Sachin Tendulkar bats for second Super Over to decide WC winner in case of tie
Mumbai, July 16: Batting legend Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said there should be a second Super Over to decide the winner instead of the boundary count if a situation like the World Cup final arises where England edged past New Zealand on more number of boundaries hit.
"I feel there should be another Super Over to decide the winner, instead of considering the number of boundaries scored by both teams. Not just in a World Cup final. Every game is important. Like in football, when teams go into extra time, nothing else matters," Tendulkar said.
Tendulkar joined the chorus with India vice captain Rohit Sharma also chastising the rule.
India skipper Virat Kohli, after his team's ouster from the World Cup to New Zealand at Old Trafford, had spoken about how it was a case of being eliminated after just 40-45 minutes of poor batting.
Kohli had said that having an Indian Premier League (IPL) style knockouts in the showpiece event could actually be an option as that would give the top team after the group stages two bites at the cherry.
Tendulkar echoed Kohli and said teams who finish top of the table should have something going for them.
"I think the two teams that finish at the top should definitely have something going for them for having played consistently through the tournament."
Tendulkar also reiterated that MS Dhoni should have batted higher up the order and not at No. 7 during India's semifinal.
"I would've sent MS Dhoni at his usual position, No.5.”
"With the kind of situation that India was in and the experience that he has, the need of the hour was for him to build the innings. Hardik could've batted at 6 and Karthik would've followed at 7."
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Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah accuses EC of ‘bias’, defends state guarantee schemes ahead of bypolls
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the EC of "double standards" and "bias" after it sought details on the state’s guarantee schemes in Davanagere and Bagalkot districts, where bypolls are scheduled for Thursday.
In a post on 'X' on Wednesday, Siddaramaiah said the Election Commission of India had asked the Karnataka government for information on fund releases under five ongoing guarantee schemes in the constituencies going to polls.
The polls were necessitated following the deaths of senior Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, respectively.
The schemes are Gruha Jyothi, which provides 200 units of free electricity to every household; Gruha Lakshmi, offering Rs 2,000 to women heading families; and Anna Bhagya, supplying 10 kg of rice per month to each member of BPL families.
In addition, Yuva Nidhi grants Rs 3,000 to unemployed graduates and Rs 1,500 to unemployed diploma holders aged 18–25 for two years, while Shakti enables women to travel free of charge within Karnataka on government non-luxury buses.
Siddaramaiah alleged that the ECI had remained silent when similar cash transfer schemes were announced in Maharashtra and Bihar ahead of elections, calling the scrutiny of Karnataka’s schemes a "clear case of bias".
"In states like Maharashtra and Bihar, cash transfer schemes were announced or fast-tracked just before elections, directly benefiting voters. Yet the ECI remained silent. This is not neutrality—it is complicity," he said.
The CM accused the BJP and NDA governments of "a double standard", noting that when they act, the ECI "looks the other way", but when Karnataka fulfils its promises, it faces "intense scrutiny".
He added that targeting the state’s guarantee schemes is "not just political but anti-poor, anti-women, and anti-Karnataka."
Siddaramaiah clarified that these schemes were not launched in connection with the bypolls but are ongoing programmes implemented as part of the Congress government’s commitments from the 2023 Assembly elections.
Funds are transferred regularly to beneficiaries in a transparent and structured manner, he added.
"The guarantees are part of governance—a direct investment in human dignity, household stability, and economic participation, not inducement," he said.
He also accused the BJP of "hypocrisy", saying that while it criticises Karnataka’s schemes as "freebies", it rolls out similar programmes in states it governs.
"The Karnataka model has set a benchmark for the country. What is deeply concerning, however, is the ECI’s selective approach," Siddaramaiah added.
