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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India harbouring big and bold dreams in space sector: Shubhanshu Shukla
Kolkata (PTI): Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian astronaut to go to the International Space Station, on Wednesday said the country is harbouring “big and bold dreams”, foraying into human spaceflight after a hiatus of 41 years.
Shukla was the first Indian to visit the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He returned to India from the US on August 17, 2025, after the 18-day mission.
The space is a “great place to be”, marked by deep peace and an “amazing view” that becomes more captivating with time, he said, interacting with schoolchildren at an event organised by the Indian Centre for Space Physics here.
“The longer you stay, the more you enjoy it,” Shukla said, adding on a lighter note that he “actually kind of did not want to come back”.
Shukla said the hands-on experience in space was very different from what he had learnt during training.
He said the future of India’s space science was “very bright”, with the country harbouring “very big and bold dreams”.
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Shukla described his ISS flight, undertaken with support from the US, as a crucial “stepping stone” towards realising India’s ‘Vision Gaganyaan’.
“The experience gained is a national asset. It is already being used by internal committees and design teams to ensure ongoing missions are on the right track,” he said.
Shukla said the country’s space ambitions include the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme, the Bharatiya Station (India’s own space station), and eventually a human landing on the Moon.
While the Moon mission is targeted for 2040, he said these projects are already in the pipeline, and the field will evolve at a “very rapid pace” over the next 10-20 years.
He told the students that though these targets are challenging, they are “achievable by people like you”, urging them to take ownership of India’s aspirations.
The sector will generate “a lot of employment opportunities” as India expands its human spaceflight capabilities, he noted.
Echoing the iconic words of India’s first astronaut Rakesh Sharma, Shukla said that from orbit, “India is still the best in the world”.
Shukla also asserted that the achievement was not his alone, but that of the entire country.
“The youth of India are extremely talented. They must stay focused, remain curious and work hard. It is their responsibility to help build a developed India by 2047,” he said.
Highlighting a shift from Sharma’s era, Shukla said India is now developing a full-fledged astronaut ecosystem.
With Gaganyaan and future missions, children in India will be able to not only dream of becoming astronauts, but also achieving it within the country, he said.
“Space missions help a village kid believe he can go to space someday. When you send one person to space, you lift million hopes. That is why such programmes must continue... The sky is not the limit,” Shukla said.
“Scientists must prepare for systems that will last 20-30 years, while ensuring they can integrate technologies that will emerge a decade from now,” he said.
Shukla added that he looked forward to more space missions, and was keen to undertake a space walk, which will require him to "train for another two years".
