With lot of England stalwarts including former skipper David Gower already starting their annual criticism of the cash-rich T20 league, it is understood that Stokes, who could have again fetched bug bucks, has decided to stay away.
England captain Ben Stokes' swashbuckling 155 was in vain as Australia won the second Ashes Test at Lord's by 43 runs on an extraordinary final day on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the five-Test series.
A leading Catholic Church daily in Kerala has described the Waqf amendment bill as a crucial test of secularism in Parliament, urging MPs to support it. The editorial in Deepika daily comes as the union government prepares to table the bill for parliamentary consideration. The editorial calls the bill a test of secularism and warns MPs that failing to support it would mark them in history as endorsing religious fundamentalism. The paper added that the bill will also put an end to the injustices faced by thousands of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim citizens who have suffered due to the Waqf law. The editorial also recalled the recent statement addressed to Kerala MPs by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC) where the KCBC President Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis Catholicos urged amending provisions in the Waqf law that validate claims over land which people of Munambam have lawfully possessed. Opposition parties have slammed the bill as "unconstitutional" and against the interest of the Muslim community.
Stokes begins his tenure with a two-Test series against New Zealand, in June.
England finally faced some resistance from New Zealand in the shape of Tom Blundell's defiant century but dismissed the Black Caps for 259 to wrap up a thumping 323-run victory on the third day of the second Test on Sunday.
England won't rush Ben Stokes into the playing XI against New Zealand if he is not completely fit, skipper captain Jos Buttler said on Wednesday, hinting that the explosive batter might not start in the World Cup opener.
In just the two months of 2025, six cases of student suicides took place in Kota.
The US spy chief, now in India, earlier on Monday said the "longtime unfortunate persecution, killing, and abuse of religious minorities like Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and others has been a major area of concern for the US government and President Trump and his administration."
England all-rounder Ben Stokes has slammed the "stupid" size of boundary marking sponges at stadiums after seamer Reece Topley was ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup having suffered a leg injury by stepping on one during a fielding drill.
Senior Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed Alex Carey's decision to run out a wandering Jonny Bairstow on the final day of the second Ashes Test.
England Test captain Ben Stokes has returned the compliment to Virat Kohli, saying he has always admired the energy and commitment that the Indian star brings to the field.
Brendan Lynch, the assistant US trade representative for South and Central Asia, will pay a five-day visit to India beginning Tuesday, days before US President Donald Trump's tit-for-tat tariff kicks in. The senior US trade official is expected to hold talks with Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal besides meeting a number of senior Indian officials.
New Zealand took charge on the second day of the third Test by dismissing England for 143 and making 136/3 at close of play for an overall lead of 340.
England took charge of the first Test against New Zealand on Saturday, riding Harry Brook's 171 to a first-innings lead of 151 before reducing the Black Caps to 155/6 on Day 3.
Saanve Megghana iscommanding the spotlight with her vibrant sense of style.
'It was the hostility of the Yunus regime that made India careful and wary of dealing with them.' 'They gradually backed off and lowered the noise, but the damage was done.' 'Their true colours had been exposed.'
"We're fully aware he's not the finished project and I think it's important for his inclusion not to be looked into too much."
The door is open for Test captain Ben Stokes to end his retirement from One-Day Internationals and join England's title defence at the 50-overs World Cup in India later this year.
Infighting within West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to the fore after a video of an alleged verbal spat between party MPs and screenshots of heated exchanges from its official WhatsApp group for parliamentarians went viral. The incident reportedly involved a public altercation at the Election Commission headquarters, followed by a heated exchange on the party's WhatsApp group, leading to accusations of misconduct and leaked screenshots. The controversy has triggered calls for action against the party chief whip, Kalyan Banerjee, who is accused of misbehavior and tarnishing the party's image.
'Whatever Shami did was right, and there is no need to pay attention to these things. He should focus on the final match and forget all these things.'
Responding to the controversy, Congress leader Harish Rawat refused to comment on Aiyar's remarks, dismissing him as a "frustrated individual."
'You can't just fill us up and we'll go out there and be ready to be fuelled up again'
Aligarh BJP MP Satish Gautam has sparked a controversy over the celebration of Holi at Aligarh Muslim University, declaring that "no one can stop anyone from celebrating Holi inside the AMU campus". The controversy erupted after members of right wing Hindu groups accused the AMU administration of denying permission to the Hindu students to organise a 'Holi Milan' function on campus. Gautam has extended his support to Hindu students, saying, "If any Hindu student faces any problem in celebrating Holi inside the campus, then I am there to help him."
England are hoping Ben Stokes might reconsider his retirement from one-day internationals and help the team defend their 50-over World Cup title next year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US Vice President JD Vance have expressed satisfaction with the progress made in negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement. The two leaders met in New Delhi and discussed a range of bilateral issues, including cooperation in energy, defense, strategic technologies, and other areas. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
IMAGES from Day 1 of the 2nd Test played between Pakistan and England in Multan on Tuesday.
Maharashtra has witnessed 823 incidents of communal unrest since January this year, with demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb and the spread of distorted facts on social media fomenting fresh trouble. Districts like Nandurbar, Pune (Rural), Ratnagiri, Sangli, Beed, and Satara have seen communal unrest in recent days due to right-wing organizations' demands for the demolition of the Mughal emperor's tomb in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The state witnessed 4,836 Hindu-Muslim related communal crimes in 2024, with 170 incidents classified as cognisable and 3,106 as non-cognisable cases. The violence in Nagpur, triggered by protests demanding the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb, highlights the role of social media in spreading inflammatory content and instigating people. While the state has taken measures to curb the spread of misinformation, concerns remain over the impact on communities and the need for promoting peace and understanding.
New Zealand made a strong start to their bid for a consolation victory in the third and final Test against England at Hamilton's Seddon Park on Saturday, reaching lunch on the opening day on 93 without loss.
The 33-year-old said his rehabilitation was going well and that he would undergo a scan on Wednesday.
Fadnavis on Thursday asserted that Marathi is the language of Mumbai and Maharashtra and anyone who lives here should learn and speak it, after a Shiv Sena-UBT MLA pointed to comments of a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and spinner Nathan Lyon made history on Friday as they became the first bowling quartet in Test history to take 500 Test wickets while playing together.
Stokes begs to differ that India are a "step up" than New Zealand, saying the change in opposition won't alter their playing style.
'I am delighted that he has accepted, and he is ready for the added responsibility and the honour'
Leg-spinner Yasir Shah marks his return to the national men's team as Pakistan on Wednesday announced an 18-member squad for next month's two-match Test series against Sri Lanka.
Pakistan beat England by 152 runs in the second Test in Multan on Friday to level the three-match series at 1-1.
Root stepped down last week, saying the job had taken a heavy toll on him recently, after dispiriting tours of Australia and the Caribbean capped a string of poor results.
Maharashtra Minister Nitesh Rane, a BJP leader, has sparked controversy by stating that supporters of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition parties will not receive development funds for their areas. He urged opposition party members to join the BJP if they wanted development in their constituencies. His remarks drew strong criticism from opposition leaders, who questioned his adherence to his oath of office.
England Test skipper Ben Stokes was bought by Chennai Super Kings for Rs 16.25 crore.
With most of the top Indian players already in one team or the other, out-of-favour national players Mayank Agarwal and Manish Pandey at Rs 1 crore base price will command a fair bit of bidding.
IMAGES from Day 2 of the 2nd Test played between England and South Africa played in Old Trafford on Friday.
