Sunny Deol’s Border 2 continues its impressive run at the domestic box office, edging closer to the Rs 300 crore mark by the end of its second week. The war drama, which hit theatres on January 23, has shown consistent collections since its release.

On its second Tuesday, the film earned an estimated Rs 5.75 crore, taking its total earnings to Rs 286.75 crore after 12 days.

Border 2 box office performance so far

The film matched its Monday earnings on February 3, adding Rs 5.75 crore to its tally. With this, Border 2 has managed to hold firm on weekdays, a sign of sustained audience interest.

The film delivered a robust opening week, collecting Rs 224.25 crore, supported by the extended Republic Day holiday period.

Second weekend boosts collections

The second weekend provided another lift to the film’s box office numbers. Friday saw collections of Rs 10.75 crore, followed by Rs 17.75 crore on Saturday. Sunday emerged as the strongest day of the weekend, contributing Rs 22.5 crore to the total.

Monday, which coincided with Republic Day, turned out to be the film’s highest single-day performer so far, with earnings touching Rs 59 crore.

With its current pace, Border 2 has already surpassed the opening weekend figures of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar.

Border 2 review

In a review, film critic Saibal Chatterjee noted that Border 2 succeeds in highlighting the courage of soldiers while also touching upon their emotional vulnerabilities. The film explores themes of separation, loss, fear, and hope, presenting moments of heroism amid personal struggles.

About the film

Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan, and Ahan Shetty. Set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the film is positioned as a spiritual successor to the 1997 classic Border.

Pakistan’s declaration that it will not take the field against India at the T20 World Cup has pushed the tournament into an unusual and sensitive situation, with ICC playing conditions clearly outlining the sporting consequences of a refusal.

Matches between India and Pakistan carry political significance, but under World Cup regulations, the procedural outcome of a team declining to play is largely unambiguous. If India arrive in Colombo as scheduled, attend training and fulfil all pre-match formalities, the onus rests entirely on Pakistan.

Should Pakistan then refuse to take the field, the fixture would be officially forfeited. India would be awarded two points, while Pakistan would receive none. The forfeiture would also negatively affect Pakistan’s net run rate, a factor that has frequently proven decisive in tightly contested World Cup group stages.

Net run rate impact could prove costly

A forfeit is not treated as a neutral outcome under ICC rules. In a competitive tournament environment, the loss of points combined with a dent to net run rate can have long-term implications, potentially influencing qualification for the semi-finals.

There is only one alternative scenario outlined under the regulations. If India do not travel to the venue, the match would be considered cancelled rather than forfeited, resulting in points being shared by both teams. However, with India expected to meet all logistical and operational requirements, that possibility currently appears unlikely.

Past precedents at ICC events

While forfeitures at World Cups are rare, they are not unprecedented. During the 1996 ODI World Cup, Australia and the West Indies declined to play matches in Sri Lanka following a bomb blast in Colombo, resulting in Sri Lanka being awarded full points.

In the 2003 ODI World Cup, England forfeited their match against Zimbabwe in Harare citing political and security concerns, while New Zealand refused to play Kenya in Nairobi due to safety considerations.

More recent ICC events have also seen withdrawals, including Zimbabwe pulling out of the 2009 T20 World Cup and New Zealand’s Under-19 team exiting the 2022 Under-19 World Cup because of COVID-19 restrictions. In such cases, the ICC has consistently prioritised the integrity of the tournament framework.

Can force majeure apply?

Pakistan’s potential reliance on a force majeure clause forms the crux of the legal debate. Force majeure traditionally applies to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances such as natural disasters or extreme situations that make participation impossible rather than undesirable.

According to ICC sources, invoking force majeure in this case would be difficult. Such clauses are interpreted narrowly, and political objections alone do not automatically qualify unless there is a demonstrable and immediate threat to safety or feasibility. Without meeting that threshold, a refusal to play would fall outside force majeure protections.

Beyond the immediate match

The implications may extend beyond the scorecard. ICC sources indicate that severe sanctions, including the possibility of suspension, could be considered if a refusal is deemed a breach of participation obligations. Any such action would follow due process rather than being immediate, but precedent exists for firm intervention when competition rules are undermined.

For now, the impact remains primarily sporting. India stand to gain two crucial points without play, while Pakistan risk compromising both their World Cup campaign and their standing within the ICC framework.

What was expected to be the tournament’s most watched fixture could instead become its most consequential non-match, shaped not by runs or wickets but by regulations that leave little room for interpretation.

The Indian equity markets opened sharply higher on Tuesday morning, buoyed by optimism following the announcement of a trade agreement between India and the United States.

In early trade, the Nifty jumped around 750 points, while the Sensex surged nearly 2,400 points, reflecting strong investor confidence hours after the deal was made public.

The rally came after US President Donald Trump announced that Washington would slash tariffs on Indian goods to 18 per cent from 50 per cent, as part of a broader trade agreement with New Delhi. In return, India agreed to halt purchases of Russian oil and lower trade barriers, according to the announcement.

President Trump shared the development in a post on his social media platform, calling it a major trade breakthrough. The announcement was followed by a message from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who thanked the US President on behalf of the people of India for the decision.

Rupee opens stronger against dollar

The positive sentiment was also reflected in the currency market. The Indian rupee opened stronger at 90.40 against the US dollar, gaining 1.10 rupees in early trade, supported by expectations of increased foreign investor inflows following the deal.

Asian markets rebound

Asian markets also traded higher, adding to the positive global cues. Japan’s Nikkei rose about 2.5 per cent, recovering from previous losses, while South Korea’s KOSPI climbed nearly 4 per cent. Market sentiment was further supported by signs of improved US factory activity overnight.

Futures indicated a recovery in Hong Kong markets, while S&P 500 futures were up around 0.3 per cent, as investors tracked upcoming corporate earnings.

With global cues turning favourable and optimism surrounding the India-US trade agreement, Indian markets are expected to remain buoyant, with investors closely watching further developments during the trading session.