Virat Kohli gets special mention during armed forces briefing on Operation Sindoor
Mumbai: In an unprecedented moment during a high-level military media briefing, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai invoked the name of cricket legend Virat Kohli, shortly after the former Indian skipper announced his retirement from Test cricket.
The joint media briefing, held by top military officials from the Army, Navy, and Air Force, detailed the successful execution of Operation Sindoor, a coordinated Indian military strike on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
While explaining the depth and coordination of India’s military grid system, Lt Gen Ghai made a cricketing analogy involving Kohli and iconic Australian bowlers Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. “Back in the 70s, during the famous Ashes series between Australia and England, two of Australia’s legendary fast bowlers—Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee—wreaked havoc on the English batting line-up. Their dominance was so overwhelming that the Australians came up with a saying: ‘From ashes to ashes and from dust to dust, if Thommo don't get you, then Lillee surely must,’” he said.
Drawing a parallel to India's multilayered military grid, he added, “If you look closely at the layers, you’ll understand what I mean—even if you manage to get through all of them, one layer of this grid system is bound to catch you.”
Calling Virat Kohli his “favourite cricketer,” Lt Gen Ghai said he was watching the cricketer’s emotional farewell to Test cricket just before the briefing. “Like many Indians, he is my favourite cricketer,” he noted.
VIDEO | Special Defence Briefing on India-Pakistan military action: Referring to Indian cricketer Virat Kohli's retirement from Tests earlier in the day, DGMO Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai drew a parallel between cricket and military operations. Here's what he said:
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"I was… pic.twitter.com/CImgSELAMD
Earlier in the day, Virat Kohli officially announced his retirement from the longest format of the game via a heartfelt message on Instagram. “It’s been 14 years since I first wore the baggy blue in Test cricket. Honestly, I never imagined the journey this format would take me on. It’s tested me, shaped me, and taught me lessons I’ll carry for life,” Kohli wrote.
He added, “There’s something deeply personal about playing in whites. The quiet grind, the long days, the small moments that no one sees but that stay with you forever.”
Kohli’s decision comes days after Rohit Sharma’s own exit from Test cricket, sparking widespread speculation over the future of India’s senior players. His retirement marks the end of an era for Indian Test cricket, which he helped redefine with his aggressive approach and match-winning performances both at home and overseas.
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HC questions Delhi govt over failure to regulate sale of old vehicles, refers to Red Fort blast
New Delhi (PTI): The Delhi High Court questioned the city government on Wednesday over its failure to regulate the sale and transfer of used vehicles, while pointing out that in a recent bomb blast near the Red Fort, a second-hand car was used, making the issue more significant.
A bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela asked the Delhi government to file a detailed response on the issue of regulating authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
"A car changes four hands but the original owner has not changed. Therefore, what happens? That man (the original owner) goes to the slaughterhouse? What is this? How are you permitting this? You will take a call when two-three more bomb blasts take place?" the bench asked the Delhi government's counsel.
The bomb blast near the iconic Mughal-era monument was carried out using a second-hand car, making the issue even more significant, it said.
The court listed the matter for further hearing in January 2026.
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The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) plea filed by an organisation, Towards Happy Earth Foundation, highlighting the challenges in the implementation of rules 55A to 55H of the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, introduced in December 2022 to regulate authorised dealers of registered vehicles.
While the rules were intended to bring accountability to the second-hand vehicle market, the petitioner's counsel argued that they have failed in practice due to regulatory gaps and procedural hurdles.
The plea said there is a major gap in the amended framework, that is, the absence of any statutory mechanism for reporting dealer-to-dealer transfers.
"In reality, most used vehicles pass through multiple dealers before reaching the final buyer, but the rules recognise only the first transfer to the initial authorised dealer.
"As a result, the chain of custody breaks after the first step, defeating the very purpose of accountability," the petition said.
It added that because of these gaps, only a very small percentage of dealers across India have been able to obtain authorised dealer registration and in Delhi, not a single dealer has got it.
Consequently, lakhs of vehicles continue to circulate without any record of who is actually in possession of those, it said.
The plea said only a small fraction of India's estimated 30,000 to 40,000 used-vehicle dealers are registered under the authorised-dealer framework.
The petition also pointed out that the 11-year-old vehicle used in the November 10 bomb blast near the Red Fort was sold several times but was still registered in its original owner's name.
The blast near the Red Fort had claimed 15 lives.
