The Leicester City of India

Everyone loves a good underdog story. Last year in May 2016, Leicester City scripted history by becoming the EPL champions and it was talked about for months. We can now say that history has been made in India too. Aizwal FC have become the first team from the North-East to win the I-League and they've really made India proud. Aizawl FC won their maiden I-League title following a dramatic season finale, which saw them going toe-to-toe with Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan. On the final day of the season, Aizawl, who had 36 points from 17 matches, needed only a draw to be crowned champions ahead of Bagan, who trailed them by three points. Their 1-1 draw against another club from the Northeast, Shillong Lajong, confirmed the stunning achievement for Aizawl FC, who, in the process, became the first team from the Northeast to win the national championship.

What was the journey of Aizawl FC like?

It’s an incredible tale at many levels, not because Aizawl were relegated to the second division last year. That was their debut season and Aizawl’s young, untested players were seen as not good enough at this level and the team’s nightmare ended with them being bundled out of the league. This season, as the clubs from Goa boycotted the league due to a tiff with the All India Football Federation (AIFF), Aizawl were brought back, just to make the numbers. The reinstatement happened barely a month before the start of the new season in January.

Every great team needs a great coach. Khalid Jamil was appointed as Aizawl FC’s head coach just before the start of the 2016-17 season and he delivered it for them. Jamil, born in Kuwait to Indian parents, had been sacked by Mumbai FC last season after a seven-year stint with the team. The club thought he wasn’t ambitious enough and termed his seven years with the team “a failure”. A similar scenario was observed with Claudio Ranieri too.

At the start of this season, Aizawl’s target was to avoid relegation, which was understandable for a club with modest means. In Mizoram, they joke about how one Mohun Bagan player can pay for the entire Aizawl team. Unofficial estimates put their annual budget at Rs 1.25 crore, which includes players’ fee, food, travel, stay and medical expenses. That is one crore less than what Bagan reportedly pays its costliest player, Haiti’s Sony Norde.

But just like Bengaluru had shown three years ago, Aizawl too have proven that teams with virtual unknowns can win big. And win in style. Every match day, sceptics waited for this bunch of novices to trip but they have played on. They remained unbeaten at home and played a brand of football that is synonymous with teams from the Northeast – attacking, yet sublime. The packed stands, even on weekdays, were testimony a state that is crazy about its football. The culture and passion of the states like Mizoram, Assam & Shillong have created an example for others to follow.

Hilex Water Tank Overflow Talking Alarm

The road ahead for Aizawl FC looks very bright and the recent decision that the I-league and ISL merger won't be happening for at least 2-3 years gives them hope to carry forward their legacy and provide a platform to showcase North East football.

What if Indian states were kids at school?

1. Andhra Pradesh : The hardworking boy who does all the work assigned to him sincerely. He is taking engineering after school.
2. Arunachal Pradesh : The girl who sits quietly, lost in her own world, in a corner of the class.
3. Assam : The jovial guy who is always cheerful. And yes, he prefers tea to coffee.
4. Bihar : The boy who always makes the loudest noise in the absence of the teacher, but has a kind heart.
5. Chhattisgarh : The introverted guy who always listens to the crowd and seldom speaks.
6. Goa : One of the most popular guys. He parties all day and night.
7. Gujarat : The guy who lends his pen to others, and never forgets to take it back. He has visited the bank more than the school canteen.
8. Haryana : The guy who has the ability to scare juniors by his accent. People try to imitate him to get some quick popularity points.
9. Himachal Pradesh : That fair girl in the class who is approached by everyone - be it for homework, or for club events.
10. Jammu And Kashmir : The girl who tried to do everything right, but is almost always sad because of in-school politics.
11. Jharkhand : The new comer boy in the class. He is the wicket-keeper captain of the school cricket team. ;)
12. Karnataka : The tech-savvy boy in the class who introduces trending technological topics in class.
13. Kerala : The one with the most likes on his Facebook profile picture! He sits in the very back, but almost always performs well in exams. He also has awesome football skills.
14. Madhya Pradesh : The person who sits in the middle of the class! He is friendly with both the first benchers as well as the back benchers.
15. Maharashtra : That social person in class whom everyone loves. He is the most vibrant guy in class.
16. Manipur : The girl who is full of grit and determination and is representing the district in boxing
17. Meghalaya : The girl who always is staring at clouds! Okay, bad pun. The silent girl who likes the smell of soil during rain.
18. Mizoram : Awesome person. Does his work quietly and that’s it.
19. Nagaland: The person obsessed with cultural fests. Dances amazingly.
20. Odisha: Nagaland’s best friend. Has won many medals in cultural activities.
21. Punjab: The most swag guy in the house. The party animal, who is sometimes seen with Goa.
22. Rajasthan: When most of the classmates get uncomfortable or when the day is too hot in summer, or too cold in winter, this guy relaxes.
23. Sikkim: The guy who stands behind Goa in ‘line’ during assembly.
24. Tamil Nadu: Brings amazing dosa to class. Totally obsessed with films. Absolute Rajini fan. Make friends with him, and he will remain friends with you throughout your life.
25. Telangana: New admission. Also, a first bencher. Definitely engineering after school.
26. Tripura: Sincere and hardworking. First bencher.
27. Uttar Pradesh: Back bencher who has ideas that are going to be successful outside the class. One of the best athlete in the class.
28. Uttrakhand: Himachal Pradesh’s best friend. Hardworking and sincere.
29. West Bengal: One of the best literary-oriented guys in class. The ‘dada’ of the class. The only person to be in both cricket as well as football teams in school.
30. Delhi: The best batsman in the school cricket team right now. Make him angry, he will cuss you. Make him angrier, he will sit for protest in front of you!

Source - Quora

BHIM APP - Can it suppress PayTM and Freecharge?

About BHIM AppThe neat, clean and simple interface of the app is a welcome departure from other apps from the government. This is in tune with its stated purpose of simplified payments.

How to Use the BHIM appTo make use of BHIM app you will need to have an account with any of the 32 banks that have joined UPi (list of banks at the end of the post). The app is currently available only in English and Hindi. Given the wide diversity of languages in India, more languages are expected to be added soon. Also the phone number you use for the app needs to be associated with your bank account. At the moment it allows only one phone number and bank account to be linked with the app at a time. However, there exists an option to change accounts.

Unlike many other apps BHIM doesn't need a plethora of permissions from the user. It asks for access to SMS (to verify mobile number) and to make and manage phone calls (they say they need it to verify your phone with UPI). And in case you want to scan a QR code, it will ask for an additional permission to access the camera. Unlike many other apps, this app doesn't fetch a verification code from an incoming SMS, but instead sends out an SMS for phone number verification.

ReviewThere is much reason to feel optimistic about the BHIM app launched yesterday. As soon as I came to know about it, I downloaded it and tried to register my mobile number and bank account. There were some errors at first while registering the bank account, but after 3–4 times, I was successful. It may be due to the server overload produced due to many registrations at a time. Other than being impressed by its simplistic interface, I was amazed how the Indian government has designed such a user friendly app. This is the same reason why Whatsapp has become the most popular messaging platform. BHIM app can surely become the app for the masses (even the people who are less inclined towards technology).

Here are a few reasons which can make you use the BHIM app instead of PayTM, Freecharge and others :-

1. While BHIM has all the benefits provided by other mobile wallets, the one big advantage is that the transactions happen directly from the bank accounts and there are no charges associated with transfers.
2. The transaction limits (maximum of Rs 10,000 per transaction and Rs 20,000 within 24 hours) are more flexible than that for the other apps.
3. It is government backed and the money is transferred directly from bank account to bank account without an intermediary.

However, BHIM app mostly won’t provide the cashbacks that the other wallet providers offer.These are early days for the app and more features and improvements are expected soon.

What happened to Ash Ketchum's original Pokemon in Indigo League?

I am a huge fan of Pokemon (mainly the Kanto Chapter- the Indigo League) . It was an integral part of my children just like many of my friends. Ash Ketchum’s original 6 Pokemon team consisted of Pikachu, Charizard, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, and an honorable mention, Muk. He caught them and their fates are as follows:

1. Pikachu - Given to him by Professor Oak, the bond between the two grew and grew, and Pikachu remains with Ash over 700 episodes later.
2. Charizard - Charmander was found abandoned by its trainer, but Ash rescued it and nursed it back to health. It would eventually evolve into Charmeleon and Charizard very quickly, but as a result lost its respect for Ash. After being frozen in an ice beam attack on the Orange Islands, Charizard would regain its obedience to Ash’s orders. Eventually it would be left at a special camp for Charizards in order to strengthen its skills.
3. Squirtle - Originally a member of the Squirtle Squad, a bespectacled quartet of delinquents, the leader would join Ash’s team early in the show. Eventually it would return to its squad, converted into a firefighting team, but can be called upon when Ash needs Squirtle’s help.
4. Bulbasaur - Bulbasaur was befriended by Ash, but Ash decided to capture him in a more conventional sense, in a battle. Bulbasaur would go on to resist evolution, preferring its current form, and live at Professor Oak’s laboratory, serving as a peacekeeper between all the different pokemon there.
5. Pidgeotto - Caught in Viridian forest, Pidgeotto served as one of Ash’s strongest pokemon. However when a flock of fellow Pidgeys and Pidgeotto’s was threatened, Pidgeotto evolved into Pidgeot in order to save them. Ash would subsequently release Pidgeot, who would serve and protect its newfound flock.
6. Butterfree - Caught as a caterpie in Viridian Forest, Caterpie quickly evolved into a Butterfree, and was one of Ash’s favorite pokemon. Upon meeting a female pink butterfree, Butterfree was released in order to live happily with her

Inspiring story of the MAN in Man vs Wild

Everybody, at some point in their lives, has experienced failure. It could be something as simple as not getting the job you wanted, or getting fewer marks even after working your ass off. But what defines you is not your failure, but how you get back up after being hit. Here is the story of a wildlife presenter on the Discovery Channel

After leaving school, he briefly considered joining the Indian Army and hiked in the Himalayan mountains of Sikkim and West Bengal. Eventually, he joined the Territorial Army and, after passing selection, served as a reservist with the SAS in 21 SAS Regiment (Artists) (Reserve), for three years until 1997.

IPL 8 –An Overview

 The scorching heat of summer is back and with it is the party of cricket. The ICC Cricket World Cup just concluded Down Under with Australia crowned the champions. Few days later, another mega event in the cricket calendar starts. It is the Indian Premier League. 8 Franchises from all over the country will be again for the crown with the Kolkata knight Riders defending their title. The teams have gone in for minor changes in their squads in the auctions this year. Are you ready for SUMMER SLAM 2015!!!!

1.     CHENNAI SUPER KINGS

There were many controversies surrounding CSK the past year with fixing claims against the owners. However, now they are all clear and will be going all out for the coveted trophy. . Their amalgamation of quality Indian players with their overseas counterparts is their strength. This year too they look the most balanced side among all teams. Led by Captain Cool MS Dhoni, CSK are surely among the favorites to defend the title.

Squad - MS Dhoni, Ashish Nehra, Baba Aparajith, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ishwar Pandey, Matt Henry, Mithun Manhas, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Samuel Badree, Suresh Raina, Ronit More, Michael Hussey, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan, Pratyush Singh, Ankush Bains, Eklavya Dwivedi, Andrew Tye.

2.     KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS

The defending champions have changed their tempo in the recent years having undergone handsome changes. The captaincy of Gautam Gambhir has been crucial. KKR’s spin attack led by Sunil Narine, is the best in the tournament. The team does not have any Indian player who had featured in the World Cup. This topic can be both a strength as well as weakness. The Kolkata Knight Riders look a team of full-fledged T20 players and have a strong chance to win the title again.

Squad -  Gautam Gambhir, Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Patrick Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Veer Pratap Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Johan Botha, Brad Hogg, Aditya Garhwal, Sumit Narwal, KC Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Sheldon Jackson.

3.     Mumbai Indians

After the first couple of seasons, MI have made it to at least the last four in every season. A major reason behind this is their ability to retain core players like Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh, Rohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard. Their Indian contingent is very good. MI have an excellent coaching staff, all of whom were excellent players during their time. They should easily progress to the finals if they can keep their nerves in the knockouts.

Squad -  Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Marchant de Lange, Pawan Suyal, Shreyas Gopal, Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, R Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Aaron Finch, Pragyan Ojha, Mitchell McClenaghan, Akshay Wakhare, Aiden Blizzard, Hardik Pandya, Siddhesh Lad, J Suchith, Nitish Rana, Abhimanyu Mithun.

4.     RAJASTHAN ROYALS

The Royals have well-defined roles for each player. They rely on team work rather than individual efforts. Their spin department lacks strength which can prove dangerous in Indian conditions. The Rajasthan Royals are always the dark horses of the IPL and this year to shall be the same.

Squad -  Shane Watson, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Nagendra Sharma, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dishant Yagnik, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Karun Nair, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Stuart Binny, Tim Southee, Vikramjeet Malik, Chris Morris, Juan Theron, Barinder Singh Saran, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sagar Trivedi, Pardeep Sahu

5.     ROYAL CHALLENGERS BANGALORE

The RCB side looks the best on paper. Featuring the likes of Kohli, Gayle, De Villiers and Starc, they can beat any team on their day. Their home ground, M.A. Chinnaswamy stadium is the best during IPL. However, they are chokers in IPL. Given the depth in their squad, Virat’s men will be gunning for their maiden title.

Squad - Virat Kohli, AB de Villers, Chris Gayle, Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson, Varun Aaron, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal, Rilee Rossouw, Vijay Zol, Yogesh Takawale, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Ashok Dinda, Sandeep Warrier, Manvinder Bisla, Iqbal Abdullah, Dinesh Karthik, Subramaniam Badrinath, Darren Sammy, Sean Abbott, Adam Milne, David Wiese, Jalaj Saxena, Sarfaraz Naushad Khan, Shishir Bhavane

6.     SUNRISERS HYDERABAD

They seem to be determined to prove a point as they had a very good day at the auctions. They were one of the busiest teams as they roped in 10 players. Moreover, they were very smart in terms of their buys as they bought some quality players like, Kane Williamson, Eoin Morgan and Hanuma Vihari for relatively smaller amounts. Kevin Pietersen’s decision not to play in this year’s IPL will go against them.

Squad -  Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chama Milind, Dale Steyn, David Warner, Ishant Sharma, Karn Sharma, KL Rahul, Moises Henriques, Naman Ojha, Parvez Rasool, Ricky Bhui,  Eoin Morgan, Kane Williamson, Ravi Bopara, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Praveen Kumar, Trent Boult, Hanuma Vihari, Prasanth Padmanabhan, Siddarth Kaul

7.     KINGS XI PUNJAB

KXIP made the noises for all the good reasons last year. A complete overhaul in the coaching staff bringing in Sanjay Bangar paid rich dividends. They unarguably have the best batting line-up amongst all teams. Bowling with Johnson leading the attack is also good. Last years’ finalists will try to go one step better this year.

Squad -  Axar Patel, Anureet Singh, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karanveer Singh, Manan Vora, Mitchell Johnson, Parvinder Awana, Rishi Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Shaun Marsh, Shivam Sharma, Thisara Perera, Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha, Murali Vijay, Nikhil Naik, Yogesh Golwalkar.

8.     DELHI DAREDEVILS

Delhi Daredevils have undergone such a major revamp in their squad this year. They have retained only 11 members since last year. The daredevils have a good bunch of all-rounders and are coached by Gary Kirsten. DD shall be able to make a mark if and only if the team is able to work together.

Squad - JP Duminy, Keda Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Quinton De Kock, Saurabh Tiwary, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Imran Tahir, Jayant Yadav, Angelo Mathews, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Jaydev Unadkat, Gurinder Sandhu, Shreyas Iyer, CM Gautam, Dominic Muthuswamy, Albie Morkel,  Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Kona Srikar Bharat, KK Jiyaz, Zaheer Khan

The focus will now be on the IPL, where talents from all across the world will showcase their talent in the shortest format of the game. 

 

KNOW YOUR CRICKETERS

Since last month, an amazing World Cup is going on Down Under. The young guns in the Indian team will be vying to make history this year. Although they will miss the likes of Sachin, Sehwag, Gambhir, Yuvraj, Harbhajan and Zaheer, team India has a formidable bunch of batsmen, bowlers and fielders. Can they count up and take the ‘mauka’!

Shikar Dhawan

The Indian opening batsman, nicknamed ‘Gabbar’, is one of the most feared batsmen in the world currently. This left-handed player had scored a century in 85 balls in his test debut against Australia. He was the leading run-scorer and the Man of the Tournament of 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England, which India won.  Dhawan belongs to a Punjabi Khatri family and has aggression in his veins. Team India will rely on his attacking prowess to defend the World Cup.

Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma is a right handed batsman who opens alongside Dhawan. This Mumbai lad hails from Borivali and has done his schooling there. Since the age of 20, he was considered as technically-gifted and hence a regular fixture in the national team. Rohit is the only batsman to score two double centuries in ODI cricket. His knock of 264 runs at Kolkata will always be one of the finest.

Virat Kohli

Many hail him as the next Sachin Tendulkar, but Virat wants to be the first Kohli. He was part of the 2011 World Cup winning team. Easily the key player for India this tournament, Virat will have more responsibilities on his shoulder than ever. This aggressive Delhi boy is quite well-known for the attention he gathers off the pitch. Now, also the Indian test captain has showed glimpses of the potential he has in the group stages. Virat needs to be at his best if India wants to have high hopes this year. Surely he seems to have lady luck on his side.

Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Madhukar Rahane, another Mumbai boy brings much needed cool head in the dressing team. The boy from Dombivali got into the national squad due to consistent performances in the domestic circuit with an impressive average of 62.04. Rahane made his Test debut in the 2013 Border–Gavaskar Trophy against the Aussies and impressed one and all. Now, a regular the right handed middle order batsman hopes to leaves a mark this year.

Suresh Raina

Raina offers the batting stability in the middle overs. This left handed southpaw is famous for his attacking strokes and is a specialist in the limited overs format. Raina comes from a middle class family in Ghaziabad, UP. He is an integral part of the ODI team since 2005 but made his test debut 5 years later. He is also a part time spin bowler who proves crucial at times.

M S Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is unarguably the best captain in the world. He is the only one to win the T20 World Cup, ICC World Cup and Champions Trophy. Dhoni doubles up as a right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Many hail him as the best finisher of all time. But Captain Cool always sticks to his ground. Recently, MSD was blessed with a baby girl in February.  Dhoni will look to show his Midas touch again.

Ambati Rayudu

A talented batsman, Rayudu has performed solidly in his ODI appearances to date, securing an average of 45.66 at the end of 2014. Having earned a reputation as someone with the ability to finish off games from crunch situations, Rayudu scored his maiden ODI ton in November 2014 against Sri Lanka when he smashed an unbeaten 121 from 118 balls. Though not featuring in the playing XI, he should make a point given an opportunity.

Ravindra Jadeja

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja has impressed many with his performances in limited-overs cricket since making his One-Day International debut in 2009 against Sri Lanka and has secured his place as a key player in the India ODI line-up. His athleticism in the field completes the package.  Fondly called “Sir” and “Rockstar”, he contributes with all he can. This is his first ICC Cricket World Cup.

Ravichandran Ashwin

Ravichandran Ashwin may appear quiet and unassuming but this off-spinner does plenty of damage with a cricket ball. He causes plenty of trouble for batsmen with his off-spin and variations; particularly with his carrom ball. Ashwin is also capable of inflicting damage with the bat and was an opening batsman before he took up off-spin. Ashwin was a member of India’s winning ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 squad but played second fiddle to Harbhajan Singh at the tournament. He will be eager to make his mark on the championship this time around.

Axar Patel

Not many people had heard of Axar Patel before some excellent domestic performances in 2014 brought the off-spinner to the attention of national selectors.Patel, who was also one of the key players in India under-23s’ title win in the ACC Emerging Teams Cup 2013 and also the IPL, was chosen for his One-Day International debut against Bangladesh in June 2014. He has as a backup for his Baroda counterpart Jadeja till now.

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar

Bhuvi is one of the opening bowlers for India. Bhuvneshwar Kumar can cause plenty of headaches for batsmen with his ability to swing the ball prodigiously both ways at pace. He first made himself known playing for Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket when good form thrust him into the sights of the India selectors. He is also a handy batter in India’s lower order. It is still early days for the bowler whose best is likely yet to come.

Mohit Sharma

Mohit Sharma was a late inclusion in India’s ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 squad after Ishant Sharma suffered a knee injury. Right-arm bowler Sharma broke into India’s ODI team in mid-2013 after consistent performances in domestic cricket. The Haryana bowler will not affect his late inclusion to have any effect in his performances.

Stuart Binny

Following in the footsteps of his father, former Indian allrounder Roger Binny, Stuart Binny has proven to be useful in the same discipline since breaking into the first-class scene in 2003-04. His success has mainly come in limited-overs cricket including consistent performances in the Indian Premier League and in domestic cricket where his medium pace bowling has been combined with his big-hitting abilities.

Mohammed Shami

Since making his one-day international debut at the start of January 2013, fast bowler Mohammad Shami has cemented himself in the India line-up, picking up 68 wickets in his first 36 outings. The bowler who plays for Bengal in Ranji has some lethal pace combined with swinging the white Kookabura in both ways.

Umesh Yadav

Umesh Yadav is a pacer from Vidharbha. He started played cricket aged 19. Before becoming a professional cricketer, Umesh Yadav unsuccessfully applied to join the army and the police force.  He seems to have a great attitude and most importantly, he's a wicket-taking bowler. He's got that raw talent, good pace and can generate good bounce. He's got a lot going for him at the moment. These abilities shall supplement him in Australia.

The Knock-outs have started 
Come on India
#wontgiveitback