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The Indian team is going through one of its worst injury crises in recent times. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah and B Sai Sudharsan were ruled out for the 2-match Test series against Sri Lanka, while there's no confirmation on the return of Washington Sundar for the second match. The BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) has also had to face heat for releasing unfit players for the national team, especially Bumrah. However, former India batter S Badrinath doesn't think the blame lies with the CoE and its head VVS Laxman . For Badrinath, the majority of the blame should go to head coach Gautam Gambhir , captain Shubman Gill and selectors, whose eagerness to draft Bumrah and others into the team led to this situation. "I don't know who made the decision. CoE will not make the selection, right? They will just say he is in this state and can play these matches and his body is in this state. But I think the captain, coach, and selectors are taking the decision. CoE only pass...

Bengali superstar Jeet is one of those rare Hindi-speaking Bengali actors who has made a mark in the Hindi industry with his OTT debut Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, released on Netflix last year.  He also took on the giant task of releasing a Bengali film simultaneously in Hindi three years ago when Chengiz released. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Jeet shared whether he would invest in Hindi in the coming years and why he thinks in Hindi first. 'Learnt Bengali Through Environment' Last year, during promotions of Khakee , Jeet had said that he thinks in Hindi first as Hindi is his mother tongue. Asked if his public acknowledgement of thinking in Hindi might disappoint his Bengali audience, Jeet tells NDTV, "My thinking language has been Hindi. I am still saying that. It's a fact. I studied in Hindi. I learnt Bengali through the environment. Nobody has reacted to that statement. And I believe how I conduct myself through my work, shows or whatever I do, ...

Vishal, known for his performances in films like Irumbu Thirai and Mark Antony, recently opened up about his experience of meeting Vijay after he took on the role of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister.  “Vijay is the same when I met him recently. I didn't take a bouquet. I usually never buy bouquets. He's the same, only the posting has changed,” Vishal said in an interview with Honest Townhall.  Vishal also shared his perspective on why Vijay's entry into politics gained momentum, unlike the political ventures of several other actors before him. Vishal said, "It's not just actors. Actors with mass appeal have tried this before. There are so many other examples we have left out who have been failures. Sivaji Ganesan started a party. Legendary filmmaker Bhagyaraj started a party. We have examples all over the industry. Amitabh Bachchan could have started a party. Mithun Chakraborty is so famous, he could have been the face of West Bengal."  He added, “It's a...

Former Indian batter and BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) head VVS Laxman revealed that he was offered the role of Team India head coach back in 2023, but could not take it up for personal reasons and decided to continue as the head of the CoE and contribute to its development as it got a new facility of its own in Bengaluru. Amid concerns over the recent spate of injuries, BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia met Laxman on Sunday to review the rehabilitation and injury-management programme at the facility. Saikia also attended the press conference along with Laxman, BCCI president Mithun Manhas and other senior officials. Speaking during the presser, he said, "The reason why I extended (as the head of CoE): In 2023, I was supposed to become the head coach. Because of personal reasons, I was not able to take that up. I went and spoke to Jay (Shah) twice. He understood my reasons. Because of what Jay and the BCCI have given me, the freedom to execute my vision, it continues with Devajit ...

A group of former Pakistan cricketers have returned from Zambia after featuring in an unsanctioned Twenty20 league, where they reportedly failed to receive full payment and now face a two-year ban from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The players went to Lusaka in order to take part in the Asian Legends League, a tournament that was promoted last month and which included among its featured names former Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez, wicketkeeper-batter Kamran Akmal and all-rounder Sohail Tanvir. Although Ambati Rayudu from India was originally going to take part in the league, he withdrew from Zambia without playing after finding out that the tournament had not been sanctioned. The Lusaka T20 League, which included teams like Asian Stars, Pakistan Panthers, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, was set to start on August 2. A source close to the players stated that Hafeez, Akmal, Tanvir and Zahid Mahmood had asked for information regarding the tournament after finding out that it had not ...

Cupid Ltd. reported a sharp jump in its June-quarter earnings, with consolidated net profit surging nearly 200% year-on-year as stronger operating margin and a more than 2.6-fold increase in revenue boosted profitability. The company's consolidated net profit rose to Rs 44.1 crore in the quarter ended June, compared with Rs 15 crore in the corresponding period last year, according to an exchange filing on Friday. Revenue from operations surged to Rs 154.7 crore from Rs 59.8 crore, reflecting robust business momentum and strong execution during the quarter. ALSO READ:   Titan Q1 Results: Profit Soars 63% To Beat Estimates; Revenue Tops Rs 21,300 Crore Operating performance improved even faster than revenue. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation climbed to Rs 60.1 crore, up from Rs 16.5 crore a year ago. The Ebitda margin expanded to 38.8% from 27.5%, indicating better operating leverage and an improved product mix. Cupid's June-quarter performanc...