Indian-born cricketer Nikhil Chaudhary has achieved a historic feat by being selected for Australia’s T20I team. (Photo/IANS)

30 year old during this year’s IPL Nikhil Chaudhary Was traveling with Delhi Capitals as a net bowler, with an outside chance of getting a contract. He took a few days off to meet his family and childhood coach Charanjit Bhangu in his hometown Ludhiana. Suddenly, he cut his trip to India short after promising his coach. “Sir, I have to join the Australian team camp. You will get some big news soon.”Chaudhary gave big news to Bhangu on Thursday morning. He became the first India-born male cricketer to be named in an Australian international squad in six decades as the selectors picked him as a leg-spinning all-rounder to be included in the T20I squad, which is currently playing in Bangladesh. Pune-born Lisa Sthalekar has led Australia in women’s cricket.The selection was the latest milestone in an amazing journey for Delhi-born Chaudhary, who played for Punjab for three years. In 2020, he was visiting his uncle in Queensland when the world went into lockdown due to COVID-19. Unable to return, Choudhary played a few club matches in Brisbane as Australia eased restrictions. Soon, his talent was noticed. Since then he did not look back.In January 2017, Nikhil Choudhary made his senior men’s T20 debut as a medium pacer in the Punjab team, which featured a bowling attack of former India cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Siddharth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Gurkeerat Mann. In March that year, on his List A debut, he shared the dressing room with Yuvraj Singh. He still has the contact of India’s left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh in his phone book. But with a permanent residence stamp on his passport, he has got an international call-up to Australia.Having represented Punjab in 14 List A matches, Chaudhary was looking towards an uncertain future. The Covid lockdown actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise for them. “In those eight months, Nikhil played a few club matches in Brisbane. Soon people in the system started praising him. He called me and said he was liking the culture because he had talked with immigrants. He said he wanted to stay here because the people who mattered were valuing his talent,” his childhood coach Charanjit Bhangu told TOI.Choudhary had to change his game inside-out to get fit. “Cricketers abroad usually struggle against spin. Foreigners come to my academy to learn to play spin. But Nikhil was always versatile. When he first came to me at the age of 10, we made him bowl and bat off-spin. But there was intense competition for the off-spinner’s spot in Punjab. So, as he grew up, he bowled medium-pace in-swingers. But he also bowled leg-spin in the Punjab nets. Used to bowl, “Bhangu.Once Chaudhary decided to stay in Australia, he started doing odd jobs to support the household. He chopped vegetables in a restaurant, drove cabs and even delivered parcels while trying to make his mark in cricket in Tasmania.“He believed he could do something remarkable in Australia. He always maintained a good diet but he was willing to adopt the food habits of that country, such as sources of protein intake. Two years later when the travel ban was completely lifted, he came to me and worked on his batting for two and a half months. In India he was more used to playing on the front foot. Since then, he mainly comes to me to work on his batting,” said the proud coach.Chaudhary got his big break when Hobart Hurricanes selected him for the Big Bash League in 2023. “Nikhil was very right about the sporting culture there. He made it to the BBL in just three years,” said the proud coach. Choudhary made an immediate impact in the BBL by winning a game with the bat, knocking Pakistan fast bowler Haris Rauf out of the park. His first-class debut came last season and he took five wickets on debut against Queensland apart from saving a match for Tasmania with the bat.“The panel has been impressed with his BBL form, particularly last season, which has led to his inclusion in the squad,” selector Tony Dodemide was quoted as saying by Cricket. com. And. “He will be in contention to play his first game for Australia when we sit here next week to pick the team for the opening T20 match,” he said.According to cricket. com. A number of Indian-origin players have played in international cricket, including Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha in AU, Australia, but not since the 1960s (when Gujarat-born leg spinner Rex Sellers featured in the 1964 Calcutta Test) has an individual of Indian origin played for the national team.

Julian Quinones recreated Siphiwe Tshabalala’s iconic celebration after scoring the first goal of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against South Africa on Thursday, bringing back memories of one of the most memorable moments of the 2010 edition of the tournament.

It was difficult to abandon symbolism. Sixteen years ago, it was South Africa’s Tshabalala who scored the first World Cup goal against Mexico and celebrated with a choreographed dance that became one of the defining images of the tournament. On Thursday at the Estadio Azteca, Quinones opened the scoring for Mexico against South Africa and celebrated the moment with the same celebration.

Tshabalala’s strike in Johannesburg on June 11, 2010 remains one of the most iconic goals in World Cup history. The South African winger thrilled the home crowd with a powerful shot into the top corner to give Bafana Bafana the lead against Mexico in their tournament opener.

“Tshabalala! Goal Bafana Bafana! Goal for South Africa! Goal for all of Africa! Jabulile! Celebrate!” Commentator Peter Drury famously said this as Tshabalala and his teammates celebrated.

Although Rafael Márquez saved a point for Mexico in a 1–1 draw, the goals and celebrations continued long after the final whistle.

In the opening match of the 2026 tournament, Mexico struck first. Quinones, playing in his first World Cup, took advantage of South Africa’s costly mistake in the ninth minute. Ronwen Williams’ pass put Sphelo Sithole under pressure near the edge of the penalty area and Mexico immediately regained possession, with Quinones passing the ball through the goalkeeper’s legs.

The forward then joined the same dance festival that Tshabalala had made famous 16 years earlier.

Mexico remained in control for most of the match and doubled their lead in the second half through Raul Jimenez. The experienced striker scored his first World Cup goal with a header from Roberto Alvarado’s cross.

South Africa’s task became more difficult after Sithole was sent off for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity early in the second half. Themba Zwane was later shown a red card Following a VAR review, Bafana Bafana were left with nine men for the closing stages.

The 2-0 win gave Javier Aguirre a winning start to Mexico’s domestic World Cup campaign, but one of the evening’s standout moments came soon after Quinones found the net.

Tshabalala’s first goal of the 2010 World Cup was against Mexico. Quinones’ first goal of the 2026 World Cup was against South Africa. The celebration was also the same.

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Vaibhav Suryavanshi (Ex-Cricbuzz)

Former Indian batsman Sanjay Manjrekar He believes Vaibhav Suryavanshi is proving that he is more than just a power-hitting T20 sensation after the 15-year-old impressed once again for India A in the ongoing tri-series in Sri Lanka.Suryavanshi caught everyone’s attention by playing a brilliant inning of 44 runs in just 22 balls against Afghanistan A on Thursday and continued his rapid rise after a successful IPL 2026 campaign. While the teenager missed out on a half-century, his innings drew praise for the way he scored runs rather than the last number next to his name.Unlike the batting-friendly surfaces often seen in the IPL, the conditions in Sri Lanka presented a different challenge. Yet Suryavanshi adapted impressively, relying on timing and placement as well as aggression. His innings included nine fours and came at a strike rate of 200, notably without hitting a single six.That performance drew a strong response from Manjrekar, who used the Ax to highlight the youngster’s versatility and potential in the longer white-ball format.“India A is in Sri Lanka, the pitch is not as flat as IPL and it is not T20 cricket. So to see Vaibhav Suryavanshi in different batting conditions. And I am excited!”He is not just your T20 slugger. That could even be a one day event! Special talent!” Manjrekar posted on X.

Sanjay Manjrekar Post

The former India batsman’s comments came after Suryavanshi provided a brilliant start to India A in the rain-affected match. Opening with Prabhsimran Singh, the left-handed batsman helped add 74 runs for the first wicket in just 7.1 overs, putting Afghanistan A under immediate pressure.Another aspect of Suryavanshi’s game also came to light in this innings. Rather than relying solely on brute force, he repeatedly found gaps with sharp strokes and well-timed drives, lending credence to the idea that his game could translate successfully beyond T20 cricket.His innings eventually ended on 44 when he attempted to loft a short ball from Abdullah Ahmadzai and found it past wicketkeeper Mohammad Ishaq. This was the second consecutive innings in which he had to be out on a short ball outside the off stump.Nevertheless, India A scored a strong score of 349 runs for 9 wickets in 49 overs. Prabhasimran scored the highest run of 84 runs while captain Tilak Verma and vice-captain Ruturaj Gaikwad Both scored 66 runs. After this, Suryansh Shedge gave the team the lead by playing a quick inning of 40 runs.Due to rain interruption throughout the day, Afghanistan A was given a revised target of 294 runs in 38 overs under the DLS method. Chasing aggressively, captain Imran Mir remained unbeaten on 75, while Bahir Shah contributed 51 not out, helping Afghanistan reach 177 for 2 in 25.5 overs, before play was halted due to rain.At that time, Afghanistan A was four runs ahead of the DLS par score, resulting in a four-run win after the match was abandoned.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 had just begun when fans got something completely unexpected to talk about. As football took center stage in Mexico City’s opening match between hosts Mexico and South Africa, Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio’s futuristic-looking headset quickly became one of the biggest talking points on social media.

Following a star-studded opening ceremony headlined by Shakira and Burna Boy at the iconic Estadio Azteca, the tournament officially began with a repeat of the 2010 World Cup. But within minutes of kick-off, many spectators were distracted by the unusual piece of equipment attached to Sampaio’s ear.

FIFA World Cup 2026: live update | full coverage

The device had a prominent over-ear attachment connected to the microphone system, giving the Brazilian official a distinctive futuristic appearance that many fans had never seen before during a World Cup broadcast.

Social media wasted little time in getting creative.

Some fans joked that the referee looked as if he was about to log into a virtual reality gaming session, while others compared the setup to an Xbox headset. However, the most popular comparison was to the iconic science-fiction character RoboCop, with countless memes appearing online within minutes of the match starting.

While the jokes continued to flow at the deadline, the match came to life almost immediately. Mexico forward Julin Quiones scored the first goal of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the ninth minute, sending the packed Azteca crowd into celebration and officially tipping off the tournament.

With FIFA introducing a number of technological innovations for this expanded 48-team tournament, it remains to be seen whether the same equipment will be worn by officials during all 104 matches of the competition.

What is the equipment worn by World Cup referees?

Despite online speculation, the headset is not a camera or virtual reality device.

The equipment is a wireless referee communication system, called “RefCam” or “EarCam” (ref camera), which allows match officials to be in constant contact with the assistant referee, fourth officials and the video assistant referee (VAR) team.

The earpiece enables real-time communication during matches, allowing referees to instantly receive information about fouls, offsides, disciplinary decisions and potential VAR reviews.

While similar communication systems have been used in elite soccer for years, the design used during the World Cup opening appeared more visible than many fans would like, which helped trigger a wave of reactions online.

The headset is part of FIFA’s continuing effort to integrate technology into officiating while improving communication between match officials throughout the field.

What are the new technologies used in the World Cup 2026?

The futuristic referee headset seen during the opening match is just one part of FIFA’s biggest technological overhaul to date. With 104 matches spread across three countries, FIFA has leaned heavily on technology to improve officiating accuracy, enhance broadcasts and speed up decision-making throughout the tournament.

Some other big innovations in World Cup 2026 include:

• Smart Match Ball: The official match ball has an integrated motion sensor chip that records touches, passes and deflections up to 500 times per second, providing real-time data to match officials and VAR operators.
• Advanced semi-automatic offside technology: Each player was digitally scanned before the tournament, allowing the Hawk-Eye system to create highly detailed 3D body models accurate to within a millimeter or two for sharp offside calls.
• ref chest camera: While the headgear doesn’t record video, officers actually wear special chest-mounted cameras. The broadcast gives viewers an intimate, viewpoint-based perspective of the intense action and player interaction straight from pitch level.

The combination of smart-ball tracking, body scans and advanced communication systems is designed to help VAR teams make decisions more quickly and with greater accuracy.

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Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh, celebrating with teammates (AP Photo)

Bangladesh created history by securing their first ODI series win over Australia on Thursday, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match contest with a five-wicket win in the second match.The long rain interruption of about two and a half hours forced the officials to revise Bangladesh’s target under the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern (DLS) method. Chasing 192 in 41 overs, the hosts reached 195 for 5 with six overs remaining, ensuring that the series was theirs with a match still in hand. The final ODI is to be held at the same venue on Sunday.The result was based on another disciplined all-round performance from Bangladesh after a poor start by Australia’s batting lineup. The visitors lost their first three wickets without scoring any runs, putting them under immediate pressure.Only flexible half-century from marnus labuschagne And Xavier Bartlett helped Australia recover from the early collapse. Labuschagne remained unbeaten on 55, while Bartlett contributed 52 as Australia eventually scored 187 for 8 in the allotted 42 overs.Bangladesh made just one change from the team that had won the opening ODI by 86 runs via the DLS method, bringing in opener Soumya Sarkar. The move paid off as Sarkar scored 42 runs and formed an important partnership with Nazmul Hossain Shanto, who also scored 42 runs.After a poor start, Shanto took charge of the innings and along with Sarkar added 86 runs to help Bangladesh chase the target. Riley Meredith eventually broke the stand when Shanto was caught behind, giving the fast bowler his first ODI wicket in five years since his return to the format.Despite being in good shape, Bangladesh collapsed to 144 for 5 in the 27th over, giving Australia a ray of hope. However, Tauheed Hridoy and captain Mehdi Hasan Miraj dashed those hopes with an unbeaten 51-run partnership that took the hosts over the finish line. Hridayoy remained unbeaten after scoring 40 runs in 55 balls.There was a worrying moment at the end of the chase when a ball from Nathan Ellis hit Mehdi on the helmet. The Bangladesh captain fell on his knees on the field and started vomiting. Although he declined the offer of a stretcher and continued batting, Shanto later revealed that Mehdi was taken to hospital for observation after the match.Australia’s decision to bat first backfired dramatically. Matthew Short recorded his third consecutive ODI duck, while Cooper Connolly and Matthew Renshaw were also out without opening an account. This is only the fourth time in ODI history that a team has lost its first three wickets even before opening its account.Mustafizur Rahman And Taskin Ahmed was the chief architect of Australia’s downfall. Both fast bowlers took three wickets each, Mustafizur took 3 wickets for 27 runs and Taskin took 3 wickets for 33 runs. Mustafizur also dismissed Alex Carey, who was caught at point.Things got worse for Australia when captain Josh Inglis was out at deep cover, leaving the visitors struggling at 68 for 5.Labuschagne, batting at number seven, started recovery along with Bartlett. The pair added 103 runs for the sixth wicket and allowed Australia to bowl at a very low score. Labuschagne’s innings was particularly significant as it was his first ODI half-century in 14 innings. He also got an early reprieve when Tanvir Islam missed the stumps in a run-out attempt with the batsman on just one run.Ultimately, however, Bangladesh’s batting depth and composure under pressure proved decisive as they achieved a historic ODI series win over Australia.

Somalia official Omar Abdulkadir Artan has been selected to referee at next month’s UEFA Super Cup, just weeks after their planned participation in the FIFA World Cup was derailed due to travel issues. The 34-year-old was originally included in FIFA’s list of match officials for the World Cup, which runs from June 11 to July 19. But he was unable to attend after being refused entry In the United States despite having a valid visa.

UEFA announced on Thursday that Arton’s appointment follows consultation with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and is part of a wider cooperation agreement recently established between the two organisations. Arton will take charge of the Super Cup clash in Hamburg on August 12, where UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain face Europa League champions Aston Villa.

“UEFA has today appointed Somali referee Omar Artan to officiate the 2026 UEFA Super Cup, which will take place on 12 August in Hamburg between UEFA Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain and UEFA Europa League winners Aston Villa FC.”

“Despite his young age, Artan has established himself as one of the world’s top referees and has been on the FIFA international list since 2018. Among the most notable matches he officiated is the second leg of the 2025/26 CAF Champions League Final. In recognition of his performances, he received the CAF Men’s Referee of the Year Award 2025,” the UEFA statement said.

UEFA president Aleksandar Ceferin said he wanted to show his respect for Artan after the latest fiasco and praised him as an excellent referee.

“Omar Artan is an outstanding young but already experienced referee, who has proven himself at the highest competition level of the Confederation of African Football. Football is designed to connect people, and UEFA wants to show its respect for Omar and his excellent officiating skills, which earned him such a prestigious nomination. I am grateful to my friend CAF President Patrice Motsepe for enthusiastically supporting our initiative,” Ceferin said.

Ayrton received a hero’s welcome upon returning home

Somalia welcomed Artan as a hero He returned home from the United States after being denied entry to the World Cup. The 34-year-old player said he is hopeful of making it to the 2030 World Cup after the overwhelming welcome he received back home.

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Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag He underwent successful shoulder surgery at a hospital here on Thursday. The surgery was performed at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr Dinshaw Pardiwala, who has operated on many top cricketers and sportspersons. Pardiwala is a consultant orthopedic surgeon. bcci.“Well, the shoulder won at last! For anyone who was asking, the surgery is done and well. The last two years have tested me in ways I never expected. There were good days, disappointing days, and days when just getting through the game was a challenge. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now comes a different challenge – recovery, rehab and patience. I will soon be back to doing what I love. “See you on the other side,” Parag posted on Instagram on Saturday along with his post-surgery picture. Parag is now expected to be out of action for a significant period of time, and is likely to miss the majority of the 2026–27 season, focusing on his recovery and rehab. Parag was initially named as the vice-captain for the India A team for the 50-over tri-series featuring Afghanistan A and hosts Sri Lanka A, but was replaced by Ruturaj Gaikwad after he was ruled out due to a hamstring injury. Parag’s rehabilitation will be managed by the BCCI Center of Excellence in Bengaluru.Parag had to miss a few matches in IPL-2026 due to shoulder and hamstring injuries, in which he scored 309 runs in 14 matches at a strike rate of 23.76 with two fifties at 157.65 as he led Rajasthan Royals to the playoffs. The batting all-rounder has played one ODI (15 runs @ 15.00) and nine T20Is (106 runs @ 17.66) for India in 2024. The 24-year-old Assam captain was embroiled in controversy during IPL-2026 when he was caught on camera vaping in the dressing room and was fined and warned by the BCCI.

Kolkata: At a time when the FIFA World Cup is expanding its football map, Kolkata-based notaphilist Anindya Kar has created a paper trail of the tournament through currency.The tax collection brings together banknotes representing all 48 participating nations of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, turning the expanded tournament into a compact collection of national identity, history, art and economy. To them, each note is more than a collector’s item; It is a cultural document containing images, monuments, wildlife, scripts, symbols and political memories of the nations that will appear on football’s biggest stage.

The 2026 edition is historic in many ways. For the first time, the World Cup is being hosted by three countries – the United States, Canada and Mexico. The only previous multi-nation hosting arrangement was in 2002, when South Korea and Japan jointly hosted the tournament. The number of participating teams has also increased from 32 to 48, taking the total number of matches to 104.

The expanded structure has added a round of 32 before the subsequent knockout stages. The eventual champions will now have to play eight matches instead of seven, making the path to the trophy longer and more challenging.Tax collection reflects that sheer scale. Notes of football legends are placed next to the currencies of countries making rare or first appearances on the global football stage. The presence of countries such as Curaçao, Cape Verde, Uzbekistan and Jordan gives added value to the collection, as their banknotes represent not only economies but also football milestones.

He said, “A distinctive feature of the display are the European countries that now use the euro. The euro was introduced into circulation on January 1, 2002. 21 of the 27 countries of the European Union currently use the euro. For the 12 countries that use the euro at the World Cup, I have avoided regular euro notes and instead used earlier national currencies to give the collection an ancient character.”Belgium is represented by the original Belgian 100 franc banknote of 1943, denominated as 20 Belgas, featuring intricate World War II-era artwork and the watermark of King Leopold I. Germany is represented by a 20 Reichsmark note issued during the Weimar Republic on January 22, 1929, featuring Werner von Siemens. The Netherlands is represented by the 25 gulden note of 10 April 1955, which bears the portrait of astronomer Christiaan Huygens.

Austria’s place in the display comes via a 1916 krone note with the overprint “DEUTSCHÖSTERREICH” issued by the Austro-Hungarian Bank. Curaçao, one of the highlights of the collection, is represented by a Gulden Muntbilljet issued between 1942 and 1947, featuring Mercury and the ship, and printed by the American Bank Note Company.Notaphilist said, “The notes tell stories beyond the pitch. Some feature photos of writers, engineers and kings; others feature rivers, bridges, birds, architecture and national symbols. The car’s extensive collection includes a Bosnia and Herzegovina 200 Convertible Mark note featuring Nobel Prize-winning writer Ivo Andrić and the famous bridge over the Drina River.”For tax sake, it’s not a World Cup album of stickers, jerseys or stamps. This is a tournament told through money – a display where football meets geography, diplomacy, design and memory.

Hyderabad faces serious fire safety crisis due to 50% increase in incidents and acute shortage of fire stations

Hyderabad: There has been an alarming 50% increase in fire accidents in the city over the last three years, from 1,711 in 2023 to 2,633 in 2025, yet Hyderabad has only 20% of the fire stations required under central norms. Due to this reduction, the response time has increased to an average of 20 to 30 minutes, which is six times more than the prescribed limit of five minutes.As per the recommendations of the Permanent Fire Advisory Council under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), there should be at least one fire station for every 10 sq km in urban areas. However, despite the urban expansion in Hyderabad almost tripling to about 2,000 sq km, the three municipal corporations (Hyderabad, Cyberabad and Malkajgiri) collectively operate only about 40 fire stations. Actually, there are around 150 fire stations across Telangana.

Types of premises

fatal outcome

Based on MoHA guidelines, there is a requirement of 200 (approximately) fire stations in Hyderabad metropolitan area alone. The consequences of this infrastructure gap were clearly felt during the massive fire that broke out at the Sigachi industrial unit on June 30, 2025, which claimed more than 50 lives. It is said that the first fire tender reached the accident site from Patancheru in about 30 minutes after traveling a distance of about 14 km. This was the nearest available station to the unit.In another incident reported in November last year, a man was burnt to death inside his car on the Outer Ring Road near Shamirpet, even though the fire tender arrived about 30 – 45 minutes later. It was to be flagged off from Cherlapally, about 20 km away.Nevertheless, large sections remain unserved along the ORR. At many places, the nearest fire stations are more than 10 km away, requiring tenders to take at least 15 minutes to reach the accident site. The existing stations serving the ORR corridor are at Gachibowli, Shameerpet, Kukatpally, Rajendranagar, Hayatnagar, Patancheru, Jeedimetla, Madhapur and Maheshwaram.Even in emerging areas like Kokapet, Tellapur, Kollur, Kompally and parts of Shamshabad, the situation is almost the same. Although each of these areas has seen a proliferation of gated communities, office complexes and educational institutions, they lack a network of fire stations, with the nearest location being at least 15 km (30 – 40 minutes) away from any location.

District wise fire in 2026

Apart from inadequate infrastructure, fire officials claim that acquiring land for new stations is an additional layer of challenge. According to him, rising land prices and ownership disputes have made it difficult to identify strategic sites and secure land in rapidly developing areas.

land acquisition challenge

Experts have urged the state government to conduct a comprehensive assessment of fire-prone areas and densely populated areas across Hyderabad to identify infrastructure deficiencies and prioritize the establishment of new fire stations. He stressed that expansion of fire services would require substantial investment in land, fire fighting equipment, emergency vehicles and trained personnel.Telangana Fire Service Narayana Director GV Narayana Rao said that to strengthen the fire fighting capabilities, the department has ordered Bronto Skylift from Finland, a fire fighting platform capable of extinguishing fires at heights of up to 104 metres.

GV Narayan Rao

Want exclusive corridor

“The government should create a dedicated emergency response mechanism on city roads. Whenever a fire emergency is reported, the traffic authorities should immediately facilitate a clear emergency corridor exclusively for fire tenders and rescue vehicles, enabling them to reach the incident site in the shortest possible time. Such systems can significantly reduce response times and help save lives,” said fire safety auditor C Andrew.The pressure on fire services is not limited to infrastructure alone. Parallel enforcement data shows that a large number of establishments across Telangana are violating mandatory fire safety norms, increasing the risk scenario.

40% units across Telangana violate fire safety norms

Despite regular awareness campaigns and enforcement efforts by the fire department, nearly 40% of the units inspected across the state this year were found violating safety norms.Fire incidents have increased by 30% in Telangana this year compared to 2025, the department has conducted 6,137 fire safety inspections and awareness campaigns in schools, hospitals, apartments, hotels, industries and other public establishments so far this year as a part of a 99-day action plan.According to officials, the inspection covered 1,439 schools, 1,708 hospitals, 654 apartment buildings, 501 hotels, 326 public places including bus stands and railway facilities and 1,509 industries and warehouses. The findings revealed widespread non-compliance with mandatory fire safety measures, raising concerns over the ability of many establishments to respond effectively during emergencies.Common violations include blocked or closed emergency exits, encroached basement areas, inadequate stair access, expired fire extinguishers, non-functional sprinkler systems and poor maintenance of fire detection and alarm networks. Inspection teams also assessed water storage facilities and drainage systems, including emergency stairs and lifts.Officials said the violations occurred in various areas. “In a private school, emergency exit doors were found closed during working hours and several fire extinguishers had expired. In an industrial unit, the sprinkler system was non-functional and flammable materials were stored on evacuation routes, posing a serious fire hazard. Notices have been issued to establishments violating the norms and corrective measures have been mandated,” said a senior fire official.Data from the Telangana State Fire and Rescue Repository shows that since 2012, the department has responded to 53,392 calls. During this period, more than 200 people lost their lives and property worth Rs 4,732.42 crore was damaged.Among all the districts, Hyderabad recorded the highest number of fire and rescue calls at 7,564, followed by Nalgonda (3,557), Rangareddy (3,538), Medchal-Malkajgiri (3,533) and Khammam (3,433).

India have retained their position at the top of the ICC men’s ODI team rankings after the annual update, but their lead over New Zealand has reduced from eight to five points.

After the update, India has dropped to 118 rating points from 119, while New Zealand has moved up two points to 113. Reigning ODI World Cup champions Australia are at third place with an unchanged rating of 109.

The only change in the top 10 is South Africa moving ahead of Pakistan to fourth position. South Africa now has 102 points, while Pakistan has slipped to fifth place with 98 points. With this update, the gap between ninth-placed Bangladesh and West Indies has also increased and now there is a difference of 10 rating points between the two teams.

Further down the table, Ireland have overtaken Zimbabwe into 11th, the United States have moved above Scotland into 13th, and the United Arab Emirates are now 19th, ahead of Canada.

The annual update reflects the results over a continuous period and underlines India’s consistency in the 50-over format. The Rohit Sharma-led side has been one of the most impressive ODI teams in recent years and continues to hold on to the top despite a slight dip in their rating points.

India’s capture of the No. 1 ranking comes at a time when the team is preparing for a new ODI cycle ahead of the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. The upcoming three-match ODI series against Afghanistan is expected to serve as a starting point for those preparations.

However, India has already suffered major setbacks before the series. All-rounder after Virat Kohli’s exit Hardik Pandya has also been sidelined Due to injury. Sources told India Today that Pandya is recovering from a quadriceps injury and is expected to take around three weeks to regain full fitness.

The injury dates back to IPL 2026, where Pandya was leading Mumbai Indians. The all-rounder featured in only 10 matches before missing the latter stages of the tournament due to fitness concerns.

The ODI series against Afghanistan will begin in Dharamsala on June 14, before moving to Lucknow on June 17 and Chennai on June 20. With senior players unavailable, the series could provide an opportunity for several young players to stake their claim in India’s ODI setup.

India’s updated ODI squad against Afghanistan: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Nitish Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Prasidh Krishna, Gurnoor Brar and Harsh Dubey.

India’s dominance is not limited to the ODI format. They also top the ICC men’s T20I team rankings after the annual update conducted last week. Meanwhile, Australia top the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings and are also ranked No. 1 in both Women’s ODI and Women’s T20I.

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