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A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) has surprised foodies, especially Indians who grew up eating colourful and sugar-coated saunf (fennel) seeds after a meal. ‘Mukhwas’ is an after-meal snack and mouth freshener, popular in South Asia and includes items like paan, tamarind candies, saunf-mishri combo, etc. One such popular and commonly available mukhwas item is multicoloured sugar-coated fennel seeds that look attractive and taste refreshing. As seen in the viral post, a South Asian brand ‘Paro’ is selling these “candied fennel seeds” in the US with vibrant packaging and at a more expensive price than in India. 

The post also features other South Asian foods sold by the brand, such as masoor dal (red lentils) and tarka (ghee with spice).

A viral post on X (formerly Twitter) has surprised foodies, especially Indians who grew up eating colourful and sugar-coated saunf (fennel) seeds after a meal. ‘Mukhwas’ is an after-meal snack and mouth freshener, popular in South Asia and includes items like paan, tamarind candies, saunf-mishri combo, etc. One such popular and commonly available mukhwas item is multicoloured sugar-coated fennel seeds that look attractive and taste refreshing. As seen in the viral post, a South Asian brand ‘Paro’ is selling these “candied fennel seeds” in the US with vibrant packaging and at a more expensive price than in India. 

The post also features other South Asian foods sold by the brand, such as masoor dal (red lentils) and tarka (ghee with spice).

As seen in the comments section, what surprised foodies the most is how the brand took something that is seen as ‘ordinary’ in South Asia and beautifully packaged it to make the same product look so appealing in the US.

With the Indian Premier League in full swing, every cricket fan in India is glued to their screens. But today (May 18) is extra special as Gujarat Titans, led by Shubman Gill, are all set to face off against Delhi Capitals, captained by Axar Patel. The match will be held at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. Ahead of the big game, a fun video was shared on the official Instagram handle of Gujarat Titans. It shows the players boarding a flight to Delhi. But before takeoff, someone behind the camera throws in a delicious question: “What is one thing you would recommend to eat in Delhi?” Let’s take a look at what the players had to say!

Ishant Sharma didn’t hesitate and said, chole bhature. Ashish Nehra, the coach, went for golgappe, and couldn’t resist teasing Ishant by saying, “Akele ja raha hai chole bhature khane, hume leke bhi nahi jaa raha. [Going to eat chole bhature alone, not even taking me along.]” Sai Kishore agreed with Ishant and picked chole bhature too. Rehmatullah Gurbaz recommended the flavourful palak patta chaat.

“Shaken” they may be after a horrendous season but Chennai Super Kings will not compromise on experience going forward, coach Stephen Fleming hinted on Monday, saying that experience wins tournaments. The New Zealander, though, promised to invest in talented youngsters over the next three years. Facing criticism for over-reliance on veteran players and outdated strategies, the 2023 champions are languishing at the bottom of the table with two matches left this season. Asked if performance of Ayush Mhatre, Urvil Patel and Noor Ahmed has convinced the team management to bank on youth, Fleming gave them due credit. “They have certainly had an impact which is positive from a season that has been a challenge. But we realised that early on that we were off pace. So to be able to introduce these players, they are definitely in line for the future as we regenerate the team and redevelop or reconfirm our philosophy of how we want to play,” Fleming said ahead of their penultimate clash against Rajasthan Royals.

“My point has always been a mixture of youth and experience. I am a fan of experience, experience wins tournaments. But the youth and talent in this country is something you can’t ignore.”

Asked specifically how they plan to rebuild, the New Zealander said they will have a good look at the young talent available.

“We got a lot of questions before talking about some of the players we have introduced. That is exciting for this three-year cycle. One of the challenges around the IPL is every three years you have to recreate your side. It is a beauty and a beast as well.”

Fleming said age does not matter to him as long as the player can perform to the level of expectations.

“I don’t care how old the players are. The experience has served us really well over the grand years that we have had. It hasn’t worked out quite well for us this year.

“The fact that we have been so consistent over a number of years to have a poor year has shaken everybody. It is understandable given the excellence in which the franchises are operating.” Fleming said getting the right mix of youth and experience will be the way forward for them.

“You have a look at the top run scorers and wicket takers and you see there is a fair bit of experience there. But what it is sprinkled with is some amazing performances by young players who are playing fearless cricket. So it is getting that balance right.” Fleming side-stepped the question if the iconic MS Dhoni will continue to play or become mentor, saying “I don’t know.”

The former Kiwi skipper was also asked what motivation was left for the team already eliminated from the play-offs race.

“The opportunity to finish the season well is really important to us. We had a good win in the last game. “The intensity in the side, the way we play these two games will have intensity. It is important to us every time we represent CSK. It is important that we play as well as we can. We know we haven’t been up to par. We have two opportunities to finish well. That doesn’t change.

“We are looking at the opportunities for other players. We have done that in the last two or three games. We will continue to do that,” added Fleming.

In a season filled with high hopes and significant challenges, Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach Rahul Dravid has openly expressed his disappointment following the team’s recent defeat to Punjab Kings. This loss marks RR’s tenth in the IPL 2025 season, positioning them ninth on the points table. Dravid highlighted issues across all departments, emphasising that the team’s performance has not met expectations. Despite a promising start to the season, including a standout century by young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi, RR has struggled to maintain consistency, particularly in death bowling and middle-order batting.

After RR’s 8-wicket loss to Punjab Kings, Dravid acknowledged the team’s shortcomings, stating, “There’s no point just blaming the batsman. I think with the ball also, to be honest, I didn’t think it was a 220 wicket, it was about a 195, 200 wicket, and we gave 20 runs extra.”

“If we look at the numbers, we have probably not been good enough with the ball. Both at taking wickets and controlling runs. We are chasing 200-220 every game,” he added.

He pointed out that conceding extra runs has been a recurring issue, making it challenging for the batting unit to chase down high totals. Dravid also noted that the team has often found itself in good positions but failed to capitalise, particularly in the lower-middle order, where big shots have been lacking.

“It’s been a tough one. We’ve got close, but we haven’t been able to finish the job. It’s been one of those kind of seasons where you always feel with the ball that we probably give 15-20 runs extra and then you’ve got yourself in some really good positions to win the games, but we haven’t been able to finish the job and a little bit around that lower, lower-middle order we just haven’t been able to click and get the big shots that we need,” admitted Dravid.

RR’s death bowling has been a significant concern throughout the season. In matches against Gujarat Titans and Delhi Capitals, the team conceded over 70 runs in the final five overs, highlighting the need for better execution in the closing stages of the game. Dravid emphasised that while the plans have been sound, the execution has fallen short, leading to unfavorable outcomes.

The team’s performance has drawn criticism from cricketing greats, including Sunil Gavaskar, who expressed his confusion over RR’s lack of strategic play, especially under Dravid’s guidance. Gavaskar remarked, “With someone like Rahul Dravid as the coach, it was quite baffling, it was unthinking cricket.” He questioned the team’s decision-making and approach during crucial moments, suggesting a deeper flaw in their strategy.

Despite the team’s struggles, young prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi has been a bright spot. The 14-year-old made headlines with a 35-ball century against the Gujarat Titans, showcasing his immense potential. However, he also faced setbacks, including a two-ball duck against Mumbai Indians, underscoring the highs and lows of professional cricket. Dravid has urged for realistic expectations regarding Suryavanshi’s performance, emphasizing the importance of supporting young talent through both successes and challenges.

“I mean, it’s been five games now where the margins have really one or two hits which you need in that phase, which we just haven’t been able to do,” said Dravid after the game. “So it’s not that we’ve been losing too many wickets, we’re still only five down today, but we just haven’t been able to hit those shots.”

As RR prepares for their final match of the season against Chennai Super Kings, the focus shifts to salvaging pride and avoiding the bottom spot on the table. Dravid’s leadership and experience will be crucial in guiding the team through this challenging period. The season’s outcomes highlight the need for introspection and strategic adjustments to build a more resilient and consistent team in future campaigns.

Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) 14-year-old teen sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi interacted with Punjab Kings (PBKS) co-owner Preity Zinta after their IPL 2025 match in Jaipur. PBKS qualified for the playoffs on Sunday after they beat RR and Gujarat Titans (GT) thumped Delhi Capitals by 10 wickets. Table-toppers GT’s win in the second match on Sunday allowed three teams, including Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to enter the IPL 2025 playoffs. After the match against PBKS, RR shared a video on social media where Suryavanshi can be seen having a chat with Zinta.

Nice meeting you,” Zinta can be heard as saying to Suryavanshi before stepping aside.

The video started with Zinta having a chat with PBKS’ Shashank Singh and RR opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. “Come let’s go say hi to him,” Zinta can be heard at telling to Shashank and Jaiswal about wanting to meet the teenager.

PBKS qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2014. After the match, head coach Ricky Ponting addressed the players in the dressing room lauding their resilience.

In his address, Ponting stressed how the players have adopted a simple yet effective approach since the beginning of the tournament, playing their natural game despite the situation. Expressing his happiness with the batting unit, who put 219/5 on the board for the RR to chase, Ponting specifically praised Wadhera for his brilliant performance, scoring 70 runs off just 37 balls last night.

“What you did was manage to put pressure back on them straight away. You have to do that in this format, right? You had a great partnership with Shreyas. I actually said to him at one of the timeouts that because you’re so good, you can find a way to score runs, be out there in a partnership, and you ended up putting on 67 off 44 balls,” Ponting said.

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