I know my name is attached to promoting game in different parts of the world: Kohli
Bengaluru (PTI): Virat Kohli didn't say it in as many words but sent out a loud message to all who would care to listen -- he is not done with T20 cricket when the establishment still considers him to be the most marketable name to promote the game globally.
Kohli, who took a two-month paternity break, scored a match-winning 77 off 49 balls with 11 fours and two sixes and also didn't forget to mention that whether it is cricket in the Olympic programme or T20 World Cup in the USA, he is 'The Face'.
"I know my name is now attached to just promoting the game in different parts of the world when it comes to T20 cricket. I've still got it I guess," he smiled cheekily but the message was for those who would debate his spot in the T20 World Cup squad.
While he has now briefly got the Orange Cap, he said that he is past that stage where these things matter anymore.
"I don't play for these Caps anymore. That's the promise I can give here -- I'll keep turning up and keep trying me best."
He was a trifle disappointed that he couldn't finish the game.
"I try to give the team a blazing start, but if wickets fall, you have to assess. Wasn't the usual flat pitch. Disappointed I couldn't finish the game. The ball was in the slot but sliced it to deep point."
He has started hitting the lofted cover drive and it is his constant endeavour to evolve as a batter.
"They know I play the cover drive well, so they're not going to allow me to hit gaps. You have to come up with a game plan here and there."
For the RCB fans, he still is and will remain the 'King'.
"It's been going on for years (love story with the fans at Chinnaswamy). People talk about a lot of other things when you play sport -- achievement, stats, numbers.
"But when you look back, it's the memories you create as Rahul bhai (Dravid) always tells us that this time will not come back.
"The love, appreciation and backing I've received has been amazing."
The two month paternity break also gave him a chance to lead a normal life and a "chance to spend time and connect" with his elder child -- daughter Vamika.
"Just to feel normal for two months -- for me, my family -- it was a surreal experience. Couldn't have been more grateful to God for the opportunity to spend time with the family. It's an amazing experience to just be another person on the road and not be recognised. Then you come here and you hear them shout your name and you are switched on."
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Egg-donation racket targeting poor women busted in Maharashtra's Thane; 3 held
Thane (PTI): Police have unearthed an egg-donation racket, suspected to be involving crores of rupees, that repeatedly exploited vulnerable women in Maharashtra's Thane district, officials said.
The victims were offered Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000 per cycle and repeatedly used as egg donors, resulting in physical exploitation. They were taken to IVF centres where the eggs were surgically extracted and sold for lakhs, they said, adding that so far, 20 women are believed to have fallen prey to the racket.
Three women have been arrested in connection with the illegal trade operating out of a residential apartment and a sonography centre at Joveli in Badlapur East, the police officials said on Saturday.
Egg donation is a fertility procedure where a woman provides eggs for another person to conceive, usually via IVF (in vitro fertilisation). The donor undergoes screening and hormone treatment, eggs are retrieved, fertilised, and transferred to the recipient.
The arrested persons have been identified as Sulakshana Gadekar (44), Ashwini Chabukswar (29), and Manjusha Wankhede (46).
Following a tip-off from a victim to Thane Sub-District Hospital's Chief Medical Officer Dr Jyotsna Sawant, a raid was recently conducted at Gadekar’s residence in Nano City building, the police said.
“We recovered photos of injections used in connection with pregnancy, sonography reports, affidavits with false names, fake documents, and evidence of financial transactions on the mobile phones of the accused,” a police official said.
The accused targeted needy women, paying them Rs 25,000 to 30,000 per cycle. The victims were allegedly administered hormonal injections to increase egg production and were repeatedly used as donors, leading to physical exploitation, the official said.
“The process involved injecting the women to stimulate egg production and taking them for sonography. Once the eggs were ready, the victims were sent to IVF centres where the eggs were surgically extracted and sold for lakhs of rupees,” the official added.
Ulhasnagar Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Gore said that more than 20 women might have fallen victim to this racket so far.
“The racket was previously operating in Vangani before shifting to Badlapur recently. We are investigating the involvement of IVF centres, doctors, and hospitals. High-profile names are likely to surface as the turnover of this illegal trade is estimated to be in crores,” Gore said.
A case has been registered under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, the police added.
