Pat Cummins makes history with T20 World Cup hat-trick against Bangladesh
Antigua: Pat Cummins created history in the T20 World Cup by claiming a hat-trick during Australia’s Super Eight clash against Bangladesh in Antigua. Cummins took the wickets of Mahmudullah, Mahedi Hasan, and Towhid Hridoy in consecutive deliveries over two overs at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua. His impressive performance helped Australia restrict Bangladesh to 140-8.
Cummins, who was restored to the starting line-up, finished with figures of 3-29 off four overs. He became only the second Australian, and the seventh bowler overall, to achieve a hat-trick in T20 World Cup history. Spinner Adam Zampa also shone, taking 2-24.
In addition to Cummins' milestone, Mitchell Starc became the most prolific bowler in white-ball cricket history, securing his 95th World Cup wicket by trapping Tanzid Hasan in the opening over. Starc surpassed Sri Lanka’s Lasith Malinga, setting a strong tone for Australia’s bowlers after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to bowl.
Australia’s disciplined bowling attack kept Bangladesh on the back foot. Josh Hazlewood opened his spell with a maiden over, while Starc's tight bowling allowed only eight runs in the first three overs. Although Najmul Hossain Shanto and Litton Das briefly boosted the run rate, the introduction of Zampa and Cummins' lethal spell halted Bangladesh's momentum.
Zampa dismissed Das in the ninth over, leaving Bangladesh at 58-2. Glenn Maxwell then removed Rishad Hossain in the 10th over, and Shanto's dismissal for 41 in the 13th over further slowed the Bangladesh innings. Cummins' hat-trick in the later stages dismantled the lower order, setting Australia a target of 141 to win.
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Karnataka new excise policy: Local liquor to get costlier, premium may get cheaper
Bengaluru: The state government on Monday rolled out a new excise policy that shifts from the decades-old bulk litre-based system to a model based on alcohol content in beverages, Deccan Herald reported.
Karnataka becomes the first state in India to adopt this model. The change is expected to make lower-priced liquor costlier, while some premium brands may see a reduction in prices.
A senior Excise Department official said: “The policy is being implemented from today (May 11). The Karnataka Excise (Excise Duty and Charges) (2nd Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified after a public consultation on a draft released on April 18, slashes the number of excise slabs from 16 to 8.”
Local liquor manufacturers have alleged that the policy favours multinational companies producing beer and spirits over domestic distilleries.
According to the Karnataka Brewers and Distillers Association (KBDA), the first five slabs, which cater to the common man, house the maximum number of state-owned distilleries and contribute nearly 70-75% of the state’s excise revenue, have seen their Additional Excise Duty (AED) rise by 20-30%.
In contrast, slabs 6 to 8, which include products from multinational companies such as United Spirits, Bacardi, Heineken, Carlsberg, and Anheuser-Busch, have seen AED reduced by 10-15%. The association said that while larger companies can absorb pricing shifts across their diverse portfolios, smaller regional distilleries limited to budget liquor may face volume contraction and potential closure.
A senior KBDA member said the price of a 180 ml bottle in the lowest slab, which was around Rs 63 last year, has already risen to Rs 80, and the new policy is set to push that price further to Rs 105 a jump driven by a 42.8% tax bracket.
