Disciplined DC restrict UP Warrioz to 138/8 in WPL
New Delhi, Mar 8: Deepti Sharma scored an unbeaten fifty before Delhi Capitals produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict UP Warriorz to a below-par 138 for 8 in their Women's Premier League match here on Friday.
The in-form Deepti, who was elevated to the number three spot, anchored the Warriorz innings. The Indian all-rounder scored 59 off 48 balls with the help of six boundaries and a six.
However, she couldn't find anyone to complement her once skipper Alyssa Healy (29) departed.
Asked to field, Titas Sadhu (2/23) got the early breakthrough for the home team. The 19-year-old cleaned up opener Kiran Navgire (5).
Healy (29) and Deepti stitched a 46-run stand for the second wicket. The two collected 44 runs off the powerplay and kept the scoreboard ticking by collecting boundaries every over.
Off-spinner Alice Capsey (1/5) broke the partnership as she bowled a slower one which was on the shorter side to the dangerous Healy, who came out of her crease to whack the ball, only to find an eager Annabel Sutherland (0/12) at long-on.
Healy's wicket changed the complexion of the match as it triggered a batting collapse.
Tahlia Mcgrath's (3) stay in the middle was cut short by Arundhati Reddy (1/15) as the ball hit the stumps.
But that didn't stop Deepti, who smashed two boundaries each in the next overs off Sutherland and Jess Jonassen (1/31).
However, the UP innings started unravelling as DC bowlers struck at regular intervals.
Grace Harris (14) received a reprieve in the 14th over when DC skipper Meg Lanning dropped her but the Australian couldn't make use of it, falling to a Radha Yadhav delivery a couple of balls later.
As wickets continued to tumble for the Warriorz, the boundaries dried up as well.
Sadhu returned to claim the wicket of Shweta Sehrawat (4) while Radha Yadav accounted for Poonam Khemnar (1).
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Congress committed to social justice, says Karnataka CM; hits out at JD(S), BJP
BJP Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday asserted that the Congress remains firmly committed to social justice, both in principle and practice.
"The Congress is a party committed to social justice. This ideological commitment has been demonstrated not merely through words but through action," the CM said in a statement, underlining that the party has consistently translated its philosophy into governance.
He said his recent article marking Social Justice Day has sparked debate.
Defending the piece, he said: "An article I wrote for a newspaper as part of Social Justice Day celebrations has sparked multifaceted debate in the state’s political circles. If water remains stagnant, it turns into slush; if it flows, it becomes clearer."
"The social system is similar—if it does not remain rigid and instead becomes dynamic, it transforms in a people-centric manner. From this perspective, I welcome the discussion surrounding my article," he added.
Stating that his commitment to social justice is longstanding, the CM said, "Whether in power or out of it, my stand in favour of social justice has remained unwavering. I have greater clarity about the caste system among us than the politicians criticising me."
"I am prepared for a public debate on this issue," Siddaramaiah added.
Responding to criticism from Union Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) leader H D Kumaraswamy, he said, "I have taken his allegation—that I have ‘dragged caste into the picture for the sake of a chair’—lightly."
Launching a sharp attack on JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and his family, Siddaramaiah added, "Kumaraswamy and his revered father Deve Gowda are certainly not casteists; they are against their own caste. More importantly, they are family-centric. For them, caste is merely a vote bank."
He alleged that past, present, and future top JD(S) leaders would always be members of the Gowda family, questioning how many Vokkaliga leaders the party had nurtured during Deve Gowda’s long political career.
The CM maintained that it was the Congress that had identified and politically groomed Vokkaliga leaders.
"From Kengal Hanumanthaiah to S M Krishna, hundreds of Vokkaliga leaders have been nurtured. If Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, and S M Krishna became chief ministers, it was because of the Congress," he said, adding that several prominent Vokkaliga leaders are currently in the party.
"If one day anyone other than a member of Deve Gowda’s family becomes chief minister, it will be through the Congress," he noted.
Highlighting inclusivity, Siddaramaiah said the Congress has enabled leaders from Vokkaliga, Lingayat, and backward communities to become chief ministers in Karnataka, and expressed gratitude to party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi for giving him a second term.
He added that leaders from the Dalit community who rise to the CM's post do so on merit, not merely caste. "I can confidently say that if someone from the Dalit community becomes chief minister in the future, it will be possible only through the Congress,” he reiterated.
He questioned whether the JD(S) or the BJP in the state is capable of fostering such aspirations. "This is the difference between the Congress, the BJP and JD(S). Therefore, I urge those accusing me of practising caste politics to introspect," the CM said.
