Shikhar Dhawan's 88 not out propels Punjab Kings to 187/4 against CSK
Mumbai, Apr 25: Opening batter Shikhar Dhawan struck his second fifty of the season to power Punjab Kings to 187 for 4 in their Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings here on Monday.
The 36-year-old left-handed batter anchored the Punjab innings with a brilliant 88 not out and combined with Sri Lankan Bhanuka Rajapaksa (42) for a 110-run stand for the second wicket from 11.3 overs after captain Mayank Agarwal's early dismissal.
Dhawan hit nine fours and two sixes in his 59-ball superlative unbeaten knock. He went past his earlier highest score this season -- 70 against Mumbai Indians in Pune.
Dhawan got an able ally in Rajapaksa who made 42 from 32 balls with the help of two fours and as many sixes as the duo frustrated the CSK bowlers for a long stretch in the innings.
Englishman Liam Livingstone, who was bought for Rs 11.5 crore in the IPL auction, played a little cameo of 19 runs off seven balls with the help of a four and two sixes towards the end to swell the Punjab total.
Punjab made a slow start after being sent in to bat and their captain Agarwal's struggles this season continued as he was out in the sixth over for 18 off 21 balls. They reached 37 for 1 after powerplay overs.
Dhawan and Rajapaksa kept the scoreboard ticking with singles and doubles though without too many boundaries. The duo took Punjab to 72 for 1 at the halfway mark.
The advantage for Punjab was that they lost just one wicket in the first half of their innings and they capitalised on that later in the back-end.
They added 64 runs in the final five overs.
Rajapaksa was out in the 18th over off Dwayne Bravo (2/42) who also scalped the wicket of Livingstone in the final over.
Jonny Bairstow was run out for six in the final ball of the innings.
Maheesh Theekshana was the other wicket-taker for CSK.
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
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.
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