India's Injury Crisis Puts Gambhir Under Spotlight: "Coach, Captain Decided"

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 passes the information. They are not selectors," Badrinath said in a video on his YouTube channel.

Badrinath also didn't mince his words over the repeated injury issues involving Sundar. He said that fitness is not the all-rounder's forte, urging him to seriously work on himself if he intends to prolong his career and remain a consistent player for the national team.

"I don't have an immediate answer to the root cause of so many injuries. It is important to see what kind of injuries these are. At high-level professional sport, injuries are common. Sai Sudharsan got hit by a ball, with Bumrah, it is a chronic injury because of being overused and fitness is not Sundar's forte, he is injury-prone. His fitness needs a lot of work. Management and monitoring is very important. Injuries are bound to happen and you cannot control it," added Badrinath.

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Google Pixel 11 vs iPhone 17: Price in India and Full Specifications Compared

Google Pixel 11 has been launched in India, and the new Pixel smartphone competes directly with Apple's iPhone 17, which was unveiled in September last year. The Google Pixel 11 sports a 6.3-inch (1,080 x 2,424 pixels) OLED Actua display, with up to a 120Hz refresh rate, while the iPhone 17 is equipped with a 6.3-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display. The Google Pixel 11 is equipped with the latest Google Tensor G6 chipset. On the other hand, the iPhone 17 is powered by the A19 chipset, featuring a 16-core Neural Engine.

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'I'm Bengal's Boy': Jeet Reveals The One Condition For A Hindi Film Bet

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, if that's connecting with the audience, people will remember that. My thinking language won't bother anyone, I guess."

"I was born and brought up in Kolkata. I am Bengal's boy. Nobody can deny that. And some people also say that I speak Bengali better than born Bengalis. So, I take that as a compliment," adds Jeet.

'I Can Invest In Hindi If There's Potential'

Back in 2023, Jeet took a giant leap when he released Chengiz simultaneously in Bengali and Hindi to take Bengali films pan-India. Reports say Jeet's production house, Jeetz Filmworks, incurred losses for undertaking the task.

Asked if he was ready to face the consequence of taking the risk, Jeet tells us, "Making profits and losses is part and parcel of any business. The risks in the film business are enormously high. It's not a surprising fact that the chances of profit making in this business hover between 7-10%, no matter whether you make films in Hindi or in vernacular languages."

"Having said that, if I see a material has potential for the Hindi market and deserves to be released nationally, I can," Jeet adds.

But Jeet also said that the trend of releasing regional films in Hindi has gone down.

"You should also understand the fact that there was a huge spike in releasing regional films in Hindi after the Baahubali craze. But it has now come down. Besides two or three films, most of the films haven't made any connection with the audience. So the trend is going down," adds Jeet.

Jeet's new film Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat (Some Say Revolutionary, Some Say Dacoit), directed by Pathikrit Basu, is inspired by the life of Ananta Singh, a freedom fighter and close associate of revolutionary Masterda Surya Sen.

Set against the backdrop of 1960s Kolkata, the film also touches upon the public perception of Ananta Singh being called a 'dacoit' for his daring robberies. Jeet plays the titular character and pulled off nine different looks for the film.

Apart from Jeet, Keu Bole Biplobi Keu Bole Dakat also stars Priyanka Sarkar, Tota Roy Chowdhury, Rajatabha Dutta and Debopriyo Mukherjee.

The film releases in theatres on August 14.

Also Read | 'When You Play Around With Power, Creativity Takes Backseat': Jeet On Bengali Actors Joining Politics

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Vishal On Why Vijay Succeeded In Politics Where Other Actors Failed

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 calling. If someone has entrusted their faith in Vijay, it's not just because he is an actor turned politician. It's because they wanted a change, badly, literally very badly. And it is also a connectivity factor. He was different in the way he was talking. That is what maybe the first-time voters and everyone decided to go for the change, because there is nothing else they see."

Vishal pointed out a particular moment from Vijay's 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign that he believes played a key role in strengthening the actor-turned-politician's position as a prime candidate. 

“His last-day speech before the closing of the campaign nailed it. He said, go tell your parents and your grandparents and every elder in your house, please tell them to vote for me once. That really created a massive impact. I've seen a judge come on record saying that he voted because his granddaughter told him to vote for TVK. There have been instances like that,” he recalled.

On the work front, Vishal is set to make his directorial debut in the upcoming film Magudam. It releases in theatres on August 14. 

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"Was Supposed To Be India Head Coach, Could Not Take Up" The Role: VVS Laxman

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 and other office-bearers."

"I extended for two years, and I committed to the BCCI that here I am not taking up the head coach position, but I will make sure that I establish the CoE, I establish the structure, the processes and the protocols, before I move on," he added.

In September 2024, the BCCI's Centre of Excellence was inaugurated by then BCCI secretary Jay Shah, replacing the old facility operating at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium under the name of the National Cricket Academy.

Spanning over 40 acres, this facility is designed to become the epicentre for nurturing cricketing talent and advancing sports science in India. The Centre of Excellence features three grounds and 86 pitches, including both indoor and outdoor areas, showcasing its capacity to provide comprehensive training facilities.

In late 2021, Laxman took over from Rahul Dravid as the head of the CoE, with the latter becoming the Team India head coach. Laxman has been the head of the facility since then and, during his tenure, the CoE expanded into a full-fledged facility of its own.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Pak Cricketers Return From Unsanctioned Zambia League, Face 2-Year PCB Ban

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 been sanctioned by the Zambia Cricket Union (ZCU).

The source said that players such as Hafeez, Akmal, Tanvir and Zahid Mahmood inquired about the league and, after finding out that it had not been sanctioned by the Zambia Cricket Union (ZCU), and that the ZCU had issued a statement making it clear that the league received no sanction, approval or endorsement, some players, including India's Ambati Rayudu, decided to leave without taking part.

It is reported that several international players and their support staff were left stranded in Lusaka as they attempted to sort out their unpaid travel arrangements, and this has also resulted in demands for "a joint investigation involving multiple cricket boards".

Imran Nazir, Taufeeq Umar, Yasir Shah, Hasan Raza, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Irfan, Yasir Butt, Ibrar Hussain and Rana Anwar were among the former Pakistan players who took part in some matches.

The tournament was suddenly halted as a result of the ZCU's intervention. The report also stated that the organisers had not been able to finalise a broadcast deal.

After noticing that former Pakistan players had taken part in the Asian Legends League, the PCB announced a two-year ban, as it was discovered that the players had not secured the necessary No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the board.

A player acknowledged that it had been a mistake to take part in the tournament and said that the group had been misled by agents.

The player told Telecom Asia Network, on the condition of anonymity, that he had been misled by agents who had told him the league was approved by the ZCU and that he would receive a good amount of money. However, he suffered embarrassment as the hotel would not let him check into a room because of non-payment and he then faced further difficulties at the airport.

The player stated that the cricketers had returned without receiving the financial rewards they had hoped for and were now facing a serious punishment.

"The situation is a blow for all the players since they had gone there in order to earn some good money, which they haven't obtained, but what they have received instead is a severe punishment from the Pakistan Cricket Board," the player said.

Sources state that the affected players intend to approach Mohsin Naqvi, the chairman of the PCB, and ask for clemency on the grounds that cricket is still their main source of income and that a two-year ban could have serious financial repercussions.

Akmal has also publicly supported his teammates and asked the PCB to review the punishment.

Akmal stated on social media that players from other countries such as India, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan took part in the event and have not been banned, and that the PCB should reconsider this penalty since the players' livelihoods depend on cricket.

The controversy comes at a time when the International Cricket Council (ICC) has expressed concern about the rapid increase in T20 franchise leagues worldwide. To supervise the development of T20 franchise cricket and ensure better coordination with the international cricket schedule, the ICC established a special Franchise Leagues Committee at its annual conference.

Tamim Iqbal, the former Bangladesh captain, has been named chairman of the committee.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Cupid Q1 Results: Profit Nearly Triples As Margin Widens; Revenue Up 2.6x

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 performance comes amid sustained demand across its business segments, with revenue increasing more than 2.5 times from the year-ago period. The pace of earnings growth exceeded revenue expansion, reflecting the benefits of scale and stronger margins.

Investors will closely watch the company's management commentary on order inflows, export demand, capacity utilisation and growth outlook for the rest of the financial year to assess whether the strong momentum can be sustained in the coming quarters.

ALSO READ: Q1 Results Live Updates: Oil India Profit Surges 73%; Kaynes Tech Revenue Rises 41%

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Flipkart Freedom Sale: Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Deal Teased Ahead of Sale

Flipkart's Freedom Sale will kick off later this week. The Independence Day-themed special sale will offer exclusive early access to Flipkart Plus and VIP members and will have discounts on popular smartphones from leading brands. Samsung's Galaxy S25 FE is confirmed to be available at a discounted price during the sale. This Fan Edition smartphone runs on an Exynos 2400 processor and features a triple rear-camera setup headlined by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. The vanilla Galaxy S25 will also be discounted in the sale. 

Samsung Galaxy S25 FE Confirmed to Get Discount During Flipkart Freedom Sale

Flipkart's dedicated microsite for the Freedom Sale reveals that the Samsung Galaxy S25 FE will be available at Rs. 47,999 during the sale. Interested users can buy the handset with EMI offers starting at Rs. 8,333 per month. The discounted price tag includes both flat discounts and bank-based offers.

Photo Credit: Flipkart

 

The Galaxy S25 FE is currently listed on Flipkart for Rs. 54,999 for the 8GB RAM and 128GB storage variant. The 256GB and 512GB storage variants with the same amount of RAM were priced at Rs. 65,999 and Rs. 77,999, respectively. The handset was launched in India last year with a starting price tag of Rs. 59,999.

Similarly, during the Flipkart Freedom Sale, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is confirmed to be offered for a starting price of Rs. 57,999, instead of the actual price of Rs. 74,999. EMI offers start at Rs. 9,999.

The Flipkart Freedom Sale is set to begin on August 8, and the Plus and Flipkart Black members will get 24 hours' early access to the sale starting August 7. During the sale, buyers can avail of a 10 percent instant discount on payments made via SBI credit cards. Buyers will get no-cost EMI offers and exchange discounts during the sale. The end date of the sale is still under wraps.

The Galaxy S25 FE features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection. It has an Armour Aluminium frame and offers an IP68-rated build. It runs on an Exynos 2400 processor and flaunts a triple rear-camera setup led by a 50-megapixel primary sensor. It has a 4,900 mAh battery with support for 45W wired and 15W wireless charging.

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Mafia: The Old Country's Man of Honor Expansion Gets Gameplay Reveal

Mafia: The Old Country's Man of Honor expansion was revealed at Summer Game Fest in June. Publisher 2K and Developer Hangar 13 have now revealed the first look at gameplay from the story DLC, sharing details on new content, added challenges, activities, and more. Mafia: The Old Country - Man of Honor comes out August 14 on PC and consoles.

The Man of Honor expansion will feature two new story chapters and new content for Mafia: The Old Country's Free Ride mode, which was added as part of a free update last year. The story chapters will expand the journey of Enzo Favara, the game's protagonist, as he joins the Torrisi crime family in Sicily.

Man of Honor Expansion Details

As Enzo, players will team up with mafioso Ennio Salieri to settle old scores, Hangar 13 design director Josh Zammit said in a PlayStation Blog post. The developer is keeping details about the story chapters under wraps, but a post on the Mafia website says the expansion will explore a previously unseen period in Enzo's early days as a soldato.

Users who purchase the Man of Honor expansion will be able to play the new story chapters as part of the main campaign or access them directly if they've progressed far enough in the story.

Hangar 13 detailed the new jobs and challenges that will be added to Mafia: The Old Country's Free Ride mode as part of the expansion. Players will be handed new assignments by Salieri, which are promised to be more difficult than the challenges from the base game.

New mission types in the Free Ride mode include tracking down targets, finding hidden caches of loot, towing high-value vehicles, and delivering stolen trucks. Salieri's challenges added as part of the expansion include standoffs, assassinations, circuit races, and road sprints.

Additionally, the expansion will bring new outfits, charms, weapons, vehicles, and horses that players can add to their collection. Man of Honor also adds new collectibles and optional activities. Some of these include collectible Wanted Posters and Stunt Jumps.

Mafia: The Old Country - Man of Honor arrives on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X on August 14. The expansion requires the base game and is currently available to wishlist on Steam and Xbox storefronts.

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TCS, Infosys, HCLTech Fall As Traders Cut F&O Positions In IT Stocks Ahead Of Expiry

Information technology stocks saw traders cut derivatives positions, with Tata Consultancy Services Ltd., HCL Technologies Ltd. and Coforge Ltd. among the counters showing declines in futures prices and open interest.

TCS September futures slipped 0.11% to Rs 2,466.70 as open interest declined 0.12%. HCLTech September futures fell 0.18% to Rs 1,366.90, accompanied by a 0.18% drop in open interest. Coforge August futures declined 0.89% to Rs 1,756.20, with open interest falling 0.89%, while its September contract dropped 0.79% and open interest declined 1.33%.

The positioning across these contracts points to traders reducing outstanding exposure in parts of the IT pack rather than adding positions as prices fall. Options activity in the two largest IT companies also showed contrasting moves: Infosys saw positions cut across several strikes, while TCS recorded fresh put additions below and around its prevailing futures price.

TCS Futures Slip, Options Action Builds Near Rs 2,500

TCS September futures traded Rs 2.70 lower at Rs 2,466.70, a decline of 0.11%. Open interest fell 0.12%.

While futures positions declined, the TCS options chain showed activity around the Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,500 strikes.

Put open interest increased by more than 70,000 contracts at Rs 2,400, the largest addition among the strikes displayed. Traders added around 43,000 put contracts at Rs 2,300 and more than 40,000 at Rs 2,500.

Call open interest, meanwhile, increased by more than 20,000 contracts at Rs 2,500.

The outstanding positions make Rs 2,500 a key strike in the supplied data. Call open interest there exceeded 18 lakh contracts, the highest among the strikes displayed. The strike sits less than Rs 35 above the September futures price.

Put open interest at Rs 2,400 stood above nine lakh contracts after the fresh additions.

Further away, call open interest at Rs 2,600 exceeded 10 lakh contracts, although traders cut around 30,000 call contracts at the strike.

Infosys Traders Unwind Positions Across Strikes

Infosys options showed traders cutting positions rather than adding them across several of the displayed strikes.

Put open interest at Rs 1,100 fell by roughly 88,000 contracts, the largest reduction shown. Traders also cut close to 49,000 put contracts at Rs 1,200 and around 23,000 at Rs 1,000.

Call open interest declined across several strikes as well.

The reductions came despite large outstanding positions around Rs 1,100 and Rs 1,200.

The Rs 1,100 strike had about 46 lakh put contracts and roughly 45 lakh call contracts. At Rs 1,200, call open interest stood at about 54 lakh contracts, the largest call concentration among the displayed strikes, against roughly 14 lakh put contracts.

The data show traders reducing some of those existing Infosys positions rather than making large additions at the strikes displayed.

HCLTech Positions Decline

HCLTech September futures also showed a reduction in outstanding positions.

The contract fell Rs 2.50 to Rs 1,366.90, or 0.18%. Open interest declined 0.18%.

The move placed HCLTech alongside TCS among the large IT stocks where both futures prices and outstanding positions declined.

Coforge Sees Bigger Reduction In Open Interest

Coforge recorded a larger percentage reduction in futures open interest.

Its August futures fell Rs 15.80, or 0.89%, to Rs 1,756.20 as open interest declined 0.89%.

The September contract traded at Rs 1,755, down Rs 13.90, or 0.79%. Open interest fell 1.33%.

The declines across both expiries show traders reducing outstanding Coforge futures positions alongside the fall in prices.

Across the IT contracts in the supplied data, the common thread was a reduction in positions in TCS, HCLTech and Coforge futures. The options market added another layer to that picture, with Infosys seeing unwinding across key strikes while TCS recorded fresh positioning around Rs 2,400 and Rs 2,500.

Catch all the live udpates on stock market here.

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JBL Bar 1300MK2 Review: Cinema First, Brilliant for Everything Else

The JBL Bar 1300MK2 redefines what a premium soundbar can offer. Its detachable wireless surround speakers, powerful Dolby Atmos performance, deep bass, and excellent dialogue clarity create a genuinely immersive home theatre experience without the cable clutter. While the lack of HDMI 2.1 passthrough and its sizeable footprint leave room for improvement, JBL has delivered a versatile flagship that excels across movies, gaming, and music.

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