Sports
Gen Z Skips Valentine’s, Millennials Plan It
Quackquack survey reveals love’s generational split on 14 Feb 2026.
MUMBAI: Cupid’s bow seems to have missed the memo in 2026 some are dodging the arrow entirely while others are aiming straight for the bullseye. A fresh survey by dating app Quackquack has peeled back the layers on how India’s young daters are treating Valentine’s Day, and the generational divide is as clear as a swipe-left.
The poll quizzed 10,853 active users aged 20–35 Gen Z (20–26) and Millennials (up to 35) from bustling metros, sleepy suburbs, and small-town corners. Everyone surveyed had been swiping seriously for at least three months.
Quackquack founder and CEO Ravi Mittal summed up the mood swing, “Gen Zs are going in total airplane mode this Valentine’s Day… Millennials, on the other hand, are picking up the pace. They are choosing to make an effort and seal the deal on matches they have been courting for a while.”
For 33 per cent of Gen Z daters, 14 February has become a deliberate non-event. They’re hitting pause on new matches and keeping existing chats low-key to sidestep the pressure of instant labels or grand gestures they might not sustain. Five in seven admitted the day triggers comparison anxiety not exactly the vibe for building something real. Nikita, 25, from Delhi, put it bluntly, “I don’t like forced milestones. Just because it’s V-Day doesn’t mean I have to turn my new match into my boyfriend.”
Meanwhile, 6 in 10 Gen Z respondents who aren’t outright fasting are embracing “quiet romance” no gifts, no dates, just gentle check-ins via memes, emojis, and the occasional “thinking of you”. Anshu, 26, explained the logic, “If it’s real, it won’t need a strong hashtag to take over my heart.”
Millennials, though, are playing chess while the younger crowd opts for solitaire. Among them, 39 per cent of women and 21 per cent of men from Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities are treating the day as a compatibility litmus test gauging effort, consistency, and emotional wavelength. Ashwini, a 29-year-old software engineer from Mumbai, laid out her checklist: “Is he making plans or leaving it all on me? Is he communicating well? Is he too indifferent about the day? I’m checking the pattern.”
Over 4,364 Millennials in the survey ranked a thoughtful coffee date higher than a flashy last-minute restaurant booking. Almost 43 per cent of those aged 28–35 are deliberately planning V-Day with matches they see as having long-term legs ready to talk exclusivity, future expectations, and the next step without hesitation.
So while Gen Z is practising romantic fasting to keep things natural and pressure-free, Millennials are turning Valentine’s into a strategic checkpoint in the quest for something solid. In the great Indian dating game of 2026, one side is slowing down to breathe, the other is speeding up to commit and both insist they’re playing it exactly right.
Sports
Historic T20 win brings historic payout: India’s Rs131 crore cash bonus for champions
BCCI rewards players, coaches, and support staff following India’s third T20 World Cup triumph on home soil.
MUMBAI: The Indian cricket team may have just finished sprinting between wickets, but they are now racing all the way to the bank. Following their historic triumph at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a staggering cash reward of Rs 131 crore for the victorious squad.
It appears that in India, when it rains sixes, it pours riches. Just two days after Suryakumar Yadav’s men dismantled New Zealand in a high-octane final at Ahmedabad, the BCCI decided to ensure the players’ bank balances looked as impressive as the scoreboard.
This isn’t just a “well done” handshake. The Rs 131 crore bounty marks a record-breaking payday, surpassing the Rs 125 crore handed out after their 2024 success. This latest windfall celebrates a hat-trick of sorts: India has become the first nation to win three T20 titles, the first to successfully defend the crown, and the first to lift the trophy on home soil.
The mountain of cash is set to be shared among the 15-man squad, including the final’s standout performer Sanju Samson, whose 89 runs helped set a record-breaking target. However, the generosity does not stop at the boundary rope. The coaching staff, led by Gautam Gambhir, along with the support crew and the national selectors, will all receive a slice of this very lucrative pie.
On the pitch, India’s performance was nothing short of clinical. They posted a mammoth 255 runs before Jasprit Bumrah did what he does best, leaving the New Zealand chase in tatters. Off the pitch, the rewards are equally clinical. Alongside this BCCI bonus, the team also pockets a cool $3 million in official prize money from the ICC.
While cricket is often called a gentleman’s game, it is clearly becoming a wealthy one too. For the players who spent the last month under immense pressure, the weight of the trophy is now being matched by the weight of their wallets. As the celebrations continue across the country, one thing is certain: it pays to be a world champion.
