Herbalife India felicitates the Indian Contingent of the 2015 Special Olympics World Games

Herbalife International India Pvt Ltd, a leading global nutrition company along with Olympic Medal Winner, Mary Kom, felicitated the Indian contingent to the 2015 Special Olympics World Games, held from July 25-August 2, 2015, in Los Angeles, United States. As part of its support for the Indian contingent, Herbalife has provided the necessary athletic training suits and apparel kits for the athletes and team officials for their achievements at the Special Olympics World Games. The sponsorship is in line with a global initiative in which Herbalife partners with LA2015, the Organizing Committee for the Games, to assist in meeting the nutritional needs of athletes and coaches from 165 countries.

There were 214 athletes from the Special Olympics Bharat team, who brought back 47 gold, 54 silver and 72 bronze medals.

Addressing the press conference, Ajay Khanna, Vice President and Country Head, Herbalife International India Pvt Ltd said, “Herbalife India is proud to be associated with a cause that promotes awareness of acceptance and inclusion. We are also extremely proud of the Indian contingent’s achievements at the games - and congratulate all the athletes. In addition, as a global nutrition company, we advocate the importance of nutrition for a healthy and active lifestyle. Our support for the 2015 Special Olympics World Games is indicative of this commitment.”

At the press conference, Ms. Mary Kom reiterated, “To be a winner, one must be highly focused, especially in the sphere of sports. To stay focused, a healthy mind and a healthy body are both absolutely essential. My partnership with Herbalife has benefited me immensely in ensuring this. The Herbalife nutritional food products that form a regular part of my dietary regimen have been an immense help to me to maintain the strength and concentration that I require to excel in boxing, my chosen discipline. I am sure that the support and encouragement from Herbalife for the Indian contingent will be a boost to the aspirations of these young and talented athletes.”

Air Marshal Denzil Keelor, CEO, Special Olympics Bharat said: We are delighted to welcome back our Athletes from the World Summer Games at Los Angeles. They arrived full of joy, excitement and thrill at this great experience they had. The 214 athletes came back with 173 medals. I would like to congratulate the athletes for their grand performances and also the coaches and trainers who worked so hard to ensure success. Let’s now look ahead, focus on our mission and strive to achieve all our targets involving as many Athletes as we can through our local, district and state level programs. As sporting excellence cannot be achieved without appropriate healthcare, I look forward to a continuing association with Herbalife in the years to come.

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PM Modi congratulates Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Indian badminton players Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa, on winning women’s doubles title in Canada Open.

"Very proud of Ashwini P. and jwala Gutta for the wonderful victory at the Canada Open. Congratulations to the brilliant sportspersons", the Prime Minister said. (PIB)

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FIRESTORM - Annual Mountain Biking Race

Firefox, a leading name in the premium bike segment in India, organized the 4th edition of its annual mountain biking race, FIRESTORM on 1st of March, 2015. Ireo, the fully integrated real estate organization with a pan-India footprint, served as the title sponsor for the annual biking event. Kick starting at 7 in the morning, the race witnessed cycling novices and veteran bikers battling the rugged terrain of the Manger forest in Gurgaon, for prizes over Rs. 3 lakhs.

Mr. Shiv Inder Singh, Managing Director Firefox Bikes, commented, “We have been organizing FIRESTORM for some years now. Bike-enthusiasts literally wait for this event to showcase their cycling skills while testing their endurance and mental strength. This year’s racing event saw a good turn out and was packed with energy, excitement and enthusiasm of the competing bikers.”

Mr. Pankaj Dugar, CEO Hospitality & Delhi, Ireo commented, “We are highly elated on associating with Firefox’s annual event FIRESTORM as its title sponsor. It was a great pleasure to see such passionate and zealous bikers converge together on one platform. We look forward to collaborating and adding weight to people’s enthusiasm and interest towards sporting events such as these.”

FIRESTORM was held amidst dirt paths where participants had to combat broken rocks, thorny Kikar trees and the occasional appearance of Neelgai and foxes. Going head to head in a multi lap format, the professional racers were required to cover a distance of approx. 42 kms and bike-fanatics had to cross a distance of 29 kms to win prizes of more than Rs. 3 Lakhs.

As pioneers of high performance biking in India, Firefox continues to fuel the passion of mountain bikers to discover their skill to thrill with FIRESTORM.

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Experience the Revolution in Cricket Broadcasting

The ICC Cricket World Cup fever is soaring high as the official date of its opening i.e 14th February inches closer. The country’s cricket-crazy hounds are ready to stay glued to their television screens and whip up some exciting speculation on the winning teams as the series progresses. Frankly.me, a mobile application which provides a QnA platform to the general public to connect to celebrities via video selfies is all set to take the thrill associated with the World Cup experience a notch higher. The app will now host the virtual presence of famed Sports Presenter- Commentator, Jatin Sapru who will take queries from all the cricket enthusiasts via Frankly.me.

Frankly.me is ready to bring a revolution in the world of communication and the way people watch the World Cup this year. Jatin Sapru, the voice of Star Sports will be answering the public queries during live cricket matches while sharing space with well-known celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan and Shoaib Akhtar. This is for the first time in the history of Indian cricket that a commentator is connecting to the public directly during commentary intervals. Frankly.me is providing a chance to all the cricket fans out there to come and connect with the cricket fraternity via video selfies.

Nikunj Jain, Co-founder, Frankly.me commented, “The team Frankly.me is really proud and happy with the recent advancements in the platform and it’s steadily rising popularity with the empanelment of noted public figures including politicians. With Frankly.me, these personalities intend to understand the masses and their expectations better. This facilitates them with first-hand information directly from the common people and gives them insights which are more perceptive.”

So, if anybody has a quirky remark to make, praise the commentator’s verbal skills or simply wishes to partake in the excitement, he can talk about it on Frankly.me and bleed his or her passion in awe of the nation.

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Clash of Titans: Best Golfer title at India Golf Awards

Clash of Titans: Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chowrasia, Rashid Khan to vie for Best Golfer title at India Golf Awards

Ace golfers Anirban Lahiri, SSP Chowrasia and Rashid Khan will vie for the prestigious Best Golfer Award during the much-awaited second edition of the Take Solutions India Golf Awards that will recognize the best of the Indian golfing talent in a gala ceremony on February 16.

The India Golf Awards, powered by golfingindian.com, is the country’s foremost awards for recognizing and rewarding golf excellence. After due diligence and tough screening, the jury announced nominations under various categories.

In the best female golfer category, Neha Thripathi, Simi Mehra, Vani Kapoor, Ankita Tiwana and Sharmila Nicolet made it to the final cut.

“Recognizing meritorious sportspersons who have strived beyond boundaries in achieving benchmarks is laudable. These awards are doing a great effort in promoting the sport and rewarding excellence that can only have a positive impact on futuregenerations of Indian Sportspersons,” said Champika Sayal, Secretary General, Women's Golf Association of India and Jury member.

This year the Jury was kicked off by five-time British Open winner Peter Thomson and conducted by a team of solid golf veterans that included Arjuna Awardee and former golf champion Ashok Malik, pro tour golfer Gaurav Ghei and Champika Sayal of Women’s Golf Association of India. The Jury, which is always led by a star legend, was championed last year by Gary Player.

“In its second year, India Golf Awards has grown much bigger. We received far more nominations this time compared to what we got last year. This huge response shows that the sport is gaining ground in the country with more people, apart from professional ones, willing to learn the nuances and nitty gritties of the game. Our move to honour golf infrastructure and golf enthusiasts too have made a significant impact in the sport’s promotion,” said Shaili Chopra, curator of India Golf Awards and Founder of GolfingIndian.com. Ms Chopra is an award winning journalist, author and entrepreneur.

Other than from professional golfers, the awards also recognize the golfing business community, budding talent, celebrities and bureaucrats who play the sport, with the objective to promote the game in the country.

The awards will see Chikkarangappa S, Khalin Joshi and Shubhankar Sharma take on each other for best rising golfer in the male category, while Shweta Galande, Vaishavi Sinha and Gursimar Budhwal will be fighting for the title in the female segment. Interestingly the Awards converge online with the offline by conducting a voting poll on golfingindian.com for the country’s most popular golfer making this a very exciting digital space to watch for.

The grandeur of India Golf Awards lies in the fact that it not only celebrates the best talent, but also the best of golf infrastructure in the country. To honour brilliant golf infrastructure, several nominations under the category too have been announced.

For the best golf academy, the battle will be between Jaypee Greens, Tollygunge Academy, Delhi Golf Club, Touche Golf and Chandigarh Golf Range Academy. Jaypee Greens will also lock horns with Kensville, ITC Classic Golf Resort, Royal Calcutta and Kalhaar Blues & Greens for the best golf course in the country. For best golf real estate, the competition will be between Champion Reef Bangalore, Jaypee Greens, Kensville and Prestige Golfshire.

The awards will also honour those who play the sport as a hobby, but do so with utmost sincerity. Papa CJ, Neelam Rudy, Latika Khaneja, Murali Kartik, ace fashion designer Nikhil Mehra, Abbas Ali Baig and JJ Singh have been nominated for best celebrity golfer this time.

The February 16 event will have in attendance Power Minister Shri Piyush Goyal as the chief guest. Top golf seeders led by Anirban Lahiri, Arjun Atwal and Shiv Kapur along with special guests of honour and top CEOs will be present at the event

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Sun Life Financial partners with The Hockey Foundation

Sun Life Financial partners with The Hockey Foundation for an ice hockey tournament at the world’s highest rink at Karzoo between January 17-18

Goal is to cement ties between India and Canada, and educate people about benefits of playing hockey and staying healthy



Leh, India – (January 15, 2015 ) — When piercing cold winds blow through the surroundings and the mighty Himalayas are covered with thick snow, the town of Leh warms up to ice hockey, a niche sport being supported by Sun Life Financial – a leading international financial services company headquartered in Toronto, Canada.


Sun Life Financial has partnered with The Hockey Foundation to sponsor an ice hockey tournament at Karzoo (January 17-18) and help get more people in India strapping on the blades and playing Canada’s national game. Here’s the best part: this event will all take place on the highest ice rink in the world at 3,484 meters.


As part of its $20,000 CDN sponsorship, Sun Life is also supporting three qualified ice hockey coaches to put on instruction sessions in Leh, Mumbai and Delhi. In addition, Sun Life has provided jerseys and equipment to The Hockey Foundation so they can get more people involved in the game.



“Sun Life has a long history of doing business in India and as the only Canadian insurer in this country, this sponsorship was a natural fit for us,” says Paul Joliat, Assistant Vice-President of Philanthropy and Sponsorship. “We are always looking for opportunities to sponsor health-related activities in the communities and regions where we operate, and when we heard about the work to grow the game of hockey and get people involved in a healthy, fun activity, we were immediately attracted to the initiative.”



Sun Life has a business operations service centre in Gurgaon. It has also formed a strong partnership with the Aditya V. Birla Group (Birla Sun Life). Sun Life is committed to growing its business in Asia and considers India an important market. To support this growth, Sun Life looks for opportunities to give back and promote healthy lifestyles in the communities where our customers and employees live and work.



“Sun Life is very pleased to be working towards putting the Karzoo rink on the international map,” says Shiney Prasad, Managing Director, Sun Life Financial Asia Service Center. “The immediate vision is to bring the communities together; create positive growth opportunities for the youth of Ladakh, and promote Ladakhi culture, sports groups, local businesses and tourism. Moreover, the game of ice hockey resonates well with key values such as discipline, teamwork and commitment, and that aligns well with what our workforce of more than 1000, employed at the Asia Service Centre in Gurgaon, strives for.”



Started by a bunch of sport enthusiasts from Canada, ice hockey in the foothills of the Himalayas has grown to become an annual sporting pilgrimage, drawing interest of teams and players from throughout the world. The growing popularity of the sport in India has drawn its support from The Hockey Foundation.


Ice Hockey has led to a spike in Jammu and Kashmir’s tourist footfalls, with sport adventurists from across the globe thronging the place to play and watch the sport in the sparkling and breathtaking backdrop of the Himalayan range.

Ever since the game found its calling in Leh, hundreds of children have learned the game and all of the amazing life skills that come with playing it. A game, which is thriving here, could not have kept itself alive in the absence of support - both financial and in terms of training, something it has found from many quarters.

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HTC Sponsors Kings XI Punjab

Kings XI Punjab signs HTC as their Official Principal Sponsor for IPL Season 8

New Delhi, January 08, 2015: Gearing up for the eighth season of the most awaited tournament of the year - Indian Premier League, Kings XI Punjab today announced HTC, the telecom giant as an official principal sponsor for IPL 2015.

HTC will occupy the right chest position on Kings XI Punjab’s playing jersey. This association will take ahead, the brands existing relationship, which was established during the Champions League T20 2014.



Announcing the tie-up, Mr. Faisal Siddiqui, Vice President & Country Head, HTC India said, “We are thrilled to extend our partnership with the Kings XI Punjab, which has emerged as one of the most stimulating and renowned teams in IPL. The year 2014 was very impelling for us where we managed to perforate the mass market, yet retaining the ‘premium’ and ‘innovation’ element in all our products and designs.

With a strong vision in mind and this trustworthy partnership, we are confident that we’ll be successful in our Pursuit of Brilliance. We see this as the beginning of a longer and bigger association with the Kings XI Punjab in the years to come.”



On HTC being an official principal sponsor, Fraser Castellino, Chief Operating Officer, Kings XI Punjab, said, “HTC is a globally recognized brand and revered as a leader in technology and innovation and we at Kings XI Punjab are delighted to partner with them again. Both KXIP and HTC have the potential to take on the world. HTC will be occupying the right chest position on the Kings XI Punjab playing jersey for IPL8. We look forward to this partnership and hope it grows from strength to strength.”



The Kings XI Punjab-HTC partnership has been stitched together by Creatigies Communication, an independent, integrated marketing agency working across multiple platforms i.e. Sports, Fashion, Entertainment, and Media. “Long-term partnerships work best for both the brand and the team, where they draw from each other’s strengths. We are glad to see this association continue and grow” said Navroze D Dhondy, Managing Director, Creatigies.



Both the brands have similar synergies and represent youth and vibrancy and thus the partnership is strategically significant in further connecting with the fans / users effectively.

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Firefox unveils its latest Maximus Bike: the new breed of Mountain Bikes

Firefox unveils its latest Maximus Bike: the new breed of Mountain Bike

• The bike with 29” wheels is made for the bumpy trails/
• The 29” wheeled bike guarantees amazing smoothness, grip and speed

New Delhi: Firefox, a leading name in the premium bike segment in India recently rolled out its 29” wheeled Maximus Mountain bike to render a smooth experience every time you hit the rough terrain. The bigger wheel of the bike promises better momentum while riding on bumpy roads and maintains your speed through narrow twists and turns.

The Maximus Bike is engineered in an innovative way to give you an enhanced biking experience. The gigantic wheels of the mountain bike offer umpteen benefits. The wider circumference of its wheels, higher air volume in its tires and larger contact patch with ground helps it to roll smoothly over rocky surfaces. The hardy mountain bike is also able to cover more distance per pedal revolution.

The Maximus Bike is a complete package comprising big wheels, remarkable smoothness, amazing grip and speed. The enormous size of the wheels has now become the ideal size for wheels in racing bikes and the racing world has embraced this robust bike built for the trail with much enthusiasm.

About Firefox
Firefox is a leading name in the premium bike segment in India. Based out of Greater Noida, Firefox caters to all age groups and segments of biking from MTB, Road, Hybrid, BMX to Kids. It has tie-ups with various international brands for bikes and accessories like Trek, Tern, Shimano, Saris, Finishline, Slime, Warner Brothers, MTV and Popeye Firefox. The USP of Firefox is that it offers complete biking solutions of international standards to its customers under one roof.

Their network is spread across 75 cities with over 150 outlets throughout the country. Firefox plans to expand its retail presence with 7 additional outlets in the next quarter and 30 new stores each successive year. The Firefox and Trek segment enjoys a solid market position with very little competition as they offer a wide range of over 75 bike models which caters to all age groups. The company targets its products at high-income salaried groups, corporate professionals, kids and young parents.

The mission of the company is to create and retain the position of being an aspirational brand for bikes and accessories in India and to have presence in every potential city of the country.

Price : INR 24,750
Specifications:

• Wheels : Alloy 32H Double Wall Rims
• Tires : KENDA 29 X 2.1"
• Front/Rear Wheel & Seat post with QR
• Please refer to the Specs sheet for the detailed information.

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Google, Sun Life Asia Service Centre India battle it out on the Cricket Field

Google, Sun Life Asia Service Centre India battle it out on the Cricket Field

ASCI XI beat Google XI in a friendly T 20 cricket tie played at St. Stephen’s Ground

Gurgaon: It was yet another battle of the corporates, albeit with a difference! The game of one-upmanship, this time, was held at a cricket field as employees of Sun Life Asia Service Centre India played their heart out against their counterparts at Google.

In a friendly corporate tie played at the St. Stephen’s Ground, New Delhi, the two teams played a 20 over match, with ASCI emerging victorious in the battle. However, it was the spirit of friendship that won the day.

Google won the toss and chose to bat on the bright sunny Saturday, and got off to a good start. The batting, however, slowed down after the team lost its swash buckling opener. Scoring steadily at 5 runs an over, the Google India team clogged on 106 runs in 20 overs, setting the field for ASCI’s run chase.

SunLife ASCI’s run chase started on a negative note, with the team losing its first wicket early on in the innings. The top and middle order of the team struggled a bit, but steadied the innings effectively, laying ground for an easy chase.

Varun Mittal (50 not out) was the top scorer of the match, while Kishore Singh (37), gave him good support at the crease. In the end, the Asia Service Centre India team won the match easily in just 13 overs, with 4 wickets still in hand.

“Sport is a wonderful teacher. It teaches the players the need for hard work, planning, strategy and execution. It teaches us that to win or lose is a part of life but delivering to your potential and giving your best is what really matters. Above all, such sporting events give our employees the much-needed opportunity to recharge and face the daily work life pressures with fortitude. Developing the sporting spirit helps develop winners,” says Mr. Rajeev Bhardwaj, Vice President-Human Resource at Sun Life Financial’s Asia Service Centre in Gurgaon.

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Turning dreams into reality- real heroes to reel heroes

New Delhi, 12th September 2014: Infinity Optimal Solutions (IOS) is a leading Sports & Entertainment talent management group, which successfully turned the celluloid dream of real life hero Mary Kom into reality. “Mary Kom”- A Viacom Motion Pictures and Sanjay Leela Bhansali production is directed by Omung Kumar and has engaged IOS Sports & Entertainment as its exclusive marketing agency. IOS has been associated with Mary Kom and is uniquely managing her growing popularity since 2008.

This was extended to the reel Mary Kom wherein 20 brands were incorporated by them in the film aesthetically and helped the producers in making it a commercial success, much before film’s official release.


IOS had licensed the rights of the film to Omung Kumar & Sanjay Leela Bhansali much before Olympics. Immediately after which they also released her auto-biography “Unbreakable” giving its publishing rights to Harper Collins.

The autobiography has already sold more than 20,000 copies in different languages across India. The group worked closely with Mary Kom and the director on the script to keep it as much close to reality as possible.

They got aesthetically fitting brands on board, making it a success for the brands and the makers of the film.
Speaking on the association, Neerav Tomar, CEO & MD, IOS Sports & Entertainment said, “Mary Kom is a legend and its our pleasure to be part of her journey.

Brands were excited to be part of this inspiring story and it was great to see the synergy between the two. It’s great to see that IOS and Mary Kom association. Ziddi Dil of Mary Kom has touched millions and we hope the same continues”

Commenting on the same, Rudrarup Datta, Vice President - Marketing, Viacom18 Motion Pictures says, “Mary Kom’s passion for the sport and her determination to fight against the odds to become one of India’s finest woman boxers will strike a chord with the viewers.

The film brings together a saga of inspiration, family values and celebrates her never-say-die spirit leading to an impeccable fit for both the film and the brand.

Mary Kom commented on her association with IOS. “I was new to the industry and I wasn’t aware of the lifestyle world. IOS took me helped me climb this ladder. With the guidance of IOS, Mary Kom from a story of a women and a boxer has reached to every Indian and I hope now the league will continue like this.”

Also, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Producer Mary Kom added, “It was an interpretation of her life. My generation connects with this but, it became important for us to tell this story. Mary Kom was an established brand by IOS. I have always connected with the concept of India and here is the woman who took the concept of India to the world. She flew India's flag high and I wanted that she also becomes the hero of the children of today.”


About IOS:

IOS is a Sports & Entertainment Management and Marketing Company dedicated to the promotion and development of sports and talent. They work on a diverse portfolio of properties that provides a 360 degree value add for all stakeholders. With sports as the company’s core competence, their portfolio also encompasses entertainment including music, fashion, motion pictures and performing arts. IOS also handle celebrity athletes like Heena Sidhu, Sushil Kumar & Deepika Kumari to name a few.

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Top 10 Most Sensational Cricketers

India – McAfee, part of Intel Security unveiled results of its ‘Most Sensational Cricketer’ study which researched this season’s top players of the cricketing world on their popularity and related risk quotient in the Indian cyberspace. Chris Gayle, regarded as the most explosive batman in modern cricket has been named the ‘Most Sensational Cricketer’ online in Indian cyberspace.This is the second time in a row, the Jamaican cricketer who has a reputation of playing long innings, has topped a similar list last year titled Most Dangerous Cricketer.

The study highlights the trend of cybercriminals using cricketers to take advantage of fans seeking more information about their idols. Cybercriminals often capitalize on the public’s fascination with cricketers to lure them to sites laden with malware that can potentially result in identity thefts, stealing of passwords and confidential personal information. This year, searching for a ‘cricketer name’ combined with the search terms like ‘wall paper’, ‘free download’, ‘hot pictures’, ‘selfie’, ‘videos’ resulted in the highest instances of malicious sites.

Commenting on the findings of the study, VenkatKrishnapur, Vice-President of Engineering- Consumer, Business Group, McAfee India Centre, McAfee, Part of Intel Security said, “Leveraging the current cricket fervor,cybercriminals tend toexploit the popularity quotient of sports celebrities and time their attacks to coincide with famous events. Cricket crazy fans are highly motivated to search for photos, videos, match scores and interesting stories of their favorite cricketers online and in that moment of weakness they are lured into clicking malicious links that could lead to transmission of malware onto their owned devices and potential compromise of data.”



The study for ‘Most Sensational Cricketer’ online used the McAfee® SiteAdvisor® site rating which shows the sites that are risky to search for cricketing celebrity names on the web when used along with keywords such as ‘wall paper’, ‘free download’, ‘hot pictures’, ‘selfie’, ‘videos’and calculates an overall risk percentage. The top 10 cricketers with the highest risk scores in the Indian cyberspace are:



Rank :Cricketer
1 ) Chris Gayle, best known for the ‘Gaylestorm’ he ushers with his hard-hitting knocks and fun personality on-field as well as off-field ranks 1st as Most Sensational Cricketer with 59 malicious sites.

2) Glenn Maxwell, the explosive Aussie batsman, has put up ‘The Big show’ winning all batting titles to his credit this season. He ranks 2ndon the list with 54 malicious sites.

3) At 3rdspot is the rising star of Indian Cricket with 51 malicious sites to his name,Virat Kohli, the new-age cricketer who plays his game aggressively and is unafraid to express his emotions on the field.

4) Debuting the list at 4th position this year, with 48 malicious sites to his credits Sunil Narine, the ‘mystery spinner’ from Caribbean who is a rage this cricket season with his mohawk hairstyle and diamond studded ear.

5) M.S Dhoni,the flamboyant yet grounded captainmade it to the headlines earlier this year with his alleged involvement in betting and spot-fixing controversies. “Captain Cool”, stands at 5th spot with 47 malicious sites to his name.

6) At 6th rank is David Miller, called ‘killer miller’ for his blitzkrieging slams, with 38infected search results.

7) At 7th position is Yuvraj Singh, whose 9 sixes during his match-winning knock this cricketing season brought him back to the winning chart. This born fighter has 35 infected sites in cyber space.

8) A marauding hitter of the cricket ball, Kieron Pollard, was embroiled in an unpleasant on-field incident with Mitchell Starc, ranks at 8th position with 33 malicious sites

9) With 29 infected sites is Suresh Raina, part of India’s new age firebrand cricketers, who ranks9thin the list.

10) At 10th position is the daring, tough and fiercely talented, Mitchell Starc, whose news of a brawl with Kieron Pollard has been doing the rounds. He has 24 infected sites to his name.

Indian Cricketers heat up the charts

This year four Indian cricketers make it to the top 10 ‘Most Sensational Cricketer’ online list: ViratKohli (No. 3), MS Dhoni(No. 5), Yuvraj Singh(No. 7) and Suresh Raina(No. 9)

Batsmen are more potentially at risk than Bowlers

Sunil Narine (No. 4) and Mitchell Starc (No. 10) are the only bowlers to rank in the top 10 Most Sensational Cricketers list


But first, let's take a SELFIE

Cricketers too have jumped on the selfie bandwagon. Sunil Narine,Glenn Maxwell, MS Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, in the stated order have the most infected sites with the search term ‘selfie’

From One Year to Another

Brett Lee, S Sreesanth, Dale Steyn, Kevin Pietersen, Rohit Sharma and Sachin Tendulkar,have all dropped out of this year’s list (in 2013 they ranked No. 2, No. 3, No. 6, No. 7, No. 8 and No. 10, respectively).

Tips to Stay Protected:
Beware of content that prompts you to download anything before providing you the content. You may want to opt to watch streaming videos or download content from official websites of content providers.

 “Free downloads” are significantly the highest virus-prone search term. Anyone searching for videos or files to download should be careful as not to unleash malware on their computer.

Always use password protection on your phone and other mobile devices. If your phone is lost or stolen, anyone who picks up the device could publish your information online.

Established news sites may not entice you with exclusives for one solid reason: there usually aren’t any. Try to stick to official news sites that you trust for breaking news. However, trusted sites can also fall prey to hackers. Make sure to use a safe search tool that will notify you of risky sites or links before you visit them.


Don’t download videos from suspect sites. This should be common sense, but it bears repeating: don’t download anything from a website you don’t trust — especially video. Most news clips you’d want to see can easily be found on official video sites, and don’t require you to download anything. If a website offers an exclusive video for you to download, don’t.


Don’t “log in” or provide other information: If you receive a message, text or email or visit a third-party website that asks for your information—credit card, email, home address, Facebook login, or other information—for access to an exclusive story, don’t give it out. Such requests are a common tactic for phishing that could lead to identity theft.


If you do decide to search for information on a major event or celebrity in the news, make sure your PCs and laptops have protection, such as McAfee Total Protection™ security software, a security suite that offers anti-virus, anti-spyware, identity and firewall protection. You can also use free tools such as McAfee® Mobile Security, available for Android and iOS devices to prevent privacy invasions, data loss, identity theft; protecting smartphone or tablet from all types of malware.

  A complimentary version of SiteAdvisor software can be downloaded at www.siteadvisor.com.
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Pepsi IPL Extraaa Innings T20

Mumbai : Pepsi IPL 2014 is here and Extraaa Innings T20, the flagship match analysis show returns with its two most popular maidens of cricket. Sony MAX, India’s premium Hindi movies & special events channel and SONY SIX, India’s premier sports & entertainment channel, the official broadcasters of the Pepsi IPL 2014 have once again roped in Archana Vijaya and Shibani Dandekar to host Extraaa Innings T20. The glitz and glamour added by the effervescent duo has been highly cherished by audiences in the past and the girls are all set to sizzle on this year’s Extraaa Innings T20.

Hosting cricket tournaments across the globe for over 7 years, the dazzling Archana Vijaya has a bag full of experience hosting LIVE cricket. Shibani Dandekar has abundant zeal and knowledge to keep the audience glued to their television sets. The duo along with the power packed, passionate and seasoned male hosts, Samir Kochhar and Gaurav Kapur will bring analysis, excitement and a whole lot of fun for the viewers across the country.

This time around a vibrant, vivacious and effervescent set is designed for Extraaa Innings T20. The set is a palate of myriad colours that signifies a cathedral of cricket for cricket fans. The arrangement is integrated with towering arches, heritage artwork and wall -paintings of the cricketers that resemble a larger-than-life set up for a program that showcases the biggest T20 festival in the world.

Commenting on EI T20, Neeraj Vyas, Executive Vice President and Business Head, MAX said, “Extraaa Innings T20 has always engaged and attracted audiences across ages groups and regions, be it true cricket enthusiasts or viewers who look forward for the entertainment quotient , EI T20 possesses a perfect blend of both. We are very happy that Archana Vijaya and Shibani Dandekar are back to add to the glam quotient along with the proficient anchors Samir Kochhar and Gaurav Kapur.”

Being a part of MAX Extraaa Innings T20 once again, an elated Archana Vijaya said “The Pepsi IPL is the home of cricket and entertainment and therefore when MAX approached me to host the tournament it was right up my alley. We as hosts help bring cricket and entertainment to the fans and I don’t think there is any better platform than the IPL.”

Shibani Dandekar thrilled with the opportunity, stated “” IPL is the biggest sporting & entertainment event of the year and it is great to be a part of it. Therefore, it was a no brainer when the chance came to host Extraaa Innings. Being out there in the stadium with the atmosphere, the ambience, the vibe and being so close to the action is something that anyone would love to do and we are very lucky to do that.” When questioned about her thoughts on the marketing campaign ‘Bulaava Aaya Hai’ and the rapidly getting popular collar-up mnemonic ‘Buckram’, she said , “I’m very excited about it and I'll encourage the winning team to give interviews with their collar up and will urge the fans of the IPL to watch the matches with their collar up too.”

Commenting on his association with Extraaa Innings T20 an excited Gaurav Kapur said, “I have been a huge fan of cricket since the age of 5 and on the other hand I also love watching live television. Hosting Extraaa Innings is like two of my favourite things coming together so I am always thrilled and excited to take on this role.”

Talking about his long standing relationship with IPL, Sameer Kochhar said, “I have been the part of IPL since its inception. After hosting the first season I fell in love with it and since then there has been no looking back. I am very fortunate to be a part of such a great property and look forward to another splendid season”. Talking about the ‘Bulaava Aaya Hai’ campaign he says, “Buckram is the new word of this season. I would want all the cricket fans to put up their collar and watch the IPL in style.”

That’s not all! MAX will also bring forth to the viewer’s an in-depth analysis in Hindi with comments from the expert panel which include cricket stalwarts like Navjot Singh Sidhu with his inimitable ‘Siddhuisms’ along with the inemitable Ajay Jadega. For the first time ever former Pakistan captain and coach Waqar Younis will be associated with Extraaa Innings along with show regulars like Ramiz Raja, Arun Lal and Isa Guha.

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American Appraisal Releases IPL Brand Evaluation Report 2014

American Appraisal has come out with a concise report on brand values in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The report is based on a survey of 300 key participants of the IPL ecosystem – team managements, sponsors, advertisers, advertising agencies and broadcasters.

The report incorporates a thorough analysis of the entire stream of cash flows available to franchises, and breaks it down into two parts – those cash flows that are attributable to brand strength (team sponsorship, merchandising, etc.) and those that are not brand related (share of central pool sponsorship, broadcasting, etc.). Brand value has been estimated only on the basis of the cash flows that are attributable to brand strength.

Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians have emerged as the most powerful brands (valued at USD 72 million each) with Kolkata Knight Riders following closely behind (at USD 69 million). Royal Challengers Bangalore (USD 51 million), Rajasthan Royals (USD 45 million) and Delhi Daredevils (USD 40 million) are in the middle, with Kings XI Punjab (USD 32 million) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (USD 25 million) at the bottom of the barrel.

The report highlights the increasing importance of merchandising in the growth and realization of brand value of the franchises. It draws the readers’ attention towards the huge difference between the merchandizing markets for say, the La Liga of Spain (USD 2 billion) versus the IPL (USD 40 million). In other words, despite a population that is 25 times larger, and an economy that is at least 25% larger (and growing much faster), India’s IPL is only 2% of Spain’s La Liga. Clearly, there is massive potential for growing the merchandizing market.

American Appraisal expects the franchises to come out with innovative business models over the next few years to monetize this massive opportunity. Accordingly, it expects the merchandizing market to grow ten-fold by 2020, from USD 40 million to USD 400 million.

In terms of the survey results, the report claims that according to most respondents, the popularity of the IPL has either increased or stayed the same over the last 6 years. Advertisers and sponsors continue to want to associate with the IPL, with 57% respondents claiming to have increased their advertising spend on the IPL over the last six years.

Also, highlighting the sheer importance of IPL as a platform for advertisers to reach out to their target customers, as many as 57% of the respondents mentioned that they spend 2-10% of their annual advertising budget on the IPL.

For information on American Appraisal, please visit:
http://american-appraisal.co.in/IN/AmericanAppraisal.htm

Media Contact Details: Naina RS, Madison PR, ,+91-9870402345 , naina@fort.madisonindia.com , Sarah Rajan, Madison PR, ,+91-9920495218 , sarah@fort.madisonindia.com

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Nike Kicks Off MUPC 2014 India Leg

Nike today kicked off the ninth edition in India of its annual grassroots football initiative, the Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC). At this year’s MUPC, some of the best U15 I-league, state and academy teams will compete for a chance to represent the country in the regional finals in Thailand this June.

Nike’s annual MUPC tournament, held in India under the aegis of the All India Football Federation, has become a platform to discover young talent who now represent the country at various levels. After nine years in India, MUPC is now part of the dreams of many young footballers across the length and breadth of the nation.

This year, the U-15 tournament will be held in three stages. Teams from the North and East zones of India will battle it out in Delhi between January 15-18, while the teams from the West and South zones will compete in Pune starting January 19. The MUPC India finals 2014 will also be held in Pune on January 24, 2014.

Speaking on the occasion, Keerthana Ramakrishnan, Communications Head, Nike India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are delighted to return with India’s ninth edition of the Manchester United Premier Cup, a grassroots initiative solely designed to unearth the best young talents across the world. Nike’s MUPC is today an authentic and anticipated U15 tournament even in India. We are thankful to the AIFF for their unwavering support in growing MUPC through the years. We wish all the players good luck for their first step to the theatre of dreams.”

MUPC has provided young footballers in India with an opportunity to compete on an international stage, bridging language and cultural barriers through the sport. The tournament promises an extraordinary level of competition, training and opportunities for young Indian footballers to elevate their game.

Kushal Das, General Secretary, AIFF said, “Nike’s MUPC is a great initiative to help build the sport at the grassroots level and over the years, this has become one of the finest U15 tournaments in our country. This tournament assumes further importance as it becomes one of the key platforms to identify and nurture some of the best young footballers in the country”.

MANCHESTER UNITED PREMIER CUP

The Manchester United Premier Cup (MUPC) has come of age. A regional youth tournament launched by Nike in 1993 with just 624 teams has evolved into the ultimate global football experience for u-15 footballers around the world.

Over the last 21 years, more than a million young hopefuls have been inspired to play the game they love with passion, and test both their skills and their ambition against the very best of their peers.

Early Premier Cup graduates now playing at the highest level for club and country include: Manchester United’s ‘Chicharito’, Javier Hernandez; Jack Wilshere, (Arsenal); Fernando Torres, (Chelsea); Gérard Piqué, Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona), and Robinho (Milan).

8,000+ teams from grassroots clubs - to the some of the biggest names in football - are fighting their way through local, regional and national tournaments for one of only 20 available places in Manchester this summer.

For aspiring young footballers from over forty countries, the best experience of their young lives is within reach.
MUPC, the future of football, today.

About NIKE Inc.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned NIKE subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories, and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE’s earnings releases and other financial information are available on the Internet at http://investors.nikeinc.com and individuals can follow @Nike

Media Contact Details: Ashwin Kumar , Nike India Pvt. Ltd, ,+919632786829 , ashwin.kumar@nike.com , Shaheen Omarzadah, MSL India, ,+919873755381 , shaheen.omarzadah@mslgroup.com

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Declaration of granting Bharat Ratna award to Sachin Tendulkar

On Saturday, November 16: the day that Sachin Tendulkar retired from international cricket, the Government of India announced that he (along with Professor CNR Rao) would receive the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honor bestowed on an Indian citizen.

Before 16 December 2012, the award was for “exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature, and Science, and in recognition of public service of the highest order.” On that day, it was changed so that it could be awarded “in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human Endeavour”.

It was no longer restricted to exceptional individuals in art, literature, science and public service. The field was broadened to include "any field of human endeavour". It was also 'watered down' to include performance as well as service. Cynics argued then, with some justification, that that the policy was altered to accommodate (arguably) India's greatest cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar. Under the previous statement of the policy, he could not be awarded the Bharat Ratna.

The debate on the rewording of the policy has been reignited, as expected, after the announcement that Tendulkar would receive the Bharat Ratna. The timing of the announcement by the Government was cheekily uncanny. Just hours earlier, Tendulkar had made a heartrending speech at the Wankhede stadium on the conclusion of his last and 200th Test match. He inspired, touched, and provoked many that saw or heard what the most beautiful retirement speech was arguably.

Across India and in many other countries, grown men and women wept as we heard Tendulkar speak from his heart, of the many people and organizations he owed a depth of gratitude to. Many more wept as we watched him walk up to the pitch, bend down, touch it and then touch his heart. He had paid his last respects to the arena that he gave so much to, gained so much from.

With full respect to Sachin for his individual records and contribution to Indian cricket, MIIM opines that if he has been nominated for the biggest civilian award of the country on the basis of amended or extended standards, more dignitaries like Dr.Ram manohar Lohia, Atal bihari Bajpai (Politicians), Major Dhyanchand ( Hocky player who brought glory to country in Olympics) Dhirubhai Ambani (Ace businessman) E.Sreedharan (Metro man) and Dilip Kumar (versatile film actor) should be considered for this award.

Atul Malikram, Director MIIM decided to conduct an opinion poll on Bharat Ratna award and request all readers of this page to caste their “liking” on the following celebrities:

· Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya
· Atal Bihari Bajpai
· Major Dhyanchand
· Dhirubhai Ambani
· E.Sreedharan
· Dilip Kumar

Please caste your liking and forward your “Choice’ to decision takers well before Republic Day 2014, when the biggest civilian award will be given to worthy persons.

For more information please contact 
Atul Malikram 
9755020247

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Two Players from Stairs Selected for International Sepak Takraw Super Series'13

New Delhi: layers selected from Majnu Ka Tilla center
-- Players part of Ulflex Khelo Dilli
-- 4 Stairs' player selected to play in Asian Camp 2014
-- 14 international team participating in the event
-- India is the first host country for the year

Two talented players from Stairs, an NGO for under privileged youth, have been selected in the Indian Sepak Takraw team participating in International Sepak Takraw Federation and Asian Sepak Takraw Federation Super Series India-2013 (ISTAF Super Series INDIA-2013) to be held in New Delhi from August 29 to September 1, 2013.

The players, Sandeep Kumar and Dheeraj Kumar were selected from the Majnu Ka Tilla center of the NGO. The participants are regularly playing as a part of Uflex Khelo Dilli at Uflex Stairs centers that have been established near the colonies where they reside. Recently, four players from the center were selected to play Sepak Takraw in Asian Games 2014 to be held in South Korea from September 2014.

"Stairs has been dedicatedly working to empower the specially abled youth through sports. The selection of the two players certifies that we are leading towards a right direction and our efforts are successful in making some lives worth living. The achievement will motivate us to continue our work to help children believe in their own power and that they are agents of their own change through sports and hard work," said Siddhartha Upadhyay, Founder and Secretary General, Stairs.

The ISTAF SuperSeries is an international Sepak Takraw competition organized by the International Sepak Takraw Federation (ISTAF). This year, it will have 14 nations participating in the tournament with India being the first country to host the series. It will be followed by Thailand and Malaysia for hosting the second and third round respectively. The details of the final round is yet to be announced.

About Stairs:

Stairs (www.stairs.org.in) is a non-profit organization working in the field of development of underprivileged youth through channelization of their energies in sports and education. Since its inception in 2005, Stairs has been actively involved in the upliftment of the less fortunate children mainly through the field of sports. The sporting initiatives undertaken by Stairs are aimed at providing a platform to these children to hone their skills and showcase their talent through sports camps. Stairs understands the amount of talent that exists among these children and believes in creating opportunities so that their talent is rightly tapped and nurtured.
Source: (Business Wire India)

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IPL Fixing rattles Cricket Lovers

How did you feel about the recent fixing tales in IPL matches? The peace bowler Srishant has accepted his blunder of spot fixing, and the media has also highlighted his indication to bookies in form of signals while bowling.

Cricket is no longer to be call game of Gentlemen’s. Racism and fixing have been there in the international cricket. Some of the Pakistan cricketers were charged with fixing matches recently and perhaps this is the first time that it moved on IPL players.

Surprisingly, the trio players betrayed the people and cricket lovers with involving the spot fixing. The game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been on the successful tournaments in the world.

The tournament has been one of the most expensive and profit making venture, where all owners, those invested have been doing simply business by entertaining crowd.

The channels have been also earning huge chunk of profit by telecasting it. The fixing was there to gain from spot fixing, and the three players reportedly agreed to dance to the tune of bookies, which landed them behind bars leaving a mark on the IPL game.

After the issue of the spot fixing the taste of IPL has been fade away. Cricket fans might not be fond of cricket again at least over the IPL matches, and may not take the rest of the matches seriously.

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Sreesanth Tweets: Harbhajan a Backstabber

Sreesanth tweeted, Calling Harbhajan as a backstabber. "Very disappointed that yesterday's incident, (Thursday's spat between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli) is being compared to slap gate. I need to tell the world the truth, it wasn't my fault."

Sreesanth, tweeting, claimed that the spinner lost his cool and hit him with his elbow, when he went to shake his hand. He said that the incident was planned and Harbhajan never slapped him.


He said in his tweets: "All blamed me for getting emotional ..??c mon who doesn't get emotional when u know the person who u worship is a backstabbing person Nd .. disgusting ..that's all I can say..u should get hold of the video..them u all will know the truth..what he did is completely out of control."

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Biggest Shames for India in 2012

Year 2012 is not likely a “year to be proud of” as some of the incidents have made India’s head down in the international platform. Rapes, molestation, controversies and scams were ruling over this soon-to-be-ending year. One should not keep his heads up while saying India’s 2012 moments as these incidents will certainly make India’s name to the top in the Hall of Shame. Let’s have a look on what are biggest shames for India in 2012 –

23 year girl gang-raped in Delhi and died in a Singapore hospital

One of the biggest shame for India and here we’re not just blaming the Government. Because it was our (people’s) fault and we should accept that, because of us a girl been gang raped & at last lost her breath while fighting for her life. Protests are still on the rise with fire burning all around the country. But there are still some unanswered questions which neither the government nor people care about. Instead of a solution, the situation is just getting worse. After this incident more than 25 rapes have been reported around the country. We let people to think why this is happening.

17-year girl molested in public 

A 17-year girl was groped, molested and beaten up harshly in public in Guwahati, Assam. The girl was returning from her friend’s birthday party while a group of nearly 10 young guys molested him. Apart from that one cameraman had shoot the whole 20 minute scene for broadcast instead of helping the victim. Who’s to blame for this?

Ministers watching pornographic content in Assembly

Two of prominent ministers of Karnataka government were watching pornographic content during assembly session. While both of them had defended themselves, but as per the video filmed by local channel they’re watching the videos. Afterwards both the ministers resigned from their posts.

PM Manmohan Singh, the Underachiever: TIME

Top US magazine Time cited Indian Prime Minister as Underachiever in his role to liberalize Indian economy. Dr. Manmohan Singh was featured on the cover page of the magazine with the title running across which reads “The Underachiever - India needs a reboot.”

Rumored messages forcing people of Northeast states to leave Bangalore and other cities

Around third week of August, warning messages were circulated about an attack on people of north east states residing in Bangalore and other cities. These rumored messages are due to the riots between Bodos (early settlers in Assam) and Muslims in Assam in July 2012. These riots lead to death of 77 and more than 4 lakh people being homeless in Assam. The impact of riots was worse when north East Indian people were continuously attacked by Muslims in biggest cities like Pune and Mumbai. More than 30,000 north east Indians have fled Bangalore after the messages. But at last an assurance of no danger was given by Jumma Masjid Trust Board to all north east Indians.

Manipur strike affects normal life

Manipur strike affected the lives of Imphal residents, when social organizations called for a strike against the kidnap of a businessman, suspected to be done by Naga militants. Offices attendance were nil with suspended transportation services.

Rohtak shelter abuse scandal

‘Apna Ghar’ the shelter home for children in Haryana, India was alleged with sexual abuse cases. As per reports, children were sexually abused, forced into pornography and abortion. Several alleged person related to the shelter home are undergoing trial for these inhuman activities.

Coalgate scam

One of the biggest scams after 2G spectrum, Caolgate scam where Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) office accused the Government of India of poor allocation of coal blocks during 2004-2009.

Honour killing took one more life

Abdul Hakim (29) was shot dead as he married to Mehvish, both of different castes. As per the reports, their village Khap Panchayat is suspected to be involved in the case. The incident happened after Abdul Hakim opposed the Khap Panchayat in the honor killing episode of Amir Khan’s show Satyamev Jayate. With Amir Khan, the whole country has reacted to the incident and demanded strong actions against the culprits.

IOC bans Indian Olympic Association

International Olympic Association banned IOC from Olympic events due to which no athlete can participate in Olympics events under Indian flag. IOC had said, “"This is because this is part of a full problem. The election process has been tarnished since the origin. Many different interferences, many governmental rules and their own bad interpretation of IOA statutes.”

Gold medalist athlete Pinki Pramanik gender accusations

Indian Gold medalist athlete Pinki Pramanik was accused of being male when a video of her physiotherapy test at private nursing home went viral online. But the athlete had always defended herself during the case and also accuses of being manhandled during jail.

Other than the above there are a lot of scams like mining, irrigation, NRHM, Uttar Pradesh scams and Gujarat PSU scams. 2012 is certainly not a year to forget but to learn for the people. People should know what they’re doing before they choose leaders, protest and even while giving one paisa. It’s we who can bring the change, not a single leader or a party.

We think these are the biggest shames for India in 2012 and if you think we left out something then you can contact us or you can put your thoughts in the comment section. Wishing you a prosperous new year with a promise to learn from our past.

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Pakistan wins first Twenty 20, India’s disappointing performance

Even after terrific performances from skipper Ajinkhya Rahane and pace bowler Bhuvaneswar Kumar, India had a disappointing defeat against guest Pakistan, who was barred to play in India after the 26/11 attacks. Pakistan skippers Shoaib Malik and Md. Hameez had great innings leading Pakistan to win in the last over. This was a first International T20 match in Banglore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium where plenty number of crowd turned out to cheer both the teams.

After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bowl first on the swinging track of Chinnaswamy Stadium. Indian skippers Goutam Gambhir and Ajinkhya Rahane came out to open the innings. Goutam Gambhir batted slow but picked up later and Rahane was a non-stopper and hit a smashing 42 from 31 balls with the help of 5 fours and a six. Goutam Gambhir made 43 runs from 41 deliveries which includes a six and 2 fours. And that’s all, as excluding Yuvraj Singh (10 from 9) and Suresh Raina (10 from 9), all the rest Indian batting line were happened to score only single figures. For the first 12 overs, Indian performance was good with scoring rate of 7. But after the dismissal of Yuvraj Singh, Indian batting line crackled. Umar Gul picked up 3 wickets in his 3rd over leaving to wonder the Indian team and India managed to score 133 in 20 overs. Off-break bowler Saeed Ajmal picked up two wickets as Indian captain MS Dhoni and skipper Suresh Raina. Debutant Md. Irfan and Shahid Afridi managed to pick one wicket each.

Even after India’s disappointing lose; we’ve witnessed a terrific performance from Bhuvaneswar Kumar, the debutant pace bowler in Indian team. B Kumar picked up 3 early wickets as Nasir Jamshed, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal in first of his 3 overs. That’s all from the Indian bowling, as after these three wickets Pakistan skippers Md. Hafeez and Shoaib Malik made up a 100 runs partnership, leaving Indian bowlers helpless. Md. Hafeez made a high speed 61 from 44 balls with the help of 6 fours and 2 sixes. Shoaib Malik scored a not out 57 and lead Pakistan to win with a six to Dinda in the last over.

Star Players in India-Pakistan Match

India
Goutam Gambhir (43 from 41)
Ajinkya Rahane (42 from 31)
Bhuvaneswar Kumar – 3 wickets for 9 runs: The second Indian player after Pragyan Ojha, to take 3 wickets in his debut match. Sunil Gavaskar was cheered up while saying “A sensational debutant performance”.

Pakistan
Md. Hafeez (61 from 44)
Shoaib Malik (57 from 50)
Umar Gul – 3 wickets for 21 runs
Saeed Ajmal – 2 wickets for 25 runs

Other Attractions
The 7.1 feet debutant Pakistan player Md. Irfan is an attraction to today’s match and much of a similar bowler to Shoaib Akhtar, speeding upto 143 km/hr. He managed to pick one wicket and surprise the Indian batsmen with his bounce.

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