INDIA captain Virat Kohli denied his team underestimated Pakistan in Sunday's high-profile Twenty20 World Cup contest and said they know what went wrong in their 10-wicket thumping by the arch-rivals.
India went into the match with a 12-0 record in World Cups against their neighbours but Pakistan snapped that streak with a 10-wicket romp at the Dubai International Stadium.
Kohli reacted with incredulity when asked if their unblemished track record made them complacent against the arch-rivals ahead of the Group Two blockbuster.
"You don't go out there to take anything lightly, especially a team like Pakistan who on their day can beat anyone in the world," Kohli, who will relinquish India's Twenty20 captaincy after the tournament told reporters.
"This is a game that has to be respected, and we are a team that definitely respects the game...
"We never take any opposition lightly. Neither do we differentiate between oppositions, that's how we play our cricket."
Put into bat, India could not really recover after Shaheen Afridi wrecked their top order.
With Pakistan captain Babar Azam and opening partner Mohammad Rizwan smashing unbeaten half-century, the chase was a cakewalk for Pakistan who triumphed with 13 balls to spare.
"They definitely outplayed us, there's no doubt about that," Kohli said.
"You don't win by 10 wickets if you don't outplay the opposition. We did not even get any chances. They were very professional and you definitely have to give them credit.
"We tried our best to create enough pressure on them but they had the answers. There's no shame in accepting that a team played better than you."
India play their next match against New Zealand on Sunday and Kohli felt the break would do a world of good to his side, who had a fair idea about the grey areas they needed to work on.
"We know exactly how the game went, and where it went wrong. We have absolute clarity of that," the 32-year-old said.
"That's a good thing to know where you went wrong as a team, so that we can work on it and try and correct it and move forward.
"We still have a lot of matches in this tournament and if we stick to the process we follow, we definitely feel like we can overcome these mistakes."
(Reuters)
Kajol and Twinkle Khanna respond to backlash
Kajol and Twinkle Khanna address chat show backlash in new Prime Video episode
Highlights:
The backlash around Kajol and Twinkle Khanna's show Two Much did not suddenly appear one morning. You could feel it brewing from the first few episodes through tiny comments here and there turning into bigger conversations online. The marriage bit especially set things off; one short clip, and the whole thing snowballed. In the new bonus episode, shot after filming ended, the two finally spoke about the moment after weeks of noise.
Why the Kajol Twinkle Khanna backlash picked up so fast
The show ran on loose talk, quick lines, and a lot of teasing. It worked early on. Then came the episode with Vicky Kaushal and Kriti Sanon, where Kajol said marriages should have an expiry date and maybe even a renewal.
From there, it only grew. Another episode with Janhvi Kapoor and Karan Johar brought the debate on infidelity back into circulation. Kajol, Twinkle, and Karan said physical cheating was not a deal breaker for them. Janhvi pushed back and viewers argued for days. The backlash stuck, partly because clips were lifted out of context and partly because celebrity comments carry weight, even when framed as jokes.
How Kajol and Twinkle explained themselves
In the bonus episode, Kajol did not pretend everything was normal. She opened the segment with a half-laugh and said, “Now it’s time for our next segment, which has gotten us into a lot of trouble.” It sounded like a joke, but it was not entirely one. There was a slight crack of irritation or maybe tiredness underneath.
Twinkle followed with a straight note; they should have had a disclaimer from episode one. “Nothing we say in this segment should be taken seriously,” she said. “Please do not follow any of our advice.”
Both insisted the tone was always meant to be playful. Not expert talk. Not life lessons. Just two women poking fun at how people think about marriage, relationships, and the messy bits in between.
- YouTube youtu.be
What this means for the show now
Prime Video dropped the bonus episode with Jemimah Rodrigues and Shafali Verma in a way that almost felt strategic, like a small reset button to cool the temperature without actually issuing a statement or apology.
And honestly, the guest list this season was stacked in a very “this should be safe” way: Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Sonakshi Sinha, Janhvi Kapoor. Big names, familiar energy. Nobody expected the backlash to come from them. It came from the little throwaway lines Kajol and Twinkle said around them.
What is next for Kajol and Twinkle?
No word yet on season two. Both seemed unfazed in the episode, almost amused by how far the clips travelled. They did not promise changes either. Just a note that their humour was not meant to be instruction.
Kajol ended the segment with a small smile. Twinkle nodded along. And that is where it sat. Two women, a chat show, and a storm they did not expect but chose to address head-on before signing off.