KL Rahul, Rohit, Kohli power India to 240/3
Mumbai, Dec 11: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli struck explosive half centuries to power India to a mammoth 240 for 3 in series-deciding third T20 against West Indies here on Wednesday.
West Indies decision to bowl first backfired as Rahul (91 off 56 balls; 9x4, 4x6) and Rohit (71 off 34 balls; 6x4; 5x6) conjured 135 runs for the first wicket in 11.4 overs.
They took a listless opposition attack to cleaners and smashed 72 runs in first six overs. While Rohit completed his 50 off 23 balls, Rahul did it in 29 deliveries.
And later in the innings, Kolhi (70 off 29 balls; 4x4; 7x6) showed his class as he and Rahul put up a 95-run-stand off 45 balls for third wicket to propel the hosts to the highest total at the Wankhede Stadium.
Rohit began with a cover drive boundary off pacer Sheldon Cottrell. In second over off Jason Holder, Rahul hit back-to-back boundaries at the third man region, the first coming from a thick outside edge.
Rohit then stamped his class as he pulled Cottrell for a six and followed by a four towards mid-off region. It was Rohit's 400th six in international cricket to become the first Indian to achieve the feat.
Rahul then struck a four followed by a six over third man fence as India amassed 14 runs off 4th over by Jason Holder.
Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre was introduced into the attack, but Rohit welcomed him with a towering six over long-on. The next ball, Evin Lewis, almost pulled off a one-handed blinder, but could not complete the catch. Rahul inflicted more agony on Kesrick Williams as he hit two fours and a six in the sixth over.
Then Rohit hit two consecutive sixes and a four off Pierre as India raced to 102/0 after 8 overs.
This was third 100-run stand between the two in T20s. At the half-way mark, India were 116/0. However, West Indies pegged back India by removing Rohit and one-down Rishabh Pant (0) quickly.
Then Kohli joined Rahul as the two continued the onslaught. Kohli was brutal on Holder, as he hit two fours and a six in the 15th over, as India scored 22 runs off it.
The last five overs belonged to Kohli, who hammered fours and sixes at will as West Indies paid heavy price for indiscipline bowling. Fittingly Kohli finished the innings with a straight six.
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No disputed structure should be called mosque: UP CM Adityanath
Mahakumbh Nagar (UP), Jan 11: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said no controversial structure should be referred to as "a mosque", asserting that tenets of Islam are "against constructing a mosque-like structure" at disputed sites.
Adityanath made the remarks while referring to the Shahi Jama Masjid dispute in Sambhal that sparked violence in November last year, according to an official statement.
The chief minister, while speaking at an event of a private news channel here, also said that worship at disputed sites is neither acceptable to God nor in line with Islamic principles, it said.
"We must never call a controversial structure a mosque. The day we stop calling it (a mosque), people will stop going there. Islam itself teaches against hurting anyone's faith or constructing a mosque-like structure at such places," the chief minister said.
"If God disapproves, why should we engage in such futile worship?" he questioned.
Adityanath emphasized that Islam does not require the construction of specific structures for worship, unlike Sanatan Dharma, where temples are central to religious practice, the statement said.
He called for a shift towards unity and progressive thinking, saying, "This is time to embrace the vision of a new India."
On the Sambhal violence over a court-ordered survey of the Shahi Jama Masjid, he said that Sambhal was prophesied as the birthplace of Kalki, the tenth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, long before the advent of Islam.
The chief minister further stated that historical documents like Ain-i-Akbari mention the demolition of a Shri Hari Vishnu temple in 1526 to erect the Jama Masjid, calling for the site to be voluntarily returned, the statement said.
He also suggested that the issue of disputed religious sites, such as the Shahi Jama Masjid, should not require judicial intervention. Instead, he advocated for mutual reconciliation, urging "followers of Islam to acknowledge the truth and extend a gesture of goodwill", according to the statement.
On the matter of the Places of Worship Act, Adityanath expressed confidence that the courts would ensure justice and respect for faith.
The Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid in Sambhal came into spotlight after a local court accepting a plea that it has been built over a temple ordered survey in November last year. During the second survey of the mosque on November 24, violence broke out in Sambhal in which four people were killed.
On the historical significance of Ayodhya, Adityanath also expressed gratitude for the installation of Ram Lalla's idol in 2024, noting that it ended a 500-year-long wait. He stated that the Maha Kumbh-2025 was being held at an auspicious time.
Reflecting on his slogan "Ek hain to nek hain, batenge to katenge", Adityanath highlighted the importance of unity, saying, "History has shown us that division weakens us. If we learn from the mistakes of the past, such situations will never arise again."
The chief minister also attacked the opposition INDIA bloc, saying, "Those who once strangled the Constitution now hold its copy to mislead the public."
He also pointed out that terms like "secular" and "socialist" were added to the Constitution during the Emergency, the statement said.
