The parents of Squadron Leader Abhimanyu Rai, an IAF pilot who died in a trainer jet crash in December 2023, have expressed their anguish over being ignored for entitlements and honours that were given to their daughter-in-law. They believe the government policy should be revised to include parents of martyred soldiers. Group Captain Amitabh Rai (retd) and his wife Chitralekha, the bereaved parents, say they have received no condolences from the government despite losing their only son. They argue that the current policy unfairly favors the martyr's wife, often leading to neglect of the parents. The Rais claim their son's death is not being recognized as a "battle casualty" and therefore he is not being treated as a martyr. They also raise concerns about the pressure on IAF trainers to complete training programs successfully, even when cadets are not prepared, potentially endangering both the trainer and the cadet.
Earlier, Tanush Kotian (90 not out) and Anshul Kamboj (51 not out) brought up their respective half-centuries to take India A to 417 for 7 at tea on the fourth day of their second unofficial Test in Northampton on Monday.
'I knew the finger was broken but I told the physio that I don't want to take any painkillers.' 'I was in very good rhythm and I just wanted to carry on.'
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes India is in "safe hands" and has "enough talent" to trounce England, but it will all come down to how the young-looking squad will leave a mark in the series on a territory known for being "tough".
India and England players will push their tired bodies on the line with everything to play for in the fifth and final Test starting at The Oval on Thursday
Former captain Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said India may have missed a trick by not playing Kuldeep Yadav at Lord's and Manchester, as quality spinners come to the fore on the last two days of a Test match.
The series, to commence on June 20, will be played at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester.
As Team India gear up for the much-anticipated Test series against England starting on Friday, several players in the squad will draw confidence from their county cricket experience.
From Jasprit Bumrah's much-anticipated return to the all-rounder conundrum, the playing XI could very well hold the key to seizing control of this historic series.
'But I think if you look at a rebuilding sort of phase, I think India can cope with it better than most other teams'
Priyank Panchal played 127 first class games and amassed 8,856 runs at 45.18 with 29 centuries and 34 fifties.
India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah is up and running in Beckenham, putting in the hard yards before the upcoming five high-stakes Tests against England, slated to kick off on June 20 at Headingley.
An injury-plagued India could be forced to depart from their preferred template when they takes on a reinvigorated England in the fourth Test starting in Manchester on Wednesday.
'Congratulations to Abhi for this achievement. He fully deserves this success, as I have seen all of his hard work first hand. His father also deserves praise for the sacrifices he has made for Abhi to reach this milestone.'
'With a new generation stepping up, Team India is not just carrying forward a legacy -- they are writing a new chapter in our cricketing history.'
With the series nicely poised at 1-1 going into the third Test, the narrative built around both the teams has changed significantly following India's 336-run routing of England at Edgbaston.
India's young guns are fearless and mentally hardened by the IPL exposure. But true mettle will be tested when adversity strikes -- and this time, there will be no Kohli to stir up the crowd, no Rohit to deliver a captaincy masterstroke, and no Ashwin to conjure wickets out of nowhere.
While Aamir Khan enjoyed a quiet Eid with his family, Salman Khan preferred to party at his sister Arpita Khan's Eid bash.
Karun Nair's struggles at the crucial No. 3 position is a big headache for Team India.
Earlier, Mukesh bowled with venom, taking three wickets to help India crawl back into the contest as England Lions stumbled to 333 for five at lunch on Day 3.
Mishra spent several months in Budapest, Hungary playing back-to-back tournaments, chasing the title and the record. He scored both his first and second GM norms there, at the April Vezerkepzo tournament and the May 2021 First Saturday tournament, both round-robins of 10 players specially set up for scoring norms.
The Indian squad, which is expected to comprise 16 members, will be one of the trickiest ones in recent times as there is a debate around who the new captain should be.
Superbet Classic: Praggnanandhaa in joint lead with three others
K L Rahul gained the requisite confidence and much-needed game time ahead of the upcoming five-Test series with a classy hundred for India A against a quality England Lions attack.
India will ponder whether they want to include Washington Sundar, who is quite handy with the bat or Kuldeep Yadav, who is a much better wicket-taking option.
Karun Nair stroked a magnificent century to power India A to 409/3 on Day 1 of the four-day unofficial Test against England Lions.
Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde has denied any involvement in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh, saying he is being targeted by the opposition and some leaders within the ruling alliance. He compared himself to Arjun from the Mahabharata, claiming he cannot be cornered like Abhimanyu. Munde also criticized the media trial and social media trolling he has faced since the murder.
'You can only break through the doors or force the selectors to pick you for the Indian team by scoring runs consistently in domestic cricket and that is what he has done in the last so many years.'
The squad also features Karun Nair, who returns to the national set up after a long gap of eight years.
After the Christian wedding in Goa, Aadar Jain and Alekha Advani got married in a Hindu ceremony in Mumbai on Friday.
Legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar attributes the India Masters' third consecutive title win in the International Masters League to excellent teamwork and meticulous planning.
'We won't miss Virat and Rohit. I have faith in our young team.'
Asian chess: Srija Seshadri in joint lead
Who do you think should be part of the Indian team for the first Test against England?
Gukesh is currently sharing the 8th spot on 1.5 points along with Abdusattorov and Duda.
The iconic Sachin Tendulkar rolled back the years with a 21-ball 34 as India Masters notched up a convincing nine-wicket win against England.
One has to retaliate, not grieve, against those who commit treachery, he told the audience.
The Jharkhand batter is set to be included in the India A squad for Australia tour
