KKR seal playoffs berth with five-wicket win over Sunrisers
Hyderabad, May 19 : Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) booked their place in the playoffs of the Indian Premier League with a five-wicket victory over table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a crunch game at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here on Saturday.
The result means KKR remain third with 16 points from their full quota of 14 games.
Rajasthan Royals (14), who registered a 30-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore earier in the day, Mumbai Indians (12) and Kings XI Punjab (12) are still in the fray for a final playoff spot.
Sunrisers (18 points from 14 games), already assured of a knockout berth, succumbed to their third loss in a row.
Electing to bat, Sunrisers managed 172/9, riding on Shikhar Dhawan's half century as KKR bowlers led by Prasidh Krishna (4/30) did well in the middle and death overs.
KKR never looked in trouble as Chris Lynn (55; 43b; 4x4, 3x6) and Robin Uthappa (45; 34b; 3x4, 2x6) starred for the visitors to make light of the 173-run target. KKR put up 173/5 in 19.4 overs.
KKR's chase was set up by openers Sunil Narine (29; 10b; 4x4, 2x6) and Lynn who joined hands to help the side race to 52/0 in 22 balls hitting seven fours and three sixes.
However, Shakib Al Hasan (1/30) removed Narine with a looping delivery that the West Indian mistimed to Manish Pandey at long on.
In came Uthappa as there was no let up in intensity with the visitors smashing 61/1 in six overs and Lynn looking in ominous form.
Uthappa, dropped on 11 by Rashid Khan off his own bowling, tonked the celebrated Afghanistan tweaker for a four and six in the 16th over to take 15 runs off it.
It was a facile run-chase from there on despite Carlos Brathwaite (2/21) getting the back of Uthappa with a back of a length delivery which the batsman top-edged to wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami.
Skipper Dinesh Karthik (26 not out) and Shubman Gill (0) remained at the crease at KKR crossed the line with two balls to spare.
Earlier, in-form Dhawan (50 from 39 balls; 5x4, 1x6) looked in good touch although he was dropped on 45 by Sunil Narine off Javon Searles.
Besides Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami (35; 26b; 4x4, 1x6), skipper Kane Williamson (36; 17b; 1x4, 3x6) and Manish Pandey (25; 22b; 2x4, 1x6) also contributed with the bat.
Sunrisers, who were 60/0 after six overs, lost wickets at regular intervals as little-known M.Prasidh Krishna (4/30) returned career best figures for the visitors taking three wickets in the last over while Andre Russell (1/31) gave away just seven in the penultimate over while also picking up a wicket.
Kuldeep Yadav (1/35), Sunil Narine (1/23) and Javon Searles (1/24) were all among wickets.In the last 10 overs, Sunrisers could only manage 80, losing eight wickets after they were 92/1 at the halfway stage.
Brief scores: Sunrisers Hyderabad 172/9 (Shikhar Dhawan 50; Prasidh Krishna 4/30) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 173/5 in 19.4 overs (Chris Lynn 55, Robin Uthappa 45; Carlos Brathwaite 2/21, Siddarth Kaul 2/26) by five wickets.
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BharatPe fraud case: Delhi HC quashes lookout circular against Ashneer Grover, wife
New Delhi, Nov 12: The Delhi High Court has ordered cancellation of a lookout circular (LOC) issued against Ashneer Grover, the former MD of payment app BharatPe, and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, noting that the FIR lodged against them over allegations of cheating and forgery has already been quashed.
Justice Sanjeev Narula passed the order on Monday after the court was informed that another bench of the high court quashed the FIR on the same day.
The FIR was quashed by Justice Chandra Dhari Singh after considering a plea moved by the Grovers stating that they have arrived at a settlement with the fintech company.
In his order, Justice Narula said, "Although the copy of the order (quashing the FIR) is not available as of now, the aforenoted fact is not disputed by the counsel for the parties.
"In light of the fact that the underlying FIR has been quashed, the LOC issued by respondent No. 3 (Bureau of Immigration), in the opinion of the court, will not survive."
The LOC was issued by the Bureau of Immigration at the instance of Delhi Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in view of the investigation against the Grovers in the cheating and forgery FIR.
The court was hearing a plea moved by Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover seeking quashing of the LOC issued against them in connection with the investigation into the cheating and forgery case.
"Accordingly, the present petitions are disposed of with a direction to the respondents to cancel the LOC against the petitioners in their records," the court noted.
Earlier, the Grovers claimed that they were informed about the LOC for the first time when they were detained at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here on November 16, 2023, while they were scheduled to travel to the US.
After being detained, they were informed that the LOC was operational from November 6, 2023.
In May last year, the EOW filed an FIR against Grover, his wife Madhuri, and others under eight sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 406 (criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating and dishonesty), 467 and 468 (forgery), and 471 (using forged documents as genuine) for an alleged Rs 81 crore fraud after a complaint was lodged by BhartPe, the fintech unicorn.
In its complaint, BharatPe alleged that Grover and his family caused damages to the tune of Rs 81.3 crore through illegitimate payments to bogus human resource consultants, inflated and undue payments through pass-through vendors connected to the accused, sham transactions in input tax credit and payment of penalty to GST authorities, illegal payment to travel agencies, forged invoices by Madhuri, and destruction of evidence.
Madhuri was the head of controls at BharatPe before she was fired in 2022 after a forensic audit revealed several irregularities.
Subsequently, Grover resigned as the chief executive officer of the fintech firm in March 2022.
