New Zealand captain Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bat against India in the first World Cup semi-final at Old Trafford on Tuesday. All of the five previous matches in the tournament played on the Manchester ground have been won by the side batting first. But the overcast conditions promised to assist India's pacemen.

Two-time former champions India made one change from the side that beat Sri Lanka by seven wickets at Headingley on Saturday to top the 10-team round-robin, with Yuzvendra Chahal replacing fellow spinner Kuldeep Yadav. New Zealand made one change to the side. Fast bowler Lockie Ferguson, their leading wicket-taker at the tournament with 17 scalps, returned following a hamstring injury in place of Tim Southee. 

courtesy: ndtv.com

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New Delhi (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday expressed regret over his controversial statement calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate", and said he has always had and will continue to have the highest of respect for the people of the state.

In a post on X, the Congress president said, "Some remarks of mine in a recent election speech in Kerala are being deliberately misinterpreted. Even so, I express my sincere regret.

"It was never my intention to hurt the sentiments of the people of Gujarat for whom I have always had and will continue to have the highest of respect."

Kharge on Sunday had sparked a row during his Assembly poll campaign in Kerala, calling the people of Gujarat "illiterate" and claiming they were being "fooled" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

At the same time, Kharge said neither Modi nor Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could fool the people of Kerala, describing them as "very clever and educated".

"Don’t misguide the people of Kerala. They are very clever and educated. Modiji, Vijayan, you both can fool people who are illiterate in Gujarat or other places, but you cannot fool the people of Kerala," the Congress chief had said.

He made the remark while alleging that both Modi and Vijayan were following the same path, with no difference between them except the parties they lead.

The BJP on Tuesday had demanded an apology from Kharge for his remarks, saying that the comment was "shameless, demeaning and utterly despicable."

Addressing a press conference here, senior BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asked Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to clarify whether they agreed with Kharge's statement.