After Suresh Raina ED summons Shikhar Dhawan
Shikhar Dhawan was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday due to his alleged link with an illegal betting app, 1xBet. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to record Shikhar Dhawan’s statement under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with its probe into the betting platform 1xBet. The 39-year-old former India opener had reportedly been associated with the app through endorsements, and investigators now seek clarity on the nature of his involvement during questioning. The agency is further investigating various such cases involving these illegal betting applications. Which has raised concern in recent times about being accused of defrauding several individuals and investors of crores of rupees or evading substantial taxes. Previously, Suresh Raina was questioned in the same case by the federal probe agency. The Union government recently banned using real money in online gaming apps through legislation. The agency further called for the representatives of Google and Meta, asking for their part in this activity. ED has conducted multistage research on Tuesday for another betting app named Parimatch. The agency is investigating several cases linked to illegal betting platforms that are accused of defrauding people and investors of crores of rupees and evading large amounts in taxes. Market research and probe estimates suggest that nearly 22 crore Indians have used such betting apps, with about half of them—around 11 crore—identified as regular users. The Indian online betting industry is valued at over USD 100 billion and is expanding at an estimated annual rate of 30 per cent, according to experts.
Amit Mishra says Goodbye to his 25 years’ Cricket Journey
Amit Mishra, the veteran legspinner, bids his farewell to his 25-year cricketing career. He admitted to struggling with depression after being sidelined for almost 5 years. The seasoned player also admitted his wish to make a comeback earlier. Mishra came into the international limelight after his ODI debut against South Africa at Dhaka during the TVS Cup, 2003. After this moderate debut stage, he almost disappeared from the public eye for nearly 5 years. As the room left little scope for Mishra to establish himself while his fellow mates like Harbhajan Singh and Anil Kumble rose into the limelight. While talking to ANI, Mishra noted, “After my debut, there was a 5-year gap in my career. If it wasn’t there, I could have played more matches. I made my debut in Bangladesh in a one-day match in 2003. After that, there was a 5-year gap. I couldn’t return to the Indian team in five years. I was performing and doing everything. But I can’t say I regret it. I can say that if I had made my comeback earlier, 3-4 years ago or two years ago, then I could have played more matches and performed better. So, that’s one thing. There is no regret.” During his five-year exile, Mishra toiled relentlessly for Haryana in the domestic circuit, striving to catch the selectors’ eye. His singular focus was on performing, even when doubts lingered about his abilities. A moment of self-reflection gave him clarity and resilience, helping him endure the tough phase until he eventually forced his way back into the side. “Whenever I got a chance, I performed. Even though I played in such a big league, played in such big places, and played all over the world, I proved myself there. I performed there when people didn’t believe in me. After that, every team started to keep two left-spinners in their team. So, I am really happy with my career. Yes, there were ups and downs in my career,” he added. More than two decades after his debut, Mishra carries no regrets. Though he battled depression for over a year, he eventually found ways to stay motivated even when a comeback seemed unlikely. His focus turned towards simply enjoying the game while working on his shortcomings, particularly fitness and batting. “But I have no regrets. I gave my 100 per cent whenever I got a chance. And I always proved what I was told. I focused on performing. Although I was depressed for 1-1.5 years. I was angry. I was performing. At that time, it was a little limited. But I was a little worried. But after 1-2 years, I talked to myself. I said, ‘I want to play cricket.’ I am playing cricket. “And I am performing,” he stated. Mishra represented India in 68 matches across formats, claiming 156 wickets during his international career. On the domestic front, he was a dependable force for Haryana and went on to establish himself among the leading wicket-takers in IPL history.
India start campaign in AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers with a win against Bahrain
India began its AFC Under-23 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers campaign with a 2-0 win over Bahrain at the Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Wednesday. With Muhammed Suhail’s strike in the 32nd minute and Chingangbam Shivaldo Singh doubling the score in the 95th, India secured three points in their opening Group H fixture. The match began frantically. Early on, Bahrain nearly struck first in the eighth minute when India goalkeeper Sahil was dispossessed inside his own box by Mahmood Abdulla, who, with the goal at his mercy, could only hit the side-netting. That early scare jolted India into rhythm, as the side gradually settled and began creating chances on the counter. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 32nd minute through a moment of individual brilliance from Suhail. Released down the right by Macarton Louis Nickson, the winger dazzled with quick footwork to wrong-foot his marker before slotting into the bottom corner.
Lalit Modi drops another IPL bombshell!
Former Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman Lalit Modi claimed that he broke broadcasting rules for the first match of the tournament back in 2008 between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the first-ever IPL encounter. Modi said that he was willing to ‘break every rule in the book’ given the magnitude of the occasion. Modi claimed that he was worried about the reach that Sony Network had at that moment and decided to override their exclusive broadcasting rights. Instead, he instructed other broadcasters as well as news channels to go live with the match at the same time. “Everything, everything was dependent on that one game. I broke every rule in the book that day. I signed the contract, an exclusive contract with Sony, but Sony didn’t have the reach. I said open the signal. Was it now available everywhere? And I told all the broadcasters who lost out, all of you, all news channels, go live,” Lalit told Michael Clarke during a recent podcast. Sony said, ‘I’ll sue you. ‘I said ‘Sue me later, forget about it? Ok, we are going live now because you don’t have the reach. I needed everybody to watch the first game. If the first game had flopped, I was dead.” Following his recent revelations about IPL broadcasting, Lalit Modi found himself embroiled in a major controversy once again after he released a video of Harbhajan Singh slapping S Sreeshanth during the IPL 2008. The ‘Slapgate’ row caused a huge stir at that time, but Harbhajan heavily criticized Lalit Modi for revealing the video after such a long time. “The way the video has been leaked it’s wrong. It shouldn’t have happened. They might have a selfish motive behind it. Something that happened 18 years ago, people have forgotten, and they are reminding people about it,” Harbhajan told Instant Bollywood.
Rajgir’s Hockey Asia Cup is No Less Than a Political Campaign
The Hockey Asia Cup tournament is less of a hockey competition and more of a political campaign. The tournament took off with 150 players on 29th August in Rajgir, Bihar, with Nitish Kumar’s face plastered all around. Bihar is heading for elections later this year. While the SIR controversy is about tolls, it didn’t stop the Chief Minister, who is serving the 5th consecutive year, from decorating the 99.7-acre, RS 600 crore complex with refined pictures of himself. From the banners at the entrance of the stadium to the buses, lamp posts, and water tanks everywhere, Kumar has solidified his presence. Along with these physical banners, he also appeared during the matches on digital ad boards that are placed around the field, and his face looks out from a massive hoarding placed just behind the north stand. One will alsou spot him on the state government’s official website, endorsing the Asia Cup. The head of the Janata Party has announced the tournament mascot, the trophy and the logo. To support the event, he also travelled to Rajgir to inaugurate the Asia Cup and communicated with the audience through waving hands for 15 minutes. He expressed hope that the Asia Cup would help position Bihar as a “global” destination. In a statement shared by Hockey India earlier this year, he remarked that “The tournament’s arrival in Bihar underscores the state’s growing prominence on the global sports stage.” While this is not a new ordeal to boost the promotion of politics rather than sports. The Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveendran Sankaran told the Indian Express that the tournament was already scheduled way before it was not-nearly ‘election-orientated’. “I beg to differ. If this would have happened in haste, thinking that elections are around the corner, it would have been a different story. But we started two years ago,” Sankaran stated. While in the rapidly growing ecosystem of sports, Bihar has been the straggler. The state has yet to produce any international hockey players and ranked 28th at the previous National Games held in Uttarakhand. While talking, Sankaran stated that the true motivation of this event was the sporting fortune of the state and creating new opportunities for sports in Bihar.
