K L Rahul anchors Kings XI Punjab to eight-wicket win over Mumbai Indians
Mohali, Mar 30: K L Rahul played the role of a sheet anchor to perfection as Kings XI Punjab returned to winning ways with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in an IPL encounter here Saturday.
The talented Rahul was unbeaten on 71 off 57 balls with KXIP reaching the 177-run target in only 18.4 overs. This was KXIP's second win in three games while MI lost their second game.
The India international hit six fours and a six but what stood out was the manner in which he paced his innings.
He played second fiddle to perfection till the dashing Chris Gayle and the flamboyant Mayank Agarwal were at the crease but upped the ante when it was required.
The 15th over bowled by Hardik Pandya swung the match decisively in KXIP's favour with 19 runs coming off it.
Once the pressure was off, Rahul hit the ever-dependable Jasprit Bumrah for successive fours to literally close the match.
Gayle (40, 24 balls) batted in a manner only he can as he cleared his front leg and hit those towering sixes before Pandya brothers joined hands to send him back to the dug-out after an opening stand of 53.
Gayle failed to get required elevation off a Krunal delivery and Hardik caught him in the deep. Rahul was barely into double figures when Gayle got out.
The next partnership was equally interesting as Agarwal (43, 21 balls) was in great nick during the 64 runs that he added with his close buddy Rahul in only 6.1 overs.
Pandya brothers had a dismal day with the ball as Krunal gave away 43 runs in his four overs and Hardik 39 runs in three overs.
While he was a disappointment with the ball, Hardik once again provided the final flourish after yet another middle-order collapse as Mumbai Indians managed 176 for 7 after being put into bat.
Quinton de Kock with a 39-ball-60 created a platform which the middle-order unfortunately didn't make full use of before Hardik smashed 31 off 19 balls to enable MI get past 175-run mark.
While De Kock hit six boundaries and two sixes in his innings, Pandya hit three boundaries and a six off Mohammed Shami.
Skipper Rohit Sharma also looked good during his brief stay at the crease, scoring 32 off 18 balls with five fours. He added 51 for the opening stand with De Kock.
For the home team, it was the lesser known Ashwin -- Murugan, who emerged as the most successful bowler with figures of 2 for 25 from his four overs.
Skipper Ravichandran Ashwin didn't get any wickets but gave away only 26 runs in his four overs.
The pace troika of Shami (2/40 in 4 overs), Andrew Tye (1/40 in 4 overs) and Hardus Viljoen (2/40 in 4 overs) were among wickets but bowled a lot of loose deliveries, giving away 13 fours and three sixes.
MI were off to a great start after Shami was hit for a couple of boundaries by Rohit and one from De Kock in the very second over.
In the fifth over, Rohit hit Andrew Tye for three more fours but Viljoen dismissed him in the very next over when he tried to play across the line.
Suryakumar Yadav (11) was caught plumb in-front by Murugan but De Kock found his ways to get boundaries off both the Ashwins.
For good measure he pulled Shami for a six behind square and brought up his fifty with a boundary off Murugan.
In between Yuvraj Singh became Murugan's second victim and once De Kock was trapped leg before by Shami, MI were in a spot of bother.
Once Pollard was gone, MI slumped to 146 for five from 120 for two but Hardik ensured a safe total for the visitors.
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Pak cancels over 500 flights in last three days due to raging conflict in West Asia
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan has cancelled more than 500 domestic and international flights over the past three days due to raging conflict in West Asia, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, according to a media report on Monday.
Along with passengers, air cargo services have also been suspended, halting the transport of various goods, including food items and other supplies. It is still unclear when flights will resume, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
According to data from the Pakistan Airport Authority, more than 500 flights departing from and arriving at various airports across Pakistan have been cancelled, the paper said.
It added that the suspension of air cargo services has also disrupted the delivery of food and other goods, causing difficulties not only for passengers but also for industrialists.
Flights from Pakistani airports, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Multan, operated by PIA, private airlines, and foreign carriers to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah, Dubai, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and other countries have been cancelled.
Airport sources stated that some airspaces are closed, leading to the suspension of operations. Currently, there is no information on when flights will resume. Only flights to and from Saudi Arabia are continuing.
If the situation persists or worsens, air operations may face further disruptions.
According to Khawaja Ayub Naseem, a senior leader of the Travel Agents Association, fear and uncertainty are also causing many Umrah pilgrims to hesitate to travel.
Hundreds of pilgrims had booked tickets via Dubai. While ticket refunds are possible, hotel bookings are non-refundable. If the situation continues, travel agents could face losses amounting to millions of rupees.
While Pakistan's airspace remains fully available and secure, airlines have adjusted operations in response to the evolving security situation and restrictions in neighbouring airspace.
Karachi's Jinnah International Airport witnessed extraordinary activity over the weekend, with dozens of flights of foreign airlines diverted to Karachi, creating scenes reminiscent of the 1990 Gulf crisis.
According to aviation sources, a large number of foreign airlines were rerouted to Karachi as regional airspace restrictions and security concerns forced precautionary diversions. Several aircraft were temporarily parked during the day, while many others landed for refuelling.
In view of the extraordinary influx, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday issued a formal NOTAM highlighting limited aircraft parking space at the airport and directing airlines and cockpit crew to ensure prior coordination before operating into Karachi.
A PAA spokesperson said overall, 27 flights were handled, including diversions, return flights, technical landings and rerouted operations.
Karachi airport alone managed 13 diversions, including technical refuelling stops. In addition, four diversions were recorded in the Lahore Flight Information Region, while two return diversions were handled at Islamabad Airport.
Three flights returned to their original or alternate destinations, while five rerouted flights transited through Karachi's airspace without landing and were provided alternate routes.
The sudden increase in traffic created operational challenges due to limited parking space, prompting airport authorities to caution airlines about possible delays.
The US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, assassinating 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside family members, including his daughter and grandchildren.
Since then, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in surrounding Gulf States.
