A 65-year-old man on Thursday succumbed to burn injuries he received in the Mumbai hospital fire, bringing the total number of people killed in the tragedy to 10, an official said.
Besides, 116 injured people, including some children and firemen, were undergoing treatment in seven hospitals across the city, he said.
Kisan Naravade died at the Holy Spirit Hospital in suburban Andheri due to burn injuries. With this, the death toll in the tragedy rose to 10, the official of the city civic body’s disaster management cell said.
He said that 53 patients were so far discharged.
The fire broke out in the government-run ESIC Kamgar Hospital at Marol in suburban Andheri Monday, killing six people that day.
The death toll rose to eight until Tuesday, with two more persons dying in different hospitals.
The 325-bed hospital did not have the fire department’s no-objection certificate (NOC), mandatory for such institutes to function.
Nearly 375 people, including patients and visitors, were in the five-floor hospital when the fire broke out, an official had earlier said.
The blaze appeared to have erupted after a short-circuit near the rubber rolls stored on the ground floor, he had said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had on Tuesday ordered a probe into the incident and the Union Labour Ministry had announced compensation for the victims.
A Delhi court on Thursday granted interim bail till January 19 to RJD president Lalu Prasad in two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) scam cases filed by the CBI and the ED.
Special Judge Arun Bharadwaj granted relief to Prasad after he was produced before the court through video conference from a Ranchi jail, where he is lodged in another case, as he was unable to come due to health reasons.
The court directed both the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file their replies to Prasad’s application seeking regular bail in both the cases.
The cases relate to alleged irregularities in granting operational contract of two IRCTC hotels to a private firm.
The court had earlier granted regular bail to Prasad’s wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi Yadav in the CBI case, while they are on interim bail in the ED matter, which was extended till January 19, the next date of hearing.
In its charge sheet, the CBI had said there was enough evidence against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and other accused, including Additional Member of Railway Board B K Agarwal, who was then the group general manager of the IRCTC.
Besides them, former Union minister Prem Chand Gupta, his wife Sarla Gupta, then managing director of IRCTC P K Goyal and then IRCTC director Rakesh Saxena are also named as accused in the charge sheet.
Among others named in the charge sheet are — then group general managers of IRCTC V K Asthana and R K Goyal and Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owners of Chanakya Hotel.
Delight Marketing Company, now known as Lara Projects, and Sujata Hotels Private Limited have also been named as accused firms in the charge sheet.
The CBI had registered a case in July last year and carried out searches at 12 locations in Patna, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar and Gurgaon in connection with the case.
The charges in the case include criminal conspiracy, cheating and corruption, the CBI had said.
According to the charge sheet, between 2004 and 2014, a conspiracy was hatched in pursuance of which BNR hotels of the Indian Railways, located at Puri and Ranchi, were first transferred to the IRCTC and later, for its operations, maintenance and upkeep, it was given on lease to Sujata Hotel Private Limited, which is based in Patna, Bihar.
It is alleged that the tender process was rigged and manipulated and the conditions were tweaked to help the private party – Sujata Hotels.
It also claimed that on February 25, 2005 Vinay Kochhar sold commercial property in the form of three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing, in which Sarla Gupta was a director as a front benami holder on behalf of Prasad.
Between 2010 and 2014, this land was further transferred, the CBI alleged.
In 2001, it was decided to handover the management of catering services of the Indian Railways, including of its hotels, to the IRCTC. Two such hotels — BNR Hotels in Ranchi and Puri — were also identified and a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the railways and the IRCTC on March 19, 2004.
According to an FIR flied by the CBI, Prasad, the then railway minister, entered into criminal conspiracy with the owner of Sujata hotels, Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close associate Prem Chand Gupta, an Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP in the Rajya Sabha, and IRCTC officials for “undue pecuniary advantage to himself and others”.
The probe agency also alleged that BNR hotels were transferred to Sujata Hotels through a “rigged and manipulated” tender process managed by P K Goyal, the then managing director of the IRCTC.
The CBI enquiry shows that the railways sought bids for developing, operating and maintaining Rail Ratna Hotels on September 16, 2006.
The probe agency has alleged that Prasad was aware about the whole process and was keeping a track of the tender proceedings.
It surfaced that while over 15 bid documents were received for both the hotels, the IRCTC had no records of bidders other than Sujata Hotels.
It was also alleged that with an intention to render undue pecuniary gains to Sujata Hotels, the bid of another hotel was deliberately and unreasonably given low marks under technical evaluation.
“As a result, Sujata Hotels remained the only bidder in financial evaluation and was qualified,” the CBI had alleged, adding that after the tender was awarded to Sujata Hotels, the ownership of Delight Marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Rabri and Tejashwi between 2010 and 2014.
By this time, Prasad had demitted the office of railway minister.
He became Bihar’s chief minister in 1990, but had to resign in 1997 following corruption charges in the multi-crore rupees fodder scam. From 1997 to 2005 his wife Rabri ruled as the chief minister of the state and was replaced by JD(U) president Nitish Kumar.
Prasad also served as Union Railways minister from 2004 to 2009.
The RJD again came back to power after forging an alliance with its bitter rival Janata Dal (United), led by Kumar in 2015, and Tejashwi Yadav became the deputy chief minister.
However, Kumar parted ways from the RJD in July last year marking the end of Tejashwi’s tenure.
Based on the CBI case, the ED also lodged a case of money laundering against Prasad, Rabri, Tejashwi and others.
Political opponents may project Shiv Sena and BJP as anti-Muslim parties but the Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari’s home return after six years in Pakistan jail wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, BJP leader Krishna Hegde, and the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. It was an emotional reunion for Hamid Nihal Ansari and his family at the Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday, whose long struggle ended and eventually all the efforts bore fruit.
The External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar asserted, “It is a matter of great relief, especially for the family members; that six years of imprisonment of the Indian civilian in the Pakistan jail has come to an end.” He further stated, “We would like Pakistan to take action to also end the misery of other Indian nationals and fishermen whose nationality has been confirmed and who have completed their sentences, but continue to languish in the Pakistan jails.”
After spending six years in Pakistan jail on espionage charges, Hamid Nihal Ansari reached India. Ansari’s father Nihal, mother Fauzia, and his other family members were present at the border to welcome him. To make this possible, Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar helped his parents with all sorts of communication work by approaching the central ministry. In 2014, two consecutive letters were sent from Kirtikar’s office. The first letter was sent on June 9, 2014, for the appeal to search Ansari, while on August 23, the second letter expressed gratitude towards the External Ministry for their response and the efforts they put in the matter. Later, again after Ansari’s parents approached Kirtikar, he on June 10, 2015, requested the External Ministry and the Government of India to shower some mercy on them.
In a conversation with AV, Gajanan Kirtikar stated, “When we came to know that he is in Pakistan jail after being wrongfully detained, I made efforts to convince the Pakistan officials. In the meanwhile, his parents were going to many politicians and they approached me, I wrote to the President of India. Jatin Desai took all the credits but people like me had no mention. I still feel whatever has happened was due to his mistake but his intentions were not wrong. There are many Pakistani youths who come to India by mistake and get arrested. When such issues come to us, I evaluate these issues beyond religion and purely on humanitarian grounds.”
Ansari’s mother called her son’s release “a victory of humanity” and by backing him, she said that he had no “bad intentions”. According to the media reports, 33-year-old Ansari was imprisoned for possessing a fake Pakistani identity card. He was lodged in the Peshawar Central Jail after being sentenced by the military court on December 15, 2015.
Mother of Hamid, Fauzia Ansari told AV, “My son went with self-sacrificing aims. Hamid had no wicked intentions, but primarily went missing and was later caught and jailed. He shouldn’t have gone without a visa. His release is a victory for humanity.” While the Father of Hamid, Nihal Hamid Ansari mentioned, “I am very happy that my son has come back to India. Well-wishers from both India and Pakistan helped us a lot and especially Gajanan Kirtikar. He never discouraged any of our requests and helped us throughout.”
BJP leader Krishna Hegde, by adding emotions to the mother’s stand told us, “It’s a happy moment that Hamid Ansari met his parents who have worked very hard for their son’s release. He further thanked Sushma Swaraj and the concerned officials from India and Pakistan for rendering their support. A special mention must also be made for his lawyers, media, and NGOs who have supported his parents for the past years of struggle.”
Hamid Nihal Ansari, 33, who is an IT Engineer, MBA, was arrested for illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan, reportedly to meet a girl he met online. In 2015, a military court sentenced him to three years in prison for possessing a fake Pakistani ID card. In the first letter to the External Ministry, it was mentioned by Ansari’s parents that Hamid was in a habit of chatting with some friends in Pakistan for some time, and he also often visited Afghanistan for professional reasons.
A retired police officer on the condition of anonymity spoke to AV on the Hamid Ansari’s saga, he exclaimed, “When Indians make repetitive calls to Pakistan, Bangladesh or any such conservative places, the Police keep vigilance on the calls made especially by the Muslims. If repeated calls are being made, the particular service provider helps and notifies the Police. However, Hamid Ansari’s case exposes the negligence in the security level by the police and the service providers. For two years, when Hamid was constantly involved in texting or calling the Pakistani girl, why the service provider did not inform the government for the same? If the service providers had warned earlier, then this arrest could have been avoided. If there was a genuine love story, the government would have intervened and brought some legal solution to go there. The desperation of this man might indicate many things and security lapses.”
Hamid Ansari’s jail term ended last week. But he wasn’t able to leave for India as his legal documents weren’t ready. On Thursday, the Peshawar High Court gave the federal government a month to complete his repatriation process. He crossed over to India on the basis of emergency travel certificate issued by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. Nonetheless, many speculations have been raised over the warranted mercy towards Hamid by Pakistan.
On the condition of anonymity, an ex-army man expressed, “Hamid being a well-educated person wouldn’t be ignorant of the repercussions of going to Pakistan without any Visa or legal documents. Anyway, Pakistan is known for their resistance to releasing illegal immigrants from India; this guy’s release is an exceptional case in these years. There is a need for quarantine to Ansari and should be asked that on what special grounds Pakistan has shown mercy in his case and what were Ansari’s reasons to visit Pakistan!”
Suresh Kumar, a localite said, “Ansari was tech savvy. He managed to handle several fake accounts and email ids. When he was on virtual media with many fake identities, he was capable to manipulate to meet his targets. Hence, it brings on the suspicion that how he would keep his social networking sites open and easily accessible to anyone. As his parents said that they accessed his social media. However, the police must investigate this matter without taking it gently.”
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Hamid Nihal Ansari, then 27, left home on November 5, 2012, claiming he was headed to Afghanistan in search of a job. But his family later came to know from the officials and the associates that he was in love with a woman from the Kohat region of western Pakistan and had decided to cross over to prevent her marriage with another man. Ansari was convinced by friends and contacts in Pakistan that he could enter the country easily from Afghanistan. He created many Facebook accounts and multiple email addresses; he was a social media bug and had many female crushes. But one stuck to his choice was this Pakistani girl. They were chatting with each other for a long time; sharing photos and phone numbers established a close bond between them. One day, the lady love told Ansari that her parents had got to know about the relationship and were getting her married to someone. Then, she disappeared. Ansari had gone to Kabul to cross the border illegally into Pakistan so that he could rescue her from the forced marriage. In her last phone call to him, she was crying and said that her sister had told the parents about their relationship. Her Facebook was likely deleted.
Ansari had countless Facebook chats with a few Pakistanis to discuss his dilemma. Transcripts of those, shared by his parents, helped to piece together what had happened. Three online Pakistani friends not only encouraged Ansari to cross the border illegally from Kabul to Kohat but also gave him detailed instructions. One of them even instigated him to not waste time and get there to save his lover. These friends were Atta-ur Rehman Awan, a graphic designer with Dastak, an Urdu magazine in Kohat; one Shazia Khan who claimed to be a medical doctor in Islamabad and the mysterious Saba Khan. This is the story that disturbed Hamid Nihal Ansari and he headed towards Pakistan making fake Pakistani I-Card. He lived virtually with many fake identities and living fake was a part of his lifestyle.
A hysterical Ansari did all he could do to find out about his love. He even found another Kohat woman on Facebook and requested her to find out. She couldn’t. He decided to try and get a Visa to Kohat, making several calls to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi. As a Rotarian, he managed to get an official invitation from the Peshawar Chapter of the Rotary club to visit Peshawar and Kohat to interact with the local youth. The Pakistani government wasn’t taken in by the idea. He met Mumbai-based activist Jatin Desai of the Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy. Perhaps, Desai could help him get a Visa. Kohat is in the heart of a conflict zone so Desai advised him to forget the girl.
Ansari’s madness for that girl was visible to many of his close associates; he went from Mumbai to Kabul and illegally crossed over into Pakistan to look for a Pashtun woman he had fallen in love with through the internet. The Peshawar High Court had asked the government to find out where Hamid Ansari is, and also asked an Islamabad-based commission to investigate. Those days, Hamid was working as a management teacher in Mumbai, told his parents that he had an offer for a job at the Kabul Airport. His parents were against the idea, fearing for his safety. But he insisted that it would be good for his CV. As he faked everywhere, he lied to his parent’s too. His parents last spoke to him on November 10, 2012, when he told them that he would be returning soon as the visit to Afghanistan was not fruitful. However, after November 15, when his phone was not reachable, his parents lodged a complaint at the Versova police station. Hamid Ansari’s mother is a college lecturer in Mumbai. His father is a banker. They emailed all three people and got no replies. Most phone numbers in the chats have stopped taking calls from the Indian numbers. Fauzia Ansari had a relative in Dubai, who said that he had found a dhaba in Kohat for Hamid to stay. He was there for about two days, after which the “agencies” took him away.
They started probing his emails and Facebook pages for a clue. The last email was sent to a girl identified as ‘Saba’, stating that he was with Attubhai. He had been in love with a woman in Pakistan over the internet for two years. She lives in a place where honour killing is not uncommon. When his parents went through his Facebook pages they learnt about his friendship with a few Pakistani nationals. The police probe revealed that the email was sent from Pakistan. This confirmed that his last location was in Pakistan. His parents tried calling his Facebook friends but they never spoke to them. How they accessed to his email and Facebook accounts is altogether a different story, but that’s how they too built up a story. If parents are to be believed, then, they turned on his computer, they found his Facebook and email account open. Looking into those for clues, they discovered what had happened. Some even allege that his visit to Pakistan is pre-planned with an agenda and that was beautifully covered by his agents in the enemy country. Well, after knowing her son’s location, his mother Fauzia filed the writ of Habeas Corpus in April 2014 with the help of Abdul Rauf Rohilla, district governor of the Pakistan Rotary Club Midtown. She also got in touch with a Pakistan-based journalist who travelled to the area from where her son had gone missing. She spoke to the people whom he had befriended over Facebook. She also met the father of the woman for whom her son travelled to Pakistan. The father told her that his daughter was married to another person but refused to share her contact details.
It is a well-known fact that Imran Khan always had the support of the Pakistani Army ISI and different radical groups with whom he shares much better relationship that other previous regimes. After him taking over the powers, the Army ISI and these radical powers can be seen in forefront. Immediately after coming to power, his first gesture was opening up the Kartarpur Corridor. We’ve seen the Khalistani groups taking over this event and they have become much vocal. Recently, the terror activities were noted in Punjab which was quite peaceful over the years. Even the Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has tweeted that the Kartarpur Corridor is nothing but a ploy by Pakistani Army and ISI to revive Khalistani movement and disturb Punjab. Now, this second gesture of releasing Hamid Ansari can’t be seen in isolation.
Their son’s case took a severe toll on the lives of Nihal and Fauzia and not just in the Rs 20 lakh that they’ve spent so far on fees to the Pakistani lawyers and the numerous rounds made to Delhi. That is their fate written by their own blood. No one has to be blamed for it. Ansari made a huge mistake, but one feels angrier about his Pakistani friends online, who first gave him this crazy advice to go to Kohat via Kabul and bring the girl back to Mumbai. Ansari reportedly had the film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge in his mind – he wanted the father to willingly let the girl go with him. The chats contained lover girl’s father’s address and phone number. Perhaps, the “agencies” thought that he is an Indian spy, given the paranoia in Pakistan about India’s alleged activities on the Afghan border. At the same time, Indian investigators probably thought he is being used against India. Having read his long Facebook chats, both were convinced that he was nothing more than a naive young man whose love was blind. Many Indians have a fascination for beautiful Pashtuns. Ansari was perhaps one of them. The maximum punishment for illegally crossing into Pakistan’s borders is six months in jail. Ansari has been in ISI custody for over two years.
It’s the kind support from the Indian government that has approached Pakistan several times to ask about Ansari, interestingly Shiv Sena leader Gajanan Kirtikar helped them run from pillar to post until their son returns to Mumbai. He was released from Mardan jail and was shifted to Islamabad for his onward journey to India. With his parents and his brother waiting on the Indian side of the border, 33-year-old Ansari stepped over the line after the retreat ceremony and fell immediately to the ground to kiss the soil.
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Duchess Meghan was lucky that her wax figure at Madame Tussauds London actually resembled her when the statue was unveiled in May.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case when a new waxwork of the pregnant Duchess of Sussex was introduced Tuesday at the Berlin Madame Tussauds, featuring her and Prince Harry with a holiday scene in the background.
Instead of the elegant emerald sheath dress worn by her wax figure in London, Duchess Meghan’s Berlin waxwork is clad in an ugly Christmas sweater, with Prince Harry wearing one as well.
In one scene, the Harry statue rests his hands on Meghan’s pregnant belly, with both figures wearing deeply disconcerting smiles.
The original wax figure of Meghan was revealed in the London Madame Tussauds in celebration of her wedding May 19, with the museum offering free entry to guests named Meghan or Harry on the day of their nuptials.
Dax Shepard shut down allegations that he cheated on wife Kristen Bell with a clever take down on social media.
The “Parenthood” alum, 43, denied having an affair with Kayti Edwards, the granddaughter of legendary actress Julie Andrews, after the model claimed to the Daily Mail that the two “made love” two years after Shepard started dating now-wife Bell, 38.
The tabloid shared an image of Shepard and Edwards getting hot and heavy during a make out session in a photo booth, which Edwards claims was from a Hollywood party in 2009. She adds that she first met the actor in 2005.
But, Shepard set the record straight on his Instagram account. “Hey Daily Mail, that photo is 13 years old, not 9,” he captioned an image of the outlet’s story.
Shepard, who married Bell in 2013 after six years of dating, added that Edwards is no stranger to the headlines over her alleged involvement with multiple celebrities.
“Kayti has sold stories to tabloids about Matthew Perry, Jack Osbourne, Kid Rock, and now me,” he continued, playfully adding that “I look forward to her next one. Fingers crossed it’s about my #1, Brad Pitt.”
Edwards told the Daily Mail that she doesn’t want “anything to do with Dax,” adding that she only spoke up to tell “the true story (rather) than have this picture floating around and people running with it.” She admitted to posting the image on her private Facebook page as a joke, which sparked speculation.
Shepard and Bell share two daughters: 5-year-old Lincoln (who only recently found out her parents are famous) and Delta, who turns 4 next week.
Bell seems to be unfazed by the news, sharing a selfie Thursday of “what your face looks like when you find out that @sarabareilles has written a song especially for u on a super secret project.”
The couple have been open about the early years of their relationship. Bell even revealed that Shepard almost dumped her for another woman a couple months into their relationship. But the couple has shown a united front for more than a decade.
Bumblebee, a bright yellow petite Volkswagen Beetle would have been another sight to behold had John Cena been cast as the affable autobot’s “spare tyre”, a role the professional wrestler-actor says he would have accepted in a heartbeat.
But director Travis Knight had something bigger planned for the actor.
Cena plays Lieutenant Jack Burns, a hardened military officer who has a grudge against the Transformers. The film is fronted by Hailee Steinfeld, who plays Charlie Wilson, a headstrong vulnerable teenager who befriends Bumblebee.
The actor said the script of the film, penned by Christina Hodson, was like an unputdownable book and he was eager to feature in the film.
“I read it and immediately it was like the joke’s on him and him (Knight and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura). I could have played Bumblebee’s spare tyre.
“I just wanted to be in the movie. And in the initial conversation with Travis we were able to converse about the passion we both had for the movies,” Cena told PTI when asked about his constant attempt to break his established image.
The WWE star, who was here to promote the film, said he wants to be a part of good projects
He said despite initial failures in the movie business, the passion for storytelling kept him going back for more.
“I just want to do good stuff. And before I was thrown into a lot of action movies ‘coz it was a good business model. It wasn’t a good business model ‘coz those movies were failures. My heart was in the live entertainment business. And then after years in live entertainment business, I asked myself, ‘Why do I keep going back?’
“It wasn’t the falls, it’s the ability to tell stories. So, I was grateful and lucky enough to get like another chance in the movies. And I gravitated towards the good stuff… I read it and felt like ‘You know what, I’m gonna do this.'”
The film also features Jorge Lendeborg Jr, John Ortiz, Jason Drucker, and Pamela Adlon.
Releasing on January 4, 2019, Bumblebee – A Paramount Pictures movie will be exclusively distributed in India by Viacom18 Motion Pictures.
The next step in the hunt for India’s new women’s cricket coach will be taken on Thursday when short-listed candidates, including Gary Kirsten, Herschelle Gibbs and incumbent Ramesh Powar, appear for interviews before the BCCI selection panel. The other shortlisted candidates out of the 28 applicants who will be interviewed are W V Raman, Venkatesh Prasad, Manoj Prabhakar, Trent Johnston, Mark Coles, Dimitri Mascarenhas and Brad Hogg.
The high-profile short-list which will be interviewed by an ad-hoc panel comprising ex-India players Kapil Dev, Anshuman Gaekwad and Shantha Rangaswamy.
It is learnt that most of the foreigners will give their presentation via Skype while locals like Powar will appear in person. “The ad-hoc panel comprises former players of high repute. I have no doubt that the committee will pick the best one,” a BCCI official said.
The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (COA), comprising chairman Vinod Rai and former India captain Diana Edulji, have been divided over the coach selection process. While Edulji wanted Powar to continue at least till the New Zealand tour starting next month, Rai instructed the BCCI top brass to invite fresh applications.
Powar’s controversial interim tenure ended on November 30 after a bitter fallout with ODI captain and senior player Mithali Raj over selection issues. The board is now going ahead with the interview process. Powar decided to apply after T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur and her deputy Smriti Mandhana came out in strong support of the former India spinner.
What might go against him is the sequence of events that lead to the interviews. Powar and Harmanpreet, along with other members of the team management, decided to drop Raj for the World T20 semifinal which the team lost to England by eight wickets.
After returning home from the West Indies, Raj accused Powar and Edulji of trying to destroy her and being biased against her. Powar, on his part, accused Raj of threatening to retire midway into the World T20 after being denied the opening slot and creating chaos in the team.
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir, who recently hanged up his boots, said that key for a sports person in handling pressure and overcoming a bad phase is to not let the occasion get the better of him.
Gambhir was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup team and was the top-scorer in the summit clash against arch-rivals Pakistan.
The southpaw was also the top-scorer for India in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, which the hosts won at the Wankhede Stadium.
Asked about his preparations for the big World Cup finals, Gambhir said that key is not to think about the occasions.
“You can’t let the occasions get better of you. It’s still the contest between the ball and the bat, whether it is the World Cup final or it’s any other game,”Gambhir said addressing the Republic Summit.
“It is difficult to accept that is another game of cricket but that is what a sports person needs to think and that is how I prepared myself. Ultimately whether it is the World Cup final or the first game of the World Cup, the contest is not the World Cup final, the contest is between the bowler and the batsmen.
“So ultimately, I have to beat the next ball I am playing and I have got to do the best of whatever I could of the next particular delivery. So that’s how I approached both the World Cup finals rather than thinking about the platform or occasion, it is about watching the ball and reacting to it,” he added.
Gambhir said that he feels fortunate to be part of two World Cup winning teams.
“When I was growing as a kid, it was my dream to be part of a World Cup winning team. The first World Cup of any sort, which I played was in 2007 and ended up being part of the winning team,” 37-year-old Gambhir said.
“So very fortunate because I got the opportunity of doing something special for the country, not once but twice.”
During the discussion, Gambhir was flanked by star shuttler PV Sindhu and wrestler Babita Phogat.
Gambhir also revealed about how he approached the two World Cup finals saying it was all about watching the next ball and reacting to it.
In his career, Gambhir featured in 58 Test matches and 147 One Day Internationals.
Asian Games gold medallist pair of Divij Sharan and Rohan Bopanna was on Wednesday named as the top seed in the men’s doubles event of the Tata Open Maharashtra, starting on December 31.
Sharan, who briefly became India’s number one doubles pair, and veteran Bopanna recently joined forces, keeping in mind the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Tata Open will be their first tournament together.
Radu Albot and Malek Jaziri will be the second seed while Phillip Oswald and Tim Puetz are seeded third. The team of Marcelo Arevalo and Jamie Cerretani is seeded fourth.
Veteran star Leander Paes will team up with Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela with whom he won the Santo Domingo Challengher title and ended runner-up at Brest, Monterrey and Chicago in the 2018 season.
Left-handed Jeevan Neduncheziyan has entered the main draw with American Nicholas Monroe, who is ranked 65th in the world.
“It’s a matter of pride for us to have Asian Games gold medallist Bopanna and Sharan to confirm their participation and become top seeds at the same time,” Tournament director Prashant Sutar said.
World no. 6 Kevin Anderson, World No. 7 and former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Frenchman and defending champion Gilles Simon are among the top names in singles to feature in the second edition of the tournament.
Political opponents may project Shiv Sena and BJP as anti-Muslim parties but the Mumbai engineer Hamid Ansari’s home return after six years in Pakistan jail wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of Shiv Sena MP Gajanan Kirtikar, BJP leader Krishna Hegde, and the External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. It was an emotional reunion for Hamid Nihal Ansari and his family at the Attari-Wagah border on Tuesday, whose long struggle ended and eventually all the efforts bore fruit.
Duchess Meghan was lucky that her wax figure at Madame Tussauds London actually resembled her when the statue was unveiled in May.
Bumblebee, a bright yellow petite Volkswagen Beetle would have been another sight to behold had John Cena been cast as the affable autobot’s “spare tyre”, a role the professional wrestler-actor says he would have accepted in a heartbeat.
Former India batsman Gautam Gambhir, who recently hanged up his boots, said that key for a sports person in handling pressure and overcoming a bad phase is to not let the occasion get the better of him.