Afghanistan power past Sri Lanka by 7 wickets
Pune (PTI): Feisty fifties by Rahmat Shah, skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullh Omarzai helped Afghanistan defeat tentative Sri Lanka by seven wickets in their World Cup match here on Monday.
Rahmat (62), Shahidi (58 not out), who completed 2000 ODI runs, and Omarzai (73 not out) led the chase with aplomb as Afghanistan overhauled the target of 242 in just 45.2 overs.
Earlier, Sri Lanka produced a dull batting effort to get bundled out for 241.
They were rocked by pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi who grabbed four wickets conceding just 34 runs in his quota of 10 overs.
Brief scores: Sri Lanka: 241 all out in 49.3 overs (Pathum Nissanka 46; Fazalhaq Farooqi 4/34)
Afghanistan: 242 for 3 in 45.2 overs (Rahmat Shah 62, Hashmatullah Shahidi 58 not out, Azmat Omarzai 73 not out) by 7 wickets.
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Opposition raking up Dalit CM issue to divert attention: Karnataka Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday accused the opposition of "unnecessarily stoking" the debate over a Dalit Chief Minister to deflect attention from governance.
He asserted that only the Congress has the commitment to elevate a Dalit leader to the top post.
Speaking to reporters here, Parameshwara said the ongoing discussion on a Dalit Chief Minister was being amplified by opposition parties.
“This is the work of the opposition. To hide their own failures, they are raising the issue of the Chief Minister. Isn’t the administration running smoothly? Isn’t the Chief Minister governing?” he asked.
The Minister noted that for the past 10–12 days, detailed budget discussions had been held across departments and governance was progressing normally.
Parameshwara, who is a Dalit, said the Congress alone had the history and political will to make a Dalit Chief Minister.
“Yes, it must be the Congress party. Who else will do it?” he said, while clarifying that the timing of any such decision would be determined by the party high command.
On Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s media statement targeting the JD(S) and invoking social justice, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah had earlier been part of the JD(S) and even served as its president before being expelled.
He noted that the internal history of that party was best known to those within it and declined to comment on specific internal matters.
Defending the Chief Minister’s ideological position, Parameshwara said Siddaramaiah’s politics had always been rooted in social justice and that there was nothing new or opportunistic about his stance.
The Chief Minister, he said, had consistently built his political career on that foundation.
