# Today in India: 23 August 2026 2026-08-23T00:33:36+00:00 | Daily Digest | Indian Opinion Desk 23 August 2026 | 14 stories | Updated 22:22 IST Devdutt Padikkal scored his second century of the series as India reached 300 for 5 on day one in Colombo. ISRO targets its first uncrewed Gaganyaan launch within four months. FPIs invested Rs 23,544 crore in Indian equities in August. ## Padikkal scores second century of Sri Lanka series Sports | 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist Devdutt Padikkal hit 117 runs off 193 balls with 12 boundaries as India reached 300 for 5 on the opening day of the second Test in Colombo. Shubman Gill scored 50 after India won the toss and opted to bat. Asitha Fernando took three wickets for Sri Lanka, including Yashasvi Jaiswal for 45 and Ravindra Jadeja for 43. Dhruv Jurel was unbeaten on 7 and debutant Saransh Jain on 4 at stumps. Padikkal has now amassed 328 runs in the series. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-hits-second-test-century-in-sri-lanka/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-hits-second-test-century-in-sri-lanka.md) ## ISRO targets Gaganyaan uncrewed flight in four months Technology | 3 sources, 3 neutral ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan said the agency expects to launch the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission within four months. Speaking at the third National Space Day celebrations in Ahmedabad on Sunday, Narayanan said the Gaganyaan programme had completed about 8,000 tests and was approaching its final stage. Three uncrewed missions are planned before the crewed flight. Narayanan said ISRO is targeting eight launch vehicle missions and 12 satellite missions during the current financial year. He added that India currently has 56 space assets but will need 200 to 300 satellites. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/isro-targets-gaganyaan-launch-within-four-months-12-satellites-planned/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/isro-targets-gaganyaan-launch-within-four-months-12-satellites-planned.md) ## Rishabh Pant retires hurt after wrist blow Sports | 3 sources, 3 neutral India wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was forced to leave the field retired hurt after being hit on the wrist during the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. The incident occurred in the 58th over when Pant attempted a pull shot off pacer Lahiru Kumara and gloved the ball. Pant faced 15 balls and retired hurt due to a wrist injury. The physio treated him on the field with taping and icing, and a swelling was visible. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/rishabh-pant-retires-hurt-after-wrist-blow-in-second-test/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/rishabh-pant-retires-hurt-after-wrist-blow-in-second-test.md) ## Ajit Doval heads to Beijing for border talks World & Diplomacy | 3 sources, 3 neutral National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will arrive in Beijing on Monday for the 25th round of India-China Special Representatives talks on the boundary issue, scheduled for Tuesday. Doval will meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, who also serves as China's foreign minister. The mechanism, established in 2003 to resolve the 3,488 km border dispute, has not yielded a resolution but is seen by both sides as a useful channel for managing tensions. The talks come ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping's expected visit to India for the BRICS summit. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/doval-to-hold-25th-india-china-boundary-talks-in-beijing/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/doval-to-hold-25th-india-china-boundary-talks-in-beijing.md) ## More from today ### Zombie Reddy 2 title glimpse released Entertainment | 4 sources, 4 neutral Teja Sajja's Zombie Reddy 2, titled NXT LVL-Dead Or Alive, was announced on the actor's birthday with a title glimpse. Prasanth Varma, director of the 2022 original, serves as creator and writer. Suparn S. Varma, known for The Family Man 2, directs the sequel. The film is produced by TG Vishwa Prasad and Krithi Prasad under People Media Factory. The glimpse, playing in reverse, shows a zombie falling from a flyover and Teja Sajja fighting hordes at Charminar. The video opens with a disclaimer that no AI was used. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/zombie-reddy-2-title-glimpse-released-2027-release-planned/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/zombie-reddy-2-title-glimpse-released-2027-release-planned.md) ### Irumudi breaks even in two days in North America Entertainment | 3 sources, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist Ravi Teja's film Irumudi has broken even in North America within two days of release, with collections expected to cross $1 million by the end of the opening weekend. This would make it one of the actor's strongest overseas performances, surpassing his previous North America record of a little over $500,000. Positive word of mouth and family audiences are driving the trend. The film's Day 2 collections in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were slightly higher than Day 1. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/irumudi-breaks-even-in-two-days-nears-1-million-in-north-america/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/irumudi-breaks-even-in-two-days-nears-1-million-in-north-america.md) ### Yash's Toxic advance bookings cross Rs 31 crore Entertainment | 2 sources, 1 neutral, 1 sensationalist Yash's upcoming film Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups has seen massive advance ticket sales ahead of its August 26 release. Over 4.73 lakh tickets have been sold across 12,609 domestic shows, grossing Rs 27.38 crore including blocked seats, and nearing Rs 30 crore. TrackTollywood reports higher figures: 8.21 lakh tickets sold across 13,847 shows, with pre-sales reaching Rs 31.01 crore as of Sunday evening. Karnataka leads the pre-sales market, contributing Rs 10.69 crore. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/yashs-toxic-sells-4-73-lakh-tickets-nears-rs-30-crore-advance/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/yashs-toxic-sells-4-73-lakh-tickets-nears-rs-30-crore-advance.md) ### Rajamouli's Varanasi to dub in 50 languages Entertainment | 3 sources, 3 neutral SS Rajamouli's upcoming epic Varanasi, starring Mahesh Babu, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Prithviraj Sukumaran, is reportedly being prepared for release in around 50 languages and 120 countries. Rajamouli plans to sample voices of over 1,500 human voice artists to dub the film, rejecting the use of AI-generated or synthetic voices. The director wants the emotion, personality and impact of each character to remain intact across all language versions. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/rajamoulis-varanasi-to-dub-in-50-languages-across-120-countries/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/rajamoulis-varanasi-to-dub-in-50-languages-across-120-countries.md) ### FPIs invest Rs 23,544 crore in Indian equities in August Business & Economy | 2 sources, 2 neutral Foreign portfolio investors have turned net buyers of Indian equities in August, infusing Rs 23,544 crore so far in the month, according to data from CDSL. This follows an inflow of Rs 20,200 crore in July, marking a sharp reversal after four consecutive months of heavy selling. FPIs had pulled out Rs 1.17 lakh crore in March, Rs 60,847 crore in April, Rs 32,963 crore in May and Rs 49,340 crore in June. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/fii-sentiment-shows-early-signs-of-turnaround-report/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/fii-sentiment-shows-early-signs-of-turnaround-report.md) ### Padikkal scores back-to-back Test tons against Sri Lanka Sports | 2 sources, 2 neutral Devdutt Padikkal scored his second successive Test century against Sri Lanka on the second day of the second Test at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo. He was unbeaten on 131 off 178 balls with 12 fours and a six, with Rishabh Pant on 27, and India were well placed for a huge first-innings total. Padikkal reached his century off 168 balls and was eventually dismissed for 117 off 193 by spinner Keshara Nuwantha. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-scores-maiden-test-century-against-sri-lanka-2/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/devdutt-padikkal-scores-maiden-test-century-against-sri-lanka-2.md) ## Useful today ### Delhi reports 1,777 H1N1 cases, no new strain Health & Science | 2 sources, 2 neutral Delhi has recorded 1,777 H1N1 cases out of 2,602 total influenza cases this year. The city logged 114 new infections on a single day, with 35 hospitals placed under special surveillance. ICMR says no new strain of H1N1 has been identified in India. Residents are urged to wear masks in crowded places. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/delhi-records-1777-swine-flu-cases-government-issues-advisory/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/delhi-records-1777-swine-flu-cases-government-issues-advisory.md) ### FSSAI suspends Delhi retailer, bans Daman ghee Health & Science | 2 sources, 2 neutral FSSAI has suspended the licence of Marche Retail in New Delhi for 30 days after inspections found food safety violations. The regulator also issued a prohibition order against Daman-based SDP Industries after tests confirmed beta-sitosterol in its ghee sold under brands Shraddha, Shree Saras and Gokul. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/fssai-suspends-delhi-retailer-bans-daman-ghee-products/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/fssai-suspends-delhi-retailer-bans-daman-ghee-products.md) ### Two killed as illegal building collapses in Hyderabad India | 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral An under-construction seven-storey building in Anjaiah Nagar, Gachibowli, collapsed on Saturday, killing two tile workers from Madhya Pradesh. The building, allegedly illegal and built on a 50-square-yard plot encroaching on a drain, had ignored a stop-work order. The owner is absconding and a case has been registered. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/gachibowli-building-collapse-debris-clearance-continues/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/gachibowli-building-collapse-debris-clearance-continues.md) ### 49 AIAPGET candidates to get re-test after power failure Governance | 3 sources, 3 neutral The NTA will hold a re-examination for 49 candidates on September 1 after a power failure disrupted the AIAPGET exam at Shri Satya Sai PG College in Jaipur. The affected candidates will appear at Rajasthan College of Engineering for Women. The NTA has suspended empanelment of exam conducting agency M/s Eduquity Career Technologies. Brief: https://indianopinion.org/power-failure-hits-aiapget-exam-49-to-retake-on-sept-1/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/power-failure-hits-aiapget-exam-49-to-retake-on-sept-1.md) ## The closing thought The day brought two clear narratives: a young cricketer making his mark abroad and a space agency inching closer to its most ambitious milestone. Padikkal's back-to-back centuries are a reminder that Indian cricket's bench strength is real, while Narayanan's timeline for Gaganyaan gives the country something concrete to watch for. On the economic side, the FPI reversal is worth tracking through the rest of the month to see if the trend holds. The border talks in Beijing remain the quiet story with the highest stakes. ## Earlier digests - [23 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-23-august-2026.md) - [22 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-22-august-2026.md) - [21 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-21-august-2026.md) - [20 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-20-august-2026.md) - [19 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-19-august-2026-2.md) - [19 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-19-august-2026.md) - [18 August 2026](https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-18-august-2026.md) The live edition, refreshed through the day: https://indianopinion.org/today/ (markdown https://indianopinion.org/today.md) Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-23-august-2026/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/today-in-india-23-august-2026/ This digest was compiled and written by AI from the day's Indian Opinion coverage. AI disclosure: Every summary and comment here is written by AI and published automatically, without a person reviewing each article. We do no original reporting. How this works: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/