Kings Headlines on One News Page [United Kingdom]

Victorian Open: India's Harinder Pal Sandhu enters final

India's Harinder Pal Sandhu is one step away from winning his fourth title as he defeated Piedro Schweertman of the Netherlands to reach the final of the Victorian Open at Melbourne on Saturday.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Muguruza-s.jpg

Garbine Muguruza won a battle of the generations by thrashing Venus Williams to secure her first Wimbledon title. Williams, 37, was bidding to become the oldest female Grand Slam singles winner in the open era but Muguruza, 14 years her junior, delivered an emphatic 7-5 6-0 victory.

It is Muguruza's second major title, adding to the French Open she won last year, and makes her the first Spanish woman to win the singles here since her coach Conchita Martinez in 1994.

When the 23-year-old's challenge revealed Williams' last forehand to have landed long, she crouched down in disbelief with her face planted in her hands.

Muguruza earns £2.2 million (Rs 18.5 crore) for this win at the All England Club and also makes up for finishing runner-up to Venus' sister Serena in the final of two years ago. When Muguruza landed her first major title at Roland Garros last year, she had been circled as the natural successor to Serena as the queen of women's tennis. But results failed to meet expectations until this year.

Muguruza showed guts to sneak a nerve-shredding opening set, saving two set points before hitting Williams decisively one game later. She then showed ruthlessness in the second as she blew Williams away in six games that lasted just 26 minutes.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Ashwin-s.jpg

India and Tamil Nadu off-spinner Ravichandran has improved a lot and is a smart cricketer, legendary Sri Lanka bowler Muttiah Muralitharan said yesterday.

"Ashwin has improved a lot in the recent past. He played really well in the recent matches. He has the experience and talent to showcase his skills in the upcoming ones. In fact, according to me, he is a smart cricketer. Looking forward to see his performance," he told reporters on the sidelines of an TNPL event here.

Muralitharan, who holds the record for most Test wickets, however, said the Lanka team's performances in the recent time were not very good.

"I am happy that the present Sri Lankan team is absolutely new. But I can notice the team is slacking a bit in overall performance these days. They should solve all their problems themselves and build on the reputation of the team.

The retirement of Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene and myself both from Test and ODI cricket has weakened the team but they need to move on," he said.

He said he was looking forward to his role as mentor of TNPL franchise VB Thiruvallur Veerans and hoped to guide the young players to the best of his ability.

"I am happy to be a part of this wonderful team. All the players have got a great opportunity to showcase their skills in the upcoming league matches. Though I am not a full-fledged coach, I will surely guide them in the best possible manner," he added.

About the return of Chennai Super Kings to the IPL fold, Murali said, "I have been associated with the team for quite a long time. But in the near future, if I again get an opportunity to work with CSK, I will enthusiastically do it,' he said.

To a question as to why spinners were doing better when compared to the pacers, he said, "Spinners always have a lot of opportunity in cricket. But to be honest, the world has a lot of highly talented spinners which is the actual reason."

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Ramanathan-win-s.jpg

India's Ramkumar Ramanathan, who is turning around his season in a brilliant fashion, reached his second ATP Challenger level final of the year with a hard-earned three-set win over Tommy Paul in the Winnetka event in the USA.

The fifth seeded Indian overcame the challenge of the American 4-6 6-3 6-2 in the one hour 51 minute semifinal of the USD 75,000 hard court event.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Sourav-Ganguly-aa-s.jpg

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Saturday unveiled his eight-feet tall bronze statue at Balurghat after travelling in train for the first time in 15 years.

"I travelled in train once after 2001. It's been almost after 15 years," Ganguly said as he alighted from the Padatik Express in Malda this morning. He headed to Bikash Maidan in Balurghat where he was greeted by thousands of crowd.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Suresh-aaa-s.jpg

Daughter's love âÂÂ¤ Lovely to come across more people with a tattoo of theirs daughter's name ðÂÂÂÂÂÂ #Gracia #nametattoo #art

A post shared by Suresh Raina (@sureshraina3) onJul 14, 2017 at 4:44am PDT

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/thala-dhoni-s.jpg

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the most successful franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) have made a re-entry into the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket league after serving a two-year ban imposed on them for betting.

"The two franchises have completed the two-year suspension imposed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee and will now participate in the IPL," the BCCI said in a statement.

Following the ban imposed on them in 2015, the two teams did not play in the IPL tournaments in 2016 and 2017. Their places were taken by Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions.

Dhoni celebrated the good news by taking to social media and posting a photograph of him in a yellow jersey. Dhoni's celebration of the return of his 'prodigal team' in his 'Mahi way' got CKS fans to do the 'whistle podu'. Mahi took to social media to post a photo of himself wearing a CSK jersey, sporting his jersey number '7' and the Tamil word 'Thala' (which means 'leader') written under it.

A post shared by @mahi7781 onJul 14, 2017 at 9:24pm PDT

Dhoni hasn't had the best of times away from Chennai. He was with Pune the last two year, but was dropped as Rising Pune Supergiant skipper for this year's edition. He was also criticised by owner Sanjiv Goenka's brother Harsh, which forced his wife Sakshi to stand up for her hubby and deliver a power-packed response.

CSK lifted two IPL trophies under Dhoni's leadership -- in 2010 and 2011 -- and were runners-up on four occasions -- in 2008, 2012, 2013 and in 2015. They also won the Champions League T20 title twice -- in 2010 and 2014 -- with Dhoni at the helm.

Lions, start the whistles... Guess who's back! #whistlepodu #CSKReturns pic.twitter.com/5eVUZSEBKa

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) July 15, 2017

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/virooshka-shopping-s.jpg

Shopping time! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂâÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂ #LoveBirds

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@viratkohli.club) onJul 13, 2017 at 10:20pm PDT

Indian cricketer and swashbuckling batsman Virat Kohli is on a 'much-needed break' with ladylove and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and the couple, just like all of us, went on grocery shopping.

*Virat* has never shied away from talking about *Anushka* or sharing a photos with her but this time photos of them clicking selfies with fans were shared on social media accounts.

Virat and Anushka makes a Fan Happy in New York! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂâÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂ #NewYorkDiaries

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@viratkohli.club) onJul 14, 2017 at 5:48am PDT

Virushka making a Fan Happy! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂâÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂ #NewYorkDiaries #USAvacation

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@viratkohli.club) onJul 13, 2017 at 9:17pm PDT

Love Birds in New York! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂâÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂ

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@viratkohli.club) onJul 13, 2017 at 7:51am PDT

Here comes a Selfie from a Fan directly from New York! ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂâÂÂÂ¤ï¸ÂÂÂ #USAvacation

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@viratkohli.club) onJul 12, 2017 at 11:36pm PDT

Virat first gave the clue of him being in New York with Anushka after he posted their image on Instagram saying, "Much-needed break with my
Virat had joined Anushka as she gears up for (International Indian Film Academy) IIFA in New York.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Nico-Rosberg-Wimb-s.jpg

Former F1 champ Nico Rosberg almost fell foul of Wimbledon's strict dress code by forgetting to wear socks.

The German said he would have to go shopping after being told his bare feet and shoe combination meant he would be refused entry to the Royal Box. But he resolved the faux pas and was later spotted watching the action on Centre Court along with a host of famous faces.

The mishap was pointed out to Rosberg during an interview with Wimbledon's in-house radio station, as he spoke of the "big honour" of sitting in the Royal Box.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Valtteri-Bottas-a-s.jpg

Valtteri Bottas narrowly edged out teammate Lewis Hamilton to end a dominant opening day of British Grand Prix practice for Mercedes at the top of the timesheets.

The Finn, winner of the last race in Austria, lapped the 5.8-kilometer long Silverstone circuit in one minute 28.496 seconds. He beat home hero Hamilton by just 0.047 seconds to the fastest time of the day after having also set the pace by a similar margin ahead of the Briton in the opening morning session.

Kimi Raikkonen, who survived a big off-track moment in the afternoon, lapped third-fastest ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel.*Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel tests the new safety shield yesterday*

While the Ferrari drivers were still some way off Mercedes' pace, they were still closer to their German rivals than in the morning, when they had been over a second slower and behind the Red Bull cars of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

*Red Bulls battle on*
Verstappen still led Ricciardo, who is gunning for a sixth straight podium finish this weekend, in the afternoon with the pair fifth and sixth behind the two Ferraris.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh quickest in the Renault, ahead of Felipe Massa in the Williams and McLaren's Fernando Alonso, running an updated version of Honda's engine.

Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten ahead of his Force India team's home race. There were no major dramas during the session save for a few spins.

Drivers are having to contend with higher speeds at the Silverstone circuit due to the aerodynamic changes to the cars this year, with Bottas' benchmark nearly a second quicker than last year's pole position time.

*Cockpit shield makes debut*
All eyes were on Vettel's Ferrari in the morning session as the German tried out the 'shield' cockpit protection system that involves a wraparound windscreen that aims to protect drivers' heads from flying debris and loose wheels.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Rebekah-Kim-s.jpg

England striker Jamie Vardy's wife Rebekah slammed American reality star Kim Kardashian for this "disgusting" dress that she just bought for her four-year-old daughter, North.

Rebekah osted a couple of messages on Twitter speaking out against the "lingerie" item, with "corset" detailing: "I'm never usually one to judge other people's parenting choices but this is lingerie!*Kim Kardashian with North. (Right) The controversial outfit *

It's a satin negligee with a fake corset. Why would anyone dress their 4 year old daughter in this? It's bewildering," wrote Becky.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/John-Cena-bbb-s.jpg

Wrestler and actor John Cena has rated his skincare routine a "seven and a half out of ten", because he spends a lot of time inspecting the "fine lines "on his face and manscaping.

"I'm constantly trying to stay up on fine lines in my skin and that stuff, so I'm a lot more grooming-centric than you would realize. My routine is a lot more than you would think -- I'd say it's a strong seven and a half out of 10," reports people.com.

The "Trainwreck" actor, who appeared in the production alongside comedian Amy Schumer, said that he is "grooming-centric" and will often carry out a full body hair removal, which takes one hour to 30 minutes, to ensure he is "completely man-scaped from head to toe".

Speaking about his intense ablutions, he said: "I'm completely man-scaped from head to toe -- from the ears down -- so that takes a bit of time. If I'm pretty, pretty quick with it, I'd say it takes a half hour, but sometimes it's probably an hour. A lot of shaving cream and a very good razor -- and time. I have a lot of surface area to cover.

"The skin is always smooth. I've gravitated towards Gillette products my entire life. They do a great job at what they do and they're a great leader in the field."

Although Cena takes a lot of time out of his busy work schedule to ensure he is hair-free, he says he feels "uncomfortable" when the hairs start sprouting back again.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Chris-ISL-s.jpg

West Indian opener Chris Gayle yesterday showed interest in owning an Indian Super League-type team and said he is in discussions with few stakeholders.

“I’d definitely love to own an Indian Super League kind of team, but what best one can do is to get involved in it while you are active playing cricket,” Gayle told PTI at an event here.

Gayle said big names like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly are owning teams post-retirement because they want to foray into the world of business. Tendulkar and Ganguly own Kerala Blasters and Atlético de Kolkata, respectively.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Warren-Barguil-s.jpg

Frenchman Warren Barguil took an emotional Stage 13 victory of the Tour de France yesterday as Nairo Quintana and Alberto Contador resurrected their yellow jersey hopes.

Quintana was second and Spaniard Contador third to take back almost two minutes on Italian Fabio Aru, who maintained the race lead at the end of the short 101km Pyrenean stage from Saint Girons to Foix.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Craig-Ervine-a-s.jpg

Batsman Craig Ervine hit an unbeaten 151 to pull Zimbabwe out of trouble on the opening day of their one-off Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo yesterday.

Ervine's career-best effort lifted Zimbabwe from a precarious 70-4 to 344-8 at stumps. Sri Lanka left-arm spinner Rangana Herath took four wickets. The left-handed batsman held on with Donald Tiripano (24 not out) at the end of play, putting on a frustrating 62-run stand for the ninth wicket.

Ervine, who surpassed his previous Test best of 146 against New Zealand in Bulawayo last year, built crucial partnerships including a 84-run fifth-wicket stand with Sikandar Raza (36).

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Bradley-Lowery-s.jpg

Sunderland FC's little fan, Bradley Lowery, who passed away last week after losing his battle to cancer, was laid to rest at Hartlepool, in England yesterday with thousands of mourners in attendance.

His mother, Gemma, read out a poem, describing how she would meet her little superhero again in the sky sometime. A recorder played out Bradley's voice too as he sang the final lines to a version of the Charlie Chaplin tune, 'Smile', and Charlie Puth's 'One Call Away.'*Mourners dressed as Super Heroes attend the funeral of Sunderland FC fan Bradley Lowery, 6, who lost his battle to cancer, at St Joseph's Church in Hartlepool, England yesterday. Pics/getty Images*

Gemma and Bradley's father, Carl, were joined at the service, among others, by former Sunderland star Jermain Defoe, who broke down during the proceedings.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Sachin-ddd-s.jpg

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar says that he had no knowledge that how important is nutrition when he started playing and only realised when he lost a game because of lack of nutritional intake.

"In my younger days when I first started playing cricket, I did not know the importance of nutrition. Cricket being my first love, I was always rushing to play the game. I wasn't aware what a complete and nutritious diet meant, because of my lack of knowledge on the subject back then," Sachin told IANS.

"It was the biggest lesson of my life when one fine day, I was playing a match and around lunch time, I lost the game due to lack of nutritional intake... I made up my mind to never let this happen again," added the master blaster, who is is seen urging the millenials to start the day right in a new TV commercial for the brand Quaker Oats+Milk.

PepsiCo India has released a new ad film to promote thisAgrain-dairy beverage that blends the goodness of milk with fibre and oats. The new film features the brand ambassador Sachin who has also co-created the product.

"When I worked with PepsiCo India to co-create Quaker Oats+Milk, I remembered my lessons, and so we created a great addition to the breakfast table, to give one's mornings a head-start with fibre, calcium, oats and milk.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Sachin-Roger-s.jpg

India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's love for tennis is well known. He particularly loves the atmosphere at Wimbledon and is a regular here each year. Yesterday too he was a keen spectator along with his wife Anjali.

The couple soaked in the men's singles semi-final matches and Tendulkar cheered for one of his favourite players, Roger Federer of Switzerland.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/HS-Prannoy-aa-s.jpg

Defending champions Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy reached the men's doubles quarter-finals but it was curtains for HS Prannoy in men's singles at the Canada Open Grand Prix here yesterday.

Manu and Sumeeth defeated Korean combo of Choi Solgyu and Jae Hwan Kim 21-17, 17-21, 21-13 to set up a clash against Korean pair of Kim Won Ho and Seung Jae Seo.

Second seeds Pranaav Jerry Chopra and N Sikki Reddy too advanced to the quarters in mixed doubles with 21-11, 21-17 win over Netherlands pair of Robin Tabeling and Cheryl Seinen.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Wayne-Rooney-s.jpg

Wayne Rooney's fairytale return to Everton continued as he marked his first appearance since rejoining with a goal.

Rooney, 31, hit a 30-yard right-footed strike to beat the Gor Mahia goalkeeper in his top right-hand corner had echoes of Rooney's maiden goal for the club against Arsenal back in 2002 — five days short of his 17th birthday. Collecting the ball 40 yards out in the inside-left position he took one touch with his left foot, advanced the ball a few yards with his right before lashing home a shot.

"To score for Everton again is a great feeling," Rooney, who has gone back to his boyhood club after 13 years at Manchester United, told evertontv. "It's something I've been thinking of for the last couple of weeks, once I knew (the move) was happening. "Thankfully, I've done it in today's game and that 45 minutes will only help."

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Ronaldinho-football-s.jpg

Former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho yesterday extended his association with Premier Futsal by three years and said the league will be a bigger success this year.

"I am happy to be here (in India). The very first season was a huge success that motivated everyone at the back here. This season is going to be a bigger success. I am very happy to be hear and receive the love of fans and people from India," said the 2005 Ballon d'Or winner said.

"I believe the improvement in FIFA ranking (in football) will help Futsal especially after the success of last year. It will also help other sports to grow," the World Cup winner with Brazil said.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Mithali-Raj-led-s.jpg

Their confidence on a low after two consecutive defeats, India face a do-or-die situation when they take on New Zealand in what can be termed as a virtual quarter-final of the Women's World Cup here today.

Hanging on to fourth spot on the points table, a loss will shatter India's semi-final hopes. After starting the tournament on a promising note with four wins on the trot, India slumped to their second straight loss on Wednesday.

At Bristol, they were defeated by a dominant Australia by eight wickets, despite a fighting century from Punam Raut, and a record breaking 69 from captain Mithali Raj.

Whoever wins will secure the last remaining semi-final spot with hosts England, SA and defending champions Australia already qualifying for the last last four.

Heading into the last league games, England, South Africa and Australia will primarily play for position in the semi-final but for India and New Zealand it is a do-or-die situation.

India would expect the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut and Harmanpreet Kaur, besides Deepti Sharma and Raj to fire in unison against the dangerous New Zealand.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Roger-Cilic-s.jpg

Seven-time champion Roger Federer will face Marin Cilic in the Wimbledon final on Sunday.

Yesterday, Federer reached his 11th Wimbledon final, downing 2010 runner-up Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.

The 35-year-old is bidding to win a record eighth title and become the oldest champion at the All-England Club in the Open era.

Earlier, in the first semi-final, Cilic reached his first Wimbledon final at the 11th attempt with a 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 win over America's Sam Querrey.
The seventh-seeded Croatian was US Open champion in 2014.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Venus-Williams-a-s.jpg

Venus Williams will attempt to become the oldest winner of the women's singles title at Wimbledon for more than a century when she takes on Garbine Muguruza today. And unlike Charlotte Sterry, who lifted the trophy in 1908 aged 37 years and 282 days, Williams won't travel to the All-England Club by bicycle.

*37 years, 28 days*
At 37 years and 28 days, Williams is looking for her first Grand Slam title since Wimbledon nine years ago, when she claimed her fifth crown here. A gradual decline followed, and when she was diagnosed with the auto-immune condition Sjogren's syndrome in 2011, it seemed her Grand Slam-winning days were over. Instead, she kept working and has forced her way back. After reaching the semi-finals here last year, she lost to sister Serena in the final of the Australian Open and is now ready for the final step.*Spaniard Garbine Muguruza. Pic/AFP*

An emotional Williams said: "I had a lot of issues. This year has been amazing in terms of my play, playing deep into the big events. I'm excited about being again in another final, trying to take it a step further. I feel very focused. I have one more match that I'd like to be the winner of. But I've been playing well this year. It's wonderful to have the opportunity to play well and be strong and have experience. Experience is working for me."

*20 years ago*
Williams made her Wimbledon debut 20 years ago. This year, despite dealing with the emotional fall-out from her involvement in a fatal car crash back home in Florida last month, she's dropped just one set on her way to the final.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Wasim-Akram-s.jpg

Snapped Wasim having his morning swim at the beach in Bali #InterContinentalLife #ClubICLife @InterConBali pic.twitter.com/eNIduJXcGr

— Shaniera Akram (@iamShaniera) July 14, 2017

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Niki-John-Cena-s.jpg

World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar John Cena, who recently got engaged to fellow WWE wrestler Niki Bela has revealed that his fiancee steals enjoys stealing his grooming products.

Cena explained that he takes a lot of time to groom himself: "I'm completely man-scaped from head to toe — from the ears down — so that takes a bit of time, 30 minutes to an hour, shaving my whole body," the wrestler told People magazine in an interview recently, adding that he spends around 30 minutes to an hour each day shaving. "I'm a lot more grooming-centric than you would realise.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Srinivasan-Shah-s.jpg

"My lordship, Mr N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah walked in and hijacked the 26 June SGM of the BCCI." These words by CU Singh, the lawyer representing the Committee of Administrators (CoA) was not sweet music to these Indian cricket czars in Supreme Court yesterday.

There was enough evidence to establish that Srinivasan and Shah had indeed blocked the Justice Lodha Committee reforms aimed at cleansing Indian cricket – a CD submitted by the CoA which contained audio recording of the 26 June Special General Meeting in which Srinivasan and Shah advised the BCCI members not to adhere to the Lodha recommendations.

" Thirty per cent of the time this gentleman (Srinivasan) dominated the proceeding," the three-member bench comprising Justice Dipak Misra, AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud, was informed.

Srinivasan's lawyer Kapil Sibal argued in his client's defence and on his behalf: "I am not disqualified. The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association's constitution allows me to represent (them). Also there is no conflict of interest as I am not a team owner anymore."

*Justice Misra firm*
Sibal failed to convince Justice Misra. "If a person is disqualified, he cannot be nominated by the same officials. An association cannot nominate a disqualified member," observed Misra.

The bench decided to issue notices to Srinivasan and Shah and asked them to explain their position on the issue within a week. The next hearing for this issue is scheduled for July 24.

PTI adds: The CoA's fourth status report said: "The SGM on June 26 was attended by various persons who are disqualified from being office bearers of BCCI and/or their respective state/member associations including N Srinivasan (represented TNCA) and Niranjan Shah (SCA) amongst others. "Such disqualified persons have a vested interest in stalling implementation of judgement because if the judgement is implemented, such disqualified person will have to relinquish control over their respective state associations,"it said.

Sibal appearing for TNCA accepted the court's notice on behalf of Srinivasan and said the veteran cricket administrator has no conflict of interest as of now and he can very much become a nominee of an association by virtue of being its member.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Hashim-Amla-s.jpg

Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock shared an unbroken century stand as South Africa advanced to 179 for two at tea on the first day of the second Test against England at Trent Bridge yesterday.

Amla was 65 not out, having become just the fourth South African after Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers to score 8,000 Test runs, and free-scoring left-hander de Kock, promoted to number four, 68 not out.

Their partnership was so far worth 113. South Africa's sound position was a vindication of returning captain Faf du Plessis's bold call to bat first after winning the toss, with the Proteas 1-0 down in the four-match series after a 211-run defeat inside four days at Lord's last week.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Arjuna-Ranatunga-s.jpg

Former Sri Lanka skipper Arjuna Ranatunga yesterday demanded an investigation into the country's 2011 World Cup final defeat by India amid allegations of match fixing.

Ranatunga, 53, in a video posted on his Facebook page, said he was shocked by Sri Lanka's six-wicket defeat in the final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

"I was also in India giving commentaries at the time. When we lost, I was distressed and I had a doubt," Ranatunga said. "We must investigate what happened to Sri Lanka at the 2011 World Cup final. I cannot reveal everything now, but one day I will. There must be an inquiry."*India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni celebrates the dismissal of Sri Lanka's captain Kumar Sangakkara during the 2011 World Cup final at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on April 2, 2011. Pic/Getty Images*

Without giving names, Ranatunga said players could not hide the "dirt" with their clean white cricket clothing.

Sri Lanka, batting first, scored 274-6 off 50 overs and appeared in a commanding position .

India turned the game dramatically thanks partly to poor fielding and bowling by Sri Lanka.

Local media have raised suspicions of Sri Lankans throwing the match, but there was no formal call for an investigation till Ranatunga's outburst.

Ranatunga's spokesman Thamira Manju said that he was writing to President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe complaining about the state of cricket in the country. There have been recriminations since Sri Lanka suffered a 3-2 loss to Zimbabwe in a five-match ODI series on home soil this month.

There is also growing tension between Sri Lankan sports authorities and players about the use of managers, including an agent who represents more than half the national team. Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera said he wants to regulate agents in a bid to prevent the possibility of one individual fixing matches.

*India's 2011 heroes rubbish Arjuna's claims*
India's World Cup heroes found Arjuna Ranatunga's demand for an inquiry into the 2011 final as "outrageous". Gautam Gambhir feels that Ranatunga should back his allegations with evidence.

"I am surprised by Ranatunga's allegations. These are serious comments by a very respectable voice in international cricket. I think to clear the air, he should back his claims with proofs," Gambhir said.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Vidya-Paradkar-s.jpg

Vidya Paradkar, one of India's new bowling consultant Zaheer Khan's early mentors, has said that he is not surprised to see his ward entering the coaching sphere. "Even in his teens, Zaheer was always a thinking bowler and had an analytical mind. I am delighted that he has been offered to be India's bowling consultant," said the Central Mumbai-based Paradkar, who alongwith former Test opener Sudhir Naik, helped in Zaheer's emergence from Cross Maidan's National Cricket Club.

Paradkar reckoned Zaheer displayed his ability to be a good coach during his final Indian Premier League season with Delhi Daredevils earlier this year. "I observed him closely. He captained the side well and his field placements were spot-on. They looked a potentially champion side under him. Unfortunately, they didn't make it.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/sunny-shastri-sandeep-s.jpg

Indian cricketers have been role models for various fans across the country for years. It is because of their immense fame and personality that garners them such a huge following.

We all remember the iconic Sachin Tendulkar ad for 'Boost' wherein Sachin goes on to encourage young kids to try out the energy drink. Moreover, MRF's brand had brilliant brand recall since Sachin Tendulkar used it on his bat for most of his cricketing career.

However, it is rare to find Indian cricketers before the 1990s era featuring in such advertisements. Nonetheless it did take place!

An old advertisement of soft drink brand Thums Up that has India's new head coach Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Sandeep Patil is one of the coolest things to see.

The ad shows a young Gavaskar, Shastri and Patil playfully juggling with a Thums Up bottle just like they would a cricket ball while seated on chairs. After a lot of pass around, Sunil Gavaskar pops open the bottle to take a sip with Ravi Shastri and Sandeep Patil smiling away.

Check out the full advertisement here.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2015/dec/dhoni8dec-s.jpg

Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the most successful franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and inaugural champions Rajasthan Royals (RR) have made a re-entry into the cash-rich Twenty20 cricket league after serving a two-year ban imposed on them for betting.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Friday welcomed the IPL franchises Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals back into the League.

"The two franchises have completed the two-year suspension imposed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court appointed Justice R.M. Lodha Committee and will now participate in the IPL," the BCCI said in a statement.

Following the ban imposed on them in 2015, the two teams did not play in the IPL tournaments in 2016 and 2017. Their places were taken by Rising Pune Supergiant and Gujarat Lions.

Commenting on the return of the two teams, BCCI Acting President C.K. Khanna said: "IPL will be enriched by the return of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. Both the teams have enjoyed tremendous on-field success and have a mass following.

"The loyal fans will again get to see their favourite teams and stars in action from the upcoming season of the VIVO IPL."

The ban was imposed due to the betting activities of their key officials Gurunath Meiyappan and Raj Kundra and will now participate in the IPL.

Following the incident, Meiyappan, the former Team Principal of CSK, and Kundra, co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals, were suspended for life for indulging in betting and bringing the IPL and the games into disrepute.

IPL Chairman Rajeev Shukla said: "It is my privilege to welcome back our franchises, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, into the 11th edition of the IPL. We have had a strong working relationship with Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals and hope that we can continue to build upon the close ties that we have enjoyed in the past, as we move towards the next edition of the league."

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/sriniranjan-s.jpg

*New Delhi*: The Supreme Court today questioned controversial former cricket administrators N Srinivasan and Niranjan Shah for (rpt for) attending a recent meeting of the BCCI, asking how could persons disqualified by it be part of any deliberation of the cash-rich body.

"How can a person disqualified by virtue of apex court order be nominated as nominee of state cricket associations and attend the meeting of BCCI," a bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra said.

The bench, which also comprised Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, issued notices to Srinivasan and Shah seeking their responses to hear them on July 24, when they will also go into the fourth status report filed by Committee of Administrators (COA) headed by former CAG Vinod Rai.

In the fourth status report submitted by the COA, Srinivasan and Shah have been described as "disqualified office bearers with vested interest", who were trying to stall the implementation of Lodha reforms.

The applications moved by the apex court-appointed COA complained that the two veterans who were disqualified were present as nominees of Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and Saurashtra Cricket Association (SCA) respectively, at the June 26 Special General Meeting (SGM) of the BCCI.

Both Srinivasan and Shah were disqualified from becoming the office bearers of BCCI or state cricket bodies as they fell under the category of debarment for either having conflict of interest or attaining the age of 70 years, as per Justice R M Lodha-led panel recommendation which were accepted by the apex court.

The bench also gave relief to former BCCI president Anurag Thakur by accepting his "unconditional" and "unequivocal" apology and dropped the contempt and criminal proceedings against him for perjury.

The apex court had initiated contempt proceedings against Thakur on January 2 this year for filing a false affidavit regarding writing to the International Cricket Council (ICC) on the issue of BCCI's autonomy.

Senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter, informed that two members of the COA -- Ramachandra Guha and Vikram Limaye -- have tendered their resignation from the post of administrators of the BCCI.

The apex court accepted the resignation and relieved Guha who has resigned due to personal reasons. It also relieved Limaye, who quit recently after being appointed the Managing Director and CEO of National Stock Exchange.

Subramanium suggested six names for filling up the post of administrators fallen vacant after these resignations but the apex court sought suggestions from senior counsels like Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, Kapil Sibal and others appearing for various parties in the matter in ten days in a sealed cover, to be considered on September 5.

The fourth status report said "The SGM on June 26 was attended by various persons who are disqualified from being office bearers of BCCI and/or their respective state/member associations including N Srinivasan (represented TNCA) and Niranjan Shah (SCA) amongst others.

"Such disqualified persons have a vested interest in stalling implementation of judgement because if the judgement is implemented, such disqualified person will have to relinquish control over their respective state associations," it said.

Tripathi told the bench that a CD has also been annexed with the report to showcase that 30 per cent of the time was consumed by Srinivasan and Shah, who had disrupted the June 26 SGM by "trying to hijack" it and that no consensus was reached on the implementation of Lodha reforms among the state associations. He said these disqualified members cannot attend the meeting by becoming nominees of state cricket associations.

Sibal appearing for TNCA accepted the court's notice on behalf of Srinivasan and said the veteran cricket administrator has no conflict of interest as of now and he can very much become a nominee of an association by virtue of being its member.

The bench said it will hear the arguments on July 24 on the fourth status report and the objections raised by the COA on the presence of Srinivasan and Shah in the Shah as nominees of state cricket bodies.

Sibal said the arguments were going far beyond the judgements and efforts were being made to target the former cricket administrators.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar appearing for Railways and defence services said the Lodha panel recommendations have taken away their right to vote, despite being the founder members of BCCI. The bench said "if we look look into the history, we cannot deny the contribution made by railways to cricket. If any wrong has been done, then it can be corrected".

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/williamsis-s.jpg

Serena Williams, who missed the ongoing Wimbledon due to pregnancy, has said that she felt like she was there with her elder sister Venus Williams throughout her journey to her ninth finals of the grass-court tournament.

37-year-old Venus became the oldest player to reach Wimbledon final after she crushed Britain¿s Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2 win over in a one-sided semi-final clash.

"I feel like I'm there, in a weird way. I feel like I've been there for the whole journey. We talk every day and we text every day, not about tennis always - our relationship isn't based around tennis so it's just been really great. I miss her a lot and I look forward to her coming back,¿ the WTA website quoted Serena as saying.

Serena and Venus met each other four times in Wimbledon women¿s singles finals besides also clinching six titles in doubles alongside each other at the All-England Club.

Serena, who is not used to be without her sister during this time of the year, said that she utilised all her energy in persuading Venus to be at her menacing best and clinch the title.

"...All my energy is towards making her want to be great and making her want to win. It's just a totally different feeling,¿ former world number one Serena added.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/bravo-iifa-s.jpg

Dwayne Bravo, being the fun-loving, dance crazy Windies cricketer that he is, took Bollywood stars by surprise and also made them dance to his hit single 'Champion'.

Here are some photos of DJ Bravo at IIFA 2017. First is Bravo sharing a picture of himself on his Instagram account.

I just want to be the best I can be #1 #champion #djbravo #NY #bollywood

A post shared by Dwayne Bravo (@djbravo47) onJul 13, 2017 at 12:09pm PDT

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/nov/4Anurag-Thakur-s.jpg

The Supreme Court on Friday accepted former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Anurag Thakur's fresh unconditional apology for filing a false affidavit in connection with a contempt case against him.

The apex court has will now conduct hearing in the matter on September 5.

Yesterday, Thakur had tendered apology in the top court after the three-judge bench, headed by Justice Dipak Misra and comprising of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and D.Y. Chandrachud, had earlier asked the former president for the same.

On June 27, Justice R.M. Lodha Committee's recommendations, mandated by the Supreme Court, was to be made effective when members of the Indian cricket board decided to appoint fresh committee to see how quickly the principal order of Supreme Court can be implemented.

The apex court passed its verdict on July 18, 2016 accepting the majority of the reforms suggested by the three-member panel, headed by Justice Lodha.

On April 17, Thakur filed his reply before the apex court in connection with a contempt notice served against him for filing a false affidavit in the top court.

The apex court had granted relief to Thakur and had exempted his personal appearance in the court till the next date of hearing.

Thakur tendered an unconditional apology to the apex court in connection with his initiation of contempt proceedings case.

The apex court, on January 2, issued a notice to Thakur seeking an explanation as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

The court had sought a reply from Thakur regarding perjury charges levelled against him by the amicus curiae Gopal Subramanian.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/shastri-zaheer-s.jpg

The contract drafts for Zaheer Khan, Rahul Dravid and Bharat Arun have been put on hold by the Committee of Administrators (CoA), it was revealed on Thursday. This comes two days after the appointment of Ravi Shastri and Zaheer Khan as head coach and bowling consultant respectively.

The BCCI had earlier clarified that *Zaheer Khan's role was purely on a tour-to-tour basis*. Such a role was defined for Rahul Dravid previously.

The CoA has asked for the contract drafts when they will come together for a special meeting on Saturday. A BCCI official told The Times of India that currently it seems like Zaheer Khan would have difficulty accepting a consultant's role on a tour-to-tour basis. The official further stated that Ravi Shastri's Ravi Shastri's demand of having Bharat Arun as a full-time bowling coach doesn't feel like it will happen either.

The legal team of the BCCI is currently said to be working on the contracts.

*Ravi Shastri was steadfast on having Bharat Arun as bowling coach*, while he was previously serving as team director, despite Zaheer Khan's naming as bowling consultant by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). BCCI was unable to bring in Zaheer Khan last year as they were unwilling to pay his reported salary demand of Rs 4 crore.

According to BCCI sources, Zaheer Khan has been courted by the board for over a year and can make a decision whether he wishes to stay with the team full-time upon reading the contract. Zaheer is expected to travel with Team India in Sri Lanka next week.

Ravi Shastri had mentioned earlier that he felt entitled to choose his support staff and was not against having Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant. It is believed Shastri's was concerned regarding Zaheer's ability to devote 250 days a year for the team.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/ronaldo-family-s.jpg

Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was joined by his family members on a trip to the Balearic Islands in Spain.

CR7 posted this picture on Instagram with girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez (second row, third from left) and his newborn twins Mateo and Eva. "Big family with love," the Portuguese star captioned the picture.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo attracted criticism for posting a picture on Instagram alongside a friend with an uncanny caption that seemd to have a racist undertone.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Misbah-ul-Haq-s.jpg

Misbah was presented with the membership at the Lord's Cricket Ground during the rain-interrupted match between Afghanistan and the MCC XI earlier this week.

The 43-year-old Misbah is the 22nd Pakistani to receive the honour and joins the likes of Mushtaq Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Javed Miandad.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/sachin-zaheer-sourav-s.jpg

While Ravi Shastri was appointed as the new head coach for Team India, former cricketer Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid were appointed as the bowling and batting consultants respectively. This move, however, created quite a media stir with Cricket Advisory Committee members Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman penning letters to CoA head Vinod Rai as well as BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary.

The CAC members's selection of Rahul Dravid as the batting consultant and Zaheer Khan as the bowling consultant has apparently been presented as an impose on Ravi Shastri, but they have denied any such reports.

As reported by Hindustan Times, cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's letter to the CoA was quite impactful. Sachin stated, There have been suggestions that the CAC has exceeded its ambit in going with Mr Khan and Mr Dravid, and these two legends of Indian cricket have been foisted on the head coach. It has both pained and disappointed us therefore to see the light in which the CAC has been portrayed in various sections of the media.'

Sachin Tendulkar further stated, 'While we all know that none of these reports are true, it is out in public domain and it is imperative that the cricket-loving public at large is made aware of the reality. We could do it ourselves, of course, but we don’t want to further queer the pitch. So, we would respectfully request you to clear the air and set the record straight in this regard.'

Apparently, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman have been majorly disappointed with how the entire CAC panel has been showcased in various media.

One of the letters also went on to state that the cricket body had issued a free hand to the CAC trio - Ganguly, Tendulkar and Laxman - in their selection of India's new coach.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Rohit-Triple-H-s.jpg*Rohit Sharma*

After Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI) won Season 10 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May this year, World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) superstar and COO Triple H promised to send MI a special gift. And that is now ready to be delivered.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Sourav-laxman-sachin-s.jpg

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Thursday expressed gratitude to the three-member Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and V.V.S. Laxman, for choosing the national cricket team's new coaching staff with total transparency, professionalism and commitment.

Ravi Shastri was on Tuesday announced as the head coach along with Zaheer Khan as bowling consultant and Rahul Dravid as overseas batting consultant.

"The BCCI wishes to thank the CAC for the selfless pro bono service rendered to assist the Board in the selection process of India cricket team's head coach," a statement from the BCCI read.

"The recommendation for Ravi Shastri was made on the merit of his presentation and the vision that he projected for taking the team to greater heights," it added.

After taking the decision on his selection, the CAC consulted him and decided on having batting and bowling consultants on overseas tour-to-tour basis, as per the requirement of the team."

Shastri had initially not applied for the top post but when the BCCI extended the deadline for acceptance of applications till July 9, the former all-rounder jumped into the fray and suddenly became the hot favourite, given his cordial relations with captain Virat Kohli.

Besides Shastri, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman had on Monday interviewed four other candidates. These were former India opener Virender Sehwag, former Australian cricketer and former coach of the Sri Lankan cricket team Tom Moody, Richard Pybus -- English-born cricket coach, who coached the Pakistan and Bangladesh national teams, and currently serves as the Director of Cricket for the West Indies Cricket Board -- and Lalchand Rajput -- former Indian cricketer who is the current head coach of the Afghan national team.

Former West Indies coach Phil Simmons wasn't available for the interview process.

Shastri, a veteran of 80 Tests and 150 One-Day Internationals (ODI), had earlier served as the Team Director with the national squad from India's tour of England in 2014 to the 2016 World T20, where India lost to the eventual champions West Indies.

The 55-year-old was overlooked last year as the CAC went ahead and picked legendary leg-spinner Anil Kumble for a one-year term, that ended on a controversial note after the recently-concluded ICC Champions Trophy last month.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Gayle-s.jpg

Sri Lanka's stunning defeat against Zimbabwe has provided West Indies a glimmer of hope for making it to the 2019 World Cup and aggressive batsman Chris Gayle says they will work hard to earn a direct entry into the mega event.

"We want to win 2019 World Cup. Definitely, we would try to push hard for it and make sure West Indies is part of it," the souhtpaw, who does not play ODIs as of now, told reporters.

The explosive batsman is hoping that WICB will relax eligibility rules for players like him to be in the team for the World Cup.

"Yeah. That is what is under discussion. It is for them to make the announcement. Once the announcement is made, we can know what is on. So, it is better for us to wait and watch and see what happens. Once we are guided with the rules, it will become clear about players participation," he said.

West Indies are placed ninth on the ODI rankings table and the upcoming England series is important for them to earn some crucial points.

The England tour consists of three Tests, one T20I, and five ODIs.

The top eight teams qualify directly, whereas the bottom four teams will compete in the World Cup qualifiers next year against the top six Associate and Affiliate teams. And, from 10-team qualifier tournament, only two teams will advance to the main tournament.

Asked is he hopeful of remaining in Royal Challengers Bangalore next year, Gayle said, "I really don't know what is in store. But, definitely I am looking to be associated with IPL next year for sure and have some fun."

Talking about Evin Lewis, Gayle said he is going to be a dangerous batsman.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Brazil-Violance-s.jpg

A football fan in Brazil has died from stab wounds after a match between Sao Paulo rivals Corinthians and Palmeiras.

Palmeiras fan Leandro de Paula was attacked by Corinthians supporters late Wednesday and died in the hospital on Thursday, a local daily reported.

Two Corinthians supporters were arrested, according to police, reports Xinhua news agency.

It is the second violent death in less than a week in Brazilian football.

On July 8, a 27-year-old man was shot dead in Rio de Janeiro after the top-flight match between local rivals Vasco da Gama and Flamengo.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Gerard-Pique-s.jpg

"Our philosophy is not just to win," he was quoted as saying by ESPNFC at the presentation of Rakuten as the club's new sponsor at an event in Japan.

"At this club it is important to win and play well and we have the players to achieve that -- our matches must be a spectacle. Our fans go to the stadium to enjoy themselves, not to win 1-0 by playing so defensively that it bores the goats," he said.

"It's not just about playing but also having a good time as you play. It's not just about working but also having fun as you do it."

Last season, the Catalan giants missed out on the Spanish league title to arch-rivals Real Madrid and were knocked out at the quarter-final stage of the UEFA Champions League against Juventus.

Pique also backed former Athletic Bilbao head coach Ernesto Valverde, who was appointed as Luis Enrique's successor this summer, to do well.

Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, who was also at the event in Tokyo, also said he is looking forward to get going under the new coach.

"The objectives are always the same when we start the season. At Barca to try to win everything that we're playing in and I hope we can do that this year," Messi, who last week agreed a new contract with the club, was quoted saying by ESPNFC.

"Personally I am really looking forward to getting back, starting work, meeting the new manager and his staff and enjoying another year with the club," he said.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Ghana-s.jpg

One person was killed and several others were injured when the official bus of the Ghana Premier League club Kumasi Asante Kotoko was involved in an accident, it announced.

The accident took place after the bus rammed into the rear of a tipper truck carrying fertilizer while the team was returning from the city of Tema where they had lost their mid-week league game to Inter Allies late Wednesday, reports Xinhua news agency.

The victim is Kofi Asare, the Equipment Officer of the Kumasi-based club is reported dead.

Meanwhile, head coach Steven Polack; midfielder Ollennu Ashitey and the bus driver, Nana Berkye are receiving treatment.

Although police are yet to state the actual cause of the accident, witnesses told the local media that the Kotoko bus ran into the tipper truck which had either been parked without any warning signals or had been moving so slowly ahead of the bus.

Asante Kotoko Sporting Club, also known as Asante Kotoko, was founded in 1935. They have been champions of the Ghana Premier League a record 24 times, and have won the CAF Champions League twice.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/Srinivasan-x-s.jpg

High drama is expected in Supreme Court today when the Committee of Administrators' (CoA) status report in which former BCCI president N Srinivasan and erstwhile secretary Niranjan Shah have been slammed for stalling the implementation of the Lodha reforms, will be up for consideration.

Chennai-based Srinivasan, who like Saurashtra's Shah, got involved in stalling the Lodha Committee recommendations to make the Indian cricket board an organisation which is transparent and fair.*Niranjan Shah*

Srinivasan represented the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association, attended the Board's Special General Meeting on May 7 and June 26 despite being deemed disqualified through the 70-year age cap for administrators.

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/virat-anushka-s.jpg

"Much-needed break with my
While Virat is seen in a casual white T-shirt, Anushka looks smart in an olive top. The eye-catching aspect of the image is their unique eyewear.

Over the past two days, Anushka has been posting images of New York's streets on her Instagram page.

"The sun sets someplace and rises for a new day at another… Have a great day/night you all .., #NewYork #Sunset #JetLagged," she captioned one image. On another photograph, she wrote: "There is light always at the end of the long road."

Much needed break with my âÂ¤

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) onJul 12, 2017 at 8:56am PDT

The actress has been caught up with the promotion of her new film with superstar Shah Rukh Khan "Jab Harry Met Sejal".

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/mickey-dhawan-s.jpg

India's opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan has some leisure time at hand and he is making the most of it ahead of a packed international schedule by holidaying with his family.

The southpaw posted a picture on Instagram recently that showed him along with his wife Ayesha, daughters Aliyah, Rhea and son Zoravar.

The photo is sure to make most of his one million Instagram followers turn green with envy. He captioned it: "Family holiday started... Disneyland."

Family holiday started..Disney land ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂ¤ÂÂÂðÂÂÂ¤ÂÂÂ..

A post shared by Shikhar Dhawan (@shikhardofficial) onJul 12, 2017 at 7:50pm PDT

http://images.mid-day.com/images/2017/jul/thakur-thursday-s.jpg

Former BCCI president Anurag Thakur yesterday tendered a fresh "unconditional" and "unequivocal" apology in the Supreme Court, saying it was never his intention to undermine the majesty of the apex court.

Thakur, a senior BJP leader and a Member of Parliament from Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh, was asked by the apex court on July 7 to tender an apology in explicit terms to get relief from the contempt proceedings initiated against him. "I humbly submit that it was never the intention of the deponent to undermine the majesty of this court and since unintentionally some kind of misinformation and miscommunication has occurred, I unhesitatingly tender my unconditional and unequivocal apology to this court," he said in his affidavit filed yesterday. The apex court had directed him to file a "one-page short affidavit" tendering an apology while making it clear that it was not going to consider his earlier affidavit of apology.

The apex court had also asked Thakur to be present today to tender the apology, indicating that it was willing to accept the apology and close the contempt proceedings against Thakur. Reported by Mid-Day 13 hours ago.

Latest Images