Vishal Ramchandani

[Roger Federer @rogerfederer]

Vamos, @RafaelNadal!

As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.

Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.

I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.

And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more. 

OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.

We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.

I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.

I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.

And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.

Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.

Rafa that!

Best always, your fan, 

Roger

[THE SKIN DOCTOR @theskindoctor13]

Singapore was economically very poor until 1960. Their PM, Lee Kuan Yew, tried everything: industrialization, FDI, good governance, trade, planning, and development, but nothing worked.

Ek din uski mausi ne bataya ki caste census karwa lo and Lee Kuan ordered it immediately. It was completed within a month, and since then, Singapore's economy has been on the rise. Today, it is ranked as the most open in the world, the 4th-least corrupt, the most pro-business, with low tax rates, and the 2nd-highest per-capita GDP in the world in terms of PPP.

This is the power of a caste census. It's a shame we've been deprived of such a promising economic reform for decades!

[Cricinfo @cricinfo]

188 Tests. 704 wickets. Countless memories.

Go well in your retirement, Jimmy 🐐

[Vishal Ramchandani @VisR28]

चुनाव खत्म, काम शुरू

[Hardeep Singh Puri @HardeepSPuri]

Khata-Khat badh gayi mehengai!

After not fulfilling the promises of transferring Rs 8500/month to a woman of each family, Congress ruled Karnataka government has saddled the people of Karnataka with the burden of paying Rs 3/litre more for petrol and diesel in the state.

After this decision, people of Karnataka would be forced to pay higher amounts for food items, clothing, medicines and all items of basic necessities as fuel prices directly impact prices of all goods. Such a decision just after elections have been concluded, exposes the hypocrisy of the Congress which talks about mehengai but levies approximately Rs 8litre-Rs 12/litre additional VAT in comparison with BJP ruled states.

With this hike, petrol in Karnataka is now Rs 8.21/litre more expensive than both BJP-run governments in UP and Gujarat.

The price gap is even more staggering if Karnataka is compared with BJP-governed Arunachal Pradesh where the party has come back to power strongly. The petrol prices in Karnataka are over Rs 12/litre higher than in Arunachal. The price gap for diesel is Rs 8.59/litre between the two states with Arunachal being much less expensive.

During the last three years of global energy turmoil, the NDA government led by PM @narendramodi Ji deftly diversified India’s crude oil purchases to ensure that petrol prices actually decreased by about 14% and diesel prices fell by nearly 11% during November 2021 -May 2024 period.

During the same period, US saw petrol prices soar 29%, while neighbours Pakistan and Sri Lanka faced severe financial stress due to spike in global crude prices.

Additionally, to maintain availability and affordability of transport fuels, Modi government made substantial and timely cut in excise duty in November 2021 and followed it up with another cut in May 2022. The Central govt reduced petrol and diesel prices by ₹5 per litre and ₹10 per litre, respectively, in November 2021. Following up in May 2022, petrol and diesel prices were further cut by ₹8 per litre and ₹6 per litre, respectively. Again on March 14 this year, the OMCs played a vital role in reducing prices further by Rs 2/litre.

The BJP-run state governments aligned with the pro-people policies and reduced sales tax on transport fuels to further cut rates for the public and rein in inflationary pressures.

For instance, petrol prices in Congress-ruled Telangana is Rs 12.76/litre higher than in UP. The difference in diesels prices between these two states is also significant at Rs 7.89/litre.

Similarly, the petrol prices are Rs 9.29/ litre higher in Trinamool Congress-run West Bengal compared with BJP-run Gujarat.

PM Modi Ji’s visionary leadership ensured that while the world was facing fuel price surge due to a war in Europe, India remained the only country during that period where petrol and diesel prices went down.

#Khatakhat
#Hypocrisy

[Vishal Ramchandani @VisR28]

Let's say in a cricket match Aus scores 241 against Uganda which in return scores 232. They will celebrate coz they didn't play hoping to win in first place

[RazX @RazxMedias]

@TimesAlgebraIND 2024 Elections - Piddi Party Kyon itna uchall rahi hai??

[Vishal Ramchandani @VisR28]

@erbmjha Tab tak toh sarkar ban jayegi, uske baad naam ka achar dalega😁

[Rishi Bagree @rishibagree]

Nitin Gadkari openly challenges the opposition to prove one instance of corruption in his tenure.

Construction of the Dwarka Expressway was done at 12% less than the estimated cost.

This is a tight slap on haters who were peddling lies.

[Vishal Ramchandani @VisR28]

Turning on to his songs is a daily dose of rejuvenation that never fails to uplift my spirits
HBD Great Kishore Da
#kishorekumar

[Vishal Ramchandani @VisR28]

Useless to expect from them

[Gautam Gambhir @GautamGambhir]

Hey sledgers….does spirit of the game logic apply to u or is it just for Indians?

[England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 @TheBarmyArmy]

Ben Stokes world:

[Jagat Darak @jag_ind]

Modi …..

[Mahesh Jethmalani @JethmalaniM]

That’s how the persecuted innocent fight their legal battles&succeed from the lowest to the highest court. Even politically motivated cases can be exposed through a fair trial. The guilty however scream political vendetta and abuse all institutions even before their trials begin

[Tejasvi Surya @Tejasvi_Surya]

Young Bengaluru: How will Rahul Gandhi's disqualification affect 2024 elections?

Listen in to Union Minister Smt. @smritiirani Ji's answer in her inimitable style!

@BJYM

[Ankit Jain @indiantweeter]

Rahul gandhi se 5 sawal @smritiirani

[Monica Verma @TrulyMonica]

After failing to win the mandate from people, Rahul Gandhi has started discrediting India’s democracy itself

Seeking external intervention, ready to get India colonised again

What a sore loser. What an utter disgrace.

[Sreemoy Talukdar @sreemoytalukdar]

A bitter, frustrated, despairing, disconsolate, defeatist politician who, having suffered dreadful electoral reverses at home, now goes to the land of the power that had once colonised India, and seeks foreign interference. Difficult to make this up.

[Abhijit Majumder @abhijitmajumder]

Rahul Gandhi insults this nation overseas because he knows he has no chance of coming to power.
He has no stake in Bharat, no love for it.
He just has a seething anger towards its leader and those who elect him.
He was groomed to automatically ascend the throne. He feels cheated.

[Abhishek @AbhishBanerj]

Biden is promoting Boeing

Sunak is promoting Rolls Royce

Macron is promoting Airbus

Nobody accuses them of crony capitalism

Maybe is why USA, France and Britain are rich

But in India, people constantly cry if anyone makes money

[Rishi Bagree @rishibagree]

India is the only Country where Activists, comedians, left-leaning journalists, and Opposition leaders desperately pray for top Indian companies to fail so they can pin down Modi Govt

They wud prefer to see India fail just to settle the score with a leader whom they deeply abhor