Excited to be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar : Ricky Ponting

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is very keen to put his best foot forward both as skipper and player for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League, a tournament in which he took part only for a while in its inaugural edition in 2008.

"Obviously, I am very excited to be back in IPL. I said when I had finished playing last time, hopefully I will be able to come back and play again. The way things have worked out -- with my retirement from international cricket and finishing off the domestic season for Tasmania and playing well -- have given me the opportunity to be back here," said the Aussie at his first media conference here today.

He said retirement from the hectic international schedule has given him time to concentrate on T20 leagues.

"The reason I did not come back to IPL 2 and 3 was because I had too much international cricket on at that time. And now that I don't have international cricket, the opportunities for me to play in these domestic tournaments are really opening up.

"I am going to be here for a couple of months and then have a two-month stint at Surrey and another month or five weeks at the Caribbean Premier League as well. Now my whole focus is to make sure that I am the best player and best leader for Mumbai Indians for the next two months.

"Luckily I had the chance to captain Australia for a long time. I have got a really good idea of what makes good teams successful. And they are all the things I will be bringing to the table in Mumbai," said Ponting.

Ponting is very excited to be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar, against whom he has played many times at the international level.

"To be captain of any franchise is exciting but to think that I am the captain of Mumbai Indians and I will be playing alongside Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, some of the guys I have had great battles over the years, as well as some of my Australian team mates and some of the young local Indian talent I have come across in the last couple of days is great.

"With Mumbai now, we have John Wright, a successful ex-India coach, and Anil Kumble, a successful Indian captain and a very very good Indian player and leader. Obviously me coming into the set up, we have put together a really strong leadership group, if you like," said Ponting.

"And if you think of some of the other guys we have around like Sachin and Harbhajan, we have got a lot of experience and lot of skill around the team. I think it is very exciting for the tournament," added the 38-year-old Tasmanian who retired with 27,000 runs in Tests and ODIs.

He also said that the entire team is excited about the opening game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 4.

"As far as I am concerned, there is no better franchise to be with and no better team to be with than the Mumbai Indians. The three days that I have been here, there has been a lot of excitement around the boys and around the team and the way we have trained over the last three days, it has been exciting. It's fair to say that everyone in our squad is excited about our opening game on fourth.

"I think the biggest challenge so far has been getting the squad of players together. We have got international players playing all around the world and a lot of those guys are coming together a lot late. We fly to Bangalore tonight," said the former Australian skipper.

"I am excited to be around the group again. I think a build up to any series is always a lot of fun but when it is a series and a tournament as big as the IPL it adds a little bit more. The excitement has been high around that group and I am looking forward to start of the tournament," he added.

Even though he has not played IPL, except for a brief while in 2008, Ponting has been following it from whereever he was when the tournament was on.

"Of course I have followed it (IPL). I am one of those people who follow cricket all around the world. It doesn't matter what series is being played...whether it is the IPL or the Test series in India or Test series in England, then I am always keeping a very close eye on what is happening."

Ponting was optimistic that this could well be the season when MI break the jinx of not winning the coveted title.

"Mumbai Indians have a pretty proud tradition in IPL of finishing up the top and being in the semi-finals. We obviously haven't won the tournament yet but hopefully this year is our year," he said.

Though he has quit international cricket, Ponting has been playing domestic cricket quite a lot.

"My wife thought that once I retire from international cricket things would start to slow down but I have actually been playing more. To tell the truth I have been away from home a bit more. I think that just goes to show my love for the game," he remarked.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar at Smaaash Gaming Centre in Mumbai

Smaaash Entertainment was launched on Nov. 5 at Kamala Mills Compound in Mumbai. Cream Events was appointed to execute the launch and press conference, which saw Smaaash brand ambassador Sachin Tendulkar launching the property. It was attended by Smaaash Chairman Shripal Morakhia and Star India CEO Uday Shankar. Around 100 people attended the event, including media representatives from lifestyle, business and sports section magazines along with friends and family of Morakhia.

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Don't speculate on Sachin Tendulkar's career: MS Dhoni

Batting great Sachin Tendulkar left the cricketing world guessing by not announcing a decision on his much speculated retirement after India whitewashed Australia 4-0 to lift the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at the Ferozeshah Kotla in New Delhi on Sunday.

Even skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni asked the media not to speculate on Tendulkar, who retired from One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in December.

"Do not speculate on Sachin's career. In 2005, you (media) also said the same thing but that never happened," said Dhoni in the post-match press conference.

The cricketing world was abuzz with rumours that the fourth Test here would be last time Tendulkar will bat in a Test match on Indian soil. Over the weekend, the Feroz Shah Kotla witnessed a healthy turnout.

Whenever he came out to bat or went back to the pavilion, the crowd gave Tendulkar a standing ovation.

Given that India will not play another Test match in India for more than a year, speculation is rife about when Tendulkar will call it a day as by the time he plays his Test on home soil, the legend will already be 41.

Of late, he has also struggled with his form, being among the least run scorers amongst the Indian batsmen with his last Test century coming in January 2011 against South Africa.

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Sachin Tendulkar should play as long as he wants to: Ganguly

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly said Sachin Tendulkar should play as long as he wants.

There is a buzz that Tendulkar, who will turn 40 next month, may have played his last on Indian soil when he batted at Kotla as there's not a Test scheduled in the country for the next one year.

"Only time will say (about Tendulkar's retirement). He can play as long as he wants, be it South Africa, New Zealand or wherever," Ganguly said on Sunday.

Asked about Tendulkar's lean patch, Ganguly pointed out: "A win is always a team effort. We should not forget his contribution in the first Test in Chennai -- his gritty 81 really come to the team's rescue with India two down".

Ganguly further said Cheteshwar Pujara should have been awarded the man of the match which went to Ravindra Jadeja for his 5/58.

"He has made 134 runs -- 52 and 82 not out -- on a difficult spinning track. For me, the man of the match is Pujara," Ganguly told a regional TV channel.

India won the fourth and last Test by six wickets to clinch the four-match series with a historic 4-0 victory and win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

"Of course, the whitewash is a big thing. The way India have performed is really commendable. I'm not surprised the way Aussies went down. They have been doing badly for last few years," Ganguly said.

The former cricketer said Indian youngsters should be given at least two years time as skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a crucial period ahead.

"This team is in a process of rebuilding. We have to give time to judge them. I'm sure Dhoni will be around till World Cup 2015. The next 17-18 months is very important as he has to build this side."

Ganguly also believed that it's not yet over for senior opener Virender Sehwag who was dropped after the second Test.

"We all know his abilities. He is one of the greats. I think he will get opportunity for the South African tour. The selectors are trying out (Ajinkya) Rahane for a middle order slot. May be he will give the experienced opening batsman option in South Africa," he said.

On the Aussies batting, Ganguly said: "Peter Siddle (with two half-centuries in the Kotla Test) showed that batting is not impossible even if it's difficult.

"They were not playing according to merit of the ball. If you don't back your cricket ability it's very difficult."

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar Celebrating Historic Series Win Against Australia | 2013 Border Gavaskar Trophy

It was expected to be a tricky chase, but India's Gen Next put its hand up to fashion a remarkably commanding, series-sweeping victory at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

On another action-packed day of Test cricket, India sealed their domination of Australia in one of the most one-sided series in recent times, racing away to a six-wicket triumph with more than two days to spare, in the process completing their first 4-0 sweep in Test history.

The demons in the Kotla deck, which had threatened to increasingly, alarmingly, deteriorate with every second, were emphatically laid to rest by Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, the two young men making light of what appeared a dicey fourth-innings riposte after Australia had set India 155 for victory.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar at a Training Session in Delhi, March 21,2013

Standing on the cusp of history, an upbeat India will go for the kill against a beleaguered Australia as they aim for an unprecedented 4-0 clean sweep by inflicting another defeat on the visitors in the fourth and final cricket Test starting in New Delhi on Friday.

Although the Indian team under Mohammed Azharuddin enjoyed a clean sweep against Graham Gooch's England back in 1993 but it was a three-Test series.

In their 81-year history of Test cricket, India have never won four consecutive Test matches in a series and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys will certainly hold the distinction of being the first if they can get past Michael Clarke's men at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

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Sachin Tendulkar the most talked about cricketer on social networking sites

     Indian spinners might be ruling the roost against the listless Australia in the ongoing Test series but it is Sachin Tendulkar who is the most talked about cricketer on social networking sites these days.

The analysis on social sentiment of cricket fans and alike conducted during the first three matches shows that Tendulkar consistently leads the overall conversation in this period, an IBM study stated.

Fifty per cent of the public sentiment revolved around his batting performance followed by his past records, his stature and retirement plans, among others.

Tendulkar was followed by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and opening batsman Murali Vijay, who has scored two consecutive centuries in the last two Tests, while allrounder Ravindra Jadeja performance with the ball in the series makes him the most popular bowler in the Indian team, IBM's Social Sentiment Index stated.

It further revealed that negative sentiment towards Dhoni was high at the beginning of the first match. However, his on field performance is reflective of how public sentiments changed making the captain the most positively referenced player in the series.

Another interesting highlight was the emergence of Shikhar Dhawan on the social networks after his debut century in the third Test in Mohali. Within five days, there was 200 per cent growth in his online conversations.

Over 1.2 lakh posts across a variety of platforms including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the blogging community were analysed during the matches in the current series.

"Today, IBM is changing the game - both in business and in sports. By applying the social sentiment lens to cricket that has a multi-screen experience, we demonstrated how analytics can provide real time exciting insights into public preferences," Virginia Sharma, VP - Marketing and Communication, IBM India, said.

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I have at times disagreed with Sachin Tendulkar on team strategy: MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni said he used to have on-field discussion with Sachin Tendulkar on team strategy and would not mind disagreeing with his senior colleague even before he was made captain.

"Tendulkar is my sporting hero and because of the aura he carries, I still have difficulties speaking up to him outside a cricket field. But on field, I always give my honest inputs about team strategy," Dhoni said.

"Tendulkar and I used to discuss team strategy on the field. If I am convinced I would even disagree with him and it happened quiet often. I think my honesty has paid dividends when he recommended me for captaincy. He might be thinking that I have learnt in quick time on different aspects of the game and team strategy," he said.

"Even if I was not made the captain, it was a huge thing that Tendulkar had recommended my name for captaincy," the Indian captain said at the launch of a book titled 'Tendulkar: the Cricketer of the Century' written by New Delhi-based journalist Vimal Kumar.

Dhoni revealed that when he met Tendulkar for the first time more than 10 years back, he could not speak to him but ended up serving the veteran batsman drinks on the field.

"I think that was in a Duleep Trophy match in Pune in 2000-01 or 2001-02 season. I was in East Zone squad and was carrying drinks. Tendulkar made 199 in that match and he was batting when I went into the field to serve drinks to my team-mates at drinks break. Suddenly, he asked me 'can I have a drink also?'"

"That was my first meeting with Tendulkar, my idol. I did not speak any word to him and ended serving a drink to him," Dhoni said during a light-hearted conversation with the audience as Tendulkar left soon after the book was released.

Asked about his first interaction with Tendulkar, Dhoni said, "That was in 2004 December when India toured Bangladesh. I first spoke to him, he said 'Hi How are you?' while welcoming me in the team.

"That tour ended in five days. There was the whole team, Tendulkar was sitting at the middle portion of a long table, Dada (Sourav Ganguly) and Rahul (Dravid) bhai was also there. I was told to make a speech in front of them, standing up on a chair," Dhoni said.

Dhoni said he does not normally watch cricket matches except for Tendulkar's batting.

"I don't normally watch cricket matches. But if Tendulkar is batting then I have to watch it. I remember in the World Cup in Australia (1992) or India's tour in Australia I told my dad to wake me up at night if Tendulkar comes out to bat," recalled Dhoni.

He said it was difficult to converse with Tendulkar initially while in the Indian team but became comfortable as time wore on.

"Before bowling (mostly in ODIs) Tendulkar would come up to me and say he would bowl off-spin or leg-spin or seam up. I would say okay at times and at other times would disagree with him. So, the comfort level began and by the time I became captain, I was able to speak to him freely on the field," he said.

"It's the same for the other players, be it Rahul bhai, or Anil bhai or Lachchu bhai (V V S Laxman). There is no ego in the team and that is the best thing in Indian cricket," he added.

Asked about the whole team addressing Tendulkar as 'paaji', Dhoni said maverick pacer S Sreesanth was different as he would address the veteran batsman as 'bhaiya'.

"It was out of respect we call Teandulkar 'paaji'. No doubt it's a Punjabi word and we also call Harbhajan 'paaji'. But Sreesanth would call all other team-mates 'paaji' and address Tendulkar as 'bhaiya'," he said, inviting peels of laughter from the audience.

Dhoni said the 200 not out in the 2011 Gwalior ODI against South Africa was the best innings he had seen of Tendulkar.

"I was at the other end at the crease when Tendulkar made that double hundred and I think that was his best innings I had seen," he said.

Known as somebody who is difficult to be reached even by his team-mates via call or SMS, Dhoni said that it would be difficult to maintain friendship with Tendulkar after retirement.

"It's a difficult question. As I said it is still difficult to speak up to him outside a cricket field. So, it will be difficult to remain as friends with Tendulkar after retirement.

"May be I can speak to him about cars or bikes," he said in a lighter vein.

Asked what he would do after retirement, Dhoni, who was made honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army in 2011, said he would want to spend time with the force at forward post in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.

"I would like to spend time at forward posts of the Indian Army in J & K and the Northeast also. Last time I had spent some time at some forward posts in J & K but did not have much time," he said.

"I can't become a television commentator. I would not be able to remember all those statistics and will have problems in matters relating to techniques," he added.

Asked about his relationship with scribes, Dhoni said, "I would not say I love you (journalists) all but I also don't hate any one of you.

"There is no love-hate relationship with you people. I never hated you guys," he added.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar & Dhoni at "Sachin-Cricketer of Century" Book Launch

"Sachin: Cricketer of the Century" Book Launch Happened  Today in Delhi.Dhoni on first meeting Sachin : First glimpse was when I was carrying drinks. He asked me 'excuse me, can I have a drink?' So I served him. Dhoni on captaining Sachin Tendulkar; when bowling, hed ask me - seam up daalon ya legspin? That made me comfortable MSD on Sachin : I quickly learned a lot batting with him in my early years so maybe thats why he backed me as captain. I am very fortunate. MSD on Sachin: Apart from cars and bikes, I still find it difficult to talk to paaji off the field. MSD on Sachin: paaji is a term of affection for sachin. sreesanth calls everyone paaji, but he calls Sachin bhaiya. Hes different.

MSD on his fave Sachin innings: the 200 at Gwalior. Woh maine poora dekha kyunke main dressing room mein nahin sota!

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Dont Want to Break Down In Front of Yuvi at London : Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday said that he was scared of breaking down in front of Yuvraj Singh when he met the left-handed batsman in London after his treatment in the United States for a rare germ cell cancer.

"When I went to meet him in London, I was telling my wife (Anjali) that I don't want to break down when I see him. I met him and gave him a tight hug. We enjoyed a meal and from the way he (Yuvraj) ate, I was convinced that he is back on track," Tendulkar told a select gathering during the release of Yuvraj's book "The Test of My Life'.

It was a poignant evening on Tuesday with the likes of Tendulkar, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and latest batting star Virat Kohli recollecting stories and their emotional experience during Yuvraj's fight with cancer.

"When I saw my wife discussing medical terms with Yuvraj, I realised what he has been going through. He is like my younger brother and I would ask God why it (the illness) had to happen to Yuvraj," Tendulkar said in an emotional tone.

Yuvraj, in his typical funny manner, recollected how he met Tendulkar for the first time.

"My first conversation was when I was looking at him in awe at the dressing room when suddenly he said 'please pass on the biscuits," Yuvraj said.

To this Tendulkar said, "I have not got those biscuits till now."

On a serious note, Dhoni said that he knew about Yuvraj's situation even before he told him about it.

For More Exclusive Pics of Sachin & Yuvi From Today’s Launch---->>> CLICK HERE

"When his test reports came, someone told me he has cancer. I just said 'are you sure'. The person repeated that Yuvraj has cancer. I was shocked," said Dhoni.

Recalling India's World Cup triumph in 2011, Yuvraj said, "Dhoni does not talk too much while batting. But when he got out against Australia in the quarterfinals, while going back he said shaabash Yuvi jitake aana."

On a lighter vein, Dhoni remembered how Yuvraj greeted him in the Indian team back in 2004-05.

"Are bhai kya chal raha hain, phir chhake maarnese kuchch nahi hota, match jitaanese jyada appreciation milta hain," he said.

"First I used to refer to him as 'aap' and from then it came down to 'tum' and now it is 'tu'," Dhoni said.

Young Kohli remembered how during the World Cup, he went to Yuvraj's room and found out he was coughing a lot with medicines lying beside the backside table.

"I asked him paaji why are you coughing so much. And he replied because he has cancer," Kohli said.

"I thought it's his habit of fooling around with people.

I told him not to joke and I left the room," he said.

When the anchor asked how Kohli got the nickname chickoo, Yuvraj said, "When he came to the team I thought he resembled a baby bulldog with lovely chick. But now he has surpassed me in all departments, including being the most eligible bachelor."

Harbhajan Singh, who was also present, said, "During Yuvi's illness, I never spoke on that subject and I would always asked about the girl he is going to date when he is back after treatment and the girl he would introduce to me."

On a lighter vein, Yuvraj said that he was surprised when he got an SMS from Dhoni while he was in the United States.

"I replied in the SMS 'is it real Dhoni' because it is so hard to get through to him."

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar Releases Book on Yuvraj Singh's Cancer Journey

Sachin Tendulkar realeased a book on Yuvraj Singh's cancer Journey Titled "TheTest of My Life" today in New Delhi.

Senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar will release a book that traces his teammate Yuvraj Singh’s successful battle with cancer.

Titled ‘In Different Form’, the book chronicles his journey while he was being treated for a rare germ cell cancer between his lungs a few months after India’s World Cup triumph in 2011.

“Sachin Tendulkar is going to be there at the book launch,” Yuvraj said at an event organised by his cancer initiative ‘YouWeCan’ to celebrate the World Cancer Day.

The book is expected to hit the stands in March.(ARCHIVE NEWS)

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India will struggle abroad if Sachin quits: Lara

West Indies batting great Brian Lara wants Sachin Tendulkar to continue playing for India and he feels without the Master Blaster, the team will struggle when playing outside India. Lara, who is one of the many admirers Tendulkar has in cricket world, praised the Mumbai man for his dedication to the game since the age of 16. "I have always been adamant and will continue to be about Sachin (Tendulkar).

He has been representing your country since the age of 16, and when at that age, he had the sense to devote his life to the service of Indian cricket, we should all realise that he will also have the sense to decide when to walk away from it," Lara told "Mail Today" newspaper on Monday.

"He is still one of the best batsmen in the side, and if India were to start touring overseas without Sachin, I would begin to worry about their batting performances," the left-hander added. Tendulkar retired from One Day International in December, 2012 but continues to play the longer version. He is without a Test hundred since January 2011. In the ongoing series against Australia, his highest score in 81.

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Sachin paaji told me to be gutsy, says Shikhar Dhawan

After signalling his arrival in Test cricket with a bang, debutant Shikhar Dhawan on Saturday said that it was a “great moment” to receive his maiden cap from Sachin Tendulkar, who told him to be as 'gutsy' in international cricket as he has been in the domestic circuit.

"It was a great moment to get the Test cap form Sachin paaji. I have watched him since I was a kid, it was a dream come true," Dhawan told reporters after his record-breaking feat.

Asked if Tendulkar had an advice for the 27-year-old batsman from Delhi, Dhawan said, "He told me 'we have known you as a very gutsy player in domestic cricket, now we hope to see you as a gutsy player in international cricket, so show us some guts'."

An awe-inspiring Dhawan made the day his own by bludgeoning his way to an unbeaten168-ball 185, the fastest-ever Test century by a debutant, as a dominant India left Australia bruised and battered in the third match of the series, on Saturday.

The hosts finished the day at a commanding 283 for three, with Murali Vijay giving Dhawan company on 83 runs 181 balls.

The 27-year-old Dhawan was on a record-breaking spree as he raced to his century off a mere 85 balls, and was going strong, when the stumps were drawn on the third day of the penultimate Test, after Australia were bowled out for 408 in the first session.

He also breezed past Gundappa Vishwanath’s record of being the highest Indian scorer on debut, and also the first Indian opener to score a century on debut.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar During India's Training Session, March 13, Mohali

In the driver's seat after two convincing wins, the stage is perfectly set for India to record their biggest-ever series win over a depleted Australia, who have been rocked by off-field controversies and dissensions, ahead of the third Test starting in Mohali on Thursday.

If the humiliating losses in Chennai and Hyderabad were not enough, the once mighty Australians were dealt a body blow with the expulsion of four key players, including vice-captain Shane Watson, for breach of discipline, ahead of their must-win game at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.

While India had been whitewashed on quite a few occasions by the Kangaroos, the hosts' best efforts so far had been the 2-0 wins in 1979-80 (out of six Tests under Kim Hughes), 2008-09 (four matches) and 2010-11 (two games - both under Ricky Ponting's captaincy).

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For cricket Sachin Tendulkar is Maradona and Pele put together: Donald

South African pace legend Allan Donald feels cricket would be a poorer sport once Sachin Tendulkar retires from the scene as the Indian veteran is "Maradona and Pele put together" for the game."Sachin Tendulkar's charm goes beyond the field. For cricket he is Maradona and Pele put together, it is as simple as that. Cricket will be a poorer sport when he quits the game. He has been unbelievably special," the 46-year-old South African has written in the upcoming book Sachin -- Cricketer of the Century, authored by Vimal Kumar and set to hit the stands later this month.

Donald said whenever he is asked about the greatest in the game, the first name that comes to his mind is Tendulkar. "Tendulkar's is the first name that comes to mind the moment you ask who is the greatest," he said.

"My granddad introduced Sachin to me through the Wisden Cricketer magazine. When he played for Yorkshire in county cricket, I saw him for the first time. He is the No. 1 player. I keep saying that and I don't think I will ever change my mind," he added.

Known for his hostile pace and 'White lightening', Donald has a word of advice for international bowlers on how to prepare for the senior batsman. "You don't analyse Sachin two days before a Test. We always planned months in advance. We knew how highly Indian teams depended on him."History will show you that right-arm express pace bowlers have been successful against him. I spoke to Curtly Ambrose before my 1996 trip to India and he told me to never let Sachin leave the first 15 balls," he explained.

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Exclusive Video : Sachin Tendulkar on Why Protection is Important in Cricket

‘Padding up with Sachin’ and ‘Sachin Off Guard’, launched today, Aviva aims to further strengthen its association with fatherhood and protection. These are a series of webisodes on cricket tutorials and interviews on importance of protection by Aviva’s Brand Ambassador and the Master Blaster – Sachin Tendulkar. For the first time ever, netizens will have access to innovative, inspirational and conversation like tutorials on cricketing by the Little Master himself.

With 73% of audience on social networking sites consuming video/ entertainment on the site, Aviva sees an increase of three fold in its engagement scores in its social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube leading to higher awareness on Aviva’s offerings. Aviva is shortly releasing its ‘Product Center’ and a series of engaging product related videos on Facebook to further enhance the same.

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Exclusive Video : Sachin Tendulkar Talks About His Family

‘Padding up with Sachin’ and ‘Sachin Off Guard’, launched today, Aviva aims to further strengthen its association with fatherhood and protection. These are a series of webisodes on cricket tutorials and interviews on importance of protection by Aviva’s Brand Ambassador and the Master Blaster – Sachin Tendulkar. For the first time ever, netizens will have access to innovative, inspirational and conversation like tutorials on cricketing by the Little Master himself.

With 73% of audience on social networking sites consuming video/ entertainment on the site, Aviva sees an increase of three fold in its engagement scores in its social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube leading to higher awareness on Aviva’s offerings. Aviva is shortly releasing its ‘Product Center’ and a series of engaging product related videos on Facebook to further enhance the same.

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Exclusive Video : Sachin Tendulkar Opens up on Why He Retired From ODI’s

‘Padding up with Sachin’ and ‘Sachin Off Guard’, launched today, Aviva aims to further strengthen its association with fatherhood and protection. These are a series of webisodes on cricket tutorials and interviews on importance of protection by Aviva’s Brand Ambassador and the Master Blaster – Sachin Tendulkar. For the first time ever, netizens will have access to innovative, inspirational and conversation like tutorials on cricketing by the Little Master himself.

With 73% of audience on social networking sites consuming video/ entertainment on the site, Aviva sees an increase of three fold in its engagement scores in its social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Youtube leading to higher awareness on Aviva’s offerings. Aviva is shortly releasing its ‘Product Center’ and a series of engaging product related videos on Facebook to further enhance the same.

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Exclusive Pics : Sachin Tendulkar & Anjali Arrives in Jodhpur For a Private Function

The first-ever Jodhpur One World Retreat, an initiative of Jodhpur's Maharaja Gaj Singh II to muster funds for his Indian Head Injury Foundation (IHIF), got off to a starry start on Friday.

The three-day event, which will also see several royal artefacts from over the centuries auctioned, was conceptualised to garner support for a cause dear to Singh's heart - the alarming rise in head injuries in India, which sees 1.5 million such cases each year.

Others who will attend the event include cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, RIL chairman and MD Mukesh Ambani and wife Nita Ambani. Source : INDIA TODAY

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Sachin Tendulkar inaugurates cancer treatment centre in Hyderabad

Senior India batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday inaugurated a foundation for research and treatment of cancers set up here by a group of doctors.

Speaking on the occasion, he appreciated the group of doctors led by D Nageshwar Reddy and Prateek Sharma, who started the Gastrointestinal and Liver Foundation for Research and Treatment of Cancers (GIFT).

"I think it's named appropriately, GIFT. I think the greatest gift which any human can get from doctors is a life, to live and enjoy. Breathe freely, enjoy your freedom. I don't think there is anything more valuable than that," he said.

Reddy runs the reputed city-based Asian Institute of Gastroenterology.

Former cricketer VVS Laxman released a book on gastrointestinal cancer on the occasion.

© PTI

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