Mayank Agarwal, K L Rahul propel Punjab to 195/4 against DC
Mumbai, Apr 18: Mayank Agarwal and captain K L Rahul stitched a century-run opening stand to guide Punjab Kings to a challenging 195 for four against Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Sunday.
Agarwal made 69 off 36 balls, while Rahul scored 61 off 51 deliveries as Punjab made a flying start to their innings.
Delhi Capitals skipper Rishabh Pant's decision to bowl after winning the toss backfired as the opening duo of Agarwal and Rahul took the attack to the opposition bowlers from the onset, hitting boundaries and sixes at will.
While Agarwal was the aggressor of the two initially, Rahul upped the ante after a relatively sedate start.
Agarwal and Rahul adopted an aggressive approach against debutant Lukeman Meriwala and Kagiso Rabada, taking their team to 94 for no loss in 10 overs.
Agarwal was looking dangerous during his 36-ball knock and ended up hitting seven boundaries and four hits over the fence.
But DC dismissed both the batsmen in quick succession to make a comeback into the match.
While Agarwal was the first to depart, slicing a Meriwala delivery straight to Shikhar Dhawan at sweeper cover in the 13th over, Rahul handed a simple catch to Marcus Stonis at midwicket off Rabada.
Rahul's knock was laced with seven boundaries and two sixes.
Big-hitting Chris Gayle (11) failed to make a mark, perishing soon in search of a maximum.
Nicholas Pooran (9) failed yet again but Deepak Hooda (22 not out off 13) and Shahrukh Khan (15 not out off five) provided the much needed big hits towards the end.
For DC, Ravichandran Ashwin (0/28) was economical, while Avesh Khan (1/33), Meriwala (1/32), Chris Woakes (1/42) and Rabada (1/43) picked up a wicket each.
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PoK belongs to India, asserts Union Home Minister Amit Shah
Hyderabad, May 11: In a scathing attack on Congress and its leaders, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said due to the fear of Pakistan having an atom bomb, the grand old party wants to give up India's rights over Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir.
Shah, who addressed election rallies at Vikarabad and Nagarkurnool in Telangana on the last day of campaigning for Lok Sabha polls in the state, recalled that former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had conducted nuclear tests at Pokhran on this day in 1998 and made the country a nuclear power.
The Congress does not have the courage to conduct surgical strike and airstrikes, he alleged.
Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi undertook surgical strikes and air strikes within 10 days after Pakistan terrorists attacked the coutnry and finished them.
Referring to the reported comments of Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Pakistan having an atom bomb, the home minister said he would like to ask Rahul Gandhi if Pak-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would be given to the neighbouring country because of it having atom bomb.
"As long as BJP is there, it cannot happen" and PoK belongs to India and we will take it, he said.
"They don't feel shame. Due to fear of an atom bomb, they want to give up our rights over PoK. But you don't worry, Modi ji is going to be Prime Minister again and Pakistan's bullets will be replied to with cannon," Shah said.
On AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge's alleged comments as to what Telangana people have to do with Kashmir, Shah said the Telangana youth can give their life for Kashmir.
PM Modi has ended terror and naxalism in the country, he said.
Referring to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's comments on surgical strikes, he asked, "Revanth Reddy, where did you keep your mind? You kept it in Italy?".
Reddy on Friday claimed an intelligence failure in preventing the Pulwama incident.
"Modi ji tried to take political benefit from the surgical strike after Pulwama incident. My question to Modi ji is, what are you doing? Why did the Pulwama incident happen? Why did you let it happen? What are you doing about internal security?
"Why did you not use agencies like IB, RAW? It is your failure. Nobody knows if a surgical strike actually took place or not," Reddy had said.
