Daily Briefing: Jersey No. 18

Indian Express

2 days ago

Good morning,
Punjab Kings were 29 runs short and had only four balls left when the camera panned to a visibly emotional Virat Kohli. Just moments before, Kohli had gestured to his partner in adversity, AB de Villiers: he was about to cry. Draped in Jersey No. 18 (which now feels like a prophecy), Kohli sunk his face into his hands, his eyes already teary. The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) were on the cusp of history. Punjab Kings (PBKS)'s last-man-standing, Shashank Singh, had missed the second ball of the last over, sealing the game's fate. To Singh's credit, he swung valiantly, hammering boundaries off the final four deliveries. But it was too late. On the final delivery, the crowd erupted. Kohli dropped to the turf. Somewhere in the chaos, Singh's last-ball six went unnoticed. The RCB had done it, clinching its first IPL title after 18 long years.
Villiers, Chris Gayle, and Kohli — the holy RCB trinity — were on the field for the post-match session. As Kohli put it, the trio have given their prime to the team, all three of them deserved to lift that cup.
It would be remiss not to mention the man who led the RCB to this feat. My colleague Sandip G traces the journey of Rajat Patidar, the soft-spoken man of steel.
To be fair, the PBKS fought. They kept RCB under 200 and refused to go down without a fight. However, it wasn't enough to break the 18-year drought — perhaps it wasn't their time. For now, it's RCB's moment, as they can finally say, Ee saala cup namdhu (this year, the cup is ours!)
On that note, here's what else we have for you today.
The election of a left-leaning South Korean President, Lee Jae-Myung, could not have come at a more decisive time. The US remains at odds with China as the world looks at them to relax commercial tensions. Lee's pragmatic realism could reposition South Korea as a strategic balancer rather than a compliant US ally. Amid these rumblings in Asian geopolitics, contributing editor C Raja Mohan writes on the need for Delhi to realign its own Asia strategy.
New rules: The Centre has introduced a domicile-based job reservation system and lifted the ceiling on the total quota to 85 per cent. It also brought in regulations to recognise local languages and provide clarity in civil service recruitment. This series of changes is the Centre's first attempt to tailor governance specifically for Ladakh. Though it's an important step, the regulations fall short in addressing certain core demands of protesting Ladakhis.
Break from tradition: India has attended every G7 Summit since 2019 on the invitation of the host country, except 2020, when the US cancelled the huddle. Less than two weeks are left for the start of this year's G7 Summit, to be hosted by Canada. India, however, is yet to receive an invitation to the gathering.
In Parliament: The Centre is set to bring an impeachment motion against Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, caught in a cash-at-home row, in the upcoming Monsoon Session of Parliament. To that end, the government has reached out to the Opposition parties to build political consensus. Some Opposition leaders, meanwhile, have written to Prime Minister Narendera Modi, seeking a special session on Operation Sindoor, India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
On record: A viral video of an aged convict is doing the rounds on the internet. The rare courtroom battle shows the judge and the woman, who is currently serving life imprisonment, discussing the allegations of 'burn marks' on her husband's body. The video shows 65-year-old Mamta Pathak, a chemistry professor (not a lawyer), who decided to fight her case on her own. Read all about this sensational murder trial.
Cab conundrum: Goa is on a mission to redefine its tourism identity to ensure positive travel experiences. Recently, the government published draft guidelines to regulate app-based transport aggregators, including urging local taxi operators to 'integrate' with state-backed taxi platforms, Goa Taxi App and Goa Miles. However, the move has sparked fears that the entry of private app-based taxi aggregators could threaten the livelihoods of local taxi drivers.
One of Nainital's oldest luxury hotels, Metropole, was built in 1880 and was owned by the Raja of Mahmudabad. This is where Mohammad Ali Jinnah and his wife Rattanbai honeymooned in 1918. Later, it was classified as an enemy property. Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs temporarily allotted it to the state government for use as a parking facility. My colleague Aiswarya Raj delves into Metropole's history, its slow decline, and future plans.
Before you go, tune in to the latest '3 Things' podcast episode. Today's lineup: Gukesh's win over Carlsen, a train to Aizawl, and the Kannada language row.
That's all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta
Sonal Gupta is a senior sub-editor on the news desk. She writes feature stories and explainers on a wide range of topics from art and culture to international affairs. She also curates the Morning Expresso, a daily briefing of top stories of the day, which won gold in the 'best newsletter' category at the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2023. She also edits our newly-launched pop culture section, Fresh Take.
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