T20 World Cup: India beat WI by five wickets to seal semifinal spot
Kolkata (PTI): Sanju Samson struck a magnificent unbeaten 97 as India beat West Indies by five wickets in a must-win Super 8 clash to book their semifinal berth at the T20 World Cup, here on Sunday.
Asked to bat first, West Indies posted a competitive 195 for four, riding on contributions from Roston Chase (40), Shai Hope (32), Jason Holder (37 not out) and Rovman Powell (34 not out).
In reply, Samson produced a chasing masterclass, hammering 12 fours and four sixes in his scintillating 50-ball knock as India overhauled the target with four balls to spare.
He found solid support in Tilak Varma (27), Suryakumar Yadav (18) and Hardik Pandya (17), who ensured there were no late hiccups.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/36) was the pick of the Indian bowlers with two crucial wickets, while Jason Holder (2/38) and Shamar Joseph (2/42) also claimed two scalps for West Indies.
Brief score:
West Indies: 195 for 4 in 20 overs (Roston Chase 40; Jasprit Bumrag 2/36).
India: 199 for 5 in 19.2 overs (Sanju Samson 97 not out; Jason Holder 2/38).
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Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
