Ravi Shastri urges Suryakumar Yadav to stay "strong and patient" after Australia snub
New Delhi: National coach Ravi Shastri has urged Suryakumar Yadav to "stay strong and patient" after the Mumbai Indians batsman impressed with an unbeaten 43-ball 79 in the IPL despite the heartbreak of being ignored for India's tour of Australia.
His consistent run in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League notwithstanding, Yadav did not feature in India's white-ball squad named for the series against Australia on Monday.
The 30-year-old right-hander smashed 10 fours and three sixes to help Mumbai Indians notch up a five-wicket victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
"Surya namaskar. Stay strong and patient @surya_14kumar #MIvsRCB," Shastri, who is in Dubai, tweeted after the match.
After the win, Suryakumar took off his helmet and signalled to the dressing room reminding them "to keep faith in him as he will get the job done".
His innings earned praise from several former stars with ex Indian opener Virender Sehwag saying it won't be long before Yadav dons the Indian jersey.
"Bandey mein hai Dum. Jaldi number aayega no doubt. 3 blockbuster seasons in a row. Brilliant innings from Suryakumar Yadav and a wonderful win for Mumbai. #MIvsRCB" Sehwag tweeted.
"What a knock by @surya_14kumar! Don't know what else he can do to wear the national colours! Brilliant knock a treat to watch and hope to see you do the same in the Indian colours soon! #MIvsRCB #IPL," former chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth tweeted.
Suryakumar has so far scored 362 runs from 12 matches at an average of 40.22. The legendary Sachin Tendulkar and veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh also lauded him.
"Important win for @mipaltan. Fantastic innings by @surya_14kumar. Calm and composed as ever. Way to go!," Tendulkar said.
"Class inn yet again @surya_14kumar hope selectors are watching him play.. well played @mipaltan @IPL," Harbhajan tweeted.
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Mamata asks TMC nominees not to leave counting centres as EC data shows BJP leading
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged TMC candidates and agents to remain vigilant and not to leave counting centres, alleging that there was a "game plan" by the BJP and the Election Commission to show the saffron party taking a lead in the early trends of counting.
In a video message issued during the counting of votes, the TMC supremo appealed to party workers to stay put and not to lose morale.
"I appeal to everyone that neither TMC candidates nor counting agents should abandon counting centres," she said.
As trends on the Election Commission website indicated the BJP leading in 188 seats against the TMC's 94, Banerjee maintained that her party was still ahead in a significant number of constituencies.
"We are still ahead in 170 seats, but I request everyone not to lose hope," she said, adding that there were "around 70 to 100 seats where we are leading, but they are not sharing the data of those seats".
"A false narrative is being spread," she alleged.
The chief minister accused the Election Commission of "not declaring results or leads" in areas where the TMC was ahead.
"This is a game plan by the EC and the BJP as it (poll panel) is not declaring results or leads in areas where we are leading," she said.
Banerjee also alleged irregularities in the counting process at some locations.
"In several places, counting has been stopped after the first two to three rounds. In Kalyani, we have caught seven machines with severe anomalies," she claimed.
She further alleged that TMC workers were being "harassed with the help of central forces" and that party offices were being "vandalised and forcefully captured".
"With the help of central forces, they are harassing and torturing AITC workers. Our offices have been vandalised," she said, also alleging that voter list revision exercises were "purposefully done to target seats where we were strong".
Seeking to reassure party workers, Banerjee said more rounds of counting were yet to take place and urged them to stay firm.
"Fourteen to eighteen rounds of counting will happen. You will surely emerge victorious. Don't be afraid; fight like tigers," she said.
Her remarks came as counting trends suggested that the BJP was leading in 188 seats and had crossed the halfway mark of 148 in the 294-member assembly, pointing to a potential shift in the state's political landscape.
Counting for 293 constituencies was underway with postal ballots, followed by EVM votes.
Officials cautioned that trends could change as more rounds are counted, and final results would be known later in the day.
জরুরি বার্তা pic.twitter.com/Uc82oihwEL
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) May 4, 2026
