Tendulkar is ICC's ambassador for Worldcup 2011

The International Cricket Council on Thursday announced the appointment of Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar as the official event ambassador for the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

With exactly 100 days to go, Tendulkar in his role as ambassador will be called upon to promote and support a variety of ICC initiatives for the World Cup, which will take place in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19 to April 2 next year.

"There are just 100 days to go and I am really looking forward to playing in another Cricket World Cup," said Tendulkar, who will join Pakistan's Javed Miandad as the only other player to take part in six World Cups.

"In terms of limited-overs cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup is the highest level you can play so it is always a thrill to take part in such an important and widely followed event," he said. 

"The fact that the 2011 event will be staged here in the sub-continent makes it even more special for me and I am keen to ensure we play well. As a team we would be doing everything we can to win the world cup on home soil," Tendulkar added.

ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said: "We are very lucky to have such an extraordinary player as Sachin supporting our flagship event.

"I don't think any other player has inspired a nation like he has and the respect and affection he enjoys goes way beyond his native India. Many other athletes and sports fans around the globe admire what he consistently achieves and what he does for cricket."

She dedicates her medal to all Indians. Discus-thrower Krishna Poonia, the first Indian woman to claim CWG gold in athletics and only the second from this country after Milkha Singh in Cardiff 1958 to rule the podium in a track-and-field discipline, belongs to that rare breed called jinx-breaker. That Harwant Kaur (silver) and Seema Antil (bronze) flanked her as the Tricolour and crowd rose on a floodlit evening brought to the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium this rarest of rare sights: a 1-2-3 by the Bharatiya nari in international competition… on a day when gold eluded India’s male athletes.

Monday had numerous success stories. And yet, there was disappointment both for this festival of sport and the host nation. If what till now had held promise of being the ‘Clean Games’ was sullied by Nigerian 100m winner Oludamola Osayemi failing a drug test – the first such instance in Delhi 2010 -- and being provisionally suspended, India’s boxers, of whom more was expected, faltered in the semis. Amandeep Singh (49kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Dilbag Singh (69kg) and world number 1 Vijender Singh (75 kg) — penalised points in a bout during which both he and the home federation insist he was the victim of harsh refereeing — finished with bronze. As did shooters Tejaswini Sawant-Meena Kumari in the 50m rifle prone (pairs).

However, there is nothing disappointing about this detail: with 81 medals, 30 of these gold, as at Manchester 2002, the record run continues. This is India’s all-time best performance at the CWG.

India's Harwant Kaur (silver), Krishna Poonia (gold) and Seema Antil (bronze) celebrate during the discus women medal ceremony of the Track and Field competition of the XIX Commonwealth Games in New Delhi. Krishna Poonia led an Indian clean sweep in the women's discus final, winning the Commonwealth Games gold medal with a throw of 61.51 metres. Harwant Kaur came second (60.16) and Seema Antil was third (58.46).

India's Harwant Kaur (silver)

India's Seema Antil (bronze)

Indian women shooters Hina Sidhu and Annu Raj Singh brought 31st Gold for India in the Commonwealth Games 2010 on Tuesday.

Hina and Annu shot Gold in the 10 m air pistol pairs event. This is the best performance by Hina and Annu in the CWG 2010. Hina and Annu scored 759 points.

Earlier, Indian shooters also won two silver medals in different events. Tejaswani Rawat claimed Silver medal in 50 m rifle prone event. Pair of Chandrashekhar and Samresh Jung won the Silver medal in 25m Standard pistol pairs.

India’s great run in the Commonwealth Games 2010 has been continued. The host country stands second in the CWG 2010 medal tally with 31 Gold medal, 25 Silver and 28 Bronze (Total- 84).

It May be a Exaggerating statement to say that Indian Batting Depends upon Virender Sehwag but At lest Current stats especially the ones in Sri Lanka at present depict more or less the same story.

Thanks to Sehwag India has ,managed to reach finals as throughout the ODI Series sehwag has scored 240 runs in four games.Skipper MS Dhoni is a distant second with only 73.

Sehwag also Proved his Mettle Against Lankans in Test by becoming highest run scorer and further wining the Man of the Series award .“He is the best opener in the world,” declared Matthew Hayden, himself an accomplished opener till he retired in 2009. “Few players leave the impact that Virender can leave in a game,” the Aussie told

As Per Hayden Sehwag's leaves a impact on the game then any other opener in all formats of the game from ball one.

"He leaves an impact on every match, be it a Test, an ODI or a T20 contest. He brings excitement and drama to the game from the very first ball"

Hayden says he is amazed by Sehwag’s ability to play square off the wicket without moving his feet.

“The best thing about his batting is the shots he plays square off the wicket. His ability to go over the top and over backward-point is amazing. It’s such a great strength that few can match. He looks to attack always.”

Hayden, who was also known to be an attacking batsman, is particularly impressed with Sehwag’s track record in Tests. “With Test cricket, we’re not giving as much attention as we should be.

Tests are all about strategy. Virender destroys all strategies. He brings the excitement and drama from the first ball.

If Test cricket is still alive, it is because of players like him. It’s good for the game.”

Hayden says Sehwag is also the best batsman in the Indian team along with Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina. “Among the Indians, he is one of the best along with Sachin but I think Sehwag makes a big impact.”

It may be almost a month until the French Open begins but the mind games between the world's two best players on red clay, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, have already begun, with both denying they are the favourite for the title.

Having won his first Roland Garros crown last summer and picked up three of the past four grand slam titles, Federer might be entitled to go into Paris as top dog. But the manner in which Nadal won his sixth straight Monte Carlo title nine days ago has thrust the Spaniard back to the top of the tree, at least on clay.

That all makes for a tasty sub-plot to this week's Masters 1000 event here in Rome for the two are due to meet in the semi-finals.

It would be their first clash since Federer beat Nadal to win the title in Madrid last May and would give both players an indication of where they stand.

Federer, never one to shy away from mind games, was first off the mark. "The guy's been on an absolute tear on clay for pretty much five years, he's lost just one match at the French Open and I think he's still the favourite," Federer said.

"I'd love to say that I am the favourite but I don't think that's right. He has not lost to anyone outside of potential top five or top 10 players on clay, although there are definitely guys that can play well against him."

Nadal's response was to blow out his cheeks and assert that it was far too early to talk about Paris.
"For both of us it would be very good news to be in the semi-finals in a very tough tournament like Rome," the Spaniard said.

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New Delhi: Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has signed a whopping Rs 200 crore endorsement deal with a talent management company, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar in the corporate contract sweepstakes.

Dhoni has entered into a two-year deal with Rhiti Sports Management and Mindscapes, which will manage the Indian skipper's long list of endorsements and brand associations, corporate profile, patents and digital rights, images, visibility on social networking sites and merchandise through a joint venture.

Tendulkar's three-year deal with sports management firm Iconix, signed in 2006, was worth Rs 180 crore.

Confirming the development, Rhiti Sports General Manager (Operations) Sanjay Pandey said as per the agreement, the company will be looking after Dhoni's entire spectrum of endorsements.

"Yes, we have entered into a two-year contract with Dhoni for Rs 200 crore. We have signed the contract a week back.

New Delhi: The meteoric rise of Saina Nehwal continued unabated as the ace Indian shuttler moved up one place from third to second in the international badminton rankings. Nehwal is now sandwiched between two Chinese, with Wang Yihan occupying the No.1 spot while Wang Xin lies behind her at No.3

It comes after a hat-trick of titles for Nehwal who recently won the Indian Open Grand Prix, Singapore Open Super Series and Indonesian Open Super Series.

This comes as a morale-booster as she prepares for the World Badminton Championships in Paris next month to be followed by the Commmonwealth Games and Asian Games

Newly married Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi wave to the crowd from the balcony of their home in Ranchi on Wednesday, which was Dhoni's 29th birthday.

Newly married Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his wife Sakshi Singh Rawat in Ranchi on Wednesday

Newly weds Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni and Sakshi at the Birsa Munda airport in Ranchi on Thursday

Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi at the Kolkata airport Thursday

Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi at the Kolkata airport Thursday

Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi at the Kolkata airport Thursday