PM Modi's 15-Year-Olds Remark, Then An Epic Reaction From Sooryavanshi

India's teenage prodigy, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, was in attendance among the country's Asian Games 2026 stars at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Delhi Thursday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi felicitated the contingent. Sooryavanshi was a part of the Indian men's cricket team that won the gold medal in Tokyo. During the ceremony, PM Modi gave a riveting speech that also captured how 15-year-olds are winning medals for the country at grand events such as the Asian Games. The remark drew a smile even on the face of Sooryavanshi.

PM Modi could not stop hailing the Indian athletes during the felicitation ceremony, including the cricketers, hockey teams, and boxers, whilst lauding the records that were broken in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and the historic milestones that were achieved.

As PM Modi continued his speech, he made a special mention of the 15 and 17-year-olds who won medals for India at the Games. Although he did not mention Sooryavanshi by name, the mention did see the camera shift focus to the Indian cricketing prodigy.

"This time in the Asian Games, there were many players on Team India whose age was only 15 to 17 years. At such a young age, these players have enhanced the pride of the country with their spectacular performances. They have won the hearts of the countrymen. This shows that for success, age is not a restriction. In sports, it is the start made at a young age that becomes an added advantage," he said.

As PM Modi said this, Sooryavanshi had a big smile on his face.

"Therefore, it is our effort that in sports, the identification of talent should happen at a young age. For children between 5 and 15 years of age, we are especially focused on identifying sporting talent and its training. In the coming years, thousands of new players will get opportunities to advance through Khelo India and Emerging Khelo India," PM Modi added.

WATCH | "Reel Ke Chakkar Mein Thuk Jaoge": Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Epic Chat With Paps Viral

PM Modi also reserved special praise for the country's female contingent at the Asian Games. He said: "Friends, I would like to especially praise our daughters. Out of the 85 medals won by India, 38 medals were won by our women athletes, and 11 gold medals are included in them. These medals are not just a number. This is a picture of a new India."

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Bigg Boss 20: Nakul Dhull And Gullu's Fight Turns Physical, Mahhi Vij Reacts

Tensions inside the Bigg Boss 20 house appear to be escalating. In the latest episode, a heated confrontation turned physical between wild card contestant Nakul Dhull and Kushal Tanwar, popularly known as Gullu. A clip of the moment has since gone viral, prompting speculation about Nakul's eviction from the house. 

The clash began after Nakul took offence at Qazi Touqeer for making fun of the incident in which the Fame Gurukul winner spat in fellow contestant Scout's ear. Qazi was discussing the episode with housemates, including Gullu and Mahhi Vij, and joking about his own actions when Nakul overheard the conversation. He then informed Scout about it.

Scout, Yung DSA and Nakul then approached Qazi to confront him. However, the situation took an ugly turn when Gullu intervened and made a remark that angered Nakul. Gullu then challenged him, asking, “Bhidna hai kya (Do you want to fight)?” Nakul immediately moved towards him, triggering a physical altercation. Gullu also retaliated and the confrontation soon escalated into a full-blown fight.

Mahhi was later seen losing her temper over the incident. Defending Gullu, she shouted, “You cannot hit my friend?” and “How dare you?” She also questioned Nakul's conduct, asking, “This is what you have come here to do?” before demanding that Bigg Boss evict him from the house. Meanwhile, the other contestants stepped in to calm things down and prevent the situation from escalating further.

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The confrontation comes amid an already strained equation between Nakul and Gullu, who reportedly maintained their distance since Nakul entered the house on Sunday. Nakul joined Bigg Boss 20 as a wildcard contestant alongside television actor Manish Goel.

The next episode promo hinted at Nakul's eviction from the house but the makers had not issued an official confirmation yet. 

Hosted by Salman Khan, Bigg Boss 20 streams daily on JioHotstar at 9 pm. The show is also telecast on Colors TV at 10:30 pm.

Also Read | Bigg Boss 20: Salman Khan Calls Scout OP And Yung DSA 'Bullies'

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CIL Cup: Canning Dishahara F.A And Gobindadham Yoga & Sports Emerge As Champs

Canning Dishahara F.A and Gobindadham Yoga & Sports have emerged as the men's and women's champions, respectively, at the Howrah zonal stage of the CIL Cup, an initiative of Coal India Limited. Both teams will represent their respective categories in the semifinals, which will be held in Purulia.

In the men's zonal final, Canning Dishahara F.A prevailed over GB Dham FC after the match ended in a goalless draw and the penalty result stood at 1-1. The winner was subsequently decided by a coin toss. Abdul R Football Academy finished third, while Chakgopal 7 Star secured fourth place. Rajesh Hembram of GB Dham FC was named the Player of the Match.

In the women's competition, Gobindadham Yoga & Sports emerged as champions and secured qualification for the semifinals in Purulia. Diamond Harbour Morning Star finished third, while Chakmakrampur Mahila Football Academy took fourth place. Urmila Kishku of Gobindadham Yoga & Sports was named the Player of the Match.

Through the CIL Cup, Coal India Limited continues to support grassroots football by providing organised opportunities for players to compete, showcase their abilities and progress to higher stages of the tournament.

About CIL Cup

The CIL Cup is a grassroots football initiative supported by Coal India, aimed at promoting football at the grassroots level and creating opportunities for talent identification and development. The league phase features 1,400 teams, more than 1,302 matches and over 21,000 men and women players, providing a wide platform for emerging footballers to compete and showcase their potential. The Grand Finale will be held in the last week of October in Purulia, with total prizes worth INR 10 lakh. Through the CIL Cup, Coal India continues to champion grassroots football and support the identification and development of the next generation of talent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a press release)

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'Kya Samajhta Hai Re Tu Budhau': Big B Recalls Being Trolled Over His Age

Amitabh Bachchan may have millions of followers, but that has not kept him away from online trolling. The veteran actor recently shared how social media users have commented on his age and questioned his posts. During an episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, Big B spoke about how these reactions changed his approach to social media and why he no longer writes as much as he used to.

The conversation began when a contestant named Vinamra asked Amitabh Bachchan how he deals with criticism online. He pointed out that people from his age group often find it difficult to handle negative comments and wanted to know how the actor manages such reactions.

Big B explained that when he first started using social media, he saw it as a space where he could express his thoughts freely. Things changed when he began reading what people had to say about his posts.

Recalling the comments, the actor said, “Pehle humne socha ki yeh bahut accha yantra hai, ismein hum apne dil ki baat bol dete hain… Uske baad jab humne padhna shuru kiya ki iska comment kya hai, humne aise likhna band kar diya. ‘Apne aap ko kya samajhta hai re tu budhau… Aise kyun bol raha hai?' Toh aise-aise shabdawali hoti hai, bada ajeeb lagta hai. Toh ab humne zyada likhna chhod diya hai (At first, I thought this was a very good platform, where I could express what was in my heart… Then, when I started reading the comments, I stopped writing only. ‘What does he think of himself, this old man… Why is he talking like this?' You come across such kinds of language, and it feels very strange. So now, I have stopped writing as much)…"

He then turned the conversation into a joke, pointing out an unexpected upside to his decision.

“Aur bhaisahab ek baat batayein aapko? Jab se kam likhna kar diya hai, humara follower badhta chala ja raha hai (And brother, let me tell you one thing? Ever since I started writing less, my followers have continued to increase)."

His observation left Vinamra and the studio audience laughing.

Kaun Banega Crorepati Season 18 premiered on August 10. The quiz-based reality show airs on Sony Entertainment Television and streams on SonyLIV.

ALSO READ: Madhuri Dixit Channels Her Inner Diva On Kaun Banega Crorepati, Amitabh Bachchan In Awe

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Australia's Cummins, Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon Create Test Cricket History

Australia's fabled fast-bowling quartet of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon etched their names into the history books during the first Test against South Africa at Kingsmead. The renowned bowling unit breached a special 600-wicket milestone with their scalps in the first innings against the Proteas. The four have become the first quartet to complete 600 wickets in Test cricket while playing together. Coming into the first Test in Durban, the four bowlers had taken 599 wickets in the 37 Tests they had played together and breached the 600-wicket mark during Day 2 of the fixture at Kingsmead.

The four bowlers now have more than 600 wickets in the 38 Tests they have played together. This came after they combined to take the first eight wickets to fall in South Africa's innings at the time of writing.

Cummins leads the chart among the four with 160 wickets in matches played alongside Starc, Hazlewood and Lyon.

Starc is second with 155 wickets in 74 innings, while Hazlewood stands third with 152 wickets in 72 innings. Lyon is a close fourth with 140 wickets in 70 innings when playing alongside the other three bowlers.

They are the first quartet to cross the mark and have a substantial lead over the next most prolific quartet of James Anderson, Stuart Broad, Ben Stokes and Moeen Ali, who have taken 433 wickets in the 34 Tests they played together.

Australia's bowlers continued to make inroads into South Africa's batting line-up on Day 3 of the fixture. Cummins took three wickets, while Hazlewood and Lyon claimed two each, and Starc also picked up one.

The hosts were in trouble at 197/8 when Hazlewood removed Marco Jansen, leaving the Proteas in deeper trouble.

Australia had earlier made 390 batting first, with Matt Renshaw scoring a century.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Gambhir's Strict Message To Iyer And Co Post 2nd T20I Loss: "Don't Shrug Off"

India suffered a devastating defeat at the hands of West Indies in the second T20I in Ranchi, as the visitors pulled off their record chase in the format. Despite putting up a total of 249, West Indies chased down the mammoth target of 250 with nine balls to spare. Speaking after the match, Gambhir stated that India cannot afford to take the defeat lightly, and that as T20 world champions, there should be higher expectations on them to deliver consistent victories.

“You don't shrug off any defeat. If you want to keep improving, you don't want to put anything under the carpet. We are a world-champion team so we want to keep improving. These are obviously tough conditions to bowl - we know flat wickets with the dew - obviously it's tough but we need to figure out and find the way.

“Especially with the opposition having lost two wickets in the first over and then lost three wickets in the powerplay. But again, credit to the West Indies, the way Shai Hope and Sherfane batted, we know they are world-class batters, especially in the format. It was tough on us but we're going to keep improving,” Gambhir told the media in the post-game press conference.

The result also renewed questions about the balance between bat and ball in high-scoring T20 cricket. India posted 249 for five, with Sanju Samson leading the charge with 82 off 41 balls and Tilak Varma contributing 44, but the West Indies batters made light of the target with a relentless assault.

Asked about the nature of the contest, Gambhir emphasised that conditions should allow bowlers a fair opportunity to compete rather than leave them at the mercy of the batters.

“You don't want a good bat-and-ball competition?” Gambhir asked. “What you want to see, that's also what we want to see. We also want to see an even contest.

“These bowlers are our bowlers, not someone else's bowlers. Their careers are at stake, they have worked hard to sit in this dressing room. If it's an even competition, we'll see a better game of cricket.”

India had appeared to seize control when Mayank Yadav struck twice in the opening over and removed another batter early in the sixth. However, Hope and Rutherford dismantled the attack through a 120-run partnership, with Rutherford smashing 84 off 37 deliveries before Hope completed an unbeaten 102.

Gambhir backed Mayank's decision to rely on pace rather than take the pressure off with slower deliveries, saying the young quick had followed the approach expected of a fast bowler.

“He is a fast bowler, he should bowl like a fast bowler,” Gambhir said of Mayank's spell. “He isn't a slower bowler. If you can bowl 150kph, bowl at 150kph, if you bowl at 120kph, bowl at 120kph. When you are playing as a fast bowler, it is your responsibility to bowl fast. And he did that today, getting success,” he stated.

With IANS inputs

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'You're A Gujarati, Do Business': Ex-Selector's Advice Left Parthiv Stunned

In a country like India, where cricket academies and teams abound in every corner, getting a chance in the national team requires more than just hard work. There are several instances of talented players failing to earn a place in the national side because of the abundance of options available to the BCCI selectors. Parthiv Patel is one such player. He made his international debut at the age of 17 years and 152 days in 2002. However, his international career saw him being dropped on several occasions for long periods. The emergence of MS Dhoni saw him lose his place in the team. Patel made a comeback in 2008 against Sri Lanka but was dropped again. Then, during the 2009-10 season, Parthiv said he was in peak form in domestic cricket, but when he asked a national selector in 2010 about his prospects, he got a shocking reply.

Patel said he first had a discussion with then-chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar. The India great told him to keep working hard. Then, after a new selection panel came in, he spoke to another selector.

"At that time, I didn't feel aggrieved because I knew my performance wasn't good enough when I got dropped. The team had lost a series in India after a long time. But in the subsequent years, there came a phase when I felt, 'What more can I do than this?' That was when I scored 500 runs across five consecutive innings in First-Class cricket. It's actually an Indian record. Till date, no batter in First-Class cricket in India, whether it's Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, or Sunil Gavaskar, has scored 500 runs in five consecutive innings," Parthiv told Aakash Chopra on the latter's YouTube channel.

"When the selection for the Australia tour was happening, I called selector Dilip Vengsarkar and asked him about my chances. He told me, 'It's unfortunate, keep working hard.' But by 2011, after consistently scoring 700-800 runs every season, the selection committee had changed. I called the new selector from the West Zone to ask about my prospects, and I received a shocking piece of advice.

"He said: 'You are 27-28 years old, you are a Gujarati. Think about whether you can do some business or not.' I told him directly, 'If you don't want to select me, don't. But you cannot discourage someone like this. Fine, this is your thinking, but you have two years left in your tenure. I challenge you that within those two years, I will make a comeback,'" Parthiv added.

He did make a comeback but did not get a long rope.

Parthiv added that he was not in competition with Dhoni.

"I was never in competition with MS Dhoni because he was on a different level. The competition was only for the second keeper's slot. You weren't even talking about the first keeper's spot because of his performances, his stature as a player, and his captaincy. The only question was when he would take a rest so that I'd get to play, or when I'd get the opportunity to go on a tour. But at some point, I realised that we are playing cricket whether it's for India, Gujarat, West Zone, or club cricket. My intensity shouldn't drop, regardless of the level I'm playing at. It couldn't be that I played Ranji Trophy cricket at 50-60% intensity and then suddenly got to play a Test match without knowing the pace of the game. My preparation always had to be as if I was playing for India. Whenever I got the chance, I had to be ready," Parthiv stated.

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