French Open: Sindhu loses to Japan’s Takahashi in semis

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French Open: Sindhu loses to Japan’s Takahashi in semis

Double Olympic medallist PV Sindhu lost to Japan’s Sayaka Takahashi in three hard-fought games in the semifinals as India’s campaign came to an end in the French Open BWF World Tour Super 750 event on Saturday.

Sindhu, the lone Indian in the fray on the penultimate day of the competition, got off to a good start as she won the first game but could not maintain the momentum as her Japanese opponent came back strongly to win the next two games and seal a place in the final. Sindhu lost 21-18, 16-21, 12-21 in the last-four stage encounter that lasted just over one hour.

Playing on the show court at Stade Pierre de Coubertin, the famous indoor stadium in the French capital, the 26-year-old Sindhu was off to a tentative start and was trailing 10-11 at the halfway stage against the 29-year-old Japanese left-hander. Sindhu kept up the pressure and from 14-16 came up with some good cross-court smashes to take the lead and went on to win the first game.

Sindhu started the second game well and established an 11-9 lead at the break. Sayaka took control of the proceedings from 16-14 to win a flurry of points and wrapped up the second game 21-16.

In the decider, the Japanese played aggressively, smashed the shuttle into Sindhu’s body and Sayaka sealed victory with another powerful smash and set up a summit clash.

This is the second tournament in a row that Sindhu, who on a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics to add to the silver she bagged at Rio de Janeiro in 2015, has failed to reach the final. She had lost in the quarter-finals in the Denmark Open last week.

‘RRR’ makers to release a glimpse of film’s universe

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‘RRR’ makers to release a glimpse of film’s universe

“RRR” is a highly-anticipated action drama for more than one reason. For starters, the film is directed by maverick filmmaker S.S.Rajamouli. In addition, it also stars an ensemble starcast of Ram Charan, NTR junior, Ajay Devgn, and Alia Bhatt.

The makers have decided to tease the audience by presenting a small sneak peek of this massive universe. The tiny glimpse, which is of about 45 seconds, will be out on November 1.

The film has already created a strong buzz as on Friday, in an unprecedented move, PVR, the largest theatre chain in India, decided to alter their brand identity and logo to include the movie name, making it “PVRRR”.

The new asset from the makers is expected to cause an avalanche of sorts on the Internet as the fans all over India are already kicked-up about the film.

Set in pre-independence India, “RRR” takes a fictional route to portray the younger days of celebrated freedom fighters, Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharamaraju, portrayed by Jr NTR and Ram Charan, respectively.

PEN Studios has bagged the theatrical distribution rights across north India and have also bought the worldwide electronic rights for all languages. The film is set for a massive theatrical release on January 7 worldwide.

Rashid’s 100th T20 wicket, Asif’s power hitting: T20 World Cup in numbers

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Rashid’s 100th T20 wicket, Asif’s power hitting: T20 World Cup in numbers

The ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE has produced many unique and interesting statistics so far, with many more to come in the upcoming matches of the mega-event.

Rashid Khan’s 100th T20 wicket, Asif Ali’s power hitting, David Warner’s return to form and Afghanistan’s winning streak in the UAE coming to an end, have been among the top-moments of the tournament.

A look at some of the most interesting statistics, which have emerged from the Super 12 of the tournament till the Pakistan-Afghanistan clash on Friday (October 29).

Rashid Khan’s 100

The Afghanistan spin-whiz Rashid Khan is the latest entrant in the 100 wickets club in men’s T20 Internationals. During the course of his two-wicket spell against Pakistan in the Super 12s match at Dubai International Stadium on Friday, Rashid completed his century of wickets and became only the fourth man, after Tim Southee, Shakib Al Hasan and Lasith Malinga, to achieve this milestone.

The 23-year old made his debut only in 2015 and is the quickest to the landmark in terms of matches and time. It needed him only 53 T20Is and six years to reach the century. Malinga had done it in 76 matches whereas Shakib and Southee, who also completed 100 wickets during this tournament against Pakistan, needed 84 matches each.

The power-hitting of Asif Ali

The swashbuckling Pakistan batter Asif Ali’s 7 sixes from 19 balls have won Pakistan two crucial games, against New Zealand and Afghanistan, in T20 World Cup 2021. He is the first batter from Pakistan to hit four sixes in an over in T20 Internationals. With Pakistan needing 24 off 12 balls, Asif launched four sixes in the penultimate over of the innings, bowled by Karim Janat, and sealed the game with an over to spare.

He needed only seven balls to get the ‘Player of the Match’ award, the least by any man who didn’t have a bowling role in a T20I game. The previous record in a full 20 overs international game was Dinesh Karthik’s 8-ball 29 against Bangladesh in Nidahas Trophy Final in Colombo in 2018.

Asif, who scored 100 on his T20 debut 10 years ago and has hit 68 sixes in Pakistan Super League, is now showing his prowess in international cricket. In this T20 World Cup, he has scored 52 off 19 balls at a strike-rate of 273.68 and is the only batter alongside Evin Lewis with seven sixes in the Super 12s round so far.

Babar’s 1000 runs as captain

During his 51 off 47 balls match-winning effort against Afghanistan in Dubai, Pakistan star batter Babar Azam also completed 1000 runs as captain in T20Is. He required only 26 innings to achieve the landmark, the least by any captain in the world. India legend Virat Kohli held the previous record — 1000 runs in 30 innings.

Babar, who first led Pakistan against Australia in Sydney in 2019, is the ninth captain and the first from Pakistan to accumulate 1000 runs while leading the team, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said.

Warner’s T20I form

David Warner may not be having a good time in the domestic T20s — he scored only 195 runs at a strike-rate of 107.73 for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL this year and was dropped after two games during the UAE leg of the league — but for Australia he has been in a stunning form since his comeback in 2019.

The 35-year old scored a match-winning 65 off 42 balls against Sri Lanka in Dubai. Since 2019, he has amassed 552 runs in T20Is at an average of 78.85 and a strike-rate of 138.34 and hit one hundred and six half-centuries.

There is no country apart from Sri Lanka against whom he has over 500 runs in T20Is whereas his last four scores against the Islanders are (most recent first): 65 in Dubai, 57 not out in Melbourne, 60 not out in Brisbane and 100 not out in Adelaide. Overall, he has 512 runs against Sri Lanka at an average of 56.88 and a strike-rate of 138.75.

The dots bowled by Starc

Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc played a key role in his team’s win over Sri Lanka in Dubai in the Super 12s match with a spell of 4-0-27-2. Of his 24 balls, 11 were dots. He is the only man from a Test-playing nation who has a dot balls percentage of 50 in his T20I career.

The Australian speedster has bowled 972 deliveries in T20Is, 486 of which have been dots giving him a dot balls percentage of exactly 50%. Among the bowlers who have bowled at least 500 balls in men’s T20Is, the next highest percentage of dots is by India’s Bhuvneshwar Kumar (48.33) followed by the West Indies leg-spinner Samuel Badree (47.99).

The streaks

Afghanistan’s streak of 17 consecutive wins in T20Is in the United Arab Emirates came to an end with a defeat against Pakistan in Dubai whereas Pakistan consolidated their winning streak in the same country to 14 T20 Internationals dating back to 2016.

The last time Afghanistan lost a T20I in UAE was in a one-off game against Hong Kong in Abu Dhabi in 2015. The game against Pakistan was also the first time in 16 T20Is in UAE that Rashid Khan was at the losing end.

T20 WC: We have to be motivated to counter Trent Boult, says Virat

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T20 WC: We have to be motivated to counter Trent Boult, says Virat

India skipper Virat Kohli has insisted that his batting order will have to be motivated to counter New Zealand pacer Trent Boult’s left-arm swing ahead of a crucial Group 2 match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Dubai on Sunday.

Seen as a virtual do-or-die match, both India and New Zealand are looking to open their accounts in the tournament after losing their opening matches to Pakistan and keep themselves in the hunt for a spot in the semifinals.

“We obviously will come up against some quality bowlers all around the world in this competition. Hence, the intensity at which this tournament operates at is very different. We have played against these individuals for a long time. It is not something out of the ordinary that’s gonna come our way. It all depends on how we take the field mentally and how we counter that. If Trent says he wants to replicate what Shaheen did against us, then he is motivated to do so.

“We have to be motivated to counter that and put pressure on him and the other bowlers as well. So, that’s how the game goes,” Kohli said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

“We have played against all these bowlers for a long period of time. We understand exactly what we need to do. All that matters now is when we step on to the field, the mental frame we are in and absolutely confident of hitting that ball clearly and not thinking about any other scenarios. That’s the key to batting in high-pressure scenarios and it is something we are looking forward to execute as a team,” added Kohli.

Kohli acknowledged that dew will become a major factor in the tournament as it progresses but stressed upon the attitude of the team to counter that uncontrollable element in the game.

“It will continue to be a big factor and that is the nature of this tournament. You can look at this situation in two ways: you can bank too much on the toss or you can challenge yourself as a team to say ‘okay, even if we lose the toss, we are good to bat or bowl in any conditions’. That should be the attitude because you don’t have time in the shortest format of the game to think too much about what happened at the toss.

“Game goes away pretty quickly from you in two or three overs and can change the whole course of the game, as we saw in last game as well. For us, our only focus is how those eleven individuals are placed mentally how we are looking to approach this game. It’s been a long break for us. It’s been a lot of time waiting and just doing nothing, really for us a team. Now we are just itching to go back on the park and just be competing again to look to correct the things that didn’t happen well in the first game.”

The 32-year-old mentioned that Shardul Thakur is strongly in the mix for a place in the playing eleven.

“He’s definitely a guy who’s in our plans constantly, making a case for himself. He’s definitely someone who can bring a lot of value to the team. Now what role he plays or where he fits in, that’s something that I cannot talk about right now. Shardul is someone who’s got great potential and will add great value to the team.”

Kohli gave an update on fitness status of all-rounder Hardik Pandya, who didn’t field after receiving a blow on the shoulder while batting against Pakistan. “Hardik’s fine. If you are talking about the blow on the shoulder, he’s absolutely fine.”

Junior NTR pays homage to Puneeth Rajkumar

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Junior NTR pays homage to Puneeth Rajkumar

Telugu superstar Junior NTR reached Bengaluru on Saturday to pay homage to Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar who passed away following a heart attack.

He was accompanied by KGF Director Prashanth Neel. Junior NTR stood for a while looking at the mortal remains of Puneeth and later, hugged Puneeth’s elder brother, Shiva Rajkumar.

The Telugu actor also consoled Shiva Rajkumar who was in tears. He too broke down while consoling him.

Junior NTR shared a special bond with Puneeth’s family. He had come to Bengaluru earlier to sing a song for Puneeth’s movie ‘Chakravyuha’.

Shruti Haasan being considered to romance Chiranjeevi in next

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Shruti Haasan being considered to romance Chiranjeevi in next

Telugu’s most loved actor, megastar Chiranjeevi, is currently busy with a handful of movies. With interesting movies in the pipeline, the senior actor has expert directors in the line to direct him.

As per the latest buzz, South Indian actress Shruti Haasan is being considered as the female lead for Chiranjeevi’s interesting upcoming project.

Tentatively titled #Mega154, the movie is to be directed by Bobby.

The reports suggest that the makers are trying to bring in Shruti Haasan to romance Chiranjeevi.

It is to be noted that, if Shruti ends up signing on the dotted line for this movie, this would be the first movie she collaborates with Chiru.

The movie Mega154 is all set to be launched with a formal pooja ceremony in November, as per the current reports. Soon, the movie is to go on the floors.

Touted to be an out and out mass masala entertainer, Bobby is to bring out the mass side of Chiranjeevi as promised to his fans.

Shruti’s role in Ravi Teja’s ‘Krack’ brought her charm back to the industry.

Shruti Haasan’s role as the female lead in Prashanth Neel’s ‘Salaar’ is being hyped so much. She is to be seen opposite Prabhas in ‘Salaar’.

Pawan Kalyan shares a heartfelt note about Puneeth Rajkumar

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Pawan Kalyan shares a heartfelt note about Puneeth Rajkumar

In the wake of the untimely death of Kannada Powerstar, Puneeth Rajkumar, his co-stars, celebrities, and lakhs of his fans expressed shock. Celebrities from all over India conveyed their condolences.

Telugu star Pawan Kalyan, who is equally shocked by the news, took to Twitter and wrote: “The sudden and unfortunate demise of Sri Puneeth Rajkumar deeply saddens me. His performance in his first film ‘Bettada Hoovu’ as a child actor deeply etched in my mind. Ever since I always admired him.”

The actor-turned-politician concluded: “With a heavy heart I pray to Almighty to take care of my dear brother Puneeth in his final journey. My heartfelt condolences to Sri Shiva Raj Kumar, and Sri Puneeth’s family members.”

Pawan Kalyan’s political party Jana Sena released a press note to convey their tributes to the departed soul of Puneeth Rajkumar.

The note mentions that Pawan Kalyan was at a loss for words and it took a while for him to recover from the shock.

Puneeth Rajkumar had sidelined his title ‘Powerstar’ when the makers of his movie ‘Yuvarathna’ had released the movie in Telugu.

On being questioned about this decision, he said: “I am not a Powerstar here. In Telugu, Pawan Kalyan is the only Powerstar. I do not think this is a sacrifice or something. This is my responsibility and I respect Pawan Kalyan and his fans’ feelings. So, Yuvarathna will not have my title on its cards for the Telugu release”, Puneeth had explained at the time of the movie’s release.

Coutinho returns to Brazil squad for World Cup qualifiers

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Coutinho returns to Brazil squad for World Cup qualifiers

Barcelona midfielder Philippe Coutinho has been recalled to Brazil’s national squad for 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Colombia and Argentina.

The 29-year-old has not represented the Selecao since October last year because of a left knee injury that twice required surgery. He has made just seven starts for Barcelona across all competitions this season.

“He’s a midfielder who creates things, a great player regaining his form,” Tite told a news conference on Friday evening. Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino also returned to the squad after recovering from a hamstring injury.

But there was no place for 21-year-old attacker Vinicius Junior, despite his impressive form for Real Madrid this season, Xinhua reports. Everton forward Richarlison was also left out as he returns to full fitness following a knee injury.

Brazil will host Colombia in Sao Paulo on November 11 before meeting Argentina in Buenos Aires five days later.

The five-time World Cup winners currently lead the 10-team South American qualifying group with 31 points from 11 matches, six points ahead of second-placed Argentina.

Brazil squad:

Goalkeepers:

Alisson (Liverpool/ENG), Emerson (Manchester City/ENG), Gabriel Chapeco (Gremio)

Defenders:

Danilo (Juventus/ITA), Emerson Royal (Tottenham/ENG), Alex Sandro (Juventus/ITA), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Eder Militao (Real Madrid/ESP), Lucas Verissimo (Benfica/POR), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Thiago Silva (Chelsea/ENG).

Midfielders:

Casemiro (Real Madrid/ESP), Fred (Manchester United/ENG), Fabinho (Liverpool/ENG), Gerson (Marseille/FRA), Lucas Paqueta (Lyon/FRA), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona/ESP).

Forwards:

Antony (Ajax/HOL), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool/ENG), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City/ENG), Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid/ESP), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain/FRA), Raphinha (Leeds United/ENG).

Congress will end up making Modi very powerful: Mamata

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Congress will end up making Modi very powerful: Mamata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to be very powerful because of the Congress’ inability to decide on aligning with regional parties, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday, adding that apart from Tripura, Goa and Meghalaya, contesting in Uttar Pradesh was also on the party’s radar.

Speaking to mediapersons during an informal interaction here, Banerjee also said that while she loved Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, it would be wrong to assume that only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is allowed easy passage to contest in other Indian states.

“Modiji is going to be so powerful because of Congress. If one cannot take a decision why will the country suffer for that? They have got enough opportunities. Instead of BJP they contested against me in my state.

“How they expect that they will contest me and we will only give flowers to them? And sweets to them? I want to see that all regional parties are strong. We are a union of states and the federal structure should be strong. If the state is strong the centre is strong. Delhi’s dadagiri will not do,” she said.

Banerjee said that she would not like the opposition votes to be divided, but added wherever political opportunity arose, she would grab hold of it.

“In UP also we are there (former UP Congress vice president Lalitesh Pati Tripathi) and his son and grandson have also joined the party and (from) Punjab they have sent me a letter, but wherever possible, Tripura we have started, northeast in a few parts. Uttar Pradesh also we have the target, Meghalaya also. And Goa,” Banerjee said.

Commenting on the footprint of Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party in various states other than Delhi, Banerjee said: “What do you think that only Arvind Kejriwal will contest everywhere in this country and no other political party. I love him, I have no problem for that.

“It is not that everywhere only one political party will go and another cannot go. Did I stop him from going to Punjab? So, why they will stop us from going to Goa? I cannot speak about other political parties because they have their own freedom.”

Asked about her intention of being projected as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the 2024 polls, Banerjee said: “There are some politicians in this country who are proud to say that they are VIP (very important person) and I would like to say I am LIP, less important person. Let us continue as a street fighter.”

Rana Daggubati turns WWE artiste for next brand endorsement

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Rana Daggubati turns WWE artiste for next brand endorsement

Telugu handsome hunk Rana Daggubati turned into a WWE artist for his upcoming brand. The actor is to appear in a commercial for a giant media streaming app.

The media company that has designed the media streaming application- ‘Sony Liv’ has been trying to expand their footprint in both Telugu states- Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Therefore, the digital marketing team from Sony Liv came up with the plan of roping in Rana to promote the brand.

They selected him as the face of the platform.

Now that the actor has the responsibility of promoting the platform in the Telugu states, he is all set to appear in an interesting commercial advertisement.

According to recent reports, Rana will be seen as a WWE artist in a special ad promo for Sony Liv, which is currently being shot.

‘Mega-power-star’ Ram Charan Tej was seen promoting Disney+ Hotstar after he was selected as the brand ambassador.

The advertisement featuring Ram Charan soon became viral and caught everyone’s attention. A similar response is expected from Rana Daggubati’s brand endorsement for Sony Liv.

On the work front, Rana’s ‘Virata Parvam’ is expected to release on a popular OTT platform. Besides ‘Virata Parvam’, Rana is currently busy shooting for a multi-starrer titled ‘Bheemla Nayak’ with Pawan Kalyan. Rana plays a baddie in this Telugu original remake of the Malayalam movie ‘Ayyappanum Koshiyum’.

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