Why should I remain a bachelor: Salman Khan

With Salman Khan, you never know what mood you’ll get. But on Sunday afternoon at Mehboob Studio, he’s jovial. His next film, Ek Tha Tiger, releasing on August 15, is already the subject of much speculation, with trade pundits wondering if it will create a Rs. 200 crore club. Whether it does or does not, his fans are eager to watch their superhero on the big screen again. Between shots of Dabangg 2, the star answers HT Café’s questions.
Today, you’re more successful than ever. Are you working twice as hard, or has this happened by chance?
In the past, I had a knee-jerk approach to work and it showed on screen. I was doing movies for the wrong reasons — trying to juggle dates, do too many guest appearances, take up projects under pressure or for emotional reasons. But now there’s a method to my madness. I have heard people say, “Salman has changed, he’s lost it,” and stuff like that. But it doesn’t affect me. Today, I am doing movies only for my fans and I am enjoying every bit of it. They are happy and so am I.

source-ht

First ODI: Kohli's century counts; Sangakkara's goes in vain

India survived some jittery moments in the fag end before snatching a thrilling 21-run win over Sri Lanka in the first cricket One-dayer of the five-match series, in Hambantota today. Virat Kohli cracked a superb 106 and Virender Sehwag scored 96 runs as their 173-run stand
the second wicket laid the foundation for India's imposing 314 for six after electing to bat.
Diminutive left-hander Suresh Raina (50 off 45) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (35 off 29) added valuable runs towards the end to take the side past 300-run mark.
India then restricted the hosts to 293 for nine to take a 1-0 lead in the series, which it needs to win by a 5-0 margin to reclaim the number one position in ODIs.
The hosts' resistance was built around Sangakkara's fighting 133 but he fell short of partners from the other end until he was joined by Thisara Perera, who scored a quick-fire 44 off just 28 balls.
Sangakkara's knock, his 14th ODI hundred and fifth against India, came off 151 balls and included 12 boundaries.
Sangakkara and Perera rattled up a 78-run stand for the seventh wicket, giving some anxious moments to India but their effort only reduced the defeat margin.
Sri Lanka's fight ended when Sangakkara was bowled by Umesh Yadav in 48th over and Perera was dismissed by Irfan Pathan in the penultimate over.
Pathan (2/37), R Ashwin (2/46) and Yadav (2/76) took two wickets each for India.
Kohli carried his good form of the last season into the match as he scored his fourth hundred in his last five innings. The 23-year-old Kohli blasted nine boundaries in his 113-ball innings.
Sehwag, who was given reprieve by Tillakaratne Dilshan in the second over, had 10 boundaries in his 97-ball innings.
Both the teams will now travel to Colombo for the second match, scheduled for Tuesday.

source-ht

Game on! Pakistan to tour India for 3 ODIs in December

The BCCI has confirmed that the cricketing ties between India and Pakistan will resume and Pakistan will tour India for three one-dayers in December. The cricketing ties between the two countries had snapped after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The ODIs will be played towards the end of the month, likely during the gap between England ODIs and Tests.
The two countries have played against each other in the 2011 World Cup and Asia Cup recently, but bilateral series have been suspended for almost five years: the last being in India in 2007.
India pulled out of the 2009 cricket tour of Pakistan in the wake of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. They were due to arrive in Pakistan in January 2009 for three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 international.
Pakistan cricket has faced several crisis in the last year and a tour of India may boost the confidence of the game's managers in the country. No international team has played in Pakistan since the March 2009 attack in Lahore, which left eight people dead and several visiting players wounded, and the national team has had to play its "home" matches abroad, mostly in the United Arab Emirates.
A spot-fixing scandal, which ended with three Pakistan cricketers sent to a British prison last November, engulfed the team's Test series in mid 2010.

source-ht

Sequel to Singh is Kinng

He is the man behind films such as Singh is Kinng, Namastey London, Waqt: The Race Against Time and Action Replayy. And now filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah is keen on making a sequel of his 2008 hit film Singh is Kinng that starred Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. “It’s pre mature to say much about the sequel but yes, I am working on the script,” confirms Shah. So is Akshay going to repeat his Happy Singh act again? “I will approach Akshay as I don’t think there can be a Singh is Kinng without Akshay,” says Shah, who is also working on the sequel to John Abraham and Genelia D’souza starrer Force. The filmmaker is also excited about his return to TV after a gap of almost a decade with his production Bhai, Bhaiya Aur Brother on SAB TV. “Our show will hopefully spread a positive message about the joint family culture, and will inspire families to cultivate a joint family system. It will talk about Indian values in a light-hearted manner,” says Shah about the show that revolves around three brothers. “Television is becoming bigger and bigger.It is more challenging than films because TV is more immediate. Also, I believe it is the increasing popularity of TV that’s drawing even people from the silver screen to the small screen,” adds Shah. Source- HT

IPL 2012: Luke Pomersbach gets interim bail

Australian cricketer Luke Pomersbach, arrested on charges of molesting an American woman in a hotel on Thursday night, was on Friday granted interim bail for a day by a Delhi court. There was drama during the 30-minute proceedings, when the 27-year-old batsman, playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, in the IPL, complained of uneasiness and fainted while the victim broke down when she narrated the incident. Policemen took him outside the court room and gave him water after which he regained composure to come back to the court room made stuffy by the crowd of lawyers, journalists and onlookers. Pomersbach, who has had a history of brawls and brush with police in his country, and accused of outraging the modesty of a woman here last night after a post-match party, was granted relief by Metropolitan Magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha till Saturday. The Magistrate directed the Delhi Police to bring the CCTV footage from the hotel tomorrow along with the medical records showing the nature of injury caused to the woman's fiance Sahil, who is admitted in ICU in a private hospital here after being allegedly beaten by Pomersbach. "The accused is granted interim bail till tomorrow," the magistrate said. "Bring the CCTV footage of the hotel and the doctors opinion about the nature of the injuries sustained by him (the woman's fiancee Sahil)," the court said. During the hearing, the court asked the Delhi police as to why they had not secured the CCTV footage of the hotel. Delhi Police had sought that the court should sent the cricketer into judicial custody. The woman narrated the sequence of the event saying that she was with her fiance and Pomersbach forcibly entered their room in the hotel to have drinks and molested her. "Sahil only told him 'please leave the room' and he (Pomersbach) turned and started assaulting him and punched him (Sahil) several times on his face," she said. Delhi Police submitted that Pomersbach misbehaved with the woman and assaulted Sahil, who received injury. The woman told the court that despite being beaten severely the case has been registered under section 323 of the IPC for simple hurt. "The injuries are grievous and the police have charged him just under Section 323 of the IPC.. Sahil was beaten so badly that he is in the ICU," the woman told the court. Advocate Neeraj Chaudhary, who appeared for Pomersbach, vehemently opposed the police version and said that Sahil has not not been admitted to the ICU and Pomersbach was instead beaten up by him. "Pomersbach was beaten up by Sahil in the room. There was no previous rivalry between them. They (Sahil and the woman) had invited Pomersbach to their room," the counsel said adding that his client was not carrying any arms with him

source: times of india
 

Hate Story will give erotic films new definition: director

Quite perturbed with the way erotic films are being handled these days, director Vivek Agnihotri says through his upcoming thriller Hate Story he wants to change the way sexuality is portrayed in India. The Paoli Dam starrer is creating a lot of buzz for its steamy scenes and Agnihotri related stories Bollywood Release: Paoli Dam's Hate Story I’ve no inhibitions as an actor: Paoli Dam 'Hate Story is India's Basic Instinct' feels that the movie should not be mistaken for a typical masala film. "Erotica are very fine art. In this country, nobody treats it as a genre. We make it as a masala film by incorporating semi nude models dancing behind the actor. In this way it becomes titillation. "I took it as a challenge when Vikram Bhatt (producer) asked me to direct it. Though it's a very difficult genre primarily, I tried to introduce this in the mainstream with due dignity and originality. We decided to call it as an erotic thriller only because we don't want to mislead our audience," Agnihotri told PTI. The filmmaker, who started his career four years ago with multi-starrer thriller Chocolate and has made only three movies so far, said he is not in the rat race to make films every year. "I am not that kind of a director who makes two films per year. I was busy in making a film called Buddha in a traffic jam and it consumed two and half years. The film stars Arunoday Singh and Mahie Gill in the lead roles. As soon as I finished it, Vikram called me for Hate Story," he said. Source- Hindustan Times

Emraan Hashmi: Serial kisser to crowd puller

Shooting outdoors in an uncontrolled environment can be tricky. But actor Emraan Hashmi and the unit of Jannat 2 had a trick up their sleeve when they were filming in heavily populated areas of the capital such as Chandni Chowk. On the first day, Emraan posed with fans and signed autographs, related stories Emraan-Esha get intimate in Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi hungry for films Emraan Hashmi back with Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi can’t get dates right keeping them happy. The crowd, however, very quickly managed to learn that ‘cut’ meant they could approach the star and ‘pack up’ was their cue to descend upon the start. Managing the mob became a tough task and escorting the actor to his van, parked a kilometre away, was a nightmare for the security guards. Ask Emraan about his crowd-controlling ploy and he says, “It was very difficult to navigate through the crowd. So from day two, we decided that after our work was done, I would leave and five minutes later they would announce pack up on the mike for the rest of the unit and no one from the crowd would be wiser.” The trick apart, Emraan praises the locals who were helpful through the shooting. “Security, not just for me, but the crew, the equipment and the works was quite an issue, especially while shooting a film like Jannat 2 in the bylanes of Chandni Chowk and Purani Delhi,” says the actor, adding that 10-15 guards were no match for the thousands who gathered around. “The place is always packed with people and we wouldn’t have managed to shoot without some help from the  locals. They would listen when asked to be quiet for a shot.” Has the size of the crowd increased post his recent successes, Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai (2010) and The Dirty Picture (2011)?0 “Yes, the crowd has escalated. All actors love mobs and so do I. The more the people, the bigger the crowd, the better I feel, and the better it is for my ego,” says Emraan. Source-Hindustan Times

Kings XI Punjab introduce two new players to squad

IPL team Kings XI Punjab today announced Kyle Abbott and Benjamin Cutting as replacements for the injured bowling duo of R Satish and Stuart Broad. "It is rather unfortunate that two of our players Stuart Broad and R Satish have been ruled out of IPL 2012 due to unfortunate and untimely injuries," said Col. Arvinder Singh, COO, Kings XI Punjab. "We hope that they both recover soon and we can see them in action again very soon. We welcome Benjamin Cutting from Australia and Kyle Abbott from South Africa in to our squad for this season." Abbott is a medium-pacer from South Africa, while Benjamin Cutting is a right-arm medium-pacer from Australia who led the 2009-10 Sheffield Shield wicket list with 46 scalps at an average of 23.91. "I am excited about Kyle and Ben being a part of our squad. Both these seamers are young and talented and have the right spirit to lead the team to great heights. I am very confident about the team’s performance and looking forward to a great tournament ahead," said Joseph Henry Dawes, Bowling Coach, Kings XI Punjab. Source-Hindustan Times

Sajid Khan hits hattrick with Housefull 2

Director Sajid Khan hits hattrick with Housefull 2: The Dirty Dozen, which has grossed Rs. 72 crore worldwide and become the second biggest opening of the year after Agneepath, which earned Rs.75 crore. Released Friday, the film, co-produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment Housefull 2 is second best opener of 2012 Housefull 3 is on the cards: Sajid Nadiadwala Housefull 2 goes to Singapore 57 crore in India and Rs.15 crore overseas so far. "Despite releasing during the IPL cricket frenzy, Housefull 2 has opened well in theatres across India. With its strong weekend performance, we believe Housefull 2 has also lived up to its name like predecessor," Nandu Ahuja, senior vice president, India Theatrical, Eros International Media Ltd, said in a statement. Sajid Khan's last two directorial ventures - Heyy Babyy and Housefull - were huge hits. A sequel to 2010 release Housefull, the film's cast is called dirty dozen that comprises of Akshay Kumar, John Abraham, Riteish Deshmukh, Shreyas Talpade, Asin Thottumkal, Jacqueline Fernandez, Zarine Khan and Shahzan Padamsee. It also features veteran actors Mithun Chakraborty, Randhir Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor and Boman Irani. Source- Hindustan Times

Salman Khan not doing Sher Khan for now

Salman Khan will turn Santa this Christmas with Dabangg 2. The schedule of the sequel to the 2010 film flagged off on March 9 and is being shot on a huge set that recreates Kanpur at Mumbai’s Kamal Amrohi Studio. “It’s going well,” says the superstar who recently shot a qawwali with Sonakshi Salman Khan snapped with fans Salman Khan's tribute to Sachin Tendulkar Sequel riot in B-Town Sinha for Arbaaz’s directorial debut. Next, he’ll flag off a film with brother Sohail, before starting work on Sajid Nadidawala’s Kick. “Sohail’s film is not Sher Khan. We will make that later. It’s ambitious and there’s too much of ‘tam jham’ (complications). This is a different script,” he says, refusing to divulge more details. “You have to see it.” He also intends to return to TV and Bigg Boss, but doesn’t know when the next season will go on air: “Soon, I hope. I like people watching me for free.” Meanwhile, he’s decided to take a break that could range from a week to a month, between projects. Also, he wants to devote more time to raising funds for his charity, Being Human. Last August, Salman was away in the US during Ganesh Chaturthi and Eid, undergoing surgery for Trigeminal Neuralgia, commonly known as the ‘Suicide Disease’. During an angiography, it was discovered that four-five nerves were wrapped around a vein and there was an aneurysm in the back of his head. This was causing him a lot of pain. “I can’t have ice or anything cold. I can’t eat… I can’t do anything,” he’d admitted. Bollywood actor Salman Khan Eight months later, he says the aneurysm has reduced, but is still there. The pain comes back too. “There’s not much we can do, but with advances in medical sciences, maybe elaaj ho jayega (I will be cured).” With cold, the pain escalates and for Kabir Khan’s thriller, Ek Tha Tiger, which is lining up for an Eid opening, Salman admits he has been shooting in some exotic, but cold, countries like Ireland, Cuba and Turkey. “Each place was colder than the last one,” he shivers. “Even in Cuba, it rained and then there was an earthquake but that was far away from us. But it’s going to look beautiful on screen.” Source- Hindustan Times

Mirza - The Untold Story 2012 - Review

Mirza a Untold story by Gippy Grewal relesed this friday with Punjabi banner. This is a higly realistic movie with lots of action by Gippy Grewal. Another side Mirza punjabi movie real love story 2012. great movie with lots of action. worth watching. Rahul Dev, Binnu Dhillon will also be seen on the screens of Mirza. Baljit Singh Deo make a gem of  a movie. Honey Singh rocks again with his music and also his acting now. movie is worth watching specially for youngsters. usp of the movie- akhiaan great song by rahat fateh ali khan.

Pollard, Munaf lead Mumbai to a royal triumph

As the Mumbai Indians' batsmen opted for a strategic break at the end of the 15th over, the disc jockey played the popular number from the Bollywood film 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar' - haari baazi ko jeetna humein ata hai (we know how to win from a losing position). The DJ may still be relieving the Mumbai Indians victory over Deccan Chargers in their last encounter 48 hours ago because on Wednesday, the Champions League winners were never under pressure and a defeat never looked a possible outcome against Rajasthan Royals. Having won both their previous games batting first, Royals' skipper Rahul Dravid sprang a surprise by opting to bowl first and the host batsmen batted the visitors out of the game. The hosts piled up 197 runs and Royals never looked primed for a chase despite the short boundaries at the Wankhede stadium. South African Richard Levi again gave the hosts the start they desired and Rohit Sharma played a cameo before Kieron Pollard came to the party for the first time this season. The West Indies all-rounder treated every bowler, except Brad Hogg, with disdain. He began with a golf like tee-shot over mid-on off compatriot Kevon Cooper  and then welcomed South African Johan Botha's spin with a 4, 6, 6, 4 with one of the sixes landing on the top tier of the MCA pavilion. By the time Pollard departed for a 33-ball 64 in the 17th over, Rajasthan were already staring at a target of around 200 runs. Source-Hindustan Times

Dhoni returns to where it all started

History will list the YSR Reddy ACA-VDCA stadium here as the venue where exactly seven years ago India got a good first look at Mahendra Singh Dhoni when he tore Pakistan's pace attack to shreds with a 148-run blitzkrieg. That was only Dhoni's fifth international innings, but such was its intensity that India knew the man from Ranchi could be the next big thing, as well as ending the search for a durable wicket-keeper batsman. Seven years and two world titles later, Dhoni, subdued by the thrashings at England and Australia, arrives at the venue that launched him to stardom. Stuttering start Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings haven't had a good start this time. But they will fancy a fresh beginning on Saturday against the Deccan Chargers, who are without regular skipper, Kumar Sangakkara, who is on national duty. In his absence, Cameron White is set to lead the team but DC sorely miss a big Indian name. Parthiv Patel and Amit Mishra are the two most recognisable Indian faces. With even fast bowler Ishant Sharma out of reckoning due to injury, the Chargers heavily depend on their imports though the presence of South Africa quick Dale Steyn will be of some assurance. And the Deccan boys can always draw inspiration that though Chennai has always been a formidable side to play against in the IPL, the Hyderabad team team is on equal footing when it comes match results - both have won four each in the previous seasons. Source- Hindustan Times

Want to be the man of a woman’s dreams?

Every woman’s perfect man eats meat, drives an Audi and phones his mother twice a week, a new poll has revealed. According to the list, the man must also drink lager or beer, not wine or spirits, and earns a comfortable £48,000 a year. The ideal male will also be 6ft tall, have short dark hair and smart dress sense - similar to that of U.S. X Factor host Steve Jones. Vegetarians were revealed to be a turn off, while being clean shaven and in possession of a smooth, hair-free chest were said to be a bonus. The findings surfaced in a poll of 2,000 women carried out by clothing brand Austin Reed. “It would seem that women have high expectations when it comes to the perfect man,” the Daily Mail quoted spokesman as saying. “How a man is presented is obviously going to be a huge part of that. “Whilst women don’t want a man to be too preened, they would like him to be stylish and up to date with current trends. “It also nice to see that women favour a smart appearance, as opposed to sportswear,” the spokesman said. The study also found the ideal man should also have a degree and hold down a decent job. A demanding 15 percent said they would insist on a suitor having at least a master’s degree or a PHD. But 70 percent of girls said they would prefer to date a man who earned more than them. The qualities of the perfect man are: Six feet tall Muscly, toned and athletic Brown eyes Short dark hair Smart dress sense A beer or lager drinker Non smoker Wears smart jeans, shirt and a V-neck jumper Gets ready in 17 minutes Stylish Wants a family Earns 48,000 pounds a year Loves shopping Eats meat Clean shaven Smooth chest Watches soaps Enjoys watching football Drives an Audi Educated to degree level Earns more than you Jokes around and has a laugh Sensitive when you are upset Tells you he loves you only when he means it Admits it when he looks at other women Holds a driving licence Can swim Can ride a bike Can change a tyre Rings mum regularly Source-Hindustan Times

IPL should be scared of Jannat 2: Emraan Hashmi

Jannat 2 Actor Emraan Hashmi, who is back with the sequel of Jannat releasing during the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, says they are not scared to release the film during the cricket tournament. Directed by Kunal Deshmukh, the film is a sequel to the 2008-hit film Jannat. The second Emraan Hashmi's Jannat 2 trailer out Emraan Hashmi denies Jannat 2 song leak report Emraan Hashmi back with Jannat 2 Emraan Hashmi gets reality check in Delhi instalment is up for release May 4. Even Jannat was released during the IPL season in 2008. "Last time, even Jannat was released during IPL and there was so much buzz about the tournament at that time. There was a match of Kolkata Knight Riders and we had gone to Kolkata to promote our film," Emraan told reporters at the music launch of Jannat 2 last evening. "That time, all the theatres were almost full... we had almost got 100% opening for Jannat. We are hoping it continues for Jannat 2 as well. We are not scared of IPL... but IPL should be scared of us," he said. Echoing similar sentiments, producer Mukesh Bhatt said, "When IPL came for the first time, we were not afraid to release our film, then why should we be afraid this time? We are sure that our film will captivate audience. Like Emraan said, IPL must be scared of us and not we. We will storm the theatres whatever be the match Jannat 2 will be a match-wining team." Jannat was based on betting in cricket, the sequel is about the illegal trading in arms and ammunition. Emraan plays the role of an arms dealer called Sonu Dili KKC. "This is the most entertaining character I have played till date. In 2008, I played Arjun Dixit in Jannat and that was by far my favourite character. The character is funnier, more entertaining and has got grey shades, but he is extremely endearing," Emraan said. Model Esha Gupta makes her debut in Bollywood with this film opposite Emraan. Source-Hindustan Times

Karisma Kapoor copies Angelina Jolie’s style

Actor Karisma Kapoor aka Lolo’s look in the first poster of her comeback film, Dangerous Ishq, bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie’s look at the Oscars this year. Kapoor shows of her leg in a thigh-high slit gown similar to Angie’s headline-hitting act on the Academy First look of Karisma Kapoor in Dangerous Ishq Karisma Kapoor at the launch of a kids brand New stills: Karimsa in Dangerous Ishq Awards red carpet. However, some say her look is inspired by actor Sarah Jessica Parker’s, in the film Sex and the city (2010). Karisma Kapoor is making her comeback with Dangerous Ishq, that will release on May 11. The first look stills of the film have hit the web. The films also stars Jimmy Shergill, Divya Dutta, Sameer Kochar, Gracy Singh and Ruslaan Mumtaz. Lolo plays the role of Sanjana, a supermodel. Her husband, played by Rajniesh Duggal, is the son of a big industrialist and vanishes under mysterious circumstances. The film revolves around her quest to save him, and the lengths she goes to in the process. Source-Hindustan Times

Sunny Leone gets bold and beautiful

Sunny Leone is currently living her dream while shooting for Pooja Bhatt’s Jism 2 in Jaipur. Just a week into filming, Leone seems to be enjoying every bit of it, as is evident from her regular Twitter updates. While Leone plays the female lead, the film will have two male protagonists played by Randeep Hooda and Arunoday Singh. Also, Imran Zahid plays the pivotal role of a narcotics sleuth hailing from Delhi. Leone plays a woman caught in the crossfire as two men try to seduce her and are, in-turn, seduced by her. “Sunny is working hard to make every shot looks exquisite. Everyone on the sets is surprised by her quick learning capabilites, as she is doing a great job at learning her Hindi  dialogues,” says a unit member. After Jaipur, the crew’s next stop is Delhi, and they are expected to shoot here later this month. Giving a brief insight into her role, Leone shares, ”The story is about the journey of a woman who the audience will love and hate at the same time.” The film is slated to release in December this year. Source-Hindustan Times

The battle for revival

Rajasthan Royals begin their fresh campaign under a new captain who though equally acclaimed internationally, has as different a nature as possible to Shane Warne, the former RR skipper. Warne always spoke his mind and lived life to the fullest, on and off the field. Dravid is reserved and goes about his business quietly. A new chapter How Rajasthan Royals have gelled under Dravid will be clear only on Friday, when they face Kings XI Punjab in the opener. Although Dravid's one-day record is phenomenal, he has over the years been captioned as a Test player. In that backdrop, this will be a litmus test. "I have been playing this for four years now. At that stage (when he was first picked by RCB), it was just the beginning. Yes, there is a lot more responsibility and expectations now." On Thursday morning at the Rajasthan Cricket Academy nets, it was a Dravid trying to re-invent his game, going for lofted hits. His teammates too followed, hitting many in the pool that’s been left dry after RCB’s Chris Gayle last year created a headache for the locals by hitting regularly in the water.   Raring to go Do these shots mean a change in style? “No, I am not practicing any different shots.” What irked him most was probably the way people were treating him as junk machine being put into work again. He is well-oiled, he insisted. “I've just retired from cricket. It's not that I've been away from cricket for long. This is just a continuation." Dravid will be up against a seasoned pro Adam Gilchrist, who has already led Deccan Chargers to a title but is trying to recreate that magic with Kings XI Punjab. Source-Ht

Capital connect will not matter in this clash of colours

It was a funny sight at the pre-IPL training session at the Eden Gardens. Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils take on each other in the tournament's second match here on Thursday, but it looked more like a get together of the Delhi Ranji Trophy team, divided only by the colours.Gautam Gambhir taking charge as skipper from local hero Sourav Ganguly has not only divided the Kolkata crowd - a lot of whom now support Pune Warriors and actually want Shah Rukh Khan's boys to do badly - but it has also prompted Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia, and this year, left-arm seamer Pradeep Sangwan, to switch allegiance to Kolkata. Not just that, former Delhi skipper and wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya is the assistant coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Warming the bench
Bhatia playing most of the matches last season had pushed Bengal all-rounder Laxmi Ratan Shukla to the bench.

That could again emerge as the bone of contention this time as Shukla, who was in blistering form with the bat and ball in Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, which Bengal won, had wanted to follow his Bengal teammates Ashok Dinda and Anustup Majumdar to Pune, but was not released. The only local face that could figure prominently on Thursday is Manoj Tiwary. He was made to sit out 12 consecutive matches for India --- 11 ODIs in Australia and Asia Cup and a one-off T20 in South Africa. The next two months could provide him another scope to catch the eyes of the selectors. Tiwary had made the switch from Delhi Daredevils last season to ensure more matches. Son of the soil
Similarly, the only son of the soil featuring in the Delhi Daredevils line-up could be skipper Virender Sehwag. Unmukt Chand is the skipper of the India U-19 squad touring Australia and is unavailable. For the rest, the Daredevils appear to have better domestic options for the likes of Yogesh Nagar, Puneet Bisht and Pawan Negi. Unlike the KKR, who have all their foreign players available from the start, there is an unsettled look to the Delhi Daredevils. Having finished at the bottom of the charts in the last edition with just four wins in 14 matches, they have bolstered the squad by buying the likes of Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene, England's Kevin Pietersen and Kiwis Ross Taylor and Doug Bracewell, as well as West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell. Waiting for arrival
However, Jayawardene and Pietersen aren't available before their third match due to the ongoing Test series in Sri Lanka, which finishes on April 7. Taylor is nursing a broken arm for which his Daredevils' team mate Morne Morkel has to take the blame after the South African pacer felled the Kiwi skipper in the Wellington Test. Taylor will be out for at least a month while Sehwag's opening partner David Warner will not be available till Australia's tour of the West Indies gets over in May

source-hindustan times

Swine flu makes a comeback, but it's under control

In a bleak reminder of 2009 when the H1N1 virus or swine flu claimed scores of lives worldwide, a 34-year-old man died at Nashik Civil Hospital on April 1. Two days after Nandu Chavan died, he was found to be carrying the deadly virus. Another patient in the same hospital has also tested positive. So far 12 people have died of swine flu in Maharashtra this year — 11 from Pune district. “Chavan died of acute respiratory distress syndrome. The tests confirmed on Tuesday that he had swine flu,” said Dr Pradip Awate, state epidemiologist, directorate of health services. Health officials said the incidence is likely to drop in 2-3 weeks as summer has set in. Although these cases are sporadic and not similar to the outbreak in 2009 when swine flu claimed more than 90 people in Pune and more than 30 in Mumbai, doctors are not taking a chance. In Mumbai, eight positive cases of swine flu have been reported so far. Officials said all eight were recovering well after they were given the prescribed drug Tamiflu. Madhya Pradesh One man has died of swine flu in Bhopal, while one more has tested positive. The deceased, Anil Hole, 37, of Saket Nagar was admitted to a private hospital on March 25 with severe cold and lung congestion. “After he was diagnosed with pneumonia, his blood sample was sent to Jabalpur to check for swine flu. Hole died on March 27,” said Dr PN Agrawal of Agrawal Hospital and Research Centre. The report confirmed Hole was suffering from swine flu. Gujarat There are four confirmed cases of swine flu in Gujarat, from Anand, Rajkot and Ahmedabad. “All four are under treatment,” said Gujarat’s health minister Jaynarayan Vyas. “We are taking all possible measures to see that the epidemic does not spread. All government hospitals are equipped to treat the patients detected with deadly virus,” Vyas added. In 2010, swine flu had claimed 18 lives in Gujarat — the casualties being 21% of the total cases reported in the state, which was significantly higher than the national average of 10%. Rajasthan One person has died of swine flu in Nagaur, while a four-year old boy has tested positive in Jodhpur, says the health department. Since Sunday, six people have been found swine flu positive. Director public health Dr BR Meena said there was no need to worry, as the department was equipped to combat this disease. Source-Hindustan Times