IPL 2022: Once we get going, we will be unstoppable as a team, claims Shreyas Iyer

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IPL 2022: Once we get going, we will be unstoppable as a team, claims Shreyas Iyer

When Kolkata Knight Riders had won their first three matches of IPL 2022, they looked like a side that had sorted their ways of batting template as well as bowling make-up. But with four consecutive losses, the early momentum in Kolkata’s hand has evaporated as they now sit at eighth place in the points table.

But skipper Shreyas Iyer claims that once Kolkata find their groove to get going, they will be hard to stop in the later stages of the tournament.

“We are ticking all the boxes to get on to the field and win matches. It’s just the execution part (where we are lacking). Other than that it’s an amazing franchise to be a part of and I am really proud of how we have been doing so far. It’s just a matter of time once we get going, we will be unstoppable as a team,” said Iyer to kkr.in.

Iyer’s belief in Kolkata’s bouncebackability is very much intact despite the lows after early highs. “It’s definitely a proud moment for me to captain such an amazing team where we see a lot of talent and hunger. We got off to a really good start with three wins out of four games but after that things didn’t go pretty well for us but I still believe in the team.”

Kolkata have to just look back at the 2021 season for some inspiration to turn things around in the 2022 IPL. In the second half of IPL 2021 in the UAE after the Covid-19 outbreak in bio-bubbles forced the stoppage of the tournament in India, Kolkata scripted an amazing turnaround, winning five out of the last seven matches after managing just two wins in the first seven to storm into the playoffs and ended up as runners-up.

The turnaround is something that wicketkeeper-batter Sam Billings sees as a challenge. But he points towards positive team spirit and belief within the squad as crucial points to turn things around.

“I think the challenges we are facing at the moment is turning the results around. One good thing is that the team spirit hasn’t dropped and a lot of work from the skipper and coach has gone into keeping the group nice and tight. Moving forward, it’s a great opportunity to turn things around. The biggest takeaway you see is the character of the individuals and also the squad in times like these.”

With an added incentive of possibly playing the playoffs at the Eden Gardens, Iyer expressed confidence in his side getting their execution spot-on in future matches to get a ticket to playing knockout matches at their home ground.

“We just got to know the qualifiers are at the Eden Gardens so we’ll put in our 100 percent efforts to see to it that we win the games and go out there and entertain the fans.”

“The atmosphere has been amazing right from the start. The results are part and parcel of the game and definitely, the way we have been preparing as a team it is simply outstanding and people are putting in hard yards to see to it we win matches. It is unfortunate that the results aren’t going our way and as Sam said, we have built the foundation really well. It’s just time to execute the right things at the right time.”

IPL 2022: Running out of adjectives on the way Jos Buttler is batting, says Kevin Pietersen

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IPL 2022: Running out of adjectives on the way Jos Buttler is batting, says Kevin Pietersen

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen said that he is running out of adjectives and superlatives to describe the swashbuckling performances of Rajasthan Royals opener Jos Buttler in the ongoing IPL 2022.

Buttler has been in blazing form, slamming three tons against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Delhi Capitals to make 491 runs in seven innings at an average of 81.83 and strike rate of 161.51 to be the leading run-scorer of the tournament.

“We are running out of adjectives and superlatives. The TATA IPL is made incredible by the innings like these. The spectators love this, we love this, everybody in the studio loved this. I mean some of the shots he played you can’t buy them. You can’t practice that (because) no one sells it,” said Pietersen on the Cricket Live show on Star Sports.

“You either have it or you don’t. He’s (Buttler) such a fine talent and in such a sublime form. When he starts to strike like that sometimes you’ve just got to say you know what, this guy is so good. He took his time and capitalized,” added Pietersen.

In Rajasthan’s last match against Delhi Capitals at Wankhede Stadium, Buttler yet again set the stage on fire, slamming nine fours and as many sixes in a 65-ball 116 to take Rajasthan to 222/2. With Rajasthan set to face Royal Challengers Bangalore at MCA Stadium in Pune on Tuesday, Pietersen has backed Buttler to produce more swashbuckling performances in the tournament.

“Jos did an unbelievable job against Delhi Capitals (in the previous game). I am sure he’ll continue to do so because when you’re in this kind of form in the tournament, you’ll just bat and bat and bat, especially when the wickets are this good. So, I don’t expect him to change the way he plays.”

India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla was in agreement with what Pietersen said of Buttler’s belligerent run with the bat.

“We are only halfway through the tournament and he’s already scored 490-odd runs. Generally, people score that many runs in an entire season. He’s batting extremely well this season.”

‘Will list, wait for two days’: SC on pleas against Karnataka HC order on hijab

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‘Will list, wait for two days’: SC on pleas against Karnataka HC order on hijab

The Supreme Court on Tuesday indicated at soon listing the petitions against the Karnataka High Court judgment, which upheld the ban on hijab in pre-university colleges.

As senior advocate Meenakshi Arora mentioned the matter before a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana saying that the matter needs an urgent hearing, the Chief Justice said: “I will list the matter, wait for two days.”

Earlier, the apex court had declined to urgently hear petitions challenging the high court judgment. Several petitions have been filed in the apex court challenging the high court judgment.

On March 24, the Supreme Court declined to give any specific date to hear a plea challenging the Karnataka High Court order, which dismissed all petitions seeking direction for permission to wear hijab in classrooms.

Senior advocate Devadutt Kamat mentioned one of the cases on behalf of a petitioner, a Muslim girl student, and sought urgent listing of the matter. Kamat insisted that exams are approaching and urged the court to urgent hearing on the matter.

However, a bench headed by Chief Justice Ramana said this had nothing to do with exams, and told Kamat not to sensationalize the matter. Kamat contended that the girl students are not being allowed to enter the schools, and they will lose one year. However, the bench moved on to the next item.

On March 16, the Supreme Court declined to grant an urgent hearing on a plea challenging the high court order, which held that the wearing of hijab by Muslim women does not form a part of essential religious practice in the Islamic faith.

Then, senior advocate Sanjay Hedge, representing the petitioners, mentioned the plea before a bench headed by Chief Justice Ramana. Hedge said there is urgency in the matter, as several girls have to appear in exams. The bench said others have also mentioned that the court will look into the matter.

A plea filed through advocate Adeel Ahmed and Rahamathullah Kotwal had said the high court order creates an unreasonable classification between the non-Muslim female students and the Muslim female students and thereby is in straight violation of the concept of secularism which forms the basic structure of the Indian Constitution. The petitioners are Mohamed Arif Jameel and others.

The plea said: “The impugned order is also in sheer violation of the Article 14, 15, 19, 21, and 25 of the Indian Constitution and also violates the core principles of the International Conventions that India is a signatory to.”.

‘Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ team announces poster design competition

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‘Kaathuvaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ team announces poster design competition

The team of director Vignesh Shivan’s upcoming romantic comedy ‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ has announced a poster design challenge for talented designers, even as their film gets ready for release this Thursday.

Director Vignesh Shivan’s production house, Rowdy Pictures, tweeted, “To all the Talented Designers out there, ‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ Design Challenge is for you. Post your designs with the hashtag #KRKDesignChallenge and get a chance to feature your design as one of our official posters of the movie.”

The firm also put out a link where the designers could download stills from the film for their designs.

Meanwhile, the film has been cleared for release with a clean U/A certificate.

The film, which has triggered huge expectations, has Vijay Sethupathi playing a character called Rambo, which is actually an acronym for Ranjankudi Anbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Ohoondhiran. While Nayanthara plays a character called Kanmani in the film, Samantha plays Khatija.

Delhi AIIMS nurses on indefinite strike after union president suspended

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Delhi AIIMS nurses on indefinite strike after union president suspended

The nurses union of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) on Tuesday began an indefinite strike after the union’s president Harish Kajla was suspended by the hospital administration.

Nursing Officer Harish Kumar Kajla was suspended with immediate effect on Monday night in view of the April 22 incident of disrupting OT patient services.

The union is seeking immediate revocation of suspension of Kajla and stopping of all kinds of retaliative measures against union executives and union members of main OT.

“In response to your unilateral decision to suspend Harish Kajla, president of AIIMS Nurses Union, without even citing proper reasons, the union has called an emergency executive meeting and decided to go on indefinite strike from 8 a.m., 26/4/2022 demanding immediate revocation of suspension of Harish Kumar Kajla and stopping of all kinds of retaliative measures against union executives and Union members of main OT”, said nurses union in a letter to AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria.

In a statement, the union said: “The union has always been receptive and open to expressing our genuine concerns and version throughout this issue. But unfortunately, we were neither called, nor contacted via any communication which forced us to go on an indefinite strike to safeguard the basic rights of our members.”

However, the AIIMS RDA said that the suspension of Kajla is an action taken against his misbehavior and the use of abusive language against a resident doctor. “Whoever is diverting this matter for political gain, be aware that the RDA, AIIMS is going to fight for the self-respect of residents always”, said RDA AIIMS.

Availability of jobs in Japan improves for 1st time in 3 yrs

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Availability of jobs in Japan improves for 1st time in 3 yrs

The availability of jobs in Japan improved for the first time in three years in fiscal 2021, owing to the gradual easing of the downside effects of the coronavirus pandemic, a government report said on Tuesday.

For the year through March, the job-to-applicant ratio edged up 0.06 points to 1.16, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare said.

This equates to 116 jobs available for every 100 people seeking them.

Separate government data showed that in fiscal 2021, the average jobless rate dropped 0.1 percentage point to 2.8 percent.

The number of unemployed people in fiscal 2021, meanwhile, on an average basis, declined by 80,000 from the previous year to 1.91 million, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications said.

Those in gainful employment in the recording period expanded by 40,000 to 67.06 million, the statistics bureau also said.

The number of workers in the health care sector increased substantially, the data showed, expanding 180,000 from the previous year to 8.92 million workers, the government said.

The data also showed notable growth in the telecommunications sector, with the number of workers increasing by 140,000 to 2.59 million.

Regular workers in Japan each month in fiscal 2021 totaled 35.94 million on average, rising by 190,000 compared to a year earlier, while non-regular workers totalled 20.77 million, increasing by 30,000 in the same reporting period.

The job availability ratio in March inched up to 1.22 from 1.21 in the previous month, marking the third consecutive month of increase, the government’s data showed.

The unemployment rate in March on a seasonally adjusted basis stood at 2.6 percent, meanwhile, which was a 0.1-point dip from the previous month, marking the second straight month of improvement.

India logs 2,483 fresh Covid cases, active caseload dips to 15,636

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India logs 2,483 fresh Covid cases, active caseload dips to 15,636

India reported 2,483 fresh Covid cases in the past 24 hours, a marginal decline against the previous day’s 2,541 infections, the Union Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the active caseload of the country has reported a decline at 15,636 cases, accounting for 0.04 percent of the country’s total positive cases.

In the same period, 1,399 Covid deaths were reported. Of the total deaths, 1,347 took place in Assam, said the ministry. With fresh fatalities, the nationwide death toll has mounted to 5,23,622.

The recovery of 1,970 patients in the last 24 hours took the cumulative tally to 4,25,23,311. Consequently, India’s recovery rate stands at 98.75 percent.

Also in the same period, a total of 4,49,197 tests were conducted across the country, increasing the overall to 83.54 crores.

While the weekly positivity rate stood at 0.58 percent, the daily positivity rate reported a considerable decline to 0.55 percent.

As of Tuesday morning, India’s Covid-19 vaccination coverage exceeded 187.95 crores, achieved via 2,30,89,167 sessions.

Over 2.70 crore adolescents have been administered a first dose of Covid-19 jab since the beginning of the vaccination drive for this age bracket.

Du Plessis says RCB morale high despite SRH loss, but will he include Kohli and Rawat for RR game?

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Du Plessis says RCB morale high despite SRH loss, but will he include Kohli and Rawat for RR game?

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper Faf du Plessis has refused to reveal the team composition for the crucial game against Rajasthan Royals at the MCA Stadium here on Tuesday night, preferring to say that “everyone’s really, really hungry to perform”. But the team management might be forced to make some big changes — including replacing out-of-form Virat Kohli and Anuj Rawat — following the massive nine-wicket thrashing at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad in just eight overs.

Both Kohli, the former RCB skipper, and Rawat were out for a duck against SRH, prompting critics to say that the two needed a break.

However, du Plessis preferred to gloss over the key question in RCB Bold Diaries, speaking only about the mood in the camp following the morale-shattering loss.

“Everyone’s really, really hungry to perform. That’s the one thing that I genuinely do feel within us as a group — every single player is desperate to put his best out there, and at the end of the day, that’s all you can ask for as a captain. Effort and attitude is one of the things we can control, and if we do that, hopefully, the result will be on our side,” said the South African.

On how his team hopes to bounce back after such a demoralizing defeat, du Plessis said, “For me, it’s almost like a blip in the radar if you can explain it like that. I think you have to look at it in context; in a season you’re playing a lot of games. So, for me, whether you lose by one run or by 500 runs, you still try and reach the level of wins that you need to reach to make the knockout stages.

“And obviously, we are very disappointed about that game, but you have to move on really quickly because if you carry the baggage of a game like that, then it drags on into one or two or five or six matches. So, what’s really important for me is cutting that game off, putting it behind us, and focusing and moving forward.”

He said the key to recovering from the debacle was to look ahead.

“The important thing for me is that you look ahead. I have been fortunate enough with a lot of guys in our dressing room that understand the ups and downs of sport. Even just last year, I remember going through the same experience playing for a different team; but, I think we were bowled out for 60 or 70 or so and ended up winning the competition. A game like that is a bad day at the office. You literally have to make sure you put it behind you; not worry about what people are saying, what they are thinking, you just put that focus back into your group,” said du Plessis.

Hyderabad’s Genome Valley global powerhouse of life sciences: KTR

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Hyderabad’s Genome Valley global powerhouse of life sciences: KTR

Hyderabad’s Genome Valley has established itself as a powerhouse of life sciences not just in India but globally as well, Telangana’s Industries, Commerce, and Information Technology Minister K T. Rama Rao said on Monday.

Stating that the next decade belongs to life sciences and healthcare, he said that the state government is committed to promoting this sector to consolidate Hyderabad’s position as an important life sciences destination in the world.

The state government is working with a clear goal to double the pharma and life sciences ecosystem which is currently valued at $50 billion to $100 billion by 2030, he said while inaugurating the facility of the global biopharmaceutical group Ferring, established in Genome Valley with the total investment of about 30 million euros and total employment of around 110 people.

Headquartered in Switzerland, Ferring is a leader in reproductive medicine and maternal health and in specialty areas within gastroenterology and urology.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, noted that Genome Valley has a unique blend of companies across the value chain of the life sciences sector supported by extraordinary infrastructure including industrial knowledge parks, multi-tenanted dry and wet laboratories, incubation facilities, utility infrastructure, testing facilities, and other ingredients required in discover, develop and manufacture policy.

“This is complemented by the thriving life science ecosystem in Hyderabad, which offers necessary linkages such as premier research institutions, highly skilled talent pool, favorable policies, and consistent efforts of the government to promote the life sciences sector,” he said.

The minister revealed that during his recent visit to the US, Telangana was able to secure investment commitments of Rs 7,500 crore across various sectors and more than half of this was in the life sciences sector.

He assured that government will continue to work with the companies in the life sciences sector ecosystem to consolidate the environment further

“Hyderabad is that place where biology meets technology, where life sciences meet data sciences. Points of intersection of information and biotechnology are what make for the exciting opportunities that lie in innovation and disruption and that is where Hyderabad offers a really great value proposition for innovators both in India and abroad with its rich network of scientific institutions. There are more than 50 strong scientific institutions based out of Hyderabad with a solid thinking force. There are a lot of opportunities to create intellectual property and to create solutions for the rest of the world,” he said.

Ferring’s facility was initially planned in Maharashtra but eventually shifted to Hyderabad. The minister said that this is a testament to the overall ecosystem of life sciences in Telangana and the pro-business policies of the government of Telangana which continue to attract global R&D companies to Hyderabad.

The company, which is a leader in reproductive medicine and maternal health, will focus on developing manufacturing urology products based on Ferring’s proprietary fast-dissolving granules platform technology which will be followed by a range of manufacturing and R&D activities in urology and gastroenterology.

The company developing treatments for mothers and babies for over 50 years and has a portfolio covering treatments from conception to birth

KTR pointed out that recently Pune-based Bharat Serums and Vaccines Ltd, which is India’s largest women’s healthcare company, announced that it will set up a state-of-the-art injectable and vaccine manufacturing facility in Genome Valley with an investment of Rs 200 crore. The facility will produce women’s health products, rabies vaccines, and immunoglobulins hormones, among others.

He noted that Hyderabad is emerging as a leading destination for women’s healthcare research and manufacturing besides its strong prowess in vaccines, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices.

“Femtech is a new space that a lot of people are talking about and I am delighted this space is shaping up well in Hyderabad,” he added.

The minister said two weeks ago, Jamp Pharma opened its center of excellence in Genome Valley, its first facility of Jamp Pharma outside of Canada. He said Ferring has now added to the list of marquee companies in Genome Valley and Hyderabad.

Ferring Pharma’s Vice President, Strategic Projects and Engineering, Francois Hosotte, Managing Director and Site Head, Anindya Ghosh, Principal Secretary, IT, E&C, Jayesh Ranjan, TSIIC VC, and MD E.V. Narsimha Reddy, and Director, Life Sciences, Shakthi Nagappan, were present during the event.

‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ cleared for release with U/A certificate

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‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ cleared for release with U/A certificate

Director Vignesh Shivan’s much-awaited romantic comedy ‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’, featuring actors Vijay Sethupathi, Nayanthara, and Samantha in the lead, has been cleared for release by the Censor Board with a U/A certificate.

Rowdy Pictures, the firm producing the film, confirmed the news by tweeting about it. It tweeted, “‘Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal’ censored U/A. Releasing Worldwide on April 28.”

The film has triggered huge interest among both audiences and critics as it has Nayanthara and Samantha working together for the first time.

Recently, a trailer released by the film unit garnered a whopping 10 Million views on YouTube, an indication of the huge expectations from the film.

In the film, Vijay Sethupathi plays a character called Rambo, which is actually an acronym for Ranjankudi Anbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Ohoondhiran. While Nayanthara plays a character called Kanmani in the film, Samantha plays Khatija.

Shot by cinematographer Vijay Karthik Kannan, the film has music by Anirudh and has been edited by Sreekar Prasad.

Delhi Capitals call Shaw, Warner their pocket dynamos; bank on duo to lead them all the way

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Delhi Capitals call Shaw, Warner their pocket dynamos; bank on duo to lead them all the way

Delhi Capitals have called their opening batters Prithvi Shaw and David Warner ‘pocket dynamos’ after the duo has played a key role in the team’s campaign in IPL 2022.

Delhi Capitals placed sixth on the IPL points tables after three wins and four defeats, are in with a chance to make the grade as the business end of the tournament approaches. And if DC succeed in their endeavor, they have no one else but their ‘pocket dynamos’ to thank, given that the young Indian and the Australian stalwart have forged a great partnership upfront.

They have been the livewire of the side, stitching together four half-century partnerships in the five previous outings, with the best being a 93-run stand against Kolkata Knight Riders, a match which the Delhi franchise won by 44 runs. The duo’s partnership helped DC score a mammoth 215 and then restrict KKR to 171.

On Monday, DC posted an image of Warner and Shaw running between the wickets and wrote, “Pocket Dynamos for a reason”, listing their five fruitful partnerships this season.

Warner, who stands 5’6″ tall, and Shaw at 5’5″, make for a sensational opening pair, and before the start of IPL 2022, it was believed that they would be a force to reckon with pairing at the top of the batting order.

The two have not disappointed either, scoring 67 against Lucknow Super Giants, 93 vs two-time IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders, 50 against Royal Challengers Bangalore, 83 against Punjab Kings, and 43 against Rajasthan Royals.

Koratala had hoped to work with Ram Charan but ended up directing his dad instead

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Koratala had hoped to work with Ram Charan but ended up directing his dad instead

As the commercial drama ‘Acharya’s release date approaches, the team is working hard to promote it.

In an interview, Chiranjeevi and Koratala Siva had a candid discussion, revealing how the film actually took off and how it ended up being a Chiranjeevi-starrer.

During the candid discussions, Chiranjeevi revealed that director Koratala Siva had approached them about a film starring Ram Charan. Ram Charan, who had already committed to S.S. Rajamouli’s ‘RRR,’ had reservations about giving Koratala his dates, even though he wanted to do the film.

“Ram Charan, though he wanted to work with Koratala, indicated that working with his father might be flexible because he was committed to ‘RRR’ already. I noticed Koratala Siva’s surprised expression,” Chiranjeevi elaborated.

Koratala continued, “I immediately told Charan that I would get a chance to work with him anytime in the future, but to direct Chiranjeevi is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and thus wanted to take up a subject that will complement Chiranjeevi.”

Koratla Siva initially wanted to work with Ram Charan, but due to a series of events, Chiranjeevi ended up joining the cast of ‘Acharya.’ Koratala Siva then made the necessary changes to the script and began working on it.

“Ram Charan’s role in Acharya began as a cameo. As the story progressed, developing the role became an interesting aspect of the plot, and it turned out to be one of the important roles in the film “, the director of ‘Janatha Garage explained.

Ram Charan spills the beans about his multi-starrer with uncle Pawan Kalyan

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Ram Charan spills the beans about his multi-starrer with uncle Pawan Kalyan

Ram Charan has revealed that he will be co-starring in a film with his uncle Pawan Kalyan.

In addition, the ‘RRR’ actor stated, “We have already discussed it, and we will definitely do it.” He also said he will produce the multi-starrer film.

While Ram Charan will share the screen with his father, legendary megastar Chiranjeevi in ‘Acharya,’ he is being questioned about a role alongside his uncle, and popular Telugu actor Pawan Kalyan.

The ‘Magadheera’ actor, who is in one of the best phases in his career, has revealed that he has been working on a few projects that he will soon wrap up, after which he is willing to plan a film with Pawan Kalyan.

No tentative date or year has been revealed regarding the possible collaboration of the uncle-nephew duo yet.

‘Acharya’, the action film, directed by Siva Koratala, will be released in theatres on April 29.

Ram Charan is currently filming his next film, tentatively titled ‘RC 15,’ in which Kiara Advani will romance him and Shankar Shanmugham will direct.

Charan will appear in a film directed by Gautham Tinnanuri, and he is also working on another project.

Barmy Army trolled for wishing Sachin on birthday with image of his dismissal

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Barmy Army trolled for wishing Sachin on birthday with image of his dismissal

England’s Barmy Army has been trolled for posting an image of Sachin Tendulkar on his 49th birthday, which shows the legendary cricketer walking away after being dismissed as England players celebrate his wicket in the background.

Along with the image, the Barmy Army tweeted, “Happy Birthday Little Master (cake symbol)”.

The image has come in for massive criticism from Tendulkar’s fans, who have termed it an insult to the legendary player who has 51 Test centuries, the highest by any cricketer in the world.

Tendulkar celebrated his 49th birthday on April 24 with the cricketing world paying tribute to the ‘Little Master’ and calling him an inspiration to the future generations. But the notorious Barmy Army chose the occasion to post an image of Tendulkar’s dismissal in a Test match.

A fan wrote that England’s collective top order these days was finding it difficult to score as many runs as Tendulkar used to score in his prime.

“Their (England) own top order can’t make enough runs as he (Tendulkar) could alone in his prime,” tweeted a fan, while another wrote, “Your (England) player cannot even sit with @sachin_rt on the same bench. You cannot beat any player when it comes to performance.”

Another fan asked the Barmy Army to show respect and be “gentle” to the cricketer on his special day.

“If (you) can’t respect someone doesn’t try to disrespect too. There is no point to having a dig at somebody irrespective of the occasion,” wrote another fan, with an image of a young Tendulkar walking off the field with England players clapping for him.

Swiggy to upskill delivery boys to become company employees

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Swiggy to upskill delivery boys to become company employees

Online food delivery platform Swiggy on Monday announced the launch of an industry-first-accelerator program for its delivery executives to transition into full-time, managerial-level jobs with a fixed salary and additional benefits.

The program, named “Step-Ahead” is aimed at giving an opportunity to those executives who want to move from their current flexible engagement with Swiggy to a dedicated, managerial role, the company said.

“Swiggy has consistently maintained that our delivery executives are the backbone of our operations, and we are proud to enable an income opportunity for over 2.7 lakh women and men across the country,” said Mihir Rajesh Shah, VP, Operations, Swiggy, in a statement.

“While most may consider their association with the platform as a stop-gap between jobs or an education, or even an additional source of income, we realize that there are some who want more. With a step Ahead’, Swiggy is creating a unique opportunity for those interested to flip their collar from blue to white and take on a managerial role,” he added.

To be eligible for the role of a Fleet Manager, a Swiggy delivery executive must hold a college degree, possess communication skills and basic computer knowledge, and should have been delivering with Swiggy for a few years.

Managing a fleet of delivery executives, the fleet managers will be responsible for different roles like maintaining metrics like login hours, cancellations, resolving queries, and working on special projects for delivery executives.

Being well-versed with the challenges and opportunities at a ground level owing to their rich experience in delivery, seasoned delivery executives are a natural fit. Over the years, numerous Swiggy delivery executives have joined the platform as fleet managers.

With ‘Step Ahead’, Swiggy is formalizing this process and intends to reserve at least 20 percent of all Fleet Manager hires for its delivery executives. Swiggy is also considering reducing the tenure requirement to around two years.

Swiggy currently has over 2.7 lakh delivery partners across the country. They receive benefits such as accident insurance and medical cover, personal loans, legal assistance, covid income support, emergency support, income support during accident or illness recovery, bereavement leaves, period of time off, and maternity cover among others.

Kajal Aggarwal walked out of ‘Acharya’ on her own: Koratala Siva

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Kajal Aggarwal walked out of ‘Acharya’ on her own: Koratala Siva

Director Koratala Siva, who opened up about chopping off Kajal Aggarwal’s role in ‘Acharya’, revealed that he felt it was inappropriate to cast the actress in a role with no clear ending.

For a few days now, rumors have circulated that Kajal Aggarwal’s role in the film ‘Acharya’ has been cut entirely due to director Koratala Siva’s decision. Koratala Siva clarified Kajal’s role in the film just days before its release.

He went on to say that according to the story, Chiru doesn’t have a love interest in the movie. He discussed the same with Kajal, and she agreed to withdraw herself from the project.

Koratala Siva explained, “Initially, Kajal’s role was designed as a funny role, but after viewing the rushes, I thought it wasn’t right to place a star actress in such a small-length role”.

“She understood my concern and hence took it in a positive way. She will be seen in ‘Laahe Laahe’ song though”, Koratala Siva said.

Since the trailer’s release, everyone has been talking about Kajal Aggarwal’s absence. There have been some questions raised about her role in the film. Siva Koratala confirmed in a recent interview that Kajal will not be appearing in the film.

‘Acharya’, the much-anticipated Tollywood blockbuster, will be released in theatres on April 29. Siva directed the film, which stars Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan.

Oslo Cup chess: Praggnanandhaa beats Vietnam’s Liem in the third round

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Oslo Cup chess: Praggnanandhaa beats Vietnam’s Liem in the third round

It was two months back that India’s young Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa caused a sensation in the chess world by beating world champion Magnus Carlsen in the Airthings Masters elite online chess tournament.

Pragg, as he is fondly called, gets another chance of doing it again, beating Magnus Carlsen in the fourth round of Oslo Esports Cup, the first off-line event that is part of the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour season.

He had defeated Jorden van Foreest and Shakryar Mamedairov in the earlier rounds.

And what gives Praggnanandhaa hopes of repeating his performance against Carlsen is his brilliant form in this event in which he leads the field by winning the third straight match.

India’s 16-year-old superstar-in-the-making is the only player with 9/9 points and has won the maximum USD 22,500 prize so far after crushing Liem Quang Le of Vietnam with a game to spare.

Pragg now faces world champion Carlsen in Round 4. Beat Carlsen, as he did two months ago, and the youngster will be the hot favorite to win the first Major of the 2022 Meltwater Champions Chess Tour, conducted by the Play Magnus Group and has a prize fund of USD1.6 million over nine events with more than 40 world-renowned players taking part.

The teenager was overjoyed with his win against the speed chess specialist Liem, who beat Carlsen on Friday.

Pragg has now played only 9 games to win three matches and has a 3-point cushion over Carlsen on the tournament leaderboard. The boy from Chennai had earlier started with a win over Jorden van Foreest.

Pragg said, “Today it was difficult. In the first game, I was winning and then I played b3 quite quickly and he (Liem) got counter-play. In the second game, it was very complicated and in time trouble I didn’t know what was happening.”

He added, “In the last game, definitely I didn’t play so well but in time trouble he definitely made some mistakes.

“When you win, of course, you have a lot of fun! In general, I’m having a lot of fun playing these players… It’s always a very good experience.”

Carlsen, meanwhile, has complained of feeling under the weather during this event. He looked ill again going into his Round 3 match against his old rival Anish Giri.

But on the board, the world No.1 was in fine fettle as he got back in the groove after his loss to Liem with a smooth 2.5-0.5 win over Giri. There were no moments of concern for the champ who needs to beat Pragg on Tuesday.

IPL Turning Point: Poor shots by Rohit, Suryakumar spell doom for Mumbai Indians again

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IPL Turning Point: Poor shots by Rohit, Suryakumar spell doom for Mumbai Indians again

Having restricted Lucknow Super Giants to 168/6 in their 20 overs despite an unbeaten century by KL Rahul (103 not out) thanks to a lion-hearted effort by their bowlers, Mumbai Indians were fancying their chances in Match 37 of IPL 2022 on Sunday.

They had reached 49 for no loss in the seventh over with skipper Rohit Sharma looking in great form. Though Ishan Kishan had struggled to 8 runs off 20 deliveries before he got out, under-edging a shot onto the boot of wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock that sat up for Jason Holder to pocket a simple catch, and Dewald Brevis too was out cheaply, Mumbai Indians were still in the hunt with Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav at the crease.

After hitting Mohsin Khan, Dushmantha Chameera, Jason Holder, and Krunal Pandya for a boundary each, Rohit hammered Holder for a six and a four off successive deliveries.

He had a great chance of building on his innings just like Rahul had done earlier in the day.

Mumbai Indians were playing their first match at the Wankhede Stadium, their traditional home in IPL and with a vociferous crowd rooting for them and the dew setting into trouble the Lucknow bowlers, the five-time champions were in a great position to go for their first win after seven successive defeats.

It all depended on Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav, who has already scored two half-centuries in IPL 2022 despite returning from an injury.

But things went haywire for Mumbai Indians as Rohit got out on 39 — a wild slog-sweep against Krunal Pandya, which managed to get a top edge that substitutes K Gowtham pouched easily to trigger wild celebrations in the Lucknow Super Giants camp.

Suryakumar Yadav was out soon, trying to whip on a ball pitched at length on off-stump and angled across. He could only manage a leading edge and was taken by Rahul diving forward.

Though Tilak Varma and Kieron Polland stitched together a partnership of 57, the rising asking rate meant that Mumbai Indians eventually managed only 132/8 in 20 overs, losing the match by 36 runs.

The wickets of Rahul and Suryakumar eventually proved decisive.

IPL 2022: Backed my bowlers to defend 156, says Hardik Pandya after win over KKR

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IPL 2022: Backed my bowlers to defend 156, says Hardik Pandya after win over KKR

Gujarat Titans’ skipper Hardik Pandya admitted that his team was 10-12 runs short with the bat, but had backed his bowlers to defend 156 against Kolkata Knight Riders at the DY Patil Stadium on Saturday.

Pandya top-scored with his third successive IPL fifty, a 49-ball 67, laced with four fours and two sixes. But the batters around and after him completely lost their way in the final five overs, losing seven wickets for just 29 runs as Gujarat made 156/9 in their 20 overs.

But the bowlers, led by Mohammed Shami, Lockie Ferguson, and Yash Dayal took four wickets collectively in the first seven overs and pushed KKR back at regular intervals with leg-spinner Rashid Khan coming into play to seal a narrow eight-run win despite Andre Russell threatening to take the match away.

“I thought we were ten-twelve runs short. But I back my bowlers. The wicket played similarly throughout the match. I fancy defending and having Rashid Khan and Lockie Ferguson changes the dynamics. Shami in the powerplay, Alzarri bowling the way he bowled, Yash has bowled a no-ball for the second time and he will get better. When that happened, we were like that game would have been over and it wouldn’t have gone this close,” said Pandya after the match.

Pandya backed the opening pair of Shubman Gill and Wriddhiman Saha to come good in future matches. Gill has tapered off after sparkling knocks of 84 and 96 while Saha is yet to get a good score after replacing an off-color Matthew Wade.

“I’ll play against the odds, it hasn’t come so far and must be around the corner. We’re backing them and in the middle, we’re managing alright. Once they kick in it’ll be wonderful. We have three days and I will go back and focus on the things I can control.”

Pandya signed off by praising the character shown by the team in successfully defending the lowest total of IPL 2022. “I said by the time the tournament is over I would lose all my hair. As a team, we’ve been under pressure but the boys have stepped up and showed their character.”

IPL 2022: Bowlers take Gujarat Titans to top of table with 8-run win over Knight Riders

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IPL 2022: Bowlers take Gujarat Titans to top of table with 8-run win over Knight Riders

After Hardik Pandya became the first skipper to bat first on winning the toss against Kolkata Knight Riders on a sunny Saturday afternoon at the D.Y Patil Stadium, it was the enviable bowling attack that helped them defend 156 to win by eight runs and move to the top of the points table.

For Gujarat, it was a sensational win after Pandya top-scored with his third successive IPL fifty, a 49-ball 67, laced with four fours and two sixes. But the batters around and after him completely lost their way in the final five overs, losing seven wickets for just 29 runs.

It was the bowling attack, led by Mohammed Shami, Yash Dayal, and Lockie Ferguson who picked four wickets collectively in the first seven overs, paving the way for the Gujarat defense. Though Kolkata attempted to chase down the total with Andre Russell striking sixes, his falling to Alzarri Joseph in the final over sealed the fate in Gujarat’s favour.

With a new opening combination in Sam Billings and Sunil Narine, Kolkata’s hopes of a blistering start began well when the former brought out a glorious straight drive against Shami. But Shami had the last laugh as Billings top-edged a pull to wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha. Shami had his second wicket in power-play as Sunil Narine pulled uncomfortably to a diving short fine leg.

Nitish Rana fell cheaply, forced to poke at a Ferguson delivery and took a healthy edge behind to Saha as Gujarat successfully overturned a not-out decision. Shreyas Iyer had begun to look comfortable at the crease but was undone by the over-the-wicket angle from Dayal and nicked behind to Saha.

Rinku Singh found the boundary rope five times in his stay of 35 and shared a 45-run stand with Venkatesh Iyer. But in an attempt to smash Dayal over mid-wicket, Rinku could only manage a bottom edge going behind to Saha. Venkatesh tried to slog-sweep Rashid Khan but Abhinav Manohar took a stunning catch just in front of the deep mid-wicket boundary rope.

In between, Russell got his first boundary with a thickish edge off Dayal over Saha’s head. On the next ball, Russell tried to fend off a Dayal bouncer with his bat but the ball flew straight off his bat to fine leg. But Dayal’s jubilation was cut short as replays showed front-foot no-ball. Russell rubbed salt into wounds by thumping Dayal for back-to-back sixes to end an eventful 13th over.

Russell then smacked a Ferguson full toss over long-off. Khan got out Shivam Mavi and almost had Umesh Yadav lbw with the googly but replays showed the ball was missing the stumps. With 45 needed off 24 balls, Russell uppercut Shami over backward point for six. Umesh cleared his front leg to swat Ferguson over deep mid-wicket for six more.

Russell hit a six down the ground off Dayal but could manage only five runs off the rest of the over for the equation to read 18 off the final over. On the first ball, Russell smashed a Joseph full toss over long-on for a huge six. But Joseph had the last laugh as Russell mistimed a pull to fine leg immediately. That turned out to be a decisive blow for Kolkata as Gujarat sealed a close win.

Earlier, Tim Southee provided the first breakthrough with his first ball, forcing Shubman Gill (7) to nick behind to Billings. Pandya promoted himself to three from his usual number four position and the decision began to pay off when he smacked Southee for back-to-back fours in the off-side. He got ample support from Saha, who crunched Umesh for a six and four through the leg side.

Post-power-play, Pandya continued to be the aggressor, ramping Mavi for a cheeky six over fine leg, followed by an extra cover drive for four and welcoming Varun Chakravarthy with a clean, lofted six over long-off.

Pandya and Saha built an important stand of 75 off 56 balls for the second wicket, which was broken by Umesh in the eleventh over as Saha fell for a run-a-ball 25, in an attempt to repeat the paddle scoop which got him a four on the previous delivery.

David Miller had luck on his side when Venkatesh Iyer took a catch at long-off but his foot brushed the boundary rope, gifting the left-hander a lucky six off Sunil Narine. Narine was further taken apart for a four and six by Miller after Pandya reached his fifty in 36 balls.

Just as it looked like Gujarat would cruise to a 180+ total, Miller was foxed by an off-cutter from Mavi, giving a simple catch to a backward point. Southee came back to dismiss Pandya, who pulled straight to deep mid-wicket, and three balls later, Khan fell for a duck while trying to clear the same region.

Russell, who hadn’t bowled in the match, was brought on for the final over and dismissed Manohar, Ferguson, and Rahul Tewatia by getting them caught in the deep and closed the innings with an alert caught and bowled dismissal of Dayal.

Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 156/9 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 67, David Miller 27; Andre Russell 4/5, Tim Southee 3/24) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 148/8 in 20 overs (Andre Russell 48, Rinku Singh 35; Mohammed Shami 2/20, Rashid Khan 2/22) by eight runs

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