Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 22 SPORTS March 27, 2026 FASHION R ajasthan Royals will thrust Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the spotlight when he opens the batting with Yashasvi Jaiswal this season but captain Riyan Parag is keen to shield the teenage prodigy from the media glare as much as possible. Rajasthan begin their new Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign against five-time champions Chennai in Guwahati on March 30 and all eyes will be on Soory- avanshi, who turns 15 next week, following his sensa- tional IPL debut last season. Replacing an injured Sanju Samson in the second half of the tournament, Sooryavanshi hit the first IPL ball he faced for a six against Lucknow Super Giants, and smashed a 35-ball hundred against Gujarat Titans in another match. Sooryavanshi was also the architect of India’s victory at the under-19World Cup in Zimbabwe and Namibia earlier this year. The left-hander smashed 175 off 80 balls in the final against England and ended the tourna- ment with a record 30 sixes. With last season’s skipper Samson moving to Chen- nai Super Kings, Sooryavanshi will remain the opening partner of India batter Jaiswal, who would absorb the pressure at the top of the order, Parag said. “This year, there will be hype and pressure naturally, but as a captain, I will tell him (Sooryavanshi) to let Yashasvi Jaiswal take the pressure,” Parag told reporters on Thursday. “Jaiswal is more than capable of handling that. For Vaibhav, the role will be just to go, hit, and not to worry.” Sooryavanshi, who scored at a 206-plus strike rate last season, has recently said he was targeting Chris Gayle’s 175 not out for Royal Challengers Bengaluru, which remains the IPL’s highest individual score. Parag said he would try to keep Sooryavanshi away frommedia assignments and let him focus on playing his natural game. “As a captain, I will tell him not to do many press con- ferences, not interact with the media much, just enjoy,” Parag said. -Reuters Cricket-Rajasthan Keen To Shield Teenager Sooryavanshi From The Media Glare Cricket – Indian Premier League – IPL – Rajasthan Royals v Punjab Kings – Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, India – May 18, 2025 Rajasthan Royals’ Vaibhav Suryavanshi during the warm up before the match REUTERS/MIHIR SINGH R|Elan™ By Reliance Presented Payal Pratap’s ‘Memories Pressed In Time’ At Lakme Fashion Week X FDCI 2026 R eliance Industries Limited’s R|Elan™, a next-generation fabric brand built on in- novation, sustainability, circularity and per- formance, presented designer Payal Pratap’s latest collection, ‘Memories Pressed in Time’ at Lakme FashionWeek x FDCI 2026. It showcased advanced textile technologies and contemporary design to demonstrate how sustain- able materials can inspire artistic storytelling on the runway. Denim forms the central material of the collection, approached as a fabric that evolves over time and carries memory through texture and wear. In this narrative, denim becomes a living canvas, capturing impressions of nature while reflecting the passage of time, as per the press release. Developed using R|Elan™’s advanced fibre and fabric technologies, the collection highlighted how responsible materials can translate into distinctive fashion aesthetics, enabling designers to create gar- ments that combine comfort, durability, sustainabil- ity and design excellence, as per the press release. Rooted in personal memory and nature, ‘Memo- ries Pressed in Time’ reflects designer Payal Pratap’s childhood experiences surrounded by plants, gardens and changing seasons. Botanical forms drawn from leaves and foliage be- come the foundation of the collection’s visual language, appearing as prints, textures and surface details across denim silhouettes. The collection explored botanicals, memory and den- im as a living canvas through sustainable and advanced R|Elan™ performance fabrics Payal Pratap, the eponymous label of designer Payal Pratap Singh, has long explored the relationship be- tween nature, craft and textile storytelling. For this col- lection, the designer turns to her childhood memories, particularly those shaped by her mother’s gardens and a life surrounded by plants, foliage and seasonal change. These experiences form the emotional foundation of the collection, where botanical forms translate into prints, textures and surface details. Speaking about the collection, Payal Pratap said in a statement, “My growing years were surrounded by my green fingered mother and her myriad gardens. Those times are like fossils of my past bringing me warmth with each reminiscence. This collection reflects the quiet poetry of botanicals and the subtle life of flora and fauna. The prints you see in the collection are derived from actual leaves and foliage frommy garden. Art works were created using these ferns and palms and then printed digitally as well as via laser on the denims.” Hemant D Sharma, President – Polyester, Reliance Industries Limited, said, “At Reliance, our core values are rooted in sustainability, innovation, circularity and creating meaningful impact through advanced tech- nologies and research. R|Elan™ embodies this vision by bringing together cutting-edge fibre science, respon- sible manufacturing and performance-driven design to enable the future of sustainable fashion. It is inspiring to see designers like Payal Pratap transform these advanced materials into aesthetically striking and thoughtfully crafted ensembles. Her collection beautifully demonstrates how R|Elan™ fabrics can translate sustainability into contemporary design, where innovation, nature and craftsmanship come together to create garments that are both visually compelling and environmentally responsible.” The R|Elan™ x Payal Pratap collection draws vi- sual cues from botanicals and the subtle life of flora and fauna. Leaves, wild stems and floral forms ap- pear pressed into indigo surfaces, echoing delicate records of nature captured over time. Cyanotype- inspired prints create silhouettes reminiscent of botanical studies, while tonal embroidery, patch- work and washed finishes evoke landscapes shaped by weather, touch and everyday life. Silhouettes lean towards relaxed, oversized denim forms that feel both grounded and intimate. Jackets, skirts, gilets and dresses feature bold foliage prints and layered textures, designed with movement and everyday wear in mind. Texture is further developed through applique pleats, quilting and distressed washes that give the garments a lived-in quality. Nature’s imprint runs through the entire collection, with elements appearing almost fossilized into the denim surface. With every wash and wear, the fabric evolves, echoing the designer’s reflection on memory itself, where something is always lost and something gained with time, as per the press release. In line with the runway collection’s focus on sustain- ability and fabric innovation, the show’s standout fea- ture was its striking ramp design. Crafted using recycled PET bottles and repurposed denim scraps, the runway’s centerpiece took the form of a dramatic canopy made entirely of reused textiles. Beneath it, models sashayed gracefully, bringing the thoughtfully designed collection to life.. -ANI Designer Payal Pratap’s latest collection, ‘Memories Pressed in Time’ at Lakme Fashion Week x FDCI 2026. PHOTO:ANI