BCCI Imposes New Restrictions On Teams Ahead Of IPL 2025: "No Practice..."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to put a limit on practice sessions for the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams ahead of the new season. According to the new directive, teams can have no more than seven sessions while only two warm-up matches will be permitted. The new rules were conveyed to the IPL sides through a BCCI note which also asked the host grounds to allow the usage of the facilities any local games, legends leagues or celebrity tournaments.

According to a report by Cricbuzz, the decisions were taken " in view of the venues taking load during domestic matches, being played close to the start of the IPL season". The new season will begin on March 22 at Eden Gardens in Kolkata as Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Royal Challengers Bengaluru.

"In advance of the first match of the season and as set out in the Stadium Agreement, teams may have up to seven (7) practice sessions of up to three (3) hours in duration under floodlights, of which two (2) can be practice matches or open nets as decided by the team. The practice matches to take place on one of the side wickets of the main square. If a team is playing a practice match under lights, the duration of the match should not exceed more than three and a half hours. As per the Operational Rules, practice matches require the prior written approval of the BCCI," the BCCI note said.

"In order to prepare the pitch for the season, no practice sessions or practice matches may be played on the main square in the four (4) days leading up to the relevant franchisee's first home match of the season. However, 1 side wicket per team will be provided for range hitting on these days. During this period, if requested by the home franchise, the State Association." 

The note from BCCI also recommended on how to deal with a situation where both sides want to practice at the same time ahead of their IPL encounter.

"In the event that the home and away teams wish to practice at the same time, BCCI will ask the two Team Managers to try and resolve the double booking - either by one of the teams taking another session or by the two teams sharing the session. In the event that the two teams cannot resolve the double booking, BCCI will determine the practice times having considered the requests of both teams with the likely outcome that two 2 hour slots are created thereby giving both teams similar playing conditions with exclusive use of the ground (e.g. 18.00 - 20.00 & 20.00 - 22.00)."

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"Dismayed": Shashi Tharoor On Kerala Startups Days After Remark Sparked Row

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Sunday backtracked on his stance regarding industrial growth in Kerala, stating that the state needs more MSME start-ups — not just on paper.

Sharing a news report from an English daily on 'X', Mr Tharoor expressed disappointment over the state's start-up ecosystem, saying it was not as promising as reported.

"Dismayed to see that the Kerala start-up entrepreneurship story is not what's been reported," he posted.

The news report he shared claimed that over 42,000 MSMEs had shut down in Kerala over the past nine years, resulting in the loss of employment for at least 1,03,764 workers.

"The only silver lining is that at least the GoK's claims point to the right intentions. We need more MSME start-ups— and not just on paper. Kerala must head this way!" his post added.

However, State Industries Minister P Rajeeve dismissed the news report as "baseless." "I provided a detailed reply in the Assembly on February 10. Recently, Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal stated in Parliament that 1,700 MSMEs shut down in Kerala over the past four years," he said.

Mr Rajeeve further pointed out that while 30 per cent of MSMEs in the country shut down within their first year, the figure in Kerala was only 15 per cent.

He alleged that the report was published with ulterior motives, as it did not cite the source of its figures.

Mr Tharoor's recent remarks on Kerala's industrial growth sparked controversy within the Congress state unit.

The Congress Working Committee member ruffled feathers in the party after writing an article in an English daily praising the industrial policy of the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala.

Notably, the Thiruvananthapuram MP's post came just two days after the Congress leadership held a brainstorming session with Kerala leaders at the party headquarters in New Delhi to strategise for next year's Assembly polls. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"Artistes Are Not Slaves Of Congress": BJP Rips Into DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar's "nuts and bolts" comment about cine artistes has drawn indignant protests from the state's Opposition BJP. The state's Leader of the Opposition R Ashoka said it was up to the artistes whether they join a political protest or not and it showed a "bad mindset" on his part. "Artists are not slaves of the Congress party, and despite their support, movies are not succeeding," he said in a statement.

"Artistes are not your party workers. Don't treat artists the way you treat your party workers. Learn to respect artists," read a rough translation of his vernacular post on social media platform X.

"Dear DCM DK Shivakumar, it is not upto the Congress party's discretion whether or not film artists will come to the political march. Your statement that artists who march for the Congress party will get recognition, otherwise they will not, does not bring glory to your position.

"Threats and hooliganism have no place in democracy. The BJP government had provided significant support to the film industry. If actor Ambareesh were alive today, he would have given a fitting response. The film industry must condemn these statements, as they are an insult to artists. D.K. Shivakumar should apologize," he said in a statement.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy of Janata Dal Secular said it was the prerogative of actors to support any movement launched in the state. "Some might have decided against participating to stop identifying themselves with any party," he said.

On Saturday, Mr Shivakumar, in an outburst at the inauguration of Bengaluru International Film Festival, slammed the film fraternity for its thin turnout at the event as well as the Congress's Mekedatu padayatra. "If the government does not grant permission for shooting, they cannot make a film. They cannot proceed with shooting. I also know exactly where to tighten the nuts and bolts, please understand that," he had said.

Then he had doubled down on the comment in face of criticism. 

"This film festival is not a private event of some politicians and some actors. It is a programme for the entire industry, yet only a few actors have participated. Why should the government conduct the film festival if the actors, directors, producers and exhibitors are not interested? Treat it as an appeal or as a caution, but the film fraternity must attend such events in the future," read a statement from his office.

The statement also clarified his stand about the foot march, underscoring it was about ensuring drinking water for Bengaluru.

"Mekedatu padayatra was to get drinking water for Bengaluru. It was a fight for the interest of the state. In spite of the Covid, Siddaramaiah and I took out a 150 km padayatra. No one from the film industry, with the exception of a few, turned up to show their support in spite of us extending invitations to all. I am angry about it," he said.

The 2022 foot march demanded the implementation of a balancing reservoir in Kanakapura taluk of Ramanagara district.

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Vivek Ramaswamy Trolled For Barefoot Interview, Sparks Debate On Culture

Vivek Ramaswamy, the 39-year-old entrepreneur and former presidential candidate, has found himself at the center of a heated debate after a clip of him giving a barefoot interview at home resurfaced online. The video, which was recorded during a live stream last year, has sparked a wave of strong reactions on social media, with some critics labeling his actions as "uncivilised" and "anti-American".

Commentator Ian Miles Cheong was quick to defend Ramaswamy, dismissing the backlash as "the dumbest argument" he's heard. Cheong pointed out that going barefoot in one's own home is hardly anti-American, and that perhaps critics have been influenced by sitcoms where characters wear shoes in bed, “I guess too many people grew up on sitcoms where they wear their shoes in bed.”

The dumbest argument I've heard against Vivek is that going barefoot in your own house is anti-American. I guess too many people grew up on sitcoms where they wear their shoes in bed. pic.twitter.com/JVfJMa6VKe

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) February 28, 2025

Despite Cheong's defense, many critics continued to express their outrage on social media. One user wrote, "Vivek will never be governor of Ohio. This is unacceptable for America." Another added, "Maybe at least have some socks on while you interview for a position in the most powerful empire on the planet, yeah?" A third user took issue with Ramaswamy's choice to go shoeless, writing, "Vivek lectures us about education while barefoot. Uncivilised."

However, not everyone was critical of Ramaswamy's actions. Many users came to his defense, pointing out that removing shoes indoors is a common practice in many cultures, including in South and East Asia. “Nearly all Indians go barefoot in their own homes. There's nothing wrong with it. Just a cultural thing”, a user commented, while another added another comment about Indian tradition, “In Indian tradition, it is customary to take off your shoes before entering someone's home, considered a sign of respect and hygiene, as it prevents bringing dirt and germs from outside into the house; this practice is widely followed.”

Political commentator Kim Iversen added to the debate saying, "I understand this is a ‘culture' thing, but you non-Asians wearing shoes in your homes need a culture shift." Iversen added that in her own home, shoes are not allowed, and that socks are also prohibited due to the risk of slipping on hardwood floors.

Ramaswamy himself addressed the backlash, saying, "This is America, folks. I let the dogs out in my house when I feel like it." His response has been commended by some, who see it as a sign of confidence and independence.

While some conservatives have criticised Ramaswamy's background, others have commended his response to the backlash. One user wrote, "Vivek showed extreme class when Coulter stated flat out because of his race she would not vote for him. He kept the conversation going and never fell into an offended or victim mentality. Well done by him."
 

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When Russian Cosmonaut Met A US Colleague And Sent A Selfie To Sunita Williams

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who flew on the International Space Station's Boeing Starliner on June 5 last year and has been stuck since due to technical problems with the spacecraft, was in for a little surprise.

Cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev, participant of three ISS expeditions, met astronaut Mike Massimino in India, the two took a selfie and sent it to Sunita Williams.

"She (Sunita) is one of the happiest colleagues of mine ever. Now she has been almost 8 months in the orbit. Yesterday I met a colleague of mine, Mike Massimino, from the United States and we took a selfie and we sent it to Sunita Williams," Oleg Artemyev told NDTV.

"She replied she is very happy," said cosmonaut Artemyev, adding that the two told her that they are looking forward to meet her in March.

Sunita Williams and her fellow astronaut Butch Willmore have been at the ISS since June. A decision was made to return Starliner to Earth without its crew, and the spacecraft successfully returned on September 6 after NASA in August said that it was "too risky" to bring Wilmore and Williams back to Earth.

In an exclusive interview with CNN, Sunita Williams confirmed that the Crew-10 mission is scheduled to launch from Earth on March 12 and bring them home a week later on March 19.

Pressed to answer how difficult the life of an astronaut is, Cosmonaut Artemyev said, "The life of a cosmonaut is quite a complicated one. You have to spend a lot of time training, practising. You have to be a highly motivated person and a person who is looking for something new to be in this profession."

Cosmonaut Aetemyev said he met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and presented him with both Russian and Indian flags, underscoring the great relationship between the two countries.

"Told PM Modi it's a great pleasure to meet that friend of our Russian President Vladimir Putin and as we say in Russia, 'A friend of my friend is my friend,'" said the cosmonaut.

"I presented to PM Modi Indian and Russian flags," he added.

Asked if he has a message for the Indian youth, he said, "Read a lot, dream a lot and to study a lot...Learn, learn learn."

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