Young Indian women’s cricket team opener Pratika Rawal made an impressive contribution with a solid 67 runs off 61 balls during the second ODI against Ireland at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Sunday. Rawal, who had already scored a match-winning 89 in the first ODI, continued her excellent form in this match.

Teaming up with Smriti Mandhana, who scored 73, Rawal established a strong 156-run opening partnership, laying a solid foundation for the innings. Throughout her innings, Rawal displayed remarkable maturity beyond her years. Tejal Hasabnis also made a notable return, scoring a fifty, as India comfortably defeated the inexperienced Ireland team by six wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match women’s ODI series on Friday.

In the first ODI, Rawal was instrumental in anchoring the chase for 239 runs, following a brisk 41 from stand-in skipper Smriti Mandhana, who made a career-best 89 off 96 balls, hitting 10 fours and one six. Hasabnis, who had not played ODI cricket since October 2024 against New Zealand, marked her comeback with an innings of 53 not out off 46 balls, striking nine boundaries.

Rawal and Hasabnis formed a match-winning partnership of 116 runs off 84 balls, leading India to victory with 93 balls remaining. Continuing her dominant form from the West Indies series, Mandhana scored a rapid 41 runs off just 29 balls, marked by six fours and a six, and, in doing so, became the second Indian and the 15th overall player to surpass 4,000 runs in ODIs.

Mandhana’s aggressive stroke play unsettled the Irish bowlers, especially in the eighth over against seamer Dempsey, where she struck a boundary, a six, and another four in quick succession. Rawal, who made her debut during the West Indies series, provided excellent support, and the pair successfully shared their third fifty-plus opening partnership in four matches.

Ireland managed to break through at the end of the powerplay when Mandhana mistimed a shot and was caught, falling just nine runs short of her half-century. Despite Harleen Deol (20) and Jemimah Rodrigues (9) looking promising early on, clever bowling by left-arm spinner Aimee Maguire (3/57 from 8 overs) temporarily halted India’s progress. Maguire successfully stumped Rodrigues, who was well out of her crease after stepping out excessively.

During this phase, India lost three wickets for just 46 runs. However, thanks to Mandhana’s explosive start, the team remained well on track. Ireland’s lack of experience was evident as they allowed 21 runs through extras, with Laura Delany particularly struggling in the bowling department, bowling two no-balls and delivering waist-high full tosses, which Hasabnis capitalized on with back-to-back boundaries.

Earlier, India’s fielding let Ireland off the hook as they dropped several catches, allowing visiting captain Gaby Lewis to score a classy 92 runs and lift her team to a competitive total of 238 for 7. Opting to bat first, Ireland faced early trouble at 56 for 4 by the 14th over. However, Lewis and Leah Paul (59 off 73 balls) mounted a recovery, adding 117 runs for the fifth wicket, marking the team’s first-ever century partnership against India.

Lewis’s innings came off 129 balls, featuring 15 boundaries, while the duo of Lewis and Paul navigated through the innings with calculated precision. India’s first breakthrough came from medium pacer Titas Sadhu, who took the wicket of Sarah Forbes (9) after a misplayed shot edged to slip where Deepti Sharma made the catch.

In their first trip to India, Ireland stumbled to 34 for 2 after a disastrous mix-up led to the run out of Una Raymond-Hoey (5), who attempted a single after hitting the ball directly to Jemimah Rodrigues in cover. Orla Prendergast (9) soon followed her back to the pavilion, stumped by Ghosh off the bowling of leg-spinner Priya Mishra (2/56), leaving Ireland in a precarious position at 56 for 3 by the 14th over.

Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of the late Apple founder Steve Jobs, is currently in India to attend the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh. A notable development from her highly publicized spiritual journey to Uttar Pradesh has emerged: Kailashanand Giri Maharaj announced that the Akhara has given her a Hindu name, ‘Kamala’. He described Powell Jobs as like a daughter to the Akhara and mentioned plans to integrate her into the Akhara Peshawai.

In an interview with news agency ANI, Kailashanand Giri Maharaj stated, “I had my ‘Peshwai’ at Kumbh yesterday. Today, we have come to Kashi to pray to Mahadev for an unobstructed Kumbh… I am here to invite Mahadev… Our disciple Maharshi Vyasanand is with us from America.” He further shared, “Tomorrow he will be honoured as a Mahamandaleshwar in my Akhara. Laurene Jobs has also joined us… According to our Indian tradition, in Kashi Vishwanath, no other Hindu can touch the Shivling. Therefore, she viewed the Shivling from the outside… She will stay at the Kumbh and take a dip in the Ganga…”

Laurene Powell Jobs’s visit is part of her 17-day stay in India, during which she aims to deepen her understanding of Hinduism and Sanatana Dharma. To gain further insights, she plans to participate in ‘katha’, ‘pravachans’, and engage in ‘bhajans’ and ‘kirtans’ while residing with her guru.

Reports suggest that Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, was not a believer in a traditional God but did believe in a higher power he referred to as consciousness.

The highly anticipated Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is scheduled to begin on Monday, January 13, 2025, and run until Wednesday, February 26, 2025. When asked earlier about potentially including Powell Jobs in Akhara’s Peshawai, Maharaj stated, “We will try to include her in the Peshwai. Ultimately, it will be her decision. She will experience this Kumbh and interact with the seers here. It will be a fulfilling experience for her, and we welcome those who are eager to learn about our traditions.”

“This is a religious festival; people from around the world and across India come to Maha Kumbh to seek blessings,” remarked Swami Kailashnand Ji Maharaj.

Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak announced that all arrangements for the Mela have been finalized. “We have completed all preparations for the Maha Kumbh… We are meeting with the saints and sages who have gathered in Prayagraj for the Mela, seeking their blessings and thanking them for their presence. It’s our duty to ensure that the saints have a smooth experience here. Everyone is welcome, and all arrangements are in place,” he stated.

Deputy CM Keshav Prasad Maurya assured devotees that this Kumbh would be a divine and grand event. “We have made extensive preparations for a holy and magnificent Kumbh in Prayagraj… We are eagerly awaiting January 13. Complete measures have been taken to ensure everyone’s safety during the ritual baths… I have witnessed the Kumbh of 2013 with its challenges and the well-managed Ardh Kumbh of 2019,” he noted.

Additionally, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath praised Prasar Bharati for launching a special radio channel, ‘Kumbhvani,’ in celebration of the Maha Kumbh, which begins on January 13. He stated that the channel would enable people in remote areas of the country, where connectivity remains a challenge, to access the Kumbh Mela.

In a significant relief for actor Allu Arjun, a court has relaxed the bail conditions in the ‘Pushpa 2’ stampede case, freeing him from the requirement to report to the investigating officer every Sunday. The court has also allowed him to travel to specific countries, provided he informs the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Chikkadpally police station as needed.

Allu Arjun is required to notify the SHO of his travel plans for each trip and to give details of his accommodation in the destination country until the charge sheet is filed. The court clarified that the remaining bail conditions will remain the same, as stated in its order dated January 10.

This decision came in response to a petition filed by the actor requesting a modification of the bail terms. Initially, when he was granted regular bail on January 3, the court mandated that he appear before the investigating officer every Sunday between 10 AM and 1 PM for two months or until the charge sheet was filed, whichever came first. He was also prohibited from leaving the country without prior approval from the court. Additionally, the court instructed him to cooperate with the investigation and not to interfere or influence witnesses.

Allu Arjun was arrested on December 13 related to the stampede case, but he was released the following day after the Telangana High Court granted him a four-week interim bail, which concluded on January 10. He is recognized as Accused No. 11 in the case and subsequently filed a petition for regular bail.

The incident that led to these developments occurred on December 4, when a stampede at the Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad resulted in the tragic death of a 35-year-old woman and injuries to her eight-year-old son, as fans crowded to see Allu Arjun during the premiere of ‘Pushpa 2’. Following this incident, the city police filed a case against Allu Arjun, his security team, and the theatre management under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), based on a complaint from the victim’s family.