Pics : Virat Kohli getting the Arjuna Award!

   Virat Kohli receiving the prestigeous Arjuna Award from the President of India

( In Pictures )

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Virat Kohli & Actress Anushka Sharma, doing 'Salsa' for a Commercial.

What Virat Kohli's doing with Bollywood star Anushka Sharma ? Any Idea Folks? 

> Indian cricket's pin-up boy Virat Kohli and leggy Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma are doing a salsa for a shampoo commercial.

Indian cricket's batting sensation Virat Kohli, who has been driving cars, wooing girls with snazzy mobile phones and posing with teammates in a cola ad, has now put on his dancing shoes for a TV commercial.

Kohli has now teamed up with Bollywood hottie Anushka Sharma and the duo will be seen doing the salsa for a shampoo commercial.

The pin-up boy of Indian cricket may be on a break from international cricket but the in-demand Kohli has now found time to keep his commercial commitments. To shoot for the shampoo advertisement, Kohli had to undergo a crash course in the Latin American dancing style along with the leggy 25-year-old Anushka. 

To perfect their dance moves, the duo underwent intense dancing rehearsals. Displaying amazing chemistry during the shoot, the pair looks stunning in their black outfits. They display salsa moves like the 'change of hand holds' and 'comb' with grace and ease.

Several international cricketers like Sanath Jayasuriya and Harbhajan Singh have hit the dance floor for reality shows. Kohli now makes his 'debut' and in great style. The choice is clear!

[Via : NDTV]

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Virat Kohli highest-placed Indian at tied 6th in ICC T20 rankings

Dubai  :  Virat Kohli is the highest-ranked Indian batsman at joint sixth but there is no Indian presence in the top-10 of the bowlers' list in the latest ICC Twenty20 rankings issued on Wednesday.

At eighth, Suresh Raina is the second Indian batsman in the top-10 with Yuvraj Singh being a distant next best at 16th.

Off-spinner R Ashwin is the highest-ranked Indian bowler at 16th in the chart.



Elsewhere, Pakistan will begin their two-match Twenty20 International series against Zimbabwe on August 23 with an aim to reduce the gap with number-one ranked Sri Lanka.

The two-match series starts in Harare with the second match scheduled to be held on 24 August.

Currently ranked second with 124 ratings points, Mohammad Hafeez's side can gain one ratings point if it wins both the matches, to finish with 125 ratings points and thereby reduce the gap with number-one ranked Sri Lanka (128) to three.

Zimbabwe too have an opportunity to move up, and will jump one place to 11th if they win both matches in the series. Zimbabwe are currently ranked 12th with 48 ratings points, and can gain up to 16 ratings points to move into 11th with 64 ratings points.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez will start the series with an all-round presence in the rankings.

Hafeez is currently ranked second among all-rounders with a career-high 432 ratings points, and is also fourth in the bowlers list and 17th among the batsmen.

In the bowling table, Saeed Ajmal in second and Shahid Afridi in 11th are the other Pakistan players inside the top 20.

For Zimbabwe, spinner Prosper Utseya is the only bowler inside the top 10, in ninth position.The bowlers' list is still headed by West Indies' Sunil Narine, with Sri Lanka's Ajantha Mendis in third.

[Courtesy : NDTV.Sports]

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Nike sues Virat Kohli for breaking contract

In its suit filed on Tuesday, Nike claimed Virat Kohli had breached the contract by disagreeing to continue as its brand ambassador till 2014. The five-year contract from 2008 was extendable by one year.

The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday ordered issuance of emergent notice to cricketer Virat Kohli on a suit filed by sports giant Nike accusing him of breach of an endorsement contract with it.

Justice Huluvadi G Ramesh directed Kohli to maintain status quo for the next four weeks regarding endorsement deal signed with Nike and adjourned the case.

In its suit filed on Tuesday, Nike claimed Kohli had breached the contract by disagreeing to continue as its brand ambassador till 2014. The five-year contract from 2008 was extendable by one year.

Indian Express report says that Nike had entered into a contract with Virat Kohli from 1 January 1, 2007 to 31 December 31, 2007. The deal was renewed for the period between 1 August 2008 and 31 July, 2013 for exclusive endorsement rights.

According to The Hindu, Kohli was paid Rs.1.42 crore for the contract that carried a clause for extension for another year i.e. till 31 July, 2014 with certain conditions.

Nike, in its suit, has pleaded with the court to restrain Kohli from entering into or negotiating any endorsement deal with any third party until the expiry of the deal, company counsel Aditya Sondhi said.

[Courtesy : Sports.NDTV]

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Breaking News : Virat Kohli Bags Arjuna Award

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli has been awarded the 'Arjuna Award' , by the Government of India in recognition of his contribution to sport. The BCCI had nominated Kohli’s name to the Sports Ministry in April this year.

Along with Kohli, badminton player PV Sindhu who created history by winning a bronze medal in the recently concluded world badminton championships, has also bagged the award.

The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the highest sporting honour in the country, has been given to ace shooter Ronjan Sodhi.

The national sports awards will be held in New Delhi on August 29. The winners receive a statuette, a citation and a cash prize of Rs.5 lakh. 

The Arjuna Award selection committee was headed by three-time billiards world champion Michael Ferreira and comprised former India hockey captain Zafar Iqbal, archer Limba Ram, cricketer Ravi Shastri and table tennis player Indu Puri amongst others.


FULL AWARDS LIST ~

'Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna' : Ronjan Sodhi

'Arjuna Awards' :
Chekrovolu Swuro (Archery) 
Renjith Maheshwary (Athletics) 
PV Sindhu (Badminton) 
Kavita Chahal (Boxing) 
Rupesh Shah (Snooker and Billiards) 
Virat Kohli (Cricket) 
Abhijeet Gupta (Chess) 
Gaganjeet Bhullar (Golf) 
Saba Anjum (Hockey) 
Rajkumari Rathore (Shooting) 
Joshna Chinappa (Squash) 
Neha Rathi (Wrestling) 
Dharmender Dalal (Wrestling) 
Amit Kumar Saroha (Athletics)

©YahooCricket


This is a Proud Moment For Virat Kohli Fans. We all know how Virat has been Contributing to Indian Cricket and guiding the team towards victory many times. 
So it's a great honor presented by the Indian Govt. to India's star Cricketer Virat Kohli.
WE ARE PROUD TO BE 'KOHLIANS'

Please Leave back some comments folks...
Thank You!

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I will not change my natural instinct which is to be aggressive, says Virat Kohli

New Delhi :  India's explosive batsman Virat Kohli on Wednesday said there is nothing wrong in being aggressive on the field and sees no reason for changing his approach, the criticism by some former cricketers notwithstanding.

Kohli, who captained India to a 5-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in the one-day series recently, was criticised by former cricketers and commentators and they wanted him to shed his hyperactive demeanour.

Reacting to the 24-year-old Delhi player's angry reactions and arguments with the on-field umpires after he was given out by the third umpire in the second One-Day International (ODI) July 26 in Harare, the former stalwarts said he should change his attitude, more so as he was the captain.

"The criticism has been with me for a long time and I had said before that I do not intend to cross the line at any point of time. But I will not change my natural instinct which is to be aggressive as it helps me to focus and concentrate on my game," he told IANS on the sidelines of a promotional event Cinthol Challenge Virat.

"Crossing the line is not on at all and I wouldn't do it at any point of time. But when you have an emotional overflow, you tend to make a mistake. I am human and not a machine. Everyone makes mistakes and the point is we must learn from and not repeat them."



The Zimbabwe tour was the first one where he was designated as captain for the entire series.

"Being a captain is a very different experience, there is a lot at stake. It is probably the biggest post in sports in our country so obviously it comes with a lot of pressure and responsibility. I really enjoy each and every moment of it. It brings a lot of challenges along with it and I want to live up to them. I have enjoyed my stint," said Kohli, who also leads the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The regular India vice-captain added that a series against minnows like Zimbabwe is as important as any other.

"A lot of players benefited from the series, many of them getting the opportunity after being in the dressing room for two-three months. They had to get some games and in international cricket even if you score runs in a side game, it boosts your confidence."

"Scoring runs and getting wickets in any game gives you confidence and everyone realises that. I think the series was as important as any other and it is for the individual how prepares for it."

[Via : NDTV]

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MS Dhoni hard to contact when on a holiday, says Virat Kohli

New Delhi : Star batsman Virat Kohli on Wednesday said the tips he picked up from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the West Indies proved beneficial for him while leading a young Indian team in Zimbabwe, where they inflicted a 5-0 series whitewash on the hosts.

Kohli had captained the Indian side in three One-dayers in the West Indies when Dhoni was sidelined after hurting his hamstring in the first match of the tri-nation series.

"He (Dhoni) is a guy who doesn't say much. But I keep talking to him about different situations and what I could do and how should I keep myself calm in pressure situations while captaining the side. It helped me chatting to him in the West Indies when he wasn't playing and I was captaining the side. All the tips he gave me really helped me," Kohli said when asked about Dhoni's influence on him as a leader.


India recorded their first-ever ODI series whitewash on the foreign soil when they trounced Zimbabwe 5-0.

Kohli said he has not been able to speak to Dhoni after Zimbabwe win since Dhoni is presently enjoying a break.

"When he goes away for a holiday it is very hard to contact him. I tried to message him on the phone but I couldn't reach. I guess I'll be seeing him soon and speak to him about it (Zimbabwe win)," Kohli told reporters on the sidelines of a promotional event here. 

[Via:Sports.NDTV]

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I am happy for Jadeja's success, expressed Virat Kohli

New Delhi : Virat Kohli  lauded left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who recently topped the ODI bowlers' chart in the ICC rankings, saying the consistency is paying off for the Saurashtra lad .

"I am very very happy that he got the number one ODI bowling ranking. He has worked hard over the past few years. It is really good to see him come up the ranks as I have played U-19 cricket with him.

"I was the captain when he played with me in the U-19 World Cup. It's really good to see him grow in international cricket with all of us. I hope he keeps up the good in the future," Kohli said.








Virat Kohli feels that 'India A' tour to South Africa will groom the players to take on bigger challenges.

"Emerging Players' tournament is good for cricketers. I remember I made a comeback because of that tournament (2009 in Australia). It's a very competitive tournament. I am sure every player will give his 100 percent in the field and come out better," the Delhi cricketer said.

[Via : Sports.NDTV]

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Pics : Virat in action vs Zim | Final | India WHITE WASHED Zim | 5-0

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Parvez Rasool's not playing the 5th ODI defended by Virat Kohli

Bulawayo:  India skipper Virat Kohli feels it was "unfortunate" that Parveez Rasool could not get a game during the just-concluded ODI series against Zimbabwe but insisted that the Jammu and Kashmir all-rounder just did not fit into the team's bowling plans during the tour.

"I'm not really bothered about what's being said about people getting chances, because a lot of people who have played these five games have been sitting on the bench for two months or so," Kohli said when queried about not including Rasool, who could have become the first J&K cricketer to play for the Indian team. Rasool will get chance in future: Rajeev Shukla

India swept the series 5-0 and in the final ODI, it was expected that Rasool would be given a chance as the side had an invincible lead in hand but Kohli said the 24-year-old would get his break later.

"Parveez realises we had a set bowling combination and we didn't want to make any changes to that. It was unfortunate he didn't get a game, but it just didn't go according to our plans. Maybe in future when he plays more series he'll get a few games to test his skills out," he said.

Asked if Rasool could have been given a chance in place of another all-rounder, Ravindra Jadeja, Kohli said, "It's very hard to leave someone like Jadeja out because he's the kind of bowler who can get you wickets at any point in time."

"We didn't want to take any game lightly and I didn't want to change too much in the bowling department. Mishra has been sitting out for a while so we wanted to give him four or five games.

"Parveez is going to South Africa now for the India A tour and he's going to play a lot of games there and pick up more experience. He could have been given a chance but I just didn't want to take a chance with the bowling line-up, leaving someone like Jadeja out," he added. 

Reflecting on the triumph, Kohli said it was heartening to see debutants coming up with solid performances.

"The guys who got a chance for the first time showed a lot of character, especially someone like Mohit Sharma and (Jaydev) Unadkat," Kohli said.

"Ajinkya Rahane coming back into the team, scoring some runs. So it was pretty good to see all the guys performing and playing their roles.

"Amit Mishra sat out for two months on the road regularly and then came out with 18 wickets in this series, so there were a lot of great performances by individuals and some good team efforts as well," he added.

Kohli praised the team's bowlers for adapting well to the conditions.

"The thing is that we analysed and considered the fact that our bowling line-up is pretty new so we wanted to give them more confidence rather than the batting, because the batting has been doing well for about three months," Kohli said.

"There's no point in going out there and trying to prove something to ourselves because all these individuals have performed at international level. India win series 5-0

"It's about giving people the right kind of confidence in games, and the new-ball bowlers got a lot of confidence from bowling in the first innings and that was the plan," he added.

"The batsmen have all scored runs in this series, so it was all about making sure the bowlers go back as more confident individuals."

© sports.ndtv.com

Mishra with his Career best, Team India Whitewashed Zimbabwe under Captain Virat

Bulawayo : Leg-spinner Amit Mishra's six-wicket haul took India to a comprehensive one-day series whitewash in Zimbabwe as they beat the hosts by seven wickets in Saturday's fifth one-day international in Bulawayo.

Mishra' figures of six for 48 saw Zimbabwe bowled out for just 163, and also took his wicket tally in the series to 18 - a new record for a five-match series.
As they had for much of a one-sided series, India made light work of the Zimbabwean target, knocking off the runs in 34 overs to record their first whitewash away from home in a five-match contest.

Although fast bowler Kyle Jarvis returned to the Zimbabwean line-up to claim two wickets in the first 11 overs of the Indian innings, Ajinkya Rahane made 50 after coming in for his first game of the tour and Ravindra Jadeja hit 48 not out to see India to another crushing win.
Rahane batted steadily in his 66-ball knock before he was bowled by part-timer Malcolm Waller, while Jadeja started slowly before opening up to hit two sixes in the second half of his innings.
Man of the series Mishra was the clear star of the show though, as he struck with his very first delivery and then ran through the Zimbabwean lower order with embarrassing ease.

Sean Williams was the only batsman to put up resistance for Zimbabwe, hitting 51 from 63 balls as he provided a partial recovery from 45 for four.

With the hosts once again struggling with the lateral movement on offer to the bowlers up front, 
seamers Mohit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat and Shami Ahmed claimed a wicket apiece before left-arm spinner Jadeja forced Hamilton Masakadza to play on for 32.

Although Williams gained reward for some sensible batting through the middle overs, he continued to lose partners at regular intervals as Malcolm Waller pulled Mishra's first ball to mid-on.
Mishra then trapped Elton Chigumbura lbw and had Tinotenda Mutombodzi caught at second slip in his sixth over, before getting rid of Williams in his seventh.

With Natsai Mushangwe bowled and Brian Vitori undone by Mishra's googly, the leg-spinner had bettered Sri Lankan Ajantha Mendis' record of 17 wickets in five matches at the 2008 Asia Cup.

[Via : Cricket.Yahoo]

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Another easy win for Young Team India.

Pic ©AssociatedPress

Bulawayo : India have had little to complain about on this tour. The series was sealed at the earliest possible opportunity, and their other target of trying out some fringe players is also working well. Ambati Rayudu made a big contribution on his debut, another new face Jaydev Unadkat was the bowling star in the second ODI and the third India player to debut this series, Mohit Sharma, turned in an impressive performance as Zimbabwe were rolled over for 144 in the fourth ODI.

One of their minor gripes could be that Cheteshwar Pujara's much-awaited bow in limited-overs cricket didn't go to plan, with Pujara inside-edging Tendai Chatara for 13. They would have also liked this second-string squad to have been tested more by Zimbabwe, who have been disappointingly limp, rarely putting India under pressure.

In Harare, Zimbabwe's batsmen could at least fall back on the excuse that the new balls curved around extravagantly in the first hour but even against the easier conditions in Bulawayo they came up short. Zimbabwe's troubles were highlighted by the first ball itself, as Mohit served up a beauty that beat Vusi Sibanda and zipped perilously close to the top of the stumps.

Mohit has played only six domestic one-dayers so far, but he showed no nerves in his opening over as he delivered an inswinger, outswinger and a bouncer, all with superb control. He beat the inside-edge and the outside-edge regularly in his opening spell, and even showed off the back-of-the-hand slower ball which served him so well in his spotlight-grabbing IPL season this year.

As ever, Zimbabwe's openers were cagey at the start, with Sibanda taking 16 deliveries to get off the mark. Mohit, with the experience of only six domestic one-dayers, showed no nerves as he maintained a tight line and length with the new ball, before his persistent probing was rewarded with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, nicking through to the keeper.

Zimbabwe then began to be more adventurous despite the disciplined bowling, with Hamilton Masakadza effortlessly whipping Mohammed Shami over square leg for six. Just as the partnership was developing, Ravindra Jadeja's accurate arm struck again, with a bullet throw to the stumps that left Masakadza repenting attempting a quick single.

The introduction of spin hampered Zimbabwe further, as Jadeja extended Brendan Taylor's horror run. Taylor hasn't been in form this year, and was mortified to be adjudged lbw for a duck to a delivery that was clearly sliding down. In the next over, Jaydev Unadkat knocked over Sean Williams' off stump after the batsman missed a straight one. When Jadeja removed the opener Sibanda in the 16th over, Zimbabwe were in serious trouble and India's most dangerous bowler of the series, Amit Mishra, hadn't come on to bowl yet.

Elton Chigumbura has been Zimbabwe's most successful batsman this series, and once again he was called on to right things after the specialist batsmen floundered. With the help of Malcolm Waller, he defied India for over 20 overs, generally playing it safe though there were some eye-catching strokes like the powerful loft over Mishra's head for four. Waller also took his time before latching on to the loose deliveries on offer, like a flighted full toss from Mishra that was swatted for four. With the batting Powerplay taken, Waller swung a shortish ball from Shami for six and Zimbabwe looked for a late flourish.

There was no late flourish, however, as Mohit returned to break the 80-run stand, getting Waller to edge behind. The innings didn't last too long after that as Zimbabwe's tail was clueless against Mishra, but it lasted long enough for Chigumbura to complete a well-made half-century.

Zimbabwe's 144 was never going to be much of a challenge for India, who took their time in completing the win. Pujara departed early, and the team management wisely decided against sending in the in-form Virat Kohli, giving Suresh Raina the chance to spend some time in the middle. Rohit Sharma has also had a lean run in this series, and he cashed in at a venue which must rank among his favourites - his only two previous innings for India at the Queens Sports Club were centuries. He added an unbeaten 64 to that, and Raina too helped himself to a half-century as the pair put on 122 to complete another all-too-easy victory for India.

©cricinfo

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