"Hope And Pray He Gets To Play Tests": Ex-India Captain Azharuddin On Tilak

Former Indian cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin hailed Tilak Varma following a calm and composed knock in a tense run chase against New Zealand in the second T20I, while also expressing hope that he gets to play Test cricket for India as well. Tilak Varma's love affair with run chases and death overs batting continued as he and Nitish Kumar Reddy pulled Team India out of troubled waters, stitching a 69-run stand to chase down 181 runs with a ball to spare at Christchurch. Once again while batting in the middle-order, Tilak brought his game awareness and ball striking, calculated acceleration while chasing. 

Speaking to ANI after the match, Azharuddin, one of the finest cricketers to emerge out of Hyderabad, said, "Today, I am very happy with the way Tilak Varma has played. He is a very good player, and I sincerely hope and pray that he gets the opportunity to play Test cricket. For me, Test cricket is the most important format, and I hope he goes on to represent India in Tests as well. He has been performing very well in T20 cricket, and I think he played a crucial role in ensuring India's victory today. Congratulations to the team. Cricket is a team game, and the entire team deserves to be congratulated. I wish them the very best of luck."

In first-class cricket, Tilak has fine numbers, having made 1,828 runs in 25 matches and 38 innings, with an average of 57.12, five centuries and seven fifties, including a best score of 121. 

Coming to the match, India won the toss and elected to bowl first. They had New Zealand down 41/3 within the powerplay. Glenn Phillips (70 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and sixes each) and Bevon Jacobs (58 in 46 balls, with five fours and a six) led New Zealand's recovery after an early top-order collapse against India after Kiwis were down 41/3 within powerplay, stitching a 116-run stand for the fourth wicket, taking NZ to 180/5 in 20 overs. 

Besides Arshdeep's 2/33, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar Reddy got a wicket each. 

While chasing 181 set by New Zealand, the world champions collapsed from 40/0 to 112/6, with Mitchell Santner's four-fer causing havoc in the middle overs. The hope was reinstated by a quickfire 31 in 17 balls (with a four and three sixes) by Naman Dhir, and it was Tilak (51* in 26 balls, with six fours and a six) and Nitish (26* in 13 balls, with a four and a six) who took India to victory with a ball left. India is 2-0 up in the five-match series.

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

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Gavin McKenna Earns High Praise From Toronto Maple Leafs

Gavin McKenna has barely settled into his first NHL season, yet the conversation around him keeps growing. The No. 1 pick from the 2026 draft is already one of the most discussed players on the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, and not just for what he does on the ice. Toronto has won back-to-back games, beating San Jose 3-1 on October 19 and routing Columbus 6-2 on Tuesday. Ahead of Thursday's matchup against the New York Rangers, analysts are closely watching how the rookie handles everything this city throws at him.

McKenna's NHL Debut Season Is Drawing Serious Attention

Most 18-year-olds arriving as the top pick spend their first few weeks just trying to keep up. McKenna has done more than that. He scored a game-winning goal recently that wasn't just lucky positioning. He drove to the net on his own read, finished, and skated back like it was Tuesday practice. For a kid still learning NHL pace, that kind of decision-making under pressure is not standard.

On the October 22 pregame edition of Daily Faceoff's “The Leafs Morning Take,” hosts Nick Alberga and Matt Larkin broke down what they have seen from McKenna so far.

Alberga opened with this: “On Gavin McKenna, what have you made of the last week? Like Rosie (Jay Rosehill) and I, and others, have been commending how this kid has handled everything, from going first overall, with Justin Bieber announcing Mr. McKenna to the stage, to the benching last week. Like, I think it's been a really good start, all things considered, for Gavin McKenna in the NHL.”

Larkin zeroed in on the goal: “I think so too, and I think he's gaining a lot more confidence, especially with the puck, and when you saw the game-winning goal the other day, that individual effort. That's a play he might not have even tried in his first game, but now he's kind of understanding, okay, he can hang in this league.”

Two weeks in, and he's already attempting things he held back on in game one. That's a fast read.

The Benching Incident Told Analysts More Than the Goals Did

Coach Jim Hiller forgot to put McKenna back into a game last week. Forgot. In Toronto, that kind of thing does not disappear quietly. It gets pulled apart on radio, debated in comment sections, and turned into a referendum on the player, not the coach who made the mistake.

McKenna didn't bite. No sulking, no pointed answers in the media scrum, nothing that fed the cycle.

Larkin noticed: “And Jim Hiller with this unforced error last week where he forgot to put McKenna back in the game. He lost, and it created a media surge of attention, right? And that's just more kind of smothering talk and pressure and attention on McKenna, and it rolled off his back. So to me, that's a crucial test that he passed.”

Larkin also brought up Auston Matthews, specifically how McKenna's temperament tracks closer to Matthews than to others who came through Toronto under similar pressure: “Kind of reminds me of Auston Matthews that way. If you look at the way Matthews and Mitch Marner, obviously on parallel tracks, handle everything, it was so different, and Matthews took things a lot more in stride. I think I see a lot more of him in the way McKenna's handling things.”

Alberga put a sharper point on it: “Especially in a market like this one, and I love the sass that McKenna has shown in the media a bit, always liking to bring up the fact that, you know, it's like the Toronto media getting on me for this and that. He just shrugs it off, and I think you need that type of demeanour if you're going to have success in this market (…) I've been really, really impressed with his maturation.”

The sass part is worth noting. McKenna is not just weathering the attention. He's learned which parts of it to laugh at.

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Box Office: Vijay-Rashmika's Ranabaali To Cross Rs 50 Crore Mark In India

Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna's Ranabaali witnessed a dip in its box office collections on Wednesday, October 21. 

What's Happening

The period action drama earned Rs 5.50 crore in India nett collections on its sixth day in theatres, registering a 22.5% decline from the Rs 7.10 crore it collected on Tuesday, according to Sacnilk.

Despite the midweek drop, the film's worldwide gross collection has reached Rs 59.65 crore. Its domestic nett collection currently stands at Rs 42.05 crore, while the India gross has reached Rs 48.90 crore. 

Overseas markets have contributed Rs 10.75 crore to the film's worldwide earnings, including Rs 50 lakh on Wednesday.

Ranabaali began its theatrical run on October 16 with an India nett collection of Rs 9.25 crore. 

The film earned Rs 7.30 crore on Saturday, followed by Rs 7.50 crore on Sunday. Its collections fell to Rs 5.40 crore on Monday before registering a recovery to Rs 7.10 crore on Tuesday.

However, the film's earnings declined again on Wednesday, when it collected Rs 5.50 crore across 2,232 shows in India.

According to Sacnilk, the film recorded 453,848 footfalls on its sixth day. Its cumulative footfalls since release have reached 3,312,504.

The Telugu version of Ranabaali registered an overall theatre occupancy of 40.44% on Wednesday. Morning screenings recorded 22.92% occupancy, while afternoon shows registered 48.38%.

Evening screenings reported 48.08% occupancy, followed by 41.92% during night shows. The afternoon and evening slots witnessed the highest occupancy of the day, while morning screenings recorded the lowest turnout.

Background

Directed by Rahul Sankrityan, Ranabaali is set in the Rayalaseema region during the Great Madras Famine of 1876-1878. The period action drama follows a horseman who rises against British colonial rule, with the famine serving as the historical backdrop to the story of resistance.

Vijay Deverakonda plays Singanamala Bobbili Ranabaali, the central character, while Rashmika Mandanna portrays Jayamma. Arnold Vosloo, known for his role in The Mummy, appears as Sir Theodore Hector.

The film has been written by Rahul Sankrityan and Pramod Tammineni and was released in theatres on October 16, 2026.
 

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iPhone 17 At Rs 79,999, iPhone 15 At 62,999: Deals, Discounts At Flipkart Shopping Utsav

Apple's iPhone 17 and iPhone 15 are available at discounted prices during Flipkart's Shopping Utsav Sale, offering buyers an opportunity to purchase the smartphones at lower prices through bank offers and exchange benefits. 

The final price of both smartphones may vary depending on the payment method, eligibility for bank offers and the exchange value of an old device. Buyers can combine eligible promotional benefits, where permitted, to reduce the overall purchase cost.

iPhone 17 Gets Major Price Reduction

The Apple iPhone 17 (256GB) carries an MRP of Rs 99,900 but can be purchased for an effective price of around Rs 79,999 during the sale. Eligible customers can avail themselves of instant discounts on select ICICI Bank and Axis Bank credit cards, subject to the applicable terms and conditions.

An additional exchange bonus of up to Rs 3,000 is available on eligible devices, over and above the exchange value of the old smartphone. Customers trading in higher-value devices may be able to reduce the effective purchase price further.

In terms of specifications, the iPhone 17 features a 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate, Apple's A19 processor, a 48-megapixel dual rear-camera system and iOS 26. These features position the device as an option for buyers seeking newer hardware and display technology.

ALSO READ: Moto G47 Power 5G: Price, Colour Options, 5G Features, Specifications

iPhone 15 Available at Around Rs 63,999

The Apple iPhone 15 is available at an effective price of approximately Rs 63,999 during the sale. Like the iPhone 17, it offers additional savings through eligible bank-card discounts and exchange benefits.

The device features a compact design, measuring 147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm and weighing just 171 grams. Up front, it sports a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display (2556x1179 resolution, 460 ppi) equipped with Dynamic Island, True Tone, and a peak outdoor brightness of up to 2,000 nits.

For photography, the advanced dual-camera system is led by a 48MP main sensor ($f/1.6$ aperture) with sensor-shift OIS, paired with a 12MP Ultra Wide lens. Software highlights include Smart HDR 5, Photonic Engine, and next-generation portrait controls.

Customers can check the applicable ICICI Bank and Axis Bank offers, along with exchange incentives, before completing their purchase. The final price will depend on the promotional terms and the condition and eligibility of the exchanged device.

Bank and Exchange Offers Can Lower Prices

Both models benefit from similar promotional schemes, including eligible bank discounts and additional savings through smartphone exchanges. However, the advertised effective prices may not apply to every customer, and buyers should verify the final checkout amount before placing an order.

ALSO READ: iPhone Duo Shortage In India: Only 6,000 Units Expected In First Week; Grey-Market Prices Soar

While the iPhone 17 offers newer hardware and a higher refresh-rate display, the iPhone 15 provides a lower entry price. The choice ultimately depends on the buyer's budget, preferred features and the final price available after applicable offers.

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Sami Zayn Loses WWE Title Rematch To Cody Rhodes But Retains Championship

Sami Zayn is still the WWE Champion, because Cody Rhodes beat him only by disqualification in a dark match following Monday Night Raw. Rhodes got the rematch he was waiting for against the man who took the championship from him, but he couldn't leave with the gold. So Zayn's reign survives, and his announced champion-versus-champion match against Roman Reigns at Crown Jewel on November 7 stays on the schedule. Rhodes had already lost the title to Zayn in June, and because of that history this rematch was more than just another title bout. Zayn now goes toward Crown Jewel still holding the belt.

Sami Zayn LOST the match to Cody Rhodes but he is still the WWE undisputed champion. ????@gael_306 #WWERaw https://t.co/o16bNDLc8B

— SuplexInsider (@SuplexInsider) October 20, 2026

Rhodes Gets His WWE Championship Rematch After Four Months

Rhodes was waiting around four months for another shot at the WWE Championship, ever since he lost it to Zayn at Night of Champions in June. Gunther was also part of that match, and Zayn won his first world title there, after his friendship with Rhodes broke down in the weeks before the event.

Zayn's title run didn't start smoothly. He lost the championship to CM Punk in his first defense, just days after winning it. The original plan was Zayn to defend against Rhodes, but Cody got attacked backstage and this changed the match.

Later, Zayn won the belt back from Punk on the September 11 episode of SmackDown in Mexico. Then he retained it against Kevin Owens a week later, which was one more successful defense before Rhodes finally got his rematch on Monday night.

A title doesn't change hands on disqualification, so the finish decided everything. Rhodes couldn't take the championship back, and Zayn stayed champion after their latest meeting.

Roman Reigns Remains Zayn's Crown Jewel Opponent

WWE has already announced Zayn vs. Reigns for Crown Jewel in a champion-versus-champion match on November 7. Both men also had a tense face-off during Raw, so the upcoming bout was getting some attention even before Zayn's match with Rhodes came into picture.

Rhodes had a chance to disturb those plans by winning the title back. But the disqualification result left Zayn with the championship going into his scheduled meeting with Reigns.

Rhodes missed another opportunity to regain the belt, while Reigns stays as Zayn's announced opponent for Crown Jewel. The championship is still in Zayn's hands, and the November 7 clash remains on WWE's schedule.

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Jaiprakash Power Q2 Results: Net Profit Slips 81% To Rs 33 Crore On One-Time Loss

Jaiprakash Power Ventures' second quarter revenue rose 5.1% year-on-year, while profit before exceptional items and tax climbed nearly 79%. A Rs 511 crore provision for a settlement with NARCL weighed on earnings this quarter. JP Power Ventures's consolidated net profit fell 81.7% year-on-year to Rs 33.34 crore in the quarter ended Sept 30, compared with Rs 182 crore in the year-ago period.

The decline followed a Rs 511 crore exceptional charge towards a proposed full-and-final settlement with the National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL) over a corporate guarantee furnished by the company for loans to Jaiprakash Associates.

Net profit fell 81.7% to Rs 33.3 crore as compared to Rs 182 crore the previous year in the same period.

Revenue from operations increased 5.1% year-on-year to Rs 1,512.12 crore from Rs 1,438.30 crore. Total income rose to Rs 1,579.34 crore from Rs 1,478.49 crore.

The company's September-quarter earnings therefore reflect the impact of the settlement provision, even as profit before exceptional items and tax improved.

Jaiprakash Power Q2 Results - Cons, YoY

• Net profit down 81.7% at Rs 33.3 crore vs Rs 182 crore YoY
• Revenue up 5.1% at Rs 1,512 crore vs Rs 1,438 crore YoY
• EBITDA up 39.3% at Rs 656 crore vs Rs 471 crore YoY
• EBITDA margin at 43.4% vs 32.8% YoY
• One-time loss of Rs 511 crore in Q2
• Appoints Jigar Dalal as CFO from Nov. 1

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Cysic Shuts Down Bridge After Attacker Illegally Creates 10 Million CYS Tokens

Cysic has temporarily suspended its cross-chain bridge after an attacker allegedly exploited a database vulnerability and forged minting messages to create 10 million CYS tokens on BNB Smart Chain. The foundation said its mainnet remained unaffected, while investigations into the attack and potential financial losses continue. Authorities are still examining the remaining tokens and any proceeds from transfers.

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