NDTV Sports-Cricket

Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi gave a fiery send-off to Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya during their IPL 2025 encounter on Tuesday. During the third over of the PBKS innings, Priyansh ended up miscuing a shot off Digvesh's bowling and the ball went high up in the air. Shardul Thakur moved across from mid-on and completed an easy catch to give LSG their first breakthrough. Rathi immediately ran towards the batter and made a gesture that signified that his name was added to his notebook of dismissals. The spinner was instantly called by the on-field umpire who had a brief chat with him.

The entire incident left legendary Indian cricket team captain Sunil Gavaskar unhappy as he criticised Digvesh's antics. Gavaskar was not in favour of such a send-off and said that batters do not make such gestures every time they hit a boundary against the bowlers.

#DigveshRathi provides the breakthrough as #PriyanshArya heads back!

P.S: Don't miss the celebration at the end!

Watch LIVE action of #LSGvPBKS https://t.co/GLxHRDQajv#IPLOnJiostar | LIVE NOW on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 Hindi & JioHotstar! | #IndianPossibleLeague pic.twitter.com/TAhHDtXX8n

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 1, 2025

Punjab Kings enjoyed the fruits of a fantastic bowling effort in the Powerplay as Lucknow Super Giants posted a par-score of 171 for 7 on a tricky Ekana Stadium surface in an IPL match on Monday.

On a track that seemed two-paced with variable bounce, Punjab Kings bowlers led by the ever-dependable Arshdeep Singh knocked off the top order within first six overs and contributions from in-form Nicholas Pooran (44 off 30) and Ayush Badoni (41 off 33 balls) wasn't enough to put a challenging score on board.

Punjab's bowling performance on Monday was the perfect definition of doing it in unison as spinners Glenn Maxwell (1/22 in 3 overs) and Yuzvendra Chahal (1/36 in 4 overs) complemented the pacers Lockie Ferguson (1/26 in 3 overs), Arshdeep (3/43 in 4 overs) and Marco Jansen (1/28 in 4 overs).

Credit should also be given to skipper Shreyas Iyer, whose intelligent field placements also ensured that LSG were never in control of the situation.

On a track, where certain deliveries were gripping and odd ball bounced a tad extra, only Pooran looked comfortable against both pacers and spinners.

(With IANS inputs)

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French Far Right Insists 'We Will Win' Despite Marine Le Pen's Election Ban

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen insisted Tuesday that her movement could still win 2027 presidential elections after she was banned from standing for office as part of an embezzlement conviction.

She was given a prison term and fine on Monday after being convicted of a fake jobs scheme at the EU parliament, a verdict that sparked an international echo including from US President Donald Trump.

But the most serious part of the conviction was a five-year ban -- effective immediately -- on standing for office, which eliminates her from the race.

Addressing her lawmakers on Tuesday, Le Pen, who considered herself the favourite in the 2027 election where President Emmanuel Macron cannot stand again, accused "the system" of rolling out "the nuclear bomb" in a bid to end her presidential hopes.

"If they use such a powerful weapon against us, it's obviously because we're about to win an election," said Le Pen, 56. "We won't let this happen."

Le Pen has said she will appeal the "political decision", though a new trial is not expected to take place for at least a year.

Should that fail, there is also a "plan B", a candidacy by her protege and RN party leader Jordan Bardella, a 29-year-old with a slick television and social media presence.

'Leading candidate' 

Le Pen's conviction sparked angry reactions from far-right figures across Europe but also from the Kremlin, X owner Elon Musk and Trump, while Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed concern.

"She was banned from running for five years and she is the leading candidate. That sounds like this country," said Trump, comparing her conviction to the "lawfare" he says was waged against him before becoming president.

But the French government and prosecutors hit out against attacks on the judiciary and in particular against Benedicte de Perthuis, 63, the judge specialised in financial crimes who issued the verdict.

Analysts said the court decision could deepen France's political crisis. Her National Rally (RN), which is the largest single party in parliament, can complicate life for Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who does not have a majority in the lower-house National Assembly.

"Guilty," French daily Liberation said on its front page, calling the ruling a "political earthquake".

"No one is untouchable: she made a mistake, she must pay for it," Nathanael Fichou, a waiter, said in the southern port of Marseille.

Nicole Prolhac, 78, said she was "annoyed" because Le Pen represented millions of French voters.

"But can we let someone who has committed embezzlement lead the country?"

'Wounded, not dead' 

Bardella said the party would seek to organise "peaceful" rallies this weekend.

Speaking to Europe 1 radio, Bardella said that Le Pen had been judged with "brutality and violence" and that her only mistake was to "have the capacity to take the national camp to victory".

"Everything will be done to prevent us from coming to power," he said.

He added that the situation could boost the fortunes of the RN.

"I tell the French do not lose hope. I think that what is happening will make millions of people who do not vote for the RN, vote for the RN," he said.

"We are wounded. But we are far from being dead."

'Not a political decision'

Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin denounced "unacceptable" threats made against the judges while France's prosecutor general Remy Heitz said the verdict was "not a political decision but a legal one".

Le Pen took over the former National Front (FN) from her father Jean-Marie Le Pen in 2011 and has since sought to clean up its image. Her father, who died in January, was often accused of making racist and anti-Semitic comments.

After three unsuccessful presidential campaigns in 2012, 2017 and 2022, polls had shown Le Pen to be on course to easily top the first round with a chance of winning the presidency in the second round run-off.

She was given a four-year prison term by the Paris court. Two years were suspended and the other two would be served outside jail with an electronic bracelet.

Le Pen was convicted for a scheme where the party was found to have eased the pressure on its own finances by using European Parliament monthly allowances to pay "fictitious" parliamentary assistants, who actually worked for the party.

Twenty-four people -- including Le Pen -- were convicted, all of them RN party officials or assistants.

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

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NDTV Sports-Cricket

Kraigg Brathwaite has stepped down as skipper of the West Indies Test team after four years in charge, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said on Monday after a shift in leadership roles saw Shai Hope taking over captaincy of the T20I side. Brathwaite, 32, was appointed as West Indies' Test captain in place of Jason Holder in March 2021. Hope, who is also the team's ODI skipper, replaced Rovman Powell for T20I captaincy. Powell has led the T20 side since May 2023. In a statement, CWI said, "Brathwaite wanted to ensure the team had a period of transition before his departure. As a result, he has submitted his resignation ahead of the home series against Australia, giving the new leadership time to establish itself.

"This series will be particularly special, allowing Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of 100 Test matches, to double down on his batting without added responsibility." A new Test captain will be announced shortly.

The West Indies are scheduled to play Australia in a home series in June-July, marking the start of a new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

"CWI extends its deepest gratitude to Kraigg Brathwaite for his years of service as captain, recognising his dedication to West Indies cricket and his leadership in guiding the Test team to significant milestones. A new captain will be named in the coming weeks," the board said.

During Brathwaite's tenure, the West Indies earned their first Test victory in Australia in 27 years with a thrilling eight-run win in Brisbane last year.

Earlier this year, he led the team to a memorable Test win in Pakistan to level the series, a first in 34 years.

His captaincy also saw the West Indies beat England at home in 2022 and secure a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

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Pak Advocacy Group Recommends Imran Khan's Name For Nobel Peace Prize

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts for human rights and democracy. Members of the Pakistan World Alliance (PWA) - an advocacy group founded last December - who also belong to the Norwegian political party Partiet Sentrum, announced the nomination of Khan, 72.

"We are pleased to announce on behalf of Partiet Sentrum that in alliance with somebody with the right to nominate, have nominated Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, to the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with human rights and democracy in Pakistan," Partiet Sentrum said on X on Sunday.

In 2019, Khan was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to promote peace in South Asia.

Every year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee receives hundreds of nominations after which they select the winner through a lengthy eight-month process, The Express Tribune reported.

Khan, also the founder of Pakistan's main opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, has been incarcerated since August 2023.

This January, Khan was sentenced to 14 years in prison in a case related to the misuse of authority and corruption.

It was the fourth major case in which the former premier has been convicted.

Three earlier convictions related to selling state gifts, leaking state secrets, and unlawful marriage were overturned or suspended by courts.

Khan lost power after a no-confidence vote in April 2022. He denies all charges against him, calling them politically motivated.

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

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Trump "Not Joking" About 3rd Presidential Term. There Are Methods, He Says

Republican President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about seeking a third presidential term, barred by the US Constitution, but that it was too early to think about doing so.
Trump, who took office on January 20 for his second, non-consecutive White House term, has made allusions to seeking a third one but addressed it directly in a telephone interview with NBC News.

"No, I'm not joking. I'm not joking," Trump said, but "it is far too early to think about it." "There are methods which you could do it, as you know," he said, declining to elaborate on specific methods.

US presidents are limited to two four-year terms, consecutive or not, according to the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution. A proposal to overturn a constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds vote in both houses of Congress and ratification by the legislatures of three-fourths of the 50 US states.

Some Trump allies have floated the idea of keeping Trump in the White House beyond 2028, and the president has also brought up the idea on a number of occasions in a manner that seemed to poke at his political opponents.

Trump, who at 78 was the oldest US president at the time of his inauguration, would be 82 if he took on another four-year term following the November 2028 election.

George Washington in 1796 set the precedent for a two-term presidency, a self-imposed limit that most US presidents observed for more than 140 years until Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

Roosevelt, a Democrat who was president during the Great Depression and World War 2, broke tradition and served a third term, then died months into his fourth term in 1945. This paved the way for the amendment of term limits in 1951.

Longtime Trump adviser Steve Bannon said in a March 19 interview with NewsNation that he believes Trump will run again in 2028. Bannon said he and others are looking into ways to make that happen, including examining the definition of a term limit.

"We're working on it," Bannon said.

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

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NDTV Sports-Cricket

MS Dhoni was dismissed on the first ball of the final over as Chennai Super Kings slumped to a 6-run loss against Rajasthan Royals in IPL 2025 on Sunday. Dhoni looked in good touch as he scored 16 off 11 balls with the help of one four and one six. With 20 runs needed off the final over, all eyes were on Dhoni but the veteran India wicket-keeper batter was caught in the deep as the fans were left disappointed. It was a low wide full toss from Sandeep Sharma and Dhoni went for the big one but the ball went straight to Shimron Hetmyer at deep mid-wicket who made no mistake.

Wanindu Hasaranga's brilliance derailed Chennai Super Kings' chase as Rajasthan Royals sealed a six-run win in an IPL match on Sunday.

Shimron Hethmayr today you silenced the realm of MS Dhoni.#cskvsRR #msdhoni #CSKvsRR pic.twitter.com/hlwuaFuKKm

— Immanuel Rudhrakshan (@immanrudhra9066) March 30, 2025

Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad led CSK's fightback with a 44-ball 63 (7x4, 1x6), but Hasaranga's (4/35) relentless strikes kept the chase in check, restricting them to 176/6. This is CSK's second successive defeat.

Ravindra Jadeja (32 not out from 22 balls) and MS Dhoni (16; 11b), who came in at No 7, provided late fireworks, but the target proved beyond reach.

Dhoni gave CSK hope with a six and a four in the 19th over, where Tushar Deshpande leaked 19 runs, with Jadeja finishing it off with a six.

However, with 20 needed off the final over, Sandeep Sharma held his nerves to concede just 13 and dismissed Dhoni, courtesy of a stunning catch by Shimron Hetmyer, sealing RR's win.

Earlier, Nitish Rana's explosive 81 off 36 balls, laced with 10 fours and five sixes, had set RR on course for a 200-plus total.

However, CSK pulled things back in the final overs, with Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, and Khaleel Ahmed taking two wickets each, limiting RR to 182/9.

(With PTI inputs)

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"No, I'm Not Joking": Trump On Seeking Third Presidential Term

Republican President Donald Trump said on Sunday he was not joking about seeking a third presidential term, which is barred by the U.S. Constitution, but that it was too early to think about doing so.

Trump, who took office on January 20 for his second, non-consecutive White House term, has made vague allusions to seeking a third one but addressed it directly on Sunday in a telephone interview with NBC News.

"No, I'm not joking. I'm not joking," Trump said, but "it is far too early to think about it."

"There are, there are methods which you could do it, as you know," he said. He declined to elaborate on any specific methods.

US presidents are limited to two four-year terms, consecutive or not, according to the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

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

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