RCB has a good day: ‘Ee sala cup namdu’

Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

RCB has a good day: ‘Ee sala cup namdu’

Eighteenth time’s the charm! The Royal Challengers Bangalore won their very first IPL title in Ahmedabad. As always with RCB, it was a close call. After setting a target of 191, they edged out Punjab Kings by 6 runs, surviving a late flurry of boundaries from Shashank Singh.

Superstar of the match: Left-arm spinner Krunal Pandya—who choked the Punjab chase with an economy rate of 4.25 per over—when Punjab needed to score nearly 10. He made IPL look like Test cricket—as you can see below.

However, it was Guyanese seamer Romario Shepherd who took the most important wicket—of Punjab captain Shreyas Iyer—who scored a single run. See the dismissal below.

The genius of the Mo Bobat + Andy Flower think tank at the mega-auction table finally got the formula right.

O Captain, My Captain: All credit to Rajat Patidar who calmly led the way all season—letting bowlers set their own fields. But all eyes were on the former captain—Virat Kohli—who wept like a baby—after 18 long years of loyal team service. See the weepy winning moment below:

After the game, Kohli said he can finally sleep like a baby—but ranked the achievement “five levels below” his Test career, having recently retired from the format. He also dedicated the win to former longtime teammate AB de Villiers—who quit IPL in 2021 but was cheering from the stands. In fact, RCB alums de Villiers and Chris Gayle donned their old kits as part of the celebration. See it below:

Last but not least, Patidar soothed the ongoing (and very silly) language wars with just one line—‘Ee sala cup namdu’ (This year, the cup is ours):

FYI: In interest of national unity, Virat also expressed his mad love for Bangalore at great length.

For more: ESPNCricinfo has the match report, while JioHotstar has the highlights. Indian Express profiles Patidar, RCB’s ‘soft-spoken man of steel’. For the cricket nerds, PTI via Deccan Herald analyses how RCB’s success is built on Bobat and Flower’s evolved auction strategy.

Gautam Adani has new Amreeka problem

Gautam-bhai is in trouble for potential violations of US sanctions on Iranian oil and gas exports.

First, about Mundra: It is important to know that Adani outright owns India’s largest commercial port—located (where else?) in Gujarat. It is hilariously designated as a ‘non major’ port even though it handled over 200 million metric tonnes of cargo volume in 2024-25, a first for an Indian port. The port has been making all sorts of unsavoury news—the latest being a staggering 2,988 kg drug bust that has now been linked to a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror financing network and the Pahalgam attacks. Privatisation, yay!

What Adani allegedly did: According to a new Justice Department allegation, Adani Enterprises illegally bought vast amounts of LPG (think gas cylinder)—and shipped it to Mundra port. His company managed this by deploying “ghost tankers” that report fake locations on their AIS (automatic identification system). For example:

The ship was docked at Khor al Zubair in southern Iraq on April 3, 2024, according to its AIS... Satellite images from April 3 don’t show the SMS Bros at its reported berth in Iraq. But a satellite did capture images of a ship matching the SMS Bros’s characteristics and length docked roughly 315 miles to the southeast at an LPG terminal in Tonbuk, Iran.

The ship then sailed to Mundra—where its customs documents showed Adani Enterprises receiving a cargo of 11,250 metric tons of LPG, valued at over $7 million. A Wall Street Journal investigation has uncovered a number of such discrepancies—so this is not a one-off.

Why this is very bad news: US sanctions explicitly bar any country or company from purchasing petrochemicals from Iran—a subject Donald-bhai is very passionate about:

Any Country or person who buys ANY AMOUNT of OIL or PETROCHEMICALS from Iran will be subject to, immediately, Secondary Sanctions... They will not be allowed to do business with the United States of America in any way, shape, or form.

Where we are now: Of course, the Adani Group has firmly denied all allegations, calling them “baseless and mischievous.” And the legal proceedings will drag on. But this is not good timing for the government—to have its most beloved crony capitalist piss off the Trump White House—right when it’s trying to negotiate a free trade deal.

Point to note: The US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick just said that India "rubbed the US the wrong way”—specifically by buying weapons from Russia:

That's a way to kind of get… under the skin of America, if you go to buy your armaments from Russia. So I think India is starting to move towards buying military equipment from the United States, which then goes a long way.

Reminder: Washington has been leaning on New Delhi to buy its oil. So LPG shipments from Iran are not a good look. (Wall Street Journal, paywalled)

‘Total carnage’ at Gaza aid site

The backstory: On May 27, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—a private org secretly funded by Israel—began distributing aid at four hubs. The UN accused GHF of using aid as “bait” to herd Palestinians into South Gaza—saying “it’s dangerous to ask civilians to go into militarized zones to collect rations.” A Cassandra-like prophecy that came immediately true. On the very first day, thousands stormed a Rafah hub—and at least 50 people were injured “due to gunshots” fired by the Israeli troops stationed for “security.”

What happened now: The price of humanitarian aid has soared from 50 injured last Tuesday (May 27) to 27 dead—and 90 injured—this Tuesday (June 3). That’s the latest casualty count at an aid hub—where the IDF demonstrated its skills on unarmed, hungry people:

“There were three children and two women among the dead,” Mohammed Saqr, the head of nursing at Nasser hospital, which received the 27 bodies, told the Guardian. “Most of the patients had gunshot wounds, others had shrapnel all over the bodies, which means they were targeted with tanks or artillery munitions.” Doctors at Nasser hospital said the Israeli forces had mostly targeted the heads, the chest and the upper parts of the bodies of the victims, and that the health facility was running out of blood units and medical supplies.

Weapons of choice: Tanks and drones. This is what lining up for food looks like in Gaza:

According to Tel Aviv, “The individuals were moving towards forces in a way that posed a threat to them.”

Data point to note: Since the GHF-run hubs opened, Israel has killed 102 people and injured 490. Well, hunger can be lethal—especially when the IDF has declared all roads leading to these distribution hubs as “combat zones.” Phir na kehna, we didn’t warn you.

Meanwhile, in North Gaza: A Guardian investigation has revealed that the IDF deliberately bombs schools that are being used as civilian shelters. At least six schools have been targeted with airstrikes in recent months, killing at least 120 people, and four more in northern Gaza have been marked as potential targets. In Gaza, even sleeping is hazardous to your health.

Where we are now: GHF has shuttered its hubs as of now—and plans to reopen on Thursday. We will keep you posted on the casualty count. Death inflation is real. For more, Al Jazeera reports on the killings. The Guardian profiles GHF’s new kattar Christian CEO Johnny Moore. The Conversation has more on “lethal humanitarianism.”

Meanwhile, in Western Europe: A new YouGov poll shows public support for Israel is at an all-time low. Less than 20% of people in the six countries surveyed—the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Denmark—hold a favourable opinion of the country—and 70% have an unfavourable view. You can see Tel Aviv’s plummeting popularity ratings below. The complete findings are available over at YouGov.

South Korean plot twist: A controversial left-leaning leader

The context: In December, South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk-yeol was impeached for suddenly imposing martial law—allegedly to protect his wife from a corruption probe. In April, he was officially removed from office—and three interim presidents cycled through office until snap elections were called.

And the winner is: Leader of the left-leaning Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung—who survived an assassination attempt last year. The 61-year old scored a decisive victory in an election that witnessed the highest turnout (80%) since 1997. Lee got 49.3% of votes while his conservative rival Kim Moon-soo received 41.3%.

Here’s a pithy summary of the new man in charge:

As a former child labourer known for his inspirational rags-to-riches story, Lee came to fame through biting criticism of the country’s conservative establishment and calls to build a more assertive South Korea in foreign policy. That rhetoric has given him an image as someone who can institute sweeping reforms and fix the country’s deep-seated economic inequality and corruption.

Why do you care? Lee’s election doesn’t have any direct consequence for India. But it muddies the geopolitical waters in SE Asia—especially for the US:

He calls Seoul’s relationship with Washington the “basic axis of our diplomacy.” However, “that doesn’t mean we should completely rely on the U.S. alliance,” Lee said last month. Lee’s hope for more balanced ties with China and the U.S. could complicate President Trump’s efforts to convince allies to help contain China in trade and security matters.

In fact, Lee has distanced himself from the hottest potato in the region—Taiwan:

Despite the large-scale presence of US troops in the country, Lee has said South Korea should avoid being drawn into a conflict between China and Taiwan. China has pledged to take control of the island, potentially by force.. “We must keep our distance” in any China-Taiwan conflict, Lee said.

Reminder: China is South Korea’s biggest trading partner—even though it is in a close military alliance with the US.

The big picture: Lee’s ascendance offers an intriguing plot twist—as Trump tries to bully Seoul into paying for those US troops—in one of his typical mafia-style protection rackets. Wall Street Journal has more on the foreign policy angle. Al Jazeera has the election results.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Smartphones and smartwatches—India’s two biggest gadget buys making up 80% of electronics sales—are off to a weak 2025 start, with footfalls down, phone sales slipping 6%, and smartwatches crashing 33% year-on-year.
Neuralink rival Paradromics has completed its first human brain implant—done during epilepsy surgery at the University of Michigan, with clinical trials set to follow later this year.
Meta has inked a 20-year deal for nuclear power—tapping Illinois' Clinton plant to fuel its surging AI demands.

sports & entertainment

In shocking news, ‘King of the Hill’ and ‘Parks and Rec’ actor Jonathan Joss was shot dead in an alleged homophobic hate crime, though police have not found evidence yet.
World champion D Gukesh scores another win at the Norway Chess—this time against his compatriot Arjun Erigaisi.
Luca Guadagnino-directed and Daniel Craig starring ‘Queer’ will open the 16th edition of Kashish Pride Film Festival, Mumbai’s annual LGBTQ+ film festival.
Kamal Haasan has decided not to release ‘Thug Life’ in Karnataka, and trade analysts expect a 7% drop in total box office revenue for the film.

health & environment

The Guardian looks at a “new era” of ecological collapse as ecologists sound alarm on rapid insect extinctions all over the world, even in supposedly protected regions.
New study finds texture of ultra-processed foods matters—people ate 369 fewer calories daily when crunching cereal over slurping smoothies or chewing soft bread.

meanwhile, in the world

Nearly 1.4 million troops have been killed or wounded in Ukraine war—with around 1 million Russian and 400,000 Ukrainian casualties—as the brutal conflict grinds on.
RIP, the Dutch government—Geert Wilder’s far-right party PVV has exited the ruling coalition.
Over 200 prisoners have escaped a Karachi jail amid earthquake evacuations—putting Michael Scofield and Lincoln Burrows to shame.
Gaurav Kundi, a 42-year-old man of Indian origin in Adelaide, is in a coma with suspected brain and nerve damage after local police tackled him to the ground.
From twisted bromance to toxic breakup: Elon Musk has slammed Trump’s flagship domestic bill as a “disgusting abomination” and “pork-filled”—days after stepping down from his advisory role with the administration.
US charges two Chinese nationals for smuggling potential agroterrorism fungus that causes billions in crop losses, says Justice Department.
ICE has taken the family of alleged Colorado attack suspect Mohamed Soliman into custody—an unprecedented move as Homeland Security probes what they knew about his attack that injured 12.

meanwhile, in India

PM Modi is unlikely to attend the upcoming G7 summit in Canada—a first miss for India in six years.
An RTI query has found that only 10% of the purported tourist footfall in Jammu and Kashmir—since the abrogation of Article 370—was for the Kashmir Valley, sowing doubts in the narratives on the restoration of normalcy in the area.
CDS Gen Anil Chauhan continues to comment on Operation Sindoor—after admitting to a ‘tactical mistake’, he now says military forces are ‘not affected by losses in war’.
Kerala police has dropped the criminal cases that emerged from the Hema Committee report on sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry—due to a failure to gather sufficient evidence.
The government has reserved 85% of jobs in Ladakh for locals, and one-third of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council seats for women.
The Gujarat government is developing a memorial forested park in Kutch district, dedicated to Operation Sindoor.

Two things to see

One: Mount Etna in Sicily sent up large plumes of ash—and a slurry of ash, gas and rock down its slopes. It sent tourists scurrying for safety—as you can see below—but happily no one was in any real danger. Reuters has the best collection of photos capturing the eruption. (BBC News)

Two: The White House has released a new portrait of the Donald—because why not? It has a moody black background—as opposed to the American flag—which is usually de rigeur for these paintings. And most others don’t look like your bad-tempered grandpa. (USA Today)