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After Jasprit Bumrah’s figures of 1-27 played a key role in Mumbai Indians (MI) beating Gujarat Titans (GT) by 20 runs in the IPL 2025 Eliminator, former South Africa batter AB de Villiers said a game of cricket isn’t over until the fast-bowling spearhead completes his quota of overs, a line which he also said to his son. In MI’s defence of 228/5 in New Chandigarh on Friday evening, Bumrah’s economy rate was just 6.75 – with his pin-point leg-stump yorker flooring Washington Sundar, and ending his 84-run fourth-wicket stand with B Sai Sudharsan proving to be the turning point of the match.From there, MI restricted GT to 208/6 and set up a meeting with Punjab Kings in Qualifier 2, to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday. The winner of Qualifier 2 will meet Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the title clash in Ahmedabad on June 3.

“The players known for stepping up in knockouts faced their fears and delivered. No one gave GT a chance at the halfway mark, but MI held their nerve – especially Jasprit Bumrah, who just keeps delivering in the big moments.”

“Credit to Hardik for holding Bumrah back until the right time. Sai had been playing him well, so delaying his return was a smart move. Before Bumrah came back for his final two overs, I told my son, ‘This game isn’t over until he’s done bowling.’ Once again, he showed why he’s one of the best,” said de Villiers on JioHotstar.

He also felt Sudharsan, the tournament’s leading run-getter, falling to pacer Richard Gleeson in the 16th over became another turning point of the match. “A key turning point was Sai Sudharsan’s dismissal. He’d nailed that shot all season, but it didn’t come off when it mattered most. Everything seemed to go wrong for GT – dropped catches, hit wickets, chaotic moments – yet they still made it a contest,” concluded de Villiers.umbai Indians star pacer Jasprit Bumrah produced the perfect toe-crushing yorker to dismiss Washington Sundar during the IPL 2025 encounter against Gujarat Titans on Friday. Chasing a target of 229, Sai Sudharsan and Washington Sundar stitched together a brilliant partnership to keep GT in the game. However, Bumrah produced a moment of pure magic to dismiss Washington and potentially end the fightback. In the 14th over, Bumrah conceded just four runs and produced possibly the “ball of IPL 2025” that pitched just ahead of the batter and skidded on to the stumps. MI booked a ticket to Qualifier two against Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a shot at the Indian Premier League (IPL) final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Inching past GT by 20 runs in a closely contested match at Mullanpur despite a fine knock by Sai Sudharsan, Bumrah played a big role with his spell of 1/27 in four overs, putting GT under pressure.

Speaking after the match, Pandya was appreciative of the opening partnership between Jonny Bairstow, Rohit Sharma, and his bowlers and admitted that the game looked “even Stevens” at one point.”Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah). When you have that, it is a luxury. It is like Mumbai housing prices – he is that expensive. I was just watching the scoreboard, and I thought if we could keep extra runs at the end, I had the bowlers to bowl it. It was important that Jassi come and bowl that over so that the margin becomes longer (the 18th over),” he concluded.”Whenever you think the game is going away, just bring him (Bumrah). When you have that, it is a luxury. It is like Mumbai housing prices – he is that expensive. I was just watching the scoreboard, and I thought if we could keep extra runs at the end, I had the bowlers to bowl it. It was important that Jassi come and bowl that over so that the margin becomes longer (the 18th over),” he concluded.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said ‘Operation Sindoor’ is a strong response by India’s armed forces, showing the country shall never tolerate terrorism.

Indian armed forces on early Wednesday carried out missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir, including the Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold of Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke.

The military strikes were conducted under ‘Operation Sindoor’ two weeks after the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians.

In a post on X, Ms Sitharaman said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will ensure that every perpetrator of terror is pursued.The Minister is currently in Milan, Italy, to attend the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank.The mighty Mumbai Indians handled the nerves better on the big stage to outlast Gujarat Titans by 20 runs in a high-scoring IPL 2025 Eliminator despite a classy effort from Sai Sudharsan in Mullanpur on Friday. Rohit Sharma (81 off 50) rode his luck to play a fine knock after Jonny Bairstow (47 off 22) made instant impact on his Mumbai Indians debut to push them to an imposing 228 five in 20 overs. Titans, who were sloppy in the field and with the ball, were able to take the game down to the wire with sensational batting from Sudharsan (80 off 49) before falling short at 208 for six to exit the tournament.Despite heavy dew, overcoming a such a steep target in a knock-out game needed a special effort which came from Sudharsan who put his team on course for an improbable chase until his dismissal in the 16th over.

Bumrah removed Washington Sundar (48 off 24) with his trademark yorker before Sudharsan missed scoop against Richard Gleeson to see his stumps dislodged, bringing Mumbai Indians back into the game.

While it lasted, it was a delight to see Sudharsan go about his business. In a game of pure muscle, Sudharsan was a picture of elegance and found gaps all around the park with pinpoint precision.The equation came down to 36 from 12 balls with two left-handers Rahul Tewatia and Sherfane Rutherford in the middle. Mumbai Indians debutant Richard Gleeson bowled the final over with Titans needing 24 runs and he bowled three immaculate deliveries to ensure victory before hobbling out due to hamstring issue. In fact, Suryakumar Yadav, the vice-captain was marshalling resources in the final over and it was a brave punt to bring Gleeson in for three deliveries knowing that he is in considerable discomfort. Once the target was out of reach, Surya took him off and asked left-arm seamer Ashwini Kumar to complete formalities.

Earlier, on a surface which had less grass compared to the one used on Thursday, Mumbai Indians decided to bat first and the batters ensured the team goes into the break with an upper-hand.

Titans dropped three crucial catches — two of Rohit (81 off 50 ) and one of Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20) – and produced another ordinary effort with the ball in the knock-out fixture.

One of the most versatile cricketers in the game, KL Rahul, couldn’t inspire his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Delhi Capitals, to the competition’s playoffs. DC eventually finished 5th, just one spot outside the knockouts, leaving players and fans debating about the ‘what-if’ moments. However, instead of sulking on the failed pursuit of the top 4, Rahul has reportedly decided to join international duty by making himself available for the India A tour of England. Rahul has reportedly told the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he wants to play for India A against England Lions in the second unofficial Test.The series gets underway with the first match starting on May 30 in Canterbury. While Rahul can’t make the squad in time for that match, he is said to be keen on a place in the team for the second match. The intention has also been informed to the BCCI and the selection committee chief, Ajit Agarkar.

“He will be flying on Monday and will be playing a second unofficial test with the India A side. As he is part of the senior men’s team, which will be playing five Test matches in the series, these matches will give him game time and match practice,” the Indian Express quoted a source as saying.

The second unofficial Test between England Lions and India A begins on June 06. The senior Indian team will then be involved in an intra-squad match in Beckenham on June 13. The first Test of the 5-match series starts in Leeds on June 20.

In a recent interview to Sky Sports, Rahul had also spoken of his love for the longest format of the game.

“I love red ball cricket. I mean you can’t take that away from me or anyone who’s part of that Indian team. Everyone that I’ve spoken to on that Indian team, we’re all on the same page as to Test cricket is number one for us. We love playing Test cricket and that hasn’t changed for me,” Rahul had said.

“I grew up watching Test cricket. I grew up watching you guys play for England. I used to wake up at five in the morning and watch Test cricket in Australia with my father. He loved watching cricket as well,” he added.Forgotten India star Karun Nair continued his terrific form in red-ball cricket, scoring his double ton for India A in the first Unofficial Test of the two-match series against England Lions in Canterbury. Karun scored 204 runs off 281 balls with the help of 26 fours and one six. India A have crossed the mark of 550 runs on Day 2 of the game. The side was invited to bat first by England Lions on the opening day of the match. Dhruv Jurel missed his ton after losing his wicket for 94. On Friday, Sarfaraz Khan too

Dimissing claims that an Instagram influencer, who uploaded a video with alleged communal comments in reference to Operation Sindoor was arrested unlawfully, the Kolkata Police has said several attempts were made to serve notice to her, but she deliberately stayed away. 

Influencer Sharmishta Panoli, who is studying law at an institute in Pune, uploaded the video recently and faced a backlash, after which she deleted it and issued an apology. A complaint had, however, already been filed against her in Kolkata by then. When attempts to serve notice failed, a court issued an arrest warrant against Ms Panoli and she was arrested from Gurugram – where she had gone with her family – by the Kolkata Police on Friday night. 

Her arrest was termed unlawful by some on social media and BJP leader and Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Trinamool Congress for taking her into custody to “appease a certain votebank” while refusing to act against its own leaders. In a statement on Saturday, the Kolkata Police said some “social media narratives suggesting an unlawful arrest” of a law student are “incorrect and misleading”.”All legal procedures were duly adhered to. All attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon. She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law,” the statement said. 

“We urge all concerned to refrain from spreading unverified or speculative content and to rely on authentic sources for information,” it added.Hitting out at the Mamata Banerjee-led government, Mr Adhikari said action is only taken against ‘sanatanis’.

“FIRs were filed against (Trinamool MP) Mahua Moitra after she made derogatory comments about Goddess Kali. Was any action taken? What did their MP Saayoni Ghosh post about Mahadev (Lord Shiva)? Was any action taken? There have been so many FIRs against Firhad Hakim, but there has been no action. The action is only taken against ‘sanatanis’. Everyone here has a licence to abuse ‘sanatanis’,” the BJP leader said. 

“What they (Trinamool Congress) are doing is appeasement politics. A certain community is their votebank and they are doing this to appease them. Mahua Moitra used derogatory language against Goddess Kali in a talk show, 200 FIRs were registered. Was any action taken? No,” he added. 
India’s active coronavirus cases have risen to nearly 3,000, with Kerala fighting the latest resurgence of infections – followed by Maharashtra, and Delhi. Official data shows a quick rise in the cases within four days. While India recorded a total of 1,010 cases by May 26, the official data by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shows a total of 2,710 infections as of May 30.

According to the data, Kerala has recorded 1,147 cases, Maharashtra 424, Delhi 294, and Gujarat 223. Tamil Nadu has recorded a total of 148 cases so far, while Karnataka and West Bengal have reported 148 and 116 cases, respectively.

Rajasthan has reported 51 cases, Uttar Pradesh 42, Puducherry 25, Haryana 20, Andhra Pradesh 16, Madhya Pradesh 10, Goa seven, and Odisha, Punjab, and Jammu Kashmir four each. Three states – Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh have reported three cases each, while Mizoram and Assam have two people detected with the infection each so far.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has responded to a social media post that claimed fraudulent activities in the GST registration process.

Her statement came after a LinkedIn post by Vinod Gupta, founder and director of VG Learning Destination, went viral. Mr Gupta alleged that he would be forced to “commit a crime” by paying a bribe to get a registration number for his firm.

Referring to the post, Ms Sitharaman said, “It is our responsibility to serve taxpayers. But while doing that, we must be honest and transparent, because that’s how we earn their trust. I believe the GST Board and officers will continue to be careful and quick in responding to people’s issues.”Mr Gupta, in his now-viral LinkedIn post, claimed that he hasn’t received the GST number even though he applied for it 20 days ago. He wrote, “Tomorrow I will commit a crime. Giving and taking bribery: both are crimes. I applied for a GST registration number for a firm in which my wife and daughter are partners 20 days ago.”He mentioned, “Objections started coming in. Till today, the number has not been allotted. So, I’ve decided to get the GST number tomorrow. I know I will get it after committing the crime.”

The post quickly garnered social media users’ attention, including Tax Compliance and Litigation Expert Abhishek Raja Ram. He tagged the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and alleged corruption happening in the GST registration process. He even called out the officials handling the department and urged the top management to interfere.

His post read, “CBIC has no idea of the ground reality of corruption in GST Registrations. Their Executive Officers are so corrupt that even VG Sir has to vent out his frustration. Better top-level Officers take control of Registrations to save the country from corruption.”The CBIC was quick to respond to his post. The board clarified that Mr Gupta filed an application process on May 26 and was assigned to the Delhi State GST jurisdiction and not the Central GST authorities.

It further stated that the application was processed immediately; however, a query was raised because a designation was missing on the rent agreement. This was informed to the applicant; however, there has been no response from his side yet.Since the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory strikes under Operation Sindoor, Indian counterintelligence agencies have been on high alert. Over the past month, at least 15 individuals across Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab have been detained or arrested. 

An engineer in Mumbai sketching warship blueprints after being honey-trapped on Facebook, a travel vlogger in Haryana escorted by armed men through Lahore’s markets, a Rajasthan government employee with seven unexplained trips to Pakistan, and a SIM card supplier in Deeg funnelling information to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) handlers – each arrest, unconnected yet similar, reveals a wide network of people engaged in passing sensitive information to Pakistan. Moti Ram Jat was not a high-ranking officer, but his access to operational details within the Central Reserve Police Force made him a candidate that Pakistani operatives could exploit. According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Jat had been in contact with Pakistan Intelligence Officers (PIOs) since 2023, passing along classified information in exchange for money.

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