The Biggest cricket tournament is around the corner, where 10 teams will compete to attain the title of “World Champions”. Players will be excited and eager to perform but many players have also undergone some critical injuries that might put a question mark on their availability in the World Cup, the absence of these players will certainly affect the outcome of the game. So here are some players that might miss the CWC due to injury.

Jason Roy

The explosive opening batter from England was kept out of the English World Cup squad, after a spasm in his back. The 33-year-old was also kept out of the New Zealand series, Roy played only one of the four ODIs against New Zealand.  David Malan replaced him in that series and scored 54, 96, and 127 at the top of the order. The young batting sensation, Harry Brook has been named in the squad as Roy’s replacement. 

Axar Patel 

Indian team has been constantly under the fear of injuries, as Jasprit Bumrah, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer are returning from injury, the experienced Indian all-rounder, Axar Patel has got a sprain in his left quadriceps. In India’s last Super-4 match against Bangladesh, the left-armer played a sensational knock and brought India close to victory, getting injured in the same game.

His selection in the squad has been under question.

Naseem Shah

The 20-year-old ruthless bowler has been a player to watch out for in the Asia Cup 2023. The young Pakistani played four matches and bagged seven wickets. In the match against India, Naseem Shah underwent a shoulder injury. PCB will look forward to Mohammad Hasnain, and Shahnawaz Dahani as Shah’s replacement.

Haris Rauf

Haris Rauf, the spearhead of the Pakistani bowling lineup, bowled less than an over before he left the field in the same game as Naseem. The Right-arm quick has been the go-to man for Pakistan in any kind of situation. The PCB has reported that he may recover quickly, and be available for the World Cup.

Also read top stories: Pakistan Team to divide into two groups? 

Mahesh Theekshana

A hamstring injury sustained by the Sri Lankan spinner in their final Super-4 match against Pakistan prevented him from playing in the Asia Cup 2023 final, in which Sri Lanka lost by a margin of 10 wickets. Theekshana, an integral component of Sri Lanka’s system, could be a major loss for the 1996 champions at the 2018 World Cup.

Wanindu Hasaranga 

Wanindu Hasaranga is a brilliant spinner and a handy batsman, who has the capability to hit sixes at will. The spin-bowling all-rounder from Sri Lanka missed the entire 2023 Asia Cup because of a thigh strain he received while playing in the top-scoring and top-wicket-taking Lanka Premier League.

Anrich Nortje

A lower-back issue has been plaguing the South African pacer. He made a comeback during South Africa’s second one-day international match against Australia. However, he left the field after only five overs. Due to his extensive IPL playing experience, Nortje might be a major loss for the Proteas.

Tim Southee

During their ODI series against England, the seasoned New Zealand pacer, Tim Southee suffered a thumb fracture. The 34-year-old is anticipated to miss the World Cup after dropping a catch at Lord’s and suffering a dislocated and broken bone in his right thumb.

Travis Head

During Australia’s ODI series against South Africa, the opening batsman, Travis Head suffered a fracture to his left hand. The five-time champions were devastated because Head and David Warner had begun to work well together up top. Travis Head had been in form and was attacking the bowlers, taking a test of their temperament.

The Old Parliament building which was earlier known as the Sansad Bhawan, was the home to the Parliament of India from 26th January 1950 to 27 May 2023. The inauguration of the New Parliament building indicated that the old building would no longer be used as the center for Parliamentary sessions of the upper and the lower houses. The Prime Minister called up a special session to point out various agendas, and also give a speech in the old Parliament.

 In his final statement from the old structure on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Old Parliament will henceforth be named the “Samvidhan Bhawan,” which means the “Constitution House.” He led all the MPs to the new parliament building, which will now be the location of the formal Indian parliament. The PM then requested the speakers of both houses to lead the way toward the new building and stated, “On the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi, we are leaving the Old building and heading our way towards the new one.” 

“I am making an appeal to you, and I hope you’ll think about it after some thought. The stature of this house should never wane now that we are moving there (to the new parliament building). It should not only be referred to as the “old parliament.” If both of you agree, I ask that this structure be referred to as “Samvidhan Sadan” so that it will forever be an example for us. When we refer to it as “Samvidhan Sadan,” the great individuals who once sat in this chamber of the Constituent Assembly come to mind. We shouldn’t miss this chance to provide this gift to future generations.” Prime Minister Modi stated. 

Yesterday, PM Modi spoke in Lok Sabha, paying tribute to “every brick” of the old structure and stating that the MPs will join the new structure with “new hope and confidence.”

According to official sources, the structure won’t be torn down but rather “retrofitted” to include additional useful rooms for legislative gatherings. A portion of the original structure, according to some accounts, might be turned into a museum.

The ODI World Cup is the biggest event in the cricket world, the event comes every four years. Everyone in the cricket fraternity is waiting for the competition whether it’s a player or a spectator. The 2023 edition is just 16 days away and ready to spread the cricketing fever to the globe from the streets of India. The event is organised by the sport’s governing body, the International Cricket Council (ICC), every four years, with preliminary rounds leading to the finals. The tournament is one of the most-watched sporting events in the world and is considered by the ICC as the “flagship of the international cricket calendar.” The first edition was played in 1975 in England.

The 1975 Cricket World Cup (officially known as the Prudent Cup ’75) was the first men’s cricket world cup and the first major tournament in the history of One Day International (ODI) cricket. The event was conducted by the International Cricket Conference (ICC) held in England from 7 to 21 June 1975. The tournament was sponsored by the Prudential Assurance Company and had eight nations: the six Test teams of the time – Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, West Indies – and the two leading federations of the time – Sri. Lanka and East Africa. 

Format

The teams were divided into two groups of four, and each team played each other once in their subgroup; the top two in each group advanced to the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches would meet in the final. Each match consisted of 60 overs per team and was played in traditional white clothing and red balls; it was all played out and over in daylight. 

England and New Zealand finished as the top two teams in Group A, while the West Indies topped Group B ahead of Australia as four teams advanced to the semi-finals. 

Semi-finals

England and Australia played the first semi-final at Headingley. For Australia, one change, bringing Gary Gilmour in place of Ashley Mallett, proved critical in reserving Australia’s place in the final. This was due to the grass pitch, which was criticised by both captains after the match. After Australia elected to field first, Gilmour took six wickets for 14 runs as they bowled out England for 37 in 12 overs. Mike Denness tried to bring England back but lost a wicket as England fell to 93. In the run chase, Australia were reduced to 39 for six before Gilmour partnered Doug Walters as they chased down the remaining runs to earn Australia a place in the final. 

The other semi-final was between the favourites West Indies and New Zealand at The Oval. After batting first, New Zealand reached 92 at the lunch break. After lunch, they declined to 158, with Geoff Howarth top-scoring for New Zealand with 51 and Bernard Julien with four wickets. In the run chase, a 125-run second-wicket partnership between Alvin Kallicharran (72) and Gordon Greenidge (55) set the stage for a five-wicket win, with Richard Collinge the only bowler to trouble the Westerners, he took three wickets in 12 overs by only conceding 12 runs. 

Finals 

The final was played on 21 June and was sold out three days before. With the West Indies favourites for the match, Ian Chappell asked them to bat first and they made 291 for eight in 60 overs. After getting a second chance from Ross Edwards at midwicket, Clive Lloyd continued to top the West Indies with 102. Gary Gilmour was the best of the Australian bowlers with five wickets for 48 runs.

Ian Chappell hit a half-century in reply to set the stage for Australia before Viv Richards’ three dismissals put the pressure back on Australia as they slumped to 233 for nine. The 41-wicket partnership of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson took Australia within 18 runs of victory. But in the fifth innings, Australia were bowled out for 274 and the West Indies won by 17 runs to win their first men’s World Cup.

Statistics

Top run scorer 

Highest wicket taker

In a recent biography, Musk, the man who wields so much power that he basically controls everything, is now strangely a question mark to society. Elon Musk became the world’s richest man in 2021, he was also named the Person of The Year by Time, the same year. Here, we have a man who is ready to go to any lengths to save our planet. He believes his ongoing missions will serve those complicated situations and carry on operations that may help mankind in the coming years of crisis– decreasing birth rate is a potential threat to humanity, says Musk. Mars & beyond is another SpaceX publicity at small range that now has generated global interests among people who actually want to go to Mars and so on. 

The CEO of Tesla and X also known for his estranged humour and meme sharing has been put up against the world many times. He has always been considered a genius who sometimes seems dissociated from reality. He has been successfully planning his Mars starships for 2029, how he presumes that 2029 will be the first year that humans will set foot on the land of Mars. The idea behind his overachieving Mars Mission is to save humanity from earth or vice-versa. As one of the most successful (but not celebrated) entrepreneurs in the world, even Elon Musk sometimes fails to impress.  

Let’s all zoom in on the fact that why is he overdoing it. 

Musk is currently leading six companies – Tesla, SpaceX (which also includes Starlink), Neuralink, X, and X.AI (a company that he founded earlier this year because he believes human intelligence is not expanding fast enough while artificial intelligence is getting even more smart).  

Calling it Musk’s Law: the answer to killer robots is more Musk babies. Which also means more Musk companies. The technoking has been seen fretting about how AI has got control of most of the things but he just can’t sit around and do nothing. 

“Are you genuinely trying to save the world?” Musk was questioned by Stephen Colbert on “The Late Show.” Musk muttered, “Well, I’m trying to do good things, okay, rescuing the planet is not, I mean… “But you’re a billionaire and you’re trying to do nice things,” Colbert cut in. Musk agreed by nodding. “That kind of sounds like a superhero or supervillain, which one are you?” asked Colbert. “You must select one.” Musk paused, looking uninterested. 

Musk stands still when you whisper Business, he has got it. From even the smallest to the biggest things in this world are under his control. He is valued at more than a trillion dollars. He has constructed or is creating reusable rocket ships, humanoid robots, hyperloops for fast transportation, and a man-machine interface that will be implanted in human brains, among other things. 

He is a technocrat, entrepreneur, a media mogul, and a political Plato, who has received endless money from the US government for military contracts for space missions and millions of dollars for missile tracking satellites and Starlink’s network for thousands of satellites. It’s true to suggest that day after day, Musk grows in power by controlling the internet, power grids, transportation systems, and objects in space.  

Meanwhile Elon Musk is trying to be the Man behind Billions. “I’m not evil, I’m just widely misunderstood,” he said at Saturday Night Live, a couple of years ago. 

Monday alarmed with a breaking news which shocked the world and divided the global diplomats into two groups. On 18th September 2023, Canada’s Foreign Ministry expelled a top Indian diplomat, accusing him of killing Khalistani terrorist Nijjar. The decision came after the visit of Canadian PM Justin Trudeau to attend the G20 meeting in India. The Canadian PM is not happy with the Indian hospitality, he may think he was sidelined from all major events and media coverage. The relationship between the two countries is already souring their strategic relations that are hanging by the thread. 

Melanie Joly, Minister of External Affairs Canada made an official announcement on this, she said, “The expelled Indian diplomat is Pavan Kumar Rai, whom we identified as the head of India’s foreign intelligence service RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) in Canada. As an Indian police officer in 1997, he was appointed Minister (Eco, Coordination, Community Affairs) of the Indian High Commission in Ottawa.”

Trudeau addressed the House of Commons “Over the past several weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively seeking credible allegations of a possible link to the killing of Indian government agents and Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar.” He added that “he had raised the matter with Indian representative Prime Minister Narendra Modi in no uncertain terms.” He argued that “the participation of any foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is a violation of our sovereignty.”  

In reply the Government of India summoned the High Commissioner of Canada to India and asked him to leave the country within five days. The decision of the government reflects the concern of Bharat about its diplomatic ties. 

Also read top stories: India Vs Canada: How Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani Terrorist is at the centre of it 

A senior diplomat expressed his views that India’s response is disproportionate. Whatever space India was required to give due to diplomatic niceties, will soon be gone. Khalistanis are now blocked at every turn, without Canada being able to respond. Their assets in India, their properties, their bank accounts and even their relatives who receive money from Canada – everything should now be under the scanner of the National Intelligence Agency. This shutting of the diplomatic door will happen soon so that we can get to work on the Khalistanis. No one with Khalistani terror-leaning sympathies should be able to leave India for Canada and vice versa. 

Another foreign relation expert stated that If the Indian Secret Service is in link with the killing of these Khalistani terrorists, then “Ghar me ghuske marna” is now open in the North American Continent also. One thing which is also important to learn here is that Vote bank appeasement is not only limited to India, it is spread internationally. 

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, designated as a terrorist, was killed in Canada’s British Columbia province in June this year. Nijjar, wanted in four NIA cases related to Sikh radicalism, was the leader of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) of the Khalistan party. His outfit is associated with ‘Sikh For Justice’, which is led by another pro-Khalistan leader, Gurpatwant Singh Pannuni. Nijjar was fired at Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara in Kannada province. He became the president of the gurudwara after allegedly occupying it by force. Separatists blamed India for Nijjar’s murder, but a close confidante of the Khalistani figure said Canadian law enforcement did not mention New Delhi when they told him of a possible threat to his life.

As the World Cup is going to commence, the Pakistan Cricket team will leave for Dubai on 25 September after which they will reach India on 27 September 2023. Pakistan team looks strong with the likes of Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, and Babar Azam, although it shows signs of rift. As the senior players make open statements against each other, that is not a good sign for any team especially when such a big tournament is around the corner. 

In the Asia Cup 2023, Pakistan did not play any quality cricket and also did not show any signs of aggression against their opponents. The captain Babar Azam, who was quite unhappy with the team’s exit from the tournament after a loss against Sri Lanka, exchanged a few words with another senior player, Shaheen Afridi in the dressing room. The two key players of the team got into a heated argument with each other when the wicketkeeper Rizwan stepped in to cool down the argument. This rift between the two players may have disintegrated the Pakistan team. Adding to this, Vice-Captain Shadab Khan also expressed his discomfort, while playing under Babar Azam. He said, “Babar is a completely different personality on and off the field, and we do not enjoy his captaincy.”

The statement for Khan was a reply to Babar when he disclosed the reason for the Asia Cup, he said,  “Shadab bowls exceptionally well, but he doesn’t get any wickets. Thus, you may sense that he is not bowling well. Although he is bowling brilliantly, he is sadly not getting any wickets. Nawaz and Shadab, he is one of your top bowlers.”  He highlighted Khan’s inability to take wickets, despite bowling well. The Pakistan bowling attack has also got a major hit as the young star bowler, Naseem Shah suffers an injury, which puts his availability in question. 

BTS’s Suga who is also known by the names Min Yoon-gi and Agust D will start his mandatory military service soon. According to his agency, he will begin his services on September 22, 2023. The singer also interacted with his fans for one last time before joining the military. He had quite an interactive and wholesome session with his fans and things even got emotional when he asked them to wait for him till the year 2025. However, things again became joyful when BTS members J-Hope and Jin gave fans a sweet surprise in the comment section during the live, both of these members are currently serving in the military. 

The second-oldest member casually appeared wearing a white t-shirt and a chequered shirt. Suga, with his shorter hair, greeted fans, saying, “Hello, it’s great to see you. It’s me, Suga. I’ve trimmed my hair a bit.” He humorously added, “My hair is really short now, right? I’m still not used to it. Even the staff couldn’t recognize me.” Suga had kept a low profile since concluding his Agust D tour in Seoul, and when asked where he had been, he explained that he had been spending time with his fellow BTS members and family.

He said, “Then Taehyung’s album came out and I didn’t want to distract from that. And I was with the members and the next thing I knew, a month went by!” While Suga will be gone for 18 months, he assured fans that he has filmed enough content for his fans, aka BTS ARMY, to keep them entertained. He, who is known for his popular drinking show Suchwita on YouTube, added, “I can’t do Suchwita anymore. But I filmed a lot! Please look forward to it.” Kim Taehyung, aka V, was the last guest on the show and also the last BTS member to join him for a heartfelt conversation.

Suga recently wrapped up his Agust D Tour concerts. Talking about it during his 20-minute live, he said, “After the concert, I was only resting for about 2 weeks because I had body pain. So I rested a lot. I spent the remaining time with my family.” He also shared that he wishes to have more shows for his fans, however, has to fulfil his responsibilities as a citizen first. He said, “I wanted to do more tours but I didn’t have the time to.” “It’s a pity that I will not be able to do anything in the next 2 years.”

He then said that Taehyung’s album just came out and that he did not want to divert attention from that. ” Despite his upcoming 18-month absence, Suga reassured fans that he has recorded plenty of content to keep the BTS ARMY entertained. He, renowned for his popular drinking show Suchwita on YouTube, mentioned, “I won’t be able to continue Suchwita, but I’ve filmed a lot! Please look forward to it.” Kim Taehyung, also known as V, was the final guest on the show, concluding a heartfelt conversation with Suga.

Suga recently completed his Agust D Tour concerts. Discussing it during his 20-minute live session, he shared, “After the concert, I only had about 2 weeks of rest due to body pain. So, I took it easy and spent the rest of the time with my family.” He expressed his desire to hold more shows for his fans but acknowledged his responsibilities as a citizen. He said, “I wanted to do more tours, but I did not have the time to. It is sad that I won’t be able to do anything for the next two years.”

Under South Korean law, every physically fit male must fulfil approximately 18 months of military service between 18 and 35 years of age. The seven members of BTS fall within the age range of 25 to 30. In October 2022, thus, Bighit Music revealed that the BTS members would be enlisting in the military. To support the BTS members in fulfilling their mandatory service, Bighit also announced that they would go on a temporary hiatus. The group activities would be paused and members would pursue individual projects. It is anticipated that all seven members will come together again, possibly reuniting sometime in 2025.

The Cabinet of Union Ministers along with PM Narendra Modi indicated the approval of the amendment in the Constitution for the Women’s Reservation Bill. The Women’s Reservation Bill demands an increase in seat reservation for women candidates in the Parliament, which includes both the upper and the lower house, as well as the state assemblies. 

Note that the 2023 Women’s Reservation Bill is different from the last attempt made in 2010 as it expands beyond the Lok Sabha and state assembly reservation and here’s why. 

There was no provision for quota within quota in the 2010 bill, which was a major demand from many leaders. Attempts have been made since 1996 for this bill but failed several times. In 2010, the UPA government passed the bill in the Rajya Sabha, or the Upper House but struggled to pass the bill in the Lok Sabha. The 2023 bill is a bit different as both the Ruling party, NDA with BJD,  and the opposition parties like Congress and Trinamool are in support, providing a smooth passage for the bill to pass. The bill will probably receive the support of 431 MPs in Lok Sabha and 175 in Rajya Sabha.

The Union Cabinet met on Monday at 6.30 p.m., as opposed to its customary day of Wednesday. Despite the lengthy meeting lasting nearly 1.5 hours, none of the decisions were formally announced. 

“Only the Modi government had the moral guts to accede to the demand for women’s reservation,” said Union Minister of State for Food Processing and Jal Shakti Prahalad Singh Patel on X, hours after the conclusion of the Union Cabinet meeting. which the cabinet’s consent served as proof of. He added, “Congratulations to the Modi administration, including @PMOIndia, @BJP4India, and @BJP4MP, as well as @narendramodi ji.”

Mahesh Jethamalani, a Rajya Sabha member, stated on X “By approving the #WomensReservationBill ensuring a third of seats are reserved for women in Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies, #PMModi’s Cabinet has dealt a huge blow to women’s empowerment.”

Former Minister of Law and Justice of India, Ram Jethmalani shared his views and said “The Bill, which was first introduced to Parliament in 1996, has lain dormant ever since. Since 1996, successive governments have been unable to muster the will to push for the Bill’s passage into law. My impression is that the Bill has been in the works ever since the Prime Minister advocated for Nari Shakti during his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort in 2022. The PM has since emphasized Nari Shakti numerous times, most recently in Bengaluru following the triumphant premiere of Chandrayaan 3 when he declared Nari Shakti to be the pinnacle of life and catalyst of change.” Jethmalani, praising PM Modi’s move added that every party has just supported Gender Equality half-heartedly but in reality, “Modi hai to mumkin hai.” 

Canada expelled an Indian diplomat from Ottawa on Monday, accusing India of having a hand in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.

The expelled diplomat has been “identified” by the Canadian government as a senior member of India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) intelligence service. According to other sources, the diplomat was recognized by Mélanie Joly’s office as Pavan Kumar Rai, the director of RAW in Canada. Later, the Canadian minister conferred with S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs. 

The expulsion follows ‘credible claims of probable nexus’ between the Indian operatives and the killing of Nijjar being mentioned by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in his speech to his parliament. 

On June 18, 2023, Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot and killed in Canada. He was shot several times in front of a Surrey Gurudwara. 

Nijjar was a native of the Jalandhar village of Bhar Singh Pura. In 1997, he relocated to Canada from Punjab and started working as a plumber. He has two boys and is married. 

Also read top stories: How the ‘MAGA doom cycle’ is already jeopardising Trump’s chances in 2024  

Since moving to Canada, he has been involved in Khalistan militancy for a long time. He was the “mastermind” behind the outlawed Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). Additionally, he belonged to the outlawed separatist group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ). In 2020, India labelled him as a terrorist.

In multiple cases, including the 2007 blast in Ludhiana, Punjab, which left six people dead and about 40 injured, Nijjar was one of the most wanted. Additionally, he took part in the murder of Rulda Singh, the president of the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat (Patiala, 2009). 

In connection with the killing of a Hindu priest in Jalandhar, Punjab, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had offered a cash reward of 10 lakh on Nijjar in July of last year. Additionally, it is looking into recent assaults on Indian diplomatic missions in the US, UK, and Canada. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed to Justin Trudeau India’s concerns about the ongoing anti-Indian activities of extreme elements in Canada earlier this month during their bilateral meeting, noting that they are encouraging secessionism, inciting violence against Indian diplomats, and endangering the Indian community in the North American nation. 

The Purana Sansad Bhavan also known as the Old Parliament Building was the meeting house of the Imperial Legislative Council between 1927 and 1947, while the Constituent Assembly resided in the house from 15 August 1947 to 26 January 1950. Since then, it has been the house of Parliament for India till 27 May 2023. It hosted both Upper and Lower Houses of the Parliament of India. As the PM said in today’s speech the monumental building saw many historical decisions in the development of India from the beginning whether it is the historical speech ‘Tryst with destiny’ to Vajpayee’s ‘Sarkare aayengi-jayengi par yeh desh rehna chahiye’ Announcement of nuclear weapons to the Oath for the PM for the first and only Female and longest serving PM of India. 

PM Modi gave his last speech at the Parliament House on 18 September 2023,  the old Parliament building was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he opened the special session of Parliament, stating he never imagined it “would get so much love.” Along with commemorating the bitter-sweet memories, the PM praised the contributions of Jawahar Lal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and all former prime ministers. 

“Emotional moment to wave goodbye to this building; many bitter-sweet memories have been associated with it,” the PM stated. “When I first visited this building as a member, I never anticipated that I would get so much love from people.” He continued, “Post-Independence, many expressed doubts about country’s success; but the power of this Parliament proved naysayers wrong.” about the best times in the building. The biggest accomplishment of this House’s 75-year existence, he continued, “is the steadily increasing public confidence in Parliament.” The parliament’s operations will move to the new edifice on Tuesday, the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturthi.