The Vijay Hazare Trophy live matches kick off on Wednesday, December 24, bringing India’s top domestic 50-over cricket tournament back into focus. Moreover, this season carries extra excitement as several big names make their return to the competition.

Virat Kohli steps onto the Vijay Hazare stage for the first time in nearly 16 years. Similarly, Rohit Sharma returns after almost eight years away from the tournament. Both veterans recently showed excellent form against South Africa, consequently proving they remain crucial for India’s 2027 World Cup plans.

However, fans won’t get to watch matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. Instead, organizers moved games to BCCI’s Centre of Excellence to prevent overcrowding after the recent stampede during RCB’s IPL celebration.

Key Players to Watch

Several Mumbai Indians stars will compete across different state teams:

Furthermore, Suryakumar Yadav desperately needs this tournament. His T20I form has collapsed over the past year with no half-centuries in 22 innings. Therefore, these matches give him a perfect chance to regain confidence before the New Zealand series on January 21.

Rishabh Pant, meanwhile, will play all seven group matches for Delhi. This extended run offers him an opportunity to force his way back into India’s limited-overs plans.

Tournament Format and Opportunities

The competition has proven extremely competitive recently. Indeed, five different teams have won the last five seasons. Karnataka, the defending champions, welcome back Karun Nair, who smashed an incredible 779 runs last season at an average of 389.5.

Additionally, strong performances here often lead to bigger opportunities. Last year, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakravarthy’s excellent bowling earned them national team recalls and eventually Champions Trophy spots.

All matches start at 9am to reduce dew impact. Consequently, winning the toss becomes crucial as fast bowlers will find helpful morning conditions.

Young talents like R Smaran and experienced players seeking IPL contracts will view this as their audition stage. Teams play across four venues: Bengaluru, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Ranchi.

As the Vijay Hazare trophy live action unfolds over the coming weeks, cricket fans can expect thrilling contests, career-defining performances, and perhaps the emergence of India’s next big stars. The tournament runs until mid-January, giving players ample time to stake their claims for higher honors.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has launched an income tax refund risk management initiative, urging taxpayers to voluntarily check their tax returns for incorrect claims. Moreover, the department identified numerous cases where people claimed deductions or exemptions they weren’t entitled to receive.

Through its “NUDGE” campaign (Non-intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable), the tax department sends SMS and email alerts to affected taxpayers. Consequently, this allows them to correct mistakes before facing formal inquiries.

What Did the Tax Department Find?

Using advanced data analytics, CBDT discovered several problematic patterns in Assessment Year 2025-26 returns:

Furthermore, these errors led to understatement of income and wrongful refund claims.

Important Deadline and Actions

Taxpayers identified under this campaign must act quickly. Specifically, they need to file revised income tax returns by December 31, 2025. However, those who miss this deadline can still submit updated returns from January 1, 2026, though they’ll need to pay additional tax liability.

Additionally, the CBDT clarified an important point: taxpayers whose claims are genuine and legally correct don’t need to take any action. Therefore, only those with questionable claims should worry about this campaign.

Why This Campaign Matters Now

The timing of this initiative appears significant. Indeed, income tax refunds have dropped notably this year. Between April 1 and December 17, 2025, the department issued refunds totaling ₹2.97 lakh crore-a 13.52% decline compared to last year’s same period.

Meanwhile, the campaign has already shown positive results. Over 2.1 million taxpayers voluntarily updated their returns for previous years (2021-22 to 2024-25) during FY 2025-26, paying more than ₹2,500 crore in additional taxes. Similarly, another 1.5 million taxpayers revised their current assessment year returns.

How to Respond to the Notice

If you receive an SMS or email from the Income Tax department:

1. Review your ITR carefully – Check all deduction and exemption claims
2. Verify donation receipts – Ensure PANs and amounts match records
3. Calculate correctly – Confirm you qualify for claimed benefits
4. File revised return – Submit corrections before December 31, 2025
5. Keep documentation – Maintain proof of legitimate claims

Subsequently, this proactive approach helps avoid penalties and formal assessments later.

The income tax refund risk management framework represents the department’s shift toward technology-driven compliance. Rather than launching aggressive investigations, authorities now encourage voluntary corrections through data-based nudges. Ultimately, this approach benefits both taxpayers and the government by reducing disputes while improving tax collection efficiency.

Former Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh finds himself in the news for two completely different reasons. Moreover, one story involves a misleading viral claim, while the other concerns a serious legal matter with the Enforcement Directorate.

The Bat Auction Claim: What’s True and What’s False

A viral social media post claims that Lalit Modi auctioned Yuvraj Singh’s bat-the one used to hit six sixes in an over during the 2007 T20 World Cup-for ₹7 crore. However, this claim is misleading.

What Actually Happened:

Furthermore, Modi confirmed in two recent podcasts-one with Raj Shamani (November 2024) and another with Stuart Clarke (August 2025)-that he still possesses the bat. Specifically, he mentioned that when Yuvraj asked for the Porsche, Modi requested the historic bat in exchange.

Additionally, no credible auction house or media organization has reported any such auction. Indeed, if a bat sold for ₹7 crore, it would have generated massive media coverage, especially since Shane Warne’s iconic cap sold for only ₹5.79 crore.

ED Takes Action: Assets Attached

Meanwhile, Yuvraj Singh faces a more serious situation. On December 19, 2025, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) provisionally attached assets worth ₹7.93 crore belonging to Yuvraj and several other celebrities.

Who Else Is Involved?

The ED action includes:

• Former cricketer Robin Uthappa
• Actors Sonu Sood, Neha Sharma, Ankush Hazra
• Model Urvashi Rautela and her mother
• Former MP Mimi Chakraborty

Why Did ED Take This Action?

The investigation centers on the illegal offshore betting platform 1xBet. Consequently, the ED alleges that these celebrities knowingly promoted the platform through surrogate brands like 1xBat and 1xBat Sporting Lines.

Specifically, the agency discovered that:

1. Illegal Operations – 1xBet operated in India without authorization
2. Hidden Payments – Money came through foreign entities to hide illegal origins
3. Surrogate Marketing – The platform used fake brands to target Indian users
4. Layered Transactions – Payments went through multiple foreign intermediaries

Previously, in October 2025, the ED also attached ₹11.14 crore worth of assets belonging to cricketers Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina in the same case.

Important Warning

The ED cautioned celebrities and influencers against promoting illegal betting platforms. Similarly, they advised the public to avoid such platforms and report suspicious activities to law enforcement agencies.

Therefore, Yuvraj Singh now faces scrutiny over his alleged endorsement activities, while simultaneously dealing with false viral claims about his cricket memorabilia. These parallel situations highlight how celebrities must carefully manage both their public image and business associations in today’s digital age.