‘Gesture’ before talks: US, Lebanon ask Israel to stop attacks
Devastation in Lebanon (file photo)
The Lebanese government and Donald Trump’s administration have asked Israel to halt its attacks on Hezbollah ahead of direct Israel-Lebanon talks next week, according to sources familiar with the matter.Axios’ sources said the request is not for a formal ceasefire but for a “gesture” that would allow negotiations to begin in a less hostile environment. The move comes as Israeli attacks in Lebanon remain a major point of tension in broader regional diplomacy involving the US and Iran.
US officials said they were supporting the Lebanese request and urged Israel to consider de-escalating tensions. He says that although Lebanon was not formally included under any of the ceasefire frameworks cited by Iran, reducing military activity could help create space for negotiations.However, Israeli officials said there is no ceasefire at the moment. He said Israel was ready to reach a comprehensive agreement with Lebanon but would not negotiate a ceasefire with Hezbollah.According to Axios’ sources, Lebanon has proposed to Israel, through US mediators, to reduce attacks and limit operations to imminent threats, effectively returning to the understanding tied to the November 2024 ceasefire arrangement. It is said that America supports this idea and is pressurizing Israel to accept it. He further claimed that the Israeli side is reviewing the request. Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet made a decision, officials have indicated that a brief tactical pause in air strikes has not been ruled out.The development comes ahead of a meeting between Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors under US auspices in Washington next week, marking the first round of direct talks. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salaam is also expected to visit Washington for discussions with Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, which could shape the next phase of talks.
‘X may lose safe harbor status over Rana posts’ india news
New Delhi: Center and Delhi Police Told the Delhi High Court on Friday that the social media platform In a note submitted to the court, the Center said that despite having “actual knowledge”, X did not remove the “unlawful content from its platform” and such inaction amounts to non-compliance with due diligence requirements under the law.
मुजफ्फरनगर जिले की छह विधानसभा सीटों की अंतिम मतदाता सूची प्रकाशित, राजनीतिक दलों को सॉफ्ट-हार्ड कॉपी उपलब्ध।
मुजफ्फरनगर जिले में अर्हता तिथि 01 जनवरी 2026 के आधार पर विशेष सघन पुनरीक्षण अभियान के तहत छह विधानसभा निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों की निर्वाचक नामावलियों का अंतिम प्रकाशन कर दिया गया है। जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी एवं जिलाधिकारी उमेश मिश्रा अंतिम रूप से प्रकाशित मतदाता सूची की एक-एक प्रति सॉफ्ट एवं हार्ड कॉपी के रूप में निर्वाचन आयोग द्वारा मान्यता प्राप्त सभी राजनीतिक दलों के पदाधिकारियों को उपलब्ध करा दी गयी है.
यह प्रक्रिया विधानसभा निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों के स्तर पर निर्वाचक रजिस्ट्रीकरण अधिकारी कार्यालयों और जिला स्तर पर जिला निर्वाचन कार्यालय में पूरी की गई. इसके साथ ही सभी मतदेय स्थलों पर निरीक्षण के लिए सूची भी उपलब्ध करा दी गई है।
एक सप्ताह तक मतदेय स्थलों पर सूची उपलब्ध रहेगी, मतदाता अपना नाम देख सकेंगे
निर्वाचन विभाग की ओर से बताया गया है कि अंतिम रूप से प्रकाशित मतदाता सूची एक सप्ताह तक जिले के सभी मतदेय स्थलों पर निरीक्षण के लिए उपलब्ध रहेगी. इस दौरान कोई भी मतदाता अपने परिवार के सदस्य का नाम सूची में देख सकता है।
इसके अलावा विधानसभा क्षेत्रवार अंतिम प्रकाशित सूची जिला स्तरीय वेबसाइट और मुख्य निर्वाचन अधिकारी, उत्तर प्रदेश की वेबसाइट पर भी उपलब्ध करा दी गई है, जिसके माध्यम से मतदाता अपने नाम का ऑनलाइन सत्यापन भी कर सकते हैं।
विशेष पुनरीक्षण अभियान के तहत छह विधानसभा क्षेत्रों का अद्यतन डाटा जारी
विशेष सघन पुनरीक्षण-2026 के तहत जिले की सभी छह विधानसभा सीटों बुढ़ाना, चरथावल, पुरकाजी, मुजफ्फरनगर, खतौली और मीरापुर की मतदाता सूचियां अपडेट कर दी गईं। इस प्रक्रिया में नये मतदाता जोड़े गये तथा अपात्रों के नाम हटाये गये।
निर्वाचन विभाग के मुताबिक पुनरीक्षण अभियान के दौरान बड़े पैमाने पर नाम जोड़े और हटाए गए, जिसके बाद अंतिम सूची जारी की गई.
बुढ़ाना विधानसभा क्षेत्र में 3.61 लाख से अधिक मतदाता पंजीकृत हैं
बुढ़ाना विधानसभा क्षेत्र में कुल 174 मतदान केंद्र एवं 421 मतदेय स्थल निर्धारित किये गये हैं। यहां अंतिम प्रकाशन के बाद कुल 3,61,405 मतदाता सूची में शामिल किये गये हैं. पुनरीक्षण प्रक्रिया के दौरान, हजारों नए मतदाता जोड़े गए और अयोग्य प्रविष्टियाँ हटा दी गईं।
चरथावल विधानसभा क्षेत्र में मतदाताओं की संख्या 3.13 लाख से अधिक है.
चरथावल विधानसभा क्षेत्र में कुल 142 मतदान केंद्र एवं 374 मतदेय स्थल निर्धारित किये गये हैं। अंतिम प्रकाशन के बाद यहां कुल 3,13,058 मतदाता पंजीकृत हैं। निर्वाचन विभाग ने बताया कि पुनरीक्षण के दौरान बड़ी संख्या में नये नाम शामिल किये गये हैं.
पुरकाजी विधानसभा क्षेत्र में 3.08 लाख से अधिक मतदाता शामिल हैं
पुरकाजी विधानसभा क्षेत्र में 140 मतदान केंद्र एवं 354 मतदेय स्थल निर्धारित किये गये हैं। अंतिम सूची के मुताबिक यहां कुल 3,08,413 मतदाता पंजीकृत हैं. इस क्षेत्र में भी बड़े पैमाने पर परिवर्धन एवं सफ़ाई का कार्य किया गया।
मुजफ्फरनगर विधानसभा क्षेत्र में मतदाताओं की संख्या 3.11 लाख के पार
मुजफ्फरनगर विधानसभा क्षेत्र में कुल 94 मतदान केन्द्र एवं 370 मतदेय स्थल बनाये गये हैं। अंतिम प्रकाशन के बाद यहां की सूची में कुल 3,11,887 मतदाता शामिल हैं, जो जिले के प्रमुख निर्वाचन क्षेत्रों में से एक है.
खतौली और मीरापुर विधानसभा क्षेत्रों के अंतिम आंकड़े भी जारी
खतौली विधानसभा क्षेत्र में 172 मतदान केंद्र और 355 मतदान स्थल निर्धारित किए गए हैं, जहां 2,99,570 मतदाता अंतिम सूची में पंजीकृत हैं। वहीं, मीरापुर विधानसभा क्षेत्र में 151 मतदान केंद्र और 361 मतदेय स्थल निर्धारित किए गए हैं, जहां कुल 2,99,006 मतदाता शामिल किए गए हैं.
जिले की छह विधानसभा सीटों पर मतदाताओं की कुल संख्या 18.93 लाख से अधिक है.
जिले की सभी छह विधानसभा सीटों को मिलाकर कुल 873 मतदान केंद्र और 2235 मतदेय स्थल निर्धारित किये गये हैं. अंतिम प्रकाशन के बाद जिले में कुल मतदाताओं की संख्या 18,93,339 दर्ज की गयी है.
निर्वाचन विभाग के अनुसार पुनरीक्षण प्रक्रिया के दौरान 1,33,920 नये मतदाताओं के नाम जोड़े गये, जबकि 12,352 प्रविष्टियां हटायी गयीं.
छह मान्यता प्राप्त राजनीतिक दलों के प्रतिनिधियों को सौंपी गयी सूची
अंतिम प्रकाशन के अवसर पर जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी द्वारा भारतीय जनता पार्टी के ओम प्रकाश उपाध्याय, भारतीय कम्युनिस्ट पार्टी (मार्क्सवादी) के अनिल कुमार एवं सुभाष उपाध्याय, समाजवादी पार्टी के साजिद हसन एवं पवन बंसल, कांग्रेस के ममनून अंसारी, बहुजन समाज पार्टी के इंतजार अली तथा आम आदमी पार्टी के अजय चौधरी को मतदाता सूची की प्रतियां उपलब्ध करायी गयीं।
इस दौरान अपर जिलाधिकारी (प्रशासन) एवं उप जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी संजय सिंह भी मौजूद रहे.
मुजफ्फरनगर जिले की अंतिम प्रकाशित मतदाता सूची 2026 जारी होने के साथ ही चुनाव प्रक्रिया का एक महत्वपूर्ण चरण पूरा हो गया है। अब मतदाता निर्धारित अवधि में अपने नाम की पुष्टि कर सकेंगे, वहीं राजनीतिक दलों को उपलब्ध करायी गयी सूचियां आगामी चुनाव तैयारियों के लिए आधार दस्तावेज के रूप में अहम भूमिका निभायेंगी.
WATCH: Dramatic explosion as Artemis II astronauts return to Earth after historic trip around the Moon
The Artemis II crew has returned safely to Earth after a nearly 10-day mission around the moon, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego early Saturday. NASA.Commander Reed Wiseman, pilots Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen of Canada re-entered the atmosphere traveling on Mach 33. His Orion spacecraft, integrityJumped onto automatic pilot, completing landing with the aid of a parachute. This mission marked the first crewed lunar flight in more than half a century.
The space agency also shared splashdown footage on the X, announcing the completion of the historic lunar mission and the successful discovery of “our celestial neighbors.”The capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere at Mach 33, or 33 times the speed of sound, engulfed in red-hot plasma during extreme heat. Mission Control also recorded a planned communications blackout during this phase.NASA confirmed that communication with Orion was reestablished as it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere. At 8:03 p.m., the drogue parachutes deployed at 23,400 feet, reducing the velocity to 479 feet per second and stabilizing the spacecraft about 0.8 miles from splashdown. At 8.04 pm, the drogue chute was cut off and the three main parachutes deployed at 5,400 feet, slowing the Orion to below 200 feet per second for its final descent.After splashdown, NASA confirmed that the spacecraft remained stable in the water while engineers conducted post-landing checks and operated non-essential systems in preparation for recovery operations.The recovery director authorized NASA and US Army teams to access the capsule using inflatable boats. Engineers began initial post-splashdown procedures while awaiting crew extraction.The astronauts were safely evacuated from Orion on inflatable rafts, known as “front porches”, before being transferred to US military inflatable boats.The crew were hoisted into US Navy helicopters and taken to the recovery ship USS John P. Murtha. NASA confirmed that all four astronauts were safely aboard the ship, where they began post-mission medical evaluation.NASA said the crew would later be brought back to shore and flown by plane to the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston for further evaluation.Recovery operations will continue to secure the Orion spacecraft for transport. Teams from NASA, the US Navy and the US Air Force are coordinating to land the capsule on the USS John P. Murtha It will be returned to Naval Base San Diego and then to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for detailed inspection, data retrieval and post-flight analysis.
Mukul Chaudhary: 36 sixes in one innings, 500 kilometer bus journey, MS Dhoni’s dream. cricket news
New Delhi: Calm under pressure and fearless at the death, Mukul Choudhary smashed 57 off 27 balls and seven sixes to lead Lucknow Super Giants to a spectacular victory in the last over at the Eden Gardens on Thursday against Kolkata Knight Riders.The emotions on the 21-year-old Jhunjhunu’s face as he scored the winning run were clear – keeping his nerve, battling anxiety, negotiating a yorker in the final over from Vaibhav Arora, waiting for the right ball to send it across the ropes and then raising both hands to celebrate, before his teammates rushed to surround him from the dugout.hitting that six IPL However, the night of preparation is supported by an even bigger story. This was not the first time that the youth of Sikar, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan had thrashed the bowlers. Even before making headlines in the IPL, he had already hit an incredible 36 sixes in an innings.
36 sixes in one innings
In Sikar (Jhunjhunu), where Mukul trains, he practices on black soil. However, adjusting to the red-clay wickets became a major challenge. That’s when he turned to his under-23 batting coach Chandrapal Singh. In Rajasthan, red soil pitches are found in Udaipur and Nathdwara. The distance was difficult, but the stubborn Mukul accepted the challenge.Packing his kit at night, he would board a bus to Udaipur (in Rajasthan) and sometimes to Nathdwara (in Rajasthan), about 500 km from Jhunjhunu.“Mukul is extremely hard-working. I didn’t know whether he would agree to it or not, but he took up the challenge despite all the travelling. He had to cover long distances – traveling 500 km by bus, playing a match, staying overnight and then coming back is not easy. “He did this about three times a week,” Chandrapal told TimesofIndia.com. Chanderpaul said, “He once hit 36 sixes in a T20 match. We had called some teams and Mukul’s team was against them. I knew he would play a big innings, but I did not expect him to set it on fire like this. He was hitting the ball ruthlessly. He has also practiced MS Dhoni’s helicopter shot.”“You will find red soil in places like Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Cuttack and Karnataka. The way he stepped out of his comfort zone to prepare for this IPL is remarkable. He is a complete team man – for him the team always comes first,” he said.Mukul performed brilliantly in domestic cricket. After making his mark at the Under-23 level, he scored 173 runs at a strike rate of 198.85 in five innings in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26. His excellent form with the bat earned him an IPL contract, with Lucknow Super Giants buying him for Rs 2.60 crore in the IPL 2026 auction.
Mukul Chaudhary: Not just another hitter
For the 21-year-old, the ability to clear the ropes with ease – from bat swing to footwork, reach and reading the situation – has not come overnight.“I have practiced that shot since my childhood,” Mukul had said during the post-match press conference after the robbery.“My body is naturally a bit powerful, and that has helped me. I also practice hitting 100-150 sixes every day, so the bat speed develops if you keep repeating it.” I have been training hard for the last five to six months and now it has become a part of my game.After the match, LSG captain Rishabh Pant, who was looking tense till the final delivery, looked relieved. A wide smile spread across Mukul’s face as he moved forward to hug him.For Chanderpaul, Mukul has always been a player who puts the team above everything else.“More than a classy batsman, he is a brilliant team man. His first priority is always the team.” I noticed it when he first came to me. In every situation he would ask, ‘Sir, how can I help the team win?’ This attitude is what makes him special and has brought him this far.”“We have seen players like Russell and Pollard, who are physically very strong hitters. He is similar in that sense. He has that kind of muscular build and a very different mindset. If he has to hit 100 sixes in a day, he can do that comfortably,” Chanderpaul said.
Last dream – meeting Dhoni
One of his seven sixes against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday night was a Dhoni-like helicopter shot that sent the Eden Gardens crowd into a deafening roar. The entire LSG dugout including Rishabh Pant was stunned.Lucknow Super Giants will next face Chennai Super Kings on May 10 and for Mukul Choudhary, he will not only be at the pinnacle of his incredible innings, but he will also be looking forward to meeting his idol MS Dhoni. Mukul had said on JioHotstar after the match, “I always look up to MS Dhoni because I am also a finisher. I always look up to him. His helicopter shot, which is very iconic, is my favourite. Everyone remembers the way he led India in the 2011 World Cup. I want to be like him and finish matches and help my team win.”
Lucknow Super Giants’ next match will be against Chennai Super Kings on May 10.
Ahead of that, their schedule is packed: They will face Gujarat Titans on Sunday, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 15, Punjab Kings on April 19, Rajasthan Royals on April 22, Kolkata Knight Riders on April 26, Mumbai Indians on April 15, and Kolkata Knight Riders on April 26. Indian On 4 May and once again against Royal Challengers Bangalore on 7 May.
Scientists in Australia have discovered a tiny microbe that may reveal the origins of human life. world News
Scientists have discovered an archaea called ‘Asgard’ in the extremely high salinity waters of Australia’s Shark Bay, containing microorganisms that provide a long-standing evolutionary puzzle spanning many centuries – how did simple, single-celled bacteria evolve into such complex multicellular organisms, animals and humans? These unique microorganisms act as an evolutionary link; They carry with them cellular machinery considered unique to complex cells, thus showing us evolutionary transition points in development. The proto-eukaryote, which we now call a ‘living fossil’, represents a specialized early microorganism that could survive and consume other early microorganisms. This led to the formation of the first eukaryotic cell. Without this unique, microscopic ancestor found in the extreme saline basins of Australia, the branch of the evolutionary tree representing humanity would never have evolved.
A microbe found in Australia reveals the mystery of our existence
The identification of Asgard Archaea discovered in Shark Bay microbial mats suggests that these are eukaryotes, or the closest living relatives of eukaryotic organisms in their cells, including humans, according to the study published in Nature. Asgard archaea contain what are called ‘eukaryotic signature proteins’ (ESPs), which provide molecular scaffolding for intracellular architecture. DNA analysis shows that Asgard archaea represent a eukaryotic ancestor, establishing a direct evolutionary lineage between this unicellular organism and modern humans.
How endosymbiosis led to the rise of multicellular life
Research involving Asgard archaea supports the endosymbiotic theory. According to this theory, published in PNAS, endosymbiosis begins with an asgard-like organism ingesting some unrelated bacteria. Instead of digesting these bacteria, the large asgard-like cell and the bacteria existed together as a symbiote. Over a period of millions of years, engulfed bacteria gradually evolved to become what we now refer to as mitochondria – the ‘engines’ of our cells, providing the metabolic boost necessary for evolution to produce multicellular organisms.
How Asgard archaea bridge a two-billion-year gap
The remarkable microbial mats and living stromatolites in Shark Bay may very well be responsible for its World Heritage status and are truly spectacular as they exist in twice as much salt as the open oceans. The ancient environment in which they live resembles the oceans of 2 billion years ago, allowing scientists to see a present-day version of the conditions that gave rise to complex life through the Asgard Archaea that now live in this particular ecological region and are considered the ‘missing link’ because they exhibit evolutionary plasticity.
The hidden complexity of simple microbes
Additionally, Asgard archaea have a unique cytoskeleton compared to standard prokaryotic cells; According to the Journal of Molecular Biology, this enables the cell to change its shape and move, and possibly transport materials internally, which was once thought to be associated with complex forms of life. Thus, they provide evidence that the cellular biomechanics that are essential for complex, environment-dependent life forms existed before the appearance of the first animals.
Judge resigns a year after pile of cash was found in his house. india news
New Delhi: Justice Yashwant Verma, who has been in the news for more than 13 months after wads of burnt currency notes were accidentally found in his official bungalow in New Delhi, has resigned as judge of the Allahabad High Court.In a letter to President Draupadi Murmu on Friday, Verma said he was resigning “with immediate effect”, bringing the curtains down on what looked to be a promising judicial career till March 2025.
Eyewitness testimony of firemen and police officers was taken before the judges’ inquiry committee headed by SC Justice Arvind Kumar as part of the removal motion to convince the controversial HC judge to drop his resistance. On the night of March 14-15 last year, while responding to a 112 fire emergency, they had found sacks of cash in the bungalow of Justice Verma, who was then a Delhi High Court judge, on Tughlaq Road in New Delhi.Justice Verma wrote, “Although I do not propose to burden your distinguished office with the reasons which have compelled me to submit this letter, it is with deep pain that I tender my resignation from the office of Judge of the Honorable High Court at Allahabad with immediate effect.”
अमेठी में शॉर्ट सर्किट से लगी भीषण आग, कई किसानों की गेहूं की फसल जलकर राख.
अमेठी जिले के मुंशीगंज थाना क्षेत्र में एक बड़ी घटना सामने आई है, जहां शॉर्ट सर्किट के कारण भीषण आग लग गई. यह हादसा सुल्तानपुर ग्राम सभा के नीलकंठपुर दुआरा गांव में हुआ, जिसमें कई किसानों की खड़ी गेहूं की फसल पूरी तरह जलकर राख हो गई. आग इतनी भीषण थी कि देखते ही देखते पूरे खेतों में फैल गई। ग्रामीणों ने मिलकर आग बुझाने का प्रयास किया, लेकिन सूचना के बावजूद फायर ब्रिगेड समय पर मौके पर नहीं पहुंच सकी, जिससे नुकसान और बढ़ गया.
शॉर्ट सर्किट से लगी आग, फसलों को भारी नुकसान
जानकारी के मुताबिक बिजली के शॉर्ट सर्किट से अचानक आग लग गयी. उस समय खेतों में खड़ी गेहूं की फसल तैयार थी, जिसके कारण आग तेजी से फैल गई. देखते ही देखते आग ने कई खेतों को अपनी चपेट में ले लिया और किसानों की मेहनत जलकर राख हो गई।
ग्रामीणों ने मिलकर आग पर काबू पाया
घटना के बाद गांव के लोग तुरंत मौके पर पहुंचे और मिलकर आग बुझाने का प्रयास किया. कड़ी मशक्कत के बाद ग्रामीणों ने किसी तरह आग पर काबू पाया, लेकिन तब तक काफी नुकसान हो चुका था। अगर समय पर मदद मिल जाती तो नुकसान कम हो सकता था.
फायर ब्रिगेड समय पर नहीं पहुंची
ग्रामीणों का आरोप है कि उन्होंने समय रहते प्रशासन और फायर ब्रिगेड को सूचना दे दी थी, लेकिन इसके बावजूद कोई टीम मौके पर नहीं पहुंची. इससे आग बुझाने में देरी हुई और नुकसान ज्यादा हुआ. इस घटना के बाद प्रशासन की कार्यशैली पर सवाल उठ रहे हैं.
कई किसानों की फसलें जलकर राख हो गईं
इस हादसे में राज बहादुर तिवारी, सत्य प्रकाश पांडे, जय प्रकाश पांडे, करुणा शंकर पांडे, उमाशंकर पांडे, राजाराम, अजय, पवन पांडे, दुर्गा प्रसाद, संजय तिवारी और पवन समेत कई किसानों की गेहूं की फसल पूरी तरह जल गई। किसानों का कहना है कि उनकी साल भर की मेहनत एक पल में खत्म हो गई.
मुआवजे की मांग उठी
घटना के बाद प्रभावित किसानों ने प्रशासन से मुआवजे की मांग की है. उनका कहना है कि उन्हें आर्थिक सहायता दी जाए ताकि वे अपने नुकसान की भरपाई कर सकें और अगली फसल की तैयारी कर सकें.
(रिपोर्ट:बृजेश मिश्र,अमेठी)
Vaibhav Suryavanshi dominates again; Rajasthan Royals’ winning campaign continues with victory over RCB. cricket news
Guwahati: Vaibhav Suryavanshi certainly owned the term ‘impact player’ on Friday. 15 year old batting sensation created a stir on the field Rajasthan RoyalsChasing a target of 202 runs at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium here, defending champions RCB scored 78 runs in 26 balls as the hosts won by four wickets with two overs to spare. With their fourth consecutive win, the Royals remain at the top of the table with 8 points from as many matches, while RCB remain at the third position with four points after three matches.Suryavanshi’s magic at this young age is such that even Dhruv Jurel’s brilliant innings of unbeaten 81 runs in 43 balls (8×4, 3×6) came to naught. When the show Sooryavanshi is on, everyone else can take a back seat. Just three days after hitting a six off Jasprit Bumrah’s first ball in the match against Mumbai Indians at the same ground, Suryavanshi took on Josh Hazlewood regardless of his reputation as one of the leading bowlers in the world. The Australian, returning from injury, was welcomed with a hat-trick of fours and then a six over deep square leg in his second over.In the next over, the fifth over of the RR innings, in came Bhuvneshwar Kumar for punishment, who was hit for two consecutive sixes as Suryavanshi completed his half-century off 15 balls.
The sequence ended after Virat Kohli was caught by Krunal Pandya at long on on the first ball of the ninth over. However, by the time he was out, Suryavanshi had ensured Rajasthan’s victory, with the team at 129/2 in 8.1 overs.Jurel ensured there were no interruptions in his unbroken fifth-wicket partnership with Ravindra Jadeja (24 not out off 25 balls).Earlier, Rajat Patidar took RCB to 201/8 after the start was delayed by over an hour due to rain. While most of his top-order teammates either did not get starts or failed to convert, Patidar played a captain’s innings amid some tough middle overs by the Rajasthan Royals bowlers in front of a crowd cheering for the defending champions. His innings of 63 runs off 40 balls with the help of four fours and as many sixes along with some late charges from ‘impact player’ Venkatesh Iyer (29 not out in 15 balls) and Romario Shepherd (22 runs in 11 balls) helped RCB reach a strong total of 201/8.Kohli, who was responsible for garnering the ‘home’ support, gave the sell-out crowd ample reason to cheer with some trademark shots.