Vol. 35 No. 40 | SUNDAY | JUNE 30, 2024 | 27 Pages | `5 & for Pune `6 only | Reg. No. MCS/048/2021-23; RNI No. 46955/1988 M.p.c.s. office Mumbai-400001 THE SUNDAY FREE PRESS www.freepressjournal.in Weekend Actor and author Manav Kaul on his latest play and how travelling inspires him to write EDITIONS: MUMBAI INDORE PUNE BHOPAL GOOD LIFE JOURNAL NASHIK KONKAN E-paper Weekend Decoding the ubiquitous DLS method 8 super fruits for added supplements to maintain good health Sunday Read Singer Maahi opens up about his musical aspiration Nitish’s party presses Waka waka ho, this time is India’s! ‘special status’ button INCREDIBLE | Proteas choke as India’s self-belief triumphs Meenakshi Rao Virat Kohli announces T20 WC swansong after the victory BRIDGETOWN S eventeen years, three captains and a billion plus prayers later, Rohit Sharma’s India brought the T20 World Cup home with more grit than fanfare, more cordons than splurges, great intent and an arms department that became their main weaponry. It was an eventful journey, full of downs and then the difficult climbs into the hall of contention. United they rose, with individual flashes of brilliance standing only second in line to cohesive teamwork finishing given assignments and stepping up to patch the tears by a Kohli in the Final, an Axar Patel in the semifinals and a Sharma against Australia to name a few. Add to these mentions, the supporting role played by the middle order when scores were breathing slow, and you would understand what Sharma meant when he said his want was for a “smart team” and the balance it struck. Other than this, magic and fear was constantly woven by the bowling unit that has emerged to be the best in the world, making a searer like Jasprit Bumrah not one but among the best in the Indian bowling squad. What came across was the India, the only team in T20 WC history to win the title without losing a single game Dheeraj Kumar PATNA Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's JDU on Saturday invoked its demand for special category status (SCS) to Bihar, giving ample hints that Nitish is flexing to squeeze benefits out of the Modi-led NDA dispensation when his party`s support to it was important for its stability. The JD (U) national executive, in a meeting held in New Delhi, passed a resolution, em- phasising on the need for a “special status” or “special package” for Bihar from the Centre to accelerate the state’s Pilgrimage boon for senior citizens Kalpesh Mhamunkar MUMBAI team’s grit, the respect it gave caution, the intent to steer through difficult terrain, quick adaptability, staying power and above all, self-belief that led them through the drop in pitches in New York, to hectic one-night schedules in the Caribbean and their hunger for collectiveness and completeness. The Final at Kensington Oval was the signature tune of what the team worked for, a case in point of rigour, discipline and hard work, not to mention the backbone to not give up. Life kept going and coming into the Indian dressing room, and the high point of this instance was the incredible catch that Surya Kumar Yadav took at the ropes to make send back Maharaj at the crucial time. The last over of the Final was a showcase of what Sharma and Dravid had drilled into the warriors – never give self-belief and undying effort a break. Salute to Hardik’s nerve, Surya’s hop, skip and jump catch, Sharma’s selfless leadership, Kohli turning up when most wanted and a scoreboard showing 9 runs in 1 ball for South Africa. Proteans choked yet again as India, Sharma’s India, Bumrah’s India, Arshdeep’s India, Hardik’s India, Surya’s India, Kohli ‘s India, coach Rahul Dravid’s India and madam victory’s India soaked in the moment and sipped from the Cup that launched a billion dreams. Indeed, waka waka ho, this time is India’s! Senior citizens have got a boon with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announcing the “Mukhyamantri Tirthdarshan Yojana” under which the state government would bear the cost of their pilgrimage. The policy, which will provide various benefits to senior citizens, will be drafted soon, Shinde said. The announcement came against the backdrop of Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarniak informing the Assembly on Saturday that many sen- ior citizens are interested in visiting various holy places or undertaking the Char Dham Yatra but do not have the money to do so. Even the children of these senior citizens do not have enough money to meet their household expenses and many MLAs of rural areas do not have the funds to arrange pilgrimages, Sarniak said. Thus the dreams of these people remain unfulfilled, Sarniak said and urged the government to do something about it. Contd on | nation pace of growth. Though the JD (U) by including the ‘special package’ option has indicated that it is willing to be flexible and not create serious trouble for the present dispensation immediately, the party would have the ability to exert pressure on the Centre and get maximum financial assistance from the centre ahead of the assembly election, remarked political commentator Indrajit Singh. Contd on | nation 7 die in Jalna car collision Agencies JALNA Seven persons were killed and three others seriously injured after two cars collided on the Mumbai-Nagpur Expressway, also known as Samruddhi Expressway, in Jalna district of Maharashtra, police said on Saturday. The incident occurred around 11 pm on Friday near Kadvanchi village. A Nagpur-Mumbai bound Ertiga car and a local Swift Desire vehicle from opposite directions collided and Contd on | nation