During the IPL 2026 opener on March 28 between host Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) at Bengaluru’s M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, 11 empty seats were observed. RCB left 2011 seats vacant as a tribute to the 11 individuals who lost their lives in a stampede at the team’s victory celebrations outside the stadium. (A screenshot from RCB’s video on X.) The empty seats sparked surprise, since tickets for RCB home matches are typically in high demand, rendering vacant spots very rare. For those unaware, these empty seats represent the 11 lives lost in a stampede last year during RCB’s victory parade outside the stadium. Former Indian cricketer and Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) president Venkatesh Prasad announced on March 25 that the state board would leave 11 seats vacant at all IPL and international matches as a tribute. Prasad noted that a special prayer was conducted to honor the RCB fans who died in the incident. “A special prayer was held at the KSCA to pay homage to the lives we lost and to assure their families that we care for them.” “We will leave 11 seats empty and unsold, regardless of whether it’s for IPL or international matches,” Prasad told ANI. RCB also shared a video on X prior to the match, conveying the same message. They also announced that all players will wear the number 11 on their jerseys and a black armband during the match against SRH, as a tribute to the 11 fans who tragically lost their lives in last year’s incident. The video was captioned: “In memory of our 11 beloved fans.” Forever etched into Chinnaswamy, eternally part of our RCB family. Karnataka Home Minister G. Parameshwara stated that the KSCA has erected a memorial at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium to honor the 11 individuals who lost their lives there. “An incident occurred at this exact location where 11 young people died,” he said. 

 Two more India-flagged LPG carriers, BW Tyr and BW Elm, started transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, a person aware of the development said, requesting anonymity.. Iran has maintained that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed for vessels linked to the United States and Israel,. The ships are not disclosing their destination ports through transponders for security reasons, and more details can’t be immediately revealed, the person said. Both ships loaded their cargo in the Persian Gulf more than a fortnight ago and were looking for safe passage by Iran, the person added.. If this latest pair transits the strait, six LPG carriers will have been permitted safe passage by Iran. No other details were immediately available.. Track live updates of Iran-US war here. So far, four India-flagged LPG carriers have reached the country after being cleared by Iranian authorities to transit the Hormuz waterway, a vital sea conduit through which a fifth of the world’s crude passes, along with gas and precious commodities.. Iran has attacked several vessels in the strait, effectively shutting the channel critical for global maritime trade, in retaliation for the US and Israel’s strikes.. Also read: Iran’s message to Gulf neighbours it is bombing: ‘If you want security…’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian twice since the hostilities began, calling for de-escalation and dialogue. On Tuesday, he called for the crucial strait to “remain open for the world” for the passage of essential commodities and energy.. India imports nearly 60% of the cooking gas, most of it from the Persian Gulf countries. It has ramped up production of liquefied petroleum gas by nearly 50% to tide over energy shortages due to the West Asian war, a petroleum ministry official said, briefing reporters this week. 

 Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday attacked Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee for playing the “victim card” whenever an election approaches, alleging she created an imaginary monster out of the electoral roll Special Intensive Revision (SIR).. Union home minister Amit Shah. (HT PHOTO). “Mamata has always played the politics of the victim card. Sometimes she breaks her leg, ties a bandage on her head, falls ill, and abuses the Election Commission. But the people of Bengal have understood her politics of playing the victim card,” Shah said in Kolkata as he released a 40-page “charge sheet” attacking the TMC over infiltration, appeasement politics, women’s security, corruption, and deterioration of law and order ahead of April 23 and April 29 assembly polls.. Shah said SIR is being held across the country. “Except for Bengal, in no other state did judicial officers have to be deployed. What is the reason?” He said SIR was also held in election-bound Tamil Nadu and Kerala, but no cases were filed in the courts. “But what happened in Bengal that the Supreme Court had to deploy judicial officers? Mamata Banerjee has to reply to the people on this. Your district magistrates did not work fearlessly. That is why the Supreme Court had to deploy judicial officers.”. He said the only reason for opposing the SIR is that she wants to shield the infiltrators and return to power for another term, so she can allow more for the next five years. “But your dream will never be fulfilled,” Shah said.. Shah promised to “flush out” infiltrators from across the country, calling it the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s commitment and agenda. “Let Mamata allege anything.”. When questioned about the spate of attacks on Bengali-speaking migrant workers in BJP-ruled states, Shah slammed Banerjee for diluting the difference between them and undocumented Bangladeshi infiltrators. “Mamata has been skilfully doing away with the difference between Bengali-speaking people and Bangladeshis. The infiltrators from Bangladesh also speak in Bengali. I want to assure the people of Bengal that no one will harass the original inhabitants of Bengal. They need not worry. But this does not mean that illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators would be given shelter here.”. He said the people of Bengal have understood the tricks she plays. “Try to come up with some new tricks which might help to create an illusion. The people of Bengal would not be deceived by her old tricks.”. The TMC released a “counter-charge sheet” attacking Shah over Manipur violence, blasts in Delhi, the 2024 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, the stopping of funds to West Bengal, and attacks on Bengali-speaking people, etc.. “Shah releasing a charge sheet is equivalent to a judge and a criminal sharing the same chair. A report by your own department states that Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan, all three BJP-ruled states, top the list of 

 The Delhi high court has protected the personality rights of Gautam Gambhir, head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, restraining entities from using his persona without his consent.. Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team. (X). A bench of Justice Jyoti Singh in a March 25 order, released on Saturday, observed that Gambhir is among India’s most decorated cricketers, and that unauthorised content and merchandise deriving commercial value from his considerable goodwill and reputation amounts to a violation of his personality and publicity rights.. The court directed the entities to take down the infringing content within 36 hours. “…[Gambhir] has represented India in 242 international matches across Tests, ODIs, and T20Is and is most remembered for his match-winning innings in the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 Final and 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Final…”. Justice Singh said after retirement, Gambhir transitioned into a different role of mentorship and coaching and was appointed head coach in July 2024. “…under his stewardship, India won the ICC Champions Trophy, 2025, Asia Cup, 2025, and ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, 2026,” the court said.. Gambhir sought protection of personality rights, citing a coordinated campaign involving digital impersonation, AI-generated deepfakes, and unauthorised commercial exploitation of his persona. He said there has been a sharp rise in fabricated digital content relating to him across platforms such as Instagram, X, YouTube, and Facebook since 2025.. Gambhir said multiple accounts used AI tools, including face-swapping and voice-cloning technologies, to create realistic videos falsely portraying him as making statements he never made. He referred to a fabricated “resignation announcement” that reportedly garnered over 2.9 million views. Gambhir said e-commerce platforms were facilitating the sale of posters and merchandise bearing his name and likeness without authorisation. 

 The telephone conversation on March 24 of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump was between them only, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday, dismissing reports that billionaire Elon Musk joined the phone call.. L: PM Modi and US President Donald Trump | R: Tesla CEO Elon Musk (Bloomberg and Reuters). Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump that took place on Tuesday, The New York Times reported on Friday. Track latest in US-Iran war here. According to the NYT, Musk’s involvement in the call marks an unusual instance of a private citizen participating in a conversation between two heads of state amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.. Giving a clarification on the report, a spokesperson of the MEA said, “We have seen the story. The telephone conversation on 24 March was between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump only,” news agency ANI reported.. “As has been stated earlier, it provided the opportunity for exchange of views on the situation in West Asia,” the spokesperson was quoted as saying.. Amid intensifying global efforts to secure vital energy corridors, PM Modi held a telephonic conversation with US President Trump on Tuesday to discuss the prevailing conflict in West Asia.. PM Modi said he discussed the importance of the opening of key waterway Strait of Hormuz.. “Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia. India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability,” PM Modi stated in his post.. According to the NYT, it remains unclear why Elon Musk participated in the call or whether he actively spoke.. Meanwhile, the US embassy in India shared a surprise praise message by Donald Trump on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I are two people that get things done, the message by US President Donald Trump stated, adding that this is something that “cannot be said for most”.. “Our amazing relationship with India will be even stronger going forward. Prime Minister Modi and I are two people that get things done, something that cannot be said for most,” the US Embassy in India shared on X a message by President Donald Trump.. The shoutout for India-US relations came amid the Middle East conflict that the US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.