Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Watch: MS Dhoni Begins Training For IPL 2023, Sweats It Out In Nets
Four-time Indian Premier League (IPL)-winning captain, MS DHoni, will lead the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the upcoming season of the cash-rich league. Dhoni is arguably one of the best captains Team India ever had. He led Team India to three major ICC trophies -- 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. Apart from his accomplishments in the national side, he has also been a prominent leader in franchise cricket, leading CSK to four Indian Premier League titles (2010, 2011, 2018, 2021).
Ahead of IPL 2023, Dhoni has already began preparations for the tournament, and was seen practising in the nets at the Jharkhand Cricket Association Stadium (JSCA) in Ranchi.
Thala Dhoni is getting ready for IPL 2023. pic.twitter.com/2sMk2IWVil
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 25, 2023
The video of Dhoni sweating it out in the nets has gone viral on social media.
At the IPL mini acution, CSK paid a whopping sum of Rs 16.25 crore to buy star England all-rounder Ben Stokes.
With CSK's bid, Ben Stokes equalled the mark of Chris Morris and became the joint third-costliest player in the history of IPL auction.
Meanwhile, Stokes surpassed Deepak Chahar to become CSK's most-expensive buy in an IPL auction.
After the side bought Ben Stokes, CSK CEO Kasi Viswanathan revealed that Dhoni was "very happy" with the deal.
"Very excited to get (Ben) Stokes and we were lucky also because he came up at the end. We wanted an all-rounder and MS (Dhoni) was very happy that we got Stokes," Kasi Viswanathan was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
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Watch: Kieron Pollard's Acrobatic Catch Near Boundary Line In ILT20
MI Emirates skipper Kieron Pollard continued from where he left on Sunday night at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, as he came up with another blazing half century, his second of the tournament in a row, but ended up on the losing side after Alex Hales and Sherfane Rutherford came together to power the Desert Vipers to a seven-wicket win on Tuesday. Not only by his batting, Pollard also lifted the morale of the side by plucking a one-handed blinder on the ropes to get the prized scalp of his opposite number Colin Munro, who looked threatening with his 22-ball 41.
On the second ball of the 8th over of Desert Vipers' innings, Munro hit a full toss ball from Samit Patel towards long-on where Pollard was stationed. The MI Emirates captain timed his jump beautifully to grab the one-handed stunner.
Watch the catch here:
#PollyPandey, what have you done! @KieronPollard55 with a Bawaal one-handed catch and the celebration to match. #MIEvDV #CricketOnZee #DPWorldILT20 #BawaalMachneWalaHai #HarBallBawaal @MIEmirates @ILT20Official pic.twitter.com/2eKZPWjoYk
— Zee Cricket (@ilt20onzee) January 24, 2023
Besides being an important member of the West Indies cricket team, Kieron Pollard was also a key player for Indian Premier League side Mumbai Indians. He retired from cricket at the highest level in April last year, while his IPL retirement came around seven months later in November 2022.
One of the finest overseas stars to grace the IPL, Pollard made the tough decision to retire, the same day franchises were to submit their 'released and retention' list of players. Pollard, who was expected to be put back in the player pool by his franchise Mumbai Indians after an ordinary 2022 season, went a step ahead by deciding to not play in the league at all.
Pollard was roped in by Mumbai Indians in 2010 and spent 13 glittering seasons with the Mumbai-based franchise. He is now not a part of IPL and international cricket, but the Caibbean all-rounder continues to play franchise cricket.
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Australia Great Slams Selectors For Not Considering Steve Smith As Opener
Legendary Australian wicket-keeper Ian Healy has questioned the national selectors for not considering Steve Smith in the role of an opener in white-ball cricket. Smith, 33, has notched up 328 runs in four innings for the Big Bash League (BBL) side Sydney Sixers, scoring 36, 101, 125 not out and 66. Healy says it is difficult to ignore Smith's credentials as opener, especially since David Warner and Aaron Finch are nowhere near their best.
Finch retired from ODIs late last year after a miserable season, which also saw the hosts exit the T20 World Cup at home prematurely.
Healy also compared Smith with the legendary Don Bradman and said it was a "privilege" watching the cricketer bat.
Asked whether he would like to see Smith open in the shortest format, Healy said, "Definitely, how could you not?" "Who opened with (David) Warner in the T20 World Cup? It was Finchy (Aaron Finch) who was captain. Both Warner and Finch aren't playing anywhere near as well as Smith, so he overtakes both of those in my eyes with the way he's batting now," Healy told Sportsday NSW on Wednesday.
The 58-year-old added that not just T20Is, the selectors should consider Smith for the opener's role in the 50-over World Cup in India next year.
"We don't play many international T20s so hopefully he's doing this (scoring big in BBL) in the lead-up to the next World Cup. Even in the 50-over game I'd be opening with him as well." Healy indicated that very few batters in Australia came anywhere close to Smith in terms of technique.
"I feel like it's a privilege watching him. When he gets out, seeing how hard the others are doing it, the discrepancy between him and the rest is unbelievable, it's very Bradman-like.
"He's just doing it so easily and how he's done it, he'd have a technical idea of what he's doing -- he's talking grip and everything like that, but I like his feet, his feet are still and his head is still.
"When he played at his best maybe three years ago or four years ago, he was walking all over the place but when the bowler delivered the ball he was dead still, and his feet were set.
"He's finding the middle of the bat incredibly often and it feels like a privilege watching him play like this, he wasn't doing it six months ago."
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India's GDP Projected To "Remain Strong" At 5.8%, Says UN Report
India's GDP is projected to moderate to 5.8 per cent in 2023 as higher interest rates and global economic slowdown weigh on investment and exports, the United Nations said on Wednesday, noting that the country's economic growth is expected to remain "strong" even as prospects for other South Asian nations "are more challenging".
The World Economic Situation and Prospects 2023 report said the world output growth is projected to decelerate from an estimated three per cent in 2022 to 1.9 per cent in 2023, marking one of the lowest growth rates in recent decades as a "series of severe and mutually reinforcing shocks - the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and resulting food and energy crises, surging inflation, debt tightening, as well as the climate emergency - battered the world economy in 2022."
The report, produced by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), said that in South Asia, the economic outlook has significantly deteriorated due to high food and energy prices, monetary tightening, and fiscal vulnerabilities. Average GDP growth is projected to moderate from 5.6 per cent in 2022 to 4.8 per cent in 2023.
"Growth in India is expected to remain strong at 5.8 per cent, albeit slightly lower than the estimated 6.4 per cent in 2022, as higher interest rates and a global slowdown weigh on investment and exports," it said.
The UN report said that "prospects are more challenging" for other economies in the South Asia region. Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka sought financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2022.
While economic growth in India is projected to moderate in the calendar year 2023 to 5.8 per cent, with higher interest rates weighing on investment and slower global growth weakening exports, the report estimates that the country will grow at 6.7 per cent in 2024, the fastest-growing major economy in the world.
The report presents a gloomy and uncertain global economic outlook for the near term. Global growth is forecast to moderately pick up to 2.7 per cent in 2024 as some of the headwinds will begin to subside.
However, this is highly dependent on the pace and sequence of further monetary tightening, the course and consequences of the war in Ukraine, and the possibility of further supply-chain disruptions.
"This is not the time for short-term thinking or knee-jerk fiscal austerity that exacerbates inequality, increases suffering and could put the SDGs farther out of reach. These unprecedented times demand unprecedented action," United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said.
"This action includes a transformative SDG stimulus package, generated through the collective and concerted efforts of all stakeholders," he added.
China is projected to grow at 4.8 per cent in calendar year 2023 and 4.5 per cent in 2024, while the US is estimated to register a 0.4 per cent economic growth this year and 1.7 per cent in 2024.
Directions of trade in Russia have markedly changed since the war started, the report said adding that although Russian oil has been redirected to Asia and sold at a discount price, the total value of exports increased in 2022 as trade with China, India and Turkiye surged.
The current account surplus of Russia in the first three quarters of 2022 amounted to USD 198 billion versus USD 122 billion for 2021 as a whole.
The report said that amid high inflation, aggressive monetary tightening and heightened uncertainties, the current downturn has slowed the pace of economic recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, threatening several countries - both developed and developing - with the prospects of recession in 2023.
Growth momentum significantly weakened in the United States, the European Union and other developed economies in 2022, adversely impacting the rest of the global economy through a number of channels.
In India, annual inflation is estimated at 7.1 per cent in 2022, exceeding the 2 to 6 per cent medium-term inflation target band set by the Central Bank. India's inflation is expected to decelerate to 5.5 per cent in 2023 as global commodity prices moderate and slower currency depreciation eases imported inflation.
Most developing countries have seen a slower job recovery in 2022 and continue to face considerable employment slack. Disproportionate losses in women's employment during the initial phase of the pandemic have not been fully reversed, with improvements mainly arising from a recovery in informal jobs, the report said.
Recovery in the labour market has been uneven across the region. The report said that among the large economies, the unemployment rate dropped to a four-year low of 6.4 per cent in India, as the economy added jobs both in urban and rural areas in 2022.
"In India, the unemployment rate in 2022 declined to pre-pandemic levels through stepped-up urban and rural employment. But youth employment remained below pre-pandemic levels, particularly among young women, given the pandemic's severe impacts on economic sectors where women tend to cluster," it said.
The report calls for governments to avoid fiscal austerity which would stifle growth and disproportionately affect the most vulnerable groups, affect progress in gender equality and stymie development prospects across generations. It recommends reallocation and reprioritization of public expenditures through direct policy interventions that will create jobs and reinvigorate growth. This will require strengthening of social protection systems, ensuring continued support through targeted and temporary subsidies, cash transfers, and discounts on utility bills, which can be complemented with reductions in consumption taxes or custom duties, it said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Video: Frustrated Rohit Sharma Scolds Shardul Thakur In Animated Outburst
The Indian cricket team wrapped up the 3-match series against New Zealand with a victory in the 3rd ODI as well, hence securing a 3-0 sweep. While Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill were the top performers with the bat, scoring a century each, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav were the top wicket-takers, bagging three wickets each. It was Shardul who was eventually named the Player of the Match for his 3 for 45. Despite his terrific spell, there were moments in the match where Rohit wasn't impressed with the pacer.
Shardul go the important wickets of Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips in the middle overs, all but shifting the game in India's favour. However, there was one particular moment in the match when skipper Rohit wasn't happy with Shardul's application.
In fact, during the 27th over, Rohit walked up to Shardul and vented out his frustration at the sort of length the bowler was bowling. Even the commentators agreed with Rohit at that moment, suggesting Shardul should've been bowling better.
Here's the video:
— Anna 24GhanteChaukanna (@Anna24GhanteCh2) January 24, 2023
Shardul has been in and out of the Indian team in the ODI format. Having been named the Player of the Match for the third ODI, the pacer's confidence would've earned a big boost. After the match, Rohit too reserved big praise for Shardul, calling him a 'magician'.
"We bowled pretty well, stuck to our plans and held our nerve. Shardul has been doing it for a while. Teammates call him a magician and he came and delivered yet again. He just needs to get more games under his belt," Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
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Watch: Yuzvendra Chahal Grabs Kuldeep Yadav's Ears, Indulges in Banter
India handed a 90-run defeat to New Zealand in the third and final ODI match on Tuesday to complete a series sweep. The game that took place at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore saw the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav and Shardul Thakur star for India. Rohit Sharma (101 off 85 balls) and Shubman Gill (112 off 78 balls) hit centuries as India posted 385 for 9 after New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and opted to field. In reply, the Blackcaps were bundled out for 295 runs as Shardul and Kuldeep picked three wickets apiece.
During the post-match presentation, a hilarious incident came to light in which Yuzvendra Chahal could be seen involved in banter with his teammate Kuldeep Yadav on the ground. While the left-arm spinner was talking to Mohammed Siraj, Chahal held Kuldeep's ears from behind and shook his head.
Watch the video here:
— LePakad7 (@AreBabaRe2) January 24, 2023
With the victory over New Zealand on Tuesday, India took the top spot in ODI rankings, replacing England at helm. India now have a rating point of 114 while the Three Lions have 113 rating points. Australia are at the third position with a rating point of 112. New Zealand and Pakistan hold the fourth and fifth spots with rating points of 111 and 106, respectively.
Talking about the India vs New Zealand ODI series, the Rohit Sharma-led side had inched past the guests by 12 runs in the opening game. In the second match, India registered a dominating 8-wicket win to seal the series beforehand.
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Airtel Raises Basic Tariffs By Nearly 57% In Seven Regions
Bharti Airtel, India's No. 2 telecom carrier by subscribers, has introduced a new entry level plan at Rs 155 in seven regions, the company's spokesperson said on Tuesday, effectively raising basic tariffs by nearly 57%.
The new plan was introduced in regions including the states of Karnataka, Bihar and Rajasthan, after discontinuing the existing tariffs of 99 rupees, the spokesperson added.
The company had late last year introduced the new plan on a trial basis in Odisha and Haryana.
Telecom firms were widely expected to hike tariffs to shore up revenues after having spent billions of dollars in the 5G auction last year.
Airtel's average revenue per user (ARPU), a key performance indicator for telecom firms, was 190 rupees in the September-quarter, a 3.8% sequential rise and a roughly 24% year-on-year increase.
The ARPU needed to be at 200 rupees and ultimately at 300 rupees for a financially healthy business model, Airtel said in November 2021, when it last raised tariffs.
Larger rival Reliance Jio, the telecom arm of billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries, had ARPU at 177.2 rupees in the September quarter which rose slightly to 178.2 rupees in the December quarter.
Jio, which disrupted the industry with cut-price rates in 2016, has not yet raised tariffs in over a year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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Monday, 23 January 2023
"He Had To Wait, But...": Sarfaraz Khan On Suryakumar Yadav Making It Big
When Sarfaraz Khan was not named in the Indian squad for the first two Tests against Australia, there was a huge furore on social media. Even cricket greats like Sunil Gavaskar slammed the Chetan Sharma-led All India Selection Committee for ignoring batter Sarfaraz, who is going through a purple patch in the domestic circuit. "He is not staying off the field when he is scoring hundreds, he is back on the field again. All that tells you that the man is fit for cricket. If you are looking for only slim and trim guys, then you might as well go to a fashion show and pick some models and then give them a bat and ball in their hand and then include them. You have cricketers in all shapes and sizes. Don't go by the size, but go by the runs and the wickets," Gavaskar had told India Today.
Indian fans on social media reacted quite angrily to the selection of Suryakumar Yadav, who has been doing well for India in the limited-overs formats, in the Tests against Australia over Sarfaraz, who has been getting tons of runs in first-class cricket.
However, Sarfaraz sees Suryakumar as an inspirational figure. The two have played together for a long time for their state team Mumbai.
"Surya is a very good friend of mine. Whenever we are in the same team, we spend a lot of time together. I learn a lot from him. Yes, he had to wait, but now he is using his experience very well," Sarfaraz Khan said in an interview with senior journalist Vimal Kumar.
Speaking on his preparation and his outlook towards the game, Sarfaraz said: "I only focus on hard work. I believe in doing as much hard work as possible. Whatever I have been following, I look to continue that. When I went out to bat, I wanted to repeat what I have been doing the last few years. I am a person who is attached to the ground. I practice a lot, and that's why my form is continuing."
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