SRH win toss, elect to bat first against KKR in IPL final
Chennai, May 26: Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins won the toss and elected to bat first against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL final here on Sunday.
The Hyderabad side made one change from the last match, bringing in Shahbaz Ahmed in place of Abdul Samad, while KKR retained their eleven from the Qualifier 1.
KKR have earlier won the title two times, while SRH are seeking their second IPL trophy.
The Teams:
Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins (c), Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nitish Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen (w), Shahbaz Ahmed, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jaydev Unadkat, T Natarajan.
Kolkata Knight Riders: Shreyas Iyer (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (w), Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Mitchell Starc, Vaibhav Arora, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakaravarthy.
🚨 Toss Update 🚨
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2024
Sunrisers Hyderabad 🧡 elect to bat in the #Final against Kolkata Knight Riders 💜
Follow the Match ▶️ https://t.co/lCK6AJCdH9#TATAIPL | #KKRvSRH | #TheFinalCall pic.twitter.com/f4PWxfLFEK
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Pakistan comments on Kogilu slum demolition; India rejects remarks
Bengaluru: Pakistan has reacted to the demolition of slum homes at Kogilu in north Bengaluru, prompting a strong response from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, which rejected the comments and questioned Pakistan’s own record on minority rights.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office reportedly issued a statement alleging that Muslim homes were being demolished in Bengaluru with state backing and also referred to alleged attacks on Christians, calling the developments a matter of “serious concern”, The New Indian Express reported on Wednesday.
In a strong reply, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reportedly said, “We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself. Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well-established fact. No amount of finger-pointing will obfuscate it.”
Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar said senior national leaders would respond to Pakistan’s comments. On questions about the evicted residents possessing identity cards from multiple states, he said officials would verify the details.
Asked if all evictees will be accommodated, Shivakumar said, “We will rehabilitate only genuine and eligible evictees. We will provide housing only to eligible locals.”
The controversy arose after Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) demolished around 160 houses at Fakeer Colony and Wasim Layout in Yelahanka, reclaiming about five acres of land valued at ₹80 crore. BSWML plans to set up a biogas plant and animal rendering unit in the space.
According to the report, the demolition soon turned into a political issue, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan accusing the Karnataka government of bringing “bulldozer raj” to Bengaluru and alleging suppression of minorities and Dalits. CPIM from Kerala too started visiting the demolition site.
In a sort of damage-control exercise, All-India Congress Committee General Secretary KC Venugopal, who is said to be a chief ministerial candidate if the United Democratic Front wins in Kerala, asked the Karnataka government to mitigate the problem, ahead of Kerala going to the polls in April-May of next year.
Following the developments, the Karnataka government has decided to provide accommodation to eligible evictees under the Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation scheme and temporary shelter at Byappanahalli, officials said.
