New Zealand skipper Williamson idolises Tendulkar
Kolkata, April 15: New Zealand captain Kane Williamson on Sunday said he idolised batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar as a youngster.
"Some of my favourite cricketers have been Indians. Indian player Sachin Tendulkar, I met him during my debut for New Zealand. We were playing against each other, and I was looking at what he was doing. That was a bit of distraction," Williamson told reporters during a promotional event of Rupa, one of the largest manufacturer of hosiery products celebrating its 50 years with Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Williamson is also the captain of table-toppers Hyderabad who have won three successive games to start their campaign on a high.
"The first time I met him was in my debut game for New Zealand. I was watching him on the field, wondering what he was doing. It was a really nice experience. He is a legend of the game," said Williamson who is rated as one of the best batsmen of his times along with Virat Kohli, Joe Root and Steve Smith.
In his debut Test in Ahmedabad eight years back, Williamson scored 131 in the first innings and did not get a chance to bat in the second as the match ended in a draw.
Besides Tendulkar, the MS-Dhoni led Indian team had the likes of Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in their ranks.
"There were so many great players in the team. Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman...they are such fantastic people...open to talk to about the game of cricket.
"I was 19-20 and it was great opportunity to get alongside the legends of the game and pick their brains," Williamson, 27, added.
Williamson, who scored 50 to help SRH fashion their third straight win against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Saturday, was flanked by India opener Shikhar Dhawan, Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan and bowling coach and former Sri Lankan spin great Muttiah Muralitharan.
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Udupi: Woman, bank employee arrested in property tax fraud case
Udupi: Udupi City Police have arrested two persons, including a woman, in connection with the alleged misappropriation of property tax funds belonging to the Udupi Municipal Council.
The accused have been identified as Shalini, who was working as a tax consultant outside the municipal office, and Ganesh, a bank employee.
According to police, Anand Suvarna had paid Rs 34,730 towards 12 years of property tax for his building in Kalmadi to Shalini on October 16, 2025. She reportedly issued him a receipt acknowledging the payment.
However, when Suvarna recently checked the status of the payment on the property tax portal, he found that the amount had not been credited and was still shown as pending. He then brought the matter to the notice of the Municipal Commissioner, who verified that the payment had not been recorded.
During questioning, Shalini allegedly admitted to the lapse. On February 16, 2026, she generated a new challan in Suvarna’s name and paid Rs 35,213 towards the dues.
Police said a case has been registered at the Udupi City Police Station against the accused for allegedly misappropriating tax money and defrauding the government by affixing the seal of Union Bank on the challan without remitting the amount initially received from the taxpayer.
Further investigation is under way.
