Statements against Jaitley based on AAP leaders' information, Vishwas tells HC
New Delhi, May 3: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kumar Vishwas on Thursday told the Delhi High Court that his statements against Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley were based on information from top party leaders and sought more time in the matter.
Vishwas told Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw that before rendering an apology or making any other statement to Jaitley on the issue, he wishes to know whether his party leaders lied or not while issuing statements against the Minister, who is a senior BJP leader.
The court allowed his plea for more time to decide what statement he will make so that the suit can be disposed and listed the matter for May 28.
On April 3, the High Court accepted a joint application by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, Deepak Bajpai, Raghav Chadha and Jaitley to seek court permission to withdraw the civil defamation case filed by the latter.
Kejriwal and other AAP leaders apologised to Jaitley and his family for accusing the Minister of corruption during his 13-year stint at the Delhi and District Cricket Association.
However, Jaitley continued with his suit proceedings against sixth accused, Kumar Vishwas, as he had not tendered any apology.
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Arshdeep, Mandhana nominated for ICC awards
Dubai, Dec 29: Indian pacer Arshdeep Singh has been nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Year award following a stellar season in which he emerged as the joint highest wicket-taker and played a pivotal role in India's T20 World Cup triumph.
The 25-year-old will compete for the prestigious honour alongside Pakistan's Babar Azam, Australia's Travis Head, and Zimbabwe's Sikandar Raza, all of whom are among the standout performers this year.
Stylish Indian opener Smriti Mandhana too will be vying for an ICC award after being nominated for ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year for her standout performance in international cricket.
Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) and Annabel Sutherland (Australia) are the other experienced cricketers competing for the award.
Arshdeep's sensational show in 2024
Singh, a left-arm pacer, was a key figure in India's T20 World Cup victory in Barbados. He finished the year as the joint highest wicket-taker in T20Is, with 36 wickets in 18 matches at an impressive average of 13.5.
His tally was the second-highest by an Indian pacer in T20Is in a calendar year, just behind Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 37 wickets in 2022.
Singh claimed 17 wickets in the T20 World Cup, tying with Afghanistan's Fazalhaq Farooqi for the most wickets in the tournament.
His most memorable moment came in the final, where he dismissed key players Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock early, derailing South Africa's chase of 177. In the high-pressure 19th over, he conceded just four runs, increasing the required run rate and setting the stage for India's victory.
Mandhana delivers sparkling performances
Mandhana, a left-handed opener, amassed 743 runs in 12 innings at an impressive average of 61.91 and a strike rate of 96.99 and also claimed a wicket in what turned out to be a memorable season.
The 28-year-old hit a pair of centuries in June against South Africa in Bengaluru to get her 2024 campaign rolling before managing two more hundreds later in the year to stay in good touch right up until December.
Mandhana managed a total of 343 runs from three innings in a Player of the Series effort against South Africa in June. She got her third hundred when amassing 100 in the final match of India's home series against New Zealand right after the completion of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup.
Another hundred followed in the final match of her side's three-game series with Australia in December, but that was in vain as the Aussies completed a 3-0 series sweep of their own.
Mandhana's best all-round effort came in the second match of India's home series against South Africa, when she scored a century and picked up a key wicket to help her side to a narrow four-wicket victory.
The winners of the ICC Awards 2024 will be announced in late January 2025.
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— ICC (@ICC) December 29, 2024
A star-studded shortlist for ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year has been revealed 👀#ICCAwardshttps://t.co/mhvz13ik6i
