Have played nearly 500 games for India, can speak to any player be it Iyer or Kohli: Ganguly
Kolkata: His nearly "500 international match experience" gives him the right to speak and guide any player "be it Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli", BCCI president Sourav Ganguly hit back at his detractors who made loose allegations of Conflict of Interest against the former India captain.
Before Delhi Capitals' first game of this season, skipper Shreyas Iyer gave an interview to Star Sports where he spoke about contributions from head coach Ricky Ponting and Ganguly (who was a mentor at DC in 2019) in helping him evolve as a successful player and captain.
However, his critics insinuated that Ganguly as BCCI president is helping a franchise captain where he was a mentor, which is a case of Conflict of Interest, something he vehemently denied.
While Iyer had clarified that he was referring to the 2019 season, Ganguly on the day put forth what he thought about the unnecessary controversy.
"I had helped him (Iyer) last year. I may be the Board president, but don't forget that I've played 500 matches (424 matches) for India, so I can speak to a young player and help him, be it, Shreyas Iyer or Virat Kohli. If they want help, I can," Ganguly said during a promotional event.
An irate Iyer, not too amused with the controversy, on his part, had tweeted his clarification.
"As a young captain, I am thankful to Ricky and Dada for being a part of my journey as a cricketer and captain last season. My comment ...... was to emphasize my gratitude towards the role they both have played in my personal growth as a captain," the DC captain had said.
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I-T Department sends notice to actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran over co-produced films
New Delhi: The Income Tax (I-T) Department has sent a notice to actor and director Prithviraj Sukumaran asking for more details about the money he earned from some films he co-produced. The notice was reportedly served during the last week of March by the I-T office in Kochi. He has been asked to respond by the end of April.
The department is seeking clarification on the income from a few movies Prithviraj was involved in as a co-producer. This comes at a time when the actor has been receiving criticism from right-wing groups over what seemed to be references to the 2002 Gujarat riots in his latest film L2: Empuraan, starring Mohanlal, which released on March 27.
On April 4, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the offices of Gokulam Gopalan, a Kerala-based businessman and one of the producers of L2: Empuraan, along with a few others. These searches were part of an investigation into alleged violations of foreign exchange rules.
The I-T notice to Prithviraj is believed to be linked to an ongoing investigation that began in December 2022 into suspected tax evasion within the Malayalam film industry.
At the time, tax officials had raided the homes and offices of several producers, including Antony Perumbavoor, Anto Joseph, and Listin Stephen, over concerns about unreported income, cash deals, and overseas investments. Prithviraj’s premises were also searched during that operation.
