What began as a scenic cable car ride over the snow-covered peaks of Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg turned into a terrifying ordeal for nearly 300 tourists on Sunday after the famed Gulmarg Gondola service suffered a sudden technical breakdown, leaving visitors stranded mid-air for hours. A massive multi-agency rescue operation involving the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, paramilitary forces and Civil Defence teams was launched immediately to evacuate tourists trapped inside multiple chair cars suspended above the mountainous terrain. Officials said the technical snag occurred around 1 pm, disrupting operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg Gondola service in north Kashmir's premier tourist resort. "A sudden technical fault hit the operations in the first phase of the Gulmarg cable car," a senior official of the Gulmarg Development Authority said. The first phase of the Gondola runs from the Gulmarg bowl to Kangdori, while the second phase extends up to Apha...
Former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly did not mince words when asked for his reaction on the uncertainty surrounding Mitchell Starc's availability for the start of IPL 2026. Delhi Capitals said at the press conference that they are waiting for a green signal from Cricket Australia. And this is what Dada said while in Delhi for a brand endorsement for Jakson, "It hurts... because when quality players don't come in at the last minute, it shakes the balance of the team." Starc is set to miss the opening phase of the season as Cricket Australia carefully manages his workload ahead of a packed 2026-27 calendar. The timing could not be worse as franchises build their squads and strategies around marquee overseas players.
Ganguly, speaking on the broader issue of player availability in franchise cricket, said the impact of such late withdrawals is far greater in the IPL than in international cricket.
"It hurts because I've always said making an Indian team is easier than making an IPL team. Because the best players are available all the time to be picked. IPL is 10 teams that players get distributed. And when quality players don't come in at the last minute, obviously it shakes up the balance of the team."
He hit on the depth available in international squads, that is rarely mirrored in franchise setups.
"Because the substitutes, the availability is not as strong as the one who's not turned up... But in IPL if Mitchell Starc misses out or Pathirana misses out, the void is very hard to fill. So that's one of the challenges."
The former India captain, however, stopped short of criticising workload management itself, acknowledging the toll modern cricket takes on players across formats and leagues.
"Workload management is very important because players do play a lot of cricket. It's not just the IPL... more than physical, the mental part takes over. Away from home, away from families. It's never easy. So it's a balance which will continue to happen."
England cricketer Ben Duckett also pulled out of IPL 2026 as he wanted to concentrate on international cricket.
The uncertainty has not gone down well with commentators either. Harsha Bhogle called the lack of clarity around Starc's status "frustrating", especially in a league where franchises invest heavily in overseas stars. He argued that teams deserve firmer assurances when they commit significant portions of their salary purse to marquee players and warned that repeated episodes could push franchises towards stricter contract clauses and heavier financial deductions.
Delhi Capitals had structured their bowling attack around Starc's pace and new-ball threat, but this forces them to rethink.
This is not the first time the IPL has had to navigate the complicated triad of international calendars, bilateral commitments and franchise expectations. With players now juggling national duty, multiple T20 leagues and personal rest windows, such situations are likely to recur. As Ganguly put it, "Injuries will happen. Players will have problems... and you have to deal with it."
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/anj5PXS
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