Uthappa, Shivam Dube power CSK to 216/4 against RCB
Navi Mumbai, Apr 12: Shivam Dube and Robin Uthappa feasted on the Royal Challengers Bangalore attack as their scintillating half centuries powered Chennai Super Kings to an imposing 216 for four in an IPL game here on Tuesday.
Invited to bat, Uthappa (88 off 50 balls) and Dube (95 not out) shared a whooping 165-run partnership off just 74 balls for the third wicket -- the highest this season -- to rally the innings after CSK was reeling at 36 for 2 in their 200th IPL match.
Both Uthappa, who turned back the clock, and Dube displayed their six-hitting prowess, pummelling the RCB attack into submission at the DY Patil Sports Academy.
While Uthappa's knock was studded with nine sixes and four boundaries, Dube also hit eight sixes and five fours in his unbeaten 46-ball knock.
Both Dube and Uthappa posted their highest IPL scores to set up the match for defending champions CSK, who are reeling from four straight losses and are still looking for their first win this season.
Uthappa took time to settle and fetched his first boundary only in the fifth over, a cut shot off Mohammed Siraj (0/37), before clobbering Akash Deep (0/58) for his first maximum in the next over.
Uthappa and Dube then upped the ante as they hammered a boundary each off Deep and then the lanky left-handed batter launched into Glenn Maxwell (0/29) for his first six over long-on.
The carnage started from the 11th over as the duo went hammer and tongs and CSK cruised to 133 for 2 in the 15th over, with 73 runs coming in the five overs.
Dube was brutal on Wanindu Hasaranga (2/35), who bled 13 runs, in the 11th over.
Uthappa and Dube spared no bowler with the former stricking three sixes off Maxwell in the 13th over as CSK amassed 19 runs.
Continuing the onslaught, the duo punished Deep in the 15th over, as it was raining boundaries and sixes here.
Uthappa stepped up the attack after his fifty and launched into Siraj, hitting him for two sixes and a four in the 17th over, where 18 runs came.
Deep again faced Dube's brunt, conceding two sixes and a boundary in the 18th over, as 200 looked imminent. Deep bled 24 runs in the 18th over.
Uthappa missed a deserving hundred as he fell in the penultimate over which yielded 14 runs and then Dube compounded the bowling team's woes by hitting two sixes in the final over to finish the innings in style.
CSK lost Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) and Moeen Ali (3) cheaply. But then it was the Uthappa and Dube show.
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Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra ties knot with tennis player Himani Mor
New Delhi: Javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra, one of India's most eligible bachelors, tied the knot with tennis player Himani Mor couple of days back in an intimate ceremony that has taken everyone by surprise.
The 27-year-old Chopra announced the marriage with the 25-year-old Himani, who hails from Haryana's Sonipat, on his social media handles.
"I began a new chapter of my life with my family. Grateful for every blessing that brought us to this moment together. Bound by love, happily ever after," Chopra wrote in a post with the pictures of the marriage ceremony.
Chopra's uncle Bhim told PTI that the marriage took place in the country and the couple has left for honeymoon.
Daughter of Chand Ram, Mor is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Sports Management (Major) at the Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. She is an alumni of Delhi's Miranda House where she completed her bachelors degree in Political Science and Physical Education. He has a brother, Himanshu who is also a tennis player.
She participated at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei after competing at the national level for Delhi University. Her school website says she won a gold medal in the World Junior Tennis Championship held in Malaysia in 2016.
"Yes, the marriage took place in India two days back. I can't tell the place where it took place," Bhim told from his village at Khandra near Panipat in Haryana.
"The girl is from Sonipat and she is studying in the US. They have left the country for honeymoon and I am not aware of the places where they are going. We wanted to keep it like that," said Bhim, who stays with the Olympic double medallist at Khandra, when asked about the surprise development.
According to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) website, Himani's carrer best national ranking was 42 in singles and 27 in doubles in 2018. She started playing in 2018 only in AITA events.
Mor did her schooling at Little Angels School in Sonipat.
Amherst College in Massachusetts also lists her as an assistant coach of women's tennis as most major students can do some other job, along with study.
Chopra, who won a gold in Tokyo Olympics and a silver in the Paris Game, was earlier training in South Africa after he roped in world record holder javelin legend Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic.
