SPORTY WORLD

Gearing up for Wimbledon, dreaming of Olympics

2012-05-09T19:24:00.000+05:30

CHENNAI: Right after his second round bow out at Wimbledon last year, Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman injured his shoulder. After a year and many ranking slips later, the 27-year-old is ready to get back into the game. “I’m getting back into shape and am aiming to come back before Wimbledon,” says Devvarman, who though hasn’t played any matches yet this year, is on a path to recovery. “But the French Open is definitely not a possibility,” adds Devvarman, who was in town to visit the Lacoste store at Express Avenue. Having been associated with the apparel brand since 2010, Devvarman says that wearing Lacoste makes him feel “confident and outgoing while on court”.

Devvarman, who disappointed his Chennai fans by pulling out of the Chennai Open earlier this year due to injury, also subsequently pulling out of the Australian Open, says that though Wimbledon might his prime focus right now, his Olympic dream continues to remain. “It’s been a dream to represent the country in the Olympics since I was a kid,” he says, hoping that by the time he plays Wimbledon and has a few good runs in other tournaments in between, the Olympics will definitely be within reach.

Devvarman, who began the 2011 season ranked 108, moved up to a career best of 63, before slipping to 84 after injury struck him. “Although I had a bad second half, I finished in the top 100, so I thought I was playing well,” he reasons.

He is also positive that he is well on his way to get out of his slump, “I’ll definitely be able to get into a lot of tournaments that I would like to play because of my protected ranking. It’s just a question of pulling

together a few matches – probably three of four good matches – after that I’ll be back in the rankings,” he says.

Though he admits that battling his injury was by no means easy, on the bright side, it has been a period of learning, “It has given me a new perspective of tennis and also a new understanding and appreciation for the game.” He not only hopes that when he makes a comeback, he’ll be mentally refreshed to take advantage of his time off, but also definitely be back in the top 100. “I can hopefully end this year at (a ranking of) 75,” Devvarman says. “Staying injury-free is the biggest challenge. If I can accomplish that, the rest will follow.”

Barcelona to play Pep's farewell game in Kolkata?

2012-05-05T12:27:00.000+05:30

Barcelona may play Pep Guardiola's farewell game in Kolkata

Barcelona fans in India, who are still mourning their favourite club's exit from the Champions League, have reasons to get excited. Talks are on at the highest level to hold a farewell exhibition match for Barca coach Pep Guardiola against Italian giants Inter Milan in Kolkata.

Organizers are looking to host the match at the Salt Lake stadium on May 19, the same night Chelsea clash with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final in Munich. "We have already got the go-ahead from both the clubs. Several top players, including Lionel Messi, are more or less confirmed though players on national duty for Euro 2012 may not make it. If everything goes according to plan it will be a treat for football fans," Prashant Agarwal, CEO of Kshatriya Sports Management told Us.

Prashant's company, a part of UK-based firm Indian Football Evolution, was already in talks with several clubs to come to India during the pre-season when top clubs visit new frontiers to expand their support base around the globe. The Nerazzurri (Inter) are already scheduled to play in Indonesia in the last week of May.

The main challenge for the organizers is to arrange the high-profile match at such short notice. "It will be a herculean task to host the match in just two weeks but we are confident. We are already in talks with various stakeholders and potential investors. The state government is also in the loop and a clear picture will emerge in the next two-three days," Agarwal said.

"As of now I can confirm that the dream match is very much on the cards. What remains to be finalized is the clearance from the sponsors. We are planning to have the match in the evening so that fans can also enjoy the Champions League final later in the night," he added.

Agrawal said if the match in Kolkata doesn't work out, the alternate plan is to have it in Spain. "Discussions are also on to find out the possibility of an El Classico but Barca have given first preference to India," he said.

For Kolkatans it will be their second date with Messi after the Argentine superstar enthralled the capacity crowd, helping his country to a 1-0 win against Venezuela in an international friendly on September 3.

BHAICHUNG BHUTIA- LIVING LEGEND

2012-04-21T12:38:00.002+05:30

Bhaichung Bhutia at home is busy playing in the hole behind his super strikers — Ugen Kalzang and Keisha Dolkar. with a combined age of 30 months, they are making daddy dear sweat it out like never before. Here, Bhaichung unveils the twin joys of his life for the first time, just for t2!
Bhaichung takes a walk with Ugen (left) and Keisha in front of their Vedic Village home

Falling down and getting hurt is a part of childhood… They (kids) keep falling and that’s how they keep learning,” smiles Bhaichung Bhutia, not rushing to help son Ugen Kalzang as he trips during the t2 shoot. Bhaichung and wife Madhuri believe in striking a balance — of being loving, caring and protective parents while also letting their kids be kids.

The star footballer and proud father of twins chatted with t2 on fatherhood and football, in between taking a dip in his Vedic Village terrace pool with son Ugen and daughter Keisha Dolkar, while Max the Pug watched with a wag.

Thank you for finally agreeing to do this for t2. Who was more reluctant, you or Madhuri, about the twins being photographed and why?

We are not too happy about exposing the kids (to the limelight). It is not fair on them. They need to grow up like normal kids.

How would you describe fatherhood?

There are very difficult moments. [“Really?!” laughs Madhuri]. More than me, it is difficult for my wife (Bhaichung promptly adds). I have hardly been with them. They are one year and three months old and I think I have been with them for a total of four months at the most. But whenever I am here also, it is not easy to look after them…. But they are just wonderful kids! They are fun to be with.

What does spending quality time with the kids mean to you?

My son loves to swim in the evening. Yes, already! Both my kids actually enjoy being in the water. Whenever we try to take them out of the bathtub after a bath, they really cry…. We’ve got a big lawn at the back. We go and play football there. We also go out for walks. They haven’t really started playing a sport. (Smiles.) [“Don’t be too ambitious!” says Madhuri.]

Looking back, what was your first reaction when you got to know that you were going to be a daddy?

Oh! That was one of the best moments. But when these two were born were the best, best, best, best moments (cuddles Ugen and Keisha). It cannot be replaced by anything else. And we are expecting another one in three months time! (Laughs out loud.) We are very happy… looking forward to the third one. Though it was unplanned, we are very happy.

What was your first reaction when you saw Ugen and Keisha?

I was there inside with the doctor (at the Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre). I was a bit nervous at the beginning. And the first time the doctors put them in my hands, I was a little shaky as well… nervous. But very, very happy!

Who named them and how were the names chosen?

My wife chose them. We thought of calling our son Ugen because my name was also Ugen. I think Ugen is also the name of Karmapa or god. No, Maddy? [Calls out to Madhuri; “I am hearing new Buddhism from you!” smiles Madhuri]. Kalzang means fortunate. What is Keisha, Maddy (smiles)? [“It means favourite,” says Madhuri.] And Dolkar is again the name of a goddess.

Has fatherhood changed you in any way as a person?

Yes, it has. [“I wish!” says Madhuri.] Wherever I travel, I just want to come back. I tend to miss them a lot more now ever since they have grown up a little and walk around and play with me.

What new things have you had to learn after being a dad?

I do quite a lot when I am here. I bathe them when Madhuri is busy. It is difficult with two kids for Madhuri to handle alone. If she is busy cooking or washing, I change their nappies too. I have cleaned their potty too! It is not so difficult.

How would you describe Ugen?

He is friendly and outgoing. He is very naughty and difficult to control. We really feel scared when we come to the terrace as he is one of those kids who will just jump into the pool without feeling scared. He breaks everything in the house. He is so restless.

And Keisha?

She is more reserved, more calm. She stays more with Madhuri.

Do you want your kids to take up football?

I hope they grow up to be good people. I would love it if they took up football. It is not that they have to play, but if they do, I’ll be very happy.

Moving on to your other child, the United Sikkim Football Club. How is that shaping up?

It has been a very tiring one month. Now, I don’t just play, but also look after the administration. It is completely on me to sign the coaches and players. We’ve got a beautiful office in Sikkim. We’ve also applied for land from the government of Sikkim. I have to do all the running around. Going and convincing to sign for the club. The travelling I have done is quite a lot, but I have enjoyed it. I knew it would be difficult because when you are in Division II, getting players is very difficult. But a lot of my friends have agreed. A lot of big names have signed up with us. Renedy Singh, my best friend, has been with me right from Day One. I am very satisfied and very happy. We are one of the best clubs in terms of infrastructure with the 30 acres from the government that is under process. We are not looking at just the team, but also trying to build a strong infrastructure. We want to build our own training grounds and also have a medical set-up.

What is your dream for your club?

I think in five years time, I want to see it as one of the most organised clubs … in terms of youth development and infrastructure. And maybe qualify for the I- League in the next two to three years and win it in the next six-seven years. It is difficult, but not impossible.

Spot kick!

Football: Fun. You need a lot of passion and energy to play it.

Indian football: On the rise.

Lionel Messi: The best at the moment. He is on a par with Diego Maradona.

Diego Maradona: My idol; he was the best player.

All-time favourite footballer: (Diego) Maradona.

Present favourites: (Andrés) Iniesta, Xavi, (Lionel) Messi… quite a few.

Best goal: When I scored for the Indian national team in the Asian Cup. The second goal was scored by me, in Delhi, we won 4-1 in the finals.

Best match: Winning the AFC Challenge Cup in Delhi (India vs Tajikistan).

Biggest achievement as a footballer: I think qualifying for the Asian Cup. It is the biggest tournament for us after the World Cup.

Best friend:Renedy Singh. He is fun, unpredictable and a nice chap. He’s got no tension … bindaas. He lives for the day. When we were playing together, he was the most loved guy in the team.

Best compliment received as a footballer: “God’s gift to Indian football” was a very nice comment by I.M. Vijayan, which I don’t think I deserve. He was a better player.

Casual dress code: Tee and jeans.

Formal dress code: Suit.

Indulgence food: Momo.

Favourite restaurant in Calcutta: Blue Poppy in Sikkim House. They give you the best momos.

Living in Vedic Village is: It was really my wife’s choice as she wants to stay away from the city life. Of course, it is difficult to travel, but it is nice and calm. There are hardly any cars here.

Favourite actor: Al Pacino. And my favourite Al Pacino film is Scarface.

Favourite actress: Chitrangda Singh. I haven’t seen any of her films, but she is attractive!

Last film watched:Phas Gaya Re Obama. Brilliant movie.
Saionee Chakraborty

It’s my dream project
Livemint.com

Player’s club: United Sikkim Football Club players practise in Gangtok.

After over two decades as the country’s top footballer, India’s former captain gets ready to make a fresh start with his club

Indian football’s talismanic striker, Bhaichung Bhutia , may have been dropped by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from the list of probables for the World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates later this month, but he has enough on his plate. Bhutia, who struggled with recurring injuries most of last season, is the only active player to own a club, the United Sikkim Football Club, and his focus is on changing the fledgling club culture in India with the team. Edited excerpts from an interview:

You were dropped from the team for the first time in 15 years, but you’ve already earned a recall for the series against Pakistan to be played in England next month.

I am willing to go provided I regain my fitness. I am always there for the national team, and no one can question my commitment. It’s about playing for India, not the AIFF. I’m working hard to get the injuries sorted out and regain fitness. If my body responds well enough to the rehabilitation and practice, I will surely go.

Is this perhaps a compromise from the AIFF after you were dropped from the national team?

Why do you see it like that? I wasn’t fit when the new coach (Armando Colaco) selected his team. For the last 10-11 months, I have been troubled by fitness problems. What surprised me was I wasn’t even informed that I am not part of the team. Besides me, Renedy (Singh), Sur Kumar (Singh) and N.P. Pradeep were also dropped. But why is it so difficult for coaches in India to at least inform the senior players? The problem is that coaches here are poor in man-management.

What are the injuries that have been troubling you for so long?

I’ve got a calf muscle tear, plus the hamstring also has a muscle tear. I’m desperate to regain fitness quickly, but it all depends on the next three months. If I can make it to the England tour, and also play the Fed Cup for United Sikkim, I will be ready to be back in the national side.

Jeje Lalpekhlua , the under-23 striker who replaced you in the national squad, is being touted as the next big thing in Indian football. People are drawing comparisons with you—does that bother you?

People are welcome to draw comparisons. Jeje is a good prospect, and it is only fair he gets his due. But I am not bothered by that. If I am fit, I can walk into any team, and I believe in myself. My challenge is not with any young, new player. I don’t feel threatened.

You have shifted base to your home state Sikkim and formed a new club, the United Sikkim Football Club (USFC). How did that happen?

United Sikkim has been my dream project for quite some time. In India, the club football structure hasn’t changed with time. We were once considered a force to reckon with in Asia, and few were ahead of us. Take, for example, Qatar’s progress. They weren’t even on the scene when India held a big position in Asian soccer and, today, they are in line to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup. The infrastructure, the basic system, technicalities, they have worked on everything. It starts at the grass-roots level. I want to bring in professionalism in India with United Sikkim. In five-six years, I want to make it a really big club, not just in India, but in Asia. I want to show people willing to invest in the game that football too can be a commercial success. I have got everything going for me in this venture. But if USFC fails, then not many will succeed, and that will be bad for Indian football.

How has the USFC fared so far?

We are a new club. It was so difficult to even get players when we started, since it was already mid-season. It was so hard and frustrating to convince established players to join USFC. That’s when I resolved that I am in this for the long haul. Where else in the world would you have national players like Renedy Singh , M. Suresh, N.S. Manju, and Sushil Singh playing for a second-division club? So we have made the right start.

The USFC has an interesting mix of players—what went into planning the team?

Last year, we started mid-season, so it was difficult to get the players I had in mind. But this year, we have got new players. We now have more than 20 new recruits. The North-East produces many talented boys, and we are trying to get the best. This club will be a big brand for the North-East. The game has to grow beyond Kolkata and Goa, that’s when it becomes popular. I used my contacts and friends to source foreign players like the Namibian Quinton Jacobs, who has played in the Scottish League as well as in Germany and Norway. Players like Japan’s Mitsuki Ichihara and Ireland’s Joseph Lapira will bring in a huge amount of experience, a fresh perspective and professionalism.

The USFC also has exciting talent like Budhiram Tudu. Who are the ones to watch out for?

Tudu won Bengal the Santosh Trophy this year. He is one of the best new talents I have seen. He was with East Bengal last year, but surprisingly, didn’t even get a game. He came here on loan, and played really well. He has gone back to East Bengal this season. We spotted Bikram Gill, an 18-year-old boy from my football school in Delhi (The Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools). The Portuguese coaches referred him to me. After I saw him at the trials, I knew he was one for the future. Nim Tshering Lepcha, Basant and Tenzing Tsephel are all good talents.

The USFC failed to qualify for the I-League in its first season. How did the team react?

We played beyond our expectations even though we missed out on qualifying. This season, our target is to qualify for the I-League because that is where we should be playing. If we play well to our abilities, we may even win the Fed Cup this season.

Club football in India is facing an existential crisis. Established clubs like JCT and Mahindra United have folded up. How confident are you about the USFC?

The lack of professional structure is hurting Indian club football. It was shocking to see JCT being scrapped like that. It has been relatively good so far for us. The Sikkim government has been cooperative. We will be given 30 acres of land to build our own stadium. The day we get into the I-League’s top division, it will get even better.

You started your journey at the Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, Sikkim. How does it feel to be back there?

It was an emotional homecoming for me. Initially, though, it was difficult and tiring. In a sense, it is like starting my playing career all over again. When we travelled to Shillong for the I-League second-division matches, the daily allowance from the AIFF was Rs. 750 per player. You had to manage food and hotel in that amount. But we spent from our own pocket, that’s because these boys here have come to pursue a dream. You need to make them feel wanted, you need to give them the best of facilities. I know it is going to be tough financially, but we have the confidence that United Sikkim will one day be a major force in Indian football. No club makes money in India, they all run through sponsorship. Every year, you need between Rs. 4 crore and Rs. 15 crore to run a team. Someday we will show how to make a club commercially viable.

Does this mean you will never again play for a Kolkata club like East Bengal or Mohun Bagan ?

I wanted to retire in an East Bengal shirt. East Bengal will always be my club, will always remain close to my heart. I will always look out for them. Of course, I miss my fans there. But the way things are, I need to be here at United Sikkim for quite some time. This is, I guess, my toughest assignment so far.

Sachin Tendulkar behind my success in World Cup: Yuvraj Singh

2012-04-02T10:49:00.000+05:30

"You will matter when it matters the most" are the words that Sachin Tendulkar told Yuvraj Singh, which served as an inspiration for the dashing all-rounder during India's World Cup triumph last year.

On the eve of India's first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj, who is recovering from a rare germ cell cancer, has revealed that Tendulkar had a crucial role to play in his man-of-the-series winning performance during last year's mega-event.

Yuvraj recalled that he was not in the best of form and fitness coming into the World Cup, but Tendulkar and speedster Zaheer Khan's pep talks motivated him to do something special in the quadrennial event.

"Couldn't have asked for anything better. I didn't expect myself to play as well as I did in the World Cup. I was coming with not great form and I wasn't timing the ball how I wanted to," he said in an interview posted on his twitter account about his thoughts on the World Cup anniversary.

"In my tough times, I just spoke to Sachin about my issues with batting and form and fitness and he told me that you will matter when it matters the most. That is a very special thought, it remains with me.

"I remember I have a picture of me and Tendulkar together which I have put in my locker. I used to have a look at that picture and go into bat. He is my inspiration," Yuvraj said.

"Zaheer Khan also told me in Bangladesh before the World Cup about me doing something special in the World Cup. That time I was going through a bad wrist injury," he added.

As India complete the first anniversary of the World Cup triumph, Yuvraj described the feat as a "cherished and special moment".

"All you can remember is flying colours of the flag, Wankhede stadium (the host of the World Cup final) in joy and an Indian dream coming to reality. It was a great moment in history because winning the World Cup was everything to us and especially to do it for Sachin Tendulkar," he recollects in the video.

"It (World Cup triumph) will always be a very special memory for me and all the Indians. It is a cherished memory which we will always keep in our hearts."

Post World Cup, Yuvraj went through the toughest phase of his life after he was diagnosed with cancer. But he is now recovering from fatal disease after having discharged from the hospital in Indianapolis in the US on March 18 following the completion of the third and final cycle of chemotherapy.

"It (World Cup) did change everybody's life. I didn't expect that I would land up here after the World Cup but that's life," he said.

"I was at the peak of my career when I was diagnosed with cancer, but now I am treated and absolutely fine. I am thankful to my guruji, my mother. It has been a tough journey but I am lucky that the cancer was detected at an early stage and I got cured. Now I just want to live my life like a normal person, just want to celebrate life," he said.

Yuvraj also thanked his fans for standing behind him in such a difficult phase of his life and said he is now raring to return to the ground.

"I can't thank everyone enough for all the prayers and wishes. I have been watching everyone praying across the cities back home for me. The support has been amazing, I couldn't have asked for more. I actually realised how loved I am," he said.

"I just want to tell all that I am good and will be back to normal health soon. I am looking forward to playing for India again."

Manchester City ready to launch sensational bid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid this summer

2012-03-30T17:17:00.001+05:30

Abu Dhabi powerbrokers willing to match £80 million world-record transfer fee and sanction salary of between £400,000-a-week and £500,000-a-week to land Portuguese icon

Manchester City are ready to deliver a sensational package to sign Cristiano Ronaldo fromReal Madrid this summer, Goal.com can reveal.

The Premier League club are understood to be willing to match the world-record transfer fee of £80 million (€96m) that Real paid Manchester United for Ronaldo in 2009, and wages of between £400,000-a-week (€478,000) and £500,000-a-week (€598,000) to land the Portuguese icon.

FOOTBALL'S BIGGEST TRANSFERS

1. RONALDO - £80M

FROM: MAN UNITED
TO: REAL MADRID
YEAR: 2009

2. KAKA - £56M

FROM: AC MILAN
TO: REAL MADRID
YEAR: 2009

3. ZIDANE - £53M

FROM: JUVENTUS
TO: REAL MADRID
YEAR: 2001

4. TORRES - £50M

FROM: LIVERPOOL
TO: CHELSEA
YEAR: 2011

5. IBRAHIMOVIC - £40M PLUS ETO'O

FROM: INTER
TO: BARCELONA
YEAR: 2009

Sources in both Manchester and Spain have told Goal.com that there has been contact between intermediaries in recent weeks to gauge the player’s interest in returning to Manchester and the early indications from the 27-year-old's camp is that he could be open to a transfer that would send shockwaves through football.

Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has become increasingly close to senior City officials over the past year.

It is understood that Abu Dhabi go-betweens floated the idea to Ronaldo last summer but the feedback from the player was that it was not the right time.

"The signs now from the Ronaldo camp are surprisingly more positive," a source close to the situation told Goal.com. "The contact has taken place in the last few weeks and there is serious chatter in the corridors at the Etihad, akin to when City tried to sign Kaka from AC Milan a few years back."

Owner Sheikh Mansour, advised by the club’s senior hierarchy in Abu Dhabi, is a huge admirer of Ronaldo and has tremendous respect for Real Madrid as a footballing institution.

Although City strongly refuted on Friday that the club have made any move to sign the forward, it is understood that the billionaire owner is ready to sanction the monies if there is a deal to be done.

"City want a marquee signing this summer to confirm their emergence as serious players among football’s elite," the source added.

"Ideally, they would do so from a position of strength as Premier League champions but whatever happens in the title race they want to send out a statement of intent.

"Ronaldo is the one they have wanted for a long time. They know they will not get Lionel Messi."

Three years on from the failed attempt to sign Kaka from AC Milan in a world record €108m deal (worth £90m at current exchange rates), the Sheikh’s advisers are confident that the club’s growth on and off the pitch will enable them to hold firm in their dealings with the nine-time European champions.

City’s powerbrokers are also confident that the staggering sums required to entice Ronaldo to Etihad Stadium would not contravene Uefa’s financial fair play regulations, which the club are fully-committed to satisfying.

Sheikh Mansour would off-set the cost of signing Ronaldo and at least one other marquee summer signing – with Napoli’s Edinson Cavani the leading centre-forward target - by sanctioning a summer clear-out of big earners who are not central to manager Roberto Mancini’s long-term plans.

The club will listen to offers for Carlos Tevez, who earns £198,000-a-week, Edin Dzeko, who gets £130,000-a-week, Nigel De Jong, who is on £85,000-a-week. On-loan trio Emmanuel Adebayor (£170,000-a-week), Wayne Bridge and Roque Santa Cruz (who both earn £90,000-a-week) can also leave.

CITY SLICKERS

11/2 Manchester City are 11/2 with William Hill to beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Etihad on Saturday

City are likely to encounter difficulties in shifting them from the wage bill but if they do so it would free up nearly £800,000-a-week, equivalent to an eye-watering £38m per annum, around a quarter of the Premier League record £174m salary bill revealed in the club’s 2010-11 financial accounts.

Ronaldo’s six-year Real contract, which runs until 2015, was initially worth £250,000-a-week but has built-in incremental rises which will swell the figure to around £400,000-a-week in the final year of the deal.

Such is the Portuguese’s vast marketing potential, built around the CR7 brand, City are confident they would be able to recoup much of their outlay through shirt sales, merchandise tie-ups and other commercial spin-offs.

The parameters of the deal would be quite similar to the offer made to Kaka in 2009, with City believed to be prepared to fund a series of soccer schools in Ronaldo’s name in a bid to demonstrate their commitment to the player and push his brand.

City's hopes of enticing Ronaldo are not at this stage linked with any move for Jose Mourinho, who is also represented by Mendes.

As revealed by Goal.com earlier this month, club chiefs will assess the position of Roberto Mancini at the end of the season although Mourinho will jump to the top of the club's list of alternatives if there is any indication he could be willing to leave Real.

Sachin Tendulkar is the reason I started playing cricket: Virat Kohli

2012-03-29T17:06:00.002+05:30

Virat Kohli said as a child he only dreamed of catching a glimpse of Sachin Tendulkar in person.

"Sachin Tendulkar is the reason I started playing" -- said India's most promising batting talent right now, Virat Kohli, as he paid tribute to the senior batsman for completing a century of international hundreds.

At a felicitation function organised by industrialist and IPL team Mumbai Indians' owner Mukesh Ambani, Kohli was asked to give his thoughts on the 39-year-old, who completed the incredible feat during the recent Asia Cup in Bangladesh.

The 23-year-old right-hander, who is in the form of his life having scored three hundreds in his past four one-dayers, said as a child he only dreamed of catching a glimpse of Tendulkar in person.

"He is the reason why I have started playing cricket. Like me I think most of the youngsters in the India started playing cricket because of him," Virat said as Tendulkar looked back at him smiling.

"Now it is just a great honour to share the same dressing room with him. I remember when I was small, my only dream was to see him in real life and to play with him now is just a great honour for me. I couldn't have asked for anything more," he added.

Tendulkar too is quite impressed with the spunky batsman and has stated that he could be the one breaking the 100 centuries record apart from another promising name -- Rohit Sharma.

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE

2012-03-27T20:47:00.000+05:30

R U READY?????

The Indian Premier League (IPL) is a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition in India. It was initiated by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), headquartered in Mumbai, and is supervised by BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, who serves as the league's Chairman and Commissioner. It is currently contested by nine teams, consisting of players from around the world. It was started after an altercation between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket League.

In 2010, IPL became the first sporting event ever to be broadcast live on YouTube in association with Indiatimes.Its brand value is estimated to be around $3.67 billion in fourth season. According to the Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries by sportingintelligence.com, IPL is the second highest-paid league, based on first-team salaries on a pro rata basis, second only to the NBA. It is estimated that the average salary of an IPL player over a year would be $3.84 million.

IPL 2011 SEASON:

CHAMPION: CHENNAI SUPER KINGS
RUNNER UP: MUMBAI INDIANS

IPL AUCTIONS 2012

The IPL Player Auction 2012, held in Bengaluru ahead of the tournament’s fifth season, was marked by a whopping USD 2 million dollar bid for all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja made by two franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Deccan Chargers. The player was sold to the Chennai franchise on the basis of tie-breaker involving a silent bid.

Medium pacer Vinay Kumar was the other big purchase at the auction conducted by auctioneer Richard Madley. The Karnataka bowler was picked up by home franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore for USD 1 million.

Each of the franchises had a purse of USD 2 million to shop with. The franchises can use the remaining purse only to buy uncapped players during the trading window which opens on February 6.

IPL TEAMS IN 2012

1. CHENNAI SUPER KINGS:It franchise based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The team home ground is the M.A Chidambaram Stadium. CSK are the most successful team in IPL, having won the IPL twice and reached the play-offs every season , and won the 2010 Champions League Twenty20. The team won IPL in succession (2010,2011) . The leading run scorer n IPL is from CSK only i.e Suresh Raina.

Owner:The India Cements Limited
Coach: Stephen Fleming
Captain: MS Dhoni
IPL Best : 2010 ,2011 winner
KEY PLAYER: MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina,Albie Morkel
KEY BATSMEN: M. Vijay, M Hussey, S Badrinath
KEY ALLROUNDER: R Jadega,Dwayne Bravo,Scott Styris
KEY BOWLER: R Ashwin,Doug Bollinger,Shadab Jakati
UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ganapathi vignesh
STRENGTH: Batting Lineup, Spin bowling ,home suppourt, key Indian players

WEAKNESS: Less uncapped Indian players

One of the best team in IPL because they have so many players who are in Indian cricket team , this make CSK very special . They have Captain cool with them , who had win 2 WC, 2 IPL, 1 Champions league.So he will aiming one more . Suresh Raina is highest Run getter in IPL and he is the only man from India who have 100 in T20 International , he will looking to End this IPL on high note .

Their Batting revolve around Indian players like Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, M vijay , S Badrinath but they have quality overseas player like M hussey who also knows as Mr. Cricket.

R Jadega is the most expensive Player in 2012 Auction and he wanna show his value to world with his bat and ball , in last year IPL he was only postive from Kochi Tuskars.The experience of Bravo and Styris will be key in this IPL .

They have world class spinners in form R Ashwin , Jakati , Suresh Randiv, and these spinners will be on top in their home ground which is very slow turning track .They have quality fast bowler from overseas in form Bollinger and A Morkel .A Morkel is in very good form during New Zealand tour for South Africa.

2. DELHI DAREDEVILS : The Daredevils dominated for much of the 2008 and 2009 IPL, finishing at the top of the table after the league stages but unable to reach in semi final .

Owner: GMR Sports Pvt Ltd

Coach : Eric Simons

Captain : Virender Sehwag
IPL Best : 2008, 2009 Semi-finalist

KEY PLAYER: Virender Sehwag , David Warner, Mahela Jayawardene

KEY BATSMEN: Venugopal Rao, Aaron Finch, Kevin Peterson

KEY ALL-ROUNDER: Irfan pathan , Andre Russel

KEY BOWLER: Varun Aaron , Umesh Yadav, Ajit Agarkar

UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Punnet Bisht, Robin Bisht, Unmukt chand

STRENGTH: Batting Lineup

WEAKNESS: Lack of Quality spinner

No introduction should be given that what sehwag and warner can do in their opening partnership, mahela and kevin peterson in middle order.

Venugopal Rao was among the top runs getter in IPL 2011 which help DD to win imp matches and this lad has get extra potential and he will be the hub of the team in middle order.

Irfan pathan was back in indian team early this year which will make pathan more confident and the way he was batting and bowling in indian team, he will be acid to this team.

Punnet bist , Robin Bisht will be of those uncapped players which public must see.

Unmukt chand which belongs to Uttarakhand will be those young batsmen in IPL who will aiming spot in indian team.

one thing which is missing in DD lineup is quality spinner which they also miss in 2011 season.

3.DECAN CHARGERS: It represents the city of Hyderabad in the IPL. They after finishing last in the first season of the IPL , won the second season held in South Africa in 2009 , under the captaincy of former Australian Wicket keeper batsmen Adam Gilchrist .Gilchrist was captain of the team for the two season of the IPL .From the fourth season , kumar Sangakkara has been leading the team .

Owner: Deccan Chronicle Holdings
Limited

Coach: Darren Lehmann

Captain: Kumar Sangakkara

IPL Best: 2009 winner

KEY PLAYER: Kumara Sangakara, Dael steyn, Amit mishra

KEY BATSMEN: Shikhar Dhawan, Parthiv Patel, Jp Duminy

KEY ALL ROUNDER: Cameron White, Daniel Christian

KEY BOWLER: Manpreet Gony, Daniel Harris

UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Abhishek jhunjhunwala, Tanmay Srivastava

STRENGTH: Youngsters

WEAKNESS: Lack of Indian star player

If we will look around in cricketing world , we will not find keeper and batsmen better then sanga, spinner better then amit and fast bowler better then steyn. This make DC very special because they have very balance team.

If we look the batting lineup they have very good batting lineup ,good mixture of overseas and indian players. They way Jp duminy is playing for SA nowdays ,his owner exception will be on 7th sky.

They also have very quality aussies pair in their allrounder position.

Strong part of this team is their bowling lineup , they have so many wicket taking option and all the bowlers are very attacking.

If you go through the squad of Dc you will not find any big name of indian player which can be their weakness but this weakness can also work in their favour as this make them very balance team .

4. Kings XI Punjab: The franchies based in Mohali, Punjab .It is currently captained by former Australian wicket-keeper batsmen Adam Gilchrist. The team PLays its home matches in PCA stadium, Mohali. since 2010, its has been playing some of the home matches at Dharamsala.

Owner: KPH Dream Cricket Private Limited

Coach: Michael Bevan

Captain: Adam Gilchrist

IPL Best: 2008 semi-finalist

KEY PLAYER: Adam Gilchrist, Parveen Kumar,Stuart Broad
KEY BATSMEN: Shaun Marsh, Paul valthaty, Abhishek Nayar

KEY ALL ROUNDER: David Hussey, Dimitri Mascarenhas,

KEY BOWLER: Piyush Chawla, Ryan harris,James faulkner

UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Mandeep Singh,Paras Dogra, Rj satish
STRENGTH: Batting Lineup and youngsters

WEAKNESS: Fast bowling

They have very good collection of indian and australian players which make this team special. It will be interesting see will Gili magic works this time.

The batting line up of this team promise lots,Everybody knows what gili can do on his day.In last season whole world see another sehwag in form of paul valthaty, he was find of IPL 4 but this time his fans except more from him,Abhishek Nayar is in very good touch as he was scoring some good runs in domestic circuit.

They have very hard hitting all rounder in form of david and dimitri. David was top scorer in CB series for Australia and Indians fans still remember dimitri for his 5 sixes against Yuvi in oval.

In bowling department Parveen kumar will be leading the side with Ryan and james. but their strenght will be spinners as they have very quality spinner in form of piyush chawla and ramesh powar.
They have qaulity uncapped players but man to watch will be Mandeep singh. Some selectors have shown sign that he can include in test squad. He is very talented batsmen who can score very big runs and he can be difference in this season for Punjab.

The weak point of this team is their Fast bowling lineup as they lack experience in this department.

5. Kolkata Knight Riders:It is franchise representing Kolkata in the IPL. The team is led by most expensive player in IPL Gautam Gambhir.The official theme of the team is KORBO,LORDO, JEETB RE. As per the recent study done by a UK based brand valuation company, KKR are ranked as the second most valuable Franchise brand at US$46 million. Celebrity co-owner Shahrukh Khan's hard selling of the KKR brand has counteracted the team's poor field performance through the first three season.However , team performance improved in the fourth season.The home of the KKR is Eden Gardens.

Owner:Knight Riders Sports Private Ltd

Coach: Trevor Bayliss

Captain: Gautam Gambir

IPL Best: 2011 Play-offs

KEY PLAYER: Gautam Gambhir, Jacques Kallis,Brett Lee
KEY BATSMEN: Manoj Tiwary, Eoin Morgan, Brendon Mccullum
KEY ALL ROUNDER:Yusuf pathan, Rajat Bhatia, shakib Al Hassan
KEY BOWLER: L Balaji, James Pattison, Iqbal Abdulla

UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Jaidev Unadkat,Laxmi Ratan Shukla

STRENGTH: Batting Lineup and Allrounders

WEAKNESS: Too many overseas Players and Lack of Indian young players

KKR buys Gautam Gambhir last season and straight away make him captain , that change the fortune of this team and team reaches semi final or play off first time in history of IPL. Gautam Gambhir is that player who perform well when platform is set for him in big matches ,who can forget his knocks in final of T20 WC 2007 and WC 2011, same things SRK is want from his skipper to lead the team from front and win this IPL. The experience of Kallis and Lee will be key for KKR as everybody know what these two can do on their day.

The batting lineup of this team is very stable as they have Manoj Tiwary , Morgan, Mccullum ,Haddin. Manoj wanna proof to indian team management that why he was neglected in past months for palying 11?? In 2008 IPL everybody remember the knock of Brendon but problem for KKR is that he dont perform regularly.Eoin is the no 1 batsmen for team England in T20 International so he will key for KKR in this IPL

Most Exciting Department of this team is their All Rounders. They have world No 1 all rounder in ODI and test in form of Shakib Al hassan, the way he perform in Asia cup for Bangladesh that will help him to get in playing 11. The man behind the Rajasthan Royals surprise Victory in IPL 2008 and that man has record of fastest 100 in IPL is now with KKR from last season i.e Pathan but he unable to perform well in last season but in this season he will aiming the empty slot in Indian team as Jadega unable to perform in last 2 series.

They have very quality fast bowler in form of Lee, Balaji, Pattison and in spin department they have very good indian spinners.

The strong points of this team are their batsmen, spinners, and all rounder . They have very good T20 players in these slot.But the weak point of this team is that they have to many overseas players as in IPL a team can only play 4 overseas players and they lack good indian Youngsters.

6. MUMBAI INDIANS: It is a franchise cricket team representing Mumbai in the IPL. The Team is one of the eight founding members of the IPL in 2008. MI are currently lead by SACHIN TENDULKAR , who is the icon player for the team. The team is owned by by India's biggest conglomerate, Reliance Industries, through its 100 % subsidiary . MI is ranked no.2 in IPL with a brand value of $57.13 million in season four of the IPL after CSK. The team is also one of the strongest team on paper in the IPL.

Owner:India win sports Pvt. Ltd

Coach: Robin singh
Captain: Sachin Tendulkar
Venue: Wankhede Stadium
IPL Best: 2010 Finalist

KEY PLAYER: Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan singh, Kieron Pollard
KEY BATSMEN: Ambati Rayudu, Rohit Sharma,Herschelle Gibbs
KEY ALL ROUNDER:Mitchell Johnson, Thisara perera,James Franklin

KEY BOWLER: Lasith Malinga, P Ojha, Munaf patel
UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Abu Nechim Ahmed,Ricard levi,

STRENGTH: Batting Lineup and Allrounders

WEAKNESS: To many overseas players and less Indian youngsters.

If we look into the squad of MI , there are so many players who can win matches single handly. Their captain has scored 100th hundred in Asia cup only and he will keen to win IPL this season . Harbhajan singh is trying to comeback in Indian team and this IPL will be ideal platform for him . Kieron pollard centuary against Australia was remarkable and MI will be hoping same from him

Few years ago Ambati Rayudu counted as a next Indian star but then suddenly he disappear because of ICL but after clearance from BCCI ,he and other players included in IPL 2009 season. And he will aiming empty spot in Indian T20 team . Rohit and Gibbs will be key batsmen for MI in this IPL

They have very good over seas all rounder in form of johnson , perera and franklin

They have very balanced bowling line up with one of best T20 bowler leading the team i.e Lasith Malinga. Munaf patel and Rp singh will be other fast bowler who will be helping MI to win IPL 2012. And with Harbhajan singh and Ojha they can also depend on their spinners to win matches for them.

They have same problem like Decan chargers i.e to many overseas player , but they can only play 4 of them.

Abu Nechim and Richard Levi are those youngsters which everybody keen to see in this IPL .

7. PUNE WARRIORS INDIA: It is franchise cricket team that plays in IPL representing the city of Pune, Maharashtra. The team is one of two franchisees added to the IPL for the 2011 season, alongside Kochi Tuskers Kerela. On 21 March 2010 , Sahara Adventure sports Limited made winning bid of $370 million(approximately Rs 1700 crore) for the Pune franchise. The bid is the highest bid by any company in the short history of IPL.

Owner: Sahara Adventure Sports Limited

Coach: Geoff Marsh

Captain: Sourav Ganguly

Venue: Subrata Roy Sahara Stadium

IPL Best: 2011 9th Position

KEY PLAYER: Robin Uthappa ,Ashish Nehra,Angelo Mathews

KEY BATSMEN: Graeme Smith,Jesse Ryder,Manish pandey

KEY ALL ROUNDER:James hopes,Sourav Ganguly, wayne Parnell

KEY BOWLER: Rahul Sharma, Murali kartik, Ashok Dinda
UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Kamran khan, Ali Murtaza, Harpreet singh

STRENGTH: Batting Lineup and Allrounders

WEAKNESS: To many overseas players and less Indian youngsters.

The team is lead by Indian best captain Ganguly and sourav wanna proof his supermecy in this format also . The team have very good players. Robin uthappa will be key man for Pune this year , he can change match in few overs as we had been seeing in past IPL but last year IPL was not good for him .

They have very quality overseas players in form smith , Ryder in batting department. These 2 will be key in their top order and if u see Pune line up one man who deserve chance in Indian team is Manish Pandey but till now he ignore by the selectors, he will aiming T20 WC for his entry.

James hopes , parnell will be key all rounder fr this team as they can fit in any line up .

Pune also have very good variety in their bowling line up as they have 2 quality spinners with them i.e Rahul sharma and Murali Kartik .Their fast bowling department will be lead by Ashish Nehra and Ashok Dinda.

left-arm seamer Kamran Khan was picked out of obscurity when the Rajasthan Royals signed him up for the second season of the IPL after Darren Berry, the team's director of coaching, spotted him in a Twenty20 tournament in Mumbai. Kamran, the son of a woodcutter from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh, had no first-class experience when he was handed a US$24,000 contract by Rajasthan. He was mainly a tennis-ball player but shot into prominence in Rajasthan's warm-up game in April 2009 when he bowled Cape Cobras' Justin Ontong with an off-stump yorker. Shane Warne, the team's captain, said Kamran can bowl over 140kph even though he has a slight frame. He has marked him out as a player to watch in the tournament to be played in South Africa.So he will be man to watch in uncapped players.

8. RAJASTHAN ROYALS: It franchise based in the city of the Jaipur. It is currently captained by former Indian captain Rahul Dravid . They won the inaugural edition of IPL under captaincy of former Australian spin-legend shane warne.In 2010 ,they were terminated by the BCCI for a brief period for violations in terms of agreement but were allowed to play in the league soon after Board lost the case in the supreme court.

Owner:jaipur IPL Crciket private Ltd

Coach: Rahul Dravid

Captain: Rahul Dravid
Venue: Sawai Mansingh stadium

IPL Best: 2008 winner

KEY PLAYER: Rahul Dravid, Shane watson,Shaun Tait

KEY BATSMEN: Owais Shah, Ajinkya Rahane,Brad hodge
KEY ALL ROUNDER: Brad hogg,Paul collingwood,johan Botha

KEY BOWLER: Siddharth Trivedi, Pankaj Singh
UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ashok Menaria,Deepak chahar, Abhishek Raut

STRENGTH:Maximum Young players are from Rajasthan only

WEAKNESS: Lack of Indian spinner and more overseas players

IPL 5 will be last Tournament of Great wall of India and he surely wanna win this tournament and he have the team for this . young Team with the quality overseas players , they can be winner of this season .Shane watson will be key man in this IPL for them .

In batting department they have Rahane who was find of England tour last year . He with shah , hodge will be taking the responsiblity to scores big runs.

They have so many overseas all rounder in form botha, paul and brad, they all aiming to add extra in team but problem is that they cannot play all of them .

Bowling will lead by the Rajasthan duo with shaun tait .

In whole IPL ,RR have best uncapped players in their team as Rajasthan is Ranji Champion and all of them will be eyeing spot in Indian team . some of those players are Deepak ,Menaria, Raut etc

9. ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGLORE: RCB is currently lead by New Zeland all- rounder Daniel Vettori. Anil Kumble is mentor of this team .

Owner: Royal challengers sports private Ltd

Coach: Ray jennings

Captain: Daniel Vettori

Venue: M chinnaswamy stadium

IPL Best:2009 , 2011 finalist

KEY PLAYER: Virat Kohli,Daniel vettori, Zaheer khan

KEY BATSMEN:AB De Villiers, Saurabh Tiwary,Chris Gayle
KEY ALL ROUNDER: T Dilshan, Asad Khan Pathan,

KEY BOWLER: Dirk Nannes, Vinay kumar,M Muralitharan
UNCAPPED PLAYERS TO WATCH: Arun Karthik, Syed Mohammad

STRENGTH:Batting lineup , bowling

WEAKNESS: Less allrounders

Two time runner up will aiming to Win trophy this year . RCB is one of those team which is very balanced in all department. They have hottest property of Indian cricket team with them i.e virat kohli. They have experience player like Zaheer khan ,Daniel, Murali.

The team which have Gayle , Dilshan, De villers , virat in their batting line up , they will be very confident about their batting .They also have some good Indian younsters in lineup.

They have very quality bowlers in form of Zaheer, vinay, dirk, murali .which is some thing different from all other teams in IPL

Asad khan pathan has shown some quality in last IPL , so he will aiming empty all rounder slot in Indian team.

They are one of those teams who can win this IPL

Real Madrid to open academy in Kerala

2012-03-26T21:05:00.002+05:30

Real Madrid CF, one of world football’s elite clubs, will set up a football school in the city of Kochi in Kerala shortly. The Spanish giants plans to start one of their trademark ’social-sports academies’ that have been set up across the globe by the Real Madrid Foundation here.

The preliminary talks for this was held at Kochi on Sunday between Manuel Tarreno Rodriques, the director of Real Madrid Foundation’s youth camps and KN Ganesh Kumar, the sports minister for the state of Kerala. The meeting was also attended by president of Kerala Sports Council Padmini Thomas, president of Kerala Football Association (KFA) KMI Mather, Member of Legislative Assembly Hibi Eden and former sports minister Dominic Presentation.

“The Sports Minister has suggested the Panampilly Nagar Sports Hostel (in Kochi) as the venue for the soccer school,” said the KFA President. “Real Madrid will send coaches, and they may also take some of the boys from here to their academy if they are very talented.”

Meanwhile, KFA Secretary P Anilkumar confirmed that the Panampilly Nagar Sports Hostel has been finalised as the venue and that an artificial football turf, swimming pool and a multi-purpose gym could also come up there. “The Panampilly Nagar Hostel, which is run by the Kerala Sports Council, will have a very modern look. Real Madrid is likely to start projects in other parts of Kerala too,” he said.

The Real Madrid Foundation is the means by which Real Madrid reaches out to society and develops its social and cultural awareness programmes. The Foundation carries out sports activities, educational and cultural activities, social welfare activities and institutional activities.

Real Madrid Foundation already has an institution in India at Kheadah in the state of West Bengal. This was their first project in Asia which gives education to 150 students aged between 7 and 15 years.

'I do not abuse others, I talk to myself, I abuse myself': VIRAT KOHLI

2012-03-26T20:58:00.003+05:30

On reaching Dhaka for the March 12-22 Asia Cup, Virat Kohli and teammate Rohit Sharma watched videos of Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal for hours, skipped lunch and nearly missed a team practice session.

Ahead of their clash on March 18, Pakistani cricketers huddled in the dressing room to remember former coach Bob Woolmer and vowed revenge for the loss to India in the 2011 World Cup. In the Indian dressing room, Kohli was cool as cucumber. "We have done our homework (for this match), don't worry," he told Sharma. Not many shared his optimism, especially after Pakistan put 323 runs on the board and Indian opener Gautam Gambhir walked back to the pavilion without the team opening its account.

But Kohli's 183, which included 23 boundaries, at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium-his fourth hundred in Bangladesh-tore apart a quality Pakistan attack, helped India scale its highest One-Day International (ODI) target and underlined his credentials as a master of the chase, a title given to him by the legendary Sachin Tendulkar. The master blaster, in fact, did not leave his seat in the dressing room throughout Kohli's innings. His faith in cricket's latest poster boy was a revelation to many in Mirpur, the venue of the explosive India-Pakistan clash.

Yet, India headed back home disappointed, failing to make it to the finals. The tournament, however, completed Kohli's transformation as a mature modern-day cricketer. The numbers are staggering for India's new ODI vice-captain. In 48 innings batting second, the baby-faced Kohli has averaged 58.40, hit seven hundreds and 13 half-centuries-earning the unofficial title of the world's best ODI player.

In an interview on the telephone from Mirpur, Kohli tells India Today Deputy Editor Shantanu Guha Ray that every time he goes out to bat, he splits his innings into targets of 30, 60 and 100. That way, he often gets a 50 or a ton. And he values the vice-captain's tag more than his life. Excerpts from the interview.

Q. Were your two tons in Australia and Bangladesh wasted because India could not make it to the finals?

A. Let us not read too much into the defeats in England, Australia and Dhaka. We had our moments and we have had some bad times. We have played a lot of cricket in the past one year. We played some great games in Dhaka, yet we could not make it to the final. It happens with every team. Win or loss is a part of the game. We only learn to win from defeats. I feel the team is slowly turning around from these defeats.

Q. What played on your mind when India lost a wicket with no runs on the board in response to Pakistan's huge total?

A. No cricket team in the world depends on one or two players. The team always plays to win. The Indian cricket team is full of top quality cricketers. Losing a wicket without a run on the board creates instant pressure but that is not the end of the world. Never did India, not even once, falter in the match and show any weakness for Pakistan to take advantage. We chased a big score and won in style.

Q. But the Indian bowlers did not impress, especially against Bangladesh and Pakistan.

A. If you noticed the pitch, you would realise it was a batsman's delight. The outfield was fast and it was difficult for the bowlers to pin down a side to less than 250-270. We had a bit of bad luck there. The bowlers didn't get the result they desired.

Q. The same pitch offered lot of advantage to you and other batsmen.

A. Yes. I have had some success in Dhaka. I got two centuries earlier and scored two more in the Asia Cup. It's like a typical subcontinental pitch with a fast outfield. Batsmen always flourish on such wickets.

Q. Experts have rated your innings better than Kapil Dev's knock of 175 against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in the 1983 World Cup.

A. Kapil Dev helped India remain in contention for the World Cup and eventually brought the Cup home.

Q. India-Pakistan matches were once special, high-voltage. Do tensions still run high?

A. Some matches, as in the World Cup, are very explosive. Even the last World Cup semi-final in Mohali was tense. This one was special because we had to win to keep the door open for the Asia Cup final, especially after our loss to Bangladesh.

Q. Why give vent to your emotions in public? Is that wise with so many people watching?

A. I do not abuse players, I talk to myself, I abuse myself. It's my way of letting off steam. I do it after every century, I do not do it always. I keep telling myself: Improve, improve from the previous match, the previous shot. You can do it.

Q. Cricket is now only about ODIs and T20s. Do you agree?

A. No, I don't. We play the entire quota of Test cricket as scheduled by the International Cricket Council.

Q. But Test matches don't attract the crowds anymore?

A. The fault lies with the crowds, not with the game, certainly not with the cricketers.

Q. You must be happy at being made the vice-captain. But the tag has its pressures. Do you think you could lose it if you do not shine with the bat?

A. If I do not shine, I will be out of the side. I try and keep my head down. I do not bask in the glory of a win and rarely talk. Everyone has seen me change after the U-19 World Cup win in Kuala Lumpur in 2008. I have not even read the newspapers that bestowed a hundred titles on me after the Pakistan match. I know the importance of the India shirt, and the vice-captain's tag.

Q. How did the transformation into a fluent off-side batsman occur?

A. My focus had always been the on-side. My coach wanted me to work on the off-side strokes since he was convinced of my ability and timing on the leg side. I worked hard and firmed up my defensive technique. I am happy getting runs all around the wicket now, and getting a lot of boundaries. No one calls me a "leggie batsman" anymore.

Q. You seem to enjoy the pressure, the chase.

A. I do not shy away from pressure. I have scored big runs while chasing huge totals in some recent matches. I set a good platform for myself so that I can get some big runs to help my team.

Q. You are being described as the world's best ODI cricketer.

A. If I do not perform, the title will change to the world's worst ODI player.

Q. How crucial is cricket to you?

A. It is life for me, it is everything. I delayed my father's funeral because of cricket. The guidance I get from seniors has helped me mature as a middle-order batsman and allowed me to retain my place in the Indian side.

Q. Tell me one lesson you learnt from skipper M.S. Dhoni.

A. To stick around in the middle, get runs and help your team gain a better position. He has taught me not to be in a hurry to score runs the moment I walk out into the field. I have learnt not to throw away my wicket.

Q. What kind of advice do you seek from seniors in the team? You wrote a letter to Sachin Tendulkar recently.

A. I did so to tell him to guide me through my moments of crisis. I grew up watching him, now I play alongside him. He offers invaluable advice. Cricket, after all, is a high-pressure game in India.

Q. But cricketers earn a lot these days from the game and brand endorsements, don't they?

A. Nothing extraordinary happens to a cricketer if you time his career-which is very short. Everyone loves a win in India. No one wants to lose a match. It is the cricketer who absorbs all the pressure.

SOCCER WORLD:EPL LAST NIGHT ACTION

2012-03-25T16:07:00.001+05:30

Lots of thing happen last night In EPL . Peter crouch stunning strike and Arteta thunderbolt free kick were the best part .

1) ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE (EPL)

A) Stoke city 1-1 Manchester city

Stoke City's Peter Crouch celebrates scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League match against Manchester City at the Britannia stadium, Stoke-on-Trent.

when Crouch scores the 1st goal of the match , everybody were saying only one thing " is this best goal of the season?" But Yaya Toure also smashed goal from range as everybody excepting the goal from carlos Tevez who came from bench in last 15 minutes

City go above the arch rivals Manchester United on goal difference but , with Sir Alex ferguson's men hosting Fulham on Monday , there is every chance Roberto Mancini's side will soon be back in second place.

B) Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham

As city and united are fighting for league title nowdays , Chelsea and Tottenham are fighting for place in next year champions league. Tottenham maintained their five point lead over blues in the contest with an action packed draw at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Summer signing Juan Mata has shown the world that why blues has given extra money for spainish winger throughout this season and this match also his free kick crashed off the bar .That was best chance for Chelsea in whole match.
In last summer window rumours of two players moving away for Tottenham was high. Duo were higlight for Tottenham in this match also.Gareth Bale's header hit the bar after Gary Cahill ,the Chelsea new defender ,had made a goal saving block to deny Emmanuel Adebayor. And Luka Modric has been quiet but Chelsea were in trouble when he moved into dangerous position on the left side of pitch.

C) Arsenal 3 -0 Aston villa

Gunners Dream runs continues as they win their 7th match in row.Gibbs, Walcott & Arteta strikes help gunners to extend their lead over champions league rivals.

Theo walcott pace and tricks helped Gunners this season lots and again in this match he beat villa defenders with ease. Carlos Cueller give the loose pass to Alex song ,the cameroon midfielder then found England winger Walcott with a delightful ball over the top before the winger controlled wonderfully and produced a calm finish.
Arsenal was struggling before the start of this season as they lost Csec and nasri but deadline day signing Arteta produced a thunderbolt from set piece to make score 3-0 in stoppage time .
Van persie , Gibbs , Oxlade were also stunning in front of goal .

C) Liverpool 1-2 Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic's Saun Maloney celebrates scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot

Liverpool fifth defeat in six premier league matches making life of Kenny Dalglish.

Brave Wigan Athletic won their first match at Anfiled after goals from Shaun Maloney and Gary Caldwell .
Shaun Maloney claimed his first goal for Wigan from the penalty spot in the first half , only for Luis Suarez to equalise early in the second half .
Caldwell gave Wigan a 2-1 lead just after the hour as Liverpool surely saw their lingering hopes of a top four finish disappear.

D)Sunderland 3-1 QPR

In the last match QPR defeat the team of top half i.e Liverpool but in this match they cant overcome the team which is in mid half of the table .

Bendtner ,the outstanding McClean and sessegnon socres the goal for Sunderland .
The result compunds QPR's poor away form ,with Mark hushes side picking up only two points out of 37 points.

D) Bolton 2-1 Blackburn

David wheater scores 2 important goals for Bolton to pull themselves out of the relegation zone

David Wheater scored two headers for the home team in a seven-minute salvo. Blackburn rarely threatened and were unable to mount a comeback, despite pulling back an early second-half goal through Steven N’Zonzi.

This was Bolton’s return to soccer action after the shock cardiac arrest of Fabrice Muamba in last Saturday’s FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur.

No one should tell me when to retire: Sachin Tendulkar

2012-03-25T13:49:00.002+05:30

"When I reached my 100th 100, I looked at my bat and looked at the sky and asked god what wrong did I do, why did it take so long," said Sachin Tendulkar.

Indian iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday said that no one should tell him when to retire. "I will play till I have the desire," the master blaster said.

Tendulkar, who said he was madly in love with cricket, said he had fulfilled two dreams -- to win the World Cup and score 100 centuries.

"When I reached my 100th 100, I looked at my bat and looked at the sky and asked god what wrong did I do, why did it take so long," said Tendulkar.

The batting legend expressed that he would like an Indian cricketer to break his record of 100 international centuries. "If someone breaks my 100th 100 record I hope he is an Indian," Tendulkar said in a press conference in Mumbai.

However, Tendulkar also said that dressing room discussions should not have come out. He also spoke on the topic of rotation policy, saying it was used in Australia because there were many players with borderline injuries.

When asked about being named in Don Bradman's all-time Test XI, Sachin Tendulkar said it was the biggest compliment.

"I play for the team not for my personal records", said Tendulkar.

I am taking one match at a time, says Uthappa

2012-03-24T19:21:00.001+05:30

I enjoy playing cricket. It feels good to be back in the side after the one-off game against England in October, to be back in the midst of things," Robin Uthappa said.

Comeback man Robin Uthappa believes he has learned a lot during his absence from the Indian team's ranks and said that he was not looking too far ahead in his on-off international career.

"I enjoy playing cricket. It feels good to be back in the side after the one-off game against England in October, to be back in the midst of things. I am taking it one game at a time. It's a great opportunity and am looking forward to it," said the 26-year-old hard-hitting batsman about his recall to the national team led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Uthappa is the only change in the Asia Cup squad led by Dhoni at Dhaka in place of Sachin Tendulkar for the one-off T20 International against South Africa to be played at Johannesburg on March 30.

"It's a one-way journey where you learn a lot along the way. I certainly have had a lot of learning, am looking forward to playing international cricket again," said the batsman who has kept wickets in junior cricket.

"It requires a lot of hard work (to make a comeback). You need to learn and understand about yourself a little more. Need to know what works for you and trust your instinct and routine so much more, back yourself so much more," he said.

"I was a very raw player when I played initially for the country (in 2006 when he made his ODI debut against England at Indore). Domestic cricket has been a big boon for me. Even IPL has been great, a place where I have learnt a lot about myself, what works for me as an individual, as a batsman as an athlete. That has been the learning for me over the last three years," he added.

I was dejected when portrayed as villain of England tour: Harbhajan

2012-03-24T18:51:00.001+05:30

Dropped from Team India, off-spinnerHarbhajan Singh has been toiling in the domestic circuit where flat tracks, uninspiring formats and mundane outings have taken a toll. In an exclusive chat with TOI, Harbhajan talks about all that he had to go through a 'terrible 2011'. Excerpts...

Dropped from Team India, Harbhajan Singh has been toiling in the domestic circuit.

It's the longest patch since 2001 that you've been away from the national team...

Without doubt it's been tough. But it has been a blessing in disguise too. It allowed my body some much needed rest, my mind to reflect on my game and look at the areas I needed to work on. From October to January I was dealing with my shin injury. I was advised complete rest and after that I had a long stint at the NCA. Currently I'm feeling good about my bowling and body. I'm ready for IPL.

You are India's most successful off-spinner and among the world's leading wicket-takers. How difficult is it to prove yourself again on the domestic front?

It is not easy but at the same time you play cricket because you have passion for the game. That passion makes things easy. I love this challenge and whenever I go to play domestic cricket, it gives me a chance to connect with my roots and Punjab teammates. It's a process from which I have gone through and I want to make the most of this opportunity for an international comeback.

Quality spinners thrive on confidence. Has that confidence taken a dent after being dropped?

The fact of the matter is I wasn't fit. In the Ranji Trophy I was struggling with acute pain. Forget bowling, I was barely able to keep my feet on the ground. I made everyone aware of the situation from my side and went straight to the NCA. I am sure all these things were considered. So no regrets.

You have been a naturally aggressive cricketer who took the fight back to the opposition. That one instinct has been found missing in the Indian team recently.

I don't think there was any lack of desire, aggression or will from the Indian side. Over the years I have seen that all these adjectives are very result-oriented. You do well and all these things are visible. You don't and such issues are raised. Media has to find reasons for a defeat. I can assure you that whoever walks into the field in India colours tries his best. At least that's what I would like to believe.

With the exception of Lord's - in the first innings - your spells on the tour of England were not bad. Do you think it was fair to blame an off-spinner for poor performance on that tour?

I am not the one who decides who is to be blamed and who is responsible. At Lord's we bowled with three bowlers in challenging and wet conditions. In Nottingham I developed a stomach tear and couldn't bowl to my 100 percent. The rumour was that I didn't want to continue on the tour. But the fact is despite that stomach tear I stayed on the ground as long as possible and tried to bowl as much as I could. I didn't want to leave my team in that situation. And then I pulled out of the tour due to injury. But I was dejected with the way I was portrayed as a villain of the tour. We lost the series in seaming conditions and a spinner was blamed for this. Sometimes what happens in India is that the media creates a mahaul (situation) around a player and everything revolves around it. It's sad but that's the way it is. And it's not in my control. I can't worry too much about it.

As a batsman, your best came in 2010 when you scored back-to-back centuries and a half century - against New Zealand, and a very important half-century in Kingston last year. Do you feel let down by the selectors?

I would like to make it clear that my job is to play and contribute in all possible ways. Selectors have a job to do and I am nobody to comment on it. As a cricketer I am still a work in progress and my hard work will show results soon.

You have been good at varying your length and pace. At 31, do you feel you were just about maturing to another level?

After this break, I am feeling very good about my body. Spin bowling is all about rhythm and the more I bowl the closer I get to that space where everything falls in place. I am very happy with the way things are going for me. I have a lot of cricket ahead of me.

Do you feel Indian cricket has consistently gone through the stage where bowlers haven't been given their due as much as batsmen.

(Laughs) That's how it has been over the years. People come to watch fours and sixes. But bowlers have their own role and importance in the game. Shane Warne is considered as great as any other batsman in the world. Anil Kumble's contribution is no less than Sachin Tendulkar's. It is a batsman's game won by the bowlers.

Bishan Singh Bedi spoke about your meeting with him and said 'Harbhajan still has a lot of fire in his belly'.

It was an honour to meet him. When you want advice you go to your elders so I went to Bishan paaji. True to his style he was warm, open and insightful in his opinion. We discussed a lot about bowling and cricket at large. That was quality time I spent with him and I'm thankful for it.

In Champions League you led Mumbai Indians to title. Is captaincy another side to you that hasn't been fully explored?

I have always enjoyed captaincy at all levels. Champions League victory was a great result as we were short of resources and no one backed us. But credit to the boys, they lifted their game and performed exceedingly well.

New zealand vs South Africa

2012-03-24T18:35:00.003+05:30

Petersen, Duminy make hosts toil after rain delay

South Africa 246 for 2 (Petersen 96, Duminy 76) v New Zealand

New Zealand's on-field misery matched Wellington's weather, as South Africa continued their domination via an unbeaten 140-run partnership that took them to 246 for 2. Alviro Petersen went to stumps four short of a third Test hundred, while JP Duminy was on 76. Not even a furious tailwind from the Vance End, nor heavy cloud cover, could conjure a breakthrough for New Zealand, after rain accounted for almost four hours of play first up. Seven overs into the second session, evening gloom set in to end a frustrating day for the hosts, who are quickly running out of time to affect a series-levelling win.

Alviro Petersen had been obdurate on the first day, as he fought to make his first substantial contribution of the tour, but adopted a brighter approach early on the second with a fifty beckoning. Chris Martin's fourth ball was slapped through midwicket, before an edge from an attempted cover drive brought up the milestone. Positivity paying off, he continued in the assured vein, missing few chances to pierce the field when New Zealand erred.

Duminy eased to his half-century too, crisp cover-drives characterising his first Test innings in two years as South Africa's third-wicket stand swelled beyond 100. Adept at finding gaps in the field, Duminy matched his lively partner for pace and outlook. An inside edge over the stumps and a top-edged hook that took him past 50 were the only bumps in an otherwise uncomplicated innings.

Ross Taylor might have rued not placing a third slip when second-slip Martin Guptill dived over, then palmed two edges off Petersen, but in between the chances, the New Zealand bowlers rarely looked like taking wickets in the wind. Martin swung the ball modestly early on, but could not maintain the movement for long, while Mark Gillespie's gun-barrel straight deliveries were navigated without complaint. Daniel Vettori battled the northerly for much of the day, darting balls in to keep his end secure rather than attacking with flight. But even he could not help being unsettled by the gusts, as he regularly offered long hops the batsmen happily dispatched square.

LATEST RESULT

2012-03-24T18:12:00.001+05:30

SOCCER WORLD : LOTS OF THING HAPPEN LAST NIGHT

1. Barclays Premier League

A) Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea Football Club:
An important game for both teams as city have to keep their chance alive in title race and for chelsea to keep alive their hope for top 4 finishes. Carlos Alberto Tevez sets up late Nasri winner as hosts come from behind to reignite title challenge

The Blues had gone ahead through Gary Cahill's deflected strike but a Sergio Aguero penalty was followed up by an 85th-minute strike from the French midfielder to seal the points.

B) Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Stoke City: Rafael van der Vaart nets stoppage-time equaliser but this draw make the life of tottenham difficult.

C) Everton 0-1 Arsenal: Vermaelen header ensures Gunners take advantage .
Wenger's side move above rivals after sealing their sixth win a row in the Premier League as goal from Belgian international gives them the three points at Goodison Park

D) QPR 3-2 Liverpool FC: QPR shows excellent fightback after down by 2 goals and wins the match in last 15 matches

3) LA LIGA

Villarreal 1-1 Real Madrid C.F.: Senna free-kick cancels out cristiano Ronaldo's and by this draw madrid is now only 3 points ahead frm barcelona

SOCCER WORLD

2012-03-23T18:45:00.000+05:30

Sir Alex Ferguson slams Vieira's 'desperation' comments over bringing back Scholes

The Manchester United manager is not impressed with City's mind games, and says he has 'plenty of ammunition' after they recalled controversial striker Carlos Tevez.

Sir Alex Ferguson has hit back at Patrick Vieira’s claims that Manchester United were desperate when bringing back Paul Scholes, claiming that Manchester City did the same thing in playing Carlos Tevez on Wednesday.

Vieira, now football development executive at City, said that Scholes’ return showed there is weakness in the United squad as they had to turn to a 37-year-old player.

Ferguson was quick to dismiss Vieira’s comments in a press conference at Old Trafford on Friday morning, and says he has “plenty of ammunition” if their rivals are going to start playing mind games.

"If it’s desperation bringing back Paul Scholes, the best midfielder in Britain for the last 20 years, then I think we can accept that,” he told reporters.

“Roberto Mancini had a little dig at us a couple of weeks back. We’re all going to play our hand. I have plenty of ammunition that way.

“Desperation? On Wednesday they played a player who refused to go on the pitch and the manager had said he would never play for them again. What is that?”

Scholes has played a key part in United’s return to the summit of the Premier League, with the Red Devils only dropping two points in the 10 games in which he’s featured, and Ferguson went on to praise his veteran midfielder.

Ferguson said: "He can dictate the tempo of games very well. He has the experience. He has a terrific football brain."

Contrary to press reports, Ferguson confirmed he has not yet spoken to Scholes about staying on for another season at Old Trafford.

“The reason he wanted to retire was because he wanted to play 50 games, not 25 games. It was because he wanted to play more,” he said.

“I have not spoken to him about next season.”

FOOTBALL'S BIGGEST TRANSFERS
1. RONALDO - £80M
	FROM: MAN UNITED TO: REAL MADRID YEAR: 2009
2. KAKA - £56M
	FROM: AC MILAN TO: REAL MADRID YEAR: 2009
3. ZIDANE - £53M
	FROM: JUVENTUS TO: REAL MADRID YEAR: 2001
4. TORRES - £50M
	FROM: LIVERPOOL TO: CHELSEA YEAR: 2011
5. IBRAHIMOVIC - £40M PLUS ETO'O
	FROM: INTER TO: BARCELONA YEAR: 2009

	CITY SLICKERS
11/2	Manchester City are 11/2 with William Hill to beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Etihad on Saturday