Author: TheStateLine

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

T20 WC: Maharaj, Ngidi, Jansen, Miller come as SA elect to bat against unchanged India

Ahmedabad, Feb 22 (IANS) Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen and David Miller have come back for South Africa as captain Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bat first against an unchanged India in a crunch Super Eights clash of 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Both teams arrive into this clash on the back of being unbeaten teams in their respective groups. While South Africa played and won all three of their league matches in Ahmedabad, India are playing at this venue for the first time in the competition.“It looks like a really good wicket - a lot drier than the previous one we came across here - so we’re not expecting that early tackiness. We think it’s going to be a good surface throughout, and hopefully we can put a nice big score on the board...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

T20 WC: Will approach Zimbabwe like India or Australia, says WI coach Sammy for Super 8 clash

SPORTS

Mumbai, Feb 22 (IANS) When they step into the Wankhede Stadium on Monday for their opening Super 8s clash with Zimbabwe in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 in Mumbai, the West Indies will be taking the match as seriously as they take a clash with India, Australia or any other top team. Been there, done that -- Darren Sammy, after captaining the West Indies to the titles in 2012 and 2016, is hoping to guide the Caribbean stars to another T20 World Cup title -- this time as the head coach. Having experienced the highs and lows in his career as a player, coach Sammy knows that they can't afford to take things lightly because a win ahead of tougher clashes with India and South Africa will be a big boost to their dream of going all the way to the title.The West Indies finished at the top of the...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Stalin, Venugopal to meet as DMK-Cong seat-sharing talks gather pace

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Chennai, Feb 22 (IANS) With preparations for the upcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections gaining momentum, political parties have intensified efforts to finalise candidates, firm up alliances, and conclude seat-sharing arrangements.The ruling DMK and the AIADMK are understood to have largely outlined their respective alliance frameworks, while smaller parties are expected to clarify their positions in the coming days.Against this backdrop, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin is scheduled to meet Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal at 8 p.m. on Sunday in Chennai. Venugopal, who is arriving from New Delhi, will be accompanied by Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai and senior Congress leader Girish Chodankar.The meeting is expected to fo...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

6 years of Delhi riots: Ex-officers, intellectuals weigh in on ‘foreign motive and pattern’

INDIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) A day-long programme was organised at the Indian Law Institute on Sunday by the Group of Intellectuals and Academicians (GIA) to mark six years of the 2020 Delhi riots and to examine them through the lens of regime change attempts and information warfare.The event brought together a distinguished panel of experts, including retired Ambassadors, former bureaucrats, senior police officials, lawyers, and public intellectuals, to unpack various dimensions of the Delhi riots.Former Police Commissioner S.N. Srivastava described the Delhi riots as part of a broader global pattern where riots are used as instruments of regime change.He elaborated on the operational challenges faced by the police, noting that in Delhi, rioters allegedly anticipated and sought to provoke p...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

T20 WC: Jacks, Rashid shine as England crush Sri Lanka to clinch 51-run win

SPORTS

Colombo, Feb 22 (IANS) England produced a clinical all-round display to crush Sri Lanka by 51 runs in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Super Eights clash, bundling out the hosts for just 95 runs in 16.4 overs after posting 146/9 in a gripping encounter.Defending a modest total on a bowler-friendly surface, England’s spinners turned the contest into a one-sided affair with a relentless middle-overs squeeze that left Sri Lanka gasping. The chase never recovered from a dramatic powerplay collapse as the hosts slumped to 34/5, their second-lowest powerplay score in this edition among full member sides.Jofra Archer set the tone early, dismissing Pathum Nissanka with a well-set trap at deep mid-wicket before removing Kamil Mishara. But it was Will Jacks who broke the backbone of the innings.The off...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

‘Planned murder’: Telangana Police solve mystery behind death of writer

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Hyderabad, Feb 22 (IANS) Telangana Police have solved the mystery behind the death of writer and YouTuber Boggula Srinivas with the arrest of his friend, who allegedly hired contract killers to eliminate him and push the car with the victim’s body into a reservoir to make it look like an accident.The body of Srinivas, 48, was found in a car which had plunged into Palair reservoir in Khammam district on February 14. Some fishermen had told police that the person driving the vehicle jumped out and fled the scene at the time of the accident.Police retrieved the vehicle and noticed injuries on the victim’s head. The next day, he was identified as Srinivas.A native of Allur village of Nandikotkur mandal of Nandyal district of Andhra Pradesh, Srinivas became popular in 2014 after publishing a bo...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

From Sidda-DK fight to Bhupen Borah’s exit: Is Rahul Gandhi to blame for Cong’s flagging fortunes?

INDIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) The surprising exit of former Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah over "humiliation" within the party has brought the focus back on Congress’ perennial decline and its failures, particularly the party high command, in pacifying the veterans from moving out and also in settling the factional feuds that have lately turned out to be the biggest reasons behind its electoral setbacks.In many states, Congress units have been reduced to the margins, marred by internal party disputes and tussles and the lack of trust and confidence among its allies.The party high command, being the last resort in defusing problematic situations, has failed to rise to the occasion, apparently because of its "inertia and latency" in decision-making, leading to its persistent decline.In p...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

YSRCP accuses Andhra govt of diversion politics on Tirupati laddu row

INDIA, TOP STORIES

Tirupati, Feb 22 (IANS) The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), on Sunday, criticised the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh for what it called its vindictive attitude and diversion politics in the Tirupati laddu controversy and said the party will not go back on its stand and will continue to expose Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's 'lies' and the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam's 'irregularities'.YSRCP leader and former TTD Chairman, Bhumana Karunakara Reddy, said that appointing one-man committee into the Tirupati laddu issue is nothing short of demeaning the Supreme Court as the Central Bureau of Investigation's Special Investigation Team (SIT) had given the report on the directions of the Supreme Court."Any deviations or trying to the question the CID SIT report, w...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Iconic athletes Rupinder, Rohit excited for India hosting Commonwealth Games after 20 years in 2030

SPORTS

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) Highlighting India’s rapid strides towards becoming a sports powerhouse, iconic athletes Rupinder Pal Singh and Rohit Tokas expressed deep appreciation for the country’s successful award of hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030 after a long gap of 20 years.Rupinder Pal Singh, who was part of the Indian hockey team that won an Olympic bronze medal after a gap of 40 years in Tokyo 2020, said the massive push by the Government of India and collective efforts put in by the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports (MYAS), the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and National Sports Federations (NSFs) have helped the nation win the hosting rights of the multi-discipline event and it will act as a catalyst in fulfilling our Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of the c...

Feb222026 by TheStateLineNo Comments

Haryana Govt bars IDFC First Bank, AU Small Finance Bank over alleged Rs 590 crore fraud

INDIA, TOP STORIES

New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS) The Haryana Government on Sunday de-empanelled IDFC First Bank and AU Small Finance Bank from handling government business with immediate effect after an alleged fraud of around Rs 590 crore came to light.In an official circular, the state government said both banks have been barred from carrying out any government-related transactions in Haryana until further orders.It directed all departments, boards, corporations and public sector undertakings to stop using these banks for deposits, investments or any other financial dealings.Authorities have also been asked to immediately transfer existing balances and close accounts maintained with the two lenders.The Finance Department pointed out lapses in following fixed deposit instructions. It noted that in some cases, fu...