A ton with temper
HL: A ton with temper
Strap: Karnataka batter KL Rahul became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score an ODI hundred against New Zealand
OB Bureau
KL Rahul stamped his authority on the ongoing ODI series against New Zealand with a masterclass in Rajkot on Wednesday, scripting history with a calm, unbeaten century that powered India to a competitive total in the second match of the series.
At the Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rahul became the first Indian wicketkeeper to score an ODI hundred against New Zealand, and also the first Indian batter to register an ODI century in Rajkot. The landmark moment arrived in style in the 49th over, when he dispatched a Kyle Jamieson full toss into the stands to bring up his eighth ODI hundred.
The Karnataka batter reached the milestone in just 87 balls and finished unbeaten on 112, an innings laced with 11 fours and a six, blending control with quiet aggression. His knock guided India to 284 for 7, a challenging total that put the visitors under pressure.
Rahul’s innings was a study in composure. Walking in at No.5, he began cautiously, playing out six dot balls before getting off the mark on his seventh delivery. Just as he was settling in, India suffered a setback with Virat Kohli departing for 23. With the innings wobbling, Rahul took charge.
He stitched together a crucial 73-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, who contributed 27 before falling. Thereafter, the 33-year-old held firm alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy, expertly steering the innings through the middle and death overs without taking undue risks.
Rahul’s temperament has stood out throughout the series. Whether anchoring an innings or finishing one, he has shown remarkable clarity and adaptability. His ODI average of over 65 against New Zealand underlines his consistency against the Black Caps and his knack for thriving under pressure.
The Rajkot hundred follows his impactful cameo in the series opener at Vadodara, where Rahul smashed 29 off 21 balls, sealing India’s four-wicket win with two fours and a six in the 49th over. Across two matches, Rahul has emerged as India’s calm core – steady, reliable and quietly match-defining.
HL: Ind-Pak craze strikes again
Strap: Demand explodes weeks ahead of February as India–Pakistan T20 World Cup clash looms in Colombo
OB Bureau
The second phase of ticket sales for the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup descended into chaos on Wednesday evening as overwhelming demand for the blockbuster India–Pakistan clash caused the official ticketing platform to crash within minutes of going live.
The marquee encounter, scheduled for February 15 at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, was part of this round of ticket allocation and, as expected, proved to be the hottest property on the tournament calendar. Fans logged in in droves when sales opened at 7 pm, triggering a massive surge in traffic that the platform’s servers were unable to handle.
Within minutes, users reported being locked out or unable to complete transactions as the system buckled under the pressure of concurrent requests. The ICC’s official ticketing agent later announced that sales would restart at 9 pm after what it described as “temporary technical difficulties”. However, hours later, tickets for the India–Pakistan match were still unavailable, with the site displaying a “coming soon” message.
The ticketing hiccup comes ahead of a highly anticipated return of the T20 World Cup to the subcontinent. The 2026 edition begins on February 7, marking the tournament’s first outing in the region since 2016. The opening day will see India take on the USA in Mumbai, while Pakistan face the Netherlands in Colombo.
India’s group-stage schedule also includes matches against Namibia in New Delhi on February 12 and the Netherlands in Ahmedabad on February 18. The month-long tournament will be staged across eight venues in India and Sri Lanka, including Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kandy and Colombo.
In a bid to widen fan access, the ICC has rolled out its most affordable ticket pricing yet, with entry-level tickets starting at Rs 100 in India and LKR 1,000 in Sri Lanka. India, co-hosting the event with Sri Lanka, will defend their title on home soil after lifting the trophy in 2024, when the tournament was held in the USA and the West Indies.
For Sri Lanka, the 2026 World Cup marks their second stint as hosts, having last staged the tournament in 2012. With demand already overwhelming systems, organisers may need more than affordable prices to manage the frenzy surrounding cricket’s fiercest rivalry.
HL: Karnataka makes waves in Diu
Blurb:
Karnataka finished at the top with three gold medals, all from open water swimming, along with two silver and six bronze
Karnataka made a splash at the Khelo India Beach Games 2026, with Ashmita Chandra and Dhrupad Ramakrishna striking gold in the women’s and men’s 5km open water swimming events to propel the state to the top of the medals table.
The action unfolded against the scenic backdrop of Ghoghla Beach in Diu as the second edition of the beach Games drew to a dramatic close.
The triumphs in open water swimming proved decisive in a tightly fought medal race. Karnataka finished with three gold medals, all from open water swimming, along with two silver and six bronze, edging past Tamil Nadu and defending champions Manipur to clinch the overall crown at KIBG 2026.
The Games saw over 1,100 athletes from 30 states and Union Territories competing across eight sports – volleyball, soccer, sepaktakraw, kabaddi, pencak silat, open water swimming, mallakhamb and tug-of-war. Of these, the first six were medal sports, with 32 gold medals on offer.
With Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Manipur all ending with three gold and two silver medals each, the final standings were decided by bronze count. Tamil Nadu finished second with three gold, two silver and three bronze medals, while Manipur slipped to third with three gold, two silver and two bronze, narrowly missing out on retaining their title.
Madhya Pradesh finished fourth, powered entirely by their showing in pencak silat — the sport that offered the highest number of gold medals (16). All of MP’s medals came from the Indonesian martial art, as they wrapped up with three gold, one silver and one bronze.
Hosts Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu placed sixth with two gold, two silver and four bronze, just behind Haryana, who finished with two gold, four silver and two bronze. Jammu and Kashmir, Odisha, Nagaland and Rajasthan also picked up two gold medals each to round off the top 10.
In the water, Ashmita Chandra capped a stellar campaign by completing a double. After winning the women’s 10km title on Friday, she added the 5km gold with a timing of 1:35:11, edging out Maharashtra’s Diksha Yadav (1:35:53). Karnataka’s Aasra Sudhir took bronze in 1:39:14.
The men’s 5km race was equally thrilling, with Dhrupad Ramakrishna clocking 1:21:33 to beat 10km champion Anurag Singh of Uttar Pradesh by five seconds. Prashans HM added a bronze for Karnataka with a time of 1:24:34.
When the final wave settled at Ghoghla Beach, it was Karnataka riding high — champions by the slimmest of margins, powered by golden strokes in open water.