Mumbai, Mar 26: Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan showed immense maturity as he anchored Mumbai Indians innings to a fighting 177 for 5 with an unbeaten 81 against Delhi Capitals in their IPL match here on Sunday.
The 23-year-old opener, who became the most expensive buy of the IPL 2022 auction when MI bought him back for Rs 15.25 crore, proved his worth as he smashed 11 fours and two sixes in his 48-ball unbeaten knock.
After playing a second-fiddle to his skipper Rohit Sharma (41) inside the Power Play, Kishan came on his own to smash his third fifty in a row for MI, and 10th overall.
Delhi put on the brakes in the middle overs, riding on Kuldeep Yadav's fine bowling effort of 4-0-18-3 which included the prized wickets of Rohit and Kieron Pollard (3).
But Kishan held fort even as wickets fell around him before exploding in the death with Mumbai scoring 59 runs in the final five overs.
Mumbai debutant Tilak Varma also impressed in his 22 off 15 balls, but it was the Jharkhand batter who stepped on the gas in the death overs and also displayed a helicopter shot to prop up the total.
Playing with just two foreigners, Delhi missed their overseas recruits like Anrich Nortje (hip injury) and Lungi Ngidi as their pace attack of Shardul Thakur (4-0-47-0), Khaleel Ahmed (4-0-27-2) and Kamlesh Nagarkoti (2-0-29-0) looked ordinary.
In a new avatar, Kuldeep bowled flat out and was spot on with his lengths and did not let the batters have a go at him.
He first had Rohit with a back of a length delivery and then got Anmolpreet holed out to long off with a tossed up delivery.
Rohit and Kishan gave Mumbai a rollicking start. The skipper smashed three boundaries and two sixes, while his left-handed partner Kishan hit three boundaries and a six as the duo raced to 53 runs in six overs.
Just when Mumbai were toying with the lacklustre Delhi pace attack, Kuldeep halted their run flow with his twin breakthroughs after the Power Play.
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Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
