Left-handed batter Tilak Varma has been named as a replacement for injured all-rounder Shivam Dube in India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Bangladesh, said the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

In a statement, the BCCI said Dube is ruled out of the T20I series owing to a back injury, with the Senior Men’s Selection Committee naming Tilak, who’s earned 16 caps in the format so far, as his replacement. Dube had been a member of the Indian team winning this year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies.

BCCI added that Hyderabad-based Tilak, who plays for Mumbai Indians in the IPL, will link up with the Indian squad in Gwalior on Sunday morning, ahead of the first T20I to be played at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior in the evening.

Nearly 300 people, mostly rural farmers, have been killed in lightning strikes in Bangladesh this year.

A total of 297 people, including 242 men and 55 women, died due to lightning strikes during the period from February to September this year, news agency reported.

Save the Society and Thunderstorm Awareness Forum (SSTF), a local organisation, published the death toll at a press conference in Dhaka on Saturday.

The SSTF, which has been monitoring casualties from thunderstorms since 2019, said 73 people were injured during this period.

The majority of lightning fatalities occurred in rural areas where people were working on their farmlands, it said.

India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that wicketkeeper Sanju Samson will be the side’s second opener alongside Abhishek Sharma in the T20I series against Bangladesh, starting at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium in Gwalior on Sunday. India return to the shortest format of the game after beating Sri Lanka 3-0 in Pallekele in July. With the side resting many of its regulars due to Tests being the priority format, Samson, who’s earned 30 caps in the format so far, has a chance to be a regular in the T20I side.

Samson has previously opened the innings five times for India in T20Is, with a highest score of 77. “The second opener is Sanju Samson. He will play, and he will open in the series going forward,” said Suryakumar in the pre-match press conference.

He further says “Big Boss ne sabka future dekha, time list hua”. The promo shows two contetants joining Salma. The male contestant asks “Sir Is this for real” and Salman says “It’s real”. The female contestant says “Main Maan Loon Kya”(Should I believe). Vivian D’sena is popular TV actor who has worked in multiple Tv shows including “Pyar Ki Yeh Kahani Suno”, “Madhubaala” and many more. Vivian Dsena personal life have also been in controversy when he divorced his wife Vahbiz. Later he married a Muslim journalist from Egypt. Alice Kaushik is also a Tv actress who rose to fame with Pandya store, a show on Star Plus. Although the face of grand finalists contestants have not been revealed in the promo, however with the voice one can make out easily that male contestant standing behind Salman is Vivian D’Sena and the female is Alice Kaushik. Big Boss 18 is all set to premiere on 6th October on Colors. Salman Khan is hosting the show once again. Some of the confirmed contestants of Big Boss are Tv actrors Niya Shama, Vivian D’sena, Naira Banerjee, Muskaan Bamne, Chahat Pandey, popular Bollywood actress Shilpa Shirodkar and many others. Contestants are already shooting for the first episode and will enter the future themed house. Bigg Boss 18's "Future" theme promises an exciting and thought-provoking season. With its unique blend of technology, innovation, and entertainment, this season is poised to captivate audiences and leave a lasting impact.

A series of attacks across various locations in Syria on Saturday resulted in at least one death and three injuries.

Syrian state television reported that the country's air defences were activated to intercept "hostile targets" over western Homs, a region often targeted by Israeli strikes and drone attacks from rebels positioned in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, also reported anti-aircraft fire near the Military Academy in Homs and in the surrounding countryside of western Homs.

A 24-year-old Agniveer has died after a fire extinguisher gas cylinder exploded during a mock drill in Rajasthan's Bharatpur district, officials said on Saturday.

The accident took place on Friday noon near Golpura Army area of Sevar police station, officials confirmed.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Vijay Kumar of Sevar police station said, "In the mock drill during the training camp in Bharatpur, Jawan Saurabh threw the fire extinguisher cylinder upside down on the ground while practicing fire extinguishing. Soon, there was a loud explosion and the cylinder exploded. Pieces of the cylinder hit the Jawan's chest. The officer and fellow soldiers took him to Jindal Hospital in Bharatpur in critical condition. The Jawan's father Rakesh Pal was informed about the incident. Saurabh died during treatment at 8 p.m. The body was brought to the mortuary of RBM District Hospital at 10 p.m. The post-mortem was done on Saturday in the presence of the father and other family members."

Voting in the Gurugram district for the Haryana assembly general elections 2024, on Saturday was peaceful where the BJP is looking for a third term.

Polling, which began at 7 am, continued till 6 pm. The counting of votes will be conducted on October 8 along with J&K and the results will be declared on the same day.

The BJP, which won 40 seats in Haryana in the last Assembly polls, has this time set a target to get a full majority in the state.

According to the data released by the District Election Office, 57.2 per cent of polling was recorded in the district till 6.00 pm. The district recorded 5 per cent more votes in comparison to the 2019 polls.

Striking a big blow to organised crime in the state, the Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF), in a joint operation with Bathinda police, foiled a possible dacoity with the arrest of Jaspreet Singh, alias Jassa, a kingpin of Jassa Burj Gang, along with his three associates, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said on Saturday.

Four .32 bore pistols and 11 cartridges were recovered from their possession. Three arrested accomplices have been identified as Karanveer Singh, alias Karni, of Gulabgarh village, Resham Singh of Chatha village, and Hardeep Singh, alias Aarshi, of Sekhu village.

All have criminal history and were involved in crimes, including arms supply, snatching, kidnapping and other crimes.

DGP Yadav said that acting on a tip-off, teams from the AGTF, under the overall supervision of ADGP Promod Ban, and the Bathinda police intercepted and apprehended the accused from the Ring Road in Bathinda and recovered weapons along with ammunition from their possession.

The Israeli army on Saturday killed a Hamas leader and a member of the Islamic Group in its airstrikes in Lebanon.

An airstrike on a house in the Beddawi camp north of Lebanon's northern city of Tripoli killed Hamas leader Said Atallah Ali and three of his family members,

The raid on the Beddawi camp triggered panic and displacement among camp residents who feared further attacks, according to the report.

Terming the 50 per cent ceiling on quotas as an 'artificial barrier', Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said that the Congress-led INDIA bloc will remove the reservation limit and also conduct a Caste Census in the country, here on Saturday.

"No force in the world can stop us from doing this… it is a promise by the Congress. We shall conduct a Caste Census and also remove the 50 per cent cap on reservation to give the people their due," said Rahul Gandhi amid a thunderous applause.

Addressing a 'Samvidhan Samman Sammelan', the Congress MP said neither the Bharatiya Janata Party nor the RSS or Prime Minister Narendra Modi can stop them from these changes as the Congress and INDIA bloc are totally committed to taking reservation beyond the 50 per cent limit.

"A Caste Census is equivalent to an 'X-Ray'. What is the harm in getting it done? We need to have the correct data of how many Dalits, OBCs, Tribals, women, minorities and the general castes people are there. We are trying to protect the Constitution through the demand for a Caste Census," said Rahul Gandhi.