Pooja was born in Kochi and raised on a mix of newspapers, pop culture, and too many questions. She studied Communicative English and Journalism before earning her Master’s in Journalism from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and began her career interning at The Times of India and Channel I'M — where she later became a news anchor, scripting and presenting her own stories. Between deadlines, she’s worked across digital media platforms, covering politics, gender, pop culture, cinema, and everything in between. She has interviewed actors, creators, and changemakers, and occasionally edits her own video content — thanks to being certified in Photoshop and InDesign. In 2025, she joined the Asian Media Group in her first “official” newsroom gig, where she now covers entertainment, lifestyle, and the layered realities of South Asian identity. She believes storytelling should feel personal — even when it’s public — and likes to write not to please, but to provoke, question, and occasionally stir the pot.
David Beckham had surgery on his right arm following years of discomfort from a 2003 injury.
Victoria Beckham posted a hospital photo with the caption “Get well soon Daddy.”
Doctors removed a pin that failed to dissolve from an earlier procedure.
Fans flooded social media with support as Beckham begins recovery.
David Beckham has undergone surgery on his right arm after enduring years of pain from an old football injury. The former England captain was admitted to hospital this week, where doctors corrected a long-standing issue stemming from a 2003 match against South Africa. Beckham is now recovering, with his wife Victoria offering fans a glimpse into his post-op condition through an Instagram update.
Victoria Beckham's story Instagram screengrab/victoriabeckham
Victoria Beckham shares intimate post-surgery moment
Victoria posted a photo of David in a hospital gown and blue arm sling, lying in bed and smiling faintly at the camera. “Get well soon Daddy,” she wrote, along with a white heart emoji. In another story, she showed a friendship bracelet gifted to him with the message “Get well soon” spelled out in beads.
The public gesture quickly drew attention, prompting fans to ask questions and offer well-wishes across social media. With comments turned off on Instagram Stories, many took to Twitter to express their concern and admiration.
Victoria Beckham's story Instagram screengrab/victoriabeckham
Surgery linked to 2003 wrist injury, say sources
According to a source quoted by The Sun, the surgery was required due to complications from an old wrist injury Beckham sustained over two decades ago. A metal pin inserted at the time had not dissolved as expected and had started causing intense pain.
David Beckham of England feels the pain in his arm after being tackled and upended by Thabang Molefe of South AfricaGetty Images
“David had been in pain for years but didn’t think much of it,” said the source. “It got worse recently, so he went for a scan, which revealed the pin had not dissolved. The operation went well, and he’s in great spirits now.” Victoria reportedly stayed by his side throughout the procedure.
JOFRA ARCHER has been named in England's squad for the second Test against India, marking his return to the Test side after more than four years.
The 30-year-old fast bowler has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has played just 13 Tests, the last of which was in February 2021.
Archer last appeared for England in March during a one-day international against South Africa at the ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan.
He returned to first-class cricket on Sunday, playing for Sussex for the first time in four years. He took one wicket in a drawn match against Durham.
Speaking to the BBC, Archer said it had been a mental challenge to return to red-ball cricket but confirmed he was ready for Test matches.
"Yeah. I guess so," he said. "I just want to get through the game. I'm glad I've finished a day of four-day cricket."
England won the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday with a five-wicket victory over India. Archer was added to the squad on Thursday as the only change ahead of the second Test in Birmingham.
Archer, who was born in Barbados, made an immediate impact after his debut in 2019, providing England with pace and accuracy. He bowled the decisive super over in the World Cup final against New Zealand that year and later took 22 wickets in four Tests during the Ashes series against Australia, which ended in a draw.
Since then, he has dealt with recurring injuries. An elbow injury first suffered in 2020 required multiple surgeries. He also had to recover from a stress fracture in his back in 2022.
He was recently ruled out of England's ODI series against the West Indies due to a thumb injury sustained while playing for Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
Archer has taken 42 wickets in 13 Tests at an average of 31.
Jacob Bethell, Sam Cook and Jamie Overton, who were part of the squad for the first Test but did not play, have retained their places for the second Test at Edgbaston, which begins on July 2.
England squad: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wkt), Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
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INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE cricket franchise Rajasthan Royals' majority owner has accused his former co-owner of trying to blackmail him by alleging he was defrauded out of his minority stake in the club.
London-based venture capitalist Manoj Badale and his company Emerging Media Ventures are suing businessman Raj Kundra at London's High Court for allegedly breaching a 2019 confidential settlement agreement.
The case centres on Kundra's former shares in Rajasthan Royals, winner of 2008's inaugural IPL which is now cricket's richest tournament with a brand value of $12 billion (£9.5bn).
Badale's lawyer Adam Speker said Kundra, who is married to Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty, had threatened to report serious allegations to Indian authorities in a "blackmail attempt".
Kundra, however, says he has been told information about the claimants and his lawyer William McCormick that, if that is not true, "in due course it will be exposed".
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra (Photo credit-/AFP via Getty Images)
Kundra had to forfeit his 11.7 per cent stake after being found guilty in 2015 of betting on IPL games in a scandal which led to the Rajasthan Royals being suspended for two years, Speker said.
He added in court filings that Kundra emailed Badale "out of the blue" last month, alleging he had been "misled and defrauded of the rightful value of my 11.7 per cent stake".
The email to Badale said Kundra had filed a complaint with Indian authorities and threatened to make a report to India's Cricket Board (BCCI).
Kundra added, however, that he was willing to discuss a deal involving "the restoration of my original equity or compensation reflecting the true and current valuation of the Rajasthan Royals franchise".
Speker said Kundra also messaged disgraced IPL founder Lalit Modi this month, saying Badale "did not realise cheating me of the true value would cost him dearly".
Badale and his Emerging Media Ventures, which holds a 65 per cent stake in Rajasthan Royals, obtained an interim injunction against Kundra on May 30, preventing Kundra from breaching the settlement agreement by making disparaging statements.
Kundra's lawyer McCormick said Kundra accepted the injunction should continue until a full trial of the lawsuit.
"It is not an admission that anything improper has been done or is being threatened," McCormick said.
(Reuters)
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Carlos Alcaraz lifts the trophy after winning the Queen’s Club final in London last Sunday (22)
CARLOS ALCARAZ warned his Wimbledon rivals that he “feels great” on grass after the world number two defied his own expectations by winning the Queen’s Club title for a second time.
Alcaraz battled to a bruising 7-5, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 victory over Czech world number 30 Jiri Lehecka in the final of the Wimbledon warm-up event last Sunday (22). The 22-year-old has extended his career-best winning streak to 18 matches, putting him in the perfect position to defend his Wimbledon title.
Alcaraz has won the French Open, the Rome Masters and Queen’s during his blistering run.
But the five-time Grand Slam champion had arrived in west London concerned about his ability to make the tricky transition from the clay-court season to the unique demands of the brief grass campaign.
Underling the difficulty of the task, Alcaraz is the first player to win Roland Garros and Queen’s back to back since Rafael Nadal in 2008.
“I’m going to say it’s really complicated, the switch from clay to grass in just few days, because that’s the time I had before the tournament began, just two days of practising,” Alcaraz said. “So I came here with no expectations at all. I came here with a goal to play two or three matches, try to feel great on grass, and give myself the feedback of what I have to improve.
“But I got used to the grass really quick, and I’m really proud about it. My goal was complete, and I’m not talking about lifting the trophy or making the final.
“It was just to feel great, to feel comfortable on grass once again.”
For a player raised on the clay courts of Spain, Alcaraz has become a formidable force on the lawns of Queen’s and Wimbledon.
He is only the third Spanish man to win four grass-court tournaments after Nadal and Feliciano Lopez.
“It’s great to be with Rafa and Feli, such great players from our country,” he said.
“Hopefully now I will not stop here. Hopefully keep going.”
A key part of Alcaraz’s winning formula is his ability to switch off from tennis after tournaments to ensure he is refreshed when he returns to the court.
The former world number one partied in Ibiza after his epic five-set French Open final triumph against Jannik Sinner earlier this month.
He won’t have time for a similar holiday before Wimbledon starts on June 30, but he plans to relax as much as possible in London before focusing on his bid for a third successive All England Club crown.
“A lot of people ask me the same question: Are you going to go back to Ibiza? I wish! As I said, I’m a player who needs days off to enjoy, days for myself to spend with my friends, with my family, just to turn off my mind,” he said.
“I can’t go back home. I’m going to stay here in London, hopefully enjoy it a little bit, then be back and preparing Wimbledon the best way possible.
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The Indian Premier League (IPL) is valued at USD 12 billion. The ECB is also set to receive GBP 520m (USD 700 million) from the sale of 49 per cent of the eight 'Hundred' franchises.
THE PROPOSED Saudi T20 league, reportedly a USD 400 million venture, will not receive support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), according to a news report.
The news report, by The Guardian, stated that both boards are working together to safeguard their own leagues from being impacted.
"During discussions at the World Test Championship final at Lord's this month, the ECB and BCCI agreed to unite in opposing the new league. The boards agreed they would not issue 'no objection certificates' to their players to sign up for the new competition, as well as lobbying the International Cricket Council (ICC) to withhold their endorsement," The Guardian reported.
Cricket Australia (CA), however, was reportedly more open to partnering with Saudi investors for the league.
"Under plans that emerged in Australia this year, Saudi's SRJ Sports Investments has pledged to inject USD 400m to set up the new league, which would have eight teams playing four tournaments in different locations each year in a set-up that has been compared to tennis's Grand Slams," the report said.
For CA, the potential financial benefits of partnering with Saudi investors are a key factor. The Big Bash League (BBL) franchises are owned by CA and the states, and private investment is being considered to increase revenue.
Meanwhile, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is valued at USD 12 billion. The ECB is also set to receive GBP 520m (USD 700 million) from the sale of 49 per cent of the eight 'Hundred' franchises.
"Cricket South Africa raised more than GBP 100m (USD 136 million) by selling franchises in its SA20 competition to Indian Premier League owners three years ago," the paper said.
The Guardian also reported that the ICC, currently led by former BCCI secretary Jay Shah, is unlikely to take a position that goes against the BCCI’s stance.
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Emma Raducanu plays a forehand against Maya Joint of Australia during the Women's Singles Second Round match on Day Three of the Lexus Eastbourne Open at Devonshire Park on June 25, 2025 in Eastbourne, England. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images for LTA)
EMMA RADUCANU suffered a setback ahead of Wimbledon as the former US Open champion crashed to a shock defeat against Australian teenager Maya Joint in the second round at Eastbourne on Wednesday (25).
After a difficult year marred by poor form and back problems, Raducanu had hoped for a morale-boosting run at Eastbourne before Wimbledon starts on Monday (30).
But the British star slumped to a 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) loss that leaves her short of match practice leading into the grass-court Grand Slam.
Raducanu missed last week's Berlin Open due to the back problem she has been nursing since before the French Open.
On Tuesday (24), the 22-year-old held back tears after recovering from a set down to defeat American Ann Li in the Eastbourne first round, then admitted she had been dealing with "some really bad news".
World number 38 Raducanu, who won the US Open in 2021, is building towards her fourth Wimbledon appearance, where she has twice reached the fourth round.
But Joint had knocked out two-time Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur in the first round on Monday (23) and the 19-year-old made Raducanu her second high-profile victim of the week.
"I feel quite tired. Just going through some stuff and I need to do my best to get my head in the game ahead of next week," Raducanu said.
"Realistically, the turnaround (to Wimbledon) is pretty soon. I'm just going to start with a day off tomorrow and then hopefully I can get on the court on Friday."
Joint faces world number 69 Anna Blinkova in the quarter-finals.
"Today was really tough, there were a lot of ups and downs and momentum switches. I was really glad I could tough it out in the end. The atmosphere was amazing," the world number 51 said after the second grass-court win of her career.
Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova saved three match points to reach the quarter-finals with a gutsy 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) against Britain's Jodie Burrage.
Twenty four hours after Harriet Dart spurned two match points against Krejcikova, the second-seeded Czech had to dig deep again to avoid defeat after falling 0-40 down at 5-6 in the deciding set.
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko pulled out due to a foot injury with the score 0-6, 6-2, 3-2 against Alexandra Eala, a 20-year-old qualifier from the Philippines.
In the men's event at Eastbourne, British world number 170 Dan Evans enjoyed a surprise 6-4 3-6, 6-3 win against second seed Tommy Paul.
Defending champion Taylor Fritz's second-round clash with rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca was suspended at one set all due to bad light.
Fritz, the world number five, has won the Eastbourne title three times.
The American took the first set 6-3, but the 18-year-old Fonseca, ranked 57th, hit back to win the second 7-6 (7/5), forcing the match to be played to a conclusion on Thursday (26).