Afghanistan’s captain Rashid Khan and his team have finally delivered for the nation, defeating Bangladesh in a gripping Super Eight match to advance to their first-ever T20 World Cup semi-final.

Afghanistan has made it to the semifinals of the ICC men’s competition for the first time, having defeated Australia in the Super Eight and New Zealand in the group stage. Afghanistan shocked Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and England in the previous year’s ODI World Cup in India, but they were unable to advance past the semifinals.

When asked about the victory, Rashid stated it was a “dream come true” and that he was really pleased of his teammates for writing the team’s history. As a squad, being in the semifinals is almost like a dream come true. It all comes down to how we launched the competition. When we defeated New Zealand, the belief emerged. It’s so incredible that words cannot express how I feel. Everyone at home is ecstatic about this significant accomplishment.

“We proved that Brian Lara was the only person who correctly predicted our semifinal spot. I assured him, before to the competition at the welcoming party, “We won’t let you down.” We’ll overcome and show you’re mistaken. I’m proud of this team,” Rashid said in the post-match interaction.

Rain caused the target to be changed to 114 in 19 overs, but Rashid and Naveen-ul-Haq each claimed four wickets to bundle out Bangladesh for 105 in 17.5 overs, despite establishing a modest score of 115 in 20 overs in the match.

Although Rashid acknowledged that they fell 20 runs short of the target, they gave it their all on the field and committed to their game plan. “We felt a good total on this wicket was between 130 and 135.” We were behind by fifteen to twenty runs. It all came down to mindset. We anticipated a strong challenge from them to reach the semifinals by chasing that total in 12 overs. Here’s where we could get lucky. Bowling into the stumps gave us a better opportunity.

We didn’t need to take any more action. All we had to do was lay out our plans clearly. We exert ourselves; that is under our control. Rain, the outcome is beyond our control. We always have the ability to give it our best,” the all-around player stated.

“Everyone performed brilliantly. We have a solid foundation in T20s, particularly in bowling. Our rapid bowling is not as good as theirs, but they are more proficient. Possessing skills makes you more effective in T20s. They have made excellent starts in this World Cup so far, and in the middle, when we can hit the batsmen hard, it gets easy for us, the spinners.

“I’m really pleased with how they provided. It’s quite satisfying that they have such clarity in their thinking. Rain came down in patches, but we were there in spirit all the while. There is only one route to get to the semifinals: we have to play 20 overs and take 10 wickets. I believe Gulbadin had some cramps; hopefully, he will be okay. For us, that wicket he took was crucial,” Rashid remarked.

Rashid admitted that celebrations for Afghanistan’s historic achievement will continue, stating that the players and spectators there were emotional upon their semifinal entry. The scenes at Arnos Vale Ground in Kingstown were full of excitement and emotions.

“Now, there is a huge party at home. For us, it’s a significant victory. We achieved that in the semifinals of the Under-19 competition. But when it comes to this World Cup… I’m at a loss for words. The nation will be really pleased. I’m delighted with how well our team performed. We assumed the accountability. It’s big to be in the semifinals, so we need to go into this with clarity. “We need to maintain a low key and ensure that we relish this momentous occasion,” he said in closing.

On Thursday morning (6:00 am IST), Afghanistan and South Africa will play in the inaugural T20 World Cup semi-final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago.

India easily advanced to the semifinals of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup with a decisive 24-run victory against Australia in their final Super Eight stage match on Monday at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium thanks to a fantastic recovery with the ball from Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh.

Following skipper Rohit Sharma’s devastating 92 off 41 balls to enable India record a massive 205/5, a victory appeared improbable for India when opener Travis Head cleared his front leg and smashed his smashes all over the park in a 43-ball 76.

Arshdeep picked 3-37 and Kuldeep took 2-24, including the dismissal of Glenn Maxwell, to limit Australia to 181/7 in 20 overs.

Australia’s destiny in the semifinals is now sealed; should Afghanistan defeat Bangladesh at St. Vincent, they would be eliminated from the tournament. David Warner, who was chasing 205, was caught off guard by Arshdeep’s diving first slip and went for six.

Mitchell Marsh was dropped on five after Arshdeep was unable to take a catch on his follow-through, and he survived on zero as Rishabh Pant stumbled while chasing a catch off the draw. Marsh then started hitting boundaries, first hitting Arshdeep for two fours before completing the third over with an enormous drawn six.

Head slashed and pulled Jasprit Bumrah for two fours before slamming a full toss for four through point to join the boundary-hitting frenzy. Australia concluded the Power-play at 65/1 after Marsh pounded Axar Patel for four and six, respectively, and Head lofted and heaved Hardik Pandya for two sixes. Head continued to deal in boundaries, effortlessly drawing in a six and smashing a four over Hardik’s head.

However, Kuldeep broke the 81-run partnership for the second wicket under intense duress when Marsh went down to sweep, but Axar perfectly timed his jump at deep square leg and extended his right hand to scoop the ball out of thin air.

Maxwell sent off a pyrotechnics display as he skillfully touched the short third man to the boundary to take four off Ravindra Jadeja’s opening ball. He then executed two daring reverse sweeps, going for four and six, respectively, after that. Following that, India recovered magnificently.

Maxwell attempted to take on Kuldeep by going down the pitch to chop across the line, but the googly left his stumps in a messy state. Marcus Stoinis attempted a reverse sweep off Axar in the subsequent over, but backward point caught him on the rebound.

In his comeback, Bumrah tricked Travis Head with a slower ball, heaved to cover, and fell for 76. When Arshdeep returned, he quickly caught Tim David and Matthew Wade by the short third man, effectively winning the game for India.

Brief Scores:

India 205/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 92, Suryakumar Yadav 31; Mitchell Starc 2-45, Marcus Stoinis 2-56) beat Australia 181/7 in 20 overs(Travis Head 76, Mitchell Marsh 37; Arshdeep Singh 3-37, Kuldeep Yadav 2-24) by 24 runs

Former US President Donald Trump has declared that his administration will launch a scheme to automatically award Green Cards to international students who graduate from US colleges and institutions if he is re-elected.

If Trump follows through on his pledge and is re-elected, Indian students—who make up the second largest country of origin for international students—stand to gain the most.

Collectively, alongside students from China—the largest source nation—they make up 53% of all registered international students in 2023.

The program will employ a “aggressive vetting process” to keep out “all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters, and public charges (poor foreigners who are unable to fend for themselves and need government)”, the Trump campaign quickly backtracked after the former president’s remarks.

On Thursday, Trump made these comments in a podcast with two investors from Silicon Valley. In response to a question about his commitment to bringing the greatest and the brightest to America, he responded, “I do promise, but I happen to agree.”

“What I’ll do is if you graduate from college, I believe that your diploma should automatically include a Green Card, allowing you to remain in this country, he added.

A Green Card is a step toward full citizenship because it grants the bearer the ability to live and work in the US continuously (Permanent Residency). Annually, the United States of America is anticipated to issue one million Green Cards and enroll one million international students, the majority of whom come from China and India.

If the former President does indeed deliver on this promise if elected, it would mark a major expansion of the programme, doubling the number of Green Cards issued annually.

The most important question is whether he will, in fact, keep this promise.

His administration attempted to limit immigration and specifically targeted Indians entering the country on H-1B short-term non-immigrant work visas between 2017 and 2021. He had been an advocate for the H-1B program prior to becoming office.

The vast majority of Indian students enrolled in US universities and colleges go on to obtain H-1B visas, work for US businesses, and eventually obtain citizenship and Green Cards. Two notable instances are Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, and Shantanu Narayen, the CEO of Adobe. To obtain Green Cards, international students must first go through the H-1B or other work visa stage.

In their opening Super Eight encounter at the Kensington Oval here on Thursday, India defeated Afghanistan by a commanding 47 runs, thanks to the efforts of fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh, who each claimed three wickets. This victory allowed India to continue their unbeaten streak in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup.

Suryakumar Yadav proved to be the difference on a damp and sluggish pitch as he struck a brilliant fifty-eight off only 28 balls, including five fours and three sixes at a strike-rate of 189. He was also very efficient with his sweep strokes, helping India to a commanding 181/8.

Axar Patel’s 12-run cameo and his 60-run partnership with Hardik Pandya (32) helped India pick up the pace, as 56 runs came in the final five overs.

Bumrah responded by taking 3–7, including bowling 20 dot balls, while Arshdeep, despite being occasionally wayward, took 3-36 to bowl out Afghanistan for 134.

Afghanistan’s pursuit got off to a quick start as Rahmanullah Gurbaz bowled Arshdeep for four and six in the first over. However, a cutter from Bumrah tricked the powerful Gurbaz into hitting over cover, giving the keeper an outside edge.

Virat Kohli was hit hard by Zadran at point, but he failed to make an easy catch off Arshdeep’s bowling. However, Axar struck fast since Zadran was unable to gain any height and went straight for further cover. Returning, Bumrah hit an off-cutter that grabbed hold of the pitch and deflected a leading edge off the bat of Hazratullah Zazai to backward point.

Afghanistan’s needed run rate skyrocketed as a result of India’s three strikes, even though Azmatullah and Gulbadin Naib hit five boundaries between them till the midway point mark.

However, Kuldeep ended the 44-run stand after the drinks break by getting Naib to misjudge a ball high in the air to the keeper. Ravindra Jadeja then got Omarzai to hole out to long-on. After that, the outcome was obvious: India easily won with Bumrah and Arshdeep scoring three wickets apiece, and Kuldeep claimed two wickets in his T20 World Cup debut.

Quick scores:

Afghanistan was defeated by 47 runs in 20 overs, with Afghanistan scoring 134 all out (Azmatullah Omarzai 26; Jasprit Bumrah 3-7, Arshdeep Singh 3-36). India scored 181/8 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 53, Hardik Pandya 32; Rashid Khan 3-26, Fazalhaq Farooqi 3-33).

Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal at the Paavo Nurmi Games on Tuesday after throwing 85.97 meters on his third try. However, he did not waste any time in disclosing the adductor strain that has been bothering him all season.

Chopra, who created history by being the first Indian to win an Olympic medal in track and field in Tokyo, disclosed that he continues to struggle with his adductor problem and that he plans to see multiple doctors in order to solve the recurring condition following the Olympics in Paris.

“The weather was good today, a little bit cold with the wind. But I am happy with my adductor now because I could do all six throws,” Chopra said after his win. “Every year I have some problems with my adductor, maybe after the Olympics, I am going to talk to different doctors.”

Chopra stated a great desire to participate in more competitions this season despite the recurring adductor concerns. In May, he competed in the Doha Diamond League and placed second with a ninth-best career final throw of 88.36 meters. Subsequently, but with a very poor effort of 82.27m, a gold medal was won at the National Federation Cup Senior Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar. “Initially, I wanted to compete more this season, but it was not possible due to my niggles,” Chopra stated.

Following his success at the Paavo Nurmi Games, On July 7, Chopra is scheduled to compete at the Paris Diamond League. Together with his coach Klaus Bartonietz and physiotherapist Ishaan Marwaha, he is training at three different locations throughout Europe in preparation for the Olympics in Paris.

He started training in Kuortane, Finland, and will next go to Saarbrucken, Germany, before finishing his last training camp from July 28 to July 31 at the Gloria Sports Arena in Turkey.

“I came from Kuortane and will now head to Saarbrucken, Germany, and maybe to Turkey just before the Olympics. Most of the time I train alone with my coach and physio, but from time to time we exchange information with other coaches, like Jan Zelezny. I will try to stay healthy in the next weeks because then I will throw my best throws,” Chopra elaborated.

At the new Nalanda University campus’s Wednesday opening in the Rajgir region of Bihar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to it as a “symbol of India’s vibrant cultural exchange and academic heritage.”

In addition to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, the ceremony was attended by a number of distinguished figures and ambassadors from over twelve different countries.

One of the oldest universities in the world has built its new campus next to the historic remains of Nalanda University.

PM Modi stated that the institution is more than just a name; it is an identity for the nation after officially opening the campus.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said: “I got the opportunity to come to Nalanda in the first 10 days after taking the oath for the third term. This is not only my good fortune, but I also see it as an auspicious sign of India’s development journey.”

“Nalanda is an identity, an honour, a value, a mantra, a pride, and a saga. It is the proclamation of truth that books may be burned in the flames, but it can’t erase knowledge,” PM Modi further said.

The prime minister advocated for enhancing the historic university’s heritage and turning it into a cutting-edge learning hub where students could study and take advantage of its wealth of knowledge.

“Children were not admitted to ancient Nalanda on the basis of their identity or their nationality. There are youth from every class in every country here. In this new campus of Nalanda University, we have to strengthen the same ancient system again in a modern form, and I am happy to see that many students have started coming here from many countries of the world today,” PM Modi stated.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said: “Today, I am very happy to see that Nalanda University has become fully functional. Currently, 400 students from 17 countries are studying here.”

“All the buildings and campus for the university have expanded a lot and have also become very beautiful. I am thankful to PM Narendra Modi who came and inaugurated the new campus,” Nitish Kumar added.

Rajgir was the Magadh Empire’s original capital, according to the chief minister of Bihar. It was formerly called Rajgriha and is still a meeting place for five different religions.

In the most recent ICC Women’s ODI Rankings, which were released on Tuesday, England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt reclaimed the top spot, while India batswoman Smriti Mandhana moved up two spots to third after hitting her maiden home century in the first ODI against South Africa.

Before rookie leg-spinner Asha Sobhana’s four-wicket haul helped India win the match by 143 runs, Mandhana scored her sixth ODI century with a smack of 117 in the opening encounter of the series.

After scoring 124 runs without losing against Pakistan last month, England all-rounder Natalie Sciver-Brunt reclaimed the top rank, while veteran Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu fell to second place.

Indian duo Deepti Sharma and Pooja Vastrakar moved up three spots apiece to clinch 20th and 38th place in the women’s ODI batting rankings. After the first game of their series against the West Indies, Nilakshika Silva of Sri Lanka (up three ranks to 42nd) and Harshitha Samarawickrama of Sri Lanka (up four spaces to 47th) draw attention.

Deepti advanced to fourth place in the ODI bowling rankings following his 2-10 performance against South Africa in the opening game of the series. Sophie Ecclestone, an England spinner, is still leading the standings with a sizable lead.

Pooja Vastrakar moved up four spots to take 18th position in the all-rounders standings, but South Africa’s Marizanne Kapp is still the top-ranked ODI all-rounder in the globe.

Google released the Indian version of Gemini, their AI assistant, on Tuesday, coinciding with the escalating discourse about AI models.

English and nine other languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu, are supported by the Gemini app, which is now accessible in India.

To get the help they require, users of the app can speak, type, or even add an image.

“We’re also adding these local languages to Gemini Advanced, plus other new features, and launching Gemini in Google Messages in English,” Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai posted on X social media platform.

The company claims that Gemini Advanced users in India can now take advantage of the capabilities of its most advanced model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, in nine different languages.

“Additionally, we’re unlocking new features in Gemini Advanced such as new data analysis capabilities and file uploads, and also launching the ability to chat with Gemini in Google Messages, starting in English,” said Amar Subramanya, Vice President, Engineering, Gemini Experiences.

Over the coming weeks, Gemini access for iOS will be available straight from the Google app.

Gemini Advanced currently boasts the longest context of any commercially accessible consumer chatbot in the world, with a context window of one million tokens.

“We’re also introducing Gemini in Google Messages to give you another way to collaborate with Gemini on your phone,” said the company.

With 302 members supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Council of Ministers, the BJP-led NDA has a sizable majority. The opposition, which is doubting the stability of the alliance, is likely to witness fights and defections among their ranks.

Narendra Modi has taken the oath of office as Prime Minister for the third time after the people of this country elected him as their leader. The Modi government has done a lot of development work in the last ten years. Taking into account the individuals in his own family, Prime Minister Modi has advanced his vision for ‘Viksit Bharat,’ or Developed India.

Along with outlining his 100-day plan, PM Modi also provided a timeline for carrying out his ministerial responsibilities.

The following Union Council of Ministers members have had their portfolios distributed by the President of India, on the Prime Minister’s advice:

CABINET MINISTERS

MINISTERS OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

MINISTERS OF STATE

Mohan Charan Majhi, a tribal leader and four-time MLA from Keonjhar, will take office as Odisha’s new chief minister on Wednesday. This is the state where the BJP has made its maiden electoral victory.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced that 52-year-old Majhi had been unanimously elected as the leader of the legislature party, clearing the door for him to become the Chief Minister, after a gathering of recently elected BJP MLAs at the party headquarters here.

Legislators Surama Padhi, Laxman Bag, Rabinarayan Nayak, and Prithiviraj Harichandan seconded the idea as Majhi’s name was put out for the Chief Minister position, and other MLAs backed it.

“Delighted to announce that Shri Mohan Charan Manjhi has been elected unanimously as the leader of Odisha BJP Legislature Party. He is a young and dynamic party karyakarta who will take the state forward on road to progress and prosperity as the new Chief Minister of Odisha. Many congratulations to him,” Rajnath Singh posted on X.

The former scion of the Balangir royal family, Patnagarh MLA Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, and Nimapara MLA Pravati Parida were also named deputy chief ministers by the BJP.

“Also, it has been decided that two Deputy Chief Ministers will be designated to head the new State Government. Shri KV Singh Deo and Smt. Pravati Parida will serve the state as Deputy Chief Minister. Congratulations to them!” Rajnath Singh posted.

With 78 seats in the 147-member Assembly, the BJP put an end to the Biju Janata Dal government, led by Naveen Patnaik, which had ruled the state for 24 years. Additionally, three independent candidates declared their support for the party.

Majhi was first elected from Keonjhar to the Odisha Assembly in 2000, and he has served as its representative ever since, with the exception of the years 2009–14 when the BJD swept the state. In the elections, he was re-elected with 11,577 votes more than Mina Majhi of the BJD.

He began his career as an educator at Saraswati Sishu Mandir, which is run by Vidya Bharati, the RSS’s educational wing. Later, he quit education to pursue a formal political career, serving as a sarpanch from 1997 to 2000.

Majhi has also held positions as the State Adivasi Morcha Secretary for the BJP and Deputy Chief Whip for the BJD-BJP coalition government from 2005 to 2009. In the most recent Assembly, he also held the position of Chief Whip for the party.

After the proclamation, Majhi offered Lord Jagannath his respects. He expressed gratitude to Odisha’s 4.5 crore citizens for bringing about the state’s political shift.

In addition, he thanked state BJP president Manmohan Samal, central observers Rajnath Singh and Bhupender Yadav, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making it possible for Odisha to elect its first BJP administration.

Former minister and six-time MLA Singh Deo declared that the BJP government would do everything necessary to carry out the pledges the party made during the election.

Governor Raghubar Das received a group of BJP MLAs led by CM-designate Majhi, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with letters of support from three other independent MLAs.

Today at Janata Maidan, Majhi, his Deputy Chief Ministers, and other ministers will be sworn in by the Governor.

Amit Shah, the home minister, Prime Minister Modi, the chief ministers of a few states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party, and other dignitaries are anticipated to attend the event. The PM is expected to arrive at the venue around 2:10 p.m. on Wednesday, arriving at Biju Patnaik International Airport first. After the event, he will depart for Delhi.

It is anticipated that between 40,000 and 50,000 people would attend the ceremony on Wednesday. 67 platoons of Odisha Police have been sent out to guard the event site and VIP attendees.

The head of the state BJP has asked the people of Odisha to light two earthen lamps at their homes on Wednesday in observance of the swearing-in event.