Ahead of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) starting their IPL 2025 campaign on March 22, Sarandeep Singh, the former India spinner and national selector, believes Virat Kohli has evolved into someone who knows when to do the improvisation in his batting and then run the game accordingly.

As per statistics from Cricket-21, in IPL 2024, Kohli showed a new approach to his T20 batting while becoming the tournament’s leading run-getter with 741 runs in 15 games. His powerplay strike rate stood at 161, which was up from 120, his usual strike rate in that phase. 72% of his runs came in boundaries during the powerplay.

Star Plus television serial "Mahabharat" introduced the Hindu mythological tale to the current generation. The cast of the popular drama had a reunion as the gang took off to Tirupati.

A few photos of the getaway surfaced on social media, where actors Thakur Anup Singh (Dhritarashtra), Riya Deepsi (Gandhari), Shaheer Sheikh (Arjun), Aham Sharma (Karan), and Saurav Gurjar (Bhim) were seen posing together. We could also see the temple and beautiful landscape in the backdrop.

The Instagram post included the caption, "Our Mahabharat gang making some beautiful memories live from Tirupati. Mind you hum log itna milte nahi hain. Maybe once in 6 months or sometimes once in years. But these pictures are a testament to the bond we share regardless. We have always been updated on each other’s well-being. Each time we meet the energy amongst us is crazy."

Highlighting the experiment of crowd-sourcing 11,000 ideas for the state Budget, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Thursday that a provision of Rs 5,000 crore has been made for the "Lado Laxmi Yojana" under which Rs 2,100 will be given to eligible women every month.

Talking to IANS, CM Saini said special attention has been paid to welfare of women and youth in the Budget. “We collected 11,000 suggestions from people on the Budget and I thank everybody for this,” he said.

“With the Budget suggestions of industrialists, chartered accountants, NGOs and all sections of society, Haryana has started marching towards achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat,” he said.

The welfare of farmers, women, youth and health and education sectors are special focus areas of the Budget, said the CM

In a major operation against drug trafficking, the Greater Chennai Police arrested two individuals and seized 102 kg of ganja, a Honda City car (KA 01 MD 2866), and two mobile phones, police said on Thursday.

The arrests were made following a tip-off from an informant in Andhra Pradesh.

Acting swiftly, the police intercepted the suspects near Maduravoyal Bypass Road in Anagaputhur

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the return of the IPL Fan Parks for the 2025 season, expanding the premier cricket viewing experience to 50 cities across 23 states and one union territory.

"The 2025 edition of the IPL Fan Parks will span 10 weekends, starting on March 22 and concluding on May 25. From Tinsukia (Assam) in the northeast to Kochi (Kerala) in the south and from Amritsar (Punjab) in the north to Goa in the west, the Fan Parks will cover the length and breadth of India," the BCCI said in a release on Thursday.

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) organized a conference on the topic "Catalyzing Growth of MSMEs in Punjab through Emerging Financial Institutions Landscape" in Chandigarh continued till late evening on Wednesday. Punjab Finance Minister Mr. Harpal Singh Cheema and Punjab Industry and Commerce Minister Mr. Tarunpreet Singh Sond attended the conference as chief guests. Mr. Harchand Singh Barsat, Chairman Punjab Mandi Board and Mr. Neel Garg, Chairman Punjab Medium Industries Development Board participated as special guests. Officials of various banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, private companies, educational institutions, industry and other stakeholders were present during the conference.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab leader and Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sondh highlighted the success of Punjab Government's anti-drug campaign 'Yudh Nashian Virudh' and shared details of police action till March 19 with the media.

On Thursday, Minister Tarunpreet Sondh addressed a press conference related to this campaign at the party office in Chandigarh. He said that the results of the 'War Against Drugs' campaign have been extremely encouraging, and it has shown positive outcomes across Punjab. People are also appreciating this initiative of the Punjab Government.

He stated that the Punjab Police is conducting this campaign very successfully. So far, 114 kg heroin, over 62 kg opium, and more than ₹68 lakh in cash have been seized. Under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS), 1,895 FIRs have been registered, and 3,217 drug traffickers have been arrested.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal has strongly criticized Congress for its alleged hypocrisy towards farmers, calling their recent protest in Lok Sabha mere "crocodile tears" and a desperate attempt to appear pro-Punjab.

Chabbewal accused Congress of neglecting farmers during its decades in power, failing to implement the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations or provide legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP). "Congress's failures have forced farmers into prolonged struggles, leading to over 800 deaths during the farmers' movement," he said.

He also slammed Congress for not addressing farmers’ issues meaningfully in the last eight months, despite having significant parliamentary strength. "Congress's drama in Parliament is nothing more than a publicity stunt," Chabbewal remarked.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO has extended his full support to the farmers while urging them to direct their protest against the Central Government. In a public statement, ETO criticized Congress for politicizing the farmers' issues and questioned their lack of action on the same during their tenure.

ETO stated, "Congress has 99 MPs in the Lok Sabha, yet they failed to raise their voice for the farmers effectively. During their rule in Punjab, how many times did they stand with the farmers? What efforts did they make when RDF funds were withheld, impacting the construction of mandi board roads? Instead of indulging in meaningless efforts, they should show solidarity with the farmers."

 AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang launched a scathing attack on the Congress party for its duplicitous stand on farmers' issues, industrial growth, and Punjab's overall development. In a statement, Kang questioned Congress’s intentions and track record, accusing the party of abandoning farmers during its five-year rule in Punjab and misleading them with hollow promises of loan waivers.

Congress MPs Silent on Farmers in Parliament

Highlighting Congress's hypocrisy, Kang stated, “With 99 MPs in Parliament, how many times has Congress truly stood up for farmers in the Lok Sabha? The party owes an answer to the people. When it was in power in Punjab, it promised to waive farmers’ loans but delivered nothing. Instead, the Congress regime oversaw massive scams, including those involving the Rural Development Fund.”

Kang criticized Congress MPs for their silence during the party’s tenure in Punjab, stating, “Why didn’t Congress MPs raise their voices against these scams? Their duplicity is evident – in power, they forget the farmers, and in opposition, they pretend to champion their cause.”