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Kingfisher employees to protest before RCB skipper Kohli
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1 day to go
Ba stings Man United
Bhupathi-Bopanna to pair up once again
PSG face Barca in CL quarters
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South African tracks will suit my style of batting: Shikhar
“It will obviously be a big challenge to perform in South African conditions but I will relish that challenge. I have always loved batting on strips that offer bounce. I enjoy facing the fast bowlers. In fact greater the pace of the bowlers – late 140 kms to early 150 kms – better it is,” Dhawan said in an interview today. Having scored a magnificent 187 against Australia on debut, the 27-year-old Dhawan feels that there is still some time left to prepare for the South Africa tour. “It's in November end, so there is still some time left and a lot of cricket to be played. But we will certainly have to prepare well for the series. There are specific batting drills that I need to practise before I get ready for the challenge," said Dhawan, who is missing out on the first part of IPL due to fractured knuckle. “I expect to get fit in another two weeks time and hope to play the IPL from the second phase. Right now, I came to Hyderabad to meet the team but I am flying back to Australia today," he said. Dhawan is one Indian batsman who has faced world's No 1 pacer Dale Steyn in the nets for the last couple of seasons while playing for erstwhile Deccan Chargers but he does not think that it would be a major factor when they square up against each other in the Test series. “Yes, I have faced Dale a lot in the nets but that won't be of any consequence when we face him in a match situation. I am confident of doing well but I don't want to look that far head,” the Delhi opener said. Dhawan's debut knock has fired the imagination of the fans and expectations have sky-rocketed about a repeat act but the stylish left-hander is very practical about the whole thing. “My logic is simple. The pitch in Mohali was such where I could play the attacking strokes and score a century which is less than run-a-ball. You play an innings according to the nature of the track. If a certain kind of track demands a different approach, we need to adapt to the conditions,” explained Dhawan. While handing over the Test cap, Sachin Tendulkar told him to “show some guts” and after he came back conquering the Aussie attack, he got a pat in the back from the legend. “Sachin paaji said that “We are proud of you." There couldn't have been a better compliment. Also, I could see the happiness in the eyes of my teammates which really made me feel special.” Dhawan agreed that the current phase was a golden period for Delhi cricket. “We have great players like Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir who have achieved so much for the country. Virat and Ishant have also made their mark and it really inspired me to do well at the top level. Now we also have a few juniors, who are equally talented and can break into the Indian team," he said. So how much has life changed post that magical knock? “Earlier, they knew me in India but now even Australian public also recognize me,” said Dhawan, whose wife and two daughters live in Australia.
— PTI |
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Kingfisher employees to protest before RCB skipper Kohli
New Delhi, April 1 Kohli is the captain of the team owned by Kingfisher Chairman Vijay Mallya. The employees claim they haven't been paid their salaries for over 10 months now. The IPL is facing protests in other states too. Maharashtra Opposition leader Vinod Tawde has objected to the use of water in stadiums in the drought-hit state. Tawde argues that pitch maintenance in these stadiums will consume 60,000 litres of water every day. “As per my knowledge, 60,000 litres of water would be used to maintain a cricket ground every day. Thus, during the entire season of IPL matches spread over 36 days (from April 9 to May 15 in Maharashtra), 21.6 lakh litre water will be used for a single ground,” Tawde said in a letter to IPL chief Rajeev Shukla. While acknowledging that the IPL matches would help the state government earn some revenue, he asked whether it would be appropriate to waste so much water on organising IPL matches when several parts of Maharashtra were facing drought. “Taking into consideration the plight of the drought-affected people, I hope that you will take an appropriate decision,” the BJP leader said. Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kumar Sangakkara believes Ishant Sharma and Dale Steyn spearheading the team's bowling attack would be crucial for the team. “We missed Ishant last year and I think having him and Dale Steyn spearheading new ball attack is crucial for us,” he said.
— Agencies |
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Sachin, Ponting grind at nets
Bangalore, April 1 Tendulkar, who had struggled in the recent home Test series against England and Australia, had a two-hour long batting stint at the National Cricket Academy here with captain Ponting keeping a close watch on him ahead of MI's IPL campaign opener against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 4. Tendulkar spent the longest time at the nets while Ponting, Rohit Sharma and Dinesh Karthik batted for under 45 minutes. A padded up Tendulkar faced the throwdowns with straight bat for nearly 20 minutes on the NCA centre pitch, while Ponting exhibited his array of strokes, including his trademark pull shots. Once Ponting decided to wind up, Tendulkar, wielding two different bats, slipped into the nets and faced Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha who were bowling in tandem. The veteran batsman concentrated on playing more with the straight bat on either side of the wicket. Occasionally, he unleashed his trademark shots like backfoot punch and hoick over square-leg fielder. He also constantly chatted with Harbhajan and Ojha. While Tendulkar was playing his strokes at the nets, Ponting was studiously watching the veteran bat for close to an hour.
— PTI |
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We’ve strengthened our squad from last year: Gilly Mohali, April 1 He said that Kings have a better squad this year which gives him the confidence to do well in the sixth edition. “It’s a new challenge now. We have got different set of players. In the last two seasons, we have been in running for semifinals (berth) till (our) last game. We have strengthened the squad from last year,” KXIP captain Adam Gilchrist said. The 41-year-old, who had earlier led Deccan Chargers to IPL title in 2009, intends to resurrect the sagging fortunes of the KXIP, “There were plenty of options in the batting including young Mandeep Singh, Paul Valthaty, Luke Pomersbach while presence of Parvinder Awana, Praveen Kumar, Manpreet Gony and Piyush Chawla strengthens the side’s bowling.” After indicating last year that he would bid adieu to IPL as a player, Gilchrist said that after talking to team management that he had one year of his contract still left, he wanted to finish that off. Gilchrist had shouldered the responsibility of captain-cum-coach in 2012 year. He also added that with presence of Darren Lehman and WV Raman it has become easy to keep his focus on. It has allowed him to “comeback as a player and player only and focus on that...I am very excited looking forward towards enjoying a successful season.” Lehmann said, “The boys here have been training hard and I am excited about young players that we have.” Gilchrist said that one of the areas where the team, which finished at sixth position last year, would be looking to improve is to perform consistently. The team has, in the previous seasons, put up performance in patches, but failed to maintain the momentum. “We will be trying to hold the middle ground,” said Gilchrist, wary that the team has had string of losses or string of victories in between, but failed to maintain the consistency. He also expressed contentment with the team’s spin bowling options in Piyush Chawla and Bipul Sharma. It remains to be seen how the struggling team will do in the spin department riding on the two players. With ten days still to go for the first match, some members of the team have started training here and others are expected to join soon. Aussie Shaun Marsh will be missing the first match , having undergone a hamstring operation. This year all but one of the 25 players in the pool were available. He is expected to join the squad by April 20. When asked about the “non payment” of pending security bills worth around Rs 9 crore by his team to the Chandigarh police, KXIP officials just said they were yet to receive any communication, but the matter would be sorted out in 2-3 days. Meanwhile, KXIP management have hired private security for the Australian players and the other staff. |
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1 day to go
Kolkata, April 1 The spectacle, that will have Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Deepika Padukone shake a leg to chart-topping hits, will flag-off with a dance sequence by 300-odd hep and peppy high school and college students of the eastern metropolis. The dance sequence will begin with Tagore's 'Aguner Poroshmani' playing in the background as the teeny-boppers take to the arena in 'Om' formation, holding aloft torches. "We will stand in the formation of the 'Om' symbol holding torches with 'Aguner Poroshmoni' being played in the background, followed by an instrumental number," Payel Bhor, a college student from the suburb of Srirampore, told IANS. Bhor and her co-dancer Krittika Ghosh from Konnagar in Hooghly district have been rehearsing for eight hours a day with other members of their troupe since March 22 to prepare for the ceremony, put together by Mumbai's event management company Cineyug in collaboration with Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE). The SRK-owned RCE holds a 50 percent stake in Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Choreographed by Santosh Shetty, the torch dance sequence will be followed by a carnival where the children will showcase western steps in a variety of formations with props like tassels, flags, pom-poms and umbrellas. The jamboree will also see a cavalcade of flying drummers from Europe and stilt workers. "The dancers have been divided into four groups and each group will hold a different prop. There will be hip-hop, jazz and other steps. This sequence will be performed to an electronic instrumental number and special lighting will be used in sync with the choreography and formations," school student A. Paul told IANS. For the cricketing part, captains of the nine participating teams will sign the ICC spirit of cricket pledge "Play hard, play fair" following which defending champions KKR captain Gautam Gambhir will put the trophy back into play. Braving the rising mercury, parents of the teen performers have been camping out near the stadium office, just to see their wards step on the same stage with SRK and Katrina. "We sit out here in the shade all day long. We have brought packed lunches and also buy food from the stalls. It is a huge effort in this heat but we will do it as it is a great honour to see our daughters and sons perform on the same stage as Shah Rukh and Katrina. We bought our own tickets as the organisers didn't provide us with any," Payel's mother Alo told IANS. As for Bhor and Ghosh, who consider themselves 'lucky' to have made it through the auditions March 12, it is a chance of a lifetime. "It is a chance of a lifetime for us. We are excited to see all the stars. It doesn't matter that we have to work so hard," Ghosh told IANS. The trio from Bollywood will take to the stage towards the end of the show while Pitbull will rap twice. 'Never-seen-before' ceremony: SRK
Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Monday promised a "spectacular and never-seen-before" opening ceremony of the IPL6 at the Salt Lake stadium on Tuesday. Before the start of the two-month long exhilarating cricket, the ceremony, described as the greatest show ever in India, would stay true to its theme of 'cricketainment'. “The opening night will be spectacular, which India has never seen before," Shah Rukh said.
— PTI |
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Bolt chills at Copacabana beach
Rio de Janeiro, April 1 Antiguan sprinter Daniel Bailey came in second on Sunday at 14.88 seconds, followed by Brazilian Bruno Lins at 14.91 and Ecuadoran Alex Quinonez at 15.90. Bolt said he was happy with the result, calling it a "good start" to the season and saying he looked forward to returning to Brazil for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Some 3,000 spectators attended the event, at a track set up on a beach popular with tourists, eager to watch Bolt and the other sprinters compete in the rarely-raced distance. After crossing the finish line, Bolt took off his shoes and hurled one of them into the stands. He later regretted the move when he felt how hot the track was and asked for a replacement. Bolt had earlier played down fears over the Joao Havelange stadium, home to the Botafogo football club and due to host the track and field competition during the 2016 Games. The stadium was indefinitely closed last week because of roof problems. "The Olympic Games are in three years. That gives you enough time to solve everything. This type of problem happens the world over," Bolt said last week. Turning to his goals for the 2016 Games, Bolt ruled out participating in the long jump -- saying "I'm very big and it could hurt my knees" -- while saying he would aim to compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. While organizers laid on a daytime trip to a Brazilian favela (slum) for Bolt to meet disadvantaged children, the Jamaican's plans for his time in Rio lay elsewhere. "I know a lot of things about Brazil, but the thing I know most about are the beaches and the girls on the beaches," he said last week. "But I've never had the time to go there, and I also want to go to a nightclub."
— Agencies |
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Ba stings Man United
London, April 1 Ba, drifting free of his marker, allowed a lofted ball from Juan Mata to sail over his shoulder before stretching to volley it into the far corner beyond a helpless David De Gea. Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech then produced magic at the other end 14 minutes later. United's Mexican forward Javier Hernandez seemed bound to equalise with a diving header but Cech performed a backward twisting dive to palm the ball over the bar and win the tie for Chelsea who were 2-0 down after 11 minutes in the first match at Old Trafford before fighting back to draw 2-2. Chelsea, who have won the cup four times in the last six seasons, will meet City, the 2011 winners, at Wembley on April 14. Championship (second tier) side Millwall will Premier League Wigan Athletic in the other semi at Wembley the day before.
— Reuters |
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Missing at Masters, Indians set for Panasonic Open
Chandigarh, April 1 Japanese Riyo Ishikawa and Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant received ‘Special Foreign Invitations’ to participate in the Masters Championship which will be played at Augusta, Georgia, on April 11-14. The first Major championship of the year will have a field of 156 participants, which also includes the reigning US, British and Asian Amateur champions. And now that Tiger Woods is back to his winning form, all eyes will be on him. The question in everyone’s mind is, can Tiger win his 15th Major Championship? Rory McIlroy, who lost the number one spot to Tiger after reigning for 32 weeks, cannot be overlooked. However, having watched Tiger, he has learnt that the highs and lows are a part of the game. He has been quoted as saying “we’re not machines, we’re humans. We all go through highs and lows and that’s sport”. But he also realises that if he can keep on performing and putting himself in a position to win tournaments, then the No. 1 ranking will be easily taken care of. Meanwhile, on the Asian Tour, Gaganjeet Bhullar dropped to second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, which is now led by Thai professional Kiradech Aphibarnrat with earnings of $616,535. The recently concluded Chiangmai Golf Classic, which was won by Scott Hend, saw Digvijay Singh finish tenth, while Anirban Lahri finished the week in 14th place and the others Indians who made the cut further behind. Meanwhile, Jeev Milkha Singh carded six-under-par for the week in the Indonesia PGA Championship 2013 to finish the week in 55th place. Jeev, Gaganjeet, Anirban, Digvijay, SSP Chowrasia, Himmat Rai and Jyoti Randhawa will lead the local challenge during the Asian Tour’s $300,000 Panasonic Open, which will be played at the Delhi Golf Course this week. Defending champion Digvijay said, “I am really looking forward to defending my title at the Delhi Golf Course as it is one of my favorite courses. I hope I can recreate the magic.” Jeev, who has never won on the Delhi Golf Course, is also looking for a victory on home soil this week. “I will be playing the Delhi Golf Club after a long time as I last played there about five years ago, when I finished fourth at the 2008 Hero Indian Open. I am looking forward to teeing it up this week as the course will be firm and hard and I am looking forward to the challenge it will pose to all the players,” said Jeev. |
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Bhupathi-Bopanna to pair up once again
Bangalore, April 1 They experimented briefly with new partners earlier in the year. Bopanna won the Marseilles Open with Scottish partner Colin Fleming and Bhupathi partnered Michael Llodra to win the Dubai Open. Currently India`s top two doubles players, Bhupathi (No.10) and Bopanna (No.12) will be playing on the same side of the court, commencing with the Monte Carlo Masters. The duo believes that their experience of playing together on the tour during 2012 will hold them in good stead. Speaking on the partnership Bhupathi said, "We had a really good run last year and had found a rhythm in our game while having a great time playing together. We have a refined understanding of each other`s games and gel well on and off the court. All strong characteristics that I know will translate into a successful partnership for us on the tour. Also as the country`s top doubles team, I don`t think either of us could have asked for a more dependable partner." Echoing Bhupathi`s sentiments, Bopanna added, "Playing with Mahesh has been a great learning experience for me and we make a formidable doubles team. While we will work towards improving on last year`s performances, we do make a solid team in the knowledge that we have each other`s back throughout." This year, Bhupathi, a veteran of 52 men`s doubles titles including four men’s and eight mixed doubles Grand Slams, gets set to hang his boots following a long international career in the sport.
— IANS |
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PSG face Barca in CL quarters
Paris, April 1 Barcelona, having recovered from a first-leg stumble in their last-16 tie against AC Milan to qualify for the last eight 4-2 on aggregate, are widely considered favourites to win the trophy for the fourth time in eight seasons at Wembley in May. PSG, who saw off Valencia in the last 16, believe however that this could be a turning point in their climb to the peak of the European game. The wealthy French club, under experienced coach Carlo Ancelotti, are on course for their first domestic title for 18 years as well as being in the last eight of the Champions League after an 18-year absence. They go into Tuesday's tie, however, as underdogs for the first time this season — and will do well to survive it. Qatari fund QSI has set PSG a tough agenda of winning the Champions League within five years, having bought the club last year and poured huge amounts of money into transfers to build a team made for Europe. Centre back Thiago Silva, front man Zlatan Ibrahimovic and forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, who all signed last year, have been key in helping PSG reach this stage.
— Reuters |
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New Delhi, April 1
