Times of India

Mukul Choudhary made a stunning IPL debut with an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls. His powerful hitting secured a thrilling three-wicket victory for Lucknow Super Giants against KKR. Coach Justin Langer praised Choudhary's athleticism and sharp cricketing mind. This close win provides a significant morale boost for the team early in the season.

A fragile ceasefire has eased immediate escalation risks in the Strait of Hormuz, but shipping remains constrained and conditional. While limited vessel movement has resumed, it's far from normal, with security considerations dictating transit and global energy markets remaining sensitive to any disruptions.

UCC is a proposal to have one common set of personal laws for all citizens in India, covering marriage, divorce, inheritance, and adoption, regardless of religion. It aims to ensure equality before law and promote national integration by replacing religion-based personal laws with a uniform legal framework. In the Bengal polls, where BJP strives to wrest power from three-time chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who fiercely opposes the UCC, the issue is expected to highly polarise the elections.

Aditya Dhar's 'Dhurandhar: The Revenge' continues its impressive box office run, entering its fourth week and surpassing Rs 1050 crore in India. The Ranveer Singh starrer has maintained strong collections despite the IPL, with day 23 earnings pushing its net total to Rs 1,051.06 crore.

Indian pacer Harshit Rana is making good progress in his recovery following knee surgery on February 9. Ruled out of the 2026 T20 World Cup and IPL, Rana has joined the BCCI's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation. While his knee is healing faster than anticipated, the 24-year-old faces a fitness challenge to regain his optimal form.

Table-toppers Rajasthan Royals face defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru in a thrilling IPL clash. Both teams aim to extend their unbeaten streaks. Key player battles, including Virat Kohli vs. Sandeep Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal vs. Jacob Duffy, are set to define this high-stakes encounter at Barsapara Cricket Stadium.

On Friday, Mukul Choudhary became an overnight sensation in the IPL, smashing an unbeaten 27-ball 54, including seven massive sixes, to help Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) pull off a heist against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the iconic Eden Gardens. The 21-year-old was bought by LSG for Rs 2.60 crore.

US Treasury Secretary and Federal Reserve Chair urgently met with top bank CEOs to discuss Anthropic's new AI model, Claude Mythos Preview. This powerful AI can find software vulnerabilities, raising cybersecurity concerns for the financial system. Anthropic launched Project Glasswing to proactively fix flaws before attackers exploit them.

Uttar Pradesh removed over 2 crore voters during a 166-day special intensive revision, bringing the final electoral roll to approximately 13.39 crore. Despite significant deletions, the state saw a net increase of 84 lakh voters, with improved gender ratio and substantial additions in the 18-19 age group.

Delhi Police have dismantled a Pakistan ISI-backed spy ring. Ten operatives were arrested for surveilling key locations. They installed cameras to send real-time data to their handlers. This intelligence was intended to plan future terror attacks in India. The operation followed weeks of surveillance. Authorities are analyzing seized devices to find more links.

Oil prices surged Friday as Brent Crude surpassed $96 and WTI neared $99 a barrel, driven by renewed Middle East supply risks. Attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure and ongoing uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted production and added a significant risk premium to global markets.

Babar Azam silenced critics by becoming the fastest T20 player to 12,000 runs in just 338 innings, surpassing Chris Gayle. He achieved this milestone during a dominant performance for Peshawar Zalmi in the PSL, remaining unbeaten on 87. This record-breaking feat came after Azam expressed frustration over comparisons with Virat Kohli.

Ahead of West Bengal polls, Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM has ended its alliance with Humayun Kabir's party, citing concerns over remarks questioning Muslim integrity. AIMIM will now contest independently, aiming to provide a voice for marginalized communities. The move could influence constituencies with significant minority populations, potentially creating multi-cornered contests.

Rajasthan Royals are enjoying a stellar season, with 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi impressing everyone, including coach Shane Bond. Opening partner Yashasvi Jaiswal also shines, holding the Orange Cap. However, they face a formidable challenge against the in-form defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru, led by Virat Kohli and featuring a strong batting and bowling attack.

Stock market today: Indian equity benchmarks, Sensex and Nifty50, opened in green in trade on Friday after a day of losses on Thursday. While Nifty50 went above 23,900, BSE Sensex was up over 400 points, crossing the 77,000 mark.