KKR enter their 4th IPL final with thumping win over SRH
Ahmedabad, May 21: Kolkata Knight Riders entered their fourth IPL final with a thumping eight-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 here on Tuesday.
Mitchell Starc stuck thrice in the powerplay as KKR bowled out Sunrisers Hyderabad for 159.
Rahul Tripathi top-scored for SRH with 55 off 35 balls while Heinrich Klaasen smashed 32 off 21 balls. The 62-run stand between Tripathi and Klaasen was the lone positive in an otherwise underwhelming batting effort.
KKR then gunned down the target in 13.4 overs, thanks to Venkatesh Iyer (51 not out) and skipper Shreyas Iyer's (58 not out) unbeaten knocks.
SRH will get one more opportunity to make the final when they face the winner of the Eliminator in Chennai on Friday.
Brief scores:
SRH 159 all out in 19.3 overs (Rahul Tripathi 55; Mitchel Starc 3/34).
KKR 164 for 2 in 13.4 overs (Venkatesh Iyer 51 not out, Shreyas Iyer 58 out out; T Natarajan 1/22).
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Pakistan comments on Kogilu slum demolition; India rejects remarks
Bengaluru: Pakistan has reacted to the demolition of slum homes at Kogilu in north Bengaluru, prompting a strong response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which rejected the comments and questioned Pakistan’s own record on minority rights.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office reportedly issued a statement alleging that Muslim homes were being demolished in Bengaluru with state backing and also referred to alleged attacks on Christians, calling the developments a matter of “serious concern”, The New Indian Express reported on Wednesday.
In a strong reply, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reportedly said, “We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself. Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-established fact. No amount of finger-pointing will obfuscate it.”
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar said senior national leaders would respond to Pakistan’s comments. On questions about the evicted residents possessing identity cards from multiple states, he said officials would verify the details.
Asked if all evictees will be accommodated, Shivakumar said, “We will rehabilitate only genuine and eligible evictees. We will provide housing only to eligible locals.”
The controversy arose after Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) demolished around 160 houses at Fakeer Colony and Wasim Layout in Yelahanka, reclaiming about five acres of land valued at ₹80 crore. BSWML plans to set up a biogas plant and animal rendering unit in the space.
According to the report, the demolition soon turned into a political issue, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accusing the Karnataka government of bringing “bulldozer raj” to Bengaluru and alleging suppression of minorities and Dalits. CPIM from Kerala too started visiting the demolition site.
In a sort of damage-control exercise, All-India Congress Committee General Secretary KC Venugopal, who is said to be a chief ministerial candidate if the United Democratic Front wins in Kerala, asked the Karnataka government to mitigate the problem, ahead of Kerala going to the polls in April-May of next year.
Following the developments, the Karnataka government has decided to provide accommodation to eligible evictees under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation scheme and temporary shelter at Byappanahalli, officials said.
