धोनी के इस्तीफे की वजह यह तो नहीं!

Breaking News : प्रशंसक, पूर्व खिलाड़ी और क्रिकेट से जुड़े तमाम लोग महेंद्र सिंह धोनी के उस हालिया फैसले पर हैरान रह गए, जब सभी प्रारूपों में भारत के सबसे सफल कप्तान ने सीमित ओवरों के खेल में भारत की कप्तानी छोड़ दी। लोगों ने हैरानी भरी प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि धोनी से ऐसा क्यों किया? वहीं दूसरे लोग इस सवाल को दूसरे नजरिये से भी पूछ रहे हैं कि आखिर धोनी को ऐसा क्यों नहीं करना चाहिए था? दशक भर से देश की कप्तानी संभाल रहे धोनी का यही अंदाज रहा है कि उन्होंने निजी हितों पर टीम को ही हमेशा तरजीह दी है। निश्चित रूप से इस पहलू ने अहम भूमिका निभाई हो लेकिन पूरी कहानी यहीं खत्म नहीं हो जाती।

व्यावसायिक हितों जैसे शब्द की व्याख्या करते हुए लोढ़ा समिति की रिपोर्ट में दर्शाया गया, 'डी टीम का कप्तान है। साथ ही वह खेल प्रबंधन एजेंसी में सह-मालिक भी है, जो टीम के अन्य सदस्यों से जुड़े अनुबंधों को देखती है। डी हितों के टकराव से प्रभावित है।' रिपोर्ट में आगे कहा गया, 'इस मामले में जब असंदिग्ध साख वाले तमाम क्रिकेटरों से पड़ताल की गई कि कि आखिर हितों के टकराव की क्या स्थिति हो सकती है तो वे हैरान रह गए कि किसी हित टकराव वाली स्थिति के लिए कोई गलत काम जरूरी नहीं है। समिति ने संज्ञान लिया कि किसी पद पर बैठा व्यक्ति खेल में ईमानदारी का अवमूल्यन कर सकता है और ऐसे हालात इन आरोपों के लिहाज से उसे संवेदनशील बना सकते हैं।' अगर धोनी इस्तीफा नहीं देते तो वे इस प्रकार के परिदृश्य के काफी करीब नजर आते क्योंकि उन्हें 6 जनवरी को आगामी एकदिवसीय और टी 20 शृंखलाओं के लिए चयनकर्ताओं की बैठक में सक्रिय भूमिका निभानी पड़ती।

धोनी अपने बचपन के दोस्त अरुण पांडेय के साथ मिलकर रिति स्‍पोर्ट्स मैनेजमेंट नाम की एजेंसी चलाते हैं, जो खुद धोनी सहित दर्जन भर मशहूर शख्सियतों के विज्ञापन अनुबंधों का काम देखती है। इसके साथ के एल राहुल, भुवनेश्वर कुमार, प्रज्ञान ओझा और मोहित शर्मा जैसे खिलाड़ी जुड़े हुए हैं। इनमें राहुल और भुवनेश्वर एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट टीम का हिस्सा भी हैं। साथ ही धोनी लंबे समय से ऐसी टीम के कप्तान भी रहे हैं, जिसमें नियमित रूप से रवींद्र जाडेजा और सुरेश रैना की मौजूदगी रही। यह तथ्य भी किसी से छिपा नहीं रहा कि ये दोनों खिलाड़ी भी उस समय रिति स्पोट्र्स मैनेजमेंट के साथ थे। रैना ने जहां वर्ष 2015 में रिति के साथ अपना करार खत्म कर लिया, वहीं जडेजा ने पिछले साल अक्टूबर में ही रिति को अलविदा कह दिया। Read more

How Virat Kohli cracked the Rs 100-crore league

Virat Kohli is today, without doubt, India's premier human brand. And, that transformation, the meteoric rise, has taken place between Diwali (October 2015) and Holi (March 2016). Kohli's rankings were on the ascendant for the last three to four years, but he remained in the shadow of his captain and senior team mate, MS Dhoni. Besides sportsmen, typically lag the Bollywood troika of the Khans and Mr. Bachchan when it comes to celebrity rankings. But Kohli has managed to change all that.

The World Cup T-20 ignited Brand Virat Kohli. I studied the brand's evolution on 64 parameters and found that the rise in valuations is quite unprecedented. I have been tracking personality brands for well over a decade and such a major metamorphosis in a brand's attribute wheel, that too in such a short period, has rarely been observed. One reason is, of course, the phenomenal exposure that live television provides today. As a result after the T-20 matches, Virat's explosive batting and soaring sixes - not to forget his nimble running between the wickets - were seared into public memory.

When I finished one round of field studies in October-November last year, over a sample of over 2,500 respondents across five cities, Kohli was not in the position he is today. I then ran a purposive sample just after the World Cup T-20. In the interim six months, he had zoomed to the top, leaving Salman Khan who was top-of-the-pops in the last round way behind.

What makes Virat so special? When we look at his brand map, we find that his scores have zoomed on parameters labelled tough, dynamic, innovative and reliable. Kohli is regarded as progressive and contemporary, but most importantly, he is rated very high on being distinctive, stylish and prestigious. On most of these attributes his scores have doubled in a mere six months; that too across gender, demographics and geographies.

Judging by these responses, there is obviously more to Brand Virat than just his cricket. The fact that he is no longer seen to be arrogant (as he was perceived in his early years) is interesting. He is believed, on the contrary, to be very approachable and straight-forward, which means that his behaviour, on-field and off-the-field, is being closely watched by millions of his fans. His flying a kiss off his bat to then lady love Anushka; his bowing to icon Sachin Tendulkar in the pavilion on achieving a batting milestone; his appeal to everyone on social media to not troll his 'ex' - these actions seem to have endeared him to many. And for brand managers all around the world, these are all indicators of the making of a brand that transcends mere power drives and lofted maximums.Read More.

Great casual cricket

Great casual cricket

It's the T20 season. First the World Cup, now IPL. And when you see your chosen team slog it out in the field, your hands are bound to itch for a grip on the willow. Whether you manage to actually knock around a ball or not, you can always grip your smartphone and take a few bowlers for a ride if you have the right app handy. Circle of Cricket is a good option. In fact, if you have a powerful enough phone, spare memory and the battery on your side, this is a great option.

The 108MB game can be downloaded for free from the Google Play Store, while its in-app purchases range between Rs 60 and Rs 300. The game offers a Twenty20 tournament mode, quick match mode and a one-day mode. Its focus however is on the T20 format, wherein lies its best experience.

Read more from our special coverage on "CRICKET"

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• Movies, cricket in fight for summer eyeballs
• Virat Kohlis Pakistani fan Umar Daraz who hoisted tricolour gets bail

First, do not go hunting for a Cricket Captain experience. You don't find one here, and you don't need one. Keeping that in mind, the graphics are good. Players look quite similar to their real-world counterparts. The range of shots is varied enough to keep the runs coming. Bowlers, are a tad bit prone to no-balls, but once you get the hang of it, wickets aren't a problem. Overall detailing is pleasing.

The Game, thankfully, lets you use swipe gestures to play the shots instead of complicated key combinations, making it easier to master. Drag longer for hits, and take small swipes for defence. However, the gameplay is challenging and tough enough to keep you glued for that hour-and-a-half-long Metro ride, and winning matches won't come easy.Read More.

Brilliant Brathwaite, Super Samuels win World T20 for Windies

Brilliant Brathwaite, Super Samuels win World T20 for Windies

West Indies tonight created history by becoming the first nation to win the ICC World T20 twice with a dramatic four wicket victory over England riding on Carlos Brathwaite four consecutive lusty sixes in the final over of the innings.

Chasing a tricky target of 156, it was Marlon Samuels, who did an encore of the 2012 final that Darren Sammy's men had won, hitting a magnificent 85 not out off 66 balls with nine boundaries and two huge sixes.

However it was the unheralded giant Brathwaite, who showed why he commanded such a record IPL price fromDelhi Daredvils scoring 34 off only 10 balls as he hit the four most important maximums of his short cricketing career.

With 19 runs needed off the final over, Brathwaite hit the first ball behind square for a six and the next was hit over long-on for a six and the third over long-off to basically bring down the equation 1 off 3 balls before finishing off with another hit over deep mid-wicket.

The entire stadium save a few English fans erupted in joy as the West Indiesteam members rushed to the field to congratulate the heroes.

It was one of the most beautiful sights as the women's team also joined their men as the danced to the now popular Bravo rap of 'Champion' in unison. They took a 'lap of Honour from an Eden Gardens that gave them a standing ovation.

The West Indies despite all their problems are now World Champions in U-19, women's and men's World T20.

For England's bowling unit, the hero certainly would left-arm seamer David Willey, who had phenomenal figures of 3/20 in 4 overs with an astounding 13 dot balls as he increased pressure on the Caribbean batsmen before Stokes frittered it away.Read More.