With marriage to Sakshi Singh Rawat, Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become richer by $US42 million ($48 million). Dhoni has, according to media reports from India,  signed the richest marketing deal in the sport’s history, earning him US $ 42 million for over two years.

Dhoni, 29, has signed up with an Indian sports management company Rhiti, which will handle his endorsements, merchandise, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, as well as visibility on social networking sites.

“We have entered into a two-year contract with Dhoni for 2000 million rupees ($48 million),” Rhiti general manager Sanjay Pandey told newsmen.

“We signed the contract a week back. From now onwards we will be handling Dhoni’s endorsements.”

The deal, the richest in Indian cricket history, surpasses batting superstar Sachin Tendulkar’s $US40 million ($45.62 million) three-year contract with sports management firm Iconix in 2006.

Dhoni, often described as India’s most eligible bachelor, married childhood sweetheart and hotel management student Sakshi Singh Rawat at a private ceremony outside the northern town of Dehra Dun last week.

Dhoni is reported to currently endorse 22 leading brands, including Pepsi, Reebok, Aircel, Godrej and Hersheys.

A Forbes study last year on the world’s richest cricketers put him at the top with an annual earning of $US10 million ($11.4 million), followed by Tendulkar at $US8 million ($9.12 million).

Two other Indian cricketers, Yuvraj Singh ($6.27 million) and Rahul Dravid ($5.7 million), were ranked third and fourth, while England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was in fifth place with ($4.56 million), Forbes said.

Australian Test captain Ricky Ponting was in sixth place with ($3.99 million) a year, the magazine said, adding the figures included club and national team salaries and commercial endorsements.With

Former BCCI chief Sharad Pawar has taken over as ICC president from England’s David Morgan following the body’s annual conference in Singapore. Pawar will lead the ICC for two years after having served as Morgan’s deputy for a similar period, and his appointment comes after the controversial rejection of former Australian prime minister John Howard’s bid for the vice-president’s job , report agencies.

 Pawar is the second Indian to hold the ICC’s top job, after Jagmohan Dalmiya’s stint in the late nineties. He praised the leadership of outgoing president Morgan, terming it an ‘impressive innings’. “David Morgan has set the principles by which the ICC operates and now it is our responsibility to build on his legacy,” Pawar said.

One of India’s most influential regional politicians, Pawar’s rise to the most powerful post in cricket administration started with a fractious victory over former India captain Ajit Wadekar in the elections to the Mumbai cricket board in 2001. The next big step was the defeat of Dalmiya’s candidate in the tussle for control of the BCCI in 2005 after losing by one vote in the previous year

MUMBAI: Sharad Pawar on Friday arrived from Singapore after formally taking over as the ICC president and rubbished suggestions that rejection of John Howard’s candidacy for the vice-president’s post would divide world cricket.

Pawar, who succeeded Englishman David Morgan, returned here this morning after taking charge as president during the ICC Executive Committee meeting in Singapore.

Upon arrival, the union agriculture minister was bombarded with questions about Asian bloc’s refusal to back Howard but he rejected talk of any divide by insisting that the former Australian Prime Minister just didn’t get enough support in a democratically-held election.

“The majority did not support him. Ultimately in any democratic organisation, there has to be support from the majority but that was not there in his case,” he said.

Asked whether the rejection would divide world cricket, Pawar said, “I don’t think so. We have discussed the matter individually and collectively with everybody including Australia, England and New Zealand. We took a collective decision.”

The 69-year-old Pawar will now have to shoulder twin responsibilities of being a minister and ICC president but the veteran politician said would be able to handle with a little help from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Fortunately the ICC headquarter is in Dubai and Dubai works on Saturday and Sunday. So, it’s a matter of two hours flight. So, I think there won’t be any difficulty. Secondly I will discuss with Prime Minister about my responsibilities and will take appropriate decision so that my government work is not affected,” he said.

“I may suggest for more hands. I had asked for three ministers but they have given only one. If I request to reduce some of my work, we may find some solution. I won’t allow my work in government to suffer,” he said.

Asked what he considers the biggest challenge of his new job, Pawar said, “We have to preserve all the formats of the game. Today we have 105 countries who are ICC members. But in true sense unless we expand the game to China, USA, some parts of Eastern Europe and some parts of Africa, the game would not reach every corner of the world.”

New Delhi: A rousing welcome was accorded to ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal after she completed a spectacular hat-trick of titles by clinching the Indonesia Open Super Series with a three-game triumph over Japan’s Sayaka Sato on Sunday last. The reception comes in the wake of her criticism that she is more popular in Indonesia and Malaysia than in her own country.

On arrival back in the country, Saina, told reporters that she would work even harder to win the World Championship, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.

‘When I can become world number 3, I can also become world number 1 but would not push myself so fast and would like to work hard on the coming tournaments.”

‘I am quite happy that I have reached number three spot. But it is important for me to work hard and win tournaments rather than focus on rankings,’ she said.

‘After winning three tournaments in a row, the confidence level has gone up. For me it is important to stay focused and keep working hard the same way, play selective tournaments so that I can stay injury free and play well in these tournaments,’ said a proud Saina while displaying her medals.

Unbeaten for the past three weeks, the top seeded defending champion defeated her unseeded but resolute rival 21-19, 13-21, 21-11 in a rollercoaster encounter that lasted 45 minutes.

This was Saina’s third successive title, having won the Indian Open Grand Prix at home and the Singapore Open Super Series Tournament last week. This is also the 20-year-old world number three’s third Super Series title overall.

In a see-saw battle, the 19-year-old Sato matched the defending champion shot for shot for most part of the opening game but was undone by her own mistakes at crucial junctures.

The first game that lasted 14 minutes had both the players tied 11-11 at one stage and though Saina remained ahead for most part after that, a gritty Sato did have her share of chances.

Leading 20-18, Saina could have finished it off on her own serve but she handed Sato a chance by hitting the shuttle wide.

But Sato could not capitalise and smacked a forehand into the net to give Saina the opening game.

The second game saw Sato making a comeback with the change of ends also leading to a change in fortunes. The Japanese proved to be the more dominant of the two players in these 15 minutes as she raced to a 4-9 lead.

Sato sent down some powerful shots from the baseline and Saina could only watch as they fell out of her range. The frustration of being out-witted by a rival ranked 26th in the world showed when Saina clinched her fist at one of Sato’s unforced errors.

Shaken by the setback, Saina roared back in the decisive third game. The Indian took a comprehensive 11-5 lead but continuing her never-say-die attitude, Sato reduced the margin to 9-13.

The Indian, however, was in no mood to slip up and emerged triumphant after reeling off four successive points.

A jubilant Saina let out a huge scream after winning the title, which also made her richer by $18,750.

Earlier, Saina had clinched the second Super Series title of her career by winning the Singapore Open with a straight-game triumph over qualifier Tzu Ying Tai in the finals on Sunday.

Top seed Saina took just 33 minutes to beat Chinese Taipei’s Tai 21-18 21-15 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, according to media reports.

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar added another feather to his cap when he became the first batsman to cross the 200-run mark in an one-day international at Captain Roop Singh Stadium in Gwalior on Wednesday. The double ton also helped India go past the 400 mark setting a target of 402 for the tourists. India bowled out South Africa for 248 and winning the three match series 2-0

Tendulkar achieved the unique landmark when he run a single off Langeveldt against South Africa in the second one-dayer of the ongoing three-match series. Sachin’s 200 came off 147 balls, which include 25 fours and 3 sixes. The master surpassed the previous highest individual score made by Pakistan’s Saeed Anwar (194 against India in 1997) and Charles Coventry of Zimbabwe (194 not out against Bangladesh in 1999). Continue Reading

When Sunil Gavaskar read the pitch in the morning, Sangakkara took the cue and opted for batting upon winning the toss. But Gambhir (150) and Virat Kohli (107) showed grit not only to overcome the fiery bowling of rookies pace bowlers Suranga Lakmal and Perera assault that claimed both the openers Sehwag and Tendulkar but also clinched the 5-match series.

For the first time in four matches an even contest between bat and ball was on display. And even though the willow had a slight edge, especially in the second session because dew made it difficult for bowlers to grip the ball, the medium-pacers had their share of dominance early in both innings. After Sangakkara won the toss and decided to set a target, home side bowlers Nehra and Zaheer Khan started off beautifully, restraining the destructive opening duo of Dilshan and Tharanga.  In fact, Nehra started off with a maiden over — India’s first in the ongoing five-match series. Continue Reading

Team India after its series win over Sri Lanka in Mumbai

After over 77 tests and remaining minnows for several decades, India today became the number one team in Test rankings following it victory over  Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final cricket Test to clinch the three-match series by a 2-0 margin. Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the hosts took just about 40 minutes to polish off the visiting team’s tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.

Resuming at 274 for six, the Sri Lankans lost their heroic captain Kumar Sangakkara (137) in the very first over and were bundled out for 309 with Zaheer Khan being the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 5/72. The Sunday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium, hosting a Test match after a gap of 36 years, witnessed a historic moment as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crowned themselves the number one team. Continue Reading

Sachin and Gambhir frustrated Sri Lankans to draw the first Test at Motera

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has reached another milestone in his career by completing a phenomenal 30,000 runs in international cricket during the ongoing Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka on Friday. Tendulkar, who completed 20 glorious years in cricket on Sunday (November 15), needed 35 runs to reach the landmark at the start of India’s second innings in the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka. Next in line for the feat is is Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who had recently crossed 24,000 runs.

Tendulkar has 17,178 runs in ODI cricket, 10 runs in the only T20 International he’s played, and 12,878 Test runs after the first test against Sri Lanka in Ahmedabad on 19th November 2009.He holds the record for most ODI and Test runs and centuries. He also completed his 43rd test century in the just concluded test. Tendulkar is clearly widening the gap between him and his contemporaries and it is certainly going to be difficult for anybody to catch up with the great batsman. Continue Reading

Mitchell Johnson capped a tumultuous year by becoming the sixth winner of the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, after being named as the ICC World Player of the Year at cricket’s annual awards ceremony in Johannesburg. Johnson, who shot to prominence during Australia’s memorable series win in South Africa in February and March, claimed the title ahead of his fellow nominees, Gautam Gambhir, Andrew Strauss and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.Johnson was a surprise choice for the title, not least because of the massive and very public crisis of confidence he suffered during Australia’s Ashes defeat in England, particularly in the pivotal second Test at Lord’s which England went on to win after Johnson’s first-day figures of 2 for 107 in 19 overs. But when he got his game right he was nigh on unplayable, as his sensational performances against South Africa demonstrated. With 80 wickets in 17 matches, he was the most prolific strike bowler of the year, and he also recorded his maiden Test century and an unbeaten 96 against South Africa.

“I’m really blown away,” said Johnson. “I am just surprised to be up here. It has been a great 12 months for our side. We have lost some wonderful players in recent years and we have been rebuilding with some young guys in the team and we have played together well.”

India’s star opener, Gambhir, was named as Test Player of the Year, after an impressive haul of 1269 runs at 84.60 in the eight Tests during the qualification period. “It’s been a dream run for me. I never thought it could be like this but life has changed for me and I am very happy,” said Gambhir. “As a unit we have played very well and I am just glad to contribute to the overall success of the team.” Continue Reading

Pak team celebrates World T20 truimph

An eight-wicket win over an off-colour Sri Lanka in the World T20 final at Lord’s provided Pakistan, the team and the country, a reason to smile. The win will also have helped erase the nightmares of the last final where they lost a tight game to India.

Unpredictability has always been one of Pakistan’s biggest banes, and not too many were convinced of their ability to repeat the cricket they played in their semifinal win over South Africa. But skipper Younis Khan had said on match eve, this tournament meant ‘everything’ to his players and everyone would be up for it.

Continue Reading

Saina exults after winning Indonesian Open

Ace woman shuttler Saina Nehwal on Sunday scripted history by becoming the first Indian to win a Super Series tournament after she clinched the Indonesian Open title with a stunning victory over higher ranked Chinese Lin Wang in Jakarta.  Saina clinched her maiden Super Series title beating Wang 12-21, 21-18, 21-9 in an edge-of-the-seat thriller that lasted 49 minutes.

Her triumph is the best ever performance by any Indian woman and at par with All England Championship titles won by Prakash Padukone and her current coach Pullela Gopichand. Continue Reading