students from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and they were rescued by other students. The students who barged into their rooms vandalised them, he alleged. “Some twelve students were beaten up by a group of students in Bhai Gurdas Institute of Engineering and Technology at Sangrur and another about half a dozen were thrashed at Rayat Bahrat University in Kharar,” he said.

    “We spoke to students who were assaulted in Sangrur last night. They informed me there is no apology from any side till now,” he said.

    Confirming that such an incident took place, Inspector General of Police Patiala (Range) MS Chinna said, “There was a scuffle between students from Kashmir and UP and Bihar. Both sides have apologised and have given in writing that they will not indulge in such activities in the future and will concentrate on their studies. Thus the matter has been amicably settled.”

  • Congress leader’s tweet mocking India’s World T20 loss against Pakistan sparks controversy

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Congress national media coordinator Radhika Khera’s tweet mocking the Indian Cricket team for its loss against Pakistan at the T20 World Cup yesterday has sparked controversy after the party refrained to comment on her tweet while it continues to draw criticism from her own party apart from the opposition.

    Khera in her tweet interpreted the defeat of team India as a defeat for ‘Bhakts’.

    “Bhakts! How’s the taste? You have managed to humiliate yourselves,” the Congress national media coordinator tweeted in Hindi.

    Responding to the tweet of Khera, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will be the candidate for the “Prime Minister of Pakistan”.

    “Congress will be happy today.. Isn’t it. Now it is obvious that Congress will fight the election of 2024 from its own country and will try to make Rahul Gandhi will be a candidate for “Wazir-e-Azam”!” Patra tweeted in Hindi.

    Meanwhile, Congress leader Sandeep Dixit said that there must not be any politics in the matter of sports.

    “There should not be any politics. I am not in favour of comments for or against. Sport is a sport. It is true that there are serious issues between the governments but in sports, we should not let politics come in, whichever is the party,” Dixit said.

    Indian cricket team on Sunday suffered a ten-wicket loss against Pakistan in their opening match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.

    This is the first time that India has lost a T20I by ten wickets. Coincidentally, this is also the first time that Pakistan has won a T20I by ten wickets.

  • India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match against national interest: Ramdev

    Yoga guru Ramdev on Saturday said the India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match scheduled for Sunday is against the national interest.

  • AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi asks Centre to stop India-Pakistan T20 World Cup match

    By Express News Service

    HYDERABAD: AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi has criticised the Narendra Modi government for allowing the Indian cricket team to play Pakistan in the T20 World Cup when nine Indian soldiers and several civilians had been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. The match is scheduled for October 24.

    Wondering why Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the Intelligence Bureau couldn’t prevent the killings, he criticised the Centre for failing to counter terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir. Owaisi also questioned the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the Chinese aggression and on sky-rocketing prices of petrol and diesel. 

    Responding to the issue of Muslim girls being attacked when found with males from other religions in recent times, he questioned what right anyone had to do so. 

    “If a Muslim wearing a burkha is found with a Muslim man there is no problem. But if a Muslim girl is found with a man from other religion it becomes an issue. Are we living in 1969 or 2021,” he wondered, opining that nobody had the right to prevent people from falling in love.

  • India must not play Pakistan in T20 World Cup game: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale

    By PTI

    PUNE: Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday slammed Pakistan for the spurt in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir, including targeted killings of migrant labourers, and said India must have an ‘aar paar ki ladaai’ with its neighbour to set things right.

    He also said India should not play its scheduled T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on October 24 in order to teach the latter a lesson.

    “If Pakistan does not stop its activities in the (J-K) Valley, then there has to be an aar paar ki ladaai (all out war to settle things once and for all). In J-K, attacks are taking place on migrant labourers, local Kashmiri Pandits are being targeted. It is Pakistan’s ploy to not allow development in the Valley,” the Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment told reporters.

    “By resorting to such militant attacks, there is an attempt to spread fear among the workers who are coming to the Valley from UP and Bihar. But the Centre will not fall prey to such tactics and a strategy is being formed to end militancy. There is need to conduct another surgical strike against Pakistan, which needs to vacate PoK and stop terror activities,” the minister added.

    Queried on the upcoming T20 match between the two nations, Athawale said India should not play Pakistan, adding that he would express his opinion on this matter to BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

    Speaking about other issues, the RPI(A) leader said the Supreme Court had allowed states to take a decision on reservations in promotions, but states were taking the “opposite decision”.

    “We appeal to the states to allow reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in promotions. We also want the Centre to come up with a law in the regard,” the minister said.

    He said his party was also in favour of a caste-base census, though the government’s stand was that such an exercise may increase casteism in the country, he said.

    “A caste-based census will give us the population count of communities, and this will help bring in welfare schemes for them in a better way,” Athawale said.

    He rejected NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s allegations that the Centre was using probe agencies under its command to target opposition parties and leaders.

    “These agencies are under the Centre but they function independently. The government is not telling them whom to target,” he added.

  • Hope IPL stint will help me at T20 World Cup for South Africa: Punjab Kings batter Aiden Markram

    By PTI

    ABU DHABI: South African batter Aiden Markram feels exposing himself to the high standard of cricket that the IPL offers will help him deal better with pressure situations in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

    Markram batted in six innings for Punjab Kings in this year’s IPL with a best score of 42. One of his innings stretched into the 17th over and two into the 16th in the IPL, something he might experience in the T20 showpiece even though he bats at the top of the order.

    “…It was a great experience.It was nice to be exposed to that at a high standard of cricket, and to learn on the job. To mingle with some seriously good players who do the IPL circuit post-game, chatting to guys who have done well, legends of T20 cricket, was good. It was nice to get some information from them and also to work things out for yourself in the middle of a game,” Markram said during a virtual press conference.

    Blessed with a textbook technique, he has opened the innings for South Africa and also batted at number three and four. For Punjab Kings, though, he also came in at number five. “In T20 cricket, at a World Cup or domestic or international series, results come down to the last three overs if not the last ball,” Markram said.

    “It was good to be exposed to that, because I’m sure games are going to go to the wire at the World Cup. It’s about dealing with that pressure in the moment when two to three balls could change the whole outcome of the game,” he added.

  • Now you have a bigger role: Tendulkar wishes Suryakumar luck for T20 World Cup

    By ANI

    ABU DHABI: Mumbai Indians mentor Sachin Tendulkar has wished good luck to batter Suryakumar Yadav, saying that he has a bigger role to look forward to in the upcoming T20 World Cup.

    Suryakumar Yadav played a knock of 82 against SunRisers Hyderabad at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Friday. Mumbai Indians’ management chose him as the Dressing Room Man of the Match.

    Mumbai Indians’ official Twitter handle posted a video in which Tendulkar says to Surya: “All the best for the T20 World Cup. Now you have a bigger role.”

    Suryakumar Yadav has already said that he is looking forward to the upcoming T20 World Cup and his process and routine will remain the same like it was for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.

    Defending champions Mumbai Indians on Friday finished the IPL 2021 at fifth position. The side ended their IPL 2021 campaign with a 42-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) but failed to qualify for the playoffs.

    “I am good, I am good (on how he is doing after being hit by a short ball). At the end of the day, the show must go on and you got to keep smiling whatever happens. We had nothing to lose,” Suryakumar told host broadcaster Star Sports after the game against SRH.

    Surya was adjudged the Dressing Room Player of the Match for his knock of 82Watch out for Sachin’s special message for Sky at the end! #OneFamily #MumbaiIndians #IPL2021 @surya_14kumar @sachin_rt pic.twitter.com/CXZtDmegtN
    — Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) October 9, 2021
    “We had a target, we just kept running behind it. The pitch was good. Happy to be on the winning side. It is a big tournament (T20 World Cup). We don’t change anything. The process, routine all remain the same. Really looking forward to it,” he added.

    Mumbai Indians had scored 235 in 20 overs against SRH on the back of blistering performances from Ishan Kishan (84) and Suryakumar Yadav (82).

    The T20 World Cup will kickstart on October 17 and India will lock horns against arch-rival Pakistan on October 24 in Dubai. (ANI)

  • Axe on Ishan Kishan worrying sign for India

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: Just moments after Mumbai Indians suffered a comprehensive defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, Virat Kohli put an arm around Ishan Kishan’s shoulder. He then offered a few consoling words to the sobbing youngster with the gaze of the prying television cameras for company.

    Kishan had cut a disconsolate figure for a majority of Mumbai’s innings that day, following another low score with the bat. He, perhaps, knew what was coming: an exclusion from the playing XI for Mumbai’s encounter against Punjab Kings on Tuesday.

    Since the resumption of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 23-year-old has been having his travails in a below-par middle-order that is searching desperately for runs and confidence. Scores of 11, 14 and 9 from Kishan’s blade have been underwhelming of course, and such returns tend to go unpunished only when your team is winning. That luxury isn’t available to Mumbai at the moment, given that they have won just one game since landing in the Middle East. The rest of the middle-order – comprising Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya — isn’t exactly coming up with earth-shattering performances either, but the axe was always likely to fall on the Jharkhand left-hander first. In eight matches this IPL, which includes the India leg, he is averaging a paltry 13.37 with just 107 runs in eight games. It is pertinent to note that Kishan was dropped after the first five games in India too.

    While a few games without runs need not necessarily be judged harshly, the upcoming T20 World Cup – with Kishan part of the 15-member India squad — dictates the current situation. In a team where there is no dearth of competition for places, it is perhaps inevitable that every innings will be viewed with a microscopic lens. While the squad was announced on September 8, the International Cricket Council (ICC) allows for further changes to be made until October 10. The changes need not be necessitated by injuries only, with selectors allowed to revise their assessments qualitatively.

    It is understood that the Indian selectors don’t deem it necessary to make any changes, but the possibility of another contender making a strong case in the coming days is likely to keep Kishan on tenterhooks. The southpaw must be even more frustrated by his present run considering the purple patch that he had hit in the UAE last season. Having not started the season as first choice, he forced his way into the team and made one of the middle-order spots his own by sheer weight of runs — ending the campaign as the fifth highest run-getter with 516 runs at an average of 57.33.

    What Kishan’s dropping has done is also give a gentle nudge to Suryakumar. The 31-year-old is averaging 17.18 this season and must be looking over his shoulder at the present moment. On Tuesday, he worryingly fell for a first-ball duck, bamboozled by a Ravi Bishnoi googly. Such a build-up is far from ideal for India’s lofty aspirations at the T20 World Cup. Both Surya and Ishan are considered X-factors in the shortest format and allow India to have the kind of free-flowing approach that they desperately need to match up to the likes of England and West Indies. With a few games still left in the IPL, Kohli & Co will be casting a keen eye on how Surya and Ishan fare.