Team India Sweats It Out In Nets Ahead Of 1st ODI vs Australia - See Pics

The Indian cricket team on Thursday sweated it out in nets ahead of its first ODI of three-match series against Australia. India will take on Australia in the first ODI at Mohali on Friday. The three-match series against Australia will be India's final assignment before the ICC Cricket World Cup at home from October 5 onwards.  Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul, India's skipper for the first two ODIs, and Suryakumar Yadav were seen practicing in the nets. This series will be crucial for Ruturaj and Tilak as it will give them some game time ahead of the start of their Asian Games men's cricket campaign from October 3 onwards. KL, who made a triumphant return in India's Asia Cup winning campaign recently, will also be aiming to unleash "KL 2.0", as he has been described by fans for looking more confident and aggressive while batting, on Aussies. 

Suryakumar Yadav's future as an ODI player could also be dependent on this series, as after a disappointing run of performances in the 50-over format has seen many fans call for his axing from the squad. Scoring 537 in 27 ODIs at an average of around 24 with just two fifties, time is ticking for this batter, who has on the other hand has experienced one of the greatest peaks of form ever in T20Is.

1,841 runs in 53 T20I matches at an average of over 46, a strike rate of above 172 and three centuries, and 15 fifties sit in contrast with his ODI stats. This has left many wondering why he has not cracked the ODI code till yet. On the other hand, many players, fans and even team management continue to back him, hoping that this ferocious ball-striker will find his feet in ODIs and replicate his otherworldly T20I performances. 

Preps before the start of a cracking series #TeamIndia | #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/Jmwm7FkfmN

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 21, 2023

Ahead of the match, head coach Rahul Dravid said about Surya, "We have picked our team for the World Cup and Surya is in it."

"We made that decision to do that and we completely back him. We back him because he's got a certain quality and an ability that we have seen. Yes, I know we have seen it at the moment only in T20 cricket, but we know the kind of impact a player like him can make batting at six."

pic.twitter.com/uplhfIvpQ5

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 21, 2023

"He can change the course of a game, so we have completely backed him.  We have been pretty clear about that.  There's been total clarity on the fact that we are completely behind him."

pic.twitter.com/68JzCyE4iW

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 21, 2023

"We know that hopefully, he will be able to turn it around in these three games. Again, he is someone who will get these three games, and at least the first couple certainly, to be able to again develop and keep growing on his journey as a one-day cricketer," Dravid concluded. 

India squad for first 2 ODIs: KL Rahul (Captain & Wicket Keeper), Ravindra Jadeja (Vice-captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shardul Thakur, Washington Sundar, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

India squad for final ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya, (Vice-captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. Shami, Mohd. Siraj.

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"India Is My Country Too": Shubh's Response To Khalistani Allegations

Canada-based Punjabi singer Shubhneet Singh, popularly known by his stage name Shubh, has expressed his disappointment after his India tour was cancelled following allegations of his support for Khalistan.

In an Instagram post on Thursday, Shubh said he was "extremely disheartened" by the cancellation of the tour and that he was "highly amped up and enthusiastic" to perform in his home country.

The singer's tour was cancelled by BookMyShow on Wednesday after the ticket-booking app faced a boycott call on social media. The boycott was sparked by Shubh's sharing a distorted map of India on his Instagram story in January, which omitted the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the Northeastern states.

Also Read | Why Is Canada-Based Rapper Shubh In News? Controversy Explained

Along with the picture, the singer wrote, "Pray for Punjab", for which he was slammed massively on social media. The singer later deleted the map and replaced it with a message that read "Pray for Punjab" without any picture.

Shubh has denied any wrongdoing, saying that he only shared the map to Pray for Punjab after reports of electricity and internet shutdowns in the state.

"My intent in resharing that post on my story was only to pray for Punjab as there were reports of electricity and internet shutdowns throughout the state. There was no other thought behind it, and I definitely didn't intend to hurt anyone's sentiments," he said in his Instagram post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SHUBH (@shubhworldwide)

Since the controversy, Virat Kohli, along with fellow cricketers KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, have unfollowed the singer on Instagram.

Notably, the controversy surrounding the singer's tour unfolds against the backdrop of strained relations between India and Canada. Canada on Monday accused India of involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June and expelled New Delhi's intelligence chief in Ottawa in retaliation. The diplomatic move sent relations between the two countries, already sour, to a dramatic new low.

India, meanwhile, rejected Justin Trudeau's government's allegation, describing it as "absurd" and "motivated". In a reciprocal move, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and gave him 5 days to leave the country.

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Jammu And Kashmir Cop Arrested Over Alleged Links With Terror Accused

A Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police has been arrested for alleged links with a terror operative. Sheikh Aadil Mushtaq is accused of helping a terror operative to evade arrest and attempting to implicate a police officer who was investigating him. The officer was arrested on multiple charges including corruption. He was produced before a magistrate in Srinagar who sent him to police custody for six days.

Sources say phone analysis of the terror accused arrested in July has revealed that Aadil Mushtaq was in constant touch with him. He allegedly guided him on how to circumvent law.

According to a senior officer, Aadil Mushtaq used to talk and chat with the accused on telegram app. "There are at least 40 calls between the terror accused and the Deputy Superintendent. He was guiding him how to evade arrest and get legal aid," said an officer supervising the investigation.

He said the police have made a watertight case against the officer based on technical evidence and money trail. "There are clinching evidences on how he was helping the terror accused. Aadil even tried to implicate a police officer who was investigating the case of terror funding," the officer said.

"The Deputy Superintendent had even drafted a false complaint on behalf of a terror accused to implicate the investigation officer in a terror funding case, in which three accused were arrested in February and one was on the run," he added.

The police say Aadil Mushtaq had taken Rs 5 lakh from the accused. He was also in close touch with Muzamil Zahoor, who had opened a bank account on forged documents in Sopore to manage Lashkar finances, an officer said.

"Just four days before Muzamil Zahoor was arrested in July, he filed complaints against a police officer investigating the terror funding case. Investigations have found that all complaints were drafted by the Deputy Superintendent," the officer said.

In February, Srinagar police arrested three Lashkar operatives and recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash from them.  Based on their confession, the police started looking for Muzamil Zahoor, who managed to evade law with the help of Aadil Mushtaq, said an officer.

Sources said several people are now coming forward with their complaints against the arrested officer. "There are also complaints of extortion and blackmail against him. All such complaints are being investigated," the officer said.

This is the second such case in the last three years, when a high-ranking officer was arrested for alleged links with terrorists. In 2020, Davinder Singh, another Deputy Superintendent of Police, was arrested for allegedly harboring and transporting two Hizbul mujahideen terrorists to Delhi. Singh, who faces terror charges, is in jail.

Ironically, Aadil Mushtaq was one of the poster boys of J&K police for the last several years. Sources say under the garb of "pseudo-nationalism" he was running an extortion racket. "In the past, he was accused of extortion and blackmailing women but he managed to get away with it," said an officer.

A five-member Special Investigation Team has been formed to investigate the case against Aadil Mushtaq, the police said.

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Amid Rumours Of Being "Upset" With Atlee, Nayanthara Sends Birthday Wish

Nayanthara, who is making all the right noises for her stellar performance in Jawan, sent a birthday wish to the director of the movie Atlee. Nayanthara shared a collage featuring herself and Atlee in BTS moments. Nayanthara's short and sweet message read, "Happy Birthday Atlee. So proud of you." Nayanthara's wish holds special significance as a report suggested that Nayanthara is not happy with Atlee. A source told Hindustan Times, "She [Nayanthara] has been very upset with Atlee because her role was chopped in the film. Also, Deepika's [Padukone] character was elevated and Nayanthara's part was significantly sidelined."  

Deepika has a "special appearance" in the film as Vikram Rathod's (SRK) wife. The source stated that "it was not a cameo" instead Jawan was made to look like a "SRK-Deepika" film. "It was not a cameo at all. Jawan was almost made to look like an SRK-Deepika film. Nayanthara is the leading actor down south, and hence, she was not happy with the treatment of Jawan. And that can never well be the reason why we might not see her in a Bollywood project, at least not anytime soon," the source added.

Asked about Nayanthara being MIA from promotional events and the success press meet, the source clarified that the actress follows a "no promotion policy because of her bad experiences in the past. "Nayanthara follows a no promotion policy for her films because of her bad experiences in the past when she was misquoted and because she feels that her job is to act and not get involved in the promotional activities," the source said.

Nayanthara, who could not attend the Jawan press meet due to her mother's birthday, said in a virtual message, "Even though I am not there I want to send a big hug to my friends from the media and fans. Actually, truly wish I could be there with you all surrounded by incredible people who supported me throughout my journey. But today is also a special occasion for my family so I wanted to spend with them. I have read all your messages and I have to say it is almost overwhelming to receive so much love for Jawan. Your support means the whole world to me and I am extremely grateful for it. I am thankful to my entire co-stars and team for giving me this opportunity."

On working with Shah Rukh Khan, she added, "To share the screen with him and witness his exceptional talent and lively energy in person was truly fabulous."

Take a look at the video here:

Nayanthara's Virtual Presence🤩. She expressed her gratitude to everyone❤️@iamsrk #Nayanthara @RedChilliesEnt @Atlee_dir #Jawan #ShahRukhKhan𓀠 #SRK𓀠 pic.twitter.com/PWECZpdpP5

— Shah Rukh Khan Universe Fan Club (@SRKUniverse) September 15, 2023

Nayanthara, a prominent name in South industry, is known for movies like Ghajini, Sivaji: The Boss, Billa, Bodyguard, to name a few. She made her Hindi debut with Jawan alongside Shah Rukh Khan.

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J Scindia Sat With Sonia Gandhi At Parliament Event, Both Seen Chatting

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, who quit the Congress three years ago, on Tuesday was seen having an animated chat with former president of the party Sonia Gandhi and sitting next to her at a function held in the Central Hall of the old Parliament building.

Mrs Gandhi was sitting with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party's Leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in the front row when Mr Scindia stopped by and spoke to them.

He then sat next to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.

After some time, Mr Scindia moved to sit near Mrs Gandhi as Mr Kharge and Mr Chowdhury left their seats to share the dais with Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Leader of the Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi at the event.

Mr Scindia had quit the Congress along with 22 MLAs, leading to fall of the Kamal Nath government in Madhya Pradesh in 2020.

Members of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha both had assembled in the Central Hall to participate in the event organised to commemorate the rich legacy of Parliament.

Mr Dhankhar, PM Modi, Mr Birla, Mr Kharge, Mr Chowdhury and Mr Goyal addressed parliamentarians at the event.

In her address, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, who has served as minister for women and child development in the past, said she is proud to be part of the moment when the government will be giving women "an equal share in the future of India".

"I am as surprised as you are, seeing me here," she said in her opening remarks at the event.

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

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"We Hope Traditional Partners Will...": US Envoy On India-Canada Row

Amid the India-Canada diplomatic standoff, US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti has said that perpetrators should be brought to justice and that there should be a space for investigation before a judgement is made.

Speaking at Ananta Centre in New Delhi in a conversation with senior journalist Indrani Bagchi, Mr Garcetti said, "Those who are responsible must be held accountable. We hope that traditional friends and partners will cooperate in getting to the bottom of it."

He said, "We care deeply for Canada just as we care deeply for India. And I think that moments like this don't define our relationship. But they certainly can slow down progress. And they're gut checks for everybody to say how do we interact with each other? What do we stand for? How do we enforce ideas like sovereignty and international law?And what are our responsibilities to one another? And I'm sure somebody's going to ask that question."

"So let me just kind of say more of a statement that obviously any allegations like this should be troubling to anyone. But with an active criminal investigation, I hope that we can make sure that perpetrators are brought to justice and that we can all allow the space for that information and that investigation to occur before anybody leaps to judgment. And to me, that's the most important role. I think to each one of us sovereignty is a very important principle," he added.

Responding to a question on whether Canada has shared any evidence to the US, the US envoy stated, "As I said... I think that people need to have the space and the place for, if there is evidence, I will say that of course we are in close communication with Canada. Canada is a dear friend, ally, partner and neighbour."

"Not just in moments like this, but all the time. we speak regularly, we share information..but that doesn't mean i have everything that everybody is speaking about," he said.

Relations between India, and Canada have grown tense after Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India and was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in Canada's Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.

Earlier on Tuesday, US National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said that "serious allegations" were levelled by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau against India in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar adding that the US wanted the matter to be handled in a "transparent" way.

In an interview with CBS News, an American television news channel, Kirby urged India to cooperate in the investigation.

Meanwhile, Indian nationals, students in Canada and those planning on travelling to the country have been advised to exercise caution amid the recent strain in relations between the two countries.

Indian students in Canada have been particularly advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.

The MEA said in view of growing anti-India activities and politically condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution.

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

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"Canada Jeopardised Good Ties": Shashi Tharoor On Diplomatic Row

Reacting to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegation of Indian involvement in the killing of a Sikh separatist leader on its soil, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that it was unfortunate that Mr Trudeau made such a statement in the Parliament and that Canada "jeopardised" the state of a very good relationship.

"We are seeing a tit-for-tat on both sides. First, on the expulsion of a diplomat and then on this advisory...I think it is unfortunate that Canada chose such a public route. If at all they have any issue, these matters should be discussed privately with a friendly govt like India and the matter should be discussed behind closed doors. Going public, making a statement in the Parliament was very unfortunate by the Prime Minister (Justin Trudeau) and having gone that far they (Canada) have really jeopardised the state of a very good relationship," Mr Tharoor told ANI.

Earlier in the day, BJP National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda reacted to the issue and said that although Canada has been professing liberal values, they have been supporting terrorists on their soil.

"Canada has been professing all these liberal values like freedom of speech but they have been appeasing, patronising and supporting terrorists on their soil. And these terrorists are not just targeting India they have killed hundreds of Canadian citizens themselves," Mr Panda told ANI.

Hitting out at the Canadian government, Mr Panda said that the government of Canada does not allow a referendum for Quebec separatists but has no problem with Khalistani separatists who not only hold the referendum but also celebrate the acts of violence.

"Canada itself has separatist movements such as the Quebec Separatist movement. They don't allow the same freedom to those who want to have independence for Quebec. They don't allow a referendum for Quebec separatists. And yet they have no problem allowing Khalistani separatists and terrorists to not only have to try to have this referendum on Canadian soil but also to celebrate the acts of violence...This is not acceptable, It's not civilized," he said.

The BJP National Vice President also took a dig at the Canadian government and said that the Indian government must consider facilitating an online "referendum on the Quebec independence" issue just like they allow Khalistani separatists to try the same on Canadian soil.

"In the spirit of friendship with Canada, we in India must consider facilitating an online referendum on the Quebec independence issue (in gratitude for their allowing Khalistani separatists to try the same on Canadian soil). Perhaps we should also offer Indian soil for the Quebec independence movement's events commemorating their sacrifices, bombings and assassination attempts (again, just like Canada has been so considerate to allow for the Khalistanis)," Mr Panda posted on 'X'.

"This would also embellish the spirit of free speech so cherished in both our nations and would help clarify the increasing support for an independent Quebec (as reported in media earlier this year). Finally, since elected Canadian politicians who support Quebec independence have been travelling and meeting European leaders, we should also meet and understand their views. In the spirit of Indo-Canadian friendship and cooperation, I would be glad to host an interaction for them here in Delhi," he added.

This comes amid tensions in India-Canada relations after Canadian PM Justin Trudeau made allegations regarding the Indian government's involvement in the fatal shooting of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

The allegations were denied by the Ministry of External Affairs in India which dubbed the allegations as 'absurd' and 'motivated'.

Several world leaders have also expressed 'deep concerns' over Trudeau's remarks in the Canadian Parliament.

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

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