"People Talk About Kohli, Dhoni But...": Harbhajan Picks True IPL Superstar

No bowler, except for the retired Lasith Malinga, can match Jasprit Bumrah's ability to single-handedly win games for his team and that's why the Indian pace spearhead is the superstar of the ongoing IPL, feels former spinner Harbhajan Singh. Bumrah lived up to his reputation with a five-wicket haul against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in an IPL match here on Thursday night to share the purple cap with Yuzvendra Chahal. In awe of his performance, Harbhajan said the unassuming bowler is peerless. (IPL 2024 Points Table)

"To see him bowl from day one and today, there's a huge difference. He's been a great learner of the game....He wants to learn every day, even if he got five wickets today, he'll go back and tomorrow, he'll see the videos of himself and see where he can improve," Harbhajan told Star Sports on 'Cricket Live'.

"And he's so calm, composed. When it comes to pressure situation, no one does better than what he does. People often talk about Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, because it's a batter's game. But, if you talk about the superstars of the game, he's by far I think, the superstar of the IPL.

"He wins games on his day, like nothing. So, how many batters have done that?" he asked.

The only bowler who comes close to Bumrah's brilliance is Sri Lankan great Lasith Malinga, who is incidentally the bowling coach of his IPL franchise Mumbai Indians.

"If you count, like three to four batters, but if you see the bowlers, it's only Bumrah or Malinga across the format. So, unbelievable. So, the basic thing is he wants to learn and he wants to get better every day.

"And he's still very humble, very calm, and very, very hardworking...It's a great lesson for all the youngsters. When you're practicing, practice like you're playing the game," he pointed out.

Harbhajan was also effusive in his praise of Suryakumar Yadav, who struck a half century on Thursday to announce his return to form after struggling with injuries in the past three months.

"When Suryakumar Yadav shines, you don't want to see anyone. When I see this guy, I think he's a better version of AB De Villiers...if I was part of any team, he would be my first pick if he comes in the auction," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Rs 34 Crore "Blood Money" Raised To Get Kerala Man Out Of Saudi Jail

In a display of solidarity and compassion, people in Kerala have rallied together to raise an astounding Rs 34 crore to save a man sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Rahim, who hails from Kozhikode, has spent 18 years behind bars in the Gulf nation for allegedly killing a Saudi boy in 2006.

Until five days ago, the action committee, formed to work for the release of Rahim, could raise only a meagre amount but as the campaign intensified, help poured in from Kerala people from across the world, the organisers said on Friday.

Local people said Rahim was jailed in 2006 after he accidently caused the death of a specially-abled boy whom he was taking care of. He was sentenced to death in 2018 after the family of the Saudi boy refused to grant amnesty.

The action committee members told the media that the appeals were rejected by the top courts but later the family agreed to pardon Rahim if he pays the 'blood money.' "More than 75 organisations in Riyadh, Kerala-based businessman Bobby Chemmannur, various political organisations in the state, the common people all helped us to raise the money," an organiser told the media here.

His mother said she never thought that such an amount could be raised.

"I had no hope as we have no means to raise Rs 34 crore. But somehow it was all made possible," she said.

Chemmanur organised multiple events in the past few days to raise money. He also organised the sale of one of his products and donated the whole amount to the cause.

The action committee had created a mobile application to ensure transparency in the matter. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Watch: Bumrah's Heartwarming Moment With Rohit After 5-Wicket Haul Viral

Mumbai Indians fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed a brilliant five-wicket haul after producing a sensational bowling performance against Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday. The Indian cricket team star looked in red hot form as he dismissed Virat Kohli, Faf du Plessis, Mahipal Lomror, Saurav Chauhan and Vijaykumar Vyshak to complete his second five-wicket haul in his IPL career. He was on the verge of taking a hat-trick on two different occasions during the match. However, that was not to be but the celebration of Bumrah along with Rohit Sharma after completing the five-wicket haul has gone viral. (IPL Points Table)

Love the bond between Rohit Sharma & Bumrahpic.twitter.com/Z06MTJYGLK

— Riyaaaa (@Riya__45) April 11, 2024

"It was a good day. One of those days where what I was executing was working. Wicket looked sticky (early on). Disappointed with my last ball. When the first over was bowled, I realised ball was gripping a bit. Wanted to bowl a good hard length. I've been doing this for 11 years, so I'm used to it," Bumrah said.

"What happened at the end was dew set in and it got better to bat on. Don't want to get too high or too low with good and bad days. This game is a great leveller. Want to keep working hard. The wicket did get better. DK played a special knock. Over here, it's tough to stop someone when they get going."

Despite Bumrah coming up with one of the best bowling shows in IPL 2024 till now, RCB were able to post a total of 196 for the loss of eight wickets. Faf Du Plessis was the top-scorer with 61 followed by Rajat Patidar who scored a much-needed half-century to provide perfect support to the RCB skipper.

The late flourish was provided by Dinesh Karthik who remained unbeaten on 53.

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Another Congress Spokesman Joins BJP. His Parting Shot

Congress spokesperson Rohan Gupta crossed over to the BJP today, accusing the Grand Old Party of flipping its ideology, giving out contradictory messages, arrogance and treading on people's "self-respect". Speaking to NDTV in an exclusive interview, Mr Gupta said the party has lost direction and credibility, thanks to leaders with "Leftist views" who are arrogant enough to ignore feedback from the grassroot level.

While he did not name anyone, he made his target clear, "the person who is handling communications for the party". This leader, Mr Gupta said, not only failed to call up when his father was ailing and in hospital, he was also responsible for much of the garbled messages emanating from the party.

"Ever since he has taken charge, there has been many issues, nationalism, Sanatan, alliances with Aam Aadmi Party... I along with many others were extremely upset. But we soldiered on," he said. The final straw was when he did not receive even a courtesy call about his father. "I thought it was time to call it a day... It was a matter of self-respect," Mr Gupta told NDTV.

Though the Congress is yet to comment on his departure -- Mr Gupta is the latest of a string of leaders from the party's communications section to leave -- he tackled the thorny issue of the party's response.

"Every time anyone leaves they are criticised -- 'He left because of greed. He was scared' -- what about self-respect? When people like us give feedback from the ground, it should be heard. Leaders who cannot listen should not be given a free run," he said.

Asked why he decided to join the BJP, which he has been criticising so strongly on behalf of the Congress, he said it was about the long-term vision of the party. The BJP today stands for everything the Congress once represented, he said. "Primarily the two core values of centrist policies and nationalism, which had helped the Congress rule for 60 years," he said.

But over the last two years, these values have been overtaken by Leftist ideas, which were at the root of the Congress's refusal to attend the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration and criticism of businessmen who contributed to the growth of the country.

"The Congress was never like this," he said, pointing out the party once brought in liberalisation and stood for the country's economic growth.

Turning away from the temple was also big mistake, he said. "When the faith and emotions of millions are involved, one should not ignore it," he added. "You could have skipped the inauguration, but could have easily visited another day,' he said.

While Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had turned down the invite for the temple inauguration, the party had not banned the visit for any leader. But most took their cue from them, and barring a handful of leaders from Uttar Pradesh, few have visited the temple.

Asked how could the Congress lie clash, since Rahul Gandhi is in the habit of visiting temples, Mr Gupta said Rahul Gandhi listens to his advisors. "But one should also pick the right advisors... A man who never contested elections, how can he give the right advice? He does not know the grassroot issues," he said.

Asked what he intended to do about the tweets that berated the BJP, whether he would delete on not, he said, "I'm not ashamed of my past. I have worked faithfully for a party for 15 years. But I don't think the party is happy any more about my vision or mission and now I'm trying to change gracefully".

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Pet Parents Use Drone To Search For Missing Dog, Find Him Playing With Bears

A recent drone search for a missing husky in Kamchatka, Russia, took a surprising turn when the pet was found not alone, but playfully interacting with a group of wild brown bears.

The undated footage, now going viral on social media, shows the husky trailing the bears and even circling them excitedly. While one bear attempts to nudge the dog away when it gets too close, the overall interaction appears non-threatening.

Watch the viral video here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jerri Scherff, CPDT-KA (@sailorjerrithedogtrainer)

The video has amassed more than 20 million views on Instagram and a range of hilarious comments. 

A user joked, "Mama Bear to Papa Bear: I know we said Junior needed a friend, but this kid needs to go home."

Another user commented, "For me, it's the fact that a husky can even annoy bears. Humans don't stand a chance," another user wrote. 

"That dog is going to have so many stories that his dog friends will never believe," the third user commented.

"These are Kamchatka Russian bears. Not grizzlies. Though they are in the same family of Brown Bear. Kamchatka Bears are much bigger than Grizzlies. That's why they look so plump to the North Americans. They are almost as big as the biggest of all bears: the Kodiak," the fourth user wrote. 

"Mama bear was far too tired to argue with the cubs about getting a new family member. She's questioning her decision now," the fifth user wrote. 

The outcome of the encounter remains unclear. It's unknown if the husky eventually returned home or ventured off with its newfound companions.

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Watch: Sachin Pilot Ties 51-Metre Turban At Rally. 15 Men Hold It Aloft

While campaigning for Congress in Rajasthan today, Sachin Pilot was presented with a rather special gift by the crowd at the election meeting - a 51 metre long turban. Known for donning turbans as his signature look, Sachin Pilot tied the turban, trailing through the crowd, on the stage. 

Sachin Pilot, an expert in tying turbans (safa), could be seen struggling a bit while tying the 51 m long cloth piece around his head. While he was tying it, around 15 people in the crowd held the traditional red turban adorned with a lehariya print aloft. 

Finally, as Sachin Pilot managed to tie the long turban, he placed it on Congress' Lok Sabha candidate Murari Lal Meena, for whom he was campaigning at Dausa constituency in Rajasthan.

Sachin Pilot, who is not contesting the Lok Sabha polls this time, expressed confidence in his party today. "I have been to many states and I saw that the people are fed up with this government. From what feedback I have received, it looks hopeful that the Congress performance will be much better this time," he said. 

Sachin Pilot has been given the charge of Chhattisgarh in the upcoming polls and has said that the role is an important one. 
 

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Total Solar Eclipses: A Look At Myths About Radiation, Pregnancy, More

Get ready for one of the year's most anticipated celestial events - the upcoming total solar eclipse. This event is set to occur on April 8 and will be visible from North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Unfortunately, it will not be visible from India or other parts of Asia. But you can still catch the action through live streams provided by NASA and the McDonald Observatory. 

Solar eclipses have fascinated people throughout history, sparking countless myths and legends.

Here are some myths and misconceptions associated with the Solar eclipse, according to NASA.

1. Myth: Total solar eclipses produce harmful rays that can cause blindness.

Reality: During a total solar eclipse, the sun's corona emits only electromagnetic radiation, which is harmless. However, looking at the sun directly before totality can cause retinal damage.

2. Myth: Pregnant women should not watch an eclipse because it can harm the baby.

Reality: Electromagnetic radiation from the eclipse is safe, and there is no evidence to suggest it poses a risk to unborn babies.

3. Myth: A total solar eclipse will disrupt power supply.

Reality: With modern electricity grids and the rise of renewable energy, experts assure that the brief and predictable nature of eclipses poses no threat to power systems. Power grids can easily handle temporary reductions in solar generation during eclipses without any impact on reliability.

4. Myth: Flowers planted during an eclipse will have bright colours.

Reality: There is no scientific evidence to support this claim. Plants respond to eclipses much like other natural phenomena, such as changes in temperature and light. Any observed changes in plant behaviour are likely due to these factors rather than the eclipse itself.

5. Myth: Regular sunglasses can be used to view a total solar eclipse.

Reality: Regular sunglasses do not provide sufficient eye protection during a total solar eclipse as they do not block enough sunlight to prevent eye damage. Eclipse glasses, which block 99.9999% of sunlight, are recommended for safe viewing. Welder's glasses with a No. 14 shade are also suitable for eclipse viewing, as suggested by NASA.

6. Myth: Eclipses will poison food prepared during the event.

Reality: This is superstition. There is no radiation produced during an eclipse that would harm food. 

7. Myth: Eclipses are considered as bad omens.

Reality: Confirmation bias often leads people to associate eclipses with negative events, but there is no scientific basis for this belief.

8. Myth: Total solar eclipses do not occur at Earth's poles.

Reality: Total solar eclipses can and do occur at both the North and South Poles, just like any other location on Earth.

9. Myth: The moon turns completely black during a total solar eclipse.

Reality: The moon's surface is dimly illuminated by the light of the earth during a total solar eclipse, giving it a pale glow.

10. Myth: The corona of the sun has always been observed during a total solar eclipse.

Reality: Historical records show that descriptions of the sun's corona during eclipses were not always documented, which could mean variability over time.

11. Myth: Solar eclipses foretell major life changes.

Reality: There is no scientific evidence linking solar eclipses to future events in people's lives.

12. Myth: Solar eclipses are signs of exceptional celestial events.

Reality: Solar eclipses are predictable events that occur due to the regular movement of celestial bodies.

13. Myth: Solar eclipses on or after your birthday signify impending bad health.

Reality: This belief lacks scientific evidence and is based on superstition rather than science.

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