@airtelindia@airtelnews why is the internet not working? The voice is, no internet though. Also no messages for when it will be up. The service request is also not showing up. Please look into this urgently. Sector 19, #Chandigarh
It's Ravi Shastri's birthday today. And most of you probably remember him for coin tosses and 'tracer bullets.'
But Ravi Shastri was a Champion of Champions in 1985 in a tournament that featured the likes of Imran, Hadlee, Kapil and Viv Richards, getting there with a phenomenal work ethic and attitude.
Ravi Shastri was the first Indian cricketer to openly give back as good as he got from those sledging him, Aussies, Poms, even the fearsome West Indian pacers.
He averaged 40 plus away against Australia and the West Indies with a memorable century against Roberts, Holding and Marshall at St John's and an epic double hundred at Sydeney.
Ravi was the hardest bargainer before he got on to a project, but once he committed, he worked like a complete professional, and again, there aren't too many you can say that about. And he'd actually buy you a drink after as well.
Have a great year @RaviShastriOfc, there are few who've done as much with what they've been given
It's Ravi Shastri's birthday today. And most of you probably remember him for coin tosses and 'tracer bullets.'
But Ravi Shastri was a Champion of Champions in 1985 in a tournament that featured the likes of Imran, Hadlee, Kapil and Viv Richards, getting there with a phenomenal work ethic and attitude.
Ravi Shastri was the first Indian cricketer to openly give back as good as he got from those sledging him, Aussies, Poms, even the fearsome West Indian pacers.
He averaged 40 plus away against Australia and the West Indies with a memorable century against Roberts, Holding and Marshall at St John's and an epic double hundred at Sydeney.
Ravi was the hardest bargainer before he got on to a project, but once he committed, he worked like a complete professional, and again, there aren't too many you can say that about. And he'd actually buy you a drink after as well.
Have a great year @RaviShastriOfc, there are few who've done as much with what they've been given
@nsitharaman ma'am.
To enable sports persons to focus on their sports, kindly recognise them as professionals u/s 44ADA of the Income Tax Act 1961 (now S 58 under the 2025 Act). This will free them of the burden of some compliances
CC: @narendramodi@PMOIndia@mansukhmandviya
India kept fuel prices frozen for 14 months straight. Petrol, diesel, LPG — not a single revision despite crude whipsawing between $65 and $95.
Most countries cannot do this without blowing up their fiscal. India pulled it off because of one thing nobody talks about: refining capacity.
We are now the world's fourth-largest refiner. 254 MTPA capacity. Our refineries process crude 15-20% cheaper than global benchmarks because of scale and complexity. Reliance's Jamnagar alone does 1.4 million barrels a day — more than most OPEC countries produce.
In the 2008 oil shock, India had to issue Rs 1.4 lakh crore in oil bonds because we could not absorb the price spike. In 2026, with a bigger crisis in West Asia, we absorbed it without bonds, without subsidies blowing up, and without passing the cost to consumers.
The difference is 18 years of refining investment. We doubled capacity, upgraded to complex refineries that handle heavier crude, and diversified sourcing away from the Gulf.
Refining is not glamorous. Nobody tweets about it. But it is the reason your petrol bill did not go up this year.
The Defiant Athlete
Over the last decade, a growing unease has settled among India’s elite athletes particularly in badminton and track, the sense that they are operating in a sea of indifference. But the answer is not in drawing a parallel to cricket. Seeking validation from a system built on populist entertainment is a race you will never win. If there is no respect for you in India, find it “out there.” Bask in the world’s recognition as your reward and screw the local apathy.
The National Sports Federations (NSFs) have failed in the only job they were required to do: create an ecosystem where a feat like Sawan Barwal breaking a 48-year-old record is treated as a national awakening. Instead, after clocking 2:11:58 in Rotterdam on April 12, 2026, to finally eclipse Shivnath Singh’s 1978 mark, Barwal likely stepped off his flight, collected his bags, and began planning his next run in silence. There was no press conference in Delhi; no effort to educate a media that barely understands the technicality of a 100m hurdle, let alone a marathon. There was no one to ask the hard questions: why did it take nearly half a century to shave those two seconds off the record?
Today’s “sports success” for a journalist is measured by follower counts and selfies with cricketers. We have moved from an era where Sports Editors pushed for virtually every sport to be covered to an era where they protect their own asses, showing presentations on why cricket should ‘only’ be covered. Credibility can go for a toss. When they do show up at an Asian Games or an Olympic Games, they don’t want the craft; they only want the “How do you feel?” soundbite the moment a medal is around your neck.
I understand the player's grouse, the crushing feeling of being overlooked despite being world-class. But look at the big picture: shake the hands that want to be shaken, but don’t mistake that for genuine understanding.
To the athlete: take yourself seriously. Do not take the media seriously. They are chasing metrics, not excellence. Do not take the NSFs seriously. They are administrators, not visionaries.
By the current logic of Indian sports coverage, Neeraj Chopra would be the most depressed man in the country, and Tajinderpal Singh Toor would need constant counselling. They aren’t because their value isn’t derived from a headline.
Athletes must stop waiting for the “general awakening” of the Indian public or the media. If you wait for them to understand the technicality of your struggle, you will drown. Be defiant. Let the record be the reward and the silence of the federation the proof of your independence.
#chiragshetty #kheloindia #athletics #athleticsindia #selfrespectathletes
End of 2019 – home renovation – 2020 – Covid
2021 – renovation continues – s0 does covid
2022, 2023,2024 – normal
2025 – home renovation – Op Sindoor
2026 – home renovation – Iran war
Happy to announce that the home renovation has ended.
Hopefully no more pandemics or wars.
🎙️ IXC Sector Podcast – Episode 2 is LIVE!
Featuring the legendary @RealSushilDoshi — the voice that brought cricket alive for millions 🇮🇳🏏
🎧 Listen here:
Spotify - https://t.co/njRTXqpTyB
Apple - https://t.co/v0uen2Y25F
Do check it out and let me know what you think! 🙂