Worried About Rs 57 Lakh World Cup Tickets? Here's Good News From BCCI

The Cricket World Cup craze has really caught on. The October 5 to November 19 mega event has seen great demand of tickets from cricket fans around the world. That the tournament will be played in India means that cricket fans in the country will get to witness some top-level thrilling cricket action. However, high demand of tickets have been such that many fans have been left high and dry. The India vs Pakistan match on October 14 at the Narendra Modi Stadium, naturally, generated the maximum interest.

The primary ticket sales outlets for the match saw a complete sellout within only one hour on two specific dates: August 29 and September 3. On some reselling sites, however, the tickets were available but at a steep price. On Viagogo, an online sports ticket platform, a South Premium East 3 section ticket for the India vs Pakistan game was listed at Rs 21 lakh on Tuesday. Two tickets for the upper tier had a price of Rs 50 lakh each on the site on Tuesday.

However, now the BCCI has stepped into action. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) acknowledges the high demand for tickets for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023," the cricket board said in a release on Wednesday.

"After discussions with the hosting state associations, the BCCI has announced the release of approximately 400,000 tickets for the highly anticipated tournament. This measure is aimed at accommodating as many passionate cricket fans as possible, ensuring their participation in this historic event.

"Cricket enthusiasts from around the world can now secure their seats to witness the cricketing extravaganza of the year. Fans are encouraged to act promptly to secure their tickets, as tickets are expected to be in high demand, given the immense global interest in the event."

The BCCI also gave a detailed explainer on the process to book the tickets. "The general sale of tickets for all matches of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 will commence from 8:00 PM IST onwards on September 8, 2023. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting the official ticketing website at https://ift.tt/QpYFV6O. Fans will be notified of the further sale of tickets in the next phase in due course," the release stated further.

"The BCCI deeply acknowledges that fans are the heartbeat of the tournament, and their unwavering passion, engagement, and contributions are pivotal to the success of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023."

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"Talk About Yuvi, MSD, Me But...": Gambhir On Star Who Set Up 2011 WC Win

The Indian cricket team's 2023 World Cup squad announcement will be made on Tuesday. All eyes are on the 15 members who will be named for the mega event. That India haven't won any ICC trophy since the 2013 Champions Trophy puts the Rohit Sharma-led team under more focus. While the team is full of heavyweights, India's form going into the World Cup has not been exceptional. There are stars who are coming back from injury while the Indian batting top order has been regularly asked difficult questions by top teams. 

Going into the World Cup, 2011 winner Gautam Gambhir named the one man who can make a huge difference to the side's chances at the quadrennial event.  

"We talk about Yuvraj Singh, MS' innings, my innings, but actually it was Zaheer Khan, who set us the entire tournament. You look at the spell against England where he got Andrew Strauss, you look at the spell at World Cup final. Five over four maidens, 1/1. That's how you set the tone. That's why I can't look beyond Jaspreet Bumrah if India has to...he has to have a A-tournament," Gautam Gambhir said on Star Sports.

Former Indian cricket team opener Gautam Gambhir named his picks for the ICC World Cup 2023 squad and it came with a couple of surprise choices. Both Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur did not find any place in his squad and instead, Gambhir picked all-rounder Washington Sundar and also pacer Prasidh Krishna as the fourth fast bowling option. In the batting department, he went with Suryakumar Yadav with KL Rahul as the second wicket-keeping option behind Ishan Kishan who will be the top pick for the position.

During an interaction on Star Sports, Gambhir picked Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav and KL Rahul as specialist batting options. Ishan Kishan was the wicket-keeping option with Sanju Samson missing the cut. Even Tilak Varma did not find any place in his squad.

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What Would It Take To Change India To 'Bharat'? Expert Answers

'India, that is Bharat' written in Article 1 of the Constitution is only descriptive and the two cannot be used interchangeably, constitutional expert P D T Achary said on Tuesday and underlined that any change in name from Republic of India will require several amendments.

His remarks come after a G20 dinner invitation, issued in the name of 'President of Bharat', triggered a massive debate over the name of the country with the opposition alleging that the government is planning to drop India and stay with just Bharat.

Asked about what it would take to bring about changes in the current position on the name of the country, former Lok Sabha secretary general Mr Achary said, "They will have to amend the Constitution. Article 1 (will have to be changed) and then there will be resultant changes in all the other articles." "Wherever India is used will have to go. You can have only one name for the country. There cannot be two names interchangeable, that will create a lot of confusion not only in India but outside also," he told PTI.

In the UN, India's name is Republic of India, and tomorrow if it has to be written as Republic of Bharat then the Constitution has to be amended and communication has to be sent to all the relevant countries, saying that "our name has been changed", he said.

"That change has to be brought about by an amendment in the Constitution, otherwise India's name is India only. India that is Bharat written in Article 1 is only descriptive, it is not that these two are interchangeable. It will be suicidal to use them interchangeably. There is only one name for one country," Mr Achary said.

Amid speculation that the name change issue could come up during the five-day special session of Parliament beginning September 18, several opposition leaders shared Article 1 that states that "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States" and also the provision that refers to the country's president as "President of India".

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

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INDIA Bloc Wants Centre To Spell Out Parliament Agenda Amid 'Bharat' Row

The buzz about the change of the country's name from "India" to "Bharat" drew outraged comments from the Opposition today, which accused the government of "planting" stories in the media and "creating a smokescreen of diversion" to divert attention from multiple governance issues.

At the end of two back-to-back meetings -- a Congress internal meeting at Sonia Gandhi's residence and a INDIA leaders' meet at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's home -- the Opposition demanded that the government spell out the agenda of the special session and accused it of keeping the country in the dark.

"Modi Govt is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda. No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed. This is not the way to run a Democracy," Mr Kharge posted on X, formerly Twitter.

"Everyday, Modi Govt plants a story in the media of a prospective 'agenda', thereby creating a smokescreen of diversion from real issues burdening the people... The BJP wants to keep key issues like Price Rise, Unemployment, Manipur, China's transgressions, CAG Reports, Scams and Weakening of Institutions etc. aside and cheat our people," he added.

Modi Govt is convening a special session of the Parliament for the first time without spelling out the agenda.

No one from any opposition party has been consulted or informed.

This is not the way to run a Democracy.

Everyday, Modi Govt plants a story in the media of a… pic.twitter.com/hL8U0UpcCW

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) September 5, 2023

Addressing a press conference, Congress's Gaurav Gogoi said, "BJP itself is not able to tell what is the agenda of the session. The BJP has kept the country in the dark on this. This government is not transparent and responsible towards the country".

Sources said it was decided at the meeting of INDIA that Mrs Gandhi will write to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, listing issues that can be discussed during the special session -- including unemployment, price rise and Manipur violence.

The India delegation also expressed dismay over former President Ram Nath Kovind becoming an instrument of executive decision making and part of a body, the disregard of LOP and appointing ex-LOP.

The Bharat-India debate started earlier today with the news that President Droupadi Murmu's invite to G20 leaders introduces her as the "President of Bharat" instead of the traditional "President of India".  

A G20 booklet handed to foreign delegates -- "Bharat, The Mother Of Democracy", which said "Bharat is the official name of the country… mentioned in the Constitution" – deepened the confusion.

In the backdrop of the five-day special session of parliament due from September 18 -- for which no agenda has been provided by the government – speculation thrived.

Many BJP leaders and celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Virender Sehwag and others, hailed "Bharat" on social media. Shortly after, the Opposition slammed the government and went into a huddle.

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"It Can Be A Bit Worrying...": Gavaskar Underlines Rahul's Challenge

The inclusion of KL Rahul in India's squad for Cricket World Cup 2023 resulted in a massive debate among fans and experts. Rahul did not enjoy a great run of form in 2023 and he was missing from action since Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 as he suffered a thigh injury. The right-hander made his return to the side for Asia Cup 2023 but he once again ended up missing two matches due to a niggle. Questions have often been asked about the backing that Rahul has received over the years from the team management and legendary India opener Sunil Gavaskar has an interesting explanation.

"He is a proven performer with the bat and I think you allow proven performers just a little bit of leeway. That's exactly what has happened in this instance. Yes, it can be a bit worrying that he hasn't played any cricket," Gavaskar said on India Today following the World Cup squad announcement.

"However, he joins the team in Sri Lanka now. So he will get to play a few matches and there you will see his fitness. There are three ODI games against Australia in the third week of September. So that is again a series where you can see how his fitness is," he added during the interaction.

Rahul was not part of the Asia Cup 2023 group stage matches but he will be available for selection once the Super 4 stage begins. However, he will face tough competition from Ishan Kishan for the wicket-keeper batter position after the youngster played a brilliant knock against Pakistan.

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US Flight Forced To Make A U-Turn Due to Passenger's Severe Diarrhea

A Delta flight traveling from Atlanta to Barcelona had to turn around on Friday due to a passenger's severe case of diarrhea that affected "all the way through" the plane, New York Post reported. The plane was two hours into the eight-hour journey from Atlanta, Georgia to Barcelona, Spain when it made a U-turn, per data from Flightradar24.

In an audio transmission from the flight deck posted on X, a pilot can be heard telling air traffic control, ''This is a biohazard issue. We've had a passenger who's had diarrhea all the way through the airplane, so they want us to come back to Atlanta."

Here's the tweet:

A Delta Airlines Airbus A350 turned around back to Atlanta Friday night because of diarrhea throughout the airplane from a passenger and it's a biohazard. 👀🥴

The FAA flight strip for DL194 was posted to Reddit (📷xStang05x) Also a passenger posted here asking why her son's… pic.twitter.com/VWbkB47wF1

— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) September 3, 2023

While the passenger responsible for the incident has not been identified, all passengers and crew were transferred to another flight. Upon its return to Atlanta, the plane underwent a thorough cleaning, allowing passengers to reboard the same aircraft for their trip to Barcelona. This delay caused the flight to be eight hours later than the originally scheduled time, as reported by Flightradar24.

It remains unclear whether the passenger who had the gastrointestinal issue was onboard when the flight eventually touched down in Spain.

Delta officials confirmed the occurrence of a ''medical issue'' on the flight, resulting in the emergency landing and subsequent cleaning. However, they did not provide specific details regarding the medical reason for the incident.

A Delta spokesperson expressed apologies to customers for the travel disruptions caused by the delay, stating, ''Our teams worked as quickly and safely as possible to thoroughly clean the airplane and get our customers to their final destination. We sincerely apologize to our customers for the delay and inconvenience to their travel plans.”

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North Korea's Kim, Putin Plan To Meet In Russia To Discuss Arms Deal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un expects to make a rare trip abroad to meet with President Vladimir Putin in Russia to discuss providing arms to Moscow for its war in Ukraine, the United States said Monday.

Ukraine is pushing a highly-scrutinised counteroffensive in both the south and east that Putin on Monday dismissed as a failure, though Moscow appears eager to urgently secure more military supplies to bolster its forces.

The White House's National Security Council (NSC) spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that "arms negotiations between Russia and the DPRK are actively advancing," using an acronym for North Korea.

"We have information that Kim Jong Un expects these discussions to continue, to include leader-level diplomatic engagement in Russia," she added.

The United States last week warned that Russia was already in secret talks with the North to acquire a range of munitions and supplies for Moscow's war effort.

Kim is likely to head by armored train later this month to Vladivostok, on Russia's Pacific coast not far from North Korea, to meet with Putin, according to The New York Times.

The paper said Putin wanted artillery shells and antitank missiles from North Korea, and Kim could even travel to Moscow, but that was uncertain.

Kim is reported to be seeking advanced technology for satellites and nuclear-powered submarines as well as food aid for his impoverished nation.

An official at Seoul's unification ministry, which handles inter-Korean relations, said various developments "indicated" the growing possibility of an arms deal between Pyongyang and Moscow.

"Any form of cooperation between North Korea and neighboring countries must be conducted in a way that does not undermine international norms and peace," he told reporters.

Washington said last week that despite its denials, North Korea supplied infantry rockets and missiles to Russia in 2022 for use by the privately controlled Wagner military group.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu traveled to North Korea in July seeking to acquire additional munitions for the war, Watson said Monday.

- Diplomatic isolation -
Park Won-gon, a professor at Ewhat University in Seoul, said both Pyongyang and Moscow needed to "break away from diplomatic isolation", and a summit would send a message to Washington, which is ramping up defence cooperation with South Korea and Japan.

"As South Korea, the United States, and Japan have recently been strengthening cooperation, including the Camp David summit, North Korea and Russia also need to showcase their cooperation in a symbolic diplomatic sense," he told AFP.

Last week at the United Nations, the United States, Britain, South Korea and Japan said that any deal to increase cooperation between Russia and North Korea would violate Security Council resolutions forbidding arms deals with Pyongyang -- resolutions Moscow itself had endorsed. 

They said that following Shoigu's visit to Pyongyang, another group of Russian officials traveled to North Korea for follow-up talks.

Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said that sanctions will do little to stop Russia and North Korea from trading weapons.

"The war in Ukraine and the strategic competition between the United States and China have virtually neutralised the current UN Security Council system," Cho told AFP.

Moscow and Pyongyang had "no worries" about sanctions as both countries were already operating under an array of Western punitive measures, he said, adding that military cooperation between the two was likely "unstoppable".

The United States last month sanctioned three entities accused of seeking to facilitate arms deals between North Korea and Russia as Washington tightened restrictions on support for Moscow's war in Ukraine. 

The US Treasury Department said that Russia was continuing to use up munitions and lose heavy equipment in Ukraine, forcing it to turn to its small pool of allies, including North Korea, for support.

Ukrainian officials have claimed some progress in their ongoing counteroffensive, but Putin on Monday again said the attempt to retake land lost since Russia's February 2022 invasion had been unsuccessful.

"It is not that it is stalling. It is a failure," Putin said during a press conference with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi.

"At least today this is what it looks like. Let's see what happens next."

News of the likely meeting between Kim and Putin came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had visited his war-torn country's frontline eastern Donetsk region, posting a video of himself meeting soldiers.

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

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