R Ashwin was in for a surprise when he chose to bat first ahead of Ajinkya Rahane in the game against Punjab Kings at the Eden Gardens on Monday, April 6. KKR, which had lost its first two games, had an early advantage after winning the toss.

kkr vs pbks updates

Given that it has been raining in Kolkata for the past few days and with rain predicted during the game, it was expected that Kolkata would opt to bowl first. But Rahane had other ideas and said that the team will bat and set a target for PBKS to chase.

Ashwin tweeted soon after the start of the game and said that it was an interesting thought process from the KKR think tank. KKR is also without it Services of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakraborty For the game, his bowling weakened further.

“When you know it’s going to be a rain-affected game, you have an inexperienced bowling attack, you choose to bat first. Interesting thought process,” Ashwin said on X.

Soon after the start of play, the ball started swinging with great effect and Xavier Bartlett got the most out of it. The Australian fast bowler bowled a sensational first over and dismissed Finn Allen and Cameron Green. who once again failed to impress.

Former KKR player Srivatsa Goswami said that it was a bit shocking to see Rahane batting first.

Goswami said, “It was very surprising to see that Rahane won the toss and the sky was cloudy and decided to bat first. A bit of a shock there. Immediately you can see the swing and 2 catches behind. Very courageous decision.”

Why did KKR bat first?

Rahane justified the call to bat earlier in the day by saying that the pitch was dry and there was less grass on the surface.

Rahane said, “We are going to bat first. Looks like a good wicket. A little dry. But looks a very good wicket. There is a little less grass on the surface, so we want to bat first.”
It seems the decision did not go well for KKR as they were 25 for two in 3.4 overs before play was stopped due to rain at Eden Gardens.

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आपदा प्रबंधन मंत्री मदन कौशिक ने सोमवार को विधानसभा कक्ष में विभागीय अधिकारियों के साथ बैठक में यह निर्देश दिये. उन्होंने कहा कि राज्य में आपदा प्रबंधन को जनभागीदारी आधारित एवं तकनीकी रूप से मजबूत प्रणाली के रूप में विकसित किया जाना चाहिए। समुदाय आपदा का सामना करने वाला पहला व्यक्ति होता है। समुदाय पहला प्रत्युत्तरकर्ता है. इसलिए, यह महत्वपूर्ण है कि समुदाय को आपदाओं का सामना करने में सक्षम बनाया जाए। इस लक्ष्य को प्राप्त करने के लिए आपदा मित्र योजना की तर्ज पर प्रशिक्षण देकर हर घर में आपदा मित्र, आपदा सखी बनाई जानी चाहिए।

आपदा प्रबंधन प्रशिक्षण में ग्राम प्रधानों को भी शामिल किया जाना चाहिए, ताकि वे आपदा के समय प्रशासन और जनता के बीच सेतु का काम कर सकें। ग्राम स्तर तक प्रशिक्षण कार्यक्रम संचालित करने को कहा, ताकि आपदा की स्थिति में स्थानीय स्तर पर त्वरित एवं प्रभावी प्रतिक्रिया सुनिश्चित की जा सके। इस दौरान सचिव आपदा प्रबंधन एवं पुनर्वास विनोद कुमार सुमन ने मंत्री को विभिन्न विभागीय कार्यों की जानकारी दी.

उत्तराखंड: प्रदेश भर में सरकारी और निजी स्कूलों का समय बदला, अब गर्मी और सर्दी में इस समय खुलेंगे स्कूल

एक जिले को पायलट आधार पर विकसित किया जाना चाहिए

मंत्री कौशिक ने कहा कि प्रदेश को आपदा प्रबंधन के क्षेत्र में अग्रणी बनाने के उद्देश्य से एक जिले को पायलट आधार पर विकसित कर मॉडल जिले के रूप में स्थापित किया जाए, जो हर प्रकार की आपदा का प्रभावी ढंग से सामना करने में सक्षम हो। उन्होंने संचार व्यवस्था को मजबूत करने, अलर्ट सिस्टम को मजबूत करने और आवश्यक उपकरणों की संख्या बढ़ाने को कहा. उन्होंने संवेदनशील क्षेत्रों में जोखिम आधारित प्रभावी योजना लागू करने के भी निर्देश दिये।

Supermodel Gigi Hadid has spoken publicly for the first time about being named in documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, saying the reference leaves her feeling “sick in my stomach”.Hadid, 30, raised the issue after a social media user blamed her for not commenting sooner. In response, she said she had never met Epstein, described him as a “monster”, and clarified that she had no relationship with him.Her name, along with that of her sister Bella Hadid, was revealed in a 2015 email exchange between Epstein and an unidentified individual, whose identity was redacted by the US Department of Justice (DOJ). In the email message, the person questioned how the sisters “became models and made so much money” and suggested that their father, Mohamed Hadid, may have “paid off” their modeling agency.Epstein rejected the suggestion, responding “No”, but later agreed with a snide comment made by the sender about models.Responding to the resurfaced exchange, Hadid said, “It’s horrible to read that someone you’ve never met is talking about you that way. Especially in this context.” She said she initially remained silent because she “did not want to take away from the stories of real victims”.Hadid wrote, “Yes, I grew up privileged,” but she said her parents had a strong work ethic. She explained that her mother, Yolanda Hadid, would take her to modeling agency meetings in New York, including agencies she had once worked with. Hadid later signed with IMG Models in 2012, noting that it had no connection to her mother.“I have worked hard every moment since then,” he said. Gigi added, “Due to the names in those files, I assume I was 20-21 at the time she wrote that email. That email is disturbing, and I want to make it clear that I have never had any relationship with that disgusting human being.”Epstein died in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.Hadid concluded her response by saying: “Can he (Epstein) rest…” followed by fire emojis.Hadid has a daughter with Zayn Malik and has been in a relationship with Bradley Cooper since 2023.The infamous files include the names of many high-profile personalities. Bill Gates and Bill Clinton have previously acknowledged contact with Epstein.

उत्तर प्रदेश के प्रतापगढ़ जिले में जिलाधिकारी शिव सहाय अवस्थी ने किसानों के बीच पहुंचकर एक अनोखी पहल की. उन्होंने खुद खेत में जाकर गेहूं की फसल की कटाई कराई और उसकी उत्पादकता का आकलन किया. यह कार्य तहसील सदर के ब्लॉक संडवा चंद्रिका की ग्राम पंचायत भदौसी में किसान हौसला प्रसाद के खेत में किया गया। इस दौरान भारत सरकार द्वारा विकसित सीसीई एग्री ऐप के माध्यम से पूरी प्रक्रिया पारदर्शी तरीके से पूरी की गई। इस पहल का उद्देश्य सटीक डेटा एकत्र करना और किसानों को सरकारी योजनाओं से जोड़ना था।

डीएम ने खेत में पहुंचकर फसल कटाई प्रयोग किया
जिलाधिकारी शिव सहाय अवस्थी खुद खेतों में पहुंचे और गेहूं की फसल की कटाई कराई. यह फसल कटाई प्रयोग पूर्णतः वैज्ञानिक तरीके से किया गया। इसमें 10 मीटर भुजा वाले समबाहु त्रिभुज के क्षेत्र में यादृच्छिक संख्या के आधार पर फसल की कटाई की जाती थी, ताकि सटीक डेटा प्राप्त हो सके।

उत्पादकता का सटीक माप
इस प्रयोग में कुल 20.550 किलोग्राम गेहूं की उपज प्राप्त हुई। इसके आधार पर जिले में गेहूं की औसत उत्पादकता 47.47 क्विंटल प्रति हेक्टेयर आंकी गई। यह आंकड़ा किसानों और प्रशासन दोनों के लिए महत्वपूर्ण माना जा रहा है.

फसल बीमा योजना में अहम भूमिका
प्रधानमंत्री फसल बीमा योजना के अंतर्गत यह क्रॉप कटिंग बहुत महत्वपूर्ण है। इसके जरिए किसानों को फसल क्षति के आधार पर मुआवजा तय किया जाता है. इसलिए यह प्रक्रिया पूरी पारदर्शिता के साथ की गई, ताकि किसानों को सही लाभ मिल सके।

किसानों से संवाद एवं जागरूकता
इस दौरान डीएम ने किसानों से सीधा संवाद किया और उन्हें कृषि से संबंधित विभिन्न सरकारी योजनाओं की जानकारी दी. उन्होंने किसानों से अपील की कि वे अपनी गेहूं की फसल केवल सरकारी क्रय केन्द्रों पर ही बेचें ताकि उन्हें उचित मूल्य मिल सके।

पराली न जलाने और सहयोग की अपील
जिलाधिकारी ने किसानों से पराली न जलाने की भी अपील की. उन्होंने यह भी कहा कि किसानों को नजदीकी गौशालाओं में पशुओं के लिए चारा दान करना चाहिए, जिससे पर्यावरण और पशु दोनों को फायदा होगा.

अधिकारियों की उपस्थिति
इस मौके पर उपजिलाधिकारी सदर नैंसी सिंह, अपर सांख्यिकी अधिकारी मयंक बाजपेई, तहसीलदार अनिल कुमार, फसल बीमा कंपनी के जिला समन्वयक अभिज्ञान सिंह, योगेश सिंह सहित लेखपाल व कानूनगो भी मौजूद रहे।

New Delhi: Does Aam Aadmi Party not want this? Congress win in Kerala assembly elections?India Bloc’s inability to form a unified front ahead of Kerala Assembly elections brilliantly exposed after Arvind KejrivalThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) released its sequential list of candidates, signaling its intention to fight a full-scale battle on all 140 seats in Kerala.The southern state, recently renamed Keralam in honor of its cultural and linguistic heritage, now stands as the latest battleground where AAP’s ambitions are at loggerheads with the Congress.Kerala’s electoral rhythms have long resisted continuity, with voters refusing to give a second consecutive term to most incumbents. This pattern puts the main opposition Congress in a favorable position in the race for power in Thiruvananthapuram.Nevertheless, your strong entry has brought a new twist. Is Kejriwal’s party merely expanding itself, or complicating Congress’s path to power? With limited organizational depth in the Malayalam-speaking state, AAP may not hold significant relevance, but with Arvind Kejriwal and his team emerging from the shadow of the Delhi liquor case, their presence may still, even if marginally, change the political equation in Kerala.The ruling Left party, which is also part of the broader opposition, remains the primary rival of the Congress, while BJP Path as the distant third. In this triangular contest, the AAP might not be able to cause much damage to the Left or the BJP, but it could cut into the Congress’s vote share enough to change the final verdict and impact the margins where elections are often decided.Is Delhi’s revenge being served in Kerala?2025 started with the shocking defeat of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. Earlier, reluctant allies, AAP and Congress had decided to fight the elections separately while the former had nothing to lose and launched an aggressive campaign against the ruling Arvind Kejriwal-led government.The grand old party also got a chance as the Kejriwal cabinet came under suspicion in the Delhi liquor policy matter, and agencies like CBI and ED were investigating the matter. Several senior AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, faced legal trouble, leading to a period when the government functioned under the chief ministership of party ally and loyal Atishi.While AAP ultimately lost to the BJP, the Congress also played an indirectly important role in preventing its ally Bharatiya Janata Party from winning for the fourth consecutive time.The “vote-cutting” factor proved important in several constituencies, including New Delhi, where Sandeep Dikshit, son of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit, was fielded against Kejriwal. Although he finished third, the votes he received contributed to Kejriwal’s defeat and helped BJP’s Parvesh Verma emerge as a “giant killer”.Hypothetically, if those votes had gone to Kejriwal, the outcome could have been different. AAP’s seats dropped from 62 to 22, while Congress once again failed to open its account.Despite years of political bitterness, the herculean efforts that brought AAP and Congress into an arranged marriage to counter the BJP’s strong might in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have once again been exposed in the 2025 assembly elections, reflecting a familiar pattern of rivalry.AAP, which emerged from the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, directly challenged the Sheila Dikshit-led government and established a dominant hold on Delhi, reducing the Congress from a ruling force to total insignificance.The Congress, which has been under the strong leadership of Sheila Dikshit for 15 years, has failed to win a single seat in the last two assembly elections (2020 and 2025), and has also not won any seats in three consecutive Lok Sabha elections (2014, 2019 and 2024).Just as the Congress damaged AAP’s prospects in the Delhi Assembly, the AAP may now hurt the Congress’s prospects in states like Kerala as it seeks to maintain its relevance within the national opposition.alliance for confrontationAllies in the Lok Sabha became rivals in the Assembly, the fight between estranged allies was anything but polite.At a rally, Arvind Kejriwal didn’t hold back: “The problem with the Congress is its sense of entitlement. They think they have the divine right to lead the opposition because of their past, even if their presence on the ground is zero. He is not fighting the BJP; They are fighting with regional parties who actually defeat the BJP. In Delhi, Congress is nothing but a ‘vote-cutter’ designed to help BJP.The Congress, in turn, took advantage of the troubles surrounding the Delhi excise policy issue and attacked AAP where it suffered the most.Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra led rallies across Delhi and slammed Kejriwal and other AAP leaders as “corrupt”. At one such rally, Rahul Gandhi remarked: “Kejriwal ji keeps telling lies. Just as Narendra Modi lies, Kejriwal also lies. There is not much difference between them. But I will tell you one thing – Kejriwal is probably more clever and sophisticated than the Prime Minister in misleading people.A few weeks later, when a Delhi court acquitted Kejriwal and his associates in the liquor policy case, the Congress alleged that it was part of the BJP’s larger strategy of a “Congress-free India”.Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera attacked the BJP, calling it an “icchhadhari naag” (shape-shifting snake) and accused it of using central agencies as political tools.Kejriwal hit back sharply, questioning Congress’s claims and targeting its leadership, saying, “Kejriwal went to jail. Did Robert Vadra go to jail? Sanjay Singh went to jail. Did Rahul Gandhi go to jail? Did Sonia Gandhi go to jail? What is Congress saying? Doesn’t it have any shame?”To reduce Congress’ footprint?Congress, the oldest party with roots in the independence movement, has been struggling with insecurity for more than a decade.Apart from Delhi, it has steadily lost ground in many states, helping the BJP increase its dominance in national politics. This decline has also opened the door for other players to challenge his position within the opposition.Among states like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Kerala where elections are due, Kerala appears to be the one where the Congress still has a real chance of returning to power by ousting the Left. This makes it an important battlefield.In such a scenario, AAP’s entry could be seen as an attempt to further damage the Congress, leading to a situation where it would struggle for relevance and also limit the growth of the Congress.Kejriwal’s Kerala effort, with candidates in different constituencies, could help establish AAP as a more serious national player. The state offers a relatively low-risk opportunity, allowing the AAP to contest the elections without huge stakes while keeping both the BJP and Congress in control.Repeating Gujarat in Kerala?From Delhi and Punjab, Arvind Kejriwal has wielded a strong political hold, successfully running a full-fledged government in Punjab under the leadership of party colleague Bhagwant Mann, while also ruling the Union Territory of Delhi for over a decade with an imposing presence in the Assembly.However, the journey of Aam Aadmi Party has not been limited to Delhi only. Its steady, often indirect expansion has established Kejriwal as an emerging alternative in national politics. He has also made inroads in Gujarat, which has been considered Narendra Modi’s stronghold for a long time.In its debut in Gujarat, AAP won more than 13 percent of the votes, making a huge impact on the Congress. In the 2017 assembly elections, Congress had secured 42.2 percent votes, giving a tough competition to BJP after Modi entered national politics. However, AAP’s entry in 2022 upset that balance, reducing Congress’s vote share to 27.7 per cent.While AAP made an impressive start with around 13 per cent of the votes, the BJP registered only a marginal increase – from around 50 per cent to 53 per cent.A similar pattern may emerge in Kerala, where AAP may not emerge as a major force but may influence the outcome by cutting into the Congress’ vote share, potentially benefiting the incumbent Left – as happened in Gujarat.To expand the scope of AAP?Since its birth from the Anna movement in 2013, AAP has been making continuous efforts to expand its footprint across India. So why not Kerala?For Arvind Kejriwal, ambition was never limited to Delhi. After ending Sheila Dikshit’s long-standing dominance, she quickly burst onto the national stage, taking on Narendra Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The contest in Varanasi may have ended in defeat, but it marked Kejriwal’s arrival as a major challenge.He secured more than 20 percent of the vote, enough to push the Congress to third place in Varanasi. Its candidate Ajay Rai could get only about 7 percent votes.Therefore, the foray into Kerala is less external and more a continuation of that journey, an attempt to test the party’s reach in the far south.Beyond its strongholds in Delhi and Punjab, AAP has steadily ventured into new political arenas.In Gujarat, it emerged as a significant player with over 13 per cent of the vote, largely at the expense of the Congress. In Goa, it garnered about 7 percent and won two seats, once again cutting into the Congress base.The party has also made its presence felt in Jammu and Kashmir, where Mehraj Malik won from Doda.New interest in AAP has arisen from the northernmost area of ​​Jammu and Kashmir to the southern tip of Kerala.Kerala of Rahul, Priyanka and TharoorKejriwal’s entry into Kerala holds symbolic significance, especially for the Congress, for which the state has become an important political base in recent years. In moments of crisis, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, both descendants of the Gandhi family, turned to Kerala.In 2019, when Rahul Gandhi lost his own Amethi seat, it was Wayanad that gave him a landslide victory. He returned to Wayanad again in 2024 and won comfortably, although he ultimately decided to retain Rae Bareli.“I was a stranger to you and yet you believed in me. You embraced me with unbridled love and affection. It doesn’t matter which political formation you support, it doesn’t matter which community you belong to or which religion you believe in or which language you speak,” Rahul said.He said, “I am saddened, but I am consoled because my sister Priyanka will be there to represent you. I am confident that she will do an excellent job of being your MP if you decide to give her a chance. My central commitment to you and the people of Rae Bareli is that we will fight and defeat the hatred and violence being spread in the country.”Moving away from Wayanad, Rahul Gandhi thanked voters and paved the way for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s electoral debut from the same constituency. He won a landslide victory in the by-elections, further strengthening the family’s ties with the state.After her win, Priyanka said, “I thank the people of Wayanad for giving me the honor of representing them. It’s a testament to the hard work my brother put in there, their love for them and the trust they had in me.” I think it’s a great honor and I will honor it completely.”Apart from the Gandhi family, Kerala is also home to one of the most prominent national faces of the Congress, three-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram Shashi Tharoor.In this backdrop, Kejriwal’s thrust on Kerala is not just another electoral experiment, it is a move that could destabilize established equations and complicate the political calculus for players in the state.Kejriwal vs Rahul?Following the formation of the India Bloc, the BJP-led NDA retained power at the Centre, and Rahul Gandhi became the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.When Rahul rose to that position, questions remained over his leadership ambitions. Within the opposition faction, differences began to emerge and AAP’s stance often appeared less in line with it.AAP has, at various points, attempted to project Kejriwal as a potential national challenger to Narendra Modi, while sidelining Rahul Gandhi’s prospects.With repeated electoral setbacks to the aggressive expansion of the Congress and AAP, the contest within the opposition sector may now be not just against the BJP, but also between its key players.