IPL 2022 auction: Old teams can retain 4 players; Lucknow, Ahmedabad can get 3 early picks

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IPL 2022 auction: Old teams can retain 4 players; Lucknow, Ahmedabad can get 3 early picks

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 will see the eight existing franchises being allowed to retain a maximum of four players. Whereas, the two new teams — Lucknow and Ahmedabad – will be able to acquire three players from the rest of the player pool ahead of the auction, a report said.

However, the official date for the IPL 2022 auction is yet to be announced by the Indian cricket board (BCCI).

According to ESPNcricinfo, these rules were clarified by the IPL in informal discussions this week with the franchises.

“The purse for the IPL 2022 auction is likely to be Rs 90 crore (USD 12 million approx)— it was Rs 85 crore in the 2021 auction. In the 2018 mega auction, the teams had Rs 80 crore, of which they could spend a maximum of Rs 33 crore on retained players—the teams were then allowed to buy back five players through a combination of retention and two right-to-match (RTM) cards.

“There will be no RTM cards next year. The franchises will be able to apply two different combinations while picking the four players they want to retain: three Indians and one overseas, or two Indians and two overseas,” the report further read.

Retention will ultimately be the player’s choice, as he can decide to go back into the auction pool or a change in franchise, even if his current team wants to retain him. The deadline for retaining players is likely to be the end of November, it added.

Alliance of universities for climate action, achieving net-zero targets

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Alliance of universities for climate action, achieving net-zero targets

Just days ahead of the UN climate change conference, COP26, the University of Birmingham and Southeast University in China have joined forces to lead the establishment of a global alliance of universities aiming to boost their contribution to fighting climate change and achieving net-zero targets.

The World Alliance of Universities on Carbon Neutrality (WAUCN) forms a worldwide partnership of institutions with research strengths in this field — aiming to deliver science, engineering and technological solutions to help achieve climate change mitigation targets.

The partnership brings together talented academics and students from high-profile global universities to work with industry, business, government, and research sectors towards achieving carbon neutrality.

The University of Birmingham and Southeast University in Nanjing have been working in partnership for some years to create sustainable energy solutions.

WAUCN unites 15 top Chinese universities, including Shanghai Jiao Tong, University of Science and Technology of China, and Zhejiang University — as well as 13 global universities, including Imperial College London, Monash University, and the National University of Singapore.

It also involves close cooperation with Jiangsu Provincial People’s government.

Launched at a global online event, Professor Zhang Guangjun, President of Southeast University and Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, welcomed over 80 representatives from partner universities and research institutions.

M.A. Xin, Vice Governor of Jiangsu Provincial People’s government, addressed the meeting of scientists from across the globe.

Professor Sir David Eastwood said: “Climate change is one of the biggest threats we face in modern times and, seizing the momentum of the Paris Agreement, the UK has led the world in setting the ambitious target of achieving net-zero by 2050.

“Science and innovation are critical to achieving and sustaining carbon neutrality. We believe that a worldwide universities alliance will constitute a key addition to the rapidly growing global coalition for net-zero emission and carbon neutrality.

“Through our shared research expertise and innovation, the University of Birmingham will address the challenges of climate change — helping to achieve the ambitions of this new world alliance, as we work together across many different disciplines and countries.”

As well as forming joint research partnerships that deliver solutions to move the world towards net zero, WAUCN will organise international conferences, symposia, and workshops that can create further momentum towards achieving carbon neutrality.

Professor Jon Frampton, Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor (China) at the University of Birmingham, said: “On the eve of world leaders gathering at COP26 in Glasgow to discuss the environmental challenges facing our planet, the foundation of this international alliance with partners from China and beyond is a great example of global cooperation.

“The University of Birmingham has long-established and valued links with China and we are proud to be working with our colleagues in China to work on the most challenging issues that affect the whole world.”

India fully prepared to face any challenge, if need arises: Rajnath

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India fully prepared to face any challenge, if need arises: Rajnath

India is fully prepared to face any challenge, if the need arises, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday in Chandigarh stressing on the need to be equipped and ready at all times to deal with any challenge arising out of any situation.

He, however, reiterated that India is a peace-loving nation and initiating any kind of conflict is against its values.

Singh visited Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL) of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Chandigarh.

Addressing over 500 scientists and officials of DRDO, Singh lauded TBRL, which started as a two-room facility, for becoming an important R&D establishment and providing crucial defence technologies.

He commended the role of the laboratory in design and development of Multi-Mode Hand Grenade (MMHG), the first munition manufactured by the private sector for the Armed Forces, which was handed over to the Indian Army in the presence of Rajnath Singh in August this year.

The grenade achieved a functional reliability of more than 99.5 per cent in production.

He termed MMHG as world class which reflects the capabilities of TBRL and the scientists.

Lauding DRDO for developing systems at par with international standards, Singh also mentioned about the Bund Blasting Device Mark II, designed and developed by TBRL, which was handed over to the Indian Army in his presence earlier this month.

The device is used to reduce the height of Ditch-cum-Bund obstacles to enhance the mobility of mechanised infantry during wartime.

He appreciated the fact that the first phase of the production model has been successfully completed and the production of the system will also be done by the private sector through Transfer of Technology in the coming times.

Singh described these developments as indicators to the country’s growing capability in products and technologies required to meet the operational requirements of the Armed Forces.

He added that these developments reflect the government’s vision to equip the Armed Forces with indigenously developed and state-of-the-art weapons/ equipment/system through active participation of the private sector. This, he stated, is advancing the country’s military and economic strength towards self-reliance.

The minister also listed out other achievements of TBRL, including reaching an advanced level of development of 4th generation electronic fuses which will be contemporary as well as safer and more reliable and development of Baffle Range of just 20 acres from 500 acres that will provide full training of the troops using less land.

He added that many reforms have been undertaken by the government to increase the participation of the private sector. These include introduction of new provisions under Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020; DRDO’s initiative to involve the industry from the initial stages of development of systems; free of cost Transfer of Technology by DRDO and availability of its patents to the industry.

While stressing on the need to develop Indian Standards, Singh appreciated the fact that Indian Standard has been promulgated for the testing of Bullet Resistant Jacket, with TBRL playing a key role in its manufacturing.

“Indian Standards for design, development and methodology are being developed for other protective systems and gears. Test methodologies have been standardised for evaluation of Boot Anti-Mine Infantry, Boot Anti-Mine Engineers, Mine Protected Vehicles and Gears, etc. Such Indian standards will certainly help the Indian industry to not only benchmark the product against threats, but also help them compete with foreign manufacturers,” he added.

Sharing his insights on the fast-changing geopolitical scenario around the world, Singh said, increase in scientific capabilities and new inventions have made a big impact on security.

Emphasising on the increased use of technology in the dynamic warfare strategies of the present, Singh exhorted all stakeholders involved in defence manufacturing to keep an eye on the latest technological developments and prepare themselves to stay contemporary with indigenous capabilities.

To achieve this, he said, there is a need to strengthen technology forecasting and invest in cutting edge manufacturing & testing capabilities. He called for making academic institutions as long-term partners to stay abreast with latest technologies, with focus on building a strong theoretical foundation.

“A research and development institution like TBRL should aim to develop partnerships with academic institutions on a long-term basis. On the one hand, the academic institution will get to work on the core technological problems and scientists and technologists will be prepared for better employability. On the other hand, R&D institutions will get the emphasis on conversion into the actual product by moving from the theoretical analysis…,” the minister said.

He called upon all the stakeholders to increase their preparedness and assured all possible support of the Government in their efforts.

‘Bigg Boss 15’: Jay keen on winning captaincy task in the house

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‘Bigg Boss 15’: Jay keen on winning captaincy task in the house

So finally no contender can win the captaincy task in the ‘Bigg Boss 15’ house. That we saw in the previous episode. Now the housemates are given another chance to choose the captain as they have been given a new task.

In this task, the contestants have to come up with two names who are fit to become the captain. But these names will be selected only with a unanimous consensus. Of course, each one of them is now keen to win this task and become the captain.

Jay, pointing towards Nishant, says: “We’ve waited for this day! Now when we get a chance, we want someone from us to win.” While the rest somehow agree with this thought, Pratik refuses to remove himself from this competition. He is prepared to let this task go in vain.

On the other side now Ieshaan thinks that Rajiv has spoiled his image and thus their argument continues and now Ieshaan is not interested in having friendship with him in the house.

Beside that Tejasswi and Karan are developing a sweet and romantic bond. Tejasswi dresses up for Karan and asks him to give a nice compliment. All the housemates tease them by singing romantic songs.

T20 WC: It’s do-or-die for West Indies, says Pooran on Bangladesh match

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T20 WC: It’s do-or-die for West Indies, says Pooran on Bangladesh match

West Indies batter Nicholas Pooran believes that his team’s Group 1 match in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup against Bangladesh on Friday is a do-or-die one. He added that the mood in the West Indies camp is upbeat, despite having lost both matches to England and South Africa in the tournament.

“It’s just another game of cricket. Anyone can win. But as you said, it’s a do-or-die game for us. And we believe that we’re going to be successful tomorrow. And again, I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to perform our roles. Once we do that, then everything can take care of itself,” said Pooran in the pre-match press conference on Thursday.

“The mood in the camp is still good. The guys are generally, think we were hit by losing those two games. And we have only ourselves to blame. But the mood is still good. We know what we have to do and everyone is up for the challenge,” added Pooran.

Pooran was of the opinion that West Indies and Bangladesh, placed sixth and fifth in the group standings, are on the same boat as far as losses are concerned ahead of the match in Sharjah. “I think Bangladesh, after losing two games, they’re in the situation with us as well. So, I think it’s going to be a good challenge for us tomorrow. We need to get that victory. And being in Sharjah as well, we know Bangladesh has a lot of spinners as well. It’s definitely going to be a good challenge for us as well. And it’s how bad we actually want it.”

Pooran feels that the time is ripe for West Indies to bounce back in the tournament. “I definitely think it’s a good opportunity for us to bounce back. We’re not sure how Sharjah is going to play tomorrow. But our focus is not on the small boundaries, to be honest. We just want to execute our skills. And once we can do that, then the results can take care of itself.”

“We can’t really say it’s short boundaries and we’re going to hit 6s. And we want to be aggressive as a team. We can’t really say that. Only when we go tomorrow and we assess the pitch, the conditions there, then we can actually try to put a game plan into place as quick as possible and try to get a really good score.”

Pooran concluded by saying that West Indies have accepted that the batting hasn’t been up to the mark after registering scores of 55 and 143 in both matches. “I think that was just the intent. We know we can be back up. First two games we didn’t show much intent but we know we are much better than that as a team.”

“If you can accept that we weren’t good on the first two games, I think as batsmen, as a team, we already accepted that we didn’t come to the party. And we’re looking forward to moving forward and hopefully we can do much better.”

Yogi releases Rs 160 Cr for UP farmers

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Yogi releases Rs 160 Cr for UP farmers

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has released an amount of Rs 160 crore for 44 districts of the state, benefitting about five lakh farmers.

The government has dispensed the relief package after assessing crop losses due to floods and inclement weather.

The chief minister has also instructed the officials to give appropriate and immediate compensation to the farmers at any cost.

According to the government spokesman, the process of damage assessment has been intensified in the flood-affected districts. A loss assessment of Rs 180 crore has been done so far, out of which Rs 160 crore assistance has been released to more than one lakh farmers through State Disaster Response Fund.

It may be recalled that farmers’ crops had been badly damaged due to torrential rains and heavy floods in September and early October. The districts of Purvanchal were the most affected by the floods.

Yogi Adityanath himself visited the flood affected areas and took stock of the situation. The chief minister had also instructed ministers and MLAs to visit the flood-affected areas to help the farmers.

World Cup winner Fran Wilson retires from international cricket

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World Cup winner Fran Wilson retires from international cricket

Batter Fran Wilson, who was a part of England’s World Cup-winning side, on Thursday announced her retirement from international cricket, but she will continue to feature in the domestic set-up.

The 29-year-old played 33 ODIs, 30 T20Is, and one Test for England in a career spanning almost 11 years.

Wilson has been a part of three World Cup campaigns, including in 2017 when Heather Knight’s team beat India in a thrilling final at Lord’s to lift the trophy.

A middle-order batter, Fran has a couple of half-centuries to her name and is a gun fielder.

Having made her debut for England in 2010, she remained out of the set-up until 2016, when she returned to the side ahead of the World Cup. She last played a game for England in March this year. And while she was a part of the squad over the summer, she didn’t get a game.

“I feel incredibly proud to have played for my country for the past 10 years and the time now feels right to step away,” Wilson said in a statement released by the England and Wales Cricket Board.

“Playing for England pushes you to the limit and I’m grateful for the experiences which have made me better, on and off the pitch. The memories I have made with some amazing teams are ones I will always cherish and I would like to thank everyone who has been a part of my England journey,” she added.

Wilson is set to continue to play domestic cricket, where she features for Sunrisers, and for The Oval Invincibles in The Hundred.

“Fran has served her country with distinction for over a decade and she can be very proud of the work she’s put in and of what she’s achieved,” said England Women’s head coach Lisa Keightley.

“In my time at the job I’ve really enjoyed working with Fran. She’s such a positive influence on the group, she’s a real team player, she’s very popular, and we’ll really miss having her as part of our team,” she added.

Apple tops India premium smartphone market with 44% share in Q3

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Apple tops India premium smartphone market with 44% share in Q3

Strong demand for iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 helped Apple lead the premium smartphone market in India with 44 per cent share in the July-September quarter (Q3), a new report showed on Thursday.

Apple was the highest growing brand in Q3 with 212 per cent (on-year) growth and led the premium smartphone market (Rs 30,000 and above) with an impressive 44 per cent share, according to the data given by market research firm Counterpoint Research.

The iPhone maker maintained its leading position in the ultra-premium segment (Rs 45,000 and above) too with a 74 per cent market share.

“Strong demand for the iPhone 12 and iPhone 11 were the major factors in Apple’s growth. Apple also became the top 5G smartphone brand in the premium segment for the first time,” the report noted.

Apple has also witnessed a strong demand for its newly-launched iPhone 13 series in the festive season.

At the second place in the premium smartphone segment, Apple’s nearest competitor OnePlus grew 55 per cent (on-year) in the third quarter, driven by the OnePlus Nord Series.

During the quarter, OnePlus also registered its highest-ever shipments in the country.

“The newly-launched OnePlus Nord 2 5G and Nord CE 5G were the driving factors in OnePlus growth. Nord series cumulative shipments cross 3 million units,” the report noted.

Google unveils Android 12L for foldables, tablets

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Google unveils Android 12L for foldables, tablets

After releasing Android 12, Google has announced a preview of Android 12L, which may sound like a new version of Android, but Google calls it “a special feature drop that makes Android 12 even better on large screens”.

The idea here is to provide users on tablets, foldables and Chrome OS laptops — anything with a screen above 600 dp — with an improved user interface.

“In 12L we have refined the UI to make Android more beautiful and easier to use on screens larger than 600sp across notifications, quick settings, lockscreen, overview, home screen, and more. Try your app with the UI updates,” the company said in a blogpost.

The developer preview of Android 12L is now available for developers who want to give it a try, as well as a new Android 12L emulator and support for it in Android Studio.

Google plans to release 12L early next year, “in time for the next wave of Android 12 tablets and foldable”.

In addition to Android 12L, Google also announced new features in OS and Play for developers to better support these devices, reports TechCrunch.

These include updates to its Material Design guidance for large-screen devices, but also updates to Jetpack Compose to make it easier to build for these machines and to ensure that apps can more easily adapt to various screen orientations and sizes.

Android Studio is also getting a resizable emulator to help developers test their apps on a wider variety of screen sizes and a new visual linting tool to surface UI warnings and suggestions when the layout has issues.

As for Google Play, the company will now check apps against its large screen app quality guidelines and its search rankings will take the results of this into account.

“For apps that are not optimised for large screens, we’ll start warning large screen users with a notice on the app’s Play Store listing page,” the tech giant said.

‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ from ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ is a soulful love number

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‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ from ‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ is a soulful love number

‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ starring John Abraham is one of the most eagerly awaited films of the year. After a thundering response to the film’s high-octane trailer, the makers have now released the first song titled, ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’. The romantic number is brought to life by the beautiful chemistry between John and Divya.

The song talks about the expression of love in the purest form with Jubin Nautiyal and Neeti Mohan lending their voices to the melody. The song has been composed by Rochak Kohli with lyrics penned by Manoj Muntashir.

‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ happens to be John’s favourite track from the film’s album as he says, “Meri Zindagi just touches your heart. I fell in love with the song instantly when I heard it for the first time. Even while shooting for this romantic number, I had an amazing time with Divya on set. Jubin Nautiyal and Neeti Mohan’s vocals with Manoj Muntashir’s words, it couldn’t get any better.”

Talking about the song, Divya said, “Meri Zindagi Hai Tu is a song that is pure romance and all things love. It is one of the most passionate and romantic numbers I have shot for and it will definitely play on loop in your minds and hearts.”

Director Milap Zaveri adds, “John and Divya’s screen presence in ‘Meri Zindagi Hai Tu’ is something to look out for. It’s the perfect romantic track to portray the love their characters share.”

‘Satyameva Jayate 2’ is the sequel to the successful 2018 vigilante actioner ‘Satyameva Jayate’. The film helmed by Milap Milan Zaveri and produced by T-Series and Emmay Entertainment is set to hit cinemas on November 25.

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