IPL 2026: Chennai Super Kings appoint James Foster as fielding coach
Chennai (PTI): Former England wicketkeeper-batter James Foster was on Monday appointed as the fielding coach of Chennai Super Kings ahead of the upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League.
Foster will join the coaching staff of Chennai Super Kings led by former New Zealand national cricket team captain Stephen Fleming, with Michael Hussey serving as batting coach and Eric Simmons as the bowling coach.
The 45-year-old Foster played seven Tests, 11 ODIs and five T20Is between 2001 and 2009.
He has worked with the England and New Zealand sides as a coaching staff member apart from winning the ILT20 title earlier this year with Desert Vipers. Foster is also the assistant coach of Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred.
"Say Yellove to our fielding coach James Foster! Former England wicketkeeper and a coach with experience across teams worldwide, he now kicks off this new chapter with the Pride," CSK said in a social media post.
CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign in an away game against Rajasthan Royals at Guwahati on March 30, before returning home to face Punjab Kings on April 4.
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Vijayan calls Congress 'B-team' of BJP amid Rajya Sabha poll results
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday accused the Congress of acting as the "B-team" of the BJP, citing developments in the Rajya Sabha elections in Odisha and Bihar.
"The results of today's Rajya Sabha elections once again confirm the reality that the Congress party functions as the B-team of the Sangh Parivar," the veteran CPI(M) leader said in a statement here.
"While the Congress seeks votes from the people by raising slogans against the BJP, it repeatedly adopts a political approach that opens the door for the BJP's victory at crucial moments," he added.
His remarks came as voting for four Rajya Sabha seats in Odisha was held on Monday, with reports that at least five MLAs from the opposition Biju Janata Dal and Congress cross-voted in favour of a BJP-supported Independent candidate.
Vijayan said such developments showed a pattern in several states.
"This is not an isolated incident. In several states, it is the Congress that has created conditions for the BJP to gain additional Rajya Sabha seats through MLA resignations, cross-voting and political manoeuvring," he said.
Referring to Bihar, he said the political situation there had further strengthened the argument.
In Bihar, the ruling NDA made a clean sweep of all five Rajya Sabha seats in the biennial elections held on Monday.
Among those elected were Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, BJP national president Nitin Nabin, Union Minister Ram Nath Thakur, BJP leader Shivesh Kumar and Rashtriya Lok Morcha chief Upendra Kushwaha.
According to officials, at least three Congress MLAs and one from the Rashtriya Janata Dal did not turn up for voting, which helped the NDA secure victory.
"Anti-BJP slogans in public, but support for the BJP in practice -- this is the real politics of the Congress," Vijayan said.
"The Congress claiming to be the leader of secular politics while shamelessly helping the BJP is nothing but a mockery of Indian democracy," he added.
