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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Mumbai-Pune Expressway clogged over 24 hrs

Pune : The country’s oldest and first access-controlled Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a grinding halt after a chemical tanker turned turtle on Tuesday evening – with thousands of vehicles stuck in traffic jams for over 24 hours – and the effects spilling over to the Old Highway No. 48 soon afterwards.   The vehicular snarl - described by locals as the worst-ever in the 26-year-old history of the critical thoroughfare linking the country’s commercial and cultural capitals – took the...

Mumbai-Pune Expressway clogged over 24 hrs

Pune : The country’s oldest and first access-controlled Mumbai-Pune Expressway came to a grinding halt after a chemical tanker turned turtle on Tuesday evening – with thousands of vehicles stuck in traffic jams for over 24 hours – and the effects spilling over to the Old Highway No. 48 soon afterwards.   The vehicular snarl - described by locals as the worst-ever in the 26-year-old history of the critical thoroughfare linking the country’s commercial and cultural capitals – took the travellers and the authorities by complete surprise leading to delayed response measures.   According to officials, the speeding tanker, carrying a highly inflammable and hazardous Propylene Gas, skidded and overturned in the tricky ghat sections near Ardoshi Tunnel yesterday evening around 5 pm, and blocked the Pune-Mumbai arm completely.   Police teams rushed to the accident spot, cordoned off the accident site, blocked the Pune-Mumbai 3-lanes and attempted to salvage the tanker.   Later, as a precautionary measure even the vehicles plying on Mumbai-Pune arm was closed and it started the ‘grandmother of all traffic jams’, stranding thousands of regular commuters, tourists, and special cases.   As the traffic didn’t budge for hours, angry motorists spewed their ire on social media drawing the attention of the Highway Police, and other local police departments from Raigad and Pune, plus teams of the SDRF and NDRF were deployed to avert any untoward incidents.   On Wednesday, local television reports showed clips of the traffic tie-ups that extended more than 45-50 kms kms in both directions, many travellers had spilled onto the roads, enraged and exhausted due to the heat, many frantically searching for elusive food and water making it harrowing for the kids or the elderly people.   Commuters’ travails on expressway Among the thousands trapped in the logjam of vehicles were a cancer patient from Latur who had to rush for medical treatment to Mumbai, many people rushing to catch international or domestic flights from either Mumbai or Pune.   There was at least one wedding party with the groom stuck in Mumbai and the bride stranded in Pune, plus many businessmen, tourists in luxury private buses, ST buses, senior citizens and kids in private cars or cabs and large commercial goods vehicles.   The curvy ghat section was the worst-hit where scores of vehicles had stopped and were parked awkwardly, leaving little space for manoeuvres and eyewitnesses said that many people were forced to relieve themselves on the roadside or in the bushes.   Several of the hungry and tired passengers, who spent the night sleeping in their vehicle seats, rued how their mobile batteries had died down, making it impossible to connect with anxious family members, and complained of total lack of information updates from the highway or police authorities.   As per latest reports by 7 pm, the police estimated that the overturned tanker would be shifted out before midnight after which normal plying of vehicles was expected.

RCB steaming in to IPL 2026

RCB's bowling attack enters IPL 2026 as a pace-dominant unit that powered their maiden title win in 2025, but defending the crown demands addressing spin vulnerabilities and injury risks. This SWOT analysis reveals a transformed attack capable of contending, yet not invincible against evolving T20 tactics.


Strengths

RCB's pace trio of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Yash Dayal forms a world-class core, blending swing, bounce, and left-arm angle variation. Hazlewood's 22 wickets at 17.55 in IPL 2025 showcased his powerplay and death-over mastery, while Bhuvneshwar's economy under 8 provided control on flat tracks. All-rounders like Krunal Pandya (key wickets in finals) and new buys Venkatesh Iyer and Romario Shepherd add seam options and balance, enabling flexible overseas slots with Jacob Duffy and Nuwan Thushara as backups. This depth turned RCB's historic bowling weakness into a title-winning asset last season.


Weaknesses

Spin remains RCB's Achilles' heel, lacking a consistent middle-overs wicket-taker despite Suyash Sharma's retention and Vicky Ostwal's addition. Suyash managed only 8 wickets at 8.84 economy in 2025, excelling in containment but faltering on turning pitches, forcing over-reliance on Krunal's left-arm spin. Age (Hazlewood and Bhuvneshwar at 34-35) and injury histories pose risks, as seen in Hazlewood's prior calf issues, potentially exposing thinner domestic pace like Rasikh Dar or Abhinandan Singh. Uncapped buys like Mangesh Yadav offer promise but unproven IPL pedigree under playoff pressure.


Opportunities

IPL 2026's mini-auction additions like Duffy (death specialist) and Iyer (medium-pace variety) allow tactical experimentation on batting-friendly Indian pitches. Home advantage at Chinnaswamy's short boundaries favors their high-pace attack, where swing early and yorkers late can defend 200-plus totals, as proven in 2025 defenses. Emerging Indian talents (Dayal, Ostwal) could step up amid India's T20 World Cup cycle, while opponents' spin-heavy strategies (e.g., CSK's Noor Ahmad) create matchups for RCB's seamers to dominate powerplays. Title momentum fosters mental edge, positioning RCB to poach form players mid-season if needed.


Threats

Defending champions face heightened scrutiny, with rivals like KKR (Cameron Green at Rs 25cr) bolstering all-round attacks to target RCB's spin gaps on slower venues like Chennai or Lucknow. Batter-friendly IPL trends—record 2025 sixes in finals—amplify threats from power-hitters like PBKS's Shashank Singh, who troubled RCB before. Injury clusters could deplete overseas options (max 4), straining uncapped depth amid congested schedules. Budget constraints post-retentions (Rs 16.4cr spent judiciously) limit mid-season fixes if form dips, echoing past chokes despite strong paper squads.


Path Forward

RCB's bowlers must prioritize spin drills and workload management to sustain 2025 form (top-3 powerplay wickets). Rajat Patidar's captaincy can leverage data analytics for pitch-specific combos, blending Hazlewood's strike with Krunal's control. If they plug spin via Suyash's growth or Ostwal's breakout, repeat glory beckons; otherwise, pace alone won't suffice against IPL's batting evolution. Defending demands evolution, not complacency—RCB's attack has the bones, but execution will define their legacy.


(The writer is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

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