Daily Briefing: Inside Puducherry’s rigged cricket ecosystem

On that note, let’s get to the rest of the edition👇

🔎 Express Investigation

India’s cricket craze has not only spawned a fandom but also fuelled a job market of its own. A junior player can earn up to Rs 11.2 lakh a season in match fees alone, and good performances in the Ranji Trophy can win one a slot in the lucrative IPL or even a sports quota job. But what happens when that system is rigged? Case in point: Puducherry.

👉 An investigation by The Indian Express has uncovered a parallel selection system, wherein private coaches offer “packages” worth Rs 1.2 lakh or more to cricketers from other states to bypass the BCCI’s residency norms and qualify as “locals”, giving them entry to local association teams. In the past four years, only five Puducherry-born players have taken the field in the 29 Ranji matches. The rest were outside players labelled as ‘locals’. How do they pull this off? Read Lalit Kalidas’ full report.

👉 All of this happens right under the nose of the Cricket Association of Pondicherry (CAP). And at the heart of the association is P Damodaren, the owner of Siechem Technologies Ltd. The wires and cables company now controls land, votes, and the very machinery of cricket in Puducherry, raising questions of governance and conflict of interest.

👉 In response to The Indian Express’ questionnaire, Damodaren asserts that CAP is a “clean” organisation. Read.

⚡Only in Express

If history offers any cues, it is that India has always projected a united front during visits from a head of state. But this bipartisan spirit was absent during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit — a significant one, given the geopolitical and economic tensions New Delhi finds itself in. The Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge, were not invited to the official banquet, striking a discordant note in an otherwise well-crafted visit. Neerja Chowdhury writes. 

📰 From the Front Page

The refrain: The Lok Sabha indulged in a 10-hour discussion on 150 years of ‘Vande Mataram’ on Monday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Congress party and Jawaharlal Nehru for appeasement politics and truncating the song, while linking the song to the Sangh’s core ideological and cultural project: “resurrecting the glorious past of India”. In response, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi questioned the need for the discussion and urged the government to instead focus on present issues.

Also read: In Vande Mataram debate, NDA allies diverge: JD(U) steers clear of attack lines, others echo BJP

Turned to ashes: The owners of Birch by Romeo Lane, the Goa club where 25 people died in a fire on Saturday night, are believed to have fled to Thailand shortly after the incident. As per sources, the CBI is likely to request Interpol to issue a Blue Corner Notice against the brothers, Saurabh and Gaurav Luthra. They entered the hospitality industry just a decade ago, with a lounge and bar in Delhi. But it was ‘Romeo Lane’ that put the brothers on the map, with the duo launching premier restrobars and rooftop restaurants in over 30 cities. Pavneet Singh Chadha and Alok Singh trace their rise and fall.

📌 Must Read

An unfortunate saga: Dileep was once Malayalam cinema’s most bankable star and had influence that extended well beyond the film industry. Born as Gopalakrishnan, he started as a mimicry artist, finding his breakthrough in 1994 with the comedy film Manathe Kottaram, where he essayed the role of ‘Dileep’, forever earning the moniker. His career, however, took a nosedive ever since he was accused as a conspirator in the 2017 case related to the abduction and sexual assault of an actor. A district sessions court acquitted Dileep on Monday. So, what’s next for Dileep? His acquittal could pave the way for his return to powerful film associations, FEFKA and AMMA, that had earlier expelled him.

🎧 For more on the case, tune in to today’s ‘3 Things’ podcast episode.

Conflict watch: Thailand launched airstrikes into Cambodia on Monday amid border hostilities, derailing the fragile peace deal signed in October. The two countries have disputed their land border ever since it was drawn in 1907 by France. At the heart of the struggle lie claims of ownership over the neighbours’ shared culture and the Preah Vihear temple. We explain.

⏳ And Finally…

Cliffhanger: Netflix had just about sealed the deal on its acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery last week, when it won the weeks-long bidding war with a $72 billion pitch for WB’s TV, film studios and streaming assets. Announcements were made publicly and in an email to its subscribers, promising the likes of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and the DC universe on their screens soon. The deal had outraged stakeholders and viewers, who feared Netflix’s monopoly over a chunk of Hollywood cinema. Well, that dream has hit another hurdle: Paramount Skydance launched a hostile bid worth $108.4 billion for WB. Who will come out on top? Stay tuned!

That’s all for today, folks! Until tomorrow,
Sonal Gupta

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