The inaugural edition's winner Mumbai Indians will bank on their core group of players while two-time finalists Delhi Capitals will expect fireworks from Shafali Verma when they face-off in the second game of the Women's Premier League here on Saturday. The finalists of the first WPL in 2023, both Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals made it to the knockouts in the second edition last year but lost to the eventual champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the eliminator and the final respectively. Those defeats were certainly not reflective of how well MI and DC had fared until the knockouts stage, with Harmanpreet Kaur's side finishing second in the points table with five wins in eight matches and Meg Lanning's team topping it with six wins in as many outings. The winners of WPL 2023, Mumbai Indians tend to lean on their core group of players both overseas and Indian and a similar approach can be expected this year, with only a few changes taking place in terms of squad composition. India pacer Pooja Vastrakar, who was grappling with an unspecified injury, was ruled out of the competition and has been replaced by slow left-arm orthodox bowler Parunika Sisodia, who was one of the main performers in India's title-winning campaign in the U-19 Women's T20 World Cup recently. Mumbai Indians have let go of England's Issy Wong, who took the first-ever WPL hat-trick in 2023, after the player lost form and the franchise found the leader of their attack in South Africa's Shabnim Ismail. Among domestic talents, another member of the U-19 T20 World Cup winning squad G Kamalini would be one to watch out for, having finished as the third highest scorer in the competition with 143 runs in seven matches. Apart from a strong leader in Harmanpreet, MI have strong figures from other international sides such as Nat Sciver-Brunt (England), Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), as well as South Africans Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon. While Yastika Bhatia is MI's No 1 wicketkeeper-batter, other Indian players in Saika Ishaque, Sajana Sajeevan, uncapped Akshita Maheshwari and Amanjot Kaur will be expected to play their roles to perfection. On their part, Delhi Capitals will be keen to do one better after finishing as runner-up for two times in a row ever since the competition began. One of the most consistent teams in the competition, the Lanning-led Delhi have strong talent base across departments but the key will be to deliver in crucial matches. All eyes will be on the explosive Indian batter Shafali who has responded to her exclusion from the Indian side with runs in domestic cricket. She forms a lethal opening pair with Lanning at the top, while the likes of Australia's Annabel Sutherland, England's Alice Capsey and India's Jemimah Rodrigues form the core of their middle order. All-rounder Sutherland will hope to draw inspiration from her recent success of having struck 163 in the only Test of the women's Ashes followed by winning the highest individual honour in Australian cricket. While Delhi boasts of three wicketkeeper-batters in India's Taniyaa Bhatia, Nandini Kashyap and Scotland's Sarah Bryce, their bowling looks settled with Marizanne Kapp as the leader of the attack, backed by Australia's Jess Jonassen, India's Radha Yadav and Shikha Pandey as well as Titas Sadhu.
Vaibhavi rose to fame with Sarabhai vs Sarabhai while Nitish starred in Anupama.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze within 10 minutes and no casualties were reported.
On the 94th anniversary of the revolutionary giant's martyrdom, Utkarsh Mishra revisits the events of February 27, 1931.
After their Christian wedding cin Goa, Aadar Jain and Alekha Advani are getting ready for the Hindu ceremony.
Taking a dig at the controversial run-out decisions that played a big role in her team's last-ball, two-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals, Mumbai Indians coach Charlotte Edwards said it was "really hard" to comprehend such calls that affect the eventual outcome of the match.
Sukanya Verma lists some bold new looks inspired by Bollywood's beautiful fashionistas that you can use to start the New Year.
Get ready to twirl, toast and celebrate in a style that's pure glamour.
Delhi Capitals will be aiming to claim the top spot, while UP Warriorz will be desperate to register their first victory of the season when the two sides face off in the Women's Premier League in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Gujarat Giants, on the other hand, have been heavily reliant on Australian all-rounder Ashleigh Gardner, who has been their standout performer.
When girlfriends decide to have fun...
Shafali Verma and Jess Jonassen smashed half-centuries as Delhi Capitals handed Royal Challengers Bengaluru a fourth consecutive defeat with a commanding nine-wicket win.
Police in Aligarh have registered an FIR against three people, including two students and a chief provost of the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), after a notice to serve 'beef biryani' for lunch triggered a row. The FIR was lodged against Mohammad Faiazullah and Mujassim Ahmad, both students, and F R Gauhar, provost for the Sir Shah Sulaiman Hall where the notice was put up. The notice, purportedly issued by two 'authorised' individuals of the Sulaiman Hall, said, "Sunday's lunch menu has been changed, and beef biryani will be served instead of chicken biryani as per demand." Following an uproar over the notice, the AMU administration clarified that it contained a "typing error" and assured that those responsible had been issued a show-cause notice.
The Bihar government has formed a state-level task force to monitor actions taken by authorities to prevent and eradicate child marriages in the state. Bihar has the second-highest rate of child marriage in India, with 40.8% of women getting married before turning 18. The government is implementing a multipronged strategy to combat child marriage, including stricter enforcement of the law, empowering girls through education, and raising awareness.
Yami goes Dhoom Dhaam... Nidhhi shows us her vanity room...Shabana and her ladies...
It was an emotional evening for many film folk, as they won the top awards at the 25th IIFA ceremony in Jaipur.
The RBI under new Governor Sanjay Malhotra on Friday cut interest rate for the first time in nearly five years as the central bank pivoted the policy stance to support a shuttering economy. The 25 basis points rate cut to 6.25 per cent comes after last rate reduction in May 2020. The last revision of rates happened in February 2023 when the policy rate was hiked by 25 basis points to 6.5 per cent.
'As a storyteller, one always looks to create something for the audience which is thrilling, engaging and entertaining and that is exactly what we have endeavoured with Sikandar Ka Muqaddar.'
A selection committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet early next week to finalise the name of the next chief election commissioner. The panel will recommend a name from among the candidates shortlisted by a search committee. The president will then appoint the next CEC based on the recommendation. The panel comprises the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and a Union Cabinet minister nominated by the prime minister.
The alleged crime in the ambulance being operated under '108' emergency service took place on November 22 and two of the four accused in the case, including the driver, have been arrested, they said.
If approached with minimal expectations, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar offers enough suspense to justify an OTT viewing, observes Sonil Dedhia.
Sukanya Verma lists 15 scenes that reveal facets of Salman outside the formula.
'Nearly 10 million people will benefit from the increase in the rebate limit for those earning up to Rs 12 lakh.' 'We expect all that money will come back into the economy in either savings, consumption, or investments.'
Kambli has been suffering from several illnesses in the recent past and he had to be admitted to the hospital where he was diagnosed with brain clots.
A Bangladeshi national, arrested for the knife attack on Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, entered India illegally seven months ago and used a fake Aadhaar card to procure a SIM card before moving to Mumbai, police said. The accused, Shariful Islam Shehzad Mohammad Rohilla Amin Fakir (30), was arrested from Thane for the stabbing incident at Khan's residence in Bandra. Fakir, who changed his name to Vijay Das, crossed the Dawki River to enter India illegally and used the Aadhaar card of a local man in West Bengal to procure a SIM card before moving to Mumbai in search of a job. He also tried to get an Aadhaar card for himself but failed. In Mumbai, he worked at places where he didn't need to furnish documents, with a labour contractor helping him get housekeeping work in pubs and hotels in Worli and Thane.
Incorporating a bling bag into your wedding look is all about balance and intentional styling.
Sukanya Verma quizzes you to find out just how much you know about the movies.
Netflix has announced a thrilling line-up for 2025.
From dressing in colourful lehengas and sherwanis to dancing to Bollywood tunes during the baraat, these startups are offering an immersive journey into the world of Indian weddings.
Somehow no producer found the right project that would justify casting these two selective stars with each other.
Har Har Mahadev says Raveena. Sanya-Sunidhi's Green Day...Manasi looks stunning...
Ananya Panday had a special birthday on October 30, as she celebrated it with family and the media.
Rakul Singh, Malaika Arora and Janhvi Kapoor brought their A-game to the Fashion Entrepreneur Fund and Dharmatic Entertainment's Fashion Night.
Smriti Mandhana smashed a blistering 47-ball 81 to power reigning champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru to a resounding eight-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals
The Maha Kumbh 2025 at Prayagraj will feature a "Yuva Maha Kumbh", a gathering of youth and students celebrating Swami Vivekananda's birth anniversary and his vision for India. The event, organized by the Vivekananda Kendra, will include workshops and discussions on Swami Vivekananda's teachings and their relevance to modern India. The gathering will take place from January 20th, coinciding with the Maha Kumbh, and is expected to draw a large number of young people.
Women power, rebellious love, shady godmen, love triangles and more on OTT. Sukanya Verma lists everything coming up on OTT this week.
Sabyasachi's 25th anniversary was a dazzling celebration of artistry and heritage.
'I was in serious depression during the shooting of Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.' 'I realised that this is not the film I wanted to make.' 'Aamir told me we will redo, remove eight key characters and reshoot.' 'He gave me the confidence and told me it was a timeless script.'
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