World T20: Demand for India-Pakistan match tickets reaches a fever pitch

          World T20: India Vs Pakistan in Kolkata on March 19 

Jolted by the shock loss to New Zealand in the opening game, India will be fighting a survival battle quite early in the tournament when they take on arch foes Pakistan in what is being seen as the marquee clash of the ICC World Twenty20 here tomorrow (March 19).

The hosts, who started clear title-favourites, were in for a blow in the first match itself when New Zealand's spinners bamboozled their famed batting line-up on a turning Nagpur track.

As a result, the world No.1 side is staring at an early elimination should it lose to Pakistan in the high-voltage game tomorrow at the Eden Gardens. (Pakistan favourites: Gavaskar)

Share of drama before the game 

As is the case with most India-Pakistan contests, this game too has been preceded by its share of drama. (WT20 schedule)

 The match was originally scheduled to be held in Dharamsala but was shifted here after the Himachal Pradesh government expressed inability to provide security to the Pakistan team owing to protests by ex-servicemen and their families. (Team India beat Pakistan in Asia Cup)

 Next was the delay in Pakistan's arrival due to security concerns but the side eventually relented after repeated assurances from the BCCI. The political undercurrents aside, the game assumes immense significance for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men after the opening loss. (India have 10-0 record over Pak in all World Cups)

 Pakistan, on the other hand, would look to break the jinx of never beating India in an ICC event and they would be buoyed by the comprehensive win over Bangladesh in the tournament-opener. (One more loss and we will be out: Dhoni)

 Pressure of ICC events 

However, dubbed the most unpredictable team in the world for a good reason, Pakistan wilt under pressure every time they face India in an ICC world event.

 Given the record, India do have the edge on paper and the team's under-fire batsmen will look redeem themselves after their capitulation against the Kiwis while chasing a modest 127 on a notorious Jamtha turner.

 However, Pakistan also did splendid job in brushing aside the off-field furore which was triggered by skipper Shahid Afridi's comments that his players get more love here than back home.

 With a legal notice on the skipper back home, it was the worse that could have happened to the 2009 champions who were already short on match practice and suffered early elimination in the recently-concluded Asia Cup.

 Afridi with his Man-of-the-match award against Bangladesh in World T20

 But Afridi led by example with a 19-ball 49 and followed it up with his 2/27 in their huge 55-run win over Bangladesh.

 Pakistani batting also roared back to form with half- centuries from Mohammad Hafeez and Ahmed Shehzad who added 95 runs from 68 balls to lay the foundation before Afridi sizzled at the Eden Gardens.

 Pakistan unbeaten in ODIs against India at Eden

 Their campaign on track, it remains to be seen whether they would be able to overcome the mental block of beating India in a world tournament.

 Pakistan have lost to India six times in the ODI World Cup, and they have carried the jinx into the World Twenty20 as well having lost 4 times - in 2007 (twice), in 2012 and in 2014. 

India may be playing in their backyard but it's the Pakistani team who would be supremely confident especially at a ground where they have a clean 4-0 win-loss record in the limited overs. 

Having come here after their Asia Cup debacle, Pakistan won a warm-up against Sri Lanka before routing Bangladesh by 55 runs.

 Having rattled the Indian top order with his 3/18 less than a month ago in Mirpur in his first outing after coming back from exile, left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir will also renew his rivalry with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

 A flat pitch and buttery outfield on offer, the Indian top three of Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli should have no trouble overcoming their nightmarish outing in Nagpur and provide India a perfect start.

 All eyes on Kohli again

  Kohli, with his class and elegance, won the first round battle against Amir in Mirpur and was also at ease against Pakistan's two left-arm quicks Mohammad Irfan and Wahab Riaz.

 Raina (right) and Malik greet each other during practice at Eden Gardens

 Pakistan's spin department is spearheaded by Imad Wasim, who impressed in the warm-up against Sri Lanka with his 4/25 and the stage will be set for him to get a superstar status. 

The loss to New Zealand is a setback but it should be not be forgotten that India had lost to them in their victorious campaign in 2007 World Twenty20 in South Africa.

 It remains to be seen whether they make it this time too It remains to be seen whether they make it this time too though no home team has ever won the previous five editions of the World Twenty20.

 As for the rivalry, India may not have lost against Pakistan in a world tournament and Pakistan may not have lost to India in limited overs at the Eden but there's always a first time.

 In T20Is head to head, India have a 5-1 win-loss record against Pakistan from seven matches with one being a tie.

 Given the circumstances, it is hard to pick a favourite but the stage is perfectly set for an enthralling contest which is expected to be played to a full house.

 Squads India: MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Shikhar Dhawan, Harbhajan Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, Pawan Negi, Ashish Nehra, Hardik Pandya, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh. 

Pakistan: Shahid Afridi (captain), Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Irfan, Sharjeel Khan, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Sami, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Amir, Umar Akmal, Sarfraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Khurram Manzoor. Match starts at 7.30 PM IST (Live on Star Sports) 

India's next match - Vs Bangladesh on March 23 (Wednesday) in Bengaluru (7.30 PM IST) 

Pakistan next face New Zealand on March 22 (Tuesday) in Mohali (7.30 PM IST)

You Would Be In Tears Once You Know The Reason Why Dhoni Collects Stumps After His Win!

MS Dhoni, the Indian cricket captain sounds quite confident on the eve of T20 campaign. After the convincing win of India in the warm-up match against West Indies on Thursday in Kolkata, Dhoni spoke about the things that set his team apart and joked about his habit of collecting stumps.

When Dhoni was asked why he collects stumps from the pitch and takes it with him, he says that he has his post-cricket plans. He says “I don’t mark the stumps that I collect. (Post-retirement) I’d watch the matches, look at the stumps and say ‘ok, this is from that match’. I have enough to keep me occupied for years.” However, there is a different theory attached to it.

Why does Dhoni collect stumps?

Dhoni has given the same answer before too. However, there is a story which not many people know. The Indian captain was studying at Shyamali’s DAV Jawahar Vidya Mandir (Ranchi) and that time he belonged to a very middle class family. He had a best friend named Kulbinder Singh, the son of his school’s Nepali watchman. At that time, Dhoni used to play Badminton and football and wasn’t interested in Cricket. Kulbinder used to play galli cricket with his friends. An inter-collegiate badminton tournament was organized by the school and around 50 schools had participated. Dhoni was in the team and he entered the finals too. He invited Kulbinder for viewing the match. The game was in its final stage when Dhoni tried lifting a shot, which led to the shuttlecock crossing the court and landing outside the stadium. He lost the match and his coach was very angry. But it was Kulbinder who brainwashed Dhoni and made him realize his interest in cricket. Kulbinder is still poor and still Dhoni is indebted to him. He offered lakhs of Rupees to his friend but Kulbinder didn’t accept money. Instead he told Dhoni to get 320 cricket stumps for him so that a fence can be constructed around the house. So this is the reason why Dhoni is collecting it.

IPL 2016 schedule announced

Mumbai Indians will open their title defence at home against new entrants Rising Pune Supergiants to kick-start the 2016 Indian Premier League on April 9.

The tournament opener will take place at the Wankhede Stadium, it was announced today. The final on May 29 will also be played in Mumbai.

A total of 60 matches (including the 4 play-offs) will be played over a period of 51 days, in the ninth season of the tournament.

The Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium at Raipur will play host to two home games of Delhi Daredevils, while the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium at Nagpur will host three home games of Kings XI Punjab.

“All the top players from around the world will be seen in action this year. This season the IPL will be played at 10 venues – Mohali, Delhi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Rajkot and Raipur. I am excited to join the fans to see a lot of exciting cricket over the next three months,” IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla said.

                                                  COMPLETE SCHEDULE

ICC World Twenty20 2016 Fixtures

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MEN'S WORLD CUP FIXTURES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW WOMEN'S WORD CUP FIXTURES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW MEN'S WARM UP WORLD CUP FIXTURES

CLICK HERE TO VIEW WOMEN'S WARM UP WORLD CUP FIXTURES

As it happened: Asia Cup Twenty20 championship — Bangladesh versus India finals in Dhaka

India demonstrates its dominance in Twenty20 cricket and regains continental supremacy, downing host Bangladesh by eight wickets in the final of the Asia Cup at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.

With this victory, India lifted their sixth Asia Cup title. This is the first time the Asia Cup was held in T20 format and India proved why they are No.1 side in T20 Internationals.

India finish their unbeaten run in the Asia Cup with a strong performance in the final. Bangladesh fought hard in phases but a victory with six balls to spare and eight wickets in hand is a pretty emphatic one in the end. Bumrah and Ashwin were the stars for India with the ball, before Dhawan and Kohli sealed the chase with that partnership. Dhoni had played only nine balls in the tournament.

After Dhawan got out, M.S. Dhoni, the Indian ODI and T20 captain, promoted himself up the order and finished the match in grand style. M.S. Dhoni scored 20 off just 6 balls with 1 four and two huge sixes.

Though lost Rohit Sharma, Dhawan and Kohli played sensibly and build a good partnership of 94 runs for the second wicket.

India led by some fine batting performances from Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli and M.S. Dhoni, won the Asia Cup Twenty20 championship in grand style. India won the finals by 8 wicket against Bangladesh in Mirpur on Sunday.

14th over: Al-Amin comes back. first ball, Dhoni on strike, Smashes the first ball over the long-on for a massive six. It is 108 for 2. second ball, beautifully played and takes a single. It is 109 for 2. third ball, Kohli smashes the ball straight to the ground, excellent fielding and India takes three runs. India 112 for 2. fourth ball, he smashes the ball over the cover for another boundary. Dhoni on song and it is 116 for 2. fifth ball, another hit and he finishes it off in stryle. Dhoni smashes it over the mid-wicket for another huge six and India won the match by 8 wickets.

Two overs to go, 19 to win.

13th over: Taskin back into the attack. first ball, Dhawan on strike,hits it ont he leg side and no run. second ball, good shot and takes a single to the mid-wicket and it is 98 for 1. 23 to win in 16 balls. third ball, Kohli smashes it straight to the longon fielder and another single and it is 99 for 1. fourth ball, good shot from Dhawan and also an excellent catch at point and India loses their second wicket and it is 99 for 2. Taskin strikes a crucial bow. fifth ball, Dhoni is in, smashes the ball throughthe mid-wicket and takes two quick runs. It is 101 for 1. sixth ball, Dhoni pushes the ball on the leg side and it is a single and it is 102 for 1. Excellent over from Taskin.

Three overs to go, 24 runs to win.

12th over: Hossain to continue. first ball, Dhawan plays it on the leg side and straight to the fielder and one run. It is 83 for 1. second ball, Kohli smashes it on the leg side and a catch is dropped and it is boundary for India. It is 87 for 1. Excellent try from the fielder. third ball,low full toss and Kohli smashes over the mid-wicket for another boundary it is 91 for 1. fourth ball, Kohli plays it on leg side and it is a single India 92 for 1. ffifth ball, good shot from Dhawan and ithe ball races to the boundary It is 96 for 1. sixth ball, beautiful shot from Dhawan and it is a single India 97 for 1.

Four overs to go, 39 to win.

11th over: Shakib to Dhawan, Dhawan plays the first ball over the mid-wicket and misfield gives India a boundary and it is 75 for 1. second ball, another good shot and it is another boundary and it is 50 for Dhawan. India 79 for 1. third ball, plays it straight to the bowler and no run. fourth ball, cuts it over the point and takes a single and it is 80 for 1. fifth ball, Kohli taps it on the off side and a single and it is 81 for 1. sixth ball, another good shot and another single and it is 82 for 1.

Five to go, 50 runs to win.

10th over: Hossain into the attack. first ball, Dhawan on strike, good delivery to start with, no run. second ball, again excellent delivery, no run. third ball, sweeps to the deep fine leg for a singlea nd it is 69 for 1. Kohli on strike, fourth ball, plays it straight to the long off and takes a single and it is 70 for 1. fifth ball, jumps and cuts straight to deep cover and it is single again good over India 71 for 1. sixth ball, beautiful delivery to end with. Excellent over from Hossain. It is 71 for 1.

Six to go. 53 runs to win

9th over: Mortazxa contineus and dhawan takes the first ball for a single. It is 60 for 1. second ball, taps the ball through the third man and takes another single. It is 61 for 1. third ball, beautiful shot from Dhawan and the ball soars over the fine leg and it is a six. It is 67 for 1.fourth ball, Dhawan plays it straight to the third man and no run. fifth ball, plays it defensively and takes a single and it is 68 for 1. sixth ball, plays it defensively and it is 68 for 1.

Seven to go. 62 to win.

8th over: Hossain into the attack. first ball, Kohli on strike, plays it on the offside and takes a single. It is 56 for 1. second ball, Dhawan on strike, good shout for LBW and umpire says no. third ball, jumps out and hits the ball straight to long-on one run and it is 57 fir 1. fourth ball, Kohli smashes straight to cover and excellent fielding, no run. fifth ball, down the leg side and takes a quick single and it is 58 for 1. sixth ball, dhawan takes a single and it is 59 for 1.

7th over: Two good overs for India. India on course now. Mortaza into the attack. first ball, Kohli on strike, cuts the ball to the third man and takes a single and it is 49 for 1. second ball, excellent stuff from Mortaza, no run. third ball, good shot and takes a single and it is 50 for 1. fourth ball, good shot on the leg side and the ball races the boundary and it is 54 for 1. fifth ball, down the leg and Kohli pats and takes a single and it is 55 for 1. sixth ball, plays it straight to the bowler and no run.

6th over: Shakib into the attack, first ball, kohli on strike, Kohli strikes thorugh the deep mid-wicket and deep mid-on for a boundary. it is 37 fo 1. second ball, kohli plays it straight and takes a single. It is 38 for 1. third ball, Dhawan on strike, cuts the ball and it races through the third man for another boundary. It is 42 for 1. fourth ball, plays it defensively, no run. fifth ball, jumps out and pats the bnall ont he leg side and takes two quick runs. It is 44 for 1. sixth ball, beautifully played between the two fielders and another boundary to end the over. It is 48 for 1.

5th over: Hider into the attack, Dhawan on strike, taps the bals through the slips and the ball races to the boundary and it is four and it is 23 for 1. second ball, drives it straight to the bowler and no run. third ball, drives straight to mid=off and takes a single and it is 24 for 1. Kohli on strike. fourth ball, beautiful shot and the ball races the long-off boundary for another boundary and it is 28 for 1. fifth ball, another good shot and runs a quick single. Umpire asks for a review but Kohli is certainly safe. and it is 29 for 1. sixth ball, plays it through the slips and it is another boundary. It is 33 for 1.

102 more runs to win

4th over: Al-Amin continues. first ball, Dhawan on strike, plays it straight to the fielder and no run. second ball, Dhawan plays it straight to the bowler and no run. third ball, pats the ball through the fine leg and the ball races to the bondary. It is 16 for 1. fourth ball, plays it straight to the midoff and takes a single and it is 17 for 1. fifth ball, Kohli taps on the leg side and another single and it is 18 for 1. sixth ball, Dhawan pulls the ball straight to the deep wicket and it is a single again. It is 19 for 1.

3rd over: Taskin continues. first ball, Kohli on strike, good ball straight to the bowler, no run. second ball, played it through the covers and takes two runs and it is 10 for 1. third ball, plays it defensively and no run. fourth ball, Kohli plays it defensively and no run. fifth ball, smashes the ball through the point and takes a single. It is 11 for 1. sixth ball, Dhawan taps it onthe leg side and takes a single and it is 12 for 1.

2nd over: Rohit on strike. Al-Amin opens the attack from the other side. first ball, pats the ball straight to point, no run. second ball, good delivery and appeal for LBW and umpire says no. It is 5 for no loss.third ball, Rohit cuts and first wicket falls for India. Rohit is out caught at slip. Al-Amin strikes in his first over. It is 5 for 1. fourth ball, Virat Kohli is the new man, Smashes the first ball through the cover and takes two runs. It is 7 for 1. fifth ball, pats the ball and takes a quick single. it is 8 for 1. sixth ball, Dhawan on strike, plays it defensively and it is 8 for 1.

1st over: Rohit and Dhawan are in the middle. Taskin Ahmad opens the bowling. first ball, Rohit plays it defensive and no run. second ball, Rohit cuts it and takes a single and it is 1 for no loss. third ball, Dhawan on strike, down the leg and no run. fourth ball, Dhawan cuts the ball through the point for a boundary. It is 5 for no loss. fifth ball, Dhawan pats straight to the bowler and no run. sixth ball, good ball from Taskin and it is five for no loss.

Now it is for India to chase the target and lift their sixth Asia Cup.

Mahmadullah and Sabbir played a crucial knock towards the end and Bangladesh sets a target of 121 for India to lift the Asia Cup.

Mahmadullah was the star of the Bangladesh innings playing a cameo of 33 from just 13 balls and Sabbir 32 from 29 balls anchored the innings.

Shakib also scored 21 off just 16 balls.

Bumrah (1 for 13) and Ashwin (1 for 14) were the strike bowlers for Indai.

15th over: Bumrah to bowl the last over. first ball, Sabbir on strike, good delivery and it is a single. It is 114 for 5. second ball, good bowling from Bumrah and they takes two runs. It is 116 for 5. third ball, good bouncer from Bumrah. it is no run. it is 116 for 5. fourth ball, good ball and Mahmadullah takes two runs and it is 118 for 5. fifth ball, full toss and takes a single and it is 119 for 5. sixth ball, good shot and takes a single. Excellent last over from Bumrah and it is 120 for 5.

14th over: Pandya into the attack. first ball, Mahmadullah on strike. full toss and mahmadullah plays it over the cover and the b all races to the boundary. It is 96 for 5. second ball, good shot and it is over the mid-wicket for a huge six. It is 102 for 5. Mahmadullah is living dangerous now. third ball, good delivery from Pandya and Bangladesh takes two runs. It is 104 for 5. fourth ball, another huge hit and it is over long-on and it is a six again. It is 110 for 5. fifth ball, wide ball and it is 111 for 5. fifth ball, takes a single and it is 112 for 5. sixth ball, excellent stuff to end the over and it is another good over for Bangladesh.

13th over: Nehra into the atack, first ball, Sabbir taps the ball over fine leg and it is four. It is 82 for 5. second ball, wild swish but straight to the fielder and one run. It is 83 for 5. Mahmadullah on strike. third ball, Mahmadullah smashes straight to long leg and takes two quick runs. It is 85 for 5. fourth ball, beautiful shot and a equally excellent fielding from pandya and takes two runs and it is 87 for 5. fifth ball, excellent straight drive down the ground for another boundary. It is 91 for 5. good over for Bangladesh two boundaries from this over till now. sixth ball, another good shot but straight to Pandya and it is one run. it is 92 for 5.

12th over: Jadeja into the atack. first ball, Sabbir on strike. jumps and takes two quick down the leg side and it is 73 for 3. very good running between the wickets. second ball, well bowled from Jadeja and only a single. It is 74 for 3. third ball, Rahim hits it on the leg side and takes two runs and appeal for run-out. Umpire asks a review. his bat is not grounded. very tight indeed. Yes it is out. very good throw from Kohli and it is 75 for 4. fourth ball, Mortaza hits the ball straight to the deep mid-wicket fielder and it is Virat once again and it is 76 for 5. Jadeja strikes. fifth ball, takes a signle and it is 77 for 5. sixth ball, Sabbir takes a single and it is 78 for 5. Mahmadullah is the new batsman.

11th over: Pandya into the attack. Sabbir on strike. first ball, inside edge and straight to Dhoni and it is no run. second ball, wild swish and takes a quick single. It is 69 for 3. third ball, Rahim on strike. jumps and cuts the ball straight to third man and one run. It is 70 for 3. fourth ball, another wild swish and no run. fifth ball, Sabbir takes a single and it is 71 for 3. excellent over from Pandya. sixth ball, another excellent ball from and no run. It is 71 for 3.

Five more overs to go.

10th over: Ashwin comes in and strikes it straight away. Shakib dismissed for 21. It is 64 for 3. A big wicket. second ball, Rahim takes a single and it is 65 for 3. third ball, Sabbir defends and no run. fourth ball, Sabbir takes a quick single and it is 66 for 3. fifth ball, Rahim sweeps and takes a single and it is 67 for 3. sixth ball, excellent bowling and four runs and a wicket it is 68 for 3.

9th over: Jadeja continues. appeals for LBW, inside edge and one run. It is 59 for 2. second ball, Shakib pats the ball over cover and takes two runs. It is 61 for 2. third ball, smashes the ball over the mid-wicket but straight to the fielder and one run. It is 62 for 2. fourth ball, cuts the ball straight to deep point and one run It is 62 for 2. fifth ball, jumps out and pats straight to the long-leg fielder and another single. sixth ball, Sabbir misses and no run. It is 64 for 2.

8th over: Pandya into the attack. first ball, wants to hit the ball down the leg but only for a single. It is 48 for 2. second ball, Shakib punches the ball straight down the ground and takes a single. It is 49 for 2. third ball, Sabbir plays down the leg and takes a single It is 50 for 2. fourth ball, short ball and Shakib smashes the ball over the square leg boundary for a four. It is 54 for 2. fifth ball, wild swish and misses it. sixth ball, beautifully played over fine leg and it is a four. It is 58 for 2.

7th over: Jadeja into the attack. fist ball, Shakib takes a single and it is 36 for 2. second ball, Sabbir cuts the ball straight to the deep point fielder and one run. It is 37 for 2. third ball, beautiful shot over mid-on and the ball races to the boundary. It is 41 for 2. fourth ball, once again smashes but only for a single. It is 42 for 2. fifth ball, Sabbir reverse sweeps and the ball once again races to the third man boundary it is 46 for 2. sixth ball, Sabbir takes a single. it is 47 for 2.

6th over: Ashwin into the attack. first ball, sweeps and takes a single. Shakib on strike, second ball, excellent bowling, no run. third ball, jumps and smashes straight to deep cover fielder and one run. It is 32 for 2. fourth ball, excellent ball but wide it is 33 for 2. fourth ball, reverse sweep but straight to the fielder. fifth ball, taps on the leg side and a single It is 34 for 2. sixth ball, Shakib takes a single. It is 35 for 2.

5th over: Tamim back in strike, hits Bumrah for a run in second ball. Bumrah takes Tamim's wicket, Bangladesh 30 for 2. fifth ball, loud shout for LBW, umpire says no. sixth ball, wild swish but no run. At the end of five overs Bangladesh 30 for 2.

4th over: Nehra bowls to Tamim and and Sarkar. Two four without any loss. Current run rate 6.27. And another four by Sarkar; Nehra so have give 13 runs in five balls. Nehra takes S. Sarkar's wicket; Sarkar gone for 14. Bangladesh 27 for 1 wicket.

3rd over: Bumrah into attack, first ball, played defensively no run. second ball, beautiful shot and takes a single down the leg side. It is 12 for no loss. third ball, excellent bowling from Bumrah, no run. fourth ball, wild swish and misses and no run. fifth ball, excellent shot and well-fielded but Bangladesh takes two runs and it is 14 for no loss. sixth ball, another beautiful delivery no run.

2nd over: Nehra into the attack. Tamim slams the first ball to the mid-wicket boundary. It is 9 for no loss. second ball, wide down the leg side. It is 10 for no loss. second ball, excellent ball from Nehra and no run. third ball, Tamil hits it straight to the cover and no run. fourth ball, very good bouncer from Nehra no run. fifth ball, tries to hook it but straight to Dhawan and takes a single it is 11 for no loss. sixth ball, excellent bowling from Nehra. It is 11 for no loss.

1st over: Sorry it is Ashwin who opens the attack. Tamim Iqbal and Soumya Sarkar are the openers. first ball, straight away appeal for LBW and umpire says no. second ball, excellent stuff from Ashwin. third ball, another excellent ball from Ashwin, no run. fourth ball, beautiful bowling from Ashwin. fifth ball, Bangladesh opens their account. 1 for no loss. sixth ball, Sarkar opens his account with a beautiful shot through covers for a four. It is 5 for no loss.

The teams are

Bangladesh

Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman, Mahmudullah, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim†, Mashrafe Mortaza*, Nasir Hossain, Al-Amin Hossain, Abu Hider, Taskin Ahmed

India

Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Jasprit Bumrah, Ashish Nehra

Bangladesh are playing Nasir Hossain and Abu Hider.

Mortaza had also liked to bowl first. There are two changes in the Bangladesh side.

India plays the same team which played against Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

India wins toss and M.S. Dhoni has elected to bowl first.

The toss time. M.S. Dhoni and Mashrafe Mortaza are out in the middle for the toss.

Play will resume at 9.30 p.m .local time. It is a 15- over game with a bowler bowling a maximum of three overs. Fielding restrictions for five overs. Toss will be crucial.

Inspection will be at 8.45 p.m. local time. One think it will be a shortened Asia Cup finals because overs will start getting reduced at 8.40 pm.

Let us have a look at the group match played by India and Bangladesh. India won the match by 45 runs.

The Bangladesh players are playing football in the middle. The Indian team is also out warming up for the all-important finals.

According to latest reprots, the covers are steadily being taken off the ground. Some of the Indian players are out and about, playing around with a football. One hopes not many overs will be lost.

According to latest reports, the rain has finally stopped. The groundstaff are getting to work with head groundsman supervising them.

According to latest reports, the intensity of the rain has reduced, but it is still coming down.

According to latest reports, all the four floodlight towers are functional at the moment, but the rain is still steady.

According to TV reports, it is raining heavily at Mirpur and the ground is full of water. As of now, the toss is delayed. But with the rain pouring like torrents, it will be really tough for the groundsmen to clear the water, and even if the game starts, it will be a shortened one.

Heavy downpour accompanied by thundershowers threatened to play spoilsport in the final of the Asia Cup T20 between Bangladesh and India.

The much hyped grand finale saw an anti-climax of sorts when there was a slight drizzle in the beginning with groundsmen covering the pitch area.

However just as they had removed the covers, there was sudden thunderstorm, which saw the TV crew commentators and players sprinting to the confines of the shade with the heavy pitch cover being blown away.

The stadium plunged to darkness as the lights went off.

Shere-e-Bangla Stadium has brilliant drainage facilities that one witnessed during 2014 World T20 final, which started 45 minutes post scheduled time but the groundsmen had prepared the ground.

In case of no play, the trophy will be shared as both teams are scheduled to leave for India on Monday.

A rewind of the Asia Cup tournament

India and Sri Lanka have won the Asia Cup five times. The other Asian giant Pakistan has won the cup twice.

Bangladesh had entered the finals only once which was won by Pakistan by just 2 runs in 2012. This is the second time Bangladesh has entered the finals. For the first time the Asia Cup was held as a T20 format.

Asia Cup is a men's One Day International & Twenty20 International cricket tournament. It was established in 1983 when the Asian Cricket Council was founded as a measure to promote goodwill between Asian countries. It was originally scheduled to be held every two years.

The first Asia cup was held in 1984 in Sharjah in UAE where the council's offices were based (until 1995). India boycotted the 1986 tournament due to strained cricketing relations with Sri Lanka. Pakistan boycotted the 1990-91 tournament due to strained political relations with India. The 1993 tournament was cancelled due political reasons between India and Pakistan. The ACC has announced that the tournament will be held biennially from 2008 onwards. The ICC has ruled that all games played in the Asia Cup have official ODI and T20 International status.

Still Young To Fight, This 77-Year-Old Is Taking His 47th Shot At Clearing The Class 10 Exams!

A 77-year-old Rajasthani villager is getting ready to take his Class 10 board exam, for the 47th time.

Shiv Charan Yadav, from Khohari village in Alwae, first took the exam in 1968.

To put it in perspective, that would have been about a month after The Beatles arrived in India, at Rishikesh, to attend Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's Transcendental Meditation training course.

Yes, it was that long ago.

This year, on March 10, Yadav hopes to put behind him 46 years of having failed the Class 10 exam. He had vowed long ago not to marry until he matriculated and the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education's exam has been a tough taskmaster.

"Each time it so happens that I pass in some subjects, but fail in others. For example, if I get enough marks in mathematics and science, I fail in Hindi and English. This time, I hope to pass all," a confident sounding Yadav told

Yadav almost passed the exam, 21 years ago in 1995, but mathematics proved to be his undoing.

Last year, he managed to pass in one subject: social sciences. The year before that he failed in all the subjects. "This time, I have taken classes from some school teachers," he said.

Yadav has been living alone in his ancestral home for 30 years now. His mother died when he was only two months old and he lost his father when he was 10. He uncle and extended family brought him up.

"The old-age pension from the government and the prasaad (religious offering) at a nearby temple help me get by," he said.

Some villagers make fun of Yadav's persistence, but some also admire his grit and help him with gifts of pens and books.

"Seeing him going for the examinations is a rare treat. He goes to the temple just like the other students about to take examinations. We hope he will be able to make it this time," said Ramkesh Meena, a native of the village.

If he does manage to pass the exam this year, he'll have his next job -- finding a bride -- cut out for him.

"This year, I will get married. I know I'll find a bride," the 77-year-old bachelor insists.

Life Changing Motivational Video For Success

CLICK HERE

Swami Vivekananda Quotes In Hindi

• कभी मत सोचिये कि आत्मा के लिए कुछ असंभव है. ऐसा सोचना सबसे बड़ा विधर्म है. अगर कोई पाप है, तो वो यही है; ये कहना कि तुम निर्बल हो या अन्य निर्बल हैं.
• अगर धन दूसरों की भलाई करने में मदद करे, तो इसका कुछ मूल्य है, अन्यथा, ये सिर्फ बुराई का एक ढेर है, और इससे जितना जल्दी छुटकारा मिल जाये उतना बेहतर है.
• एक शब्द में, यह आदर्श है कि तुम परमात्मा हो.
• उस व्यक्ति ने अमरत्त्व प्राप्त कर लिया है, जो किसी  सांसारिक वस्तु से व्याकुल नहीं होता.