Warner, Bairstow hit hundreds as SRH post IPL's highest total
Hyderabad: Jonny Bairstow and David Warner tore apart the Royal Challengers Bangalore bowlers with sensational centuries, leading Sunrisers Hyderabad to 231 for two, the highest ever total in IPL history, here Sunday.
Englishman Bairstow struck 114 from just 56 balls while Warner carried his bat for a 55-ball 100 in a record 185-run first-wicket partnership after being put into bat.
Bairstow punished RCB with 12 fours and seven sixes while Warner hit five fours and as many sixes in his 55-ball knock.
RCB captain Virat Kohli's decision to put Sunrisers in backfired as all his bowlers were taken to cleaners by Bairstow and Warner who became the first pair in IPL history to post three consecutive hundred-run stands.
Bairstow and Warner bludgeoned the bowlers, bettering the earlier highest of 184 between KKR's Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn in the 2017 edition against Gujarat Lions.
Sunday's innings was also only the second time in IPL history in which two batsmen scored a hundred each.
Bairstow was finally out in the 17th over off Yuzvendra Chahal as he went for yet another big shot but only got the leading edge for Umesh Yadav to take a running catch. He reached to his hundred in 52 balls.
He was particularly harsh on 16-year-old Ray Barman from whom he took 17 runs in the ninth over and later smashed Colin de Grandhomme for 14 runs in the 10th over. He also did not spare India pacer Umesh Yadav who he hit for 16 runs in the 12th over.
Warner played second fiddle all this while and allowed Bairstow to take the initiative but hit fours and sixes in between. The Australian later swung his arms to complete his hundred.
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Pak cancels over 500 flights in last three days due to raging conflict in West Asia
Islamabad (PTI): Pakistan has cancelled more than 500 domestic and international flights over the past three days due to raging conflict in West Asia, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, according to a media report on Monday.
Along with passengers, air cargo services have also been suspended, halting the transport of various goods, including food items and other supplies. It is still unclear when flights will resume, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
According to data from the Pakistan Airport Authority, more than 500 flights departing from and arriving at various airports across Pakistan have been cancelled, the paper said.
It added that the suspension of air cargo services has also disrupted the delivery of food and other goods, causing difficulties not only for passengers but also for industrialists.
Flights from Pakistani airports, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Faisalabad, and Multan, operated by PIA, private airlines, and foreign carriers to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah, Dubai, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and other countries have been cancelled.
Airport sources stated that some airspaces are closed, leading to the suspension of operations. Currently, there is no information on when flights will resume. Only flights to and from Saudi Arabia are continuing.
If the situation persists or worsens, air operations may face further disruptions.
According to Khawaja Ayub Naseem, a senior leader of the Travel Agents Association, fear and uncertainty are also causing many Umrah pilgrims to hesitate to travel.
Hundreds of pilgrims had booked tickets via Dubai. While ticket refunds are possible, hotel bookings are non-refundable. If the situation continues, travel agents could face losses amounting to millions of rupees.
While Pakistan's airspace remains fully available and secure, airlines have adjusted operations in response to the evolving security situation and restrictions in neighbouring airspace.
Karachi's Jinnah International Airport witnessed extraordinary activity over the weekend, with dozens of flights of foreign airlines diverted to Karachi, creating scenes reminiscent of the 1990 Gulf crisis.
According to aviation sources, a large number of foreign airlines were rerouted to Karachi as regional airspace restrictions and security concerns forced precautionary diversions. Several aircraft were temporarily parked during the day, while many others landed for refuelling.
In view of the extraordinary influx, the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) on Saturday issued a formal NOTAM highlighting limited aircraft parking space at the airport and directing airlines and cockpit crew to ensure prior coordination before operating into Karachi.
A PAA spokesperson said overall, 27 flights were handled, including diversions, return flights, technical landings and rerouted operations.
Karachi airport alone managed 13 diversions, including technical refuelling stops. In addition, four diversions were recorded in the Lahore Flight Information Region, while two return diversions were handled at Islamabad Airport.
Three flights returned to their original or alternate destinations, while five rerouted flights transited through Karachi's airspace without landing and were provided alternate routes.
The sudden increase in traffic created operational challenges due to limited parking space, prompting airport authorities to caution airlines about possible delays.
The US and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Saturday, assassinating 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, alongside family members, including his daughter and grandchildren.
Since then, Iran has targeted multiple US bases in surrounding Gulf States.
