Why is Virat Kohli such a formidable chaser of targets?
Team India registered yet another comfortable victory while chasing when they hammered New Zealand by six wickets in the first ODI at Dharamsala on Sunday. Superstar batsman Virat Kohli was at the forefront of the run chase yet again as he guided his team home with a flawless and unbeaten 85. The hosts won with almost 16 overs to spare and took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. (Run-machine Virat Kohli is the best in ODI format, by far)It’s almost as if Kohli has a switch in his brain which he turns on as soon as he sees a target in sight. Even when India had to chase down a relatively easy target of 191, Kohli managed to score almost half the runs himself. Whatever be the format, he just loves to hunt down targets. (India beat New Zealand by 6 wickets in first ODI)A look at his statistics after the Dharamsala ODI just goes to show what a legend Kohli is turning out to be for India. His closest rivals – South Africa captain AB de Villiers and England’s Joe Root, have a lot of catching up to do specially in the ODI format.Batsmen in successful chases in ODIs:(since Oct 2014) Player Inns Runs Highest Average SR 100s 50s Virat Kohli 9 482 139* 96.40 98.36 1 2 Joe Root 11 559 106* 69.87 92.09 2 3 AB de Villiers 5 274 101* 137.00 109.16 1 1Batsmen in successful chases in T20Is:(since Oct 2014) Player Inns Runs Highest Average SR 100s 50s Virat Kohli 6 333 82* 166.50 133.20 0 4 Joe Root 7 201 71 33.50 159.52 0 2 AB de Villiers 2 110 83 110.00 166.66 0 1 The 27-year-old already has crossed the fifty-run mark 32 times while chasing in day-night ODIs, which is the second-highest number for any cricketer. Batting icon Sachin Tendulkar holds the record with 34 fifty-plus scores from 107 innings. (Also Read: Kohli, Dhoni, Rahane proudly wear their mothers’ name on jerseys)advertisementKohli has amassed 3801 runs at an average of 69.10 in 70 innings. In day matches, Kohli averages 40.70 while chasing, crossing fifty six times in 22 innings. Kohli’s unbeaten 85 last night was also his 38th fifty-plus score in the 92 innings in which he has chased in total. (New Zealand team lacks determination, grit and fight: Sourav Ganbuly to India Today)Virat Kohli in successful chases:(Reuters Photo) Format Inns Runs Hs Avg SR 100s 50s ODIs 58 3360 183 86.15 96.57 13 15 T20Is 15 737 82* 122.83 131.13 0 8 IPL 36 1118 108* 50.82 135.68 1 5Kohli has the third highest batting average among batsmen who have scored a minimum of 1000 runs in successful chases in ODIs. Player Innings Average MS Dhoni 61 102.08 Michael Bevan 45 86.25 Virat Kohli 58 86.15 AB de Villiers 53 81.48Format-wise Kohli is head and shoulders above everybody else when it comes to batsmen who have scored more than 500 runs in successful run chases in T20 internationals.Leader in each format: Format Leader Inns Runs Hs Avg SR 100s 50s ODIs MS Dhoni 61 2348 183* 102.08 90.44 2 15 T20Is Virat Kohli 15 737 82* 122.83 131.13 0 8 IPL David Warner 21 1039 109* 74.21 160.09 1 10Considering Kohli’s age and the form that he is in, it would be safe to say they he will first break and then set a number of unthinkable records by the time he retires from international cricket.
India produced a scintillating performance to thrash England 69-18 in their last Group B encounter and seal their berth for the Kabaddi World Cup semi-finals at the TransStadia here. (Latest Sports stories)Star raider Pardeep Narwal scored 13 points while Ajay Thakur scored 11 points as India made full use of their squad depth to notch a comfortable win and end their group campaign on a high.The crowd at the TransStadia arena was in for a treat as the home team put on a spectacular show.After suffering a shocking defeat in their opening match against South Korea, India bounced back in style and finished the group matches with a whopping score difference of 174.England, on the other hand, can take a lot of heart from their performances as they finished fourth in Group A with 10 points.On Tuesday, England made a bright start as captain Someshwar Kalia scored two points in the first minute to lead 2-1. Sandeep Narwal scored with a super raid in the third minute as India overtook the visitors 5-2.Thakur scored with a two-point raid in the fifth minute as India extended the lead to 8-3 and reduced England to just two men.India inflicted the first all out of the match in the sixth minute to lead 12-3. Narwal scored his first points in the seventh minute to give India 14-3 lead.Keshav Gupta scored with a two-point read in the 10th minute as England trailed 5-17.Sandeep Narwal was in great raiding form as he scored six points to help India inflict the second all out in the 13th minute and get a lead of 24-5.advertisementEngland’s defence let them down as they failed to score a single point in the first 15 minutes.India inflicted another all out in the 16th minute to take a commanding 33-5 lead. Such was India’s dominance that they went on a 20-0 run in eight minutes to lead 37-5 after 18 minutes.Pardeep attained a super 10 in the first half whereas Surjeet got a high five as India inflicted the fourth all out in the 20th minute to lead 45-6 at the end of the first half.Coming back, India brought on five substitutes in the second half, including Rahul Chaudhari, to make use of their squad.Nitin Tomar scored two points in the 23rd minute as India led 49-7. England were still looking for their first tackle point and their star raider Tope Adewalure struggled to get raid points.India went on to inflict another all out in the 28th minute to take their lead to 57-8 before England’s Adewalure scored two raid points consecutively to become the first man to score 50 points in the ongoing World Cup.With less than five minutes to go, and India leading 64-14, Rahul scored his third point of the match.India cruised in the last few minutes as Thakur attained a super 10 in the 39th minute to give India a handsome 69-18 win.
Twelve months after Jamie Vardy earned worldwide fame for scoring in a record 11th Premier League match in succession, he is suffering a barren spell that mirrors Leicester City’s fall from domestic grace.The 29-year-old forward, who was signed from minor league Fleetwood Town in 2012 and helped catapult Leicester to a shock Premier League title triumph last season, has gone 15 club games without a goal and may be dropped for Saturday’s relegation tussle at Sunderland.Hollywood film makers planning a movie based on Vardy’s life may have to start thinking about rewriting their rags to riches story, to rags to riches and back again.It is hard to pinpoint the precise reason for Vardy and Leicester’s domestic slide especially as the team have made a spectacular start to their maiden Champions League campaign, securing a place in the knockout phase with a game to spare.Full back Danny Simpson said Premier League opponents were playing deeper against the champions this season, not allowing the sort of balls over the defence that Vardy can exploit with his pace.One thing is for certain, Leicester are missing former midfield talisman N’Golo Kante.The 25-year-old France international is once again at the top of the Premier League table, this time with new club Chelsea.Kante’s tackles and interceptions have been instrumental in Chelsea’s run of seven straight wins and he forms a strong partnership with Nemanja Matic in front of the defence.Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri has so far stood by the misfiring Vardy, his only striker to start every Champions League game and an almost ever-present in the Premier League despite netting twice in 958 minutes this season.advertisementBut another disappointing display last week, in a fortuitous 2-2 draw against Middlesbrough that has left them two points above the relegation zone, threatens the England international’s place, with new boy Islam Slimani the likely replacement.Vardy was demoted to the bench earlier this season against Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion but Ranieri suggested that was part of a rotation policy designed around their Champions League involvement.HIT-AND-HOPEWith qualification for the last 16 now assured, Ranieri may believe it is time to act with the statistics showing his striker is producing 1.2 shots on target per game compared to 3.2 last season.Former England forward Michael Owen sparked a debate about Vardy earlier in the season by saying on BT Sport that he was a hit-and-hope striker.”He’s the type of centre forward or type of finisher that is very much head down and hit it. He goes for power a lot. He’s not necessarily a real cute, classy type of finisher,” said Owen who also acknowledged the value of Vardy’s running.Leicester defender Simpson counters by saying a total of 24 Premier League goals last season tells its own story.”I am backing him 100 percent,” he said of Vardy. “You should see him in training, he smashes them in all over the place.”It is just one of those things, when he gets one he will go and score a load more.”It may be unfair to single out Vardy for criticism when Leicester are collectively underachieving in the Premier League while saving their best for Europe.After 13 games Ranieri’s side are down in 14th spot. At the same stage last year they were top, with 12 more goals, five more wins and 15 more points.Fingers are also being pointed at Algeria playmaker Riyad Mahrez.Mahrez was voted the 2015-16 Professional Footballers’ Association Player of the Year but he now finds himself heavily marked and confined to deeper positions as negative tactics choke off his supply line to Vardy.The few Leicester supporters who backed their team at 5,000-1 to land the Premier League crown last season might like to consider another bet: 500-1 to win the Champions League and be relegated.
The disciplinary hearing into boxer Vikas Krishan’s forfeiture of his Asian Championship semifinal bout continued today with the national coaches deposing before the inquiry committee.A day after Vikas gave his version, chief coaches Shiv Singh and S R Singh, along with assistant coach Narender Rana, gave their account of the circumstances leading to the forfeiture in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.The disciplinary panel, which is headed by veteran administrator Asit Banerjee, will now meet on May 30 and 31 for depositions from officials.”The coaches presented their versions and perspective on the incident. Now the panel will meet on May 30 and 31 and record statements of the officials who were with the team,” Banerjee told PTI.Even Vikas could be called again if the panel finds conflicting versions of what happened.The middleweight boxer, who was the top seed in the Asian meet, had given a walkover in the semifinal against Korean Lee Dongyun earlier this month. The reasons for his decision have not yet been officially revealed.It is learnt that the boxer, who had a World Series of Boxing (WSB) bout on May 11 in Paris, got caught up in a confusion over his travel plans, which led to his decision to forfeit the Asian Championship bout.Subsequently, he was not allowed to compete in the WSB bout either.The team officials, who will appear before the committee include Boxing Federation of India Secretary General Jay Kowli and team doctor Nirmolak Singh among others. A BFI source told PTI that the entire incident seems to be a result of “communication gap” and “lack of technical knowledge”.advertisement”The boxer and the officials should have handled it better, there was definitely a communication gap,” he said. When asked about the incident, Banerjee, on his part, said, “This has never happened and should not happen again. I cannot say as of now who is to be blamed.”Vikas is among the most decorated boxers in India. A two-time Olympian, he became the first Indian to be adjudged the best boxer by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at its annual gala last year. The 24-year-old is also a former World Championships bronze-medallist and an Asian Games gold-winner.
Ashes hopeful Jason Behrendorff, who has been selected for the Australia A one-day and four-day squads that will tour South Africa, has said that all cricketers are on the same page with regard to the ongoing pay dispute with the Cricket Australia Board (CAB).The Western Australia left-arm quick was quoted by the Sydney Morning Herald, as saying that the players are determined not to end a revenue-sharing model that has been in place for 20 years.Australian Cricket aired its dirty laundry last week when vice captain David Warner warned of a possible players boycott if the issue was not resolved in their interest, while the ACB head James Sutherland said players could find themselves unemployed if they did not agree to the terms set by the board.Negotiations are currently at a standstill and if a new deal is not in place by June 30, players may just opt for a boycott and examine all legal options available to them to take on Cricket Australia.The Australia A squads depart on July 8 but that will likely hinge on a new pay agreement.Behrendorff said,”The ACA are doing a great job for us and all the players are sticking together and we know all the guys at the state and Australian level and are all on the same page which is really good.”Behrendorff finished the Warriors’ season in devastating form, claiming 9-37 – the best Sheffield Shield figures in 50 years – against eventual champions Victoria.Australia A four-day squad: Usman Khawaja (c), Glenn Maxwell (vc), Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jackson Bird, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Travis Head, Kurtis Patterson, Chadd Sayers, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.advertisementAustralia A one-day squad: Travis Head (c), Ashton Agar, Jason Behrendorff, Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Hilton Cartwright, Sam Heazlett, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Kane Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Chris Tremain, Jack Wildermuth.
Eleven legendary cricket captains, Habibul Bashar, Kumar Sangakkara, Rameez Raja, Aamer Sohail, Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly, Graeme Smith, Sunil Gavaskar, Brendon McCullum and Nasser Hussain gathered today in London for Aaj Tak Salaam Cricket.India Today consulting editor Rajdeep Sardesai moderated the special session, noting right off the bat that most of ex-players present on the stage were batsmen and not bowlers. ‘Anil Kumble once told me a bowler makes a better captain than batsmen. But why are most captains batsmen?’ Sardesai asked the coterie of captains.Sunil Gavaskar started off on a lighter note, noting how he has a wicket in Tests and so, “I consider myself a bowler and not just a batsman.” “But (on a serious note), generally what happens is that bowlers get a little bit tried with their bowling spells and therefore perhaps are not able to grips with the game is one of the reasons why mainly it’s been batsmen who have been captains.”Kumar Sangakara pointed out that a few countries had had bowlers leading their cricket teams but noted that Sri Lanka has generally gone with batsmen. ‘I can’t pinpoint a reason, I’ve heard the standard jokes about fast bowlers and their mental abilities, but it could be fatigue or it could be that fast bowling at times is a thankless job and that batsman are people who steal the limelight’, the former Sri Lankan skipper said.Graeme Smith, the South African southpaw who holds the distinction of being the most experienced captain, echoed Gavaskar saying that while it all about choosing the right man for the job, sometimes it can be tough for bowlers to keep track of what is happening around them in the game.advertisement’BOWLERS NOT AS BRIGHT AS BATSMEN’Former English captain Nasser Hussain, however, had a straightforward answer: ‘Everyone is beating around the bush, but it is just that bowlers aren’t as bright as batsmen,’ Nasser laughed, but went on to agree with the points raised by Smith and Gavaskar. ‘While you’re bowling, you’re in the over, you’re in the emotion of trying to get a wicket, then when the over ends, you’re pretty tired and aren’t thinking of taking wickets,’ Nasser said.What about wicketkeepers, Rajdeep Sardesai asked the captains, revealing that MS Dhoni once told him that wicketkeepers make the best captains. New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum, also a wicketkeeper-captain, however, disagreed, saying wicketkeepers make better vice-captains. ‘Someone standing in the first slip is usually better at being the brains… Wicketkeepers are the best right-hand men for the captains,’ McCullum said.Pakistan’s Rameez Raza also raised the point of how bowlers could fall prey to injuries and may not last an entire series. His compatriot Aamer Sohail went on to note that Imran Khan, a fast bowler, was one of Pakistan’s best captains.Sunil Gavaskar ended the debate on a lighter note, saying that the simple reason for batsmen being captains is that they are better looking.INDIA’S ROLE IN CRICKET AND THE IPL The captains also discussed the role that India’s financial and sporting stature gives it in international cricket.’The responsibility lies with India, England and Australia to take the game forward and maintain an equality in the sport,’ Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara, while Graeme Smith said, ‘When you are a powerhouse it comes with great responsibility.’Meanwhile, Sourav Ganguly expressed confidence that India has been responsible and went on to say that cricketers make the best administrators of the game. “The best thing that cricketers know is the sport itself,” Ganguly said. On the topic of the Indian Premier League, the captains more or less agreed that the league had been good for the sport.”Ever player has got to be grateful to the IPL. It has opened up more opportunities in the game. The money that it brings, the influence. India also needs other countries,” Graeme Smith said.”IPL has been amazing for cricket. The relationships that we get to forge with other players and to interact with players from different countries, just goes to show the game is global and that’s what the IPL has done,” Brendon McCullum added.Nasser Hussain perhaps put it perfectly, saying, “Is world cricket better off because of India? Of course it is. Would world cricket be a lot worse off without India? Of course it would.”BETTER AT ODIs THAN TESTS Are today’s crickets better at One Day Internationals than they are at playing Test cricket? Without a doubt, Nasser Hussain said. “Today’s players are better in white-ball cricket without a doubt. Players hit the ball harder, further and are stronger than the previous generation,” Hussain said.advertisementOther captains noted that the current generation of cricketers have improved leaps on bounds when it comes to fitness.”Current generation of cricketers are certainly fitter than our generation”, Gavaskar said, while Graeme Smith added, “Cricketers now are more athletic than before. The amount of cricket that is being played now it demands players to be more fit.”Brendon McCullum also mentioned that the fitness among women crickets has improved as well, and as a result, women’s cricket is coming up quickly. “Men’s cricket has been around for a longer time but women’s cricket is coming up quickly and the women athletes are faster, stronger and fitter,” McCullum said.ENGLISH FAVOURITES? England, who are hosting the Champions Trophy this year, could go all the way to win the tournament, both Nasser Hussain and Sunil Gavaskar said. Hussain foresaw a final between England and India with the English coming out on top.Gavaskar said, “I think England have the best chance to win the Champions Trophy. Home conditions make them the favourites and also because they have won more matches than any other side.”Meanwhile, Brendon McCullum didn’t put his money on a single team but said, “The team which has the best players won’t necessarily go on to win the Champions Trophy.”DADA THE NEXT INDIA COACH? Towards the end of the session, Sourav Ganguly joked that come Monday, he will throw his hat in the ring to be the next Indian coach.’I am also part of the advisory committee that will pick the coach, so it all works out well,’ the former left-arm Indian opener said.Earlier in the day, Ganguly had said that the reported rift between captain Virat Kohli and coach Anil Kumble was not something someone should comment upon unless they had complete information about the matter.
Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna and his Canadian teammate Gabriela Dabrowski will aim to book their place in the finals of the French Open when they head into their mixed doubles’ semi-final clash.In the clay court grand slam, the seventh-seeded Indo-Canadian duo will play take on third-seeded pair of Czech Republic’s Andrea Hlavackova and France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the summit showdown.Earlier, Bopanna and Dabrowski stormed into the last-four after sweeping aside Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza and her Croatian partner Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-4.In men’s singles, all four quarter-finals will be played today.Fourteen-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will take on compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta, while defending champion and world number two Novak Djokovic will face sixth seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the semi-finals.World number one Andy Murray will also look to seal last-four berth when he faces off with eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan, while third-seed Stanislas Wawrinka will take on Marin Cilic of Croatia.As far as women’s singles quarter-final clashes are concerned, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina will lock horns with third seed Simona Halep while Caroline Garcia will take on second seed Karolina Pliskova today.
Roger Federer’s relentless pursuit of a record eighth Wimbledon title continued as he fought off stubborn Czech Tomas Berdych 7-6(4) 7-6(4) 6-4 to reach the final for the 11th time on Friday.The 35-year-old Swiss was given his toughest test yet by the 11th seed, who beat him at the quarter-final stage in 2010, but he raised his game at the crucial moments to become the oldest men’s singles finalist here since Ken Rosewall in 1974.Rosewall, then aged 39, went on to lose to Jimmy Connors but Federer will be a huge favourite to reclaim the title he last won in 2012 against big-serving Croatian Marin Cilic on Sunday.Federer has now reached 29 grand slam finals and for the third time in his career has reach the Wimbledon final without dropping a set, having also achieved the feat in 2006 and 2008.”I feel very privileged to be in another final,” Federer, who received a standing ovation at the end, said.”I’ve got the pleasure to play on Centre Court another time. I can’t believe it’s almost true again. I’m happy to have a day off to reflect on what I’ve done at the tournament.”Twelve months ago here Federer lost to Milos Raonic in the semi-finals – his legs looking heavy and the years finally appearing to catch up with him – but this year he has rolled back the clock in glorious fashion.MAJOR PRIZESHe now is one-match away from holding two of the game’s major four prizes for the first time since 2010 having begun the year by claiming the Australian Open title.advertisementBerdych, who reached the semi-final after second seed Novak Djokovic retired hurt in the quarters, spent a diligent two hours and 18 minutes at the coalface on Friday.But while 31-year-old toiled with his muscular game it was the dashing Federer who supplied the gems.Federer, contesting a record 12th Wimbledon semi-final, broke serve in the fifth game when he ran Berdych ragged before whipping a ball out of the air into the corner.Out of nowhere Berdych broke back for 4-4 when Federer – to gasps from the crowd – double-faulted at break point down.Berdych’s best chance of shaking Federer out of his silky rhythm was to grab the opening set but a terrible forehand at 3-4 in the subsequent tiebreak allowed Federer breathing space which he used to clinch the opener.Tennis has seen few better front-runners than Federer and while Berdych manfully stayed with his opponent in the second set he never was able to apply any real pressure.His only chance came when he had Federer 15-40 down at 2-3 but, as great champions do, the Swiss responded with a couple of slide-rule aces to avert the danger.Three consecutive forehand winners gave a ruthless Federer control of the second set tiebreak as he moved two sets clear.Berdych refused to throw in the towel and had break points at 3-3 in the third set, only for Federer to fling down three aces to finally break his rival’s spirit.The end came quickly as Federer broke in the next game and he sealed victory, his 90th at the All England Club, when Berdych netted a forehand, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd who simply cannot get enough of the Swiss history-maker.
#BigisBack says Xiaomi India. The smartphone maker is set to launch the Xiaomi Mi Max 2 in India today at an event in New Delhi. Mi Max 2 is the successor of the last year’s Mi Max and is expected to sport a much bigger display — 6.44-inch to be precise. Xiaomi will livestream the launch event of the Mi Max 2 on Mi Community at 11:30AM. You can watch the livestream of the event here .Xiaomi Mi Max 2 was first launched in China, back in the month of May. It is now finally coming to India after a long wait. The successor of last year’s Mi Max is packed with 6.44-inch display and powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 processor. Xiaomi India has been tweeting and posting about the launch of the Mi Max 2, followed by hash tag #BigisBack.Xiaomi launched the Mi Max 2 in China in two variants, one with — 4GB RAM/64GB memory and the top-end variant comes with 4GB RAM/128GB. However, the company may bringing both variants to India, or it may just bring one of the probably. Going by the camera set up, the Mi Max 2 comes with a 12-megapixel camera on the rear, while fits a 5-megapixel camera on the front. Further, Mi Max 2 is backed by a by a massive 5,300Mah battery.On the pricing point, the 64GB storage model was launched in China at 1699 RMB, which is roughly around Rs 15,953, while the 128GB model was launched at 1999 RMB, which roughly estimates around Rs 18,765. Although we are not sure if Xiaomi will bring both the variants to India, however chances are that the company might just bring only the 64GB variant, and skip the high-end 128GB. The reason behind not bringing the 128GB could be that the 128GB model may push the price of the phone above Rs 20,000.advertisementThe company will officially confirm the India price at the launch today. However, chances are that the company may keep the price of the Mi Max 2 in India below Rs 20,000 similar to the price of the Mi Max. To recall, Mi Max was launched in India at a starting price of Rs 14,999, although the premium version was sold for Rs 19,999. There are no words about the availability of the Mi Max 2 yet.Xiaomi Mi 6 not coming to IndiaXiaomi mainly focuses at bringing budget devices to the Indian market like the Redmi Note 4, Redmi 4 and Redmi 4A, and is skeptic on bringing its premium smartphones in the country. It is almost after almost a year that the Chinese smartphone maker is bringing a high-end device to India. Logically , the company should have brought the the company’s latest flagship phone — Mi 6, but no, Xiaomi may not bring the Mi 6 to India at all. This was earlier confirmed by India Today Tech. There are several reasons for not bringing the Mi 6 to India, but one of them is because Mi 5 didn’t do that well and didn’t possible meet the company’s expectations.
Taking care of a daughter and working on a film is not a cake walk. Ask actor Akshay Kumar and he will tell you how difficult it is. The 49-year-old actor, who is currently shooting for Reema Kagti’s Gold in London, is also babysitting his daughter as wife Twinkle Khanna is touring Europe.And in an interview to Mumbai Mirror, the Rustom actor confessed that his respect for his wife has gone several notches higher. He told the daily, “My wife (Twinkle Khanna) is touring Europe, my son Aarav is in Oxford for a two-week study course so I’m babysitting my daughter Nitara besides shooting for a film (Reema Kagti’s sports-drama Gold). And I have to confess that minding a little girl is a tough job.”He added, “My admiration for Mrs Funnybones has gone up several notches after realising the magnitude of the task. I don’t know how she writes, designs, looks after our children and still manages to stay calm on most days.”Akshay, who is juggling between work and taking care of his daughter, revealed, “Every morning, Nitara and I have breakfast together, then, we go to this park nearby where one can feed rabbits and goats. After her day-nurse comes, I travel to London for my shoot. Post ‘pack-up’, I take my daughter out again. The other evening, we went to watch Cars. Half way through the film she decided that she was tired, so we had to leave and drive back. I tried explaining to her that I wanted to continue watching the movie till the end, to no avail. Bringing up a baby is tough.”advertisementOn the work front, Akshay is awaiting the release of Toilet Ek Prem Katha opposite Bhumi Pednekar.ALSO READ: See Akshay Kumar and kids Aarav-Nitara in 7 photos. Got a better way to beat the Monday blues? ALSO READ: Twinkle Khanna destroys troll who badmouths her, Akshay Kumar and PM Narendra Modi ALSO WATCH: Akshay Kumar is the real ‘Khiladi’ of Bollywood
Xiaomi has launched has a new model of its budget phone Redmi 4A with3GB RAM and 32GB internal memory. The phone will be available for buy from August 31 via Amazon India, Paytm, Xiaomi’s official website and Tata Cliq.The new Redmi 4A comes with a memory boost up while all the other specs remain the same. The phone costs Rs 6,999 which is the same price as that of the base model of the Redmi 4.Meanwhile, Xiaomi Redmi 4 will go on sale today on Amazon India and Xiaomi’s official website. The phone sports a metal body and costs Rs 6,999. The company only last week also introduced a new 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory variant of the phone. The new Redmi 4 is priced at Rs 10,999 and sells only Gold colour variant.Redmi 4A specsThe Redmi 4A sports a 5-inch IPS display and is available in 2GB and3GB variants. The handset is powered by 64-bit Snapdragon 425 quad-core processor paired with Adreno 308 GPU. The internal storage is expandable using a microSD card.Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 4 review: Redmi 3S Prime HD remasterIn terms of photography, the phone sports a 13MP camera at the back with f/2.2 aperture and an LED flash. There is a 5MP selfie shooter with f/2.2 aperture. The dual-SIM smartphone runs on Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow-based MIUI 8 out-of-the-box and supports 4G VoLTE.The base model of the phone that comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage costs Rs 5,999 while the new variant with 3GB RAM is priced at Rs 6,999. The phone is backed by a 3,120mAh non-removable battery .advertisementRedmi 4 specsThe smartphone succeeds Redmi 3S and is one of the best selling budget smartphones from Xiaomi. The device is powered by a 1.4GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor paired with Adreno 505 GPU and 2GB/3GB/4GB RAM.Also Read: Xiaomi Redmi 4A review: An entry-level phone never looked so goodThe smartphone sports a 5-inch 720p display and boasts of a full metal body design. The device is backed by a 4,100mAh battery and runs Android Marshmallow-based MIUI 8. The Redmi 4 sports a 13MP rear camera with PDAF and a 5MP selfie camera. The smartphone comes with an IR blaster that can be used to control smart home appliances via Mi Home app.
India thrashed Macau 4-1 to qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup football tournament at the Sree Kanteevara Stadium in Bengaluru on Wednesday.Rowllin Borges (28th minute) put India ahead in the first half before Sunil Chhetri (60th) and Jeje Lalpekhlua (90+2) found the net after the break.Macau defender Man Fai Ho scored an own goal in the 70th minute while trying to clear a pass into the penalty box by India’s Halicharan Narzary.Nicholas Mario de Almeida Torrao scored the lone goal for the visitors in the 37th minute.This is the fourth time that India have qualified for the Asian Cup. The last time they qualified was six years ago when they won the AFC Challenge Cup to book their tickets to the 2011 Asian Cup.The last time India reached the main stage of Asian football’s showpiece event through the direct qualification route was in 1984.India’s best result at the Asian Cup came in 1964 when they finished runners-up to hosts Israel.
Barcelona reached the last 16 of the Copa del Rey with a comfortable 5-0 win over Murcia on Wednesday, but Basque Country teams Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao were eliminated by third-division clubs.Atletico Madrid advanced after a 3-0 win against Elche to overcome a first-leg draw.Barcelona striker Paco Alcacer scored in the first half and Gerard Pique, Aleix Vidal, Denis Suarez and Jose Arnaiz each added goals after halftime to give the hosts an 8-0 aggregate win against the third-tier club.”We played with great attitude,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. “You don’t want to go through any scares in these games, and the best way to do that is to play with good rhythm and dynamism.”Barcelona played without most of its regular starters, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.Valverde had also rested the team’s top players in the 3-0 first-leg win last month.Pique, who missed the Spanish league game against Valencia at the weekend, started the match at Camp Nou but was substituted right after scoring his 56th-minute goal.Barcelona is trying to become the first team to win four straight Copa del Rey titles since Athletic Bilbao in 1930-33.SOCIEDAD STUNNEDTeenager Bojan Radulovic scored an 87th-minute goal that allowed third-division club Lleida to eliminate top-flight club Real Sociedad on away goals.Lleida won 3-2 after trailing by two goals at halftime at Anoeta Stadium. It had lost the first leg 1-0 at home.”This hurts,” Sociedad coach Eusebio Sacristan said. “We have to ask for the fans’ forgiveness. We are very disappointed.”advertisementSociedad, seventh in the Spanish league, went ahead with goals by Diego Llorente and Juanmi, but the Catalan outsiders rallied with goals by Aitor Nunez and Manu Molina early in the second half. The 18-year-old Radulovic stunned Sociedad with a header near the end.”I’m speechless,” Radulovic said. “It’s my first goal with the first team, in a stadium like this, against a first-division club.”ATHLETIC OUSTEDAthletic Bilbao was eliminated by Formentera after conceding a goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time at its San Mames Stadium, losing the two-leg series 2-1.”We know that this is a huge loss and that the fans are disappointed,” Athletic coach Jose Angel Ziganda said. “This is probably the worst moment I’ve had to go through as a coach.”Substitute Alvaro Muniz netted the winner with a header off a corner kick cross to stun the home crowd in Bilbao.”Tomorrow it will sink in what it means to beat Athletic in its stadium,” Formentera coach Jose Angel Garcia Sanjuan said.ATLETICO STAYS ALIVEFernando Torres scored a goal in each half as Atletico easily defeated third-division club Elche at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, advancing 4-1 on aggregate.The goals ended Torres’ scoring drought after 13 matches this season.Jose Gimenez also scored for Atletico, which has won three straight in all competitions.SEVILLA ADVANCESWissam Ben Yedder scored twice in the first six minutes to lead Sevilla to a 4-0 win over third-division club Cartagena, securing a spot in the last 16 with a 7-0 win on aggregate.Paulo Henrique Ganso added to the lead just before halftime and Joaquin sealed the victory in the second half.It was Sevilla’s first match without coach Eduardo “Toto” Berizzo, who underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer on Tuesday.Assistant coach Ernesto Marcucci is in charge until Berizzo returns.LAS PALMAS GOES THROUGHLas Palmas advanced 6-4 on aggregate after a 3-2 home loss to Deportivo La Coruna, but it lost striker Vitolo just before halftime because of a left leg injury.
GLENEAGLES, Scotland — For the first time in eight years, Europe is ahead after the first full day of play at the Ryder Cup.Europe grabbed a 5-3 lead after Sept. 26th’s two sessions at Gleneagles — even though big guns Rory McIlroy, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter contributed only half a point.But it was an improbable half point that felt like a win, gave the home side a momentum boost and could prove decisive in the final outcome as Europe bids for its eighth victory in 10 Ryder Cups.”We’ve seen in the Ryder Cups over the years how important momentum switches are and how it can really have a domino effect,” European captain Paul McGinley said.“So when the surge came from America at the end of the session this morning, for our guys to react as well as they did in all four matches, shows real strength of character.”The last time the Europeans led after the opening day was at the K Club in Ireland in 2006. They went on to win 18 ½-9 ½. The Americans led after the first full day in each of the last three Ryder Cups.Trailing the United States 2 ½-1 ½ after the morning fourballs, the Europeans won three of the alternate-shot matches in the afternoon. More dramatic was the late rally by McIlroy and Garcia, who came from two shots down with two to play to halve with Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker.McIlroy made a 30-foot birdie putt at the 17th and Garcia hit a beautiful approach from the rough on the 18th to set up another birdie. “That was probably as good as a win, to come back from where they were,” McGinley said.The No. 1-ranked McIlroy and No. 3 Garcia had lost their fourballs match in the morning, beaten 1-up by Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley. Until the late comeback, it looked like McIlroy would become the first No. 1 player to lose two Ryder Cup matches on the same day since Tiger Woods in 2002.“Sergio and I battled for all 36 holes out there today,” McIlroy said. “It was a long day for both of us, and just glad that we were able to contribute something to the cause today.”He called the half-point a “mini-victory.”“It definitely is a huge halve in terms of momentum for the European team going into tomorrow,” McIlroy said. “It was huge. For Sergio and I, it’s just nice to be able to walk away from today with at least something.”The afternoon began with Lee Westwood and Jamie Donaldson pulling Europe level by beating Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar 2 up. Westwood, playing in his ninth Ryder Cup, enjoyed his role as mentor to the Welsh rookie.“I love it, kind of watching somebody take to it like a duck to water,” he said.Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson won their second match of the day, beating Hunter Mahan and Zach Johnson 2 and 1. Rose said he wouldn’t complain if he’s picked to play in both sessions again on Sept. 27.“There’s so many good players on this team but you can only field eight a day,” he said. “So if that’s what’s called of us, we’ll be up for it.”Graeme McDowell and French rookie Victor Dubuisson secured the final point, defeating Mickelson and Bradley 3 and 2. It’s the first time Mickelson and Keegan have lost together in the Ryder Cup after four straight wins.“Very fortunate to be playing alongside a player who I think really is Europe’s next superstar,” McDowell said of the 24-year-old Dubuisson, the youngest player on the team. “I really believe that. He was awesome today. He didn’t miss a shot.”In the morning, the Americans seemed to strike a big psychological blow by taking down McIlroy and Poulter. Three rookies played a huge part in the U.S. effort.In a stunning performance, 21-year-old Jordan Spieth and 24-year-old Patrick Reed — the youngest pairing in Ryder Cup history — beat Poulter and Scottish rookie Stephen Gallacher 5 and 4.U.S. captain Tom Watson had singled out Poulter as the one player the Americans wanted to target — even more than McIlroy. Poulter had won seven consecutive Ryder Cup matches and was the catalyst of Europe’s remarkable comeback in Medinah two years ago. This was Poulter’s heaviest ever Cup defeat.“We couldn’t manage to get it done today, so it’s a shame,” said the Englishman, who went without a single birdie. “We don’t hole enough putts, that simple.”Watson said he was proud of his rookies, but decided not to send them out for the afternoon foursomes, something which proved to be a mistake. “I said, ‘I know you’re going to be mad at me, but you’ll be playing tomorrow for sure,’” Watson said.(STEPHEN WILSON, AP Sports Writer)TweetPinShare0 Shares
Panathinaikos’ hoopsters caught a break, advancing in the Euroleague tournament despite losing 69-68 against the Serbian team Red Star in Belgrade.The Greens will play on because the European champion Maccabi Tel Aviv beat Panathinaikos’s main rival, Alba Berlin, to get into the quarterfinals.Panathinaikos will now face CSKA in Moscow on April 14 in a best-of-five series to get into the final four. It’s a rematch of last-year’s match-up won by the Russian team, 3-2.Panathinaikos had an awful start in Belgrade, hitting only 2-of-18 shots from the field to trail 16-7 in the first period before cutting it to 30-26 at the half.By that time, the team had heard of Alba Berlin’s loss and the result didn’t matter, but they hung in to keep it close. The Serbian national champion went all out to please its fans although it continues to have a poor record in Euroleague play.James Gist and AJ Slaughter didn’t score in a terrible performance for both. Esteban Batista was the leading scorer for Panathinaikos with 15 points.TweetPinShare0 Shares
ATHENS — Apostolos Vellios’ solo effort and score from a tight angle in the first half was enough for Iraklis to beat Panathinaikos 1-0 in the Greek soccer league on Nov. 28.The win kept Panathinaikos eight points adrift of league leader Olympiacos, which hosts Asteras on Nov. 29 and allowed Panionios, a 2-0 winner over Giannena, to catch Panathinaikos in second place, but with one more game played.Iraklis was in eighth place. Also, Panthrakikos beat host Atromitos 2-1.TweetPinShare0 Shares
TweetPinShare0 Shares KAMLOOPS, British Columbia — The United States was once again too much for Canadian goaltender Emerance Maschmeyer.Hilary Knight had two goals and Brianna Decker scored the winner to help the US begin its title defense at the women’s world hockey championship with a 3-1 victory over Canada on March 28.Knight’s even-strength goal tied it 1-1 with 10:02 to play, and Decker scored a power-play goal about 4 minutes later. Knight added an empty-netter with 20 seconds left.“It took a while for our power play to get going,” Decker said. “Obviously we had a lot of chances throughout the night.“If you look at all the units, they all can capitalize whenever. It’s nice to have four lines that can be on the power play at any time. We use that depth to our advantage.”Laura Fortino scored for Canada 14 seconds into the third period.Alex Rigsby stopped 22 shots for the Americans, and Maschmeyer had 36 saves.It was the third straight solid start by Maschmeyer against the US that ended in a Canadian defeat. The 21-year-old stopped 30 shots in a 3-2 overtime loss to the US in the final last year, and that followed a 27-save performance in a 3-0 loss in the preliminary round.“It’s always disappointing getting a loss, especially against the U.S.,” Maschmeyer said. “It’s frustrating, but we’re going to use this as momentum and we’re going to get them when it counts.”In other preliminary-round games, Finland beat Russia 5-3, Switzerland beat Japan 4-2 and Sweden beat the Czech Republic 3-2.Canada faces Russia and the U.S. takes on Finland on March 29. Both countries went with their younger, less experienced goaltenders in the opener.Maschmeyer, 21, was given the nod over Charline Labonte for her third career start against the Americans. Rigsby, 24, started for the US ahead of Jessie Vetter.Decker banged in a rebound from the high slot after Maschmeyer’s initial save on Monique Lamoureux’s blast from the point.Knight pulled the U.S. even with a wrist shot that deflected off Canadian defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak’s stick and beat Maschmeyer low glove side.After two scoreless periods and with the US holding a 24-13 edge in shots, Fortino beat Rigsby high stick side from the high slot in front of a full house at the 5,400-seat Sandman Centre.“There’s no medal being given out tonight from that game, so we’ve got to keep going and focus on the next game,” Canadian captain Marie-Philip Poulin said.The US power play was 44 percent successful at last year’s world championship in Malmo, Sweden, where they scored three power-play goals in the final en route to a 7-5 win over Canada.The Canadians had a pair of key penalty kills in this one before giving up the winner during the third.Canada stopped the Americans on a two-man advantage early in the first period. Overlapping penalties to start the second had Canada short-handed for almost 4 minutes.“You can’t ignore how good their power play is. I’m proud of our girls how they performed on the kill,” Canadian coach Laura Schuler said. “We’ve just got to find a way of putting the puck in the net more 5-on-5 and continue to work on building momentum we generated off our kill.”The hosts generated the bulk of their scoring chances in the middle of the opening period. Momentum swung to the US in the final minutes, though, and the visitors headed to the dressing room up 12-6 in shots on goal.
CIUDAD VICTORIA, Mexico (AP) — Soccer player Alan Pulido, a forward with Olympiacos in the Greek league, has been rescued by Mexican police after his kidnapping in the northeast border state of Tamaulipas, officials said May 30.Pulido appeared outside state police offices with one of his hands bandaged alongside Tamaulipas Gov. Egidio Torre Cantu. When reporters asked him how he was, Pulido replied: “Very well, thank God.”“The most important thing is that he is here. He is with us,” Torre Cantu said.The Tamaulipas security coordination group said in a statement earlier May 30 that the rescue occurred shortly before midnight and involved state and Fgidioederal police.State police spokesman Evaristo Gutierrez said one suspect has been arrested, but provided no details.Pulido, 25, was kidnapped the night of May 28 outside his hometown of Ciudad Victoria as he left a party.TweetPinShare0 Shares
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) — Two wins, eight goals and almost certainly a place in the knockout stage for first time since the Soviet era.Russia is enjoying quite the party at its own World Cup — and not even the highly anticipated return of Mohamed Salah could slow it down on Tuesday.Confounding grim pre-tournament predictions, the host nation earned a second straight emphatic victory to start the group stage by beating Egypt 3-1. Having already routed Saudi Arabia 5-0, Russia is likely to be celebrating a spot in the round of 16 by Wednesday evening and few could have seen that happening so soon.“It’s a group of solidarity and cohesion,” said Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov, who whipped up the crowd by waving his arms in delight on the field after the final whistle. “You mention difficulties, problems. We don’t like these words. We don’t have this in our vocabulary. We had some issues and we dealt with it.”Like a string of pre-tournament injuries that ravaged the defense. Like a run of seven winless games heading into the tournament. The Russians started the World Cup as the lowest-ranked team at the tournament at No. 70, but they aren’t playing like it.Three goals in a 15-minute span early in the second half did the damage against Egypt, with Ahmed Fathi poking the ball into his own net — the fifth own-goal of the tournament — to put Russia ahead in the 47th minute. Denis Cheryshev, with his third goal of the World Cup, and striker Artyom Dzyuba then scored in quick succession before Salah won and converted a consolation penalty in his first game back after 3 1/2 weeks out with a shoulder injury.Russia’s Mario Fernandes, left, challenges for the ball Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, right, during the group A match between Russia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)Salah needed to produce the type of performance he delivered nearly every week for Liverpool this season, when he scored 44 goals in 51 games, but it was clear from the start that he was staying out of anything too physical on his return from damaged ligaments in his left shoulder sustained in the Champions League final.Aside from his goal, Salah was quiet in his first ever match at a World Cup, much to the dismay of the Egypt fans in the stadium who roared every time their star player’s face flashed up on the big screen and when his name was announced before kickoff. Not to mention the 90 million Egyptians back home.“I was told by the medical staff that he was fit, feeling good,” Egypt coach Hector Cuper said. “He couldn’t prepare with us in the training camp, he had to train alone. Maybe that meant his total physical ability was reduced.”Egypt’s first World Cup in 28 years could be over in barely five days, while Russia’s place in the round of 16 will be assured if Uruguay wins or draws against the Saudis on Wednesday.Those two scenarios would also eliminate Egypt.GROUP DYNAMICSThe match between Russia and Uruguay in Samara on Monday is likely to determine which teams finish in first and second place in Group A, with Spain and Portugal likely lying in wait in the round of 16.As for Egypt, a first win at a World Cup at the seventh attempt is the aim when it plays Saudi Arabia in Volgograd on the same day.Russia’s Denis Cheryshev celebrates after scoring his side’s second goal against Egypt during the group A match between Russia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)KEY TO SUCCESSRussia neutralized Salah in the tense but low quality first half, with Yuri Zhirkov dealing well with the Premier League’s player of the year particularly when he got in front to him to clear a dangerous cross early in the first half.The Russians then took advantage of Egypt’s defensive mistakes to cruise into a three-goal lead out of nothing. Fathi’s attempted clearance for the first goal was sloppy, as was Ali Gabr’s attempt at closing down Dzyuba for the third goal.Cheryshev, who entered the World Cup as a fringe player, is proving lethal in front of goal and is surprisingly tied as leading scorer with Cristiano Ronaldo.SERIOUS STATSThe five own-goals at this year’s tournament is only one off the record for a whole World Cup, set in 1998.___This story has been corrected to show that Russia started the tournament as the lowest-ranked team at No. 70, not the second lowest-ranked at No. 67.—By STEVE DOUGLAS , AP Sports WriterRussia’s Ilya Kutepov celebrates after the group A match between Russia and Egypt at the 2018 soccer World Cup in the St. Petersburg stadium in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tuesday, June 19, 2018. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)TweetPinShare0 Shares
MILAN — Italian-American businessman Rocco Commisso completed his takeover of Serie A Rocco Commisso club Fiorentina on Thursday.No financial details were disclosed but the deal is reportedly worth about 160 million euros ($181 million).“I’ve always been a fan of Italian football and there are no words to describe how incredibly honored I am to have the opportunity to help write the next chapter in the history of such a legendary club as Fiorentina,” Commisso said.Commisso, who also owns the New York Cosmos of the National Premier Soccer League, tried to buy AC Milan last year. He said he has been in negotiations to buy Fiorentina for three years.“Over the past three years in which I’ve been in contact to buy the club, I’ve built up a deep understanding of just how important ‘La Viola’ is for this city and its fans,” Commisso said.Fiorentina becomes the fifth Serie A club to come under foreign ownership after Milan (U.S.-based hedge fund Elliott Management), Inter Milan (Chinese retail group Suning), Roma (American businessman James Pallotta) and Bologna (Canadian businessman Joey Saputo).More than half of the 20 Premier League clubs in England are under foreign ownership.“I’m bringing my passion, my Italianness,” Commisso said. “Out of these Americans who have bought Italian clubs, from Pallotta to Saputo, I am the only one who was born in Italy. I live and die for the Italy national team, since I left this country as a child.”The Della Valle family had owned Fiorentina for 17 years.Fiorentina finished in 16th place last season, three points off the relegation zone. It was the team’s lowest Serie A finish since 2004-05, which was its first season back in the top Italian division since being refounded in 2002 after bankruptcy.“It wasn’t the best offer for us but it was for Fiorentina,” Diego Della Valle said. “We have sold Fiorentina to a person we believe is the most qualified out of all the people that seriously expressed their interest.“He knows soccer. We hope he does good things, we are sure he will.”TweetPinShare0 Shares