PBKS Predicted XI vs KKR, IPL 2023: Which Pair Will Open The Innings?

Under the leadership of new captain Shikhar Dhawan, Punjab Kings are all set to begin their campaign for the upcoming edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday. Led by the veteran opening batter Dhawan, the Kings will be guided by World Cup-winning coach Trevor Bayliss, as they eye their maiden IPL title. PBKS will also keep high hopes from England all-rounder Sam Curran, who became the costliest buy with a sum of Rs 18.50 crore at IPL auctions 2023.

The team will miss the service of star pacer Kagiso Rabada in the first game as he is on national duty. In his absence, Arshdeep Singh will have more responsibilities on his shoulders. However, PBKS are likely to rope in Nathan Ellis in the playing XI to fill the void of Rabada.

PBKS will also be missing Liam Livingstone in their first game and this might see their new recruit Sikandar Raza getting a chance to feature in the playing XI. He was bought for Rs 50 lakh at IPL auctions 2023.

Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan and Jitesh Sharma are the star batters at the middle-order of PBKS.

The team had finished at the sixth spot last season and it would definitely hope for an improved show this season. Inconsistency has hurt Punjab badly over the years and Bayliss will have to find a way to optimise the performance of a squad that looks formidable on paper. Punjab finished sixth in the past four seasons and reached their only final in 2014.

Punjab Kings Predicted XI vs Kolkata Knight Riders:

Shikhar Dhawan(c), Prabhsimran Singh, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Shahrukh Khan, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sikandar Raza, Sam Curran, Arshdeep Singh, Nathan Ellis, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar

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"Could Have Done More...": MS Dhoni's Brutal Assessment After CSK's Loss

Chennai Super Kings skipper M S Dhoni felt their middle overs batting let them down in their IPL opener against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on Friday. With Ruturaj Gaikwad going strong, CSK looked on course for a 200 plus total before Titans stemmed the flow of runs in the middle overs. CSK eventually managed 178 for seven which Titans chased down with four balls to spare and five wickets in hand. "We all knew there will be dew. We could have done a bit more with the batsman-ship. Ruturaj (Gaikwad) was brilliant, he times the ball well and he's a pleasure to watch. The way he picks his options, it is pleasing to watch. I think it's important for the youngsters to step in," said Dhoni referring to Gaikwad's 92 off 50 balls.

Dhoni, however, praised IPL debutant Rajvardhan Hangargekar who took three wickets.

"I think Raj (Hangargekar) has pace and he will get better with time. Think the bowlers will get better, a no-ball is something that's in your control, so you need to work on that. I felt two left armers will be a better option so I went ahead with them. Shivam (Dube) was an option, but I felt comfortable with the bowlers overall," said Dhoni.

Titans skipper Hardik Pandya was pleased with the team's performance.

"We did put ourselves in a difficult situation but Rahul and Rashid did very well. We were happy at the mid-innings because at one point they looked like getting 200, but we got those couple of wickets to pull things back." On the introduction of impact player in the IPL, he said: "Having this Impact rule makes my job difficult. I have too many options, and because of this someone will bowl less. This game I realised bowling hard lengths was the way to go, that's why Alzarri bowled late.

"Having Rashid is a real asset, he will get you wickets and get you some runs late down the order as well."

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Arijit Singh Touches MS Dhoni's Feet Before IPL Game. Pic Breaks Internet

MS Dhoni is one of the most-loved cricketers in the world and star singer Arijit Singh is also a fan of the veteran wicket-keeper batsman. The duo shared a heartwarming moment during the opening ceremony of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday and the picture has already gone viral. In the picture doing the rounds, Arijit could be seen touching Dhoni's feet as the two of them met after the performances. Arijit thrilled the fans with his hit songs during the opening ceremony and he was joined by actresses Rashmika Mandanna and Tamannah Bhatia. 

Arijit Singh touched MS Dhoni's feet during IPL 2023 opening ceremony. pic.twitter.com/8DeX3mRb9N

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 31, 2023

Shubman Gill eclipsed Ruturaj Gaikwad's high-quality knock with a dazzling half-century as Gujarat Titans began their title defence with a convincing five-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings. 

Gaikwad was all class in his 92 off 50 balls before Titans pulled things back in the middle overs to limit Chennai Super Kings to 178 for seven after opting to bowl first in front of a near capacity crowd. 

Arijit Singh touched Dhoni's feet .

Oh man ❤️ pic.twitter.com/sjoP8mIoWx

— MAHIYANK ™ (@Mahiyank_78) March 31, 2023

In the form of his life over the past three months, Gill played some jaw-dropping strokes in his 63 off 36 balls to set up a fine win for the home team. Titans got home in 19.2 overs. 

Gill's opening partner Wriddhiman Saha showed he has still got it as he smashed a couple of sixes and as many fours in his 16-ball 25 that got the Titans going in the run chase. 

Gill's best shot of the innings was the back foot punch off CSK's impact player Tushar Deshpande and he followed with a pick up shot over midwicket. Titans' impact player Sai Sudharsan, who was used in place of an injured Kane Williamson, contributed with 22 off 17 balls. 

When Gill departed, Titans needed 41 off the last five overs but CSK managed to take the game down to the wire. 

It needed a cameo from Rashid Khan (10 not out off 3) to settled the nerves in the Titans dressing room. 

(With PTI inputs)

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General Motors Plans to Replace Apple CarPlay, Android Auto With Google's Infotainment System in Future EVs

General Motors plans to phase out widely-used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies that allow drivers to bypass a vehicle's infotainment systems, shifting instead to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google for future electric vehicles.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto systems allow users to mirror their smartphone screens in a vehicle's dashboard display.

GM's decision to stop offering those systems in future electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, could help the automaker capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.

GM is designing the on-board navigation and infotainment systems for future EVs in partnership with Alphabet's Google.

The decision to phase out CarPlay smartphone projection technology is a setback for Apple Inc in the competition with Google to capture more real estate on vehicle dashboards in North America. GM's Chevrolet brand in the past boasted of offering more models with CarPlay or Android Auto than any other brand.

GM has been working with Google since 2019 to develop the software foundations for infotainment systems that will be more tightly integrated with other vehicle systems such as GM's Super Cruise driver assistant. The automaker is accelerating a strategy for its EVs to be platforms for digital subscription services.

By 2035, GM's goal is to phase out production of new combustion light-duty vehicles.

GM would benefit from focusing engineers and investment on one approach to more tightly connecting in-vehicle infotainment and navigation with features such as assisted driving, Edward Kummer, GM's chief digital officer, and Mike Himche, executive director of digital cockpit experience, said in an interview.

"We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation," Himche told Reuters. "We don't want to design these features in a way that are dependent on person having a cellphone."

Buyers of GM EVs with the new systems will get access to Google Maps and Google Assistant, a voice command system, at no extra cost for eight years, GM said. GM said the future infotainment systems will offer applications such as Spotify's music service, Audible and other services that many drivers now access via smartphones.

GM plans to continue offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring systems in its combustion models. Owners of vehicles equipped with the mirroring technologies will still be able to use the systems, GM said.

Drivers also will still be able to listen to music or make phone calls on iPhones or Android smartphones using Bluetooth wireless connectivity, GM said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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US Chipmaker Micron's Products to Be Examined in China for Cybersecurity Risks

China's cyberspace regulator will conduct a cybersecurity review of products sold in the country by US memory chip manufacturer Micron Technology, the regulator said on Friday.

The move, which comes amid a spat over chip technology between Washington and Beijing, is aimed at protecting the security of the supply chain for critical information infrastructure, prevent hidden risks and safeguard national security, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a brief statement.

It gave no other details, including which Micron products it was reviewing.

The United States has imposed a series of export controls on chipmaking technology to China for fear it could be used to produce chips for applications such as artificial intelligence which could be used by China's military, and blacklisted a number of China's largest chip firms, including Micron rival Yangtze Memory Technologies Co Ltd.

Micron, one of the world's largest memory chip makers, did not respond immediately to a request for comment. The company's shares fell 3 percent on Friday.

"Punitive actions against Micron could suggest a broader shift in Chinese policy with other US vendors with large Chinese exposure now potentially at risk of similar actions," Wedbush Securities analyst Matthew Bryson said.

On Friday, Japan announced it would align its technology trade controls with a US push to curb China's ability to make advanced chips. The Netherlands, which makes advanced lithography equipment critical for the manufacture of advanced chips, made a similar announcement earlier this month.

Weak consumer demand has roiled the memory chip market, which is dominated by South Korea's Samsung Electronics.

Micron derives around 10 percent of its revenue from China, but it was not clear if the review would affect the company's sales to non-Chinese customers in the country.

The larger chunk of the company's products flowing into China are being purchased by non-Chinese firms for use in products manufactured in the country, according to analysts.

Micron has offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen, as well as a chip packaging facility in the city of Xian. In early 2022, the company announced it would shut its DRAM design operations in Shanghai.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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The Xiaomi 13 Pro has a hefty price tag compared to the company's 2022 flagship model. How does it fare against other high-end phones launched in 2023? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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TerraUSD Founder Do Kwon Indicted in US Following Montenegro Arrest

Do Kwon, the cryptocurrency entrepreneur behind two digital currencies that lost an estimated $40 billion (nearly Rs. 3,28,500 crore) or more last year, has been charged with fraud by US prosecutors.

An eight-count indictment against Kwon was made public in the US District Court in Manhattan, several hours after news of his arrest earlier Thursday in Montenegro.

Lawyers for Kwon in the United States did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.

Thursday's indictment charges Kwon, a South Korean national who co-founded Terraform Labs and developed the TerraUSD and Luna currencies, with two counts each of securities fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud and conspiracy.

The criminal case follows related US Securities and Exchange Commission civil charges against Kwon and Terraform last month.

Kwon had been a fugitive for several months, and South Korean authorities issued an arrest warrant for him last September.

South Korean police said on Friday that the identity of the suspect arrested in Montenegro had been confirmed as Kwon after his fingerprints matched the information held by the country's National Police Agency (KNPA).

"This has been shared with the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office and Interpol in Montenegro," one official at the KNPA said.

Prosecutors will work with other institutions to carry out a swift repatriation, a spokesperson for the country's prosecution service said.

Montenegro's interior ministry said police detained a person thought to be Kwon and a second suspect, who were trying to board a flight to Dubai at Podgorica airport.

Police found forged passports of Costa Rica and Belgium during the encounter, the ministry said.

"The person is suspected of being one of the most wanted fugitives, South Korean national Do Kwon, a co-founder and CEO of the Singapore-based Terraform Labs," Interior Minister Filip Adzic wrote on Twitter.

"The former cryptocurrency king who is behind losses of over $40 billion, has been apprehended at the Podgorica airport with forged documents," Adzic added.

TerraUSD was a so-called "stablecoin" designed to maintain a constant $1 price, while Luna's value fluctuated.

But authorities have said TerraUSD and Luna were paired, such that a decline in one could take down the other.

They also said Kwon misrepresented the stability of TerraUSD, once among the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market value.

Both currencies crashed last May, with TerraUSD's price sinking to less than one penny.

In its civil case, the SEC accused Kwon and Terraform of "orchestrating a multi-billion dollar crypto asset securities fraud.

"We also allege that they committed fraud by repeating false and misleading statements to build trust before causing devastating losses for investors," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement at the time.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Josh Hazlewood Likely To Miss First 7 Games For RCB: Report

Set to miss at least first leg of the IPL due to an Achilles (heel) problem, Royal Challengers Bangalore's Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood would reach India by April 14 but would take another week to be match-fit. While Hazlewood will miss at least seven IPL games, his Australian teammate Glenn Maxwell is doubtful for RCB's opening match against Mumbai Indians on April 2 in Bengaluru as he is yet to fully regain strength post leg fracture. "Everything is ticking along according to plan, so I'll be heading over on the 14th (of April) depending on how the next two weeks go," Hazlewood was quoted as saying by The Age.

"I probably won't be quite ready to go right then, but (after) another week in India to touch things up skills wise I should be ready to go hopefully." Hazlewood, who had to opt out of Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India, is hoping to get ready for the Ashes via the IPL.

"You don't need a lot of workload for T20. It's more just ticking off those boxes of getting up to speed and pushing back in the run-up. I'm probably only going to need to do one or two sessions at full pace and then I'm probably good to play.

"T20 is a lot different to Test and even one-day cricket. You only need 20 balls at full pace and that's pretty close to a game, which is a good thing," he said.

The 32-year-old pacer, however, is still awaiting a medical clearance from Cricket Australia before departing for India.

"It's a niggly one, the Achilles tendon. It's a slow process but it thrives on a bit of work, and I'd have to be bowling to prepare for the Ashes, so it may as well be in a game of cricket," Hazlewood said.

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Watch: What To Expect From Drone Show At IPL 2023 Opening Ceremony

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 is set to kick off with a grand opening ceremony on Friday at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. While the cricketing focus is on the match between Chennai Super Kings and defending champions Gujarat Titans, the curtain-raiser event is also going to be mesmerising, considering a drone show will be conducted, together with some celebrity performances. Ahead of the opening ceremony, a video emerged on social media, showing a glimpse of the drone show that will be held on Friday.

As per reports, around 1,500 drones will be used at the opening ceremony, creating a unique light show that has not been seen in the IPL before. The drones will form different shapes in the sky, one of them being the IPL trophy. The rehearsals for the drone show have reportedly been going on for a couple of days. Here's a glimpse:

This is simply magnificent - the drone show tonight will be mesmerizing. pic.twitter.com/43XmTMNczd

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 31, 2023

As far as the cricketing contests go, the 2023 edition of the IPL will start with the mouth-watering clash of star-studded defending champions Gujarat Titans (GT) and four-time champions Chennai Super Kings.

The match will be a battle between two generations of Indian cricket. At one side will be CSK skipper MS Dhoni, who took Indian cricket to new heights of success in late 2000s to early 2010s by clinching the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup (2007), ICC Cricket World Cup (2011) and ICC Champions Trophy (2013) and became the only skipper to win these three major titles. Dhoni replicated this success in IPL, leading the team to the title on four occasions. On the other side is GT skipper Hardik Pandya, who was pushed into superstardom after leading GT to the title in their debut season. Pandya has also led India to some wins at the international level in the shorter format and is making a case for himself as a future white-ball skipper.

Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans will be facing a huge weight of expectations after clinching the title in their debut season. To prove that their title win was not a fluke, they would have to start this season well against the four-time champions Chennai Super Kings.

With ANI inputs

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IPL 2023: Michael Vaughan Makes Bold Title Prediction, Snubs CSK And MI

With the 2023 edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) around the corner, the excitement among fans has been growing with each passing day. Gujarat Titans (GT) will kick off their title defense on Friday when they take on four-time champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Narendra Modi Stadium. GT lifted the title in their first season in the tournament after beating Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the final last year. Ahead of the start of the new season, former England captain Michael Vaughan has issued a bold statement regarding the winner of IPL 2023.

Vaughan has backed the Sanju Samson-led RR, who were beaten in the final last year, to go all the way this time around.

"Can't wait for the IPL to start .. Looking forward to being part of the @cricbuzz team .. I thinks it's going to be @rajasthanroyals year .. they will be lifting the trophy in late May," Vaughan tweeted.

Can't wait for the IPL to start .. Looking forward to being part of the @cricbuzz team .. I thinks it's going to be @rajasthanroyals year .. they will be lifting the trophy in late May .. #OnOn #IPL2023

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 29, 2023

RR have not won the IPL since its inaugural edition, when the legendary Shane Warne had guided them to the title.

After losing the final to Gujarat Titans last season, RR will start their IPL 2023 campaign on April 2, in Hyderabad against Sunrisers Hyderabad.

At the auction last year, RR acquired the services of West Indian all-rounder Jason Holder (Rs 5.75 crore), while also going for Australia's Adam Zampa (Rs 1.5 crore).

England batter Joe Root will also play his first-ever IPL season, having been bought at his base price of Rs 2 crore.

RR Full Squad:

Players bought in IPL 2023 auction: Jason Holder (Rs 5.75 crore), Donovan Ferreira (Rs 50 lakh), Kunal Rathore (Rs 20 lakh), Adam Zampa (Rs 1.5 crore), KM Asif (Rs 30 lakh), Murugan Ashwin (Rs 20 lakh), Abdul PA (Rs 20 lakh), Akash Vashisht (Rs 20 lakh), Joe Root (INR 2 crore)

Retained players: Sanju Samson (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shimron Hetmyer, Devdutt Padikkal, Jos Buttler, Dhruv Jurel, Riyan Parag, Prasidh Krishna (Replaced by Sandeep Sharma), Trent Boult, Obed McCoy, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Kuldip Yadav, R Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, KC Cariappa.
 

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IPL 2023: CSK Name Akash Singh As Replacement For Mukesh Choudhary

Chennai Super Kings on Thursday named Akash Singh as a replacement for injured left-arm seamer Mukesh Choudhary. Mukesh, who made his IPL debut last season and scalped 16 wickets, is recovering from a stress fracture and is sidelined from the 16th edition of the IPL. Akash Singh, who was a part of India's Under-19 World Cup team in 2020, previously played for Rajasthan Royals. The left-arm pacer has so far played 9 T20s in addition to 9 List A matches and five first-class games and has 31 wickets. He will join CSK for Rs 20 lakh.

Four-time winners CSK begin their campaign with a match against defending champions Gujarat Titans here on Thursday.

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Hazlewood To Miss Initial Stage, Maxwell Doubtful For RCB's Opener: Report

Royal Challengers Bangalore fast bowler Josh Hazlewood is set to miss the initial stages of the Indian Premier League beginning in Ahmedabad on Friday. According to a report in cricket.com.au, Hazlewood is, however, hopeful of playing a part in the later stages of the T20 tournament. The 32-year-old is currently recovering from an Achilles problem which kept him out of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in India.

Hazlewood will consult Cricket Australia's medical staff before deciding on his participation in the IPL, the report said.

In another big development, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell, who missed Australia's final two ODIs against India earlier this month, is also doubtful for RCB's opening game against Mumbai Indians on April 2 in Bengaluru as he is yet to recover from a leg injury.

Australia national selector George Bailey said Maxwell, who broke his leg in a freak accident last November, found the comeback to ODI "more demanding than he had expected".

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Virat Kohli, Shah Rukh Khan Fans Clash On Twitter - Here's What Happened

Social media is a place where people are free to express their views. However, on occasions, incidents are seen where banter between a few people gets ugly. Such was the instance in two sets of fans on social media. The fans of Indian cricket icon Virat Kohli and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan went loggerheads with each other on Twitter, arguing over who is better than the other. Comparisons between cricketers or two actors are often seen among fans on social media, but one between a cricketer and an actor was certainly new.

"Who is a bigger personality and achiever globally?" a Twitter user asked on March 28 through a poll on the micro-blogging website.

The options were: a) Shah Rukh Khan and b) Virat Kohli. This was the start of a crazy fan war on social media.

Who is a bigger personality and achiever globally ?

— Slog Sweep-189 (@SloggSweep) March 27, 2023

Fans highlighted random facts to draw inferences that would leave the neutrals scratching their heads. Here are some of them:

Highest liked tweet of Shah Rukh Khan is related to one and only Virat Kohli. These are the levels. pic.twitter.com/Ib0Lsw988E

— akshat (@ReignOfVirat) March 28, 2023

But believe me bro shah rukh khan has bigger fanbase than Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/ufwD29lKHk

— Kevin (@imkevin149) March 29, 2023

Shah Rukh Khan Virat Kohli
Owner of Gets Owned by
5 Cricket Every Cricket
Teams Team pic.twitter.com/W2vkOqmN4S

— ?????? (@KnightOfEden_) March 28, 2023

Virat Kohli at Shah Rukh
Wankhede Khan at
Wankhede pic.twitter.com/ATRl2QUF22

— Sai Krishna (@SaiKingkohli) March 28, 2023

The owners of Shah Rukh Khan on field and off field

Global Star Virat kohli and Megastar Salman Khan pic.twitter.com/pqAScpvD82

— Vishal. (@SportyVishaI) March 27, 2023

Well, if the comparison between Virat Kohli and Shah Rukh Khan is about popularity then just this picture is enough to answer the question, he is the greatest of this generation and he will remain the greatest ! pic.twitter.com/zPut15rWEH

— Akshat (@AkshatOM10) March 27, 2023

Virat Kohli and Shah Rukh Khan both are pride of India, both represent our country globally! stop this childish fight!!!pic.twitter.com/xbsdycERge

— S. (@Sobuujj) March 27, 2023

The end result of the poll was Kohli getting 54.4% votes while Shah Rukh got 45.6%. But the end of the poll didn't mark the end of the debate on social media.

Recently, a video of Virat Kohli and his teammate Ravindra Jadeja doing the Pathaan dance had gone viral on social media. The two cricketers were spotted shaking their leg the "Jhoome Jo Pathaan" during the Test series against Australia. The clip gained such popularity that even Shah Rukh Khan took to Twitter and reacted.

The King Khan had written: "They are doing it better than me!! Will have to learn it from Virat And Jadeja!!!"

They are doing it better than me!! Will have to learn it from Virat And Jadeja!!! https://t.co/q1aCmZByDu

— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) February 14, 2023

Fan wars on social media isn't a new thing. It wasn't the first time that such a thing happened. It wouldn't be the last either. However, it also needs to be understand where a line needs to be drawn in order to keep the debates and discussions healthy.

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Rishabh Pant Says He's "Coming To Play" Ahead Of IPL 2023. There's A Twist

A horrific accident in December, 2022, has forced Rishabh Pant out of action for quite sometime now. In the early hours of December 30, 2022, Pant, 25, miraculously survived after his Mercedes car collided with a divider and caught fire on the Delhi-Dehradun highway while he was on the way to his hometown Roorkee. The star India wicketkeeper-batter has started his rehab process, and recently shared videos of him walking again. His absence means that Delhi Capitals will be missing a very impactful player when they begin their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 campaign against the KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants on Saturday.

In a promotional video, which has been doing the rounds on social media, Pant on Wednesday said "if everyone is playing, why not me? I am still in the game boss! I am coming to play". It's an advertisement for a food delivery app, but it got the internet buzzing.   

"Cricket and food. Two things I can't live without. I haven't been able to play cricket in the last few months. But the doctor did tell me to eat properly. So I had lots of healthy food at home...the cricket season was starting soon. That's when I felt that if everyone is playing, why not me? I am still in the game boss! I am coming to play," Pant said in a video.

Rishabh Pant is back! pic.twitter.com/3uu51Nz0AO

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) March 29, 2023

Delhi Capitals are likely to sign Bengal's Abishek Porel as a replacement for the injured wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant ahead of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023, according to a report in the ESPNcricinfo. The signing of Porel, which has not yet been formally confirmed, follows a number of training matches at a week-long training camp in New Delhi. 

In addition to being observed by the Capitals coaching staff, which is led by director of cricket Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting, Porel and three other uncapped wicketkeepers, Sheldon Jackson, Luvnith Sisodia, and Vivek Singh, have been put through a series of match simulation drills over the past week. 

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Virat Kohli Has Sold Most Cars That He Owned. RCB Star's 'Mature' Reason

Starting from Sunday, when Royal Challengers Bangalore gets down to action in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 with a match against the Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians, all eyes will be on Virat Kohli and whether he can fly gets his hands on the trophy. RCB is one of the four teams that has not won the IPL. Kohli, former RCB skipper, despite some terrific performances with the bat could not lead the team to the title. However, with a great from leading up to the franchise leagues, RCB fans can hope big things from the batting great. Ahead of the two month long tournament, Kohli had a fun interaction, a video of which has been uploaded on RCB's social media handles.  

"Is there any impulsive buys that you hardly use?" the presenter asked on RCB Bold Diaries. 

"Most of the cars I owned. They were all impulsive buys. I ended up hardly driving them or actually travelling in them. Beyond a point I felt that is is actually pointless. ended up selling most of them. Now we use what we absolutely need to. I think it is also part of growing up, becoming more aware and mature about things, that you don't feel like owning toys or stuff like that. For us it's about being practical and what's of use," Virat Kohli replied.

Behind the Scenes with Virat Kohli at RCB Team Photoshoot

Current playlist, new tattoo, trump cards and more... Know more about the personal side of @imVKohli, on Bold Diaries.#PlayBold #ನಮ್ಮRCB #IPL2023 pic.twitter.com/nCatZhgFAQ

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) March 29, 2023

"Speaking of GOATs, if Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer and you were on the same table, what do you think would the conversations would be about?" the presenter also asked Virat. 

"I'll just keep quiet and listen to both of them. To be honest, I don't have much to add to that conversation. It's all to soak in and listene to some of the greatest athletes in the history of sports,” Kohli said.

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"Would've Been Stupid If...": Steve Smith On Leading MS Dhoni In IPL

When Steve Smith became the captain of Rising Pune Supergiants ahead of the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL), the focus was on how the Australian superstar would lead a side that had MS Dhoni, one of the most successful IPL captains, as its member. Now, as Smith returns to the IPL 2023 as a commentator, he recollected his experiences of working with Dhoni.

"Of course, you know he's been able to achieve so much over such a long period of time, he's going to go down as one of the best leaders to play the game for sure. So, you know, when I got the call to say that they wanted me to captain, it was a little bit daunting. But that season, MSD was just wonderful. You know, he helped in any way that he could and, he's a terrific guy. It was a great experience being able to captain him, but also very daunting as well,” Smith told Star Sports, IPL's official broadcasters.

Smith also spoke on the emotions he went through when he got selected as the captain of the RPS team and how he felt leading a side which had MS Dhoni in it, he said: "Yeah, I, I didn't really know what to expect initially, you know, MS had captained every team he played for, obviously throughout the IPL with Chennai, every season should I say. But yeah, when they came and asked me, I was a little bit shocked first, and then I didn't really know what to say. It was like, have you spoken to MS about this? This is a little bit strange from my side, but after we sorted everything out, MS was just wonderful. And the way he helped me and helped guide that team that year was incredible. And yeah, I couldn't thank him enough.:

Smith recalled how it was to work on the field with Dhoni, he said: "Well, it was a while ago now, but yeah, look out on the field. He was someone that I was bouncing ideas off. You know, being behind the stumps, he's got a great, great view of the game. He understands the angles really well and obviously playing in India also, you know, it's his home and he understands those conditions as well as anyone would. So, you know, I would've been stupid if I wasn't trying to get as much knowledge as I could out of him in the middle. And yeah, he was very helpful and certainly helped us achieve what we did that year."

Smith further spoke about what he has been able to learn and emulate from Dhoni over the years, he said “I think just the calmness that MS shows, we saw it throughout his career, just how calm he was. It didn't look like he was flustered by any emotions or anything like that. And that's certainly something that I've taken in not just in that season, but just watching him go about his business in the prior years, just how calm and relaxed he was. And you know, at times I can get quite agitated and things like that. So you know, I have to try and keep myself as calm and as sort of levelheaded as I can. And yeah, that's certainly something that I learned off of MS.”

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Rashid Khan Overtakes Wanindu Hasaranga To Reclaim No. 1 T20I Bowler's Spot

Afghanistan's milestone victory against Pakistan echoed throughout the world of cricket. It was the first time Afghanistan had beaten Pakistan in a bilateral T20I series and star spinner Rashid Khan was the main beneficiary as he overtook Sri Lankan spinner Wanindu Hasaranga to again become the top ranked T20I bowler in the world once again. The right-arm bowler collected a wicket in each of the three matches against Pakistan in Sharjah, with his miserly economy rate in both of Afghanistan's victories during the first two games of the series being a standout.

Rashid's teammate Fazalhaq Farooqi was the standout pacer during the series with a total of five wickets and an economy rate of just 4.75 and the left-armer shot up an eye-catching 12 spots to third overall in the latest rankings update.

It means Afghanistan now have three players inside the top 10 of the T20I category for bowlers, with spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, part of the talented trio, at the eighth spot following his four wickets for the series against Pakistan.

While regular Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was rested for the series and he dropped one place to fourth in the T20I batter rankings, stand-in skipper Shadab Khan impressed and was duly rewarded on the latest rankings update.

Shadab improved eight spots to fourth on the T20I all-rounder rankings and jumped six places to 12th overall on the list for bowers, while teammate Mohammad Wasim shot up nine spots to 23rd in the same category.

West Indies' series victory over South Africa saw a host of their players jump up the T20I rankings list, with beanpole quick Alzarri Joseph improving 17 spots to 33rd overall for bowlers and teammate Johnson Charles jumping a whopping 92 places to 17th for batters.

South Africa duo Rilee Rossouw (up two spots to sixth) and Reeza Hendricks (up eight places to 12th) also made good ground on the T20I rankings for batters in what was a high-scoring and entertaining series.

There was some movement on the ODI charts this week too, following the completion of Australia's series away from home in India and Zimbabwe's series with the Netherlands.

Australia spinner Adam Zampa jumped three places to sixth overall on the list for ODI bowlers, while Zimbabwe veteran Sikandar Raza improved one spot to fifth in the all-rounder category.

India opener Shubman Gill rose to a career-high rating of 738 points in fifth place on the list for ODI batters, with skipper Rohit Sharma jumping one spot to eighth overall in the same category.

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"New Innovations...": Rohit Sharma On 'Impact Player' Rule In IPL

Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma on Wednesday backed the new "impact player" rule that will come into force in the upcoming Indian Premier League T20 tournament. The regulation will allow a substitute to come in to bat and bowl, but he can only be an Indian unless there are fewer than four overseas players in a team. "It's interesting to have new innovations coming into the game," Rohit told reporters before the IPL season starts on Friday. "Only time will tell what happens and how the team will cope with this new rule, but I like the idea of an impact player coming in and changing your team after the toss."

He said five-time IPL winners Mumbai will "luckily" be able to see how other teams use the new rule since four other matches will be played before their opening game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday.

Other innovations include captains being allowed to announce their XI after the toss -- which decides which team bats first -- and then nominate an impact player from among the five substitutes listed with the playing XI.

Mumbai's new head coach Mark Boucher also welcomed the idea of changing the team after the toss, saying it will be "quite influential". "Especially in India the dew plays a big part if you are playing in night time," the South African said.

Other new rules include teams being able to review umpires' decisions on no-balls and wides using the computerised Decision Review System.

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Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and ROG Strix Scar 18 Gaming Laptops Launched in India: All Details

Asus has launched the Strix Scar 16 and Strix Scar 18 gaming laptops in India. These new models debuted at CES 2023. Both laptops feature the latest Intel 13th Gen CPUs and Nvidia's 40-series GPUs. Asus has also launched updated models of its Zephyrus M16, Strix Scar 17, and Zephyrus Duo 16 in India. The latter two laptops are based on AMD's latest Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. Out of these, the Strix Scar 16 and Strix Scar 18 are the brand new models that feature a fresh design and per-key RGB illumination.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16, ROG Strix Scar 18, Zephyrus M16, ROG Strix Scar 17, Zephyrus Duo 16 price in India

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 has a starting price of Rs. 2,79,990, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18 starts at Rs. 2,79,990. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 starts at Rs. 2,69,990. The new Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 has a starting price of Rs. 2,99,990, and finally the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 starts at a whopping Rs. 4,29,990. All the new laptops are available for purchase through major online and offline retailers.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and ROG Strix Scar 18 specifications

Asus ROG Strix Scar 16 and ROG Strix Scar 18 laptops feature a new and updated design, with a cut across the lid and the same design is replicated across the keyboard too. It features customisable ‘Armour Caps' that are now smaller and held in place with magnets.

Asus allows you to 3D print the Armour Caps too if you want to customise its looks. Both models feature Aura Sync accents, and the ROG logo on top lid and the keyboard have RGB lighting. The laptops feature Intel 13th Gen CPUs and Nvidia's GeForce RTX 4000 series GPUs with MUX Switch. You can get up to a QHD resolution display with 240Hz refresh rate with Adaptive Sync.

Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 specifications

The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 features a similar design language as the Scar 16 and 18. The laptops can be configured with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX CPU and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. This laptop features pre-key RGB lighting, a metallic ROG logo, and Aura Sync accents.

Asus ROG Zephyrus M16 specifications

Asus has also refreshed the ROG Zephyrus M16, which now features a 16-inch display with a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio and slim bezels. The 16:10 aspect ratio display features a QHD resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate, with a 3ms response time. The display is also said to support 100 percent DCI-P3 colour gamut and is Pantone validated. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR with up to 1,100 nits of peak brightness. This model can be configured with up to an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU and up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 specifications

Last but not least, we have the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 16, which features a 16-inch display in a 15-inch form factor. The laptop features AMD's Ryzen 7000 series Dragon Range of processors based on the new Zen 4 architecture. The Duo 16 comes with a large 90WHr battery and can be charged by either the included 330W adapter or through the 100W PD charge enabled USB Type-C ports. Asus claims the laptop's battery can be charged to 50 percent in just 30 minutes.

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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Alibaba to Split Into 6 Units as China Vows to Ease Crackdown on Private Sector

Alibaba Group is planning to split into six units and explore fundraisings or listings for most of them, it said on Tuesday, in a major revamp as China vows to ease a sweeping regulatory crackdown and support its private enterprises.

The US-listed shares of the Chinese e-commerce conglomerate, which have lost nearly 70 percent of their value since the curbs were imposed in late 2020, rose more than 10 percent.

Alibaba said the biggest restructuring in its 24-year history would see it split into six units - Cloud Intelligence Group, Taobao Tmall Commerce Group, Local Services Group, Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, Global Digital Commerce Group and Digital Media and Entertainment Group.

The revamp comes a day after Alibaba founder Jack Ma returned home from a year-long stay abroad, a move that dovetailed with Beijing's effort to spur growth in the private sector after two years of crackdown.

Analysts said the breakup could ease scrutiny over the tech giant whose sprawling business has been a target of regulators for years.

"The original intention and fundamental purpose of this reform is to make our organisation more agile, shorten decision-making links and respond faster," Chief Executive Daniel Zhang said in a letter to staff, which was seen by Reuters.

Each business group, he said, had to tackle the rapid changes in the market and each Alibaba employee had to "return to the mindset of an entrepreneur".

Zhang will continue as chairman and CEO of Alibaba Group, which will follow a holding company management model, and also serve as CEO of Cloud Intelligence Group.

Each of the six businesses will have a CEO as well as a board of directors and will retain the flexibility to raise outside capital and seek an initial public offering, the company said.

The exception would be Taobao Tmall Commerce Group that handles China commerce businesses and will remain a wholly owned unit of Alibaba Group.

The company would "lighten and thin" its middle and back office functions, Zhang said, but did not detail job cuts.

Investors said the split signals the clearing of regulatory worries and allays concerns that Alibaba had lost the potential to grow.

The decision could also be partly a fallout of the US scrutiny of Chinese tech firms that raised national security concerns over TikTok and its parent ByteDance, said Tara Hariharan of emerging market hedge fund NWI Management.

"By paving the way for Alibaba's various new units to list, the Chinese government may be signalling less hostility towards its tech giants as a placatory message to US and international investors," said Hariharan, managing director of global macro research.

Ma's return

The restructuring is among the biggest corporate moves by a major Chinese tech company in recent years, as the industry cowered under tighter regulatory oversight, causing deals to dry up and dampening risk appetite among businesses.

Lately, authorities have been softening their tone towards the private sector as leaders try to shore up an economy battered by three years of strict COVID-19 curbs.

Companies, however, have been hesitant, privately pointing to a lack of new supportive policies and the new regulatory framework.

Alibaba's shares had received a boost on Monday after founder Ma returned to China as his overseas stay was viewed by the industry as a reflection of the sober mood of its private businesses.

China's new premier, Li Qiang, had recognised Ma's return to the mainland could help boost business confidence among entrepreneurs and since late last year had begun asking him to come back, five sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

"It does seem something of a coincidence that this is happening just as Ma seems comfortable returning. To me it suggests something that Alibaba has been wanting to do for some time, but has been waiting for the opportunity," said Stuart Cole, head macro economist at brokerage Equiti Capital.

The restructuring "does inject an element of flexibility and adaptability into the company, which currently is something of a behemoth," he said.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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RCB In IPL 2023: Preview, Strongest XI, Schedule - All You Need To Know

The 16th edition of Indian Premier League will kick-start from Friday with defending champions Gujarat Titans taking on four-time winners Chennai Super Kings, at the Narendra Modi Stadium. With new season, Royal Challengers Bangalore will be in search of their first-ever title, as they take on Mumbai Indians in the opening match. The Faf du Plessis-led side had a decent outing in the previous season, where they won eight out of 14 matches. RCB entered the playoffs and defeated Lucknow Super Giants by 14 runs in the Eliminator. However, their happiness could not last long as they faced a seven-wicket defeat against Rajasthan Royals in Qualifier 2 and lost another big opportunity of claiming the coveted trophy. 

The major strength of RCB in the previous season was their skipper du Plessis, who smashed a whopping total of 468 runs in 16 matches, laced with three half-centuries and a highest score of 96. Apart from him, Sri Lanka spinner Wanindu Hasaranga turned out to be the biggest positive for the Bengaluru-based franchise as he scalped 26 wickets, including a five-wicket haul and became the second-highest wickettaker of the season. 

As IPL 2023 has brought back the concept of home and away matches, the return of RCB to their home ground at M Chinnaswamy stadium will also be a big plus point for their former skipper Virat Kohli, who battled through his lean patch last year, and is currently in a lethal form. 

However, there are some injury concerns that can be a big issue for RCB. Some reports have predicted that young batter Rajat Patidar is likely to miss the first half of the season due to a heel injury. He is currently undergoing rehab at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru and has been advised to take rest for three weeks following which an MRI scan will determine his participation in the second half of the league.

His absence could cause RCB to rethink on their batting combination. With Patidar in the mix, RCB Director of Cricket Mike Hesson had said after the IPL auction last year in December that Virat Kohli would continue opening with skipper Faf Du Plessis. The injury now means that Kohli could bat at number three, with either young New Zealand talent Finn Allen or uncapped Indian wicketkeeper-batter Anuj Rawat likely to serve Du Plessis as his opening partner.

Patidar's availability is not the only thing concerning RCB. There are doubts over pacer Josh Hazlewood's status for the tournament as he is currently recovering from Achilles tendonitis.

Full schedule: 

Match 1: April 2, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)

Match 2: April 6, 2023 - Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Kolkata (7:30PM IST)

Match 3: April 10, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants, Bengaluru (3:30PM IST)

Match 4: April 15, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru (3:30PM IST)

Match 5: April 17, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)

Match 6: April 20, 2023 - Punjab Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mohali (3:30PM IST)

Match 7: April 23, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, Bengaluru (3:30PM IST)

Match 8: April 26, 2023 - Royal Challengrs Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)

Match 9: May 1, 2023 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Lucknow (7:30PM IST)

Match 10: May 6, 2023 - Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi (7:30PM IST)

Match 11: May 9, 2023 - Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Mumbai (7:30PM IST)

Match 12: May 14, 2023 - Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Jaipur (3:30PM IST)

Match 13: May 18, 2023 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Hyderabad (7:30PM IST)

Match 14: May 21, 2023 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Gujarat Titans, Bengaluru (7:30PM IST)

Strongest XI:

Faf du Plessis (c), Virat Kohli, Suyash Prabhudessai, Anuj Rawat, Glenn Maxwell, Dinesh Karthik, Finn Allen, Wanindu Hasaranga, Shahbaz Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Mohammed Siraj

Full Squad: 

Faf du Plessis (c), Finn Allen, Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suyash Prabhudessai, Will Jacks, Anuj Rawat, Dinesh Karthik, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mahipal Lomror, Glenn Maxwell, Shahbaz Ahmed, Sonu Yadav, Manoj Bhandage, Akash Deep, Josh Hazlewood, Siddarth Kaul, Mohammed Siraj, Harshal Patel, Karn Sharma, David Willey (ENG), Avinash Singh, Rajan Kumar, Reece Topley, Himanshu Sharma.

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Sachin Tendulkar 2nd As Ex-Pak Star Picks 'Most Dangerous Indian Batsman'

Indian cricket team has had some extraordinary batters over the years. If one is to pick the name that sits atop the list, most would arguably go with Sachin Tendulkar. However, former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has revealed that it wasn't Tendulkar the Pakistan cricket team most feared while playing against India during his time as an active cricketer. It was Virender Sehwag that the Pakistan team considered the 'most dangerous', with Tendulkar occupying the second spot in the list.

"Virender Sehwag was the most dangerous player. After that Sachin Tendulkar. Pakistan used to plan against Sehwag and Tendulkar. Our plan used to be like - if we get these two wickets - Sehwag and Tendulkar - we will win the match. In bowling, our batsmen used to plan against Zaheer Khan. Irfan Pathan was there too for some time. Harbhajan Singh was there. These were the big names who played big matches and performed for their country," Razzaq revealed in a chat with the Times of India.

Razzaq also picked Yuvraj Singh a player who was considered dangerous in the middle order by the Pakistan team. In terms of bowlers, Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh were the names that Razzaq's team planned the most against.

"In the middle order, Yuvraj Singh was the one. Sehwag, Tendulkar, Yuvraj were the big big names. When we dismissed them, we used to say yes, we have taken big wickets today. These were the players Pakistan seriously planned against. The plan involved how and what to bowl, certain areas to bowl to them in, field setting, and trying different bowlers and deliveries against these batsmen. Similarly, our batsmen planned against bowlers like Zaheer, Harbhajan, and Irfan," he further said.

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"Don't Like To Follow Anyone": New KKR Captain Nitish Rana Ahead Of IPL

Newly-appointed Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Nitish Rana on Tuesday said he is up for the responsibility given to him and would bank on man management to deliver results for the side in the upcoming IPL. "Man management is important because at the end of the day, it is a game of cricket," Nitish said in a press conference. "I have been playing the leadership role for the last 2-3 years, it's just that I got the captaincy tag but it's nothing new to me. I like to take responsibility and, hopefully, I will be able to deliver.

"There is responsibility and I like to take responsibility. I don't like to follow anyone. I want to lead the side my way and take the team forward," he added.

KKR coach Chandrakant Pandit is ready for the new season and is optimistic about his team's chance in the upcoming IPL.

"Obviously this is a different challenge because you have renowned international players to work with, I always like challenge, so let's see how it goes," he said.

Asked about the newly-introduced 'Impact Rule', he said, "Obviously we have been working on it and it's challenging for coaches and captains. But we are very much prepared for this." Talking about Rana, who has been entrusted with captaincy duties this season after regular skipper Shreyas Iyer was sidelined due to a back problem, Pandit said, "He has been with KKR for so may years. He has been playing domestic cricket for so may years. There is a saying that all boxes need to be ticked and he has done that. So, he has been given the responsibility. It was a collective decision, which came out of confidence." Rana, on his part said that time will tell about his captaincy qualities.

"Everybody has a different style of captaincy. There is something to learn from everyone, but my style you will have to wait and see and talk about it," he said. 

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"That Is The Biggest Challenge": India Veteran's Honest Take On Suryakumar

India opener Shikhar Dhawan has defended Suryakumar Yadav after the latter's disappointing run in the recently concluded Test series against Australia by making the case that SKY has been extremely consistent when it comes to white-ball cricket. Suryakumar became the first Indian batsman to score three consecutive golden ducks in a three-match ODI series and that prompted extreme criticism from experts who asked the team management to look for another No 4 ahead of the World Cup.

In a recent interaction, Dhawan was asked about Suryakumar's situation, and he said that failures can occur in the course of one's career and backed the batter to bounce back strongly in the future. 

"Suryakumar Yadav has performed really well. He has consistently performed in the last couple of years. (He hasn't done well) in a couple of series, which is very natural. If we talk about the Test match, the wickets are very different in a Test; that is the biggest challenge. When we played in India, there were turning tracks prepared because India had to win games. Things are not easy for batters, no matter how big he is and that is where experience comes to use. So, in the case of a youngster, they will falter a couple of times before learning," Dhawan said in an interview with Sports Tak. 

Former India batter Yuvraj Singh has also given his vote of confidence to the under-fire Suryakumar, suggesting he will play a key role for India in ODI World Cup this year. 

"Every sports person goes thru ups & downs in their career! We've all experienced it at sum point. I believe @surya_14kumar is a key player for India & will play an imp role in the #WorldCup if given the opportunities. Let's back our players coz our Surya will rise again," Yuvraj tweeted. 

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DC In IPL 2023: Preview, Strongest XI, Schedule - All You Need To Know

The 16th season of the Indian Premier League is all set to kick off, but Delhi Capitals' hunt for a maiden title continues. The side was earlier known as Delhi Daredevils before the owners of the franchise decided to change its name to Delhi Capitals ahead of IPL 2019. After that, the team has shown a noticeable improvement but the title keeps eluding them. They have played the final only once. It happened in the year 2020 when Mumbai Indians got better of them.

Comes another IPL season and DC will once again hope to win their first-ever title. However, this is definitely not an ideal start for the side. Their skipper Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of the season as he continues to recover from a horrific car crash he met with in December last year. David Warner will be leading the side in Pant's absence.

Star opener Prithvi Shaw will again be a key batter for the side, while Mitchell Marsh will provide power to the middle order.

What would worry DC is the fact that Pant will also be missed behind the stumps and the side may consider Phil Salt to take that role, which occupies one of the four foreign slots in the team.

In the pace bowling attack, DC might feel a little weak and South Africa's star pacer Anrich Nortje will have a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders.

Full Schedule:

Match 1: April 01 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Delhi Capitals, Lucknow (7:30 PM IST)

Match 2: April 04 - Delhi Capitals vs Gujarat Titans, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 3: April 08 - Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Capitals, Guwahati (3:30 PM IST)

Match 4: April 11 - Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 5: April 15 - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Delhi Capitals, Bengaluru (3:30 PM IST)

Match 6: April 20 - Delhi Capitals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 7: April 24 - Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Delhi Capitals, Hyderabad (7:30 PM IST)

Match 8: April 29 - Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 9: May 02 - Gujarat Titans vs Delhi Capitals, Ahmedabad (7:30 PM IST)

Match 10: May 06 - Delhi Capitals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 11: May 10 - Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Chennai (7:30 PM IST)

Match 12: May 13 - Delhi Capitals vs Punjab Kings, Delhi (7:30 PM IST)

Match 13: May 17 - Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals, Dharamsala (7:30 PM IST)

Match 14: May 20 - Delhi Capitals vs Chennai Super Kings, Delhi (3:30 PM IST)

Strongest XI:

Prithvi Shaw, David Warner (captain), Mitchell Marsh, Phil Salt (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya and Khaleel Ahmed.

Full Squad:

David Warner, Prithvi Shaw, Ripal Patel, Rovman Powell, Sarfaraz Khan, Yash Dhull, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Axar Patel, Anrich Nortje, Chetan Sakariya, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Khaleel Ahmed, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Aman Khan, Kuldeep Yadav, Praveen Dubey, Vicky Ostwal, Ishant Sharma, Phil Salt, Mukesh Kumar, Manish Pandey, Rilee Rossouw.

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Microsoft Issues Fix for aCropalypse Bug That Could Leak Bank Data, Medical Records from Cropped Screenshots

Microsoft has released an emergency update to Windows that fixes a privacy-threatening bug dubbed ‘aCropalypse'. This bug could potentially allow details that were cropped out of images by the Windows screenshot tool to be recovered by any user. The issue prevented information cropped out from screenshots from being removed from the source image, allowing it to be retained in the file and recovered at a later date. The details at risk could have included sensitive information like bank card details, medical records, phone numbers, as well as social security information.

First detected on Pixel smartphones and dubbed "aCropalypse", the CVE-2023-28303 vulnerability meddled with the image cropping tool on Pixel smartphones for screenshots. Researchers then found a similar flaw on the screenshot tool for Windows, after which Microsoft has issued an update for the operating system.

Microsoft has asked users to deploy the update immediately to prevent the disclosure of any personal information that could be accompanying images, according to a Bleeping Computer report.

To install the fix, Windows users need to visit the Microsoft Store and select ​Get Updates​ on the Library section located on the left of the screen. This is not the first time that such a vulnerability has been discovered on a popular and widely used tool. Previously, the Google Pixel phones had encountered a similar issue.

It is worth noting that Microsoft was quite swift in taking an action against the bug. In February, the company rolled out a major update for Windows 11, integrating the new AI-powered Bing search engine with the Windows 11 taskbar.

Making inroads in the Web3 sector, Microsoft is also testing support for a crypto wallet on its Edge browser. This wallet has been built on the Ethereum blockchain and it is expected to be a part of Edge in a future update. As part of its functionality, this digital wallet could allow users to store and hold Ether tokens and other Ethereum-based cryptocurrencies, as per the report.

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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On Babar Comparisons, Razzaq Underlines Area Where Kohli Is 'Way Better'

Two of the finest batters of this generation, Virat Kohli and Babar Azam have often been compared to each other. While Kohli has been at the top of his game for a long time, Babar has shown in the early phases of his career, that he is destined to be considered among the greats. While both batters have done wonders for their team over the years, former Pakistan all-rounder Abdul Razzaq has explained the area where Babar isn't as good as Kohli.

In an interview with the Times of India, Razzaq called Virat an 'outstanding' player. What puts him above Babar, according to Razzaq, is his fitness.

"Virat is an outstanding and fantastic player. The best part is that he takes his team along. His intent is always positive. He utilises his skills very well. The main thing is that his fitness is world-class. Babar Azam's fitness is not like that of Virat Kohli's. Babar needs to work more on his fitness. Babar is Pakistan's number one player. Babar is in fact the world number 1 batter (ODIs). Be it in any format of the game, Test, ODI, or T20I, he has been consistently performing well. Every country has one player like them (Virat and Babar)," he said.

Razzaq then asked people to refrain from such comparisons as both are excellent in their own way.

"We don't need to compare them. It's like asking, who is better - Kapil Dev or Imran Khan? These comparisons are not good. Kohli is a good player in India. Similarly, Babar Azam is a good player in Pakistan. Kohli is a world-class player, Babar is too. But Kohli's fitness is way better than Babar's," he opined.

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"Was Consistent, But There's This Young Guy...": Dhawan On Getting Dropped

Veteran opening batter Shikhar Dhawan has dropped down in the pecking order due to the rise of youngsters, Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan, as far as the Indian team is concerned. Dhawan, who was a mainstay in the team for nearly seven years, was dropped from the side following a lean patch with the bat. Sharing his views on the sudden axing, Dhawan said that since he was only playing ODIs, Gill's heroics across formats were too good to be ignored.

The 37-year-old suggested that while he had the backing of head coach Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma, Kishan's double hundred against Bangladesh in December last year made him realise that he could lose his spot in the Indian team.

"When Rohit took over the captaincy he along with Rahul Dravid backed me enough. They told me they wanted me to focus on my cricket and that my vision should be the next World Cup. 2022 was very good for me, I was consistent in ODIs. But there is this young guy who has been doing well in two formats, and when my form dipped in a series or two then they gave a chance to Shubman and he has lived up to their expectation. We are used to such situations. When Ishan Kishan slammed a double century against Bangladesh, then for a moment I thought I could be out of the team," Dhawan told AajTak in an interview.

Dhawan further suggested that players often get dropped from the team due to a lean patch, and his case isn't any different.

"This is not something new in cricket. Or this happened just with me, plenty others have met with same fate. There are times when you play well throughout the year and then your form drops for a month or two, sometimes that becomes bigger than your performance throughout the year. When a captain, coach and selector take a decision they put plenty of thoughts into it," he added.

Dhawan will now be seen in action during the upcoming season of the Indian Premier League, where he will the Punjab Kings (PBKS).

PBKS will open their campaign against the Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, April 1.

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Cricketer Kedar Jadhav's Father Found After Going Missing From Pune Home

Cricketer Kedar Jadhav's father Mahadev Jadhav was found hours after he went missing from their Pune home on Monday, a police official said. As per Kedar Jadhav's complaint at Alankar police station, his 75-year-old father, who suffers from dementia, had left their Kothrud home for a morning walk and was last seen exiting the gate of the housing complex. Mahadev Jadhav was found in Mundhwa area, the official said. "His condition is fine and he has been reunited with his family," Senior Inspector Ajit Lakde of Mundhwa police station said.

Kedar Jadhav represented India in 73 One-Day Internationals and has been playing for the Maharashtra Ranji team since 2007.

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Cricketer Kedar Jadhav's Father Goes Missing From Pune Home

Cricketer Kedar Jadhav's father Mahadev Jadhav went missing from their Pune home on Monday morning, after which a case was filed, a police official said. As per Kedar Jadhav's complaint, his father suffers from dementia, the Alankar police station official said. "Mahadev Jadhav went missing after he left home for a morning walk. He left the gate of the housing complex and has not been seen since. A missing person case has been registered and efforts are on to trace him," the official said.

Kedar Jadhav represented India in 73 One-Day Internationals and has been playing for the Maharashtra Ranji team since 2007. 

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Twitter Source Code Partially Leaked Online via GitHub, Court Filing Shows

Some parts of Twitter's source code have been leaked and the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk is seeking information on the person responsible, a legal filing showed.

According to the filing, "various excerpts" of Twitter's source code, which is used to run the company online, were posted on Github, a Microsoft-owned platform for sharing code for software development, by a user named 'FreeSpeechEnthusiast'.

Github said it took down the code on Friday at Twitter's request.

Twitter has asked the US District Court for the Northern District of California to order Github to produce "All identifying information" associated with the 'FreeSpeechEnthusiast' user name, the March 24 filing showed.

Github did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on whether it has supplied such information. It also did not comment on how long Twitter's source code had been publicly available.

Twitter also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The news was first reported by the New York Times.

© Thomson Reuters 2023
 

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Realme might not want the Mini Capsule to be the defining feature of the Realme C55, but will it end up being one of the phone's most talked-about hardware specifications? We discuss this on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.

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