MAM
Women’s T20 Challenge 2022: BCCI invites quotations for title sponsor rights
Mumbai: The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the release of request for quotations (RFQ) for title sponsorship rights For Women’s T20 Challenge 2022. The BCCI invited quotes from reputed entities for acquiring the title sponsorship rights for the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022. The RFQ will be available for purchase till 4 May.
Earlier last week, the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had confirmed that the Women’s T20 Challenge will be held in Lucknow from 24-28 May. The confirmation comes a month after the BCCI revealed that it is mulling over a ‘full-fledged’ Women’s Indian Premier League (IPL) starting in 2023 which will involve Indian and overseas players.
In March, the board announced that a franchise-based annual T20 tournament for women cricketers will be started from 2023. The tournament will contain six teams and will be referred as Women’s IPL instead of Women’s T20 Challenge
This year, a three-team women’s T20 Challenge will be held in May during the IPL playoffs. While Pune was previously shortlisted as the venue, the board has now decided to host the tournament at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.
According to the official release, the detailed terms and conditions governing the tender process including the process for submissions of quotes, rights and obligations, etc. are contained in the ‘Request for Quotation’ (RFQ) which will be made available on receipt of payment of a non-refundable fee of Rs one lakh plus any applicable goods and services tax. The procedure to procure the RFQ documents is enlisted in annexure A to this document.
“Any interested party wishing to submit a quote is required to purchase the RFQ. However, only those satisfying the terms and conditions set out therein shall be permitted to submit a quote. It is clarified that merely purchasing the RFQ does not entitle any person to submit a quote,” stated the release.
BCCI reserves the right to cancel or amend the RFQ process at any stage in any manner without providing any reason.
MAM
Raghu Rai passes away at 83, leaves behind iconic legacy
Padma Shri-winning photographer documented history across 5 decades.
MUMBAI: The lens may have stilled, but the stories it captured will never fade. Raghu Rai, one of India’s most celebrated photojournalists, passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 83. He breathed his last at a private hospital in New Delhi after battling cancer and age-related health issues.
His son, Nitin Rai, revealed that Rai had been diagnosed with prostate cancer two years ago, which later spread to the stomach and, more recently, the brain. Despite multiple rounds of treatment, his health had declined in recent months.
Born in 1942 in Jhang, Punjab (now in Pakistan), Rai entered photography in his early twenties, inspired by his elder brother, photographer S. Paul. Beginning his career in the mid-1960s, he went on to build a body of work that spanned more than five decades, contributing to global publications such as Time, Life, GEO, Le Figaro, The New York Times, Vogue, GQ and Marie Claire.
His global recognition took a decisive leap in 1977 when legendary French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson nominated him to join Magnum Photos, placing him among the world’s most respected visual storytellers.
Rai’s lens chronicled both power and poignancy. He photographed towering figures such as Indira Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Bal Thackeray, Satyajit Ray and Mother Teresa, while also documenting defining moments like the Bhopal gas tragedy later captured in his book Exposure: A Corporate Crime.
Over the years, he published more than 18 books, building an archive that blended journalism with artistry. His contributions were recognised early when he was awarded the Padma Shri in 1972 for his coverage of the Bangladesh War and refugee crisis. In 1992, he was named “Photographer of the Year” in the United States for his work in National Geographic, and in 2009, he was honoured with the Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French government.
Rai is survived by his wife Gurmeet, son Nitin, and daughters Lagan, Avani and Purvai. His last rites will be held at Lodhi Cremation Ground in New Delhi at 4 pm on Sunday.
With his passing, Indian photojournalism loses not just a pioneer, but a patient observer of history, one frame at a time.
