Sports: Ahmedabad is gearing up for a star-studded Indian Premier League (IPL) final on June 3, with a special emphasis on honouring the nation’s heroes. Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), announced that an invitation has been extended to the chiefs of all three Armed Forces, top-ranked officers, and soldiers to attend the grand event at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
The gesture comes after a brief suspension of the tournament on May 9, attributed to escalating cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan. The Indian Armed Forces’ swift and decisive “Operation Sindoor,” launched in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, played a pivotal role during this period. The BCCI’s invitation is a direct acknowledgement of the operation’s resounding success.
“We have extended an invitation to all Indian Armed Forces chiefs (General Upendra Dwivedi, the Chief of Army Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, the Chief of Naval Staff, and Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, the Chief of Air Staff), top-ranked officers and soldiers for the IPL final in Ahmedabad to celebrate the success of Operation Sindoor,” Saikia conveyed to ANI.
Operation Sindoor, India’s robust military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, was initiated on May 7. The operation proved highly effective, neutralising over 100 terrorists associated with notorious outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen.
Meanwhile, on the cricketing front, Punjab Kings (PBKS) have secured their dominance by clinching the top spot on the points table and a coveted berth in Qualifier One. Their victory over Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday sealed their fate. Qualifier One is scheduled for May 29 in Mullanpur, where PBKS will face either Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) or Gujarat Titans (GT). The Eliminator, featuring Mumbai Indians (MI), will also take place in Mullanpur on May 30, with the five-time champions squaring off against either RCB or GT.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), currently holding the third position with 17 points, just behind GT (18 points), have a golden opportunity to secure a Qualifier One spot. Their upcoming clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in Lucknow on Tuesday will be a decider for their fate in the tournament.
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