Indian test captain Virat Kohli named BCCI Cricketer of the Year.............

Continuing his meteoric rise, Indian Test captain Virat Kohli was today named 'Cricketer of the Year', while Mithali Raj was picked for the top women's award in the BCCI annual honours to be given away on January 5 in Mumbai.

The 27-year-old batsman, who took over as captain in the middle of the tour of Australia after Mahendra Singh Dhoni's sudden retirement, delivered some good results under his leadership. Under Kohli, the Indian team ended a 22-year wait for a series win on Sri Lankan soil before battering world No.1 South Africa to give them their first overseas loss in nine years.

The right-hander has done well with the bat too, scoring 640 runs in 15 Test innings that he played at an average of 42.67. In his 20 ODI outings this year, Kohli managed 623 runs at an average of 36.65. Mithali, on the other hand, became the first Indian woman and second overall to complete 5,000 runs in ODI format this year. Mithali will be presented with the M A Chidambaram Trophy for the best women's cricketer.

In other awards, former wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani will be presented the Col. CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award. Karnataka State Cricket Association has been chosen the state association of the year for achieving the treble of winning the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare Trophy in the season.

Karnataka all-rounder Robin Uthappa has been picked for the Madhavrao Scindia Award for being the highest run-scorer in Ranji Trophy. Uthappa scored 912 runs in 11 matches, averaging 50.66.
The top wicket-taker's award is being shared this year by Karnataka's R Vinay Kumar and Mumbai's Shardul Thakur, both of whom scalped 48 in the previous season.  

Mohammad Amir issue: PCB rejects angry captain's resignation,.............

Pakistan has rejected one-day captain Azhar Ali's offer to resign over tainted team mate Mohammad Amir's presence at a Lahore training camp, the country's cricket board said on Tuesday.

Amir's return to the selection mix after serving a five-year ban for spot-fixing in the 2010 Lord's test has polarised Pakistan cricket with several of his team mates resenting his reintegration.

Azhar, along with former captain Mohammad Hafeez, initially refused to join the camp ahead of next month's limited-over matches in New Zealand but Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said the ODI skipper would stay on. "Azhar Ali met the chairman PCB (Shahryar Khan). He tendered his resignation," PCB said in a statement. "The chairman didn't accept his resignation, Azhar Ali agreed and he will continue as captain."

Amir, fellow fast bowler Mohammad Asif and former test captain Salman Butt served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour. Former captain Imran Khan has backed Amir's return to international cricket but test skipper Misbah-ul-Haq feared the bowler's comeback would prove a big distraction for the team.

According to local media reports, former captain Shoaib Malik has been assigned to guide Amir on his comeback. 

Ronaldo's agent reveals the club where the he will retire........

Cristiano Ronaldo will call curtains on his illustrious career at Real Madrid, according to the Portuguese international's agent.

The 30-year-old, who has won prestigious Ballon d'Or three times, has been linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain or former club Manchester United in recent times.

"I am sure that he (Ronaldo) will play the next four, five, six or seven years at Real Madrid. He will end his career there," Jorge Mendes was quoted as saying by Goal.com.

"He's happy with Los Blancos. He'll hang up his boots when he's 40," the agent insisted while describing Ronaldo as the best player of all time.

Ronaldo's contract with Madrid expires in June 2018. 

Pakistan's Azhar Ali, all rounder Hafeez refuse to attend training camp because of Mohammad Aamer's inclusion..................

One-day captain Azhar Ali and experienced all-rounder Mohammad Hafeez have refused to attend a Pakistan training camp because of Mohammad Aamer's inclusion, according to several media reports.

Last week paceman Aamer took a big step towards international re-integration following a ban for match-fixing when he was named in Pakistan's training and fitness squad ahead of next month's limited-over matches in New Zealand.

"I will not attend the camp as long as Aamer is there," Azhar was quoted as saying on Thursday. "This is my decision. "I don't want to comment on Hafeez's decision but we both have the same stance."

Aamer, former test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif served jail sentences in Britain after being found guilty in 2011 of various offences of corrupt behaviour.

The trio were cleared to return to the sport by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in September after serving suspensions. Left-armer Aamer, 23, was one of 26 players named for the Pakistan fitness camp in Lahore that will last until January 7. 

West Indies to return to complete abandoned tour of India in 2016.............

Keen to complete the controversially-abandoned 2014 tour of India, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has said it would host the Indians in 2016 if its players' association agrees to a commitment on the series.

The West Indies cricket team had abandoned its tour of India in October last year owing to a pay dispute with the Board, leaving the BCCI "shocked and disappointed". The Caribbeans' move had forced the Indian Board to invite Sri Lanka for a hurriedly-arranged ODI series to fill the void.

The WICB had tendered an apology to the BCCI for its players' conduct and now it is keen to ensure that the unfulfilled commitment to India is honoured. WICB President Dave Cameron had discussions with BCCI chief Shashank Manohar and confirmed that the West Indies will host India in the Caribbean in 2016.

"This agreement is subject to the WICB and the Players Association giving a joint commitment to complete, at a later date, the tour which prematurely ended in October 2014," the WICB said.

Cameron, however, was hopeful that the series would go ahead without a hitch this time. "Cricket remained the centrepiece of our discussion and we are happy to be at this juncture," said Cameron.

ICC Awards: Steve Smith wins Cricketer of the Year trophy, no Indian among winners............

Australian captain Steve Smith won the  ICC Cricketer of the Year award at theICC Awards ceremony in Dubai on Monday.

The batsman won the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy for his achievement. Smith was also named the ICC Test Cricketer of the Year.

The ICC website said that Smith finished as the leading run-scorer in Tests with 1,734 runs in 25 innings of 13 matches at an average of 82.57. This included seven centuries and six half-centuries. In 26 One-Day Internationals, Smith scored 1,249 runs at an average of just under 60 with four centuries and eight half-centuries. He was a member of the Australia side which won the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 earlier this year.

Earlier this month, Smith was also named in the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year.

Smith said the following after being announced for the topmost award in cricket.

The ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year award went to the inimitable AB de Villiers. de Villiers scored 1,265 runs in 20 innings at an average of 79 and a strike rate of 128.4. He hit two centuries and nine half-centuries. Earlier this month, de Villiers was named as the captain of the ICC ODI Team of the Year.

Australian batswoman Meg Lanning won the ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year award. Meanwhile, the ICC Women's Twenty20 International Cricketer of the Year award went to Stafanie Taylor of the West Indies.

On its website and in a series of tweets from its official handle, the ICC announced that  the ICC T20I Performance of the Year award goes to Faf du Plessis for his 119 off 56 balls against the West Indies.

Australia won another feather in its cap as bowler Josh Hazlewood was named the ICC Emerging Player of the Year.

UAE's Khurram Khan was crowned the Associate and Affiliate Cricketer of the Year for 2015.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, who has announced he would retire from international cricket before the World Twenty20 in India, was named the winner of the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award for 2015, for 'inspiring his side to play the game in its true spirit'.

The David Shepherd Trophy for ICC Umpire of the Year for 2015 went to Richard Kettleborough.

The voting period for the awards ran from September 18, 2014 to September 13, 2015.

This is why Brendon McCullum decided to end his career before the World T20.............

The romance of finishing his career by leading New Zealand into one last battle against Australia on home soil persuaded Brendon McCullum to bow out of international cricket before next year's World Twenty20. The 34-year-old announced on Tuesday that he would be retiring from all forms of international cricket after the two-test series against the Australians in February.

The need for New Zealand Cricket to name their squad for the World Twenty20, which takes place in India next March and April, denied him the chance to simply walk away after the second test at Hagley Park, but he is still determined to go out on a high. "I think there's something romantic about finishing playing in front of New Zealand crowds," he told reporters in Christchurch. "Also to finish in Christchurch, which is my established home, that was my focus there. I knew I could steel myself for a couple more battles and they're ones I'm looking forward to."

McCullum's chronic back problems are well documented but the former wicketkeeper said that was not the reason for his decision to call time on his career. "Look, my body's been a bit sore for a while but that's international sport," he said. "But that's not it. I think, in the end, the time has just come. I love playing cricket but I guess all good things come to an end. I guess the team's just about ready for the next person to take over ..."

That next person looks certain to be Kane Williamson, who will lead the side to the World Twenty20. Williamson scored a century to drive the Blacks Caps to victory over Sri Lankaon Monday, passing McCullum's New Zealand record for runs in a calendar year and moving to the top of the test batting rankings in the process.

"He's a genius, he's going to hate me saying this, but number one batsman in the world says it all," McCullum added. "He's a consummate professional and a champion fella and he's still only 25. He's going to be one of the best players the game has ever seen, but again he's going to hate me saying that."

After what he described as a "really great year", which included the run to the 50-overs World Cup final, McCullum is looking forward to his compatriots coming out in force for his final two tests in Wellington and Christchurch. "The World Cup captivated New Zealand," he said.

"The playing numbers and the support we built up because of the way we played should see some great crowds for us." The explosive batsman said he would focus more on career highlights after his 101st test but was most proud of the culture in what he described as the best New Zealand team he had ever played in. "It's up to others to decide what the state you've left the team in but hopefully I've left it in a better position than when I took over," he said. 

DDCA scam: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir come out in firm support of Arun Jaitley............

He has no love lost for the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) but former India batsman Virender Sehwag today threw his weight behind its under-fire ex-President Arun Jaitley for "being available for players in case of any difficulty".

Finance Minister Jaitley, who was headed DDCA for 13 years till 2013, has been accused of corruption by the Delhi Government. The Delhi government has demanded that Jaitley must resign or be "removed" from the union cabinet to enable an independent probe.

Sehwag, who switched loyalties to Haryana from Delhi and retired from international cricket earlier this year, steered clear of making any political claim but lauded Jaitley's role in helping players in a series of tweets.

"In my time with DDCA if I ever came to know of any 'surprising' selection of a player, all I needed to do was to inform @arunjaitley," Sehwag wrote.

"And @arunjaitley Ji would immediately ensure correction and justice for the deserving players at #DDCA...Was a nightmare to speak to some others at DDCA but @arunjaitley ji was always available for players in case of any difficulty at any time," he added.

The veteran of 104 Tests is one of the biggest names in international cricket to have emerged from Delhi.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir retweeted Sehwag and tweeted in favour of Jaitley.

India Down Under: Yuvraj, Nehra picked for T20s, Raina left out of ODIs.............

Yuvraj Singh has made another remarkable comeback to the Indian team for the T20s in Australia, while Ashish Nehra has also found a place in the squad for the shortest format.

Mohammad Shami after being inured for a longtime has made it to both the squads. While Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Barinder Sran and Manish pandey are the lucky ones to get included in the ODI squad. However, Suresh Raina is the surprise exclusion from the squad of the T20Is.

Hardik Patel is also there in the T20s.

ODI Team: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey , Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Axar Patel, Ishant Sharma, Umesh Yadav, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Rishi Dhawan, Brainder Sran.

​T20 Team: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Yuvraj Singh,Mahendra Singh Dhoni (C), Suresh Raina, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammad Shami, Harbhajan Singh, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Patel, Bhuveshwar Kumar, Ashish Nehra.

Dhoni selected as the captain till T20 WC to give out a signal: Chief selector.........

Soon after retaining Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India captain till the World T20, chief selector Sandip Patil on Saturday said the Board wanted to end speculations and "send a signal" to players as to who would be their leader in the mega-event from March 8 to April 3.

Patil spoke after the selectors on Saturday named India's One-day and Twenty20 squads for the upcoming Australia tour. "We named Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain as we wanted to end the speculations in the media. Not only media but players in general should know who will be their leader," Patil told reporters.

Giving the impression that Dhoni is still the man in charge of the limited overs team, Patil said the "decision to pick the teams were taken in consultation with the captain and we support that". 

Asked further about the future of Dhoni, Thakur said, "BCCI doesn't discuss players' future. Selectors do that with players. He is the most successful Indian captain. He has won two World Cups for India, taken India to No 1 Test rankings. It is only fair that we name him captain till World T20." 

Virender Sehwag announces retirement from all forms of international cricket............

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has announced his retirement from all forms of international cricket, according to Virat-Kohli backed sport social network Sport Convo.

The mercurial batsman, who terrorised bowlers all over the world in his heyday, made the announcement ahead of joining the Masters Champions League, a new league in the UAE featuring retired cricketers.

Earlier on Monday, the BCCI had announced the squad for the Test series against South Africa. Virender Sehwag was predictably excluded from the squad, as was Yuvraj Singh. Sehwag has been vying for a comeback for over a year now, and was also not part of the 2015 World Cup squad.

Sehwag played 104 Tests, scoring 8586 runs at an average of 49. He scored 23 Test centuries and 32 fifties. He also played 251 ODIs scoring 8273 runs at an average of 35 with 15 centuries and 38 fifties.  Sehwag holds the Indian record for the highest Test score (319) and was only the second man in ODI cricket to score a double century, when he hit 219 against the West Indies in 2011. 

He played his last Test against Australia in Hyderabad in March 2013, and his last ODI against Pakistan in Kolkata in January the same year.

I believe Rohan Bopanna and me can win an Olympic medal together: Leander Paes............

They might have been outplayed in the Davis Cup doubles tie by an unfancied Czech Republic pair but veteran Leander Paes is optimistic about his and Rohan Bopanna's prospects of winning a medal at next year's Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

"I have got a phenomenal partner by my side in Rohan, who was a finalist at the US Open (2010), semi-finalist at Wimbledon this year. He is a phenomenal tennis player. I believe in him. That's why I wanted to play with him in the whole season of 2012 and that's why I want to play Olympics with him because I do believe that we could win an Olympic medal together," said Paes.

The 43-year-old said that despite the two of them playing with respective partners on tours in run up to the Olympics, they have perfect understanding between them.

"In the last 15 years, we got a little spoilt with combination of me and Mahesh (Bhupathi). I am using this word spoilt very gently but me and Mahesh were world beaters, Grand Slam winners, we were winning all our Davis Cup ties together. We went through some kind of crazy record where we did not lose 24 matches in a row."

But Paes said that there needs to be reality check now. "That combination was phenomenal for what it was, we played for eight years in a row together. It was great. But let us put that on a side for the time being. Now we have to think about the future. To prepare for an Olympics, it takes a lot of hard work.

"Winning and losing is in God's hands but we know how much hard work it takes to win a medal. I know Rohan would keep working hard on the tour with his partner and as long as we both look after ourselves, stay injury free, stay mentally strong and believe in each other, we can play great quality tennis. The belief in each other is what is going to get us the medal. Me and Rohan have to keep our levels up and keep playing well on tours," said Paes.

Bopanna agreed that it did not matter whether they played together in the next one year before Olympics.

"Last time, I played with Mahesh and we played the whole six months. For me, I have committed to a Romanian partner right now. I have finally found a partner to do well on the tour after struggling with so many partners.

"So want to stick with that and then when we have an opportunity we will play together. Depending on how well we are doing in the tours, we can play together at Washington and then there is a master series in Toronto before the Rio Olympics," said Bopanna.

Singapore GP: Sebastian Vettel ends Mercedes' domination of F1 qualifying..........

Mercedes' 15-month domination of Formula One qualifying came to a shuddering halt on Saturday when Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel snatched pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes had started at the front of the grid in each of the last 23 grands prix, dating back to the middle of last year, and needed just one more to equal the all-time record, set by the Williams team in the early 1990s.

But the Silver Arrows pairing of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were unable to keep up with the Ferrari and Red Bull teams, who staged their own high-speed battle for pole.

Vettel came out on top, giving Ferrari their first pole position since 2012 with a masterful lap around the floodlit Singaporean track. The German, a three-time winner in Singapore when he was with his previous team Red Bull, continued his love affair with the tricky street circuit by setting the fastest qualifying time of one minute 43.885 seconds.

Vettel's pole position was the 46th of his career. His last was in 2013, when he was with Red Bull.

The 28-year-old was more than half a second clear of Australia's Daniel Ricciardo, who booked his spot on the front row for Red Bull with the second best time. Finland's Kimi Raikkonen was third quickest for Ferrari and Russia's Daniil Kvyat fourth for Red Bull.

Hamilton, who had started from pole in 11 of the previous 12 races this season, could only manage fifth spot, with Rosberg starting alongside him in sixth.

Dripping with sweat on a hot and humid night in the Southeast Asian state, Vettel climbed from his cockpit and celebrated like he had won the race. "I'm surprised by the margin but I think it just came together. It was near perfect," Vettel said.

Mercedes have been unstoppable for the past two seasons but the advantage they have with their superior engines is largely negated on slower, tighter circuits such as Singapore, which has 23 turns.

Held at night against the backdrop of the city's skyscrapers, Singapore provides one of motor racing's great spectacles on and off the track. With sparks flying off the back of his car, Vettel dominated the hour-long qualifying session. He was third after the first stage using soft tyres but topped the second and third sessions after switching to super softs.

Indian woman with one leg scales highest peak in Swiss Alps............

Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to climb the world's highest peak, Mount Everest (8,848 metres), added another mountain to her impressive done-that list when she hoisted the Indian tricolour atop Monte Rosa (4,634 metres), the highest peak in the Alps in Switzerland, rather aptly on Independence Day.

She has dedicated her latest victory to the countless Indians who prayed for her success, her much elated family members told reporters in her native Ambedkar Nagar on Monday.

Arunima, who has an artificial leg after a train accident, has set herself the goal to conquer all the highest mountains in all the seven continents. She has already scaled the 5,895-metre Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Elbrus (5,642 m, Russia) and Kosciuszko (2,228 m, Australia). Her next expedition would be to scale the 6,960-metre-high Aconcagua (South America), which is the highest in the world outside Asia.

Arunima lost one of her legs in April 2011 when she was pushed from a running train by thugs trying to snatch her bag and gold chain. The young volleyball champ turned her handicap into her strength and went on to scale the Mount Everst under the legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal.

Actor-Director Farhan Akhtar is working on a film on her life based on her book "Born again on the mountain".

Even after defeat from Marin, Saina Nehwal set to become world number one............

Saina Nehwal may have lost at the World Badminton Championship against Carolina Marin, but Indian shuttler will surpass her to take the number one spot in rankings from her Spanish counterpart.

Carolina Marin currently has 80,612 points and will not get another point as she defended her trophy against Nehwal. But Saina will gain 3600 points because last year she lost in the quarterfinals and this year's win is an improvement. This addition will take her points tally to 82, 792 points, making her world number one, reports an English daily.

Saina Nehwal was world number one for five weeks in April this year when she reached that spot for the first time.

Ace shuttler Saina Nehwal,s father Harvir Singh on Sunday said that his daughter has made the nation proud by becoming the first Indian to secure a silver medal at the World Championship.

He, however, said that this was not the end, adding that Saina would go a long way in her career.

"Although Saina lost, she has won in the sense that she has gone to the final of the prestigious tournament, which was eluding her for the last five chapters" said Harvir.

Second seed Saina's hopes of securing India's first-ever gold medal at the World Championship at Jakarta were crushed after she lost the pulsating finale 16-21, 19-21 to defending champion Carolina Marin of Spain.

Lalit Modi’s swinging fortunes — a timeline.............

2005

Becomes the president of Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA). Has backing of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia.

November 29, 2005

Becomes one of the youngest BCCI vice-presidents. His rise coincides with the coming to power of the Sharad Pawar faction.

February 9, 2006

Oversees a broadcast deal for cricket in India wherein the BCCI controls the production.

September 13, 2007

The IPL. Modi becomes its convener. Makes it a clever mix of business and sports.

2008

The sale of eight IPL franchises fetches more than $720m.

July 30, 2008

After the BCCI turned down an offer to be part of an England-backed Champions League, the India-backed Champions League T20 is launched.

January 2009

The return of the Congress government led by Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan coincides with a string of cases of funds misappropriation against Modi.

March 1, 2009

Loses the RCA election. But keeps his place in the BCCI because he is also a PCA vice-president.

March 24, 2009

Facilitates, on a short notice, the move of the IPL's 2009 edition to South Africa to avoid the clash with the general elections in India.

December 7, 2009

Loses the RCA election again.

December 2009

First suggestions of a rivalry between Modi and N Srinivasan, then the BCCI secretary. A strongly-worded letter allegedly written by Modi to Srinivasan over the appointment of match observers during the ODI series against Australia in October-November.

January 7, 2010

Chris Cairns announces his intention to sue Modi after the latter makes fixing allegations against the former New Zealand all-rounder in a tweet.

April 12, 2010

Announces on Twitter the ownership structure of the brand-new Kochi franchise in the IPL. Shashi Tharoor, a Central government minister from Kerala had to resign after it was found his wife Sunanda Pushkar had stakes in the team.

April-May 2010

Financial irregularities in the league emerge. Accused of of grave misconduct - fixing the auctions, creating slush funds, manipulating broadcast deals, plotting a parallel IPL working with English counties – Modi leaves the country. Srinivasan says Modi's replies to show-cause notices from the BCCI are unacceptable.

October 13, 2010

Enforcement Directorate (ED) asked Ministry of External Affairs to revoke Lalit Modi’s passport, a move clearly aimed at his deportation from UK. ED also asked Mumbai Passport Office to seize his passport.

October 14, 2010

Enforcement Directorate issued a ‘Look Out Circular/Notice’ against former IPL Commissioner, Lalit Modi. Income Tax authorities had also issued notices and started investigations for serious financial bungling against Lalit Modi.

March 2011

The passport of Lalit Modi  revoked by the Mumbai Regional Passport Office.

February 7, 2012

After sporadic strikes against the BCCI from the UK, Modi lets the big cat out of the bag. Accuses Srinivasan, who is the BCCI president now, fixed the auction of Andrew Flintoff in 2009. Flintoff was bought by Chennai Super Kings, a team owned by India Cements. Srinivasan is vice-chairman and managing director of India Cements.

March 26, 2012

Cairns wins the libel case against Modi, who is ordered to pay the damages - $142,000 - and cost - $2.4m.

January 16, 2013

The Delhi high court dismissed a petition filed by Modi seeking restoration of his passport. Along with a battery of lawyers led by U Lalit, Sushma Swaraj daughter Bansvri Swaraj also appeared on behalf of Modi.

May-June, 2013

Indian Government (UPA) asked the British Government for action against former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi who had sought refuge in London, UK. The then Finance Minister, P Chidambaram, wrote two letters to Chancellor of Exchequer, George Osborne asking him for action against Lalit Modi and his repatriation to India for being tried under various offences including FEMA violations and other violations being investigated by Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax authorities.

During his visit to UK in June 2013, P Chidambaram personally raises the matter for action against Lalit Modi with the Chancellor of Exchequer.

August 26, 2013

Swaraj Kaushal (husband of Sushma Swaraj) wrote an e-mail to Lalit Modi in UK seeking admission for his nephew Jyotirmay in Sussex University, UK.

August 29, 2013

Lalit Modi then wrote an e-mail to Keith Vaz, Labour Leader & MP stating that Smt. Sushma Swaraj had called him (Lalit Modi) for admission and that her nephew should be helped to get into the law programme at Sussex University.

August 29, 2013

Keith Vaz, Labour MP agreed to help.

September 2013

The BCCI disciplinary committee finds Lalit Modi guilty, a special general meeting is called, but Modi manages interim relief by procuring a stay order against the proceedings. The BCCI moves Supreme Court and gets the stay revoked. As soon as the SC turns down Modi's counter appeal, the BCCI announces the expulsion.

May 6, 2014

The return of Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan. Lalit Modi is declared the winner of the Rajasthan Cricket Association election. The BCCI - via its interim president Shivlal Yadav - responds immediately by suspending the RCA.

May 16, 2014

BJP government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. Sushma Swaraj inducted as External Affairs Minister.

July 31, 2014

British Labour MP Keith Vaz wrote to Ms Sarah Rapson, Director of UK Visas & Immigration Department asking for grant of travel documents to Lalit Modi. Following are the excerpts of contents of the e-mail:

“Foreign Minister of India (Sushma Swaraj) has spoken to me making it very clear that the Indian Government has no objection to the travel document being granted which is contrary to what the refusal notice has stated. Mrs Swaraj has also spoken to Sir James Bevan, who even though is on leave, said he will speak to the relevant person in the Home Office. Frankly everyone has been involved in this apart from Ban-ki-Moon.”

July 31, 2014

Sarah Rapson wrote to Keith Vaz. Following are the excerpts of contents: “We are looking into this and will give you a proper update tomorrow.”

Ist August, 2014

Sarah Rapson wrote to Keith Vaz and informed him about clearance of travel documents of  Lalit Modi.

Lalit Modi wrote an e-mail thanking Keith Vaz with copy to Swaraj Kaushal (husband of Sushma Swaraj). Following are the excerpts of contents:-

“Thank you for putting all your might and help and sleepless nights in resolving this major issue which has taken us thru tremendous roller coaster ride.” (---) “Roger and his team backed by just super star Keith Vaz with the support of numerous friends in India, Malta, Portugal, Virginia Waters, Tel Aviv, Lisbon, Lyon and some unnamed stars I cannot thank you enough. The sigh of relief I got even for a minute as I held the document before relinquishing to my Portuguese friends was sheer delight.”

Keith Vaz, Labour MP wrote an e-mail to Lalit Modi. Following are the excerpts of contents:- “From the horses mouth! I will do a thank you we will need her (Sushma Swaraj) again.”

Indian racer Karun Chandhok's team Murphy Prototypes finish 5th at Le Mans 24hrs..........

Ace Indian racer Karun Chandhok led his team, Murphy Prototypes, to an impressive fifth place finish at the historic Le Mans 24-Hours in the LMP2 Class, here.

The team was running as high as third place but suffered problems and eventually settled for a strong 5th position in the world's most famous endurance race.

Chandhok, who is supported by JK Tyre, AVT Premium, Sidvin and Tag Heuer, did not feel the team was fast enough for a podium finish.

"It's a hard race to finish and I'm pleased for the whole team to have achieved it. Although we had a few problems, I think we may have only gained one place if we hadn't. This would have still not seen us on the podium and that's what we were aiming for of course," Chandhok said.

"I think that as a team, we are getting the best out of the car and therefore, this weekend represented a great effort all round. I would like to give a special mention to my sponsors who continue to help me in achieving my dream."

Once the grid had been cleared, Nathanaël Berthon was the first of the three Murphy Prototypes' drivers to get behind the wheel of the team's Nissan-powered Oreca 03R prototype and a clear getaway by the whole field saw Nathanaël holding- station to his grid position: 8th in class and 18th overall.

After a treble-stint lasting two-and-a-half hours by Nathanaël, Chandhok followed with a series of impressively consistent laps, and when Mark Patterson took over the controls after five-hours, the team was lying in an impressive 3rd in the LMP2 class and holding an overall position of 13th.

By the time Mark finished his double-stint it was dark and, as planned, Nathanaël and Chandhok guided the car through the darkness hours. 

Now 5th in class and 14th overall, the team knew that there was lot of work to be done overnight if the team was to realize its goal of a podium position. At the halfway point at 3.00am, the time sheets showed the team had moved up to 4th in class and 12th overall - a position that was improved further when an LMP2 car ahead went off the road at the end of the Mulsanne straight.

An hour later, another LMP2 category competitor retired with a mechanical problem. This meant the team was now back to 3rd and suddenly the target of podium was becoming a distinct possibility.

Chandhok was in the car for the sunrise shift and was delayed while the team removed some debris from the air intakes. It was then Mark's turn again and, after nearly two hours of inspired driving, he was clipped from behind as a car went to overtake.

After a brief visit to the pits to fix the damage, a spin and contact from another car saw the Murphy Oreca back in the pits for further bodywork repairs, but this time the work was to take over 20-minutes.

When Nathanaël exited the pits he was 6th in class: six laps down on the fifth-placed car and five laps ahead of the seventh. Therefore, unless anyone in front had a problem, it was unlikely that the position would change.

However, with just over an hour to go, that's exactly what happened. When Chandhok jumped in to take the car to the end of the race, the Murphy team had moved up a place to 5th in class and 13th overall.

Copa America 2015: Complete schedule, groups, results, date and time in IST.............

The Copa America 2015 is underway. Here is the complete schedule of all fixtures in Indian Standard Time (IST), and the groups. Results will also be updated as the matches happen.

Group A	Group B	Group C
Chile	Argentina	Brazil
Mexico	Uruguay	Colombia
Equador	Paraguay	Peru
Bolivia	Jamaica	Venezuela

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Result
June 12	Chile v/s Ecuador	5 am	2-0
June 13	Mexico v/s Bolivia	5 am	0-0
June 14	Uruguay v/s Jamaica	12:30 am	1-0
June 14	Argentina v/s Paraguay	3 am	2-2
June 15	Colombia v/s Venezuela	12:30 am
June 15	Brazil v/s Peru	2:30 am
June 16	Ecuador v/s Bolivia	2:30 am
June 16	Chile v/s Mexico	5 am
June 17	Paraguay v/s Jamaica	2:30 am
June 17	Argentina v/s Uruguay	5 am
June 18	Brazil v/s Colombia	5 am
June 19	Peru v/s Venezuela	5 am
June 20	Mexico v/s Ecuador	2:30 am
June 20	Chile v/s Bolivia	5 am
June 21	Uruguay v/s Paraguay	12:30 am
June 21	Argentina v/s Jamaica	5 am
June 22	Colombia v/s Peru	12:30 am
June 22	Brazil v/s Venezuela	3 am

Quarterfinals:

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Result
June 25	1st in Group A v/s 3rd in Group B/C	6 am
June 26	2nd in Group A v/s 2nd in Group C	6 am
June 27	1st in Group B v/s 3rd in Group A/C	6 am
June 28	1st in Group C v/s 2nd in Group B	4 am

Semifinals:

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Result
June 30	Winner of 1st QF v/s Winner of 2nd QF	6 am
July 1	Winner of 3rd QF v/s Winner of 4th QF	6 am

 
Third Place:

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Result
July 4	Loser of 1st SF v/s Loser of 2nd SF	6 am

Final:

Date	Match	Time (IST)	Result
July 5	Winner of 1st SF v/s Winner of 2nd SF	2:30 am

WWE news: Ex-professional wrestler 'American Dream' Dusty Rhodes passes away at 69...........

Charismatic former professional wrestler Dusty Rhodes, who billed himself as "The American Dream" and won millions of fans during a long career, died on Thursday. He was 69.

Rhodes managed to become one of the major stars in pro wrestling, emotionally connecting with fans and winning many championships despite not possessing a physique typical of the kind of heroes the sport has always preferred.

Rhodes, whose real name was Virgil Riley Runnels Jr., began his career in the late 1960s as part of a tag team "The Texas Outlaws," and remained involved in the sport until his death. He made several appearances on WWE Raw in 2015 itself.

Caricatured as a 'common man' or a 'plumber', Rhodes had memorable rivalries with other legends like 'Nature Boy' Ric Flair and 'The Four Horsemen,' 'Superstar' Billy Graham and Harley Race. He won several championships in the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA), including their world title. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

WWE released the following statement on his death:

WWE is deeply saddened that Virgil Runnels, aka “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes — WWE Hall of Famer, three-time NWA Champion and one of the most captivating and charismatic figures in sports entertainment history — passed away yesterday at the age of 69.

Runnels became a hero to fans around the world thanks to his work ethic, his impassioned interviews and his indomitable spirit. Moreover, Runnels was a dedicated father to WWE Superstars Goldust (Dustin Runnels) and Stardust (Cody Runnels), a caring husband and a creative visionary who helped shape the landscape of WWE long after his in-ring career had ended.

WWE extends its sincerest condolences to Runnels' family, friends and colleagues.

Here's WWE's tribute to Dusty Rhodes:

'Living on the end of a lightning bolt.': The legacy of 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes

They called Dusty Rhodes “The American Dream,” because that’s what he embodied. Born the son of a plumber in Austin, Texas, he wasn’t meant to grow up to be a WWE Hall of Famer, a three-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion or a hero to people the world over, but the blue-eyed boy named Virgil Runnels had conviction. “Get a dream, hold onto it and shoot for the sky,” he’d say years later, and you knew he meant every word of it.

Rhodes began his ring career in the late 1960s as a villain, teaming with Dick Murdoch as the treacherous Texas Outlaws. He continued to break the rules until a defining moment in Florida in 1974 when he turned on his devious associates Pak Song and Gary Hart and became a working-class hero known as “The American Dream.”

From Atlanta to New York City, crowds lined up to see Rhodes wiggle his behind and deliver his Bionic Elbow to rivals like Harley Race, Ernie Ladd and “Superstar” Billy Graham. Dusty never had the prototypical pro wrestler physique (“My belly’s just a little big,” he famously declared, “but, brother, I am bad.”), yet his ability to connect with audiences was singular. He had a TV preacher’s knack for communicating his rags-to-riches story, a skill which was summed up in his most famous line: “I have wined and dined with kings and queens, and I’ve slept in alleys and dined on pork and beans.”

With his gutsy performances and electric charisma, this common man fought his way to the top of the NWA where he waged a brutal and lengthy war against the legendary Four Horseman while capturing the distinguished NWA World Heavyweight Title on three separate occasions. He also became a creative force behind the scenes, conjuring up inventive bouts like WCW’s oft-imitated War Games: The Match Beyond.

When Rhodes came to WWE in 1990, he introduced WWE fans to his son, Dustin — a 6-foot-6 stallion who later redefined sports-entertainment under the outlandish guise of Goldust. More than a decade later, Dusty did the same thing when he brought the preternaturally talented Cody Rhodes into the ring. His sons were more than capable of carrying on the Rhodes family legacy, but The Dream could still rumble in the ring even in his 60s. He proved that four decades into his career when he squared off against Randy Orton at Great American Bash in 2007 — the same year he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

It would be difficult to overstate how much Dusty Rhodes meant to the working-class people who sat down to watch television and saw one of their own staring back at them. To the millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet, Dusty was more than just an athlete or an entertainer — he was living proof that “The American Dream” was real. May this be a dream that goes on forever.