Rizwan creates Namaz groups, restricts non-Muslims: Imam-ul-Haq on Pak captain's religious practices
Islamabad: Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq has shared details about captain Mohammad Rizwan’s religious practices within the national cricket team. Speaking on the Ultra Edge podcast ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, Imam revealed that Rizwan arranges hotel rooms for prayers, gathers teammates for Namaz, lays out white sheets for prayer, and creates WhatsApp groups for prayer schedules. He also mentioned that non-Muslims are restricted from entering these prayer spaces.
The video of Imam’s remarks has surfaced on social media at a time when the Pakistan cricket team is facing heavy criticism following their early exit from the Champions Trophy. Pakistan crashed out in the group stage after defeats to India and New Zealand.
With the team struggling, speculation continues over Rizwan’s leadership and the Pakistan Cricket Board’s plans for the future. Reports suggest that PCB is considering changes in coaching staff to address the team’s performance issues.
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Ikkis box office Day 1: Agastya Nanda’s war drama earns ₹7 crore, beats trade projections
Mumbai: Ikkis, the latest war drama directed by Sriram Raghavan, has delivered a stronger-than-expected opening at the box office, earning an estimated ₹7 crore net in India on its first day, Hindustan Times reported on Friday.
The film, starring Agastya Nanda, opened in theatres on January 1 across nearly 4,000 screens nationwide. Trade analysts had earlier projected a modest opening of ₹2–2.5 crore, especially given stiff competition from Dhurandhar, which continues to perform strongly at the box office.
Despite these expectations, Ikkis exceeded projections by nearly three times, helped largely by positive word of mouth. As per the report, the film had around 12% occupancy in the morning shows across the country, which jumped to 35% by afternoon, and 47% in the evening, indicating growing audience interest as the day progressed.
While Dhurandhar dominated the day with a reported ₹15 crore collection, trade observers note that Ikkis holding its ground amid such competition is a promising sign, particularly for its performance over the extended opening weekend.
Ikkis is based on the life of Arun Khetarpal, the youngest recipient of India’s highest gallantry award, the Param Vir Chakra. The film chronicles Khetarpal’s exploits and bravery during the 1971 India-Pakistan War. Agastya plays Khetarpal in the film.
While screen legend Dharmendra appears as his father in his final performance, Dharmendra died a little over a month before the film’s release. Ikkis is also among the final films of the late Asrani, who also died late last year. The film also stars Jaideep Ahlawat and Deepak Dobriyal.
