Kush Maini has officially been appointed as a Reserve and Test driver for the BWT Alpine Formula One Team, making headlines as the third Indian driver to join an F1 team, following in the footsteps of Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandok. This announcement comes as part of Alpine’s strategy to expand their pool of Test and Reserve drivers, which includes talents like Franco Colapinto, Ryo Hirakawa, and Paul Aron. During the upcoming season, rookie Jack Doohan and seasoned driver Pierre Gasly will race for Alpine.

Alpine shared the news of Maini’s new role through a social media post: “Kush Maini. 2025 Test and Reserve Driver. We’re delighted to announce our Alpine Academy driver has extended his role for the 2025 season.”

In an official communication, the team expressed their excitement about Kush joining the squad’s Test and Reserve Drivers: “As Test and Reserve Driver, Kush will play a critical role in supporting the team’s car development and setup initiatives. His work will involve utilizing the driver-in-loop simulator at Enstone and participating in the TPC Programme, which is designed to enhance driving skills in modern Formula One machinery.”

At 24 years old, Kush from Karnataka joined the Alpine Academy in October 2023 and has since made a name for himself in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, clinching five podium finishes, including a victory in Hungary.

Expressing his enthusiasm about the new position, Kush stated, “I am delighted to step up to the role of Test and Reserve Driver for BWT Alpine. The entire Alpine family has welcomed me since I joined the Academy, and I am grateful for the support from Flavio and Oliver. I look forward to gaining more track experience with F1 machinery and building on what I have learned in 2024. However, my immediate focus is on my upcoming third season in Formula 2, which kicks off this weekend in Australia.”

Julian Rouse, the Alpine Academy Director, praised Kush’s progress: “We are thrilled to announce the expansion of Kush’s role to include Test and Reserve Driver duties for the team this season. His impressive performances in both TPC and Formula 2 have shown us his potential, and we expect him to continue excelling in 2025. This broadened role enhances our reservoir of talent that can provide support to the team throughout the busy race season.”

Last season, Kush finished 13th in the Formula 2 driver standings. Notably, his former teammate from Invicta Racing, Gabriel Bortoleto, secured the championship and is now set to race with the Kick Sauber-Ferrari team next season.

In addition to his new F1 responsibilities, Kush will maintain his participation in Alpine’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) Programme and continue contesting in the 2025 FIA Formula 2 Championship with DAMS.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has expressed strong dissatisfaction with the International Cricket Council (ICC) over the exclusion of its CEO and Champions Trophy tournament director, Sumair Ahmed Syed, from the presentation ceremony of the Champions Trophy final held in Dubai. According to sources within the PCB, chairman Mohsin Naqvi has rejected the explanation provided by the ICC and is preparing to register a formal protest.

ICC’s explanation not accepted by PCB

The ICC reportedly informed the PCB that arrangements had been made for Naqvi to be present on stage, but when he did not attend the final match, the presentation ceremony plans were altered. However, PCB sources claim that this reasoning does not justify ignoring Ahmed Syed, who was directly involved in organizing the event.

The PCB has also pointed out other instances where it felt that its role as the tournament’s host nation was undermined. These included the alteration of the Champions Trophy 2025 logo during the live broadcast of the India vs Bangladesh match and an incident during the Australia vs England game in Lahore, where the Indian national anthem was mistakenly played before being quickly rectified.

Presentation ceremony dominated by Indian cricket officials

The presentation ceremony saw BCCI president Roger Binny awarding white jackets to the Indian players and medals to match officials, while ICC chairman Jay Shah handed the Champions Trophy to Indian skipper Rohit Sharma and distributed medals to the winning team. Others present on the stage included BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia and New Zealand Cricket’s CEO Roger Twose, but no representative from the PCB was included.

Mohsin Naqvi expresses gratitude despite controversy

Despite the ongoing dispute, PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi took to social media to express his appreciation for everyone involved in the successful organization of the Champions Trophy. He extended his gratitude to PCB officials, law enforcement agencies, provincial governments, ICC officials, and visiting teams for their contributions.

“Your commitment and collective efforts ensured the seamless execution of the prestigious tournament,” Naqvi stated, emphasizing that Pakistan takes immense pride in hosting the Champions Trophy and making it a spectacle for cricket fans worldwide.

Indian cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal made headlines during the India vs New Zealand Champions Trophy 2025 final in Dubai, but not for his performance on the field. Instead, his presence in the stands with a mystery woman caught the attention of fans and social media users.

The high-stakes final saw New Zealand’s captain Mitchell Santner winning the toss and opting to bat first. This marked India’s 15th consecutive toss loss in ODI cricket, including 12 under Rohit Sharma’s leadership. Despite this setback, India’s bowlers performed exceptionally well, restricting the Blackcaps to 251/7 in 50 overs. Spinners Varun Chakaravarthy and Kuldeep Yadav led the attack, each claiming two wickets, while Daryl Mitchell was the top scorer for New Zealand with 63 runs.

Chahal’s appearance with RJ Mahvash sparks intrigue

While fans were engrossed in the final match, Chahal’s presence with a woman in the stands turned heads. The mystery woman was later identified as Mahvash, a well-known radio jockey. The sighting comes amid Chahal’s ongoing divorce proceedings with his wife, Dhanashree Verma.

For months, speculations about their separation had circulated online, and reports confirmed last week that the couple had officially filed for divorce. Their legal proceedings are currently underway at the Bandra Family Court, where both were reportedly present for hearings. However, Dhanashree’s lawyer, Aditi Mohan, dismissed several media claims, urging for responsible reporting and fact-checking.

Dhanashree’s family denies alimony rumors

Amid the divorce news, certain media reports suggested that Dhanashree had demanded ₹60 crore as alimony. However, her family issued a statement strongly refuting these claims, calling them baseless and urging media outlets to refrain from spreading misinformation.

“We are deeply outraged by the false claims regarding the alimony figure. No such demand was made, and such misinformation only adds unnecessary speculation. We request media houses to respect privacy and verify facts before reporting,” the statement read.

Chahal set to play for Punjab Kings in IPL 2025

On the professional front, Chahal is gearing up for the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season. The seasoned spinner was signed by Punjab Kings for a massive ₹18 crore during the IPL mega auction in December 2024.