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Tag: India

  • Dhruv Jurel’s Instagram post goes viral with ‘Rohit’s Garden’ reference after India’s series win against Zimbabwe | Cricket News

    India wicketkeeper-batter Dhruv Jurel’s latest Instagram post featuring another hilarious ‘garden’ reference has gone viral on social media. The Indian team is celebrating a brilliant 4-1 series victory against Zimbabwe, a strong comeback after surprisingly losing the series opener. The youngsters have shown they are ready to uphold the team’s legacy in the absence of senior cricketers Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, who announced their T20I retirements after the World Cup win. The new talents stepped up, displaying resilience and skill throughout the series.



    After the decisive win against Zimbabwe, Jurel posted a fun picture from the airport on social media. The photo also featured Abhishek Sharma, Khaleel Ahmed, Ravi Bishnoi, and Avesh Khan. The post quickly garnered a lot of likes and comments, including a fun comment from senior player Suryakumar Yadav.

    The ‘garden’ reference in Jurel’s post traces back to one of Rohit Sharma’s stump mic reactions during the Test series against England earlier this year. The incident occurred during the second Test in Visakhapatnam and went viral, sparking a meme fest online.

    Sanju Samson played a pivotal role in India’s final match against Zimbabwe with a well-crafted half-century, while Mukesh Kumar delivered a disciplined bowling performance. Samson’s 58 runs helped India set a competitive total of 167/6, alongside Shivam Dube’s flashy 26 runs. The Indian bowlers then took charge, with Mukesh (4/22), Dube (2/25), and Washington Sundar (1/7) bundling out Zimbabwe for just 125 runs in the penultimate over of their innings. Samson and Riyan Parag added 65 runs for the fourth wicket, helping India recover from a middling Power Play where they scored 44/3.

    India’s victory over Zimbabwe secured the series 4-1. As the team looks ahead, they are set to play Sri Lanka in a white-ball series beginning July 27. It will be interesting to see how many youngsters from the Zimbabwe series make it to the senior team for the upcoming matches.

    The young players’ performance in the absence of seasoned veterans highlights the depth and potential within the Indian cricket team. Their ability to bounce back and dominate the series showcases the promising future of Indian cricket. Fans are eagerly anticipating the upcoming series against Sri Lanka and the continued emergence of new cricketing talents.

  • T20 World Cup 2024 Final: Indian Coach Rahul Dravid Confident India Will Overcome Final Hurdle Against South Africa | Cricket News

    Rahul Dravid said India have been remarkably consistent to play three ICC finals in the last 12 months and the outgoing head coach hoped the combination of smart cricket and luck will land his side an elusive ICC title. India have been the vastly superior team in the ongoing T20 World Cup, just like they were in the ODI World Cup at home last year where they faltered at the final hurdle against Australia. Now, Rohit and Co will face South Africa in the summit match at the Kensington Oval, hoping to win a global title after their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

    “It is a good thing we have been consistently playing good cricket. We have been in finals in all three formats and credit goes to the players. If we play well and rub of the green goes (our way) we will surely win,” said Dravid, who will be looking to end his tenure on a high.

    When the trophy is on the line, players tend to feel more pressure than usual. But in terms of mental preparation, there is not much India can do with just a day separating the semifinal and final. The team travelled to Barbados right after the semifinal in Guyana against England, but Dravid said India are mentally ready for the match.

    “In terms of our preparation, we’ve just got one day in the middle, so it’s unlikely we’re going to be having practice.” “It’s just about all the guys getting into ensuring that physically, mentally, tactically we are ready for the game.”

    Dravid underlined his side’s preparedness for the summit match. “Those are the things that we can control, that we are fresh, that we’ve looked after all our niggles, if there are any. We’ve done all our tactical preparation and we’re mentally relaxed and excited and looking forward to the game.”

    “We’ll be looking to do that in the next 24 hours and try and get ourselves in the right frame of mind to be able to play that game,” said the former India captain. In 2023, India lost the WTC final and ODI World Cup final to Australia. Have they taken any lessons from those heartbreaking defeats? “No, nothing. I thought we were very well-prepared in Ahmedabad (ODI WC). We ticked all the boxes and, on that day, the other team played better. That’s part of the sport.”

    “The other team that’s coming there to play has also obviously reached the final because they’re a good team and they’re playing very good cricket as well. So, they have as much right to win it as we do, but we hope that we’ll play better cricket on the day,” he said.

    In their Super 8 opener, India were able to post 181 against Afghanistan on a pitch where playing on the up was tough. Dravid said they were looking to carry that knowledge into the match against South Africa. “Yeah, I mean, just the fact that we’ve played a game in Barbados is nice. It’s nice that we have that familiarity of having played on that surface in the past.

    “But again, I think it’s very hard to… We’re not going to get exactly the same wicket that we got last time. I mean, it can be different, right? Dravid emphasised on the work the team put as a group coming into this showpiece while lauding their adaptive skills.

    “I think what’s really important is that we’ve done really well as a group. This whole tournament we have shown the ability to adapt, to recognize what is a good score. We played very differently in New York, then we played in St. Lucia, then we played even in Barbados when I thought that the game was quite slow.

    “I’m just hoping that whatever we come up against, we will have the ability to recognize it and be able to play accordingly, as we’ve done in the last three games,” said Dravid. He was referring to India’s ability to post above-par totals on tricky surfaces including in the semifinal at Guyana where they managed to post 171 on a surface with low bounce.

    South Africa managed to break the long-running semifinal jinx in the World Cup, and Dravid said the Proteas will not be carrying any baggage.

    “Not really, I mean it’s not that the same players have been playing since 1991 and there are so many players that come and go. I don’t think that really matters. I can’t speak to them. But I don’t think players go in keeping their baggage of the past. Similarly, Dravid said the Indian players have the ability to move on from the Ahmedabad debacle last year.

    “Players are very good at moving on from things, recognizing things. So, we will move on from Ahmedabad. I’m sure they will not be thinking about history. It’ll be a fresh day.”

    “Two good teams, two teams I think that everyone will agree will probably be the top two teams in this tournament. So, deserving finals for both the teams. And, hopefully, it’s a great game of cricket. Hopefully, we fall on the right side,” added Dravid.

  • India’s Forex Reserves Rise By $816 Million To Scale 653.7 Billion Mark | Economy News

    New Delhi: India’s foreign exchange reserves rose by $816 million to $653.71 billion in the week ended June 21, according to figures released by the RBI on Friday. The country’s forex reserves had contracted by $2.92 billion to $652.9 billion for the week ending on June 14 after rising steadily to a lifetime high in the preceding weeks. The latest figures show a resumption of the rising trend.

    Prior to this, India’s foreign exchange reserves surged by $4.3 billion during the week ended June 7 to scale a life-time high of $655.8 billion. An increase in the foreign exchange reserves reflects strong fundamentals of the economy and gives the RBI more headroom to stabilise the rupee when it turns volatile.

    A strong forex kitty enables the RBI to intervene in the spot and forward currency markets by releasing more dollars to prevent the rupee from going into a free fall. Conversely, a declining forex kitty leaves the RBI less space to intervene in the market to prop up the rupee.

    “India’s external sector remains resilient and overall, we remain confident of meeting our external financing requirements comfortably,” Das said at a press conference after the monetary policy meeting earlier this month.

    India’s current account deficit declined to $23.2 billion (0.7 per cent of GDP) during 2023-24 from $67 billion (2 per cent of GDP) during the previous year due to a lower merchandise trade deficit, the RBI said on Monday. Commerce Ministry data shows that India’s exports of goods shot up over 9 per cent in May paving the way for a stronger balance of payments position.

  • Konark Sun Temple: Religious or Scientific? |

    The Konark Sun Temple, located in Puri, Odisha, is an incredible ancient monument built over 12 years ago. This remarkable temple, constructed in 1250 AD by King Narasimhadeva I of the Ganga Dynasty, is made of sandstone and granite. It is designed so that the first rays of the sun illuminate its sanctum sanctorum. Recognized for its historical and architectural significance, the Konark Sun Temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. At over 772 years old, it attracts tourists from around the world.

    The Konark Sun Temple is a marvel of Eastern Indian architecture and a symbol of India’s heritage. This famous tourist spot features a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God. The name ‘Konark’ combines two words: ‘Kona’ meaning ‘Corner’ and ‘Arka’ meaning ‘Sun’, translating to ‘Sun of the Corner’. Positioned on the northeastern corner of Puri, the Konark Sun Temple is also known as Arka Khetra. It stands as a significant cultural and historical site, attracting visitors from around the world.

    Scientific aspect:

    Many people would consider the wheel structure carved on the walls of the temple a mere representation of decorative architecture, but the fact is it is way more scientific than on may think. There is a story relating it, an old yogi was seen calculating the time using the essence of the wheels. This revealed that the wheel is a sundial and it depicts the time according to the movement of sunlight throughout the day. 

    The large sundial consists of 8 major spokes and similar 8 thin and minor spokes. The major ones divide the time of 24 hours into 8 parts, of 3 hours each and the minor spokes divide this 3 hours into 1.5 hours or 90 minutes each. Beads between the spokes divide the time further by 3 minutes each. But the question is when the sunlight crosses the temple? There is another similar sundial structure on the other side wall of the temple which is for another half of the day.

    What after the day? 

    The Temple also has 24 similar dials considered to be time calculating in the night and hence said as the moondials. The temple was built in the shape of a massive chariot with 7 horses tied to it, depicting the 7 days of a week. The Konark sun temple faced the turbulence of time and some big invaders trying to destroy the architectural site. It is said that the present-day structure of the temple is only the front half part. The major part has been destroyed which was the Garbhgrih structure according to the architectural plan.

  • India Slams Pakistan For “Baseless,” “Deceitful” Narratives At UN General Assembly |

    New Delhi: India has slammed Pakistan for its “baseless and deceitful narratives,” after Islamabad’s envoy Munir Akram made references to Kashmir in his speech at the UN General Assembly.

    While delivering a statement at the UNGA debate on the annual report, Pratik Mathur, the Minister at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said that one delegation “misused” this forum to spread “deceitful and baseless” narratives.

    Mathur said, “Earlier in the day, one delegation misused this forum to spread baseless and deceitful narratives, which is not a surprise. I will not dignify these remarks with any response just to save valuable time of this august body.”

    His remarks came after Pakistan’s Ambassador to the UN during the debate at the UN General Assembly called for monitoring the implementation of resolutions, including those on Palestine and Jammu and Kashmir.

    Pakistan regularly brings up the Jammu and Kashmir issue at UN platforms and other some international forums, irrespective of the agenda of the meetings.

    India has repeatedly rejected Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue on international platforms, asserting that the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh are “integral parts of India” and Pakistan has no “locus standi” to make statements regarding India’s domestic matters.

    During the UNGA debate, Pratik Mathur on Tuesday stressed the need for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council with expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members.

    “We welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate on the Report of the Security Council. We thank the members of the Security Council and the Secretariat for producing the annual report of the Security Council.,” Mathur said.

    “India also joins others in congratulating new incoming members for having been elected to the Council for the period 2025-2026. We look forward to working with them in a constructive and positive manner,” he added.

    The Indian diplomat pointed out that the UN Charter bestows on the report a profound seriousness, as is evident from the fact that there exists a separate provision mandating such a report, rather than clubbing it with the provision for reports from other UN bodies.

    “The annual report of the Security Council must inform, highlight and analyse the measures that it has decided upon or taken to maintain international peace and security during the reporting period,” the Indian diplomat said.

    “However, the debate on the annual report has become a ritual without much substance. The annual reports have become compendium containing details of the meetings, briefers, and outcome documents. Last year, only six monthly reports were compiled-reflecting lack of interest among the members about this ritual.,” he further said.

    Mathur also stated that the annual report is also meant to be an analysis on the UN peacekeeping operations, but in reality there is little information on how peacekeeping operations.He also said there should be a definite timeline for completing the report, circulating to wider General Assembly members and holding the debate.

    “The annual report, in its truest form, is also meant to be an analysis on the UN peacekeeping operations, the flagship tool for the maintenance of international peace and security. However, in reality, we find there is little information on how peacekeeping operations are run, on the problems they face, on why certain mandates are set or changed, or on when and why they are strengthened, scaled down or ended. As most peacekeepers are contributed by non-Council members, who put the lives of their troops at risk to serve the cause of international peace, a better partnership between the Security Council and the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) is needed,” Mathur said

    Mathur stressed the need to bring the Council in line with its Charter responsibility to act on behalf of the entire membership, adding that the only remedy is a “comprehensive reform of the Security Council,” involving expansion in its permanent and non-permanent categories.

    “It is high time to bring the Council in line with its Charter responsibility to act on behalf of the entire Membership. This will not be achieved without enhancing the membership in both the categories — permanent and non-permanent members,” Mathur said.

    “We remain convinced that the only remedy is a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, involving expansion in its permanent and non-permanent categories. Only this will enable the Council to manage effectively today’s conflicts around the globe as well as the increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges it faces today,” he added.

    He further added that the Security Council too needs to prove its credibility and improve its performance, at a time when performance assessment has become one of the focus areas at the United Nations. 

  • Afghanistan Players Celebrate DJ Bravo Style, Dance To ‘Champion’ Song After Historic Win Against Australia In T20 WC 2024- WATCH | Cricket News

    The Afghanistan cricket team made history in the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating former champions Australia by 21 runs in a Super 8 match on Saturday. Afghanistan team players had a wi a massive celebration after their impressive victory. They defeated Australia by 21 runs, marking their first-ever win against the Aussies and keeping their semifinal hopes alive. Following a loss to India in their previous game, Afghanistan knew they needed a win against Australia to stay in the competition. They achieved this goal with strong performances from Gulbadin Naib, Naveen-ul-Haq, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and Ibrahim Zadran.

    Both Afghanistan openers scored fifties, providing a strong start against Australia. Later, the bowlers played a crucial role, with Naib taking four wickets and Naveen grabbing three, limiting Australia to just 127 runs. Earlier, Afghanistan had set a target of 148-6, setting the stage for their memorable victory and securing their place in the tournament’s history.

    Afghanistan Team Celebration DJ Bravo Style

    The players celebrated on the field and continued their jubilation in the team bus, as shared by former captain Mohammad Nabi in a video on Instagram. They were seen singing and dancing to ‘Champion’, a song belonging to their bowling coach Dwayne Bravo, who had recently joined the team as a consultant.

    The celebrations of Dwayne Bravo and Afghanistan team after won against Australia.

    -DJ Bravo singing his Champion Song. pic.twitter.com/yPpT8LpNIn — Tanuj Singh (@ImTanujSingh) June 23, 2024

    Celebrations In Afghanistan

    Cricket fans converge in large numbers in Khost province to celebrate #AfghanAtalan’s historic win over Australia in the #T20WorldCup. #AFGvAUS ​​| #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/F22TvOoDRq

    — Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) June 23, 2024

    The Afghanistan Cricket Board, known as ACB, shared photos from Khost Province where cricket fans gathered to celebrate Afghanistan’s historic victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup.

    Afghanistan’s Incredible Campaign

    In the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan has been enjoying a remarkable journey. They clinched the second position in Group C with victories over New Zealand, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea, while suffering a lone defeat to co-hosts West Indies. This achievement propelled them into the Super 8 stage, where they are placed in Group 1 alongside India, Australia, and Bangladesh.

    Following a setback in their opening Super 8 encounter against India, Afghanistan bounced back emphatically with a memorable victory against Australia, rejuvenating their prospects for a spot in the semifinals. Currently standing third in the group with one win and one loss, they maintain a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.650.

    Afghanistan’s next crucial encounter, slated for June 24 in St Vincent’s Kingstown, sees them facing Bangladesh. Rashid Khan and his team are optimistic about their chances and will be hoping for an India victory over Australia to enhance their chances of securing a top-two finish in Group 1 during the Super 8 stage.

    If Mitchell Marsh’s team fails to beat India, Afghanistan will advance to the semifinals, while the 2021 T20 World Cup champions will be eliminated. Rashid Khan’s team also needs to win their upcoming match against Bangladesh to strengthen their chances further.

  • Nepal nominates 8 new ambassadors, including for India |

    New Delhi: Nepal has nominated ambassadors for eight countries, including India, a little over two weeks after recalling the incumbents.

    According to the Cabinet sources, former chief secretary and Nepal’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Lokdarshan Regmi, has been nominated as the new Nepalese ambassador to India.

    Regmi has earlier held positions of Home Secretary, Finance Secretary and Secretary at the Ministry of Land Reform and Management.

    The decision was taken by Nepal’s Cabinet on Friday.

    Earlier on June 6, the Nepal government had recalled ambassadors from 11 countries, including those serving in India and the US and appointed under the Nepali Congress’ quota, three months after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ terminated his alliance with the party and joined hands with former prime minister KP Sharma Oli.

    The development had come three months after the coalition was formed with the support of CPN-UML.

    The government has named former Commerce and Industry Secretary Chandra Ghimire as Nepal’s new ambassador to the United States replacing the incumbent ambassador, Sridhar Khatri while Bijan Pant has been named Nepal’s new ambassador to the United Kingdom.

    All the ambassador nominees need to undergo parliamentary hearings before the president appoints them to their respective positions.

  • Watch: Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni welcomes PM Modi at G7 summit |

    APULIA: Italy Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) upon the arrival of the Outreach session countries and international organizations. PM Modi arrived in Italy’s Apulia on Thursday late at night to attend the G7 Outreach Summit.

    On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, PM Modi met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine.

    In his departure statement, PM Modi said that he is “glad that his first state visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G7 Summit.” The Prime Minister also recalled his previous visit to Italy and Prime Minister Meloni’s visits to India, which have contributed significantly to enhancing bilateral ties.”

    #WATCH | Italy: Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni receives Prime Minister Narendra Modi as India participates as an ‘Outreach nation’ in G7 Summit pic.twitter.com/Sqna3AEu9X — ANI (@ANI) June 14, 2024

    “I am glad that my first visit in the third consecutive term is to Italy for the G-7 Summit. I warmly recall my visit to Italy for the G20 Summit in 2021. Prime Minister Meloni’s two visits to India last year were instrumental in infusing momentum and depth in our bilateral agenda. We remain committed to consolidate the India-Italy strategic partnership, and bolster cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and the Mediterranean regions,” PM Modi said before leaving for Italy.

    Giving an overview of PM Modi’s visit to Italy, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that it was a packed day for him. “We have several bilateral meetings with the world leaders lined up,” Jaiswal said in the video, adding, “He will also be addressing the outreach session of the G7 Summit.”

    The G7 summit is taking place at the luxurious Borgo Egnazia resort in Italy’s Apulia region from June 13-15. PM Modi is attending the summit at the invitation of Italian PM Meloni.

    It will be India’s 11th participation and PM Modi’s fifth consecutive participation at the G7 Summit.

  • India’s Toy Exports Expand To More Than 100 Countries | Economy News

    New Delhi: The Indian toy industry has expanded its global presence to more than 100 countries including the US, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and even China and the next step for the toy manufacturers is to reach international consumers through the effective use of online mediums, a senior official of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) said here on Monday.

    In line with the objective of providing an impetus to the growing Indian toy sector, DPIIT organised a “Workshop with Flipkart and Indian Toy Industry” on Wednesday in New Delhi, which played a pivotal role in laying the roadmap for enabling further growth of the toy sector, scaling domestic consumption and upskilling/reskilling workforce.

    Addressing a joint workshop of Indian toy manufacturers and e-retail giant Flipkart, Joint Secretary, DPIIT, Sanjiv said: “The success of the Indian toy industry reflects in the enhanced exports, increasing robustness of the manufacturing ecosystem and reduced import dependence.”

    The deliberations laid special focus on how the emerging opportunities from the e-commerce marketplace can be leveraged to bolster the growth of the Indian Toy Industry.

    Secretary, (DPIIT), Rajesh Kumar Singh while addressing the participants said: “As part of its strong commitment to create a better ecosystem for the toy industry, the government has identified the sector as one of the champion sectors, with a long-term vision to create a global market for ‘Made in India’ toys.

    A cohesive approach is being followed by breaking the silos and working with industry in all aspects for enhancing the robustness of the sector.” The workshop organised in collaboration with Flipkart and the Indian Toy Industry helped the domestic toy manufacturers to understand the nuances of online selling, thereby enabling a step further towards building a “Toyconomy”.

    According to industry estimates, Indian exports of Toys, Games, and sports articles between 2014-15 to 2022-23 increased by 239 per cent whereas the imports fell by 52 per cent.

    Further, the report presented the current market size of the industry is USD 1.7 billion, and expected to reach USD 4 Billion by 2032 with a 10.5 per cent annual growth rate.