Sophie Devine said that she is proud to call time on her career after retiring from ODIs after New Zealand's final game of the Women's World Cup 2025 against England. Devine played 159 ODIs for the White Ferns.
"Yeah, I'm probably pleasantly okay at the moment. I certainly know the emotions will come out later. But I think the thing that I'm really proud of is having made this decision, which was really tough to step away from the game that I love and this format that I love so much to be able to finish, results wise, not the way that we wanted to finish today. Like absolutely everyone wishes that they could finish on a high but it doesn't happen very often at all. But the fact that I am still so proud and so, yeah, grateful of everything that this group has given me and , I guess my whole career, one day, one game doesn't define that. So, yeah, I, yeah, I've just got so much love, I guess that yeah, I'll be really keen just to sit with my teammates, support staff and just, yeah, reflect on what's been a pretty cool ride," said Devine.
In her 124-minute speech -- after which the Sensex plunged over 1,600 points before staging a partial recovery -- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a higher capital expenditure outlay of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for FY27 and set a fiscal deficit target of 4.3 per cent of GDP.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India’s 140 crore citizens are no longer content with being the world’s fastest-growing economy and want the country to become the world’s third-largest economy “as soon as possible.” He said the Union Budget gives equal importance to multiple sectors and lays the groundwork for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Highlighting Nari Shakti, Modi praised Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling the Budget historic for underscoring India’s commitment to women’s empowerment. “As a woman Finance Minister, Nirmala ji has set a new record by presenting the Union Budget for the ninth consecutive time,” the Prime Minister said, lauding her leadership and consistency.
On this India Today special report, Maria Shakil examines the significant crash in precious metal prices as gold and silver hit their lower circuits just ahead of the Union Budget. Maria Shakil noted that there has been a 'sudden increase post 2024 in the last two years and the increase has been rather sharp from 2025 January onward' before the current downturn. The programme explores the factors behind this parabolic rise and subsequent crash, including profit booking, the 'fear of missing out' (FOMO) among investors, and global geopolitical uncertainty. Analyst Rajiv Mantri contributes to the discussion, suggesting that the price volatility reflects a larger narrative regarding the status of the US dollar in the international economy and the search for safe-haven alternatives. The report provides a detailed graphic assessment of how prices have moved over the last year, highlighting the impact of global turbulence on Indian commodity markets.
On this Special Report, the focus is on the presentation of the Union Budget 2026 as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman heads to Parliament. The transcript captures the live movement of the Finance Minister's convoy from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the new Parliament building after seeking formal permission from the President of India. A key moment highlighted is when the reporter notes, 'This is the convoy of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman which is now heading towards the Parliament' for the crucial Cabinet meeting. The programme discusses the evolution of budget presentations from 1985 to the current televised era, noting how finance ministers have become more conscious of a national audience. Analysts on the show deliberate on the shift from tax-heavy budgets to those focused on tariffs and infrastructure. The discussion further explores the government's significant investments in roads and power since 2020, questioning the remaining fiscal headroom for continued infrastructural spending as the nation awaits the official tabling of the budget at 11 am.
