The delegations from the US and Iran head to Islamabad on Friday, carrying a ceasefire that is already fraying, a Strait that is technically open and practically closed, and a negotiating agenda that would challenge even parties actually negotiating in good faith, which these groups are not. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Karex, the Malaysian company that makes roughly one in five of the world's condoms -- about five billion a year, supplying Durex and Trojan among others -- announced this week that it is raising prices by up to 30 percent. The reason is the Strait of Hormuz.
Chennai Super Kings bowling coach Eric Simons discusses the team's improved performance and the factors contributing to their recent victory against Delhi Capitals in the IPL.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru's pacers have been instrumental in their recent home victories in IPL 2026, marking a significant turnaround in their home ground performance.
Avesh Khan held his nerve in the death overs, bowling yorker after yorker to perfection, to help Lucknow Super Giants pull off a thrilling two-run win over Rajasthan Royals.
Harry Brook dropped Sanju Samson on 15 in the third over of the Indian innings and the missed opportunity had a big impact on the outcome of the T20 World Cup semi-final.
The clock on the ceasefire is running out. But everyone's already whispering about round two, possibly as soon as this weekend.
Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, both in good form, are set to clash in an IPL match. Rajasthan's explosive batting and Bengaluru's rejuvenated bowling are key factors.
Shimron Hetmyer smashed an unbeaten 48 in 22 balls to help West Indies to a six-run victory over hosts South Africa in a T20 International reduced to 10 overs per side.
Lucknow Super Giants' spin bowling coach Carl Crowe reveals Mohammed Shami's success against Sunrisers Hyderabad was due to a new delivery developed with bowling coach Bharat Arun. Shami's willingness to learn and Rishabh Pant's leadership are also highlighted.
Rajat Patidar's aggressive innings helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru reach a total of 201 for 8 against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match, after a shaky start.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has said former champions Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are not serious contenders for the IPL title this season, despite having an ultra-aggressive batting lineup.
The IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Punjab Kings was abandoned due to heavy rain and a wet outfield, resulting in both teams sharing a point each.
Mumbai Indians will be looking to bounce back from their recent defeat when they face a confident Rajasthan Royals side in their upcoming IPL match. The Royals will be aiming to continue their winning streak.
Punjab Kings pacer Vijaykumar Vyshak aims to consistently bowl at 150 kmph and develop new variations to remain competitive in the high-pressure environment of the India Premier League.
The LPG squeeze on India's restaurant sector is the quotidian face of a deeper crisis.
Mukul Choudhary, inspired by MS Dhoni, played a match-winning innings for Lucknow Super Giants against Kolkata Knight Riders, showcasing his six-hitting ability and composure under pressure.
Aiden Markram's unbeaten 82 and a 95-run opening stand with Quinton de Kock powered South Africa to a nine-wicket win over West Indies, putting the Proteas on the brink of the T20 World Cup semi-finals.
Rohit Sharma and Ryan Rickelton chased down the huge target with the swagger of street fighters. Every hit to the boundary and over it was etched with a question to the bowlers: How dare you bowl to us?
Irfan Pathan backs Shreyas Iyer to replicate last season's form for Punjab Kings in IPL 2026, saying the batter is already a proven cricketer who doesn't need the league to prove his place in India's T20I team.
When Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is in full flow, everything else fades into the background. He has made a habit of taking on the best bowlers in the world and making them look ordinary.
Indian-descent democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has been sworn in as the Mayor of New York City, marking a new era for the city with a focus on affordability and working-class New Yorkers.
Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets in an Indian Premier League match here on Thursday. Opting to bowl, LSG restricted KKR to 181 for four.
A recap of the action of the third week of IPL 2026.
Batters launched balls so high into the sky that they looked like rockets taking off from the centre square.
Sameer Rizvi's unbeaten 70 powers Delhi Capitals to a remarkable comeback win over LSG after early collapse, sealing the chase with a 119-run stand with Tristan Stubbs.
The question is no longer whether the war will expand. It has. The next few days will tell us whether the war stabilises around Hormuz or whether the Strait itself becomes the trigger for a far larger rupture. What to watch for over the next 48 hours is simple: Any move by the US toward direct naval control of the Strait; any credible Iranian attempt to disrupt or mine shipping lanes and, critically, whether energy infrastructure in the Gulf continues to be targeted.If those lines are crossed in tandem, the war will no longer be containable within the region.
'Was the five-day pause ever meant to hold, or was it simply another instrument of signaling, of positioning, of buying time in a war where even the pauses are tactical?' asks Prem Panicker in his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met in Islamabad in what analysts say is the formal opening of a new diplomatic formation that could reshape the post-war regional order. Their immediate goal is a ceasefire; their larger ambition is to ensure that neither Iran nor Israel emerges from this war in a dominant position. Pakistan's foreign minister then flew directly to Beijing and mooted a Chinese role as guarantor of any eventual agreement. Prem Panicker continues his must read daily blog on the Gulf War.
For a franchise that has waited for nearly two decades for an IPL crown, could this be the year when Punjab Kings finally create IPL history?
Pakistan's Shaheen Afridi praised England's Harry Brook for his match-winning century in the T20 World Cup, acknowledging it as potentially the best innings of Brook's career. Afridi also discussed Pakistan's chances of reaching the semi-finals.
India edged England by seven runs to reach the T20 World Cup final for the second successive time after Jacob Bethell's brilliant century went in vain.
The cost of the war is being counted not in the corridors of power in Washington or Tehran, but in Firozabad's darkened furnace rooms, Howrah's idle casting sheds, and a barbershop in Kochi where the wait is suddenly, inexplicably, an hour long, notes Prem Panicker in his must read blog on the Iran War.
The 33-year-old proved his worth in the penultimate over as MI chased 203 and conceded just seven runs against hard-hitting batters Hardik Pandya and Tilak Varma.
The ceasefire is still technically holding, to the extent that no overt hostilities have been reported yet, but the rhetoric has hardened dangerously. The week ahead will also clarify whether the Islamabad failure was a negotiating tactic or whether Washington has genuinely locked itself into a position from which the only exits are climb-down, escalation, or the slow bleed of a new status quo that nobody chose and nobody controls. Prem Panicker continues his must read blog on the Iran War.
Anil Kumble and Faf du Plessis analyze India's T20 World Cup strategy, highlighting the team's experimentation with part-time bowlers and potential vulnerabilities on flat pitches.
Azmatullah Omarzai delivered a match-winning all-round performance, taking four wickets and scoring an unbeaten 40, to lead Afghanistan to a five-wicket victory over UAE in the T20 World Cup.
Kolkata Knight Riders are exploring options to replace injured pacer Harshit Rana, with Simarjeet Singh, KM Asif, and Sandeep Warrier under consideration. The team is also awaiting clearance for Matheesha Pathirana and integrating new players into their revamped setup.
The core issues to be settled -- access to Hormuz, Israel's aggression in Lebanon, the question of Iran's nuclear programme, sanctions relief and compensation -- are thorny enough to require weeks of patient negotiation. The most likely outcome of the opening sessions is that both sides take the measure of each other, establish what is and is not negotiable, and return home without having broken anything. That would count as progress.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner says India will face pressure in front of their home crowd in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad as the Kiwis look to upset the hosts.
