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US President Donald Trump cautioned against “stupid” panic on Monday as a global stock market rout deepened after Beijing retaliated against his tariffs offensive.Shares in New York joined the slump, with all three major US indices falling more than three percent in early trading.European equities were deep in the red but Asia fared worse, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index crashing 13.2 percent, its biggest drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 falling an eye-watering 7.8 percent.A 10-percent “baseline” tariff on imports from around the world took effect Saturday but a slew of countries will be hit by higher duties from Wednesday, with levies of 34 percent for Chinese goods and 20 percent for EU products.Minutes before the markets opened in New York, Trump posted that his tariff reforms were “a chance to do something that should have been done decades ago.””Don’t be Weak! Don’t be Stupid!… Be Strong, Courageous, and Patient, and GREATNESS will be the result!” he urged.Beijing announced last week its own 34-percent tariff on US goods, which will come into effect on Thursday.The move pushed Trump to chastise China for not heeding “my warning for abusing countries not to retaliate” as he called Beijing “the biggest abuser of them all” on tariffs.But Chinese vice commerce minister Ling Ji said the tit-for-tat duties “are aimed at bringing the United States back onto the right track of the multilateral trade system.””The root cause of the tariff issue lies in the United States,” Ling told representatives of US companies on Sunday.EU trade ministers gathered in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss the bloc’s response, with Germany and France having advocated a tax targeting US tech giants.”We must not exclude any option on goods, on services,” said French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin.- ‘Aggressive’ options -The 27-nation bloc should “open the European toolbox, which is very comprehensive and can also be extremely aggressive,” he said.German Economy Minister Robert Habeck likewise said Europe should be prepared to use its trade “bazooka” — a new anti-coercion mechanism allowing it to punish any country using economic threats to exert pressure on the EU.But signs of divergence emerged from Ireland, whose low corporate tax rate has attracted US tech and pharmaceutical companies.Targeting services “would be an extraordinary escalation,” said Irish Trade Minister Simon Harris.Trump on Sunday had doubled down, saying “sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something.”He told reporters aboard Air Force One that world leaders were “dying to make a deal.”Trillions of dollars have been wiped off stocks worldwide since Trump announced the tariffs last week, and the losses deepened on Monday.JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon warned the tariffs “will likely increase inflation,” in a letter to shareholders Monday.”Whether or not the menu of tariffs causes a recession remains in question, but it will slow down growth,” he said.Taipei recorded its heaviest loss on record as it sank 9.7 percent.The Stoxx Europe 600 index was down five percent in early afternoon deals, with more than 1.5 trillion euros of market capitalization going up in smoke over just a few days.The main US oil contract dropped below $60 a barrel for the first time since April 2021 on worries of a global recession.- Global demand ‘vanishing’ -“The market’s telling you in plain language: global demand is vanishing, and a global recession is on the cards and coming on fast,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.US officials said more than 50 countries have reached out to Trump to negotiate.Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday he had held a call with Trump in which they agreed to more talks on the tariffs.Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel — hit with 17 percent tariffs, despite being one of Washington’s closest allies — was due on Monday to become the first leader to meet Trump since last week’s announcement.Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse with a big trade surplus with the United States, has already reached out and requested a delay of at least 45 days to thumping 46-percent tariffs.

India’s Adani Group said on Monday it had opened an $800 million container terminal in Sri Lanka, right next to a similar facility operated by a Chinese company.The Adani development at Sri Lanka’s main seaport in Colombo is widely seen as a counter to the rival Chinese terminal and as a means for India to secure a foothold at the strategic facility.The launch of the Adani-operated facility came a day after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded a state visit to Sri Lanka during which he secured defence and energy deals with Colombo.”The commencement of operations at CWIT (Colombo West International Terminal) marks a momentous milestone in regional cooperation between India and Sri Lanka,” billionaire chairman Gautam Adani, a key ally of Modi, said in a statement.Sri Lanka lies at a key halfway point along the main east–west international maritime route and Colombo is a major transhipment hub for South Asia.The company said it had completed 600 metres (660 yards) out of a final 1,400-metre long berth with a depth of 20 metres that is able to handle the largest container ships.- ‘Global maritime map’ -“Not only does this terminal represent the future of trade in the Indian Ocean, but its opening is also a proud moment for Sri Lanka, placing it firmly on the global maritime map,” Adani said.The joint venture went ahead despite the Indian conglomerate withdrawing in December a request for a US government-backed $533 million loan for the construction.The move followed an indictment in New York in November 2024, which accused the Adani Group of deliberately misleading international investors as part of a bribery scheme. Adani has denied any wrongdoing.The other partners in the Adani port venture are Sri Lanka’s publicly listed John Keells Holdings and the state-owned Sri Lanka Ports Authority.Construction began in early 2022, with the first phase featuring eight automated ship-to-shore cranes and 18 gantry cranes.There were no public statements from either side during Modi’s visit about Adani’s withdrawal from another venture, a $442 million wind power project in the north of Sri Lanka.That withdrawal followed a decision by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration to revoke a power purchase agreement with the Adani Group in order to negotiate lower energy prices.Dissanayake’s party had strongly criticised the deal as “corrupt” and called for it to be renegotiated.

US buyers have begun halting orders from Bangladesh, the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, after punishing US tariffs that pushed the government in Dhaka to plead on Monday for a three-month pause to the levies.Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in Bangladesh and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hit hard in a student-led revolution that toppled the government last year.US President Donald Trump hit Bangladesh with biting new tariffs of 37 percent on Wednesday, hiking duties from the previous 16 percent on cotton products.Reports of the swift biting impact come as interim leader Muhammad Yunus pleaded with Trump to “postpone the application of US reciprocal tariff measures”, the government said in a statement.Yunus wrote to Trump to ask for “three months to allow the interim government to smoothly implement its initiative to substantially increase US exports to Bangladesh”, the statement added.Those products include “cotton, wheat, corn and soybean which will offer benefits to US farmers”, it read.”Bangladesh will take all necessary actions to fully support your trade agenda,” Yunus told Trump, according to the statement.- ‘In limbo’ -Manufacturers said the impact had been near immediate.Mohammad Mushfiqur Rahman, managing director of Essensor Footwear and Leather Products, said he received a letter from one of his buyers requesting a shipment halt.”My buyer asked me to stop a shipment of leather goods — including bags, belts, and wallets — worth $300,000 on Sunday,” Rahman told AFP.”He’s a long-time buyer and now both of us are in limbo over the issue.”Rahman, who has been operating since 2008, usually sends goods averaging about $100,000 to the United States every month.Bangladesh exported approximately $8.4 billion worth of goods to the United States last year, of which $7.34 billion came from the ready-made garments sector.Bengali newspaper Prothom Alo also quoted AKM Saifur Rahman, CEO of ready-made garments producer Wikitex-BD, saying that his US buyer had requested a halt to a shipment worth $150,000.”My US buyer said it is not possible to pass the extra cost on to their clients, so we need to lower the price,” Rahman told the daily.- ‘Request your patience’ -Md Anwar Hossain, government-appointed administrator of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA), sent a letter to US-based buyers pleading for understanding.”We are aware that several brands and retailers have already reached out to their Bangladeshi suppliers, expressing concern and, in some cases, discussing possible measures to mitigate the impact,” Hossain wrote.”We understand the urgency, but transferring the burden downstream to suppliers at this early stage will only exacerbate the stress,” he added.”We humbly request your patience and support during this period as Bangladesh pursues a meaningful resolution.”But former BGMEA director Mohiuddin Rubel said some buyers have already asked for shipments to be put on hold until further notice.”In particular, smaller buyers are pressuring suppliers to either absorb the full tariff, or share the cost,” Rubel told AFP.

A global stock market rout deepened on Monday and fears of recession rose after China retaliated against US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and Europe calibrated its response to the escalating trade war.European equities were deep in the red but Asia fared worse, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index crashing 13.2 percent, its biggest drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, and Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 falling an eye-watering 7.8 percent.A 10-percent “baseline” tariff on imports from around the world took effect on Saturday but a slew of countries will be hit by higher duties from Wednesday, with levies of 34 percent for Chinese goods and 20 percent for EU products.While other countries weigh their options, Beijing announced last week its own 34-percent tariff on US goods, which will come into effect on Thursday.The tit-for-tat duties “are aimed at bringing the United States back onto the right track of the multilateral trade system”, Chinese vice commerce minister Ling Ji said.”The root cause of the tariff issue lies in the United States,” Ling told representatives of US companies on Sunday, according to his ministry.EU trade ministers gathered in Luxembourg on Monday to discuss the bloc’s response, with Germany and France having advocated a tax targeting US tech giants.”We must not exclude any option on goods, on services,” said French Trade Minister Laurent Saint-Martin.The 27-nation bloc should “open the European toolbox, which is very comprehensive and can also be extremely aggressive”, he said.German Economy Minister Robert Habeck likewise said Europe should be prepared to use its trade “bazooka” — a new anti-coercion mechanism allowing it to punish any country using economic threats to exert pressure on the EU.But signs of divergence already emerged, with Ireland, whose low corporate tax rate has attracted US tech and pharmaceutical companies, warning against that course of action.Targeting services “would be an extraordinary escalation at a time when we must be working for de-escalation”, said Irish Trade Minister Simon Harris.EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic said Europe was facing a “paradigm shift of the global trading system”.- Recession fears -Trump on Sunday doubled down on his demand to slash deficits with trading partners, saying he would not cut any deals unless that was resolved.”Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” said Trump, whose administration has shrugged off the market panic.He told reporters aboard Air Force One that world leaders were “dying to make a deal”.Trillions of dollars have been wiped off stocks worldwide since Trump announced the tariffs last week, and the losses deepened on Monday.Taipei recorded its heaviest loss on record as it sank 9.7 percent.In Europe, Frankfurt’s DAX sank as much as 10 percent in early deals but the German index pared back losses and was down just under four percent shortly after midday, with similar losses in Paris and London.US markets were expected to open deep in the red later on Monday.The main US oil contract dropped below $60 a barrel for the first time since April 2021 on worries of a global recession.”The market’s telling you in plain language: global demand is vanishing, and a global recession is on the cards and coming on fast,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.- Status quo ‘gone’ -US officials said more than 50 countries have reached out to Trump to negotiate.Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whose country faces a 24-percent levy, said Tokyo would present Trump with a “package” of measures to win relief from US tariffs ahead of a mooted call between the leaders.Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel — hit with 17 percent tariffs, despite being one of Washington’s closest allies — was due on Monday to become the first leader to meet Trump since last week’s announcement.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned in a newspaper op-ed that “the world as we knew it has gone”, saying the status quo would increasingly hinge on “deals and alliances”.Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse with a big trade surplus with the United States, has already reached out and requested a delay of at least 45 days to thumping 46-percent tariffs.US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told NBC’s Meet the Press that Trump has “created maximum leverage for himself”.”I think we’re going to have to see what the countries offer and whether it’s believable,” Bessent said.Other countries have been “bad actors for a long time and it’s not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks”, he said.

Asian and European equities collapsed on a black Monday for markets after China hammered the United States with its own hefty tariffs, ramping up a trade war many fear could spark a recession.Trading floors were overcome by a wave of selling as investors fled to the hills, with Hong Kong’s loss of 13.22 percent its worst in nearly three decades. Taipei socks suffered their worst fall on record, tanking 9.7 percent, while Frankfurt dived 10 percent and Tokyo shed almost eight percent.Futures for Wall Street’s markets were also taking another drubbing, while commodities slumped.US President Donald Trump sparked a market meltdown last week when he unveiled sweeping tariffs against US trading partners for what he said was years of being ripped off and claimed that governments were lining up to cut deals with Washington.But after Asian markets closed on Friday, China said it would impose retaliatory levies of 34 percent on all US goods from April 10. Beijing also imposed export controls on seven rare earth elements, including gadolinium — commonly used in MRIs — and yttrium, utilised in consumer electronics.On Sunday, vice commerce minister Ling Ji told representatives of US firms that Trump’s tariffs “firmly protect the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises, including American companies”.Hopes that the US president would rethink his policy in light of the turmoil were dashed Sunday when he said he would not make a deal with other countries unless trade deficits were solved.”Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” he said of the ructions that have wiped trillions of dollars off company valuations.- No sector spared -The savage selling in Asia was across the board, with no sector unharmed — tech firms, car makers, banks, casinos and energy firms all felt the pain as investors abandoned riskier assets.Among the biggest losers, Chinese ecommerce titans Alibaba tanked 18 percent and rival JD.com shed 15.5 percent, while Japanese tech investment giant SoftBank dived more than 12 percent and Sony gave up 10 percent.Hong Kong’s 13-percent drop marked its worst day since 1997 during the Asian financial crisis — while Frankfurt plunged 10 percent at one point.Shanghai shed more than seven percent, with China’s state-backed fund Central Huijin Investment vowing to help ensure “stable operations” of the market.Singapore plunged nearly eight percent, while Seoul gave up more than five percent, triggering a so-called sidecar mechanism — for the first time in eight months — that briefly halted some trading. Sydney, Wellington, Manila and Mumbai were also deep in the red, while London and Paris both dropped around five percent. “We could see a recession happen very quickly in the US, and it could last through the year or so, it could be rather lengthy,” said Steve Cochrane, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Moody’s Analytics. “If there’s a recession in the US, of course, China will feel it as well because demand for its goods will be hit even harder,” he added.Concerns about demand saw oil prices sink more than three percent at one point Monday, having dropped around seven percent Friday. Both main contracts are now sitting at their lowest levels since 2021. Copper — a vital component for energy storage, electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines — also extended losses.- Carnage on Wall Street -The losses followed another day of carnage on Wall Street on Friday, where all three main indexes fell almost six percent.”Over Thursday and Friday, the S&P 500 fell by a massive 10.53 percent in total, making it the fifth-worst two-day performance since World War Two,” said analysts at Deutsche Bank.”Indeed, the only other times we’ve seen a double-digit loss over two sessions were during Covid-19, the height of the (global financial crisis), and Black Monday 1987.”That showing came after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell said US tariffs will likely cause inflation to rise and growth to slow, and warned of an “elevated” risk of higher unemployment.”Powell’s hands are tied,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. “He’s acknowledged the obvious — that tariffs are inflationary and recessionary — but he’s not signalling a rescue.” While Powell has so far refused to announce any rate cuts, markets are betting he will do soon.- Key figures around 0815 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 7.8 percent at 31,136.58 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 13.2 percent at 19,828.30 (close)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 7.3 percent at 3,096.58 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 4.6 percent at 7,686.66West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 4.1 percent at $59.41 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 4.0 percent at $62.99 per barrelDollar/yen: DOWN at 145.80 yen from 146.98 yen on FridayEuro/dollar: UP at $1.1019 from $1.0962Pound/dollar: UP at $1.2911 from $1.2893Euro/pound: UP at 85.36 pence from 85.01 penceNew York – Dow: DOWN 5.5 percent at 38,314.86 (close) 

World markets crashed on Monday with Asia leading the rout, as US President Donald Trump held firm on his swingeing tariffs despite China retaliating and global recession warnings growing louder.Hong Kong’s Hang Seng plunged more than 13 percent, its biggest drop since the 1997 Asian financial crisis, while in Japan the Nikkei 225 index fell an eye-watering 7.8 percent. Countries mostly have been scrambling to blunt the new US tariffs without retaliating, but Beijing is responding in kind, escalating the trade war between the two biggest economies.Beijing’s new 34-percent tariffs announced on Friday “are aimed at bringing the United States back onto the right track of the multilateral trade system,” vice commerce minister Ling Ji said.”The root cause of the tariff issue lies in the United States,” Ling told representatives of US companies on Sunday, according to his ministry.Trump on Sunday doubled down on his demand to slash deficits with trading partners, saying he would not cut any deals unless that was resolved.”Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” Trump said on Sunday.He told reporters aboard Air Force One that world leaders are “dying to make a deal”.Trillions of dollars have been wiped off stocks worldwide, and on Monday Asian equities took an even heavier hammering as investors moved to safer assets.In Europe, Frankfurt’s DAX sank a massive 10 percent with Paris diving more than six percent and London sliding nearly six percent.US oil dropped below $60 a barrel for the first time since April 2021 on worries of a global recession.”(This) is blunt-force economic warfare,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management.”The market’s telling you in plain language: global demand is vanishing, and a global recession is on the cards and coming on fast,” Innes said.- ‘Deals and alliances’ -Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel — which has been hit with 17 percent tariffs, despite being one of Washington’s closest allies — was due Monday to become the first leader to meet Trump since last week’s announcement.Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer warned in a newspaper op-ed that “the world as we knew it has gone,” saying the status quo would increasingly hinge on “deals and alliances.”Trump’s staggered deadlines have left space for some countries to negotiate, even as he insisted he would stand firm and his administration warned against any retaliation.”More than 50 countries have reached out to the president to begin a negotiation,” Kevin Hassett, head of the White House National Economic Council, told ABC’s This Week on Sunday, citing the US Trade Representative.Vietnam, a manufacturing powerhouse that counted the US as its biggest export market in the first quarter, has already reached out and requested a delay of at least 45 days to thumping 46 percent tariffs imposed by Trump.- ‘Bad actors’ -Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also told NBC’s Meet the Press that 50 countries had reached out.But as for whether Trump will negotiate with them, “I think that’s a decision for President Trump,” Bessent said. “At this moment he’s created maximum leverage for himself… I think we’re going to have to see what the countries offer, and whether it’s believable,” Bessent said. Other countries have been “bad actors for a long time, and it’s not the kind of thing you can negotiate away in days or weeks,” he claimed.Peter Navarro, Trump’s tariff guru, has pushed back against the mounting nervousness and insisted to investors that “you can’t lose money unless you sell,” promising “the biggest boom in the stock market we’ve ever seen.”Russia has not been targeted by the latest raft of tariffs, and Hassett cited talks with Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine as the reason for their omission from the hit list.On Wednesday a White House official suggested the reason for Russia’s omission was because trade was negligible thanks to sanctions.Trump has long insisted that countries around the world that sell products to the United States are in fact ripping Americans off, and he sees tariffs as a means to right that wrong.”Some day people will realize that Tariffs, for the United States of America, are a very beautiful thing!” Trump wrote on Truth social Sunday.But many economists have warned that tariffs are passed on to US consumers and that they could see price rises at home.”I don’t think that you’re going to see a big effect on the consumer in the US,” Hassett said.

Asian equities collapsed on a black Monday for markets after China hammered the United States with its own hefty tariffs, ramping up a trade war many fear could spark a recession.Trading floors were overcome by a wave of selling as investors fled to the hills on the worst day for equities since the pandemic, with Hong Kong shedding 10 percent, Tokyo briefly diving eight percent and Taipei more than nine percent.Futures for Wall Street’s markets were also taking another drubbing, while concerns about the impact on demand also saw commodities slump.Donald Trump sparked a market meltdown last week when he unveiled sweeping tariffs against US trading partners for what he says was years of being ripped off and claimed that governments were lining up to cut deals with Washington.But after Asian markets closed on Friday, China said it would impose retaliatory levies of 34 percent on all US goods from April 10. It also imposed export controls on seven rare earth elements, including gadolinium — commonly used in MRIs — and yttrium, utilised in consumer electronics.Hopes that the US president would rethink his policy in light of the turmoil were dashed Sunday when he said he would not make a deal with other countries unless trade deficits were solved.He denied that he was intentionally engineering a selloff and insisted he could not foresee market reactions.”Sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” he said of the ructions that have wiped trillions of dollars off company valuations.- No sector spared -The selling in Asia was across the board, with no sector unharmed by the savage selling — tech firms, car makers, banks, casinos and energy firms all felt the pain as investors abandoned riskier assets.Among the biggest losers, Chinese ecommerce titans Alibaba tanked more than 14 percent and rival JD.com shed 13 percent, while Japanese tech investment giant SoftBank dived more than 10 percent and Sony gave up 9.6 percent.Shanghai shed more than six percent and Singapore eight percent, while Seoul gave up more than five percent triggering a so-called sidecar mechanism — for the first time in eight months — that briefly halted some trading. Sydney, Wellington, Manila and Mumbai were also deep in the red. Steve Cochrane, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Moody’s Analytics, said: “We could see a recession happen very quickly in the US, and it could last through the year or so, it could be rather lengthy. “And if there’s a recession in the US, of course, China will feel it as well because demand for its goods will be hit even harder. Harder than they would have been hit just because of the tariffs.”Concerns about demand saw oil prices sink more than three percent Monday, having dropped around seven percent Friday. Both main contracts are now sitting at their lowest levels since 2021. Copper — a vital component for energy storage, electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines — also extended losses.”The market is in free-fall mode again, punching through floors,” said Stephen Innes at SPI Asset Management. “Trump’s team isn’t blinking. The tariffs are being treated as a victory lap, not a bargaining chip.”The losses followed another day of carnage on Wall Street on Friday, where all three main indexes fell almost six percent.That came after Federal Reserve boss Jerome Powell said US tariffs will likely cause inflation to rise and growth to slow and warned of an “elevated” risk of higher unemployment.The measures by Trump are likely to give US central bankers a headache as they try to balance the need for interest rate cuts to support the economy with the need to keep a lid on prices.His comments came after Trump had insisted “my policies will never change” and urged the Fed to cut rates.”Powell’s hands are tied,” said Innes. “He’s acknowledged the obvious — that tariffs are inflationary and recessionary — but he’s not signalling a rescue. “And that’s the problem. This time, the Fed’s inflation mandate is forcing it to keep the safety net rolled up while asset prices get torched.”Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade, said: “Traders are nervously watching the two biggest economies going toe to toe on tariffs and are fearing that both could receive knockout blows from a prolonged economic fight.”Neither the US nor China are backing down when it comes to slapping new tariffs on each other and in this escalatory environment it’s not surprising to see that risk assets are being avoided like the plague.”- Key figures around 0400 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 6.2 percent at 31,699.95 Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: DOWN 10.7 percent at 20,405.96 (break)Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 6.3 percent at 3,130.17 (break)West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 2.7 percent at $60.31 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 2.7 percent at $63.84 per barrelDollar/yen: DOWN at 146.33 yen from 146.98 yen on FridayEuro/dollar: DOWN at $1.0950 from $1.0962Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.2889 from $1.2893Euro/pound: DOWN at 84.96 pence from 85.01 penceNew York – Dow: DOWN 5.5 percent at 38,314.86 (close) London – FTSE 100: DOWN 5.0 percent at 8,054.98 (close)

Cricket veteran M.S. Dhoni’s powers as a finisher are waning and talk of his retirement in IPL grows louder, but his Chennai Super Kings team backs their hero.The 43-year-old Dhoni struggled in Chennai’s chase of 183-6 against Delhi Capitals at their home stadium on Saturday after the wicketkeeper-batsman came to the crease in the 11th over.Dhoni, once a master finisher for India and Chennai, made an unbeaten 30 off 26 balls in a knock that never threatened Delhi, who won by 25 runs.Speculation about Dhoni’s retirement from the Indian Premier League T20 tournament was heightened by the presence of his family, including his parents — a rarity.However, Chennai coach Stephen Fleming pushed back at rumours about the former captain’s imminent retirement.”I am just enjoying working with him — he’s still going strong,” Fleming said, adding that it was reporters who were posing the question and not the team.”I don’t even ask these days,” he said. “You guys are the ones that ask”.Dhoni has been a huge hit with the Chennai fans — who call him “Thala”,  or “leader” in Tamil — since the IPL’s inception in 2008.He led Chennai to a record-equalling five IPL titles, the last in 2023, and gave up the captaincy before last year’s tournament.Pundits believe he has lost his ability to chase down targets.England women’s player Isa Guha said Dhoni had always remained calm and “poker-faced” in the past, according to Indian website Cricbuzz.”But… I saw frustration because he didn’t get it (the shots) through, and didn’t time it well,” Guha said.”He is not playing any cricket, it’s IPL to IPL, so it’s very hard, regardless of who you are, to hit the ground running and to be able to be playing at your peak.”Commentator Harsha Bhogle said Dhoni is “still the best keeper in this league” but that “as a batter, it’s looking (like) he is not able to play the shots that he wants to”.

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage to Sri Lanka’s sacred Buddhist tree on Sunday before wrapping up a state visit during which he secured defence and energy deals.Modi offered flowers to the Sri Maha Bodhi, an object of worship and a symbol of sovereignty for the Buddhist-majority island, in the pilgrim city of Anuradhapura.The tightly-guarded fig tree is believed to have grown from a sapling of the tree in India under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment over 2,500 years ago.The Hindu-nationalist Indian premier also worshipped and offered robes to the tree during a previous visit in 2015, underscoring its religious and cultural importance to both nations.The tree, botanical name ficus religiosa, is worshipped daily by thousands as a symbol of the “living Buddha”, its branches propped up by gold-plated iron supports.The tree is guarded around the clock by monks, police, and armed troops.”This visit has reaffirmed the deep cultural, spiritual and civilisational ties between our two nations,” Modi said on social media, before returning to India.On Saturday, Modi and Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake oversaw the signing of seven agreements including on defence and energy.Dissanayake rolled out the red carpet for Modi and conferred on him the country’s highest civilian honour for “the deep personal friendship” shown to Sri Lanka.Modi’s visit is seen as a strategic move to counter rival China’s growing influence in the region.”We believe that our security interests are aligned,” Modi said Saturday. “Our security is interdependent and interconnected.”Dissanayake said he had assured Modi that Sri Lankan territory “will not be allowed to be used by anyone to undermine India’s security”.

In a day for India openers, KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal stood out to guide Delhi Capitals and Rajasthan Royals to commanding victories in the Indian Premier League on Saturday.Rahul returned to open the batting for unbeaten Delhi and struck 77 to help his team down Chennai Super Kings by 25 runs for their third straight win of this season.In the second match of the day, Jaiswal smashed 67 to set up a 50-run win for Rajasthan who handed Punjab their first loss of this season at Mullanpur, near Chandigarh.The left-handed Jaiswal led the batting charge in his 45-ball knock and a 89-run opening stand with skipper Sanju Samson to steer Rajasthan to 205-4.Wicketkeeper-batsman Samson’s 38, in his return to captaincy this season, and an unbeaten 43 off 25 balls by Riyan Parag helped Rajasthan breach the 200-run mark for the first time at the venue in six matches.Inaugural champions Rajasthan then restricted the opposition to 155-9 despite Nehal Wadhera’s 41-ball 62 and hand Punjab their first loss of the season in three matches.Rajasthan’s England import Jofra Archer took two wickets in the first over of the chase and returned figures of 3-25 and was named player of the match.Fellow seam bowler Sandeep Sharma complemented Archer’s raw pace – he was hitting speeds of over 140 kmph – by picking up two wickets with his less explosive medium pace. “That is a very deadly combo – one guy bowling around 150 and another bowling around 115,” said Samson. “We all love it when he (Archer) bowls those quick overs.”- Rahul plays anchor -Earlier in game one, Delhi elected to bat first and reached 183-6, riding on Rahul’s 51-ball knock that included key partnerships at Chennai’s M.A. Chidambaram Stadium.Delhi bowlers combined to restrict five-time winners Chennai to 158-5 and stay unbeaten in this edition of the popular T20 tournament.Chennai slipped to their third successive loss and second at home this season.Delhi batters set up victory with Rahul playing an anchor role after taking over as opener from South Africa’s Faf du Plessis who was not fit for the match.The 32-year-old Rahul, a wicketkeeper-batsman, started his international career as opener but later batted in different positions and recently took the number six slot in the ODI Champions Trophy won by India.”I was personally prepping to play at the top of the order before the IPL started,” Rahul said after being named player of the match.”I was happy that I got the opportunity today at the top of the order. It’s more mental, and the pattern and process of getting in. I like to get used to doing the same thing.”Since I have been going up and down the order, it takes me a few minutes to get used to it.”Rahul lost his opening partner Jake Fraser-McGurk for a duck off left-arm quick Khaleel Ahmed but stood firm to get going with Abishek Porel, who hit 33 off 20 balls.Ravindra Jadeja dismissed left-handed Porel with his left-arm spin, but the Delhi batters kept chipping away with Rahul steady at one end.Rahul put on partnerships with skipper Axar Patel, who hit 21, Sameer Rizvi, who made 20, and then Tristan Stubbs, who struck an unbeaten 24, to keep up the batting charge.Rahul fell to Sri Lanka pace bowler Matheesha Pathirana in the final over after he hit six fours — including a cheeky reverse lap shot — and three sixes.In reply, Chennai were never in the chase despite Vijay Shankar’s valiant 69 not out.Former captain M.S. Dhoni walked out to loud cheers in the 11th over but the once top finisher in international cricket again proved a pale shadow of his former self.The 43-year-old Dhoni made 30 off 26 deliveries in an underwhelming show by him and his team.