Indian stars at Cannes 2025
Indian filmmaker and member of the jury Payal Kapadia in a plaid suit by Arjun Saluja. AFP
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The National
5 hours ago
- The National
IPL 2025 final: Win or lose, Shreyas Iyer is already a champion
The wishes of many cricket fans will get fulfilled on Tuesday when the IPL trophy is lifted by a first-time champion. While IPL supporters have formed deeply entrenched loyalties, a sizeable number would be pleased that if not their team, there will at least be a new champion – and that, too, a franchise that has been down in the dumps for the best part of two decades. Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Punjab Kings have waged their own battles in the IPL, and most of it has got nothing to do with the actual trophy. Bengaluru have one the most incredible fan bases in franchise cricket – deeply loyal with almost unconditional support despite no trophies. They have had some of the greatest names in T20 cricket in their line-up over the years but missed the mark every year, for a variety of reasons. But there were two constants that kept the franchise running and growing – their fans and Virat Kohli. The star India batter has lifted all major white-ball trophies at international level, but the absence of the IPL silverware in the cabinet is particularly painful for a player who has pledged his allegiance to the franchise for the rest of his playing days. Kohli has had great support cast over the years – be it AB de Villiers or Chris Gayle. But it was still not enough, mainly because the franchise would get fixated on one or two names and then forget that they need to have a balanced squad. This year, Bengaluru finally learnt from their mistakes, made quality selections before and during the player auction – like Phil Salt and Josh Hazlewood - and backed their local players diligently; their leadership pair of Jitesh Sharma and Rajat Patidar may not be outstanding but have been inspiring. If RCB lift the title on Tuesday in Ahmedabad, it would mark the completion of a two-decade long journey that has suffered catastrophic derailments but somehow still maintained momentum. Standing in their way is a side that has had an even more painful existence. Bengaluru at least had superstars, a loyal fanbase and the biggest name in cricket associated with their team. Punjab barely cropped up in conversations. The franchise had become the laughing stock of the IPL, propping up the points table more often than not. They didn't even possess a strong local identity in their squad, failing to capitalise on their fertile domestic T20 landscape. So much so, before the tournament started, Lucknow's new captain Rishabh Pant said his only worry during the auction was landing up at Punjab. Turns out, all Punjab needed was a world-class coach in Ricky Ponting and a blockbuster partnership with the golden boy of Indian cricket – Shreyas Iyer. Punjab first tapped into the enviable supply line of young T20 players in the northern region and put together one of the strongest outfits. Young guns like Priyansh Arya (451 runs) and Prabhsimran Singh (523 runs) flourished after being given the freedom to bat without fear. In bowling, Arshdeep Singh (18 wickets) was excellent as always, while veteran leg spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (15 wickets) found a spring in his step under new leadership and clarity of vision. What held it all together was the galvenising leadership of Iyer. The 2024 IPL winning captain had surprisingly been released by Kolkata. That was a period of great uncertainty in his professional career. Despite being the unsung hero of India's run to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup, Iyer found himself out of the national team and central contract system over unspecified disciplinary issues pertaining to availability for domestic cricket. While most players who receive such censure take a time to recover, Iyer turned on the afterburners right away and blazed through every single competition over the past season and a half, as if to prove a point. Having won the IPL title at Kolkata, Iyer guided his local team Mumbai to the domestic T20 title last year, played a winning hand in the final of the first-class tournament, was India's leading run getter in their victorious campaign in the Champions Trophy in Dubai earlier this year, regained his central contract with the national team and has now blasted 603 runs to guide Punjab to the IPL final. His unbeaten knock of 87 from 41 balls in a 204-run chase against Mumbai in the second qualifier – that ran well into the night due to rain delays – was the defining knock of this year's IPL, and possibly Iyer's career. It proved beyond doubt that the 30-year-old is the biggest match winner in Indian cricket – at par with Jasprit Bumrah. Players look up to him because of his incredible results over the past two seasons and the manner of his comeback from unexpected demotion; at one point, Iyer was being seen as the next captain of the national team before falling out of favour. India now have three different captains of the national team, but Iyer is not part of the conversation in any of them. If Punjab win the IPL, it will provide a clear identity to the franchise, to go with their magnificent new base at the Mullanpur stadium, and cement Iyer's position at the forefront of Indian cricket and batting. Even if Punjab lose, Iyer would have done his job and it will then be up to Indian cricket and its stakeholders to make the most of Iyer's golden run of form.
Khaleej Times
18 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Kamal Haasan pens heartfelt birthday message to 'Thug Life' director Mani Ratnam
Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker Kamal Haasan marked director Mani Ratnam's birthday with an emotional message that celebrated their decades-long cinematic partnership. The note, shared publicly, struck a deeply personal tone, reflecting on their journey from the iconic Nayakan to their much-anticipated upcoming film Thug Life. "Happy Birthday, Mani Ratnam," Haasan wrote, adding, "From Nayakan to Thug Life, we've journeyed through time together -- as colleagues, family, co-dreamers, and above all, as lifelong students of cinema," he wrote on X. He went on to praise Ratnam not only for his creative brilliance but for being a guiding presence throughout the years. "Through every chapter, your presence has been a source of strength -- a mind I turn to in moments of doubt, and a soul deeply attuned to the language of film like few others. May your stories keep unfolding, for with every frame, your vision brings depth, beauty, and meaning to cinema," he wrote, signing off with, "Forever your friend, Kamal Haasan." Happy Birthday, Mani Ratnam. From Nayakan to Thug Life, weâ��ve journeyed through time together â�� as colleagues, family, co-dreamers, and above all, as lifelong students of cinema. Through every chapter, your presence has been a source of strength â�� a mind I turn to in moments ofâ�¦ — Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) June 2, 2025 Haasan and Ratnam share one of the most revered collaborations in Indian cinema. Their first and most celebrated partnership came in 1987 with Nayakan, a Tamil crime drama loosely inspired by the life of underworld don Varadarajan Mudaliar. The film not only became a critical and commercial success but was also India's official entry to the Academy Awards that year. It remains a landmark in Indian filmmaking. Now, 37 years later, the duo is reuniting for Thug Life, a high-profile gangster drama expected to hit screens on June 5. The film features Haasan in a central role alongside actor Silambarasan TR.
Khaleej Times
20 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
IPL 2025: Punjab stand in way of Kohli's dream as new winners await
Punjab Kings stand in the way of Virat Kohli's dream of finally winning the Indian Premier League in Tuesday's final at the world's biggest cricket stadium. No matter which team prevails at the 132,000-capacity venue in Ahmedabad it will be a first -- neither Punjab nor Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru have won the IPL since it launched in 2008. Punjab booked their place in the decider with a five-wicket victory over five-time champions Mumbai Indians on Sunday. Shreyas Iyer played a captain's knock with an unbeaten 87. Kohli and Bengaluru will have a psychological edge after thrashing Punjab by eight wickets at the start of the playoffs last week. It is the fourth time that Kohli and his team have reached the final of cricket's richest tournament, but they have never been able to take that last step. The vast majority in attendance will be cheering on Kohli, the 36-year-old superstar batsman and icon to Indian cricket fans. Kohli, who last month retired from Test cricket alongside Rohit Sharma, has again been Bengaluru's go-to batsman with 614 runs, including eight half-centuries, in 14 innings this season. He has made no attempt to hide his desperation to win the IPL at the 18th attempt and add it to a long list of accolades that includes two World Cup crowns. He has talked about his "heartbreak" of failing to win the IPL, and celebrated last week's win against Punjab saying: "One more to go." Punjab's fast bowling coach James Hopes said Monday his team will be "recovering and getting mentally prepared" for what he anticipates will be a "pretty big crowd, and a pretty big pro-Kohli crowd as well". As well as Kohli, Bengaluru boast the significant threat of Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood. The 34-year-old returned following a shoulder injury and a stint back home to put in a man-of-the-match performance in the win over Punjab in the qualifier. He returned figures of 3-21 to help bundle Punjab out for 101. Hazlewood spearheads a seam-bowling attack alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar and left-armer Yash Dayal. Punjab, coached by Australia great Ricky Ponting, recovered from defeat to win the rain-delayed second qualifier in Ahmedabad. Skipper Iyer, who cost $3.17 million in November's auction, is narrowly behind Kohli in the batting charts with 603 runs from 16 innings. His latest chase masterclass off 41 balls, laced with five fours and eight sixes, is a reminder that he is lethal on his day. "I love such big occasions," Iyer said after the win over Mumbai. "I always say to myself and my colleagues that the bigger the occasion, the calmer you are, and you'll get the best results." Former Australia medium-pace bowler Hopes said that Iyer "doesn't get flustered very easily". "He knows what he has to do and he's prepared to take that risk," said Hopes. "He is a sensational captain and a sensational player," he added. Punjab openers Priyansh Arya and Prabhsimran Singh are in good form, and they have another potential match-winner in Australia's Josh Inglis. All-rounders Marcus Stoinis from Australia and Afghanistan's Azmatullah Omarzai can also threaten Kohli's long-awaited dream. But RCB have looked a different side altogether under Rajat Patidar this season, winning all seven away games in the group stage and crushing Punjab in the first qualifier. While Bengaluru have been criticised in the past for ignoring team balance and packing the side with marquee players they have finally clicked as a team this season. "It's a better balanced side, far better balanced side," former Australia player Tom Moody, who has coached Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, told ESPNcricinfo website. "It's not top heavy. There's opportunities for other players to have an impact in the game, whereas previously, you look at RCB and it was always the top three and then you're concerned about what follows that." While the neutrals will certainly be rooting for Kohli, the RCB face a Punjab team with a fearless approach which has given them hope of winning a first IPL crown.
