India beat Pakistan by six wickets, set to enter Champions Trophy semifinals
Dubai, Feb 23 (PTI): India beat Pakistan by six wickets in a one-sided Champions Trophy clash here on Sunday to all but seal a spot in the semifinals.
India dismissed Pakistan for 241 after Saud Shakeel struck 62 off 76 balls while skipper Mohammad Rizwan made a laborious 46 from 77 deliveries.
Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (3/40) picked up three wickets and all-rounder Hardik Pandya (2/31) removed Babar Azam (23) and Shakeel.
India completed the chase in 42.3 overs thanks to Virat Kohli (100 not out off 111), Shubman Gill (46 off 52) and Shreyas Iyer (56 off 67).
Skipper Rohit Sharma (20 off 15) too played a few audacious strokes before falling to a beauty from Shaheen Afridi.
With two wins in as many games, India are all but through to the semifinals. Pakistan, on the other hand, are on the brink of elimination after losing their first two group games.
Brief scores:
Pakistan: 241 all out in 49.4 overs (Saud Shakeel 62, Mohammed Rizwan 46, Khushdil Shah 38; Hardik Pandya 2/31, Kuldeep Yadav 3/40).
India: 244/4 in 42.3 overs (Virat Kohli 100 not out, Shubman Gill 46, Shreyas Iyer 56; Abrar Ahmed 1/28).
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Ikkis box office Day 1: Agastya Nanda’s war drama earns ₹7 crore, beats trade projections
Mumbai: Ikkis, the latest war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, has delivered a stronger-than-expected opening at the box office, earning an estimated ₹7 crore net in India on its first day, Hindustan Times reported on Friday.
The film, starring Agastya Nanda, opened in theatres on January 1 across nearly 4,000 screens nationwide. Trade analysts had earlier projected a modest opening of ₹2–2.5 crore, especially given stiff competition from Dhurandhar, which continues to perform strongly at the box office.
Despite these expectations, Ikkis exceeded projections by nearly three times, helped largely by positive word of mouth. As per the report, the film had around 12% occupancy in the morning shows across the country, which jumped to 35% by afternoon, and 47% in the evening, indicating growing audience interest as the day progressed.
While Dhurandhar dominated the day with a reported ₹15 crore collection, trade observers note that Ikkis holding its ground amid such competition is a promising sign, particularly for its performance over the extended opening weekend.
Ikkis is based on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of India’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. The film chronicles Khetarpal’s exploits and bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Agastya plays Khetarpal in the film.
While screen legend Dharmendra appears as his father in his final performance, Dharmendra died a little over a month before the film’s release. Ikkis is also among the final films of the late Asrani, who also died late last year. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal.
