Always eager to share his vast knowledge and experience, cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar has interacted with 12,000 doctors on sports injuries. In his over two decade long illustrious career, Tendulkar suffered many health issues, the most prominent being the tennis elbow injury.

The veteran of 200 Tests and 463 ODIs, got to know through one Dr Sudhir Warrier, an orthopaedic surgeon, that several young doctors across the country were utilising the lockdown time to effectively gain knowledge on sports injuries through live webinars. A session on sports injuries was held on Saturday and Tendulkar, knowing that his experiences will help these doctors, volunteered to be a part of it.

Tendulkar, accordingly, interacted with around 12,000 doctors, who attended the session. It is reliably leanrt that the 46-year-old legend said he was grateful to the medical fraternity for their service. During the session, the young orthopaedic doctors got to know how the requirements and treatment outcomes of athletes are different from regular patients, sources said. Dr Warrier moderated the session with Dr Nitin Patel, physiotherapist, who has worked with Indian cricket team and IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

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Former Indian opener Virender Sehwag has stated the real inspiration behind his swashbuckling batting technique was 'Angad' -- a character in mythological epic 'Ramayan'.

Sehwag, who was known for his great hand-eye coordination with minimal footwork, on Sunday shared a picture of 'Angad' on Twitter and said: "So here is where I took my batting inspiration from. Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai. #Angad Ji Rocks."

So here is where i took my batting inspiration from :)

Pair hilana mushkil hi nahi , namumkin hai . #Angad ji Rocks pic.twitter.com/iUBrDyRQUF

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 12, 2020

According to mythology, it is believed that Angad -- who was part of vanar sena which helped Lord Ram in rescuing his wife Sita from Lanka -- was sent as an emissary to the court of Ravan in order to avoid war.

However, Ravan declined the offer and then to break his ego, Angad challenged that if anyone present in the court would be able to lift his feet from the ground then Lord Ram would accept defeat and leave Lanka.

But it is believed that none of the warriors present in Ravan's court was able to lift Angad's feet.

Sehwag, who played 251 ODIs and 104 Tests for India, scored 8,273 and 8,586 runs respectively. In fact, he is the only Indian cricketer to hit two triple centuries in Test cricket.

The swashbuckling opener also played 19 T20Is for India in which he amassed a total of 394 runs.

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With people finding various ways to spend time during quarantine amid the Coronavirus pandemic, a Brazilian model challenged her cricket coach boyfriend to teach her how to bat during the 21-day isolation period.

And they are doing it. According to a report in dailymail.co.uk, Coco Cuhna suggested her boyfriend Gio Colucci that it might be fun to see if he could show her how to bat. "I was joking...he took it very seriously," Coco said.

"I thought Oh my gosh, what have I got myself in for!" Coco revealed she is spending 25 minutes a day learning how to pull, cut and drive from Gio, who is a director at The Cricket Academy in Cape Town, South Africa and has coached the likes of England batsman Tom Wesley, Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman and Ben Curran, brother of England duo Tom and Sam.

"I had never had any contact with cricket before, I never even knew about it before I moved to South Africa," said the Brazilian model. However, after a fortnight, Coco is now enjoying the drill.

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Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus crisis, former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday cut his own hair and said he went from 'playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts'.

Tendulkar took to Instagram and shared pictures of him doing his own haircut.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂ï¸Â, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂ï¸Â looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

"From playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik," Tendulkar captioned the post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 in an attempt to contain COVID-19.

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases in India has mounted to 16,116 and 519 deaths have been reported till now.

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Cricket is rightly considered as a religion in India and is the most celebrated sport in the country. Whoever makes a career in cricket has one longing wish to play for the country and Indian cricketers rightly inspire with their story and innumerable achievements. With a dream to become a cricketer since childhood, Jeel Pareshbhai Gajipara grew up looking at his hero Mahendra Singh Dhoni's journey as a sportsperson. Gajipara born on October 24, 2001, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat is a notable name in the cricket. Since his school, he was fascinated by the sport after which he decided to make become a cricketer.

Currently, he is pursuing his B.Com from GLS University. The young and good looking guy also loves to do modeling. However, he considers cricket as his only passion in life. He has played for both domestic as well as international tournaments. He has played for many tournaments from Nepal, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, and Hyderabad. The batsman has also created many records for himself including his smashing batting of 97 runs from 32 deliveries for the Mumbai domestic team. Some of his other best scores include 136 runs in 67 deliveries, 116 runs in 71 deliveries and 177 runs in 122 deliveries respectively.

These batting scores totally show his love for the sport and prove that he is here to stay. His hard work and passion for cricket will one day surely fulfill his dream. Calling MS Dhoni as his idol, Jeel has a dream of playing for India and be successful as the former Indian skipper. "Before playing for India, I want to play in the IPL (Indian Premier League)", he quoted. For his achievements, Jeel was also featured in a Gujarati newspaper and had his interview on E24 news channel. The young blood's journey is commendable and we hope to see him play for the Indian Cricket Team one day.

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While the country is in lockdown due to Coronavirus, at least two Indian cricket legends decided to have some fun of their own.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and current India captain Virat Kohli have had their hair cut. However, while Sachin chopped his own hair, Virat's Bollywood star wife Anushka played hair stylist for him.

Sachin, 46, recently posted a series of pictures of his new hairdo on social media. "From playing square cuts to doing my own haircuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik?," he captioned his post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂️, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂️ looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

Meanwhile, Virat, 31, who got his beard trimmed too, insisted that being well groomed keeps him in the zone. "While we're all indoors, it's extremely important to do stuff that makes you feel good. Staying well groomed is one of the things that keeps me in the zone. So I thought of giving myself this new look. I want all of you to take the #TrimAtHome challenge & post your new look!" Virat posted on Instagram.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

While we're all indoors, it's extremely important to do stuff that makes you feel good. Staying well groomed is one of the things that keeps me in the zone. So I thought of trimming my beard at home and giving myself this new look. 😊 Now I want all of you to take the #TrimAtHome challenge and post your new look! 😎

A post shared by Virat Kohli (@virat.kohli) onApr 18, 2020 at 4:20am PDT

Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are regarded as one of the finest batsmen to ever play for India. Virat Kohli is second behind Sachin Tendulkar with regards to most hundreds scored in ODIs.

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Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who will turn 47 on Friday, will not celebrate his birthday due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis in the country.

A source close to Tendulkar revealed cricketer's decision to ANI.

The whole country is currently dealing with the COVID-19 crisis which has claimed more than 600 deaths so far in India. In an attempt to contain coronavirus, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the nationwide lockdown until May 3.

Several sports personalities have come forward to contribute to PM-CARES Fund to help the country combat coronavirus.

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Before becoming India cricket's most famous fan, Sudhir Kumar Gautam came to be known as Sachin Tendulkar's biggest supporter by painting his body in the tri-colour and blowing his conch shell every time Tendulkar took guard.

There hasn't been a year when the crazy fan has failed to meet Tendulkar, 47, on his birthday since November 2003, when Sudhir, 39, first met the Indian batting legend. Today will be different due to the nationwide lockdown. "I am sad that I won't be able to meet and wish Sachin sir this time. However, I will call to wish him. Sachin sir too has decided not to celebrate his birthday this time [due to the worldwide health crisis]," Sudhir told mid-day on Thursday from New Delhi where he is put up at his friend's home. He lives in Muzzafarpur, Bihar.

"For the last three years, I have gifted him something on his birthday. Once it was a Lord Ganesha painting made by me. On other occasions, a collage of his old pictures put together by me. I will share my special gift for him on Instagram tomorrow," he said.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has not just made cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar realise the importance of freedom to do simple things in life. It has also left the record-breaking Indian batsman a bit worried about the impact it will have on his beloved sport.

In an interaction with mid-day over the phone on the eve of his 47th birthday on Thursday, the former India captain said he is expecting the sport to change where the dynamics of shining the ball is concerned. He also felt it will be strange to see matches being played before empty stands when action resumes.

Edited excerpts from the interview:

How do you see cricket when normalcy comes around?

Time will tell. You can't put saliva on the ball so how are you going to shine the ball as much? Those landing marks leave dry patches on the ball. How do you cover that all the time with sweat instead of saliva and still maintain the shine? If you are not going to shine the ball frequently then how will the ball swing? All these elements will come into play, which nobody is familiar with. So the game could change.

To get the ball to reverse [swing], you keep one side dry and then you keep shining the other side. So, how shiny would that other side be will also determine how much the ball is going to swing or reverse. As you keep shining one side, the other side gets automatically lighter.

Cricket boards are contemplating hosting matches in front of empty stands…

It's going to be strange because you are used to having crowds around and that noise, that buzz inside the stadium. When you hit a boundary or a six or pick a wicket, the crowd also becomes a big part of your celebration. You draw energy from the crowd when you hit a boundary. So, all that won't be there and it's going to be strange. It's like watching Wimbledon with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal playing but there are no spectators. It's going to look strange and feel different for sure.

Would you recommend closed-door matches?

This is the government's call, especially the health ministry. We have to follow their guidelines. Whatever they feel is safe should be done. I've tried to do the same things with whatever directives have been given. We have also tried to spread the message on our social media platforms. There are a lot of rumours floating around. It's important to convey the right message to everyone and show them the complete picture because rumours can sometimes disrupt your thought process and make you think otherwise.

How would you have handled this situation in your playing days and what's your advice to youngsters who are eager to be on the park again?

I would continue my training and I'm sure all players are continuing their physical preparations. But sometimes, it's good to give yourself a break after a reasonable long season. So it's good to get that break for a while and then come back to action. There are two elements—batting and bowling. One has to prepare yourself by practising various drills. The other would be to practise mentally by doing visualisation and mental drills. Both these elements coming together from a good combination for preparation. I fully understand that nothing beats being on the field, hitting the ball again. If someone who is thinking otherwise—that this is a period where I can't do much except sit back and relax—those guys will be caught napping.

What has the lockdown made you realise?

The freedom we have to do simple things in life. Like, the last time I met any outsider—that includes my friends—was March 15. So, it's a long time. The most important thing is freedom, the freedom to be what you like and go out, do certain things which you are not able to do now. These are different kind of circumstances, completely unprecedented. I cannot instruct elderly people, so my friendly message to them would be: You wished well for me for such a long time and prayed that I don't get out and stay at the crease. So, my wish for you is, not to get out too—from your homes. That way, you will be safe and secure. So, follow the government's guidelines and let's stay safe.

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Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on Wednesday advocated for this year's T20 World Cup to be postponed to early next year, saying the currently-suspended IPL should take the mega-event's slot. The COVID-19 pandemic has halted all global sporting activities, jeopardising the T20 World Cup, scheduled in Australia from October 18-November 15, and also "indefinitely" suspending the 13th IPL, which was slated to begin on March 29. "I think the IPL will try and target that October window and the T20 World Cup will get pushed back," McCullum, the coach of IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders, told 'Sky Cricket Podcast'. There is also the women's ODI World Cup scheduled in New Zealand in February, 2021.

"That may mean the Women's World Cup gets pushed back but hopefully we get to see all three tournaments operate." McCullum said he neither sees the T20 World Cup happening without the stadium fans nor does he believe that teams from 16 nations will be able to travel to Australia in the wake of the pandemic, which has infected more than 20 lakh people globally. If IPL doesn't happen, none of the players or support staff get paid. The ICC's Chief Executives Committee (CEC) is set to meet on Thursday to discuss the financial implications of COVID-19 and also the contingency planning for all ICC global events, including the T20 World Cup, over a conference call. "For Australia to move 16 international teams plus all of their support staff and then broadcasters, seems a bridge too far. I can't see them playing the T20 World Cup behind closed doors either," McCullum said. "There may be a window a bit later in the new year of 2021 which could then open up a window for the IPL (in October and November). You'd have to move some overseas players for the IPL but with the broadcasters based in India, it is a lot easier to pull it all together. "The ICC and world cricket need crowds to operate but India can probably sustain things commercially behind closed doors because they are going to get so many eyeballs."

Former New Zealand seamer Simon Doull, who joined McCullum and Ian Smith on the podcast, also believes spectators will be important to get the revenues flowing from the T20 World Cup. "A lot of the ICC's revenue for down the track comes from the World Cups so they want as many people in the stands as possible," he said. "They would hate to see a T20 World Cup under lockdown where no one could go and watch and the atmosphere would probably be a little bit less." Doull also said ICC needs to decide how important is the T20 World Cup. "How important is the T20 World Cup? That the first question from an ICC point of view," he said. "Is it important enough to have private jets out of each county with cricket teams on them, two weeks in quarantine in Australia and then the tournament taking place, whether there are fans in the stands or not? Is it that important?".

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Across the 22 yards for 24 years, Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar almost single-handedly captivated the beautiful game of cricket. Be it in his debut match against Pakistan on November 15, 1989, to his swansong at the Wankhede Stadium in 2013, the legend from Mumbai became an image of inspiration, an idol of reverence and a man of honour! It was Tendulkar who was solely responsible to transform the game into a religion in a land of diverse faiths and beliefs. The game eventually grew richer with chants of ‘Sachin Sachin’ reverberating across every venue worldwide as SRT soon became a phenomenon that would only grow stronger.

To celebrate a glorious career on the Little Master’s 47th birthday on Friday, April 24th, 2020, Star Sports, India’s leading broadcaster, has lined up a day-long list of programmes that would make any Sachin or cricket fan salivate. From his historic innings on his debut as an opener in ODIs, to his last interview at the Wankhede weeks after he played his final match, get ready to walk down memory lane with the best of Sachin Tendulkar!

2003 India vs Pakistan World Cup match – When Sachin Tendulkar tamed the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar

It seems only yesterday, but it’s been 17 years since Tendulkar’s iconic 98 guided Team India to yet another victory over Pakistan at the Centurion on March 1, 2003. Pakistan captain Waqar Younis called it right at the toss on that fateful day and opted to bat. Bombastic opener Saeed Anwar’s scintillating century powered Pakistan to 273 for 7 which was a formidable target in those days.

Then came an epic chase where Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar opened the innings for Team India. After a few nervy moves, Tendulkar smashed Wasim Akram past cover for a boundary. What was special about that shot was Tendulkar’s footwork, a backfoot punch that was pure class! Sehwag too got into the act and launched a few lusty blows before being dismissed for 21 off 14. Up came Mohammad Kaif, who turned out to be the perfect partner for Tendulkar. Despite suffering a bout of cramps, Tendulkar stitched a 100-run partnership, with Kaif scoring 31, as the duo put Team India in total control. Tendulkar’s cramps became unbearable and Sehwag soon was called to be his runner, but it was short-lived as he ended up on 98 in what was a valiant innings decorated with 12 boundaries and a six. India won that match by 6 wickets and Tendulkar received his Man of the Match award. It’s been more than a decade, but the discussions still exist! Watch this entire match from 11 AM IST.

Following an exciting contest, viewers can get a chance to understand what was going on in Sachin’s mind as he doles tales about his retirement in a special interview shot at the Wankhede Stadium weeks after his final match. Watch this interview from 6.30 PM.

Sachin open's again! Revisit his iconic debut opening in ’94 against New Zealand

A stunning tactical move by then captain Mohammad Azharuddin to promote Sachin Tendulkar to open the innings along with Ajay Jadeja led to a significant turning point in the Master Blaster’s career. The day: March 27, 1994. It was in the 5th match of the series against New Zealand in Auckland when Azhar pulled off a stunning move and asked Tendulkar to open because India's regular opener Navjot Sidhu had a stiff neck. The rest is history! Tendulkar took the Kiwi bowling attack - Danny Morrison and Chris Pringle to the cleaners, as he smashed 82 off 49 balls, with a whopping 15 boundaries and 2 sixes to his credit. Team India won the match by 7 wickets with 160 balls to spare. Watch highlights of this memorable knock at 7 PM IST.

.@sachin_rt knows a thing or two about staying 'not out' - just what you need to do during this #Lockdown!#StayHome, stay safe, celebrate the legend's birthday with us on Star Sports.#CricketConnected pic.twitter.com/Nz41o8gkEC

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) April 24, 2020

Celebrate Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar’s birthday on 24th April from 11 am onwards only on Star Sports

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That Sachin Tendulkar is possibly one of the greatest cricketers India has produced is stale news. But did you know that he dubbed for his movie Sachin: A Billion dreams – in three different languages, namely Marathi, Hindi and English. The movie made by Ravi Bhagchandka was the first of sorts sports movie given that it had no-frills of a typical Hindi potboiler. And that, we hear was one of the conditions on which the Master Blaster agreed to allow the movie to be produced. Apparently, the producer chased Sachin for a good 8 months till the Master Blaster finally gave him the go-ahead.

While Ravi Bhagchandka was unavailable to comment, we heard that during the dubbing of the movie, Sachin developed a cough and a severe sore throat. (What else can one expect after dubbing in three different languages), but the God of Cricket did not quibble. He simply gulped down cups of green tea and hot water and just like on the field, he kept his composure and stayed at the job.

Wait, there are some more beans to spill - we can bet you have never heard before – that Sachin saw his own movie a mighty 15 times or more before it hit the theatres. This, we are told is because of the excessive dubbing and also because of the purist that he is – he just had to make sure that every sound and visual matched perfectly.

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Former Australia cricketer Damien Fleming also celebrated his birthday on Friday as he completed a half-century!  Incidentally, Sachin Tendulkar and the swing bowler were involved in the same triangular series final at Sharjah on April 24, 1998.

Two days before the final, Damien dismissed Sachin to put an end to the epic sandstorm innings of 143.
On Friday, a journalist posted a video clip of that caught behind dismissal, Sachin walking off despite the umpire not raising his finger, and Damien throwing his arms in the air.

"Two birthday buddies arguing about whose would matter more two days out from their birthday. And it looked like @bowlologist got the better of @sachin_rt here #Sachin #BowlologistBirthday #SachinTendulkar," remarked the writer.

Damien retweeted it with the words, "Out or not out" mfollowed by a thinking face emoji.

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Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar are undoubtedly the finest batsmen Indian cricket has ever produced. Virat Kohli is also closing in on Sachin's ODI record of most centuries. The most discussed topic which has been a debate is will Virat Kohli every overtake Sachin Tendulkar's record of 100 international centuries? Well, this former Australian pacer thinks it is possible.

On a special two-part episode of Star Sports' show Cricket Connected that airs on April 25th, 2020, former Australia fast bowler Brett Lee has hinted that Team India captain Virat Kohli could surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 100 centuries.

Brett Lee spoke about Virat Kohli’s chances of passing Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 centuries, "We are talking about phenomenal numbers here. Give it another 7-8 years of cricket and the way he is going currently, Kohli can definitely knock it off easily. However, it comes down to three things. One thing that I would like to eliminate is his talent as a batsman. He definitely got that, so we eliminate that.

Picture Courtesy/ Brett Lee's Instagram

Brett Lee continued, "The second will be his fitness. Kohli has surely had that, because for me it’s all about fitness. Last would be the mental strength and the capacity to get through the hard games and being away from home. I believe he has all these three-components to go past Sachin, but again we are talking about Sachin and how can somebody go past God. So, we just have to wait and watch."

Brett Lee also took to Instagram to wish his former on-field rival-turned-friend Sachin Tendulkar as the latter celebrated his 47th birthday on April 24, 2020. Take a look at Brett's post below.

 

 

 

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Happy birthday legend @sachintendulkar Even though that the battles on the cricket field have now ceased, the friendships will last forever! Stay safe mate and have a wonderful celebration 🎉

A post shared by Brett Lee (@brettlee_58) onApr 24, 2020 at 2:44am PDT

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Former Australian pacer Brett Lee, regarded as one of the finest bowlers cricket has ever produced, talks about his experience while bowling to Sachin Tendulkar, the latter's batting approach against Shane Warne and how Warne would express his anger when failing to dismiss Sachin. All this in a tete-a-tete on a talk show.

On his early experience bowling to Sachin Tendulkar on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected, Brett Lee said, "I was 22 years when I got my first opportunity to play against the Little Master. I nicked him off and I thought I’m done. I didn’t care about a Test match since I was so happy to get Sachin Tendulkar out."

Talking about Sachin Tendulkar’s technique batting against Shane Warne, Brett Lee said, "He used to advance down the wicket a few times and invited Warne to bowl a fraction too short. Sometimes, he would wait patiently on the back foot and play those beautiful shots. It was almost like he was playing cat and mouse with Warne and not many batsmen can play cat and mouse with Shane Warne because he’s so talented. But on days, Sachin Tendulkar was toying with Warne and that does not happen often."

About Shane Warne expressing his anger for not being able to get Sachin Tendulkar out, Brett Lee revealed, "The way Sachin used to read bowlers out of their hand, the different technique he used to play different balls was pure class. There were times when Warne would try and get the trajectory a bit different through the air and sometimes, he would try and get a few balls to drop. Every time he would try the subtle variations, there was only Sachin who would pick them up. Warne would bamboozle other batsmen around the world, but Sachin would watch the hand much better than most of the other batsmen. Warne hated it, he would come back and say that he tried everything to get Sachin out, but he couldn’t.”

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Former Pakistan off-spinner Saeed Ajmal is still not over the disappointment of missing Sachin Tendulkar's wicket in the lost 2011 World Cup semifinal against India and is now deriving solace from English umpire Ian Gould's recent assertion that the iconic batsman was indeed out. Tendulkar, who made crucial 85 runs in the semifinal at Mohali, was on 23 when Gould ruled him out LBW off Ajmal. But third umpire Billy Bowden, after a review, overturned the decision.

Gould, who served on the ICC's elite panel of umpires, recently said that he would stands by his decision of giving Tendulkar out. Recalling the incident, Ajmal, now 42, said, "It was straight in front and I was 100 percent sure he was out. Shahid Afridi, Kamran, Wahab and other players asked me was he (Tendulkar) out and I told them he is gone." He said he was heart-broken after the third umpire ruled Tendulkar not out. "I never got a chance to bowl to him in a Test so whenever I played against him in white ball cricket I always wanted to do my best. "More disappointing was that we lost the semifinal and it is obvious that Tendulkar's 85 runs made all the difference," he said on a television channel," he said.

"Even today, the third umpire's decision baffles me. Maybe luck was with him that day and he went on play such a crucial innings for his team," said Ajmal who played 35 Tests between 2009 and 2014, taking 178 wickets. He also took 183 wickets in 113 ODIs and 85 in 64 T20 Internationals. Ajmal said Gould was upset after his decision was overturned by the third umpire. The off-spinner's career, however, came to an unceremonious end after a tour of Bangladesh. His bowling action was reported in 2014 and he could not cope with the subsequent modification and retired in 2017.

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Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar recently celebrated his 47th birthday on April 24, 2020.

Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as one of cricket's finest to ever play the game, was all over the internet as his peers showered praises and blessings on his birthday.

1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev, in an interview with Radio City, spoke about how Sachin Tendulkar is the best batsman ever to play the game. Kapil Dev said, "Many people misunderstand the statements I make when I talk. According to me, Sachin Tendulkar is the finest cricketer India has produced. I still feel that he should have done much better than he did. Although no one has performed better than him, I feel, Sachin Tendulkar had more talent." 

Talking about Sachin Tendulkar's two-and-a-half decade-long career, Kapil Dev said, "Sachin has had an amazing career. To play for your country for 24 years is easy to say but difficult to do. I wish him all the happiness. For all the happiness he has given India, I wish him and more importantly, his family, good luck. The family sacrifices more than anyone else in these scenarios. I wish Sachin great health."

"He has moved generations for two and a half decades. Many youngsters yearn to be Sachin Tendulkar. As long as we have cricketers like him, the game will never die," Kapil added. Watch the full video below.

Kapil Dev recently became a rage on the internet after she showed his new bald look. Kapil Dev's bald look became the talk of the town, moreover, after Sanjay Manjrekar shared a picture on Twitter.

Love this look Paaji! Keep it!@therealkapildev pic.twitter.com/zWKZ4HVvrx

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) April 21, 2020

Both Kapil Dev and Sachin Tendulkar have won the ICC World Cup. While Kapil Dev led his team as captain to the World Cup title in 1983, Sachin Tendulkar was part of the World Cup-winning team in 2011 headed by MS Dhoni.

Transcribed by Shawn D'souza

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He has been a model sportsman all his life and it was hardly a surprise when Sachin Tendulkar became a guide to the young Prithvi Shaw, helping him deal with life on 22 yards and off it during a rough patch. The 20-year-old Shaw had a sensational Test debut as the second youngest Test centurion from India before an ankle injury and a failed dope test kept him out for 16 months. Some disciplinary issues have also been talked about quite often in Indian cricket circles for some time now. It was at this point that Tendulkar came into the picture and mentored Shaw as he negotiated a very precarious phase of life during which nascent careers can go southbound.

"Yes, it's true. I have had a number of interactions over the years with Prithvi. He is a very talented player and I am happy to help him. I spoke to him about cricket and also about life beyond cricket field," Tendulkar told PTI during an interaction. However, Tendulkar was not comfortable when asked what exactly was discussed during his multiple sessions with Shaw. "I believe if a youngster has approached me and sought guidance, there should be an element of confidentiality attached to it, at least from my side. So, I would not like to tell you what the discussions were," the iconic batsman said. But Shaw, of late, has been very vocal about the guidance he got from the senior Mumbikar.

"That's fine. If Prithvi wants to speak about it, it's his choice." Tendulkar said that he has always been open to guiding youngsters who would seek him out individually. And there are a number of others, with whom he speaks on a one-on-one basis apart from Shaw. "I have spoken and guided a lot of youngsters at an individual level. I have maintained that if anyone feels that I can be of any help in guiding them about their game, I am always open to the idea," the maestro said.

Not only Shaw, even India captain Virat Kohli sought Tendulkar's suggestions as recently as the Pink Ball Test against Bangladesh in November last year. "I spoke to Sachin paaji on the evening of the first day and he made a very interesting point as well. Probably with the pink ball, you have to treat the second session like the morning session when it's getting darker and the ball starts to swing and seam. "So first session you invariably play like you play from lunch to tea in a normal timing Test match, then the second session would be like a morning session and the last session is like that evening session," Kohli, who became India's first pink ball centurion, told mediapersons.

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Former Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar has claimed that Imran Nazir was a more talented batsman in comparison to Virender Sehwag but he didn't have the brain which the explosive Indian opener had.

"I don't think Imran Nazir had the brain that Sehwag had. I don't think Sehwag had the talent that Imran Nazir had. There is no comparison with regards to talent. We tried to contain him a little," Akhtar was quoted as saying on a TV show by Cricket Pakistan.

He, however, believes Pakistan didn't use Nazir well else the team would have had a better player in him than Sehwag.

"When he hit a brutal hundred against India in a match, I asked them to play Imran Nazir consistently but they didn't listen," he said.

"It is unfortunate that we do not know how to take care of our brands. We could have had a player better than Virender Sehwag in Imran Nazir. He had all the shots while also being a good fielder. We could have utilised him brilliantly but we just couldn't," he added.

Nazir played just 8 Tests, 79 ODIs and 25 T20Is for Pakistan, amassing 427, 1895 and 500 runs in the three formats respectively.

On the other hand, Sehwag represented India in 104 Tests, 251 ODIs and 19 T20Is in which he scored 8586, 8273 and 394 runs respectively.

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Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth has heaped praise on legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar's son Arjun and said that the 20-year-old will definitely play for India.

The speedster also said that Arjun has a brilliant action and a great rhythm.

In 2019, Arjun was picked for Rs five lakhs, after an intense bidding process, by Akash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburb for the second season of the Mumbai T20 League.

The all-rounder was one of the favorite players as almost every team had bid for him which led to an intense bidding session.

Sreesanth first wished Sachin Tendulkar a happy birthday on Twitter and the batting legend replied to the former pacer on social media as well. 

Thanks for the wishes Sree! My best wishes to you and everyone at home. Stay healthy Stay safe.

— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) April 27, 2020

"Thanks a lot Sachin Paaji..u made my day, great to hear from you..love and warm regds to all at home..nd great to c Arjun doing well ..he is got a brilliant action nd great rhythm..he will surly play for India," Sreesanth said while replying to Sachin in a tweet.

Thanks a lot Sachin Paaji..u made my day, great to hear from you..love and warm regds to all at home..nd great to c Arjun doing well ..he is got a brilliant action nd great rhythm..he will surly play for 🇮🇳✌🏻🤗🤗🤗

— Sreesanth (@sreesanth36) April 27, 2020

Sreesanth has played 27 Tests and 53 ODIs for India. He has also played 10 T20Is and was a key cog in the bowling wheel of team India during ICC T20 cup 2007 in South Africa.

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Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar spoke regarding an interesting story from the 1999 Adelaide Test featuring former Australia speedster Glenn McGrath. Tendulkar revealed how he managed to win a game of chess on the field against the player of McGrath's quality.

The 'Master Blaster' explained how he first remained calm and patient when McGrath was in full flow but cut loose the next morning and put pressure back on the bowler.

"In 1999, in our first match at Adelaide... the first innings there was hardly 40 minutes to go in the day's play. Glenn McGrath comes and bowls five or six maiden overs to me," Tendulkar told Star Sports during a video chat that was tweeted by BCCI.

"That was their strategy... 'let's frustrate Sachin. 70 per cent of the ball should go to (wicket-keeper) Adam Gilchrist and 10 per cent close to his bat. If he plays or chases deliveries outside the off-stump we have succeeded'.

"So I kept leaving as many deliveries as possible. There were some good deliveries where I was beaten as well. But I said 'well bowled and now go back and bowl again as I am still here'," he added.

"I remember hitting him for a few boundaries the next morning because it was a fresh day and we both were at the same level. They had a strategy but I knew their strategy was to frustrate me.

"I thought this evening I am patient but tomorrow morning I am gonna play the way I want. You won't control how I want to play but I would control where you are going to bowl."

Tendulkar also had a word of advice for current cricketer as to how to keep themselves mentally fit during lockdown. Due to coronavirus pandemic, all cricket across the world has been postponed for the time being and Tendulkar stated sometimes it is good to stay away from the game for a brief period.

"First of all I would like to tell them to recharge their respective batteries. It is important to have some off time. When you are playing regularly it is not easy to be at the top of your game. It is good to move away from cricket for a while to recharge your batteries," he said.

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VVS Laxman speaks about Sachin Tendulkar’s batting against Shane Warne on Star Sports’ show Cricket Connected: “Sachin was really well prepared for the Test match in Chennai. In the first innings, he was dismissed for 4 runs. He hit a boundary and then tried to play a big shot over mid-on, hitting against the turn and was caught by Mark Taylor.

VVS Laxman went on to reveal saying, "I remember Sachin locked himself in the physio’s room and only came out after almost an hour. When he came out, we could see his eyes were red. I felt he was very emotional because he was unhappy in the manner he was dismissed."

VVS Laxman continued, "Then, in the second innings, the way he blasted and hammered Shane Warne, who was bowling into the rough outside the leg stump. Warne was using the depth of the crease and when he used to pitch it up, Sachin used to hit it through the mid-off, mid-on region. He went on to get a hundred. That battle with Shane Warne is the best I have seen.”

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Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal could have a part of his three-year anti-corruption ban suspended when the judge heading the Cricket Board's disciplinary Panel gives out his detailed judgement soon, a source in the PCB has said.

After the hour-long hearing of the panel held on April Monday in Lahore, where Umar appeared himself to plead his case, Justice (retd) Miran Chohan announced a three-year ban on the batsman for failing to report corrupt approaches.

"People are jumping to conclusions about the three-year ban but the detailed order is yet to come out. Umar might eventually get a three-year ban with two years suspended or something like that," the source told PTI.

He said there are chances the judge will suspend most part of the three-year ban given the clauses under which Umar has been charged by the Anti-Corruption Unit and also given his past track record.
"Umar could get a suspended sentence in his three-year ban because this will also test him as an individual to see how he behaves and conducts himself in future," the source said.

"When majority part of a ban is suspended, the player has to be careful with his behaviour or he could end up being banned for the entire duration of the ban,¿ he explained.

Umar has the right to appeal against the panel decision 14 days after he gets a copy of the detailed judgement. His appeal will be heard by an independent adjudicator to be appointed by the board.

Two years ago, the Anti-Corruption Tribunal of the PCB, headed by Lt. General (retd) Tauqir Zia, had also banned Sharjeel Khan for five years with half of the sentence suspended, which allowed him to make a comeback in the Pakistan Super League 5 in February.

Umar was suspended from playing in the PSL 5 on February 20 by the PCB in the spot-fixing approach case.

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Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag on Wednesday expressed grief over the demise of the ace Bollywood actor Irrfan Khan.

Taking to Twitter, Sehwag condoled the death of the 'great talent' and wrote, "A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt condolences to his family and well-wishers #IrfanKhan."

A great actor and a great talent. Heartfelt
Condolences to his family and well - wishers #IrfanKhan

— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 29, 2020

Former Indian skipper Mohammed Azharuddin lauded Irffan's skills and termed him a 'versatile artist'.

"Saddened to hear about the shocking demise of #IrfanKhan. A truly talented & versatile artist and a great human being. May Allah grant him the highest place in Paradise. My heartfelt condolonces to the family & friends #RIPIrrfan," Azharuddin tweeted.

Khan passed away at Mumbai's Kokilaben Hospital on Wednesday while battling rare cancer. He was 53.

Khan was last seen on screen in 'Angrezi Medium'. He was not a part of the film's promotions owing to his ill health.

He was regarded as a fine actor by fans and critics alike with critically acclaimed films like 'The Lunchbox' and 'Paan Singh Tomar' to his credit.

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Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor passed away today after he was admitted at the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital in Mumbai.

Earlier today, Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan took to social media site Twitter to confirm the news of the death of Rishi Kapoor.  Sachin Tendulkar, Mithali Raj, Harbhajan Singh and his wife Geeta Basra all took to Twitter to express their feelings on the sudden death of Rishi Kapoor this morning.

"Very very sad to hear about the passing away of Rishi ji. I grew up watching his movies and he was always very gracious when we met over the years. May his soul Rest in Peace. My heartfelt condolences to Neetu ji, Ranbir and the whole Kapoor family," said Tendulkar on Twitter.

Indian women's ODI team skipper Mithali Raj termed the actor's demise as "huge loss" and said she will miss him on the silver screen.

"Shocked by the demise of veteran actor Rishi Kapoorji.Never quite got his due for the acting genius that he was! His boyish smile,straight talking ,jovial & endearing personality won him millions of followers.Huge loss.Will miss dearly on the silver screen. OM Shanti #gonesoon," Raj tweeted.

Shocked by the demise of veteran actor Rishi Kapoorji.Never quite got his due for the acting genius that he was! His boyish smile,straight talking ,jovial & endearing personality won him millions of followers.Huge loss.Will miss dearly on the silver screen. OM Shanti 🙏🏻 #gonesoon

— Mithali Raj (@M_Raj03) April 30, 2020

India spinner Harbhajan Singh also mourned the death of the actor and wrote, "Woke up with this very sad news @chintskap is no more #RIPRishikapoor ji Condolence to the family.."

When we haven’t got over yesterday.. today another tragedy! This year is full of grief and such sadness! @chintskap ji.. may you rest in peace! A legend always.. a library of films you have left us with! To even write this just doesn’t feel right... 💔🙏

— Geeta Basra (@Geeta_Basra) April 30, 2020

Harbhajan Singh's actress wife Geeta Basra also took to Twitter to share a quote from his film as a tribute to Rishi Kapoor.

Ek hasina thi.. ek deewana tha.. kya umar.. kya sama.. RIP to a legend.. @chintskap my condolences to the whole family 🙏💔 a very sad day.. pic.twitter.com/3DVNq6IUHu

— Geeta Basra (@Geeta_Basra) April 30, 2020

In September 2019, the veteran actor returned to Mumbai after staying in New York for almost a year for cancer treatment. He was last seen in the 2019 film 'The Body' alongside Emraan Hashmi and Shobita Sobhita Dhulipala.

Inputs from ANI

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Batting maestros Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Virat Kohli have made a cut to former Australia batter Michael Hussey's "Best Enemies XI" in Test cricket.

Hussey picked Sehwag and former South African captain Graeme Smith as openers in the batting line-up which consists stalwarts like Brian Lara, Tendulkar, Kohli, Jacques Kallis and Kumar Sangakkara.

The bowling unit included South Africans Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, England's James Anderson and legendary Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.

The left-handed batsman, who played Test cricket for Australia from 2005 to 2013, however didn't included his former Chennai Super Kings teammate MS Dhoni.

"I wrestled with this one between Kumar Sangakkara, MS Dhoni and AB de Villiers. But I think the latter two have got more impact in the shorter formats T20s and ODI," Hussey said while picking the Best XI of opponents he has played against in Test cricket on "The Unplayable Podcast".

"Sangakkara had immense impact in Test cricket," he added.

Hussey played a total of 79 Tests, 185 ODIs and 38 T20Is in which he scored 6235, 5442 and 721 runs respectively.

Michael Hussey's 'Best of Enemies' XI: Virender Sehwag, Graeme Smith, Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Jacques Kallis, Kumar Sangakkara, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, James Anderson, Muttiah Muralitharan.

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Pakistan's discarded wicket-keeper batsman Kamran Akmal is keen for his disgraced younger brother Umar Akmal to learn from the conduct of India's three superstars -- Virat Kohli, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar. Umar was banned by Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) panel for three years from all forms of cricket for his failure to report a corrupt approach. Over the years, Umar has had a number of issues which has left many following Pakistan cricket upset. "It has been a difficult time for us as a family with not just COVID-19, but with the situation around Umar. He can never be what the media says he did. He may have reported late, but PCB should deal with him like anyone else.

Cricket is our bread and butter. He has been dealt a very raw deal by the previous management (led by former coach Mickey Arthur). He needs a bit more support," Karman said on the Cow Corner Chronicles. The elder brother is therefore keen for his younger brother to learn and improve by observing India's superstars. "My advice for Umar is that he has to learn. If he has made a mistake, he must learn from others. We play together and our focus is only on cricket. He is still young. There are many distractions in life. But he must learn from say Virat Kohli. In the early days of IPL Virat was different and then he changed his attitude and approach. Look how he has turned into world's number one batsman. Then there is our own Babar Azam who is now in the top three in the world. "Then there are other examples like Dhoni. Look at the way he led his team.

Then Sachin paaji who was always away from controversies. These are fantastic examples before us. We should observe and learn from them. They only looked at the sport. Off the ground their behaviour was impeccable with their fans and they are fine ambassadors for the sport. We can only benefit from their examples. All this benefits our country as well just from looking at these guys, especially the current lot of Kohli, Babar Azam and Abid Ali," Kamran said. Kamran has played 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is in his career that started in 2002. He last played for Pakistan in 2017 in the white ball format. During his career he has had a number of controversies both on and off the field. Most famously he had skirmishes with India's Gautam Gambhir and Ishant Sharma. He clashed with Gambhir during the 2010 Asia Cup in Dambulla and later with Ishant during a Twenty20 International in Bengaluru in 2012-13. But Kamran says he has left all that behind and forgotten about it, as he referred to the Delhi pair as good friends. "It was all due to misunderstanding and happened due to the heat of the moment then. Gautam and I are good friends because we have played a lot in 'A' cricket. We meet regularly, have food together. It was all due to me not understanding what he said.

The same with Ishant in Bangalore. You know me I don't say much on the field. Both Gautam and Ishant are very good boys. We respect them and they respect us. What happens on the field, stays there," remarked Kamran. In recent times, Gambhir and Pakistan's retired former captain Shahid Afridi have had a number of social media tussles. Akmal believes Gambhir should forget all about the past. "Gautam should make a statement that brings the two teams and the two countries closer. I will never forget the warmth we got in 2005, 2007 and 2012 trips to India and vice versa. We should end this hostility and bring ourselves closer. We are drifting away from each other as teams and nations despite being similar in many ways. "We should be prepared to play in bilateral series. Either you come here or we come there. That is the only way to end this misunderstanding. Bringing up old topics will not solve any problems. Playing each other only in ICC events and Asia Cup is just not enough. We can build memories for a lifetime which everyon

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e can talk about for a long time to come and get the two countries closer," Kamran said.

England fast bowler Stuart Broad said that the UK government will have a big role to play in dictating the return of cricket in the country post the coronavirus pandemic. Broad however said that he personally does not feel nervous about playing whenever he is needed to.

"Cricket will literally be governed by the government. It's not as though the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) are going to have to be lone wolves and decide when we get back out there," Broad is quoted as saying by Daily Mail.

"The government will give the go-ahead and then us players will have to make sure we are in the physical capability to get match fit. I know how I feel about not seeing live sport and I know how much joy live sports brings me. So the players' responsibility is to make sure we are ready to go at the drop of a hat," he said.

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero had said that many footballers were nervous to get back to playing because of the threat of the virus. Broad however said that he trusts medical staff fully and is not nervous because of that.

"I know everyone feels very differently about this. Sergio Aguero has been talking about how nervous the players would be. Personally, I wouldn't be," said Broad.

"I have huge faith in our medical team at the ECB. I have known Nick Peirce, the chief medical officer, for a long, long time and I have full faith in what he and his team believe is right for cricket.

"Yes, we all want to see cricket being played whether it is behind closed doors and just on TV or in front of spectators. And I know that the England doctors I've worked with over a long period of time would not cut corners to make it happen.

"So if one of Nick or Gurjit Bhogal, our current England team doctor, rings and tells me 'I think this is a good way to do it,' I will 100 per cent trust what they are saying."

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Amidst the break from cricketing events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, legendary Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Yousuf picked his favourite Indian batsman of the current era.

During a recent Question and Answer session on social media with fans, Yousuf was asked to name his favourite Men In Blue cricketer.

The legendary middle-order batsman then picked Indian skipper Virat Kohli and swashbuckling batsman, Rohit Sharma, as his favorite cricketer.

Rohit, who is now the vice-captain of the ODI team, has played 224 ODIs, 108 T20Is, and 32 Tests so far. The limited-overs vice-captain has so far scored 14,029 runs across all formats.

In the longest format, he has also reinvented himself as the batsman started opening the batting in Test cricket last year. Rohit is the only player in the world to have three double tons to his name in ODI cricket.

He also holds the record for the highest individual score in the 50-over format as he played a knock of 264 runs against Sri Lanka at the Eden Gardens.

On the other hand, Kohli is widely hailed as the run-machine and has many records under his belt.

In 86 Test matches, he had 7,240 runs studded with 27 centuries and 22 half-centuries. In 248 ODIs, he has amassed 11,867 runs with an average of 59.33.

In the shortest format of the game, he has played 82 games in which he slammed 2,794 runs at an average of 50.80 with the help of 24 fifties.

Both Rohit and Kohli would have been in action for their respective franchise had the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced from March 29.

However, the tournament has been suspended indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Yuzvendra Chahal is among the best leg-spinners in international cricket right now but he can be more effective with better use of the crease, says former Pakistan spinner Mushtaq Ahmed. Ahmed picked Chahal, Australia's Adam Zampa and Pakistan's Shadab Khan among the top leg-spinners in white-ball cricket. "Chahal as been impressive. He is definitely among the top leg-spinners of the world. And I feel he would be more effective if he uses the crease a lot more," Ahmed told PTI.

Ahmed, who has coached all around the world and is currently a consultant for his native team, said India's ability to take wickets in the middle-overs in the limited overs format through Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has been a game-changer for them. Both the wrist-spinners were brought into India's limited overs set-up following the 2017 Champions Trophy. Though, of late, both Chahal and Kuldeep havn't been playing together. "He (Chahal) can go wide of the crease at times. You got to be smart enough to understand pitches. If it is a flat pitch, you can bowl stump to stump," said Ahmed, one of the best leg-spinners Pakistan has produced. "If the ball is gripping, you can go wide of the crease because you can trouble even the best of batsmen with that angle. That way your googly also doesn't turn as much as the batsman expects and you end up taking a wicket." Chahal has taken 91 wickets in 52 ODIs at 25.83 and 55 wickets in 42 T20s at 24.34. He is not a huge turner of the ball but uses his variations very effectively. Ahmed also feels the likes of Chahal and Kuldeep have benefitted immensely from former captain M S Dhoni's advice from behind the stumps.

"You have got to be one step ahead of the batsman. You should know your field position as per the batsman's strength. I always say attack with fielders not with the ball. If you understand that theory, you will always be successful," the 49-year-old, who played 52 Tests and 144 ODIs, said. "India has become a force to reckon with in all three formats as it uses its bowlers really well. Dhoni was a master at getting the best out of his bowlers in limited overs cricket and now you have Virat Kohli." He also said the art of leg-spin remains relevant more than ever. "You need leg-spinners and mystery spinners in your team as they have the ability to take wickets at any stage of the game. I see a lot of them coming through in the next 10-15 years. "Most batsmen now like playing express pace but with a good leg-spinner in the team, you are always in the game," added member of the 1992 World Cup-winning squad.

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Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal on Sunday shared a throwback picture with 'legend' MS Dhoni saying that he misses 'being called tilli from behind the stumps'.

Chahal took to Twitter to share a picture with Dhoni and captioned the post: "Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!!"

Miss being called tilli from behind the stumps by the legend..!! ðŸ¤ÂðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ pic.twitter.com/iWGz6E11Pw

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) May 3, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has taken a huge toll on sports across the globe as all the sporting events have either been cancelled or postponed.

The COVID-19 crisis in the country also put an indefinite halt to the Indian Premier League (IPL) in which Dhoni was to slated to make his return to the field. The former captain has not played any international match after India's exit from the 2019 World Cup.

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Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum on Wednesday called for the introduction of a team from his country in Australia's Big Bash League to boost audience interest in the T20 competition.

All cricket is on hold right now due to the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping through the globe with several tours and tournaments being either cancelled or postponed. Even the future of the T20 World Cup, scheduled for an October 18 start, is shrouded in uncertainty. Several countries, including Australia have imposed travel restrictions, and McCullum feels adding a team from New Zealand in the tournament could pique the interest of the audience in the league, which has suffered a dip in crowd and TV numbers in the past two years. "What an opportunity for the Big Bash if there's a shortage of international cricket," McCullum told 'SEN Radio'.

"If we're being honest, the Big Bash has tailed off a little bit in its following of late and what a great opportunity to really launch that back into Australian sporting fans' eyes and what a great opportunity to bring a New Zealand team in the BBL," he added. The former captain also suggested removing the "overseas" cap on New Zealand players as several international players may not be able to compete if the COVID-19 restrictions continue.

"Perhaps you could even use New Zealand players as local players because there may be a distinct lack of overseas players who will want to travel, especially high-quality ones," McCullum said "A little bit of creative thinking and another opportunity to get some New Zealanders across Tasman," he added. Talks for a trans-Tasman bubble, which will alow travel between the two countries, have been on at the government level as cases of coronavirus in both countries continue to drop. Last week, Australian officials granted 36 New Zealand rugby players and staff a rare exemption from the country's ban on international arrivals.

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Cricket Australia is set to begin the team's pre-season later this month under a set of new training protocols devised for the safety of players amid the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report in 'The Sydney Morning Herald', CA is churning out strategies for the resumption of training under the watchful eyes of its chief medical officer Dr John Orchard and head of sports science and sports medicine Alex Kountouris.

The duo is working closely with counterparts of other cricket playing nations and are part of committees of the Australian government and the ICC which are trying to find ways for the resumption of sports. The report said CA's immediate priority is to draw up protocols for players' pre-season, which include barring the use of saliva or sweat to shine the ball during training.

"There's physical distancing in the nets—there are two or three bowlers in each net. One bowls at a time, the batter is 22 yards away so it's not a big problem," Kountouris said.

"We don't see it as too big a problem to manage, but these are the things we're spelling out. This is what you should do: keep your distance."

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India cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed a fine snack prepared by his daughter Sara, 22, and happily shared his experience on social media.

Sara prepared a plate of beetroot kebabs for her father on Thursday and he simply loved them. Sachin shared this picture on Instagram, holding up a plate full of beetroot kebabs (left). Alongside, he posted another picture (right) of the plate, but this time it was empty. "Gone in 60 seconds! Thanks for the fabulous beetroot kebabs @saratendulkar," Sachin captioned his post that went on to receive nearly one million 'likes' within a few hours.

In an Instagram story, Sachin added that Sara also prepared a Tabbouleh (a Lebanese vegetarian salad), which was also a hit with the family, who are currently in lockdown at their Bandra home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "This was over before we could say Tabbouleh," wrote Sachin.

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A furious US President Donald Trump on Monday accused the American media of giving unfair coverage to his fight against the Coronavirus and played video clips appreciating his administration's efforts in containing the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. "I mean, if you had libel laws, they (the media) would have been out of business even before they'll end up going out of business. So it's too bad," Trump told reporters during his White House news conference on Coronavirus. "We really have done this right. The problem is the press doesn't cover it the way it should be," he said. He alleged that several news outlets, including the New York Times, are biased.

"I have never seen a video like that playing in this room. It looks a bit like a campaign ad. Who produced a video for you?" he was asked by a reporter. "That was done by a group in the office and it was done just by — we just put some clips together. I bet I have over 100 more clips even better than them. They were just pieced together over the last two hours," Trump said. The Washington Post alleged that this was a campaign style video. According to Politico, Trump "fiercely defended" his administration's response to the Coronavirus at the briefing, complete with a campaign-ad-like video aimed at bolstering his case.

The US has over 5,50,000 confirmed cases of infections. It has recorded 1,509 deaths related to the pandemic over the past 24 hours, bringing the tally to 23,529, the most of any country. Trump, however, said the number of daily new infections remained flat nationwide over the weekend, sending clear evidence that the aggressive strategy to combat it is working. He insisted on easing restrictions by May and claimed that he has 'total authority' to take a call on lifting the restrictions that ends on April 30, according to reports. The Trump administration is considering easing the stay-at-home orders from May 1.

"We don't have a king. We have an elected president. The Constitution clearly says the powers that are not specifically listed for the federal government are reserved for the states, and the bounds between federal and state authority are central to the Constitution — one of the great balances of power," CNN quoted Democratic New York Governor Andrew Cuomo as saying. So far, at least 1,21,787 people have died from the virus and 1,947,727 have tested positive.

1,509
Total no. of death recorded in the US in 24 hours

Trump denies plan to sack Fauci

Donald Trump has dismissed rumours that he was going to fire his top medical advisor on the pandemic. Unusually, the evening briefing at the White House began with a statement by the internationally renowned Dr Anthony Fauci, seeking to defuse speculation that he had fallen out with the Republican president. Trump, who on Sunday fuelled speculation by retweeting a critical comment with the hashtag #FireFauci, sought to draw a line under the latest White House turmoil. "I like him," he said of Fauci. "I hear I'm going to fire him. I'm not gonna fire him, I think he's a wonderful guy." But Trump then launched into a sustained assault on other targets, demonstrating his frustration with accusations that he has mishandled the crisis.

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Thousands of people on Saturday defied the countrywide lockdown to attend the funeral of a Muslim cleric in Bangladesh, triggering fears of rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

The news media in Bangladesh reported that thousands of people, without masks and in clear violations of social distancing, participated in the funeral prayers of Khelafat Majlish's 'Nayeb-e Amir' Maulana Zubayer Ahmad Ansari, held at a madrasa in Bertola village under Sorail Upazila of Brahmanbaria district. The cleric had passed away at his home last night.

The gathering was large and the authorities did not stop it, media reports said. Noted Bangladeshi author, Taslima Nasreen, who lives in exile in Sweden, tweeted that 50,000 people had attended the funeral prayers, defying the ban on mass gatherings during the lockdown. "Stupid government didn't even try to stop these stupid people," she tweeted.

Like many other countries where religious congregations are turning out to be a major multiplier in the pandemic, the Saturday funeral gathering could become Bangladesh's hotspot for the outbreak. So far, over 2,100 people have tested positive and 84 have died due to Coronavirus in Bangladesh.

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Despite the World Health Organisation's warnings to not rush into easing the Coronavirus restrictions as it could lead to a resurgence of the disease, some of the affected countries have started to restart their economies.

Spain, which was also planning to ease the lockdown when the daily deaths dropped below 400, had to reconsid its plan after recording a spike for the second day on Wednesday. Another 435 people died in the past 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 21,717, said the authorities.

Pedro Sanchez, Spain PM

Spain has suffered the third-highest number of deaths in the world after the US and Italy, with infections now hitting 2,08,000 cases, health ministry figures showed. Monday's figure of 399 deaths was the lowest in four weeks, but a day later, it rose to 430 with officials explaining the numbers tend to go up slightly on Tuesday following delays in receiving regional data on weekend deaths.

The March 14 lockdown has been twice extended with Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez seeking parliament go-ahead to prolong nation's state of emergency until May 9. "We must avoid missteps. If we stay on top of the virus and our health system maintains and reinforces that impression, then we will propose another step," BBC quoted him as saying.

A worker on a construction site on Wednesday in Cenon, France, as works resume after stopping several weeks; long lines built up outside the few McDonald's drive-thrus that started serving customers again; more than 10 million employees in France - one out of every two in the private sector - have been laid off during the lockdown. Pic/AFP

But from Sunday, the conditions are to be eased for youngsters in Spain, who have not been allowed out of the house for nearly six weeks under one of the most restrictive lockdowns in the world. From April 26, those under 14 will be allowed to go for a walk with one of their parents or accompany them on trips out to buy food, medicine or go to the bank.

Addressing MPs at Wednesday's parliamentary session, Sánchez said moves to ease the lockdown would likely begin in the second half of May. "The second half of May offers the prospect of a scaling-back [of the lockdown], of phase two of the fight" when the restrictions "will be modified", he said.
But the lockdown "will not be lifted until we are prepared for it because we are not going to take any risks," he said, insisting that "any optimism must be tempered by prudence".
'
"We must be incredibly careful in this phase," he said. "The scaling-back period will be slow and gradual, precisely because it has to be safe." Restrictions were also being eased in Denmark, Austria and France. In the US, too, some states were relaxing restrictions. The pandemic has infected over 2.5 million people and killed over 1,77,000 around the world.

Iran and Iraq continue to report new deaths

Iraq, which had on Tuesday partly eased the lockdown restrictions, recorded one more fatality, bringing the tally to 83 on Wednesday. The Health Ministry said the total number of cases reached 1,602 with 28 new cases, reported Anadolu Agency. In Iran, where local shops were reportedly allowed to open from April 20 but with social distancing in place, reported 94 new deaths on Wednesday. But the cases of infections was on the way down, it said. Health ministry said the fatalities detected in the past 24 hours took Iran's overall toll to 5,391; and infections climbed to 85,996 with 1,194 new cases. "If we arrogantly think that the job is done and we have won, then this would be the biggest problem that could affect us," President Hassan Rouhani said. Iran has struggled to contain the outbreak. Despite that, Iran has allowed many businesses to reopen since April 11 after shutting most down in mid-March to prevent the spread of the disease.

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Saudi Arabia is to abolish flogging as a form of punishment, according to a directive from the Kingdom's Supreme Court, adding that flogging will be replaced by imprisonment or fines.

The directive issued on Friday says this was an extension of human rights reforms brought by King Salman and his son, the country's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, reports the BBC.

The last time that flogging in Saudi Arabia hit the headlines was in 2015 when blogger Raif Badawi was subjected to the punishment in public, reportedly after being convicted of cybercrime and insulting Islam.

He had been due to receive 1,000 lashes in weekly beatings but global outrage and reports that he nearly died put a stop to that part of his sentence.

This comes as campaigners have said that Saudi Arabia has one of the worst records for human rights in the world, with freedom of expression severely curtailed and critics of the government subject to what they say is arbitrary arrest, the BBC reported.

Earlier on Friday, the most prominent Saudi human rights campaigner died in jail after a stroke which fellow activists say was due to medical neglect by the authorities.

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Australian flag carrier, Qantas on Tuesday extended international flight cancellations till the end of July, but said that it was in a strong position to endure disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company said that domestic flights would be cancelled till the end of June and international services until the end of July, adding that domestic and trans-Tasman services could be quickly reinstated should restrictions ease in coming weeks, reports Xinhua news agency.

"Australia has done an amazing job of flattening the curve and we're optimistic that domestic travel will start returning earlier than first thought, but we clearly won't be back to pre-coronavirus levels anytime soon," Group CEO Alan Joyce said.

"With the possible exception of New Zealand, international travel demand could take years to return to what it was."

The company, which includes budget branch Jetstar, also revealed it had secured a further A$550 million ($354 million) in debt funding, placing it in a stronger position to endure the COVID-19 crisis.

According to Qantas, by reducing expenditure and borrowing against its fleet of aircraft, the company could survive several recovery scenarios, including one where current travel restrictions persisted until December 2021.

The reduction in expenditure is largely due to the standing down of more than 25,000 staff who were forced to use leave entitlements before receiving delayed financial assistance from the government.

"The impact of this stand down is deeply regrettable but has been greatly softened by the Australian Government's JobKeeper program, which the Group commenced paying several weeks ahead of the official payment start date," the airline said in a statement.

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Four top Republican senators have urged President Donald Trump to suspend all new guest worker visas for 60 days and certain categories of new guest worker visas, including the H-1B, for at least a year or until unemployment figures return to normal levels in the US amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic, which has so far claimed 76,000 lives and infected over 1,256,000 in the US, has ravaged the labour market, and 1 in 5 American workers have filed for first-time unemployment benefits since mid-March, when the lockdown hit businesses across the country, the world's largest economy.

1/5th workforce out of work

The letter to president Trump, dated May 7, has been signed by Senators Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, Chuck Grassley and Josh Hawley. "More than 33 million Americans have filed for unemployment coverage just since mid-March, and approximately one-fifth of the American workforce is currently out of work. "This is a stunning difference compared with the historically-low nationwide unemployment rate of just 3.5 per cent in February this year," the senators said in their letter.

"To protect unemployed Americans in the early stages of economic recovery, we urge you to suspend all non-immigrant guest worker visas for the next 60 days," the senators said.

'Suspend EB-5 visa too'

"That suspension should, at a minimum, include H-2B visas (non-agricultural seasonal workers), H-1B visas (specialty occupation workers) and the Optional Practical Training programme (extension of foreign student visas after graduation). We also urge you to suspend the EB-5 immigrant visa programme, effective immediately," the lawmakers wrote. The H-1B work visa for foreign technology professionals is highly popular among Indians and a large number of Indians also opt for the EB-5 investors visa.

Worst monthly record

The US unemployment rate hit 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression, as 20.5 million jobs vanished in the worst monthly loss on record. The figures are stark evidence of the damage the coronavirus has done to a now-shattered economy.

The collapse of the job market has occurred with stunning speed. The government's report Friday noted that many people who lost jobs in April but didn't look for another one weren't even counted in the unemployment rate. The impact of those losses was reflected in the drop in the proportion of working-age Americans who have jobs: Just 51.3%, the lowest on record.

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[Source: Research & Innovation] Illegal fishing destroys marine habitats and threatens species living at sea. An EU-funded project is helping authorities to crack down on these operations by developing the world's first seabird ocean-surveillance system.

India's GST Council has decided on a number of goods and services tax regime amendments to boost the availability of affordable housing in the country.

India has again extended the due date for furnishing the annual GST return and reconciliation statement for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Switzerland and the Netherlands have signed a protocol to their double tax agreement that will bring it into line with international standards.

On May 28, 2019, Dutch State Secretary for Finance Menno Snel issued an update on the Government's 2019 fiscal agenda, which includes an outline of tax legislative proposals that the Government intends to submit to parliament in the remainder of the year.

Indian share markets ended their trading session lower yesterday.

Benchmark indices edged lower tracking weak global cues as investors fretted over weak economic data and rising COVID-19 cases.

Barring energy stocks, all sectoral indices ended on a negative note with stocks in the power sector, telecom sector and consumer durables sector witnessing most of the selling pressure.

At the closing bell yesterday, the�BSE Sensex stood lower by 242 points and the�NSE Nifty�closed down by 72 points.

The SGX Nifty�was trading at 9,200, down by 53 points, at the time of writing.

The�BSE Mid Cap�index and the�BSE Small Cap�index ended their day down by 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, after a sharp rally in the past few weeks, the markets have turned volatile again.

You would be interested in knowing when the market will likely bottom out.

Vijay Bhambwani, editor of Weekly Cash Alerts, has the answer and he has recorded a video about it.

You can check the same here -�This is When the Stock Market Will Bottom Out

Also, our special report, How to Trade the Coronavirus Crash, is the most comprehensive report on how to trade the coronavirus, both from a short-term and long-term perspective. You can�claim your FREE copy here...

Top Stocks in Focus Today

From the pharma sector, Dr Reddy's Laboratories share price will be in focus as the company announced that the its NDA (new drug application) Elyxyb ((celecoxib oral solution 25 mg/mL) has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The drug is indicated for the acute treatment of migraine with or without aura in adults.

From the IT sector, HCL Technologies share price will also be in focus as the company reported a 22.8% year-on-year (YoY) rise in consolidated net profit at Rs 31.5 billion compared with Rs 25.7 billion in the same quarter last year.

Revenue for the quarter rose 16.3% YoY to Rs 185.9 billion from Rs 159.9 billion reported in the year-ago quarter. In dollar terms, revenue rose 11.7% YoY to US$ 2,543.40 million from US$ 2,277.80 million. On a sequential basis, dollar sales were flat. Sales growth in constant currency terms rose 13.5% YoY to US$ 2,584.60 million.

To know more about the company, you can read HCL Technologies' Q4FY20 result analysis on our website.

Market participants will also be tracking RBL Bank share price, Cyient share price and Gillette share price as these companies announced their March quarter results yesterday.

You can read our recently released Q4FY20 results of other companies here: Ambuja Cement,�IndusInd Bank,�Axis Bank,�Tech Mahindra,�HUL,�Reliance Industries,�Marico, Kansai Nerolac, NIIT Technologies, Persistent Systems.

GSK Sells Stake in HUL via Block Deal

From the FMCG sector, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) share price will be in focus as the UK-based Glaxo-SmithKline (GSK) offloaded its stake in HUL via block deals yesterday.

According to the term sheet, over 133 million shares are being offered in the range of Rs 1,850-1,950 to investors through a special block window. The deal will be valued roughly between Rs 246 billion to Rs 259 billion.

GSK and�Horlicks�are selling up to US$ 3.4 billion worth of HUL shares through what could be India's biggest secondary market block trades.

The British drug maker is looking to monetise about 5.7% of�HUL stock it had got after last year's merger of GSK Consumer Healthcare and HUL.

As per the scheme of amalgamation amongst GSK Consumer Healthcare and HUL, GlaxoSmithKline Pte had received 54.08 million shares of HUL, meanwhile Horlicks received 79.69 million shares.

Accordingly, parent company Unilever Plc and group companies' stake in HUL reduced to 61.9%, from 67.2% earlier after the issue of new shares.

Yes Bank Q4FY20 Results

Yes Bank reported better-than-expected March quarter (Q4FY20) results.

Yes Bank�posted a net profit of Rs 26.3 billion on the back of one-time gain attributed to an exceptional item of Rs 63 billion.

The bank has written-down additional tier-1 bonds as part of its planned reconstruction scheme, leading to a one-time gain of Rs 63 billion.

In the absence of the exceptional gain, the bank would have reported a net loss of Rs 36.7 billion.

The bank had reported a net loss of Rs 15.1 billion a year ago, while the same was Rs 185.6 billion in Q3FY20.

The bank's net interest income (NII) for the March quarter came in at Rs 12.7 billion, up 19.6% sequentially.

Net interest margin (NIM) for Q4FY20 came in at 1.9%, compared to 3.1% a year ago.

On the asset quality front, gross non-performing assets (NPA) fell 19% QoQ to Rs 328.8 billion, mostly on account of write-offs.

The bank's deposits plunged to Rs 1.05 lakh crore, down 54% YoY compared with Rs 2.27 lakh crore.

Meanwhile, Advances declined 29% YoY to Rs 1.7 lakh crore from Rs 2.4 lakh crore in the year-ago quarter.

For the financial year 2019-20 (FY20), the private lender posted a loss of Rs 164.2 billion, on a standalone basis, compared to net profit of Rs 17.2 billion in the previous year.

To know more, you can read Yes Bank's latest result analysis on our website.

Speaking of the banking sector, the low access to credit for micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) tells us there is a huge opportunity for lenders.

This is evident from the chart below:

India's Huge Lending Opportunity

Of the 60 million MSMEs in India, only 11% had access to credit from organised lenders. Most of them are self-financed or get credit from unorganised sources.

Here's what Tanushree Banerjee wrote about this in one of the editions of�The 5 Minute WrapUp...

• Self-financing limits the growth of these MSMEs. On the other hand, high interest rates from unorganised sources makes it difficult for them to earn profits.
  
  The Modi government is looking at various ways�to correct this problem. Mudra loans, online loans facilities are being made available to MSMEs.
  
  Slowly but surely, lenders are sensing the huge opportunity that lies ahead for this sector.
  
  Banks and other financial firms with prudent lending practices and strong distribution networks will benefit from this�megatrend.

Tanushree is counting on 7 top stocks from the Indian stock market that will benefit from this megatrend.

As per her, now is the right time to buy these stocks to profit from the�Rebirth of India.�You can read about them here.

And to know what's moving the Indian stock markets today, check out the most recent�share market updates here.

Indian share markets ended their trading session on a positive note today.

Benchmark indices edged higher, tracking overnight gains in the US market and positive Asian stock markets.

Further, talks of an economic stimulus for small businesses battered by the coronavirus outbreak improved sentiment.

Reportedly, the government may unveil fiscal stimulus amounting to 0.3% of the country's gross domestic product, focusing on small and medium sized businesses, real estate firms and banks.

At the closing bell, the�BSE Sensex�stood higher by 199 points (up 0.6%) and the�NSE Nifty�closed higher by 52 points (up 0.6%).

SGX Nifty�was trading at 9,260, up by 64 points, at the time of writing.

The BSE Mid Cap�index ended up by 0.1%, while the�BSE Small Cap�index ended the day down by 0.5%.

On the sectoral front, gains were seen in the energy sector and FMCG sector, while power stocks witnessed selling pressure.

Asian stock markets�finished on a strong note as of the most recent closing prices.

The�Hang Seng�was up 1% and the Nikkei was trading higher by 2.6%. The Shanghai Composite was up 0.8%.

European markets were trading on a positive note. The DAX was trading up by 0.8%, while the CAC 40 was trading up by 0.7%.

The rupee was trading at 75.55 to the US$ at the time of writing.

Gold prices�are currently trading up by 0.2% at Rs 46,274.

Speaking of the current stock market scenario, Indian stock markets have seen a stunning recovery over the last 5 weeks.

From its all-time high levels of 42,274 touched on January 20 this year, the Sensex crashed 39% to a multi-year low at 25,639 on March 23. Later, the index made a rapid recovery till April 30 as it added 4,250 points.

Thereafter, in just two sessions of this month, Sensex lost 7%.

Excluding this week's 7% fall, of all the rebounds after a 35%-40% fall in the market, the current one has been the biggest by a distance.

This is evident from the chart below:

Sensex: From Bear to Bull in 30 Days

While the Sensex has rebounded sharply, there are still many stocks out there that are trading at attractive valuations.

Co-head of research at�Equitymaster, Rahul Shah, believes this is a good time to get into stocks, even if you missed the rally because the market is fairly valued.

History has shown that after years like the one we had just now, the next 3 years are good for the markets. In fact, these corrections are the rare times when you find businesses with solid fundamentals at reasonable valuations.

If you can�find good businesses�that can survive the current crisis, you will do well in the long run.

Moving on, market participants were tracking�Shree Cement share price,�TCI Express share price, and�SBI Cards and Payment Services share price�as these companies announced their March quarter results (Q4FY20) today.

You can read our recently released Q4FY20 results of other companies here:�Ambuja Cement,�IndusInd Bank,�Axis Bank,�Tech Mahindra,�Reliance Industries,�Marico,�Kansai Nerolac,�NIIT Technologies,�Persistent Systems,�SKF India.

In news from the banking sector, RBL Bank share price was in focus today.

The private lender on Thursday reported a 54% decline in its March quarter net profit to�Rs 1,143 million on the back of higher provisions.

The bank's total provisions trebled on a year-on-year (YoY) basis and stood at�Rs 6.1 billion in Q4FY20. It holds�Rs 1,079.5 million of provisions in excess of what RBI has mandated for covid-19 related moratorium.

The lender logged a 37% YoY growth in its operating profit at Rs 7.7 billion compared to Rs 5.6 billion a year ago.

The bank's total revenue jumped 33% YoY to Rs 15.2 billion from Rs 11.5 billion reported in Q4FY19.

RBL Bank's net interest margin (NIM) stood at 4.93% in the March quarter. Its net interest income (NII) grew 38% YoY to�Rs 10.2 billion in Q4FY20.

The bank's deposits fell 1% to�Rs 578.1 billion in Q4FY20. Current and savings account (Casa) deposits grew 17% and 2% sequentially to�Rs 171.1 billion in the March quarter.

The private lender's advances increased 7% to�Rs 580.2 billion.

For the financial year 2019-20, the bank's total income stood at Rs 55.4 billion, up 39% YoY from Rs 39.8 billion, while its operating profit jumped 42% YoY to Rs 27.5 billion.

To know more, you can read RBL Bank's Q4FY20 result analysis on our website.

Moving on to news from the pharma sector, shares of Dr Reddy's Laboratories rallied 8% today to hit a 52-week high of Rs 4,132, after the company received the Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from US health regulator for its manufacturing plant at Srikakulam.

In a regulatory filing, the company said it has received EIR from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), for the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) manufacturing plant at Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh (CTO VI).

The site was issued warning letter in November 2015 after the inspection in 2014, and was under "Official Action Indicated" classification till now.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories share price ended the day up by 3.8%.

In other news, Laurus Labs share price witnessed selling pressure today. Stock of the company�slipped 10% today after more than 30 million equity shares of the pharmaceutical company changed hands via multiple block deals.

As much as 19.1 million shares were traded on BSE, while on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), about 15.3 million shares changed hands.

Last week, the company had reported its consolidated net profit at Rs 1.1 billion, which more than doubled from Rs 430 million reported in the year-ago quarter.

The company's board also recommended for the sub-division of equity shares of the company from existing face value of Rs 10 each to face value of Rs 2 each, subject to regulatory approvals.

Speaking of the pharma sector, in December 2019, co-head of Research at�Equitymaster, Tanushree Banerjee had predicted that pharma could be the sector to see a�big rebound in 2020.

And rightly so, most�pharma companies�have re-emerged as the safer bets for investors in the ongoing market turmoil. Last month, the Indian rupee touched a new record low of Rs 76.92 against the US dollar. Most�pharma companies�generate their revenues through exports. Hence, a depreciating rupee is a positive development for them.

As per Tanushree, in a�post Covid-19 world, healthcare expenditures globally will see a big rejig.

Tanushree has her eyes on an exciting tech stock. The company in question is developing its medical division. It's focusing on telemedicine, which Tanushree believes will be a huge growth driver in a post Corona world.

Looking at the potential upside in the stock, over a period of five to ten years, Tanushree believes investors could become a�One Stock Crorepati.

To know what's moving the Indian stock markets today, check out the most recent�share market updates here.

Luxembourg's Government Council, comprising government ministers, has approved legislative changes to the territory's VAT regime to introduce the four quick fixes to improve the functioning of VAT rules in the European Union.

The South African Revenue Service has released the 2017 edition of its Tax Statistics report, looking at the agency's performance over the 2013 to 2016 tax years.

Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, tech giants Facebook and Google will allow the majority of their employees to work from home.