Thank you Rahul and VVS for keeping Indian cricket in good shape: Gambhir
Ahmedabad (PTI): India head coach Gautam Gambhir dedicated the team's third T20 World Cup title to his predecessor Rahul Dravid and BCCI Centre of Excellence chief VVS Laxman, acknowledging their role in shaping the national side.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final here on Sunday night. Gambhir said he is also immensely grateful to ICC Chairman Jay Shah for offering support when things got difficult for him, especially in the Test format.
"Look, first of all, I think I should dedicate this trophy to Rahul (Dravid) bhai and then to Laxman. Because what Rahul bhai has done to keep Indian cricket in such a good shape, I have to thank him for everything, what he's done during his tenure," Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.
"And then VVS Laxman for unconditionally doing so much for Indian cricket, especially behind (closed) doors, because COE remains the pipeline for Indian cricket."
Dravid was the head coach when India won the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma while Laxman has drawn widespread praise for grooming the next line of players at the COE.
Chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar's influence in team building was also praised by Gambhir.
"...he does take a lot of flak and the amount of honesty he's worked with," he said, eluding to some tough calls by Agarkar, including the decision to hand over ODI captaincy to Shubman Gill last year despite Rohit leading the team to the Champions Trophy triumph.
Thank you Jay Bhai
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"Last but not the least, I have to thank Jay Shah, because not many people have actually called me when I've gone through the lowest moments in my tenure," he said referring to Test debacles both at home and in away series.
"Whether it was after New Zealand (at home), whether it was after South Africa (at home), the only person who called me actually was Jay Bhai," he recalled.
"And I had to thank him for trusting me with this job," Gambhir concluded.
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Siddaramaiah seeks Centre's urgent intervention over commercial LPG cylinder shortage
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday sought the Centre's urgent intervention to ensure supply of adequate commercial LPG cyclinders to hotels and restaurants in Bengaluru.
He said hotels, restaurants and catering establishments in the city would be forced to suspend operations if supplies are not restored, affecting a large number of students and working professionals who depend on them for regular meals.
In his letter to Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri, he also requested him to issue appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints that would help ease the situation.
Referring to the March 9 order issued by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas prioritising LPG supply for domestic consumers, Siddaramaiah said while the intention behind the order to ensure uninterrupted LPG supply to households across the country is well understood and appreciated, its implementation appears to have led to an unintended shortage of commercial LPG in Bengaluru.
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He cited that several hotels and restaurant associations in the city have reported that they are unable to procure commercial LPG cylinders, and many establishments are expressing concern that they may have to temporarily shut operations if supplies are not restored soon.
Bengaluru has a large ecosystem of small restaurants, mess facilities, and catering units that serve lakhs of people every day.
According to him, as per the discussions held with the oil marketing companies, the state's commercial LPG demand has traditionally been supported by supplies from the three OMCs-IOCL (around 500-550 MT per day), HPCL (around 300 MT per day) and BPCL (around 230 MT per day) and the sudden disruption of this supply is now severely affecting hotels, catering establishments and other commercial users in Bengaluru.
Any disruption to their functioning will have a direct impact on daily life in the city, he said.
"This issue also affects a large number of students and working professionals who live away from their homes and depend on hotels and mess facilities for regular meals. In addition, Choultries (wedding halls), hostels, and event venues that rely on commercial LPG for food preparation are also facing uncertainty, particularly with scheduled social and community events," the chief minister said in the letter.
Given the scale of dependence on commercial LPG in a metropolitan city like Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah sought the union minister's intervention to ensure that adequate commercial LPG supply is made available to hotels, restaurants, choultries, community halls and any other pure commercial establishments.
"Appropriate directions to the oil marketing companies to address the current supply constraints would help ease the situation. A timely resolution will help ensure that businesses continue to operate smoothly while also avoiding inconvenience to thousands of people who rely on these services on a daily basis," he added.
