Ajinkya Rahane likely to be India's new Test captain following WTC Final loss: Reports
Mumbai: After India's resounding 209-run defeat against Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, speculations are rife that Ajinkya Rahane will be appointed as the next Test captain for the Indian cricket team. According to reports in the Times of India, the national selectors are contemplating giving India's regular captain, Rohit Sharma, some rest during the upcoming West Indies tour.
The Times of India report suggests that Rohit Sharma might be rested either for the Test matches or the eight-match white-ball series, which includes three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). The final decision regarding Rohit's participation will be made after consultations with the player himself.
In the event that Rohit Sharma is indeed rested, Ajinkya Rahane is believed to be the frontrunner to take over the Test captaincy. Rahane made a remarkable comeback to the national team during the WTC final, where he displayed solid batting performances. The 35-year-old batsman scored 89 and 46 in the two innings of the final, contributing significantly to India's unsuccessful campaign. Moreover, he reached a significant milestone of completing 5000 runs in Test cricket, becoming the 13th Indian to achieve this feat.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
