Faf du Plessis and Deepak Chahar set up CSK's 18-run win over KKR
Mumbai, Apr 21: Faf du Plessis' magnificent 95 not out and Deepak Chahar's impressive four-wicket haul outshone dazzling half centuries from Andre Russell and Pat Cummins as Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 18 runs in their IPL match here on Wednesday.
Put in to bat, CSK posted a big total of 220 for 3, riding on du Plessis' 60-ball unbeaten 95 and Ruturaj Gaikwad's 64.
Chasing a stiff target, KKR found themselves in deep trouble as they slumped to 31 for 5 inside five overs after a top-order collapse with Chahar wrecking havoc with figures of 4 for 29 from his four overs.
Russell (54 off 22 balls) and Cummins (66 not out off 34 balls) raised hopes of an improbable win for KKR but in the end they were all out for 202 in 19.1 overs.
Needing 190 runs from 15 overs, Russell first revived KKR's chase with a blistering 54 (3x4, 6x6) before being cleaned up by Sam Curran.
But it was not over for KKR as yet. Batting at No. 8, KKR pace spearhead Cummins displayed some sensational powerhitting in his 34-ball 66 not out (4x4, 6x6) but they simply did not have enough batting left to keep the show going.
Cummins smashed Curran for 30 runs with four sixes and one boundary in the 16th over to keep the run-chase alive, even as they kept losing wickets.
It was down to 20 runs with one wicket in hand in the last over. But Prasidh Krishna was run out in the first over of the final over.
The win took CSK to the top of the table with six points from four matches, while KKR slipped to sixth.
Chahar, who had wrecked havoc against Punjab Kings the other day, was at his ominous best once again as he swung the match in CSK's favour to leave KKR tottering at 31 for 5 inside the powerplay.
Chahar, who grabbed 4/13 against Punjab Kings, made the ball talk with his swing and variation and snapped the talented Shubman Gill for a golden duck and then had the in-form Nitish Rana (9) in the second over.
But Chahar's biggest wicket came in the next over in the form of skipper Eoin Morgan (7) when the left-hander nicked an outswinger with M S Dhoni completing a safe catch to become the first wicketkeeper to complete 150 dismissals in IPL.
Looking for a change of fortunes in their first match at the Wankhede, KKR opted to bowl on flat track but du Plessis blazed his way to a masterclass 95 not out after his opening partner Ruturaj Gaikwad's impressive 64 as CSK posted 220 for 3.
First, it was Gaikwad who returned to form after a string of poor outings in his first three matches with a composed 42-ball knock that set it up for CSK after KKR opted to field.
Gaikwad played the role of aggressor, smashing four sixes and four boundaries, while his senior South African partner du Plessis gave the youngster the backup as the duo produced CSK's best start of the season with an opening stand of 115.
Du Plessis came on his own after Gaikwad's departure in the 13th over as he added 50 runs with Moeen Ali (25 off 12 balls) off just 26 balls.
CSK scored 76 runs in the final five overs with the South African at his attacking best in the final five overs.
He smashed Andre Russell for three successive boundaries and raced to 90s with a six off Pat Cummins in the final over in his 60-ball knock which was studded with four sixes and nine fours.
CSK finished it off in style with Ravindra Jadeja hitting Cummins for a six as Nitish Rana palmed it over the midwicket boundary that summed up the plight of KKR.
MS Dhoni promoted himself to No. 4 and finally broke his jinx against Sunil Narine, hitting his first boundary after 64 balls against the mystery spinner en route to a eight-ball 17.
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UK Professor Nitasha Kaul's Overseas Citizenship of India cancelled
Academician decries move as "transnational repression"
London/New Delhi: Professor Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic, announced on May 18, 2025, via a social media post that her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card has been cancelled by the Indian government. She described the move as a "bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of transnational repression" intended to punish her for her scholarly work critical of the Modi government's policies concerning minorities and democracy.
The cancellation follows an incident in February 2024 when Professor Kaul, who holds a British passport and held an OCI card, was denied entry into India upon arrival at Bengaluru airport. She had been invited by the then Congress-led Karnataka state government to speak at a conference on "The Constitution and Unity in India."
According to an image of the letter shared by Professor Kaul, the Indian government stated that it had been "brought to the notice of the Government of India that you have been found indulging in anti-India activities, motivated by malice and complete disregard for facts or history." The letter further accused her of regularly targeting India and its institutions on matters of India's sovereignty through "numerous inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities at various international forums and on social media platforms."
Professor Kaul, who is a Professor of Politics, International Relations, and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at the University of Westminster, London, vehemently rejects these accusations. She stated she had provided a 20,000-word response to what she termed the government's "ridiculous inanity about ‘anti-India’," but the OCI was cancelled through a "rigged process."
In her social media posts, Professor Kaul lamented the decision, questioning how the "mother of democracy" could deny her access to her mother in India. She characterized the action as stemming from "thin-skinned, petty insecurity with no respect for well-intentioned dissent."
The February 2024 denial of entry had already sparked controversy. At the time, immigration officials reportedly cited "orders from Delhi" without providing formal reasons, though Professor Kaul mentioned informal references to her past criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Ministry of External Affairs had then responded by stating that the entry of foreign nationals into India is a "sovereign decision." Unofficial government sources had indicated that a "preventive lookout circular" was issued against her due to her alleged "pro-separatist" and "anti-India" stance on Kashmir.
The BJP in Karnataka had criticised the state government for inviting her, labelling her an "anti-India element." Conversely, the then-Karnataka government and various international human rights organizations and academic bodies had condemned the denial of entry.
Professor Kaul has been an outspoken commentator on Indian politics, including the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and has testified before international bodies such as the US Congress on human rights in the region. She maintains her work is academic and pro-democracy, not anti-India.
The cancellation of her OCI card effectively bars her from entering India, a country to which she has personal and academic ties. This incident adds to a growing list of academics, journalists, and activists of Indian origin whose OCI status has been revoked or who have been denied entry to India in recent years, raising concerns about freedom of speech and dissent. Reports indicate that over 100 OCI cards were cancelled by the Indian government between 2014 and May 2023. Furthermore, in 2021, new rules were introduced requiring OCI cardholders to obtain special permission for activities such as research and journalism.
