Umran Malik, Bhuvneshwar help SRH bundle out Punjab for 151
Navi Mumbai, Apr 17: Young pace sensation Umran Malik produced a stunning 20th over as Sunrisers Hyderabad bundled out Punjab Kings for 151 in the Indian Premier League here on Sunday.
The 22-year-old uncapped pacer was on fire in the last over when he picked three wickets while the fourth came via run out. The over ended up being a rare wicket maiden.
Malik's sensational spell came after Liam Livingstone's counter-attacking counter-attacking 60 off 30 balls (5x4, 4x6).
The English all-rounder, who was the most expensive overseas player in this season's IPL auction with a price tag of Rs 11.50-crore, resurrected the PBKS innings after an early collapse.
Reduced to 61/4 inside eight overs after being put in, Livingstone found a perfect ally in No 6 batter Shahrukh Khan (26 off 28 balls; 1x4, 2x6) as the duo stitched together 71 from 49 balls to revive them in the middle overs.
On a slow pitch where scoring was difficult early on, the Englishman did not have any trouble as he had shots all over the pitch.
But the momentum shifted heavily in favour of SRH after Bhuvneshwar Kumar provided the key breakthrough of Livingstone with Kane Williamson taking a superb low catch in the final delivery of the penultimate over.
Malik then spoiled the PBKS show as he first had Odean Smith with a slower one before castling Rahul Chahar and Vaibhav Arora in successive deliveries.
Earlier, Punjab without their skipper and opener Mayank Agarwal (injured toe) had an anxious start and lost two wickets inside five overs including that of stand-in captain Shikhar Dhawan (8).
The experienced left-hander looked aggressive up front against Bhuvneshwar but he was grimacing in pain after being struck close to the box off an inside edge.
Dhawan was finally dismissed by Bhuvneshwar in his next over.
Punjab kept losing wickets and were soon reduced to 33/2 inside five overs when Livingstone came in to take charge of the proceedings.
There were more to follow as Jonny Bairstow (12) and Jitesh Sharma (11) departed in successive overs but Livingstone and Shahrukh held on to turn it around in the middle overs.
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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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