Mohammed Siraj back as number one bowler in ICC Men's ODI ranking
Dubai: After a scintillating performance in the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka, Mohammed Siraj has regained his position as the world's No. 1 ODI bowler. This marks his second stint at the top, having previously held the position from January to March 2023 before briefly being displaced by Josh Hazlewood.
Siraj's impressive showing in the Asia Cup, where he claimed ten wickets at an average of 12.20, propelled him eight places to the pinnacle of the rankings. The highlight of his performance was a remarkable spell of 6 for 21 that decimated the Sri Lankan batting lineup, resulting in their dismissal for a mere 50 runs in the final. Siraj's four-wicket over during this spell was a rare feat, achieved only three times in men's ODI history prior to this.
The Asia Cup also proved fruitful for Afghanistan's spin duo, with Mujeeb Ur Rahman (No. 4) and Rashid Khan (No. 5) both securing spots in the top five rankings. They each contributed with two wickets in the group stage. Josh Hazlewood (second) and Trent Boult (third) round out the top five ODI bowlers.
On the other hand, Kuldeep Yadav, who managed to secure five wickets at the Asia Cup with an average of 11.44, has slipped three places in the rankings from sixth to ninth. Meanwhile, Keshav Maharaj has seen an impressive rise from 25th to 15th after his significant role in South Africa's remarkable comeback from a 0-2 deficit against Australia. Maharaj claimed eight wickets in the series at an average of 16.87, including a crucial 4 for 33 in the series decider.
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Editor-in-Chief of The News Minute Dhanya Rajendran gets RedInk 'Journalist of the Year' Award 2022
Mumbai: Dhanya Rajendran, co-founder, and editor-in-chief of The News Minute, has been honored with the 2022 National RedInk Award for 'Journalist of the Year' by the Mumbai Press Club. She received this recognition for leading her team in exposing the tampering of voter data in Karnataka ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections. Independent journalist Sharad Vyas has also been awarded the 'Journalist of the Year.'
The Journalist of the Year Award, an accolade for outstanding journalism in 2022, is a key component of the Redink Awards for Excellence in Journalism, instituted by the Mumbai Press Club 12 years ago. Past recipients include prominent journalists like Srinivasan Jain of NDTV 24X7, Ravish Kumar of NDTV India, Raj Kamal Jha of Indian Express, Faye D’Souza of Mirror Now, and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters.
The Mumbai Press Club stated, “Dhanya led a team of journalists who did a series of investigations during the Karnataka elections that confirmed what had been suspected all along – that the election process in India is not always free and fair.”
In November 2022, Dhanya spearheaded The News Minute’s investigation into electoral data fraud in Karnataka, uncovering malpractices ahead of the 2023 elections. The investigation prompted the Election Commission to order a review of voter lists in three constituencies in Bengaluru and led to the arrest of Krishnappa Ravikumar, the director of Chilume, the NGO behind the voter data fraud. Subsequently, the local government prohibited private organizations from collecting voter data.
The Mumbai Press Club’s statement noted, “The investigation uncovered a working prototype of how the electioneering process can be tampered with and then illustrated it through one constituency in Bengaluru to show how voter data was being manipulated.”
Dhanya, with over 20 years of journalism experience, has covered significant and overlooked news stories from South India throughout her career. Her focus on women’s rights, child sexual abuse, politics and elections, climate disasters, and human rights has garnered attention for several important stories at a national level.
Co-recipient of the 'Journalist of the Year' award, Sharad Vyas, "unearthed and published how the Indian Government's Intelligence Bureau imported the spy software Pegasus from an Israeli company, which had been officially denied all along."
Veteran journalist, columnist, and author Neerja Chowdhury received the RedInk 'Lifetime Achievement' award "for her contribution of over four decades as a reporter and analyst of political affairs and government."
The awards ceremony took place at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai on Saturday, December 2, where the honors were presented by Swantatra Senani GG Parikh and former Additional Solicitor General of India Indira Jaising.
