Bhatkal: A mysterious ship bearing the name “Cochin Shipyard” washed ashore at Bhatkal’s Jali Beach late on Sunday night, drawing massive public attention and sparking speculation among locals. The abandoned vessel, with no crew members or lights on board, was first spotted by staff of Chai Tapri, a beachside café, around midnight on June 16.

Mohammed Talish, the café’s manager, immediately informed local police about the unusual sighting. Bhatkal Town PSI Naveen Naik. According to Naik, the ship had originally been connected to a streamer and was being towed to Mumbai when it got disconnected and eventually drifted to the Bhatkal shore.

Speaking to Vartha Bharati, PSI Naveen Naik clarified that the ship was not involved in any accident. “The vessel was being transported from Cochin Shipyard to Mumbai. It got detached from the streamer towing it, and the people onboard the streamer themselves were unaware of when the detachment occurred,” he said.

Naik further confirmed that an official intimation has been sent to the ship's owning company. “They have assured us that the ship will be retrieved while returning to Cochin from Mumbai,” he added.

Interestingly, PSI Naik mentioned that he was the first to spot the vessel during his night patrol. “Just a few minutes later, the staff from the café also informed us. There was no incident or collision at sea; it appears to be a simple case of detachment.”

By Tuesday evening, videos and photos of the ship had gone viral across local social media groups, prompting hundreds of curious residents to rush to the beach. The unexpected crowd led to a complete traffic jam in the area, forcing police to deploy additional personnel to manage both the crowd and vehicular movement.

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Chennai (PTI): Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan called for more bilateral series against stronger cricketing nations after his team signed off from the T20 World Cup on a high, defeating Canada in their final group match here on Thursday.

Afghanistan played some exhilarating cricket, going down to South Africa in a gripping second Super Over after the scores were tied, a humdinger that provided one of the early thrills of the World Cup.

However, the spin-bowling stalwart said Afghanistan could make significant strides if they get regular opportunities to compete against stronger cricketing nations.

"Couple of areas to improve, with the batting, the middle order got a bit stuck against the big teams, and then with the bowling the death overs. That comes when you play the bigger teams in bilateral series," said Rashid after his team defeat Canada by 82 runs, with him returning excellent figures of 2 for 19.

The stalwart said the side had arrived well prepared for the tournament and produced some breathtaking cricket, but admitted the narrow defeat to South Africa proved costly and remained a painful setback.

"We were well-prepared (for the tournament), we played some unbelievable cricket. The game against South Africa, that really hurt everyone. We had to win one of those (first two) games and see how the tournament unfolded. We'll take some positive things from this World Cup and look forward," he said.

With head coach Jonathan Trott set to part ways with the team, Rashid described the departure as an "emotional" moment for the side.

"I think we had some wonderful times with him. Where we are now, he played a main role. It's emotional to see him leave us, but that's how life is. We wish him all the best and somewhere down the line we see him again."

Ibrahim Zadran, who was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 95 off 56 balls, said it was satisfying to finally register a substantial score after two below-par outings.

"I enjoyed it, didn't play better cricket in first two innings, which I expect. Wanted to back my skills, really enjoyed it. Pressure was there, it's there all the time. I want to put myself in pressure situations and enjoy it," said Zadran.

"Wanted to play positive cricket, rotate strike and punish bad ball, create partnerships and this is what I have done."