Kingston (Jamaica): Off-spinning all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who made his Test debut for West Indies on Friday in the second test cricket match against India, has become the heaviest cricketer to play international cricket.

Cornwall, who is 6’6″ tall and weighs around 140 kg, surpassed former Australia captain Warwick Armstrong, who weighed 133-139 kg, to achieve the feat. Armstrong played 50 Tests between 1902 and 1921, leading Australia in 10 of them.

Cornwall, 26, earned his Test cap after taking 260 wickets in 55 first-class matches besides scoring 2,224 runs at 24.43.

He has impressed in his maiden Test so far, picking up the priced scalp of Cheteswar Pujara in the 27 overs he bowled on Day 1 at the Sabina Park on Friday. He gave away just 69 runs and kept the Indian batters in check. He also took two catches that of K.L. Rahul and Mayank Agarwal off the bowling of skipper Jason Holder.

At stumps on Day 1, India were 264/5 with Hanuma Vihari and Rishabh Pant batting at 42 and 27, respectively.

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New Delhi: A significant political controversy has erupted following the Modi government's decision to rename the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a move that has drawn sharp criticism from opposition parties. The row was further fueled by BJP MP Kangana Ranaut, who, while defending the name change, erroneously claimed that Mahatma Gandhi had made the devotional song "Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram" India’s national anthem.

The central government has rebranded the flagship rural employment scheme from MGNREGA to the "Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Employment and Livelihood Mission," abbreviated as VB-G RAM G. The removal of Mahatma Gandhi's name from the scheme has been termed an insult to the Father of the Nation by the Congress and other opposition parties.

When questioned by the media outside Parliament regarding the opposition's allegations, Mandi MP Kangana Ranaut defended the government's decision by invoking Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to Lord Ram.

"How is naming it 'Ram Ji' an insult to Gandhi ji?" Ranaut asked. "Mahatma Gandhi made 'Raghupati Raghav Raja Ram' the national anthem to organize the entire country. Therefore, this is an insult to Mahatma Gandhi? The government is fulfilling his dream by giving it the name of Ram."


Ranaut's claim regarding the national anthem was immediately seized upon by the opposition. Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the video of Ranaut’s statement on social media, tweeting sarcastically, "Come on brother, today we learned a new national anthem! The BJP is full of such gems."

Social media users also trolled the MP for the factual error. One user quipped, "Kangana ji forgot to mention that Bapu made this the national anthem after the country got independence in 2014," while another commented that the party finds people who "don't use their brains while forwarding WhatsApp messages."

Beyond the social media mockery, senior Congress leaders criticised the renaming on ideological grounds. Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the move.

"The biggest irony is that Mahatma Gandhi was a lifelong devotee of Lord Ram and said 'Hey Ram' in his last moments," Gehlot wrote. "Today, the central government is making a despicable attempt to sideline Gandhi ji under the guise of the same 'Ram' name (VB-G RAM G), which is highly condemnable."