Sania Mirza, a tennis player from India, lost in the opening round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday, capping off a glorious 20-year career.

In the women’s doubles round, the 36-year-old Indian great was defeated in straight sets by American partner Madison Keys. After an hour-long battle, the pair lost 4-6, 0-6 against Veronika Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia.

Mirza, a mother of a 4-year-old kid named Izhaan and a pro since 2003, finished her illustrious career with six Grand Slam trophies.

Three of those happened when Martina Hingis of Switzerland and I played women’s doubles. The other three were won in mixed doubles; the other was a US Open trophy with Bruno Soares. The other two were won with fellow countryman Mahesh Bhupathi (2009 Australian Open and 2012 French Open).

After losing in the Australian Open mixed doubles final with Rohan Bopanna, Sania was prevented from having a Cinderella Grand Slam career.

Sania Mirza has been hired by Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) as the team’s mentor for the Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023, the club announced on Wednesday. Six-time Grand Slam champion Sania, in the opinion of the team, fits the RCB Play Bold attitude well.

“Be it cricket or tennis, athletes are made of the same grain, fiercely competitive, love their sport and face pressure situations in their game. Sania Mirza has done just that for 20 years across her illustrious career of 6 Grand Slams & 43 WTA Titles,” RCB said in a media.

As per RCB, Sania’s stature as one of the leading role models for innumerable women prompted the team management to onboard her to motivate and encourage the women’s team.

“It is a pleasure for me to join the RCB women’s team as a mentor. Indian women’s cricket has seen a tectonic shift with the Women’s Premier League, and I am really looking forward to being a part of this revolutionary pitch. RCB and its brand philosophy perfectly resonates with my vision and outlook as that’s how I have approached my playing career and it’s also how I see contributing to sports post my retirement,” said Sania.

“RCB has been a popular team and much followed team in the IPL over the years. I am immensely happy to see them building a team for the Women’s Premier League as it will push the women’s sports to new heights in the country, open new doors to women cricketers and help make sports the first career choice for young girls and young parents with a girl child,” she added.

Meanwhile, Rajesh V Menon, Head and Vice President of Royal Challengers Bangalore, said that Mirza, who has been honoured with Padma Bhushan, Arjuna Award and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna, is the perfect role model.

“We are glad and honoured to welcome Sania Mirza as mentor of the RCB women’s team. She is the perfect role model with her success stemming out of her sheer hard work, passion, and determination, despite many challenges in her playing career,” said Menon.

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Happy to say that Tata Group is the WPL’s title sponsor: Jay Shah

Subhash Ghai launches new movie with his ‘Hero’ Jackie Shroff

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) 2023 title rights have been awarded to TATA Group, according to BCCI secretary Jay Shah’s announcement on Tuesday. Jay Shah announced the news on Twitter. He stated: “It gives me great pleasure to name the #TataGroup as the inaugural #WPL’s title sponsor. We are convinced that we can advance women’s cricket with their assistance. @wplt20 @BCCI @BCCIWomen”

In the DY Patil Stadium on March 4, Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians will play in the opening game of the WPL 2023. The WPL will host a total of 20 league games and two playoff games in its inaugural season, all of which will last 23 days.

On March 5, the league’s five teams—Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Giants, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and UP Warriorz—will play their first doubleheader when Royal Challengers Bangalore takes on Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI, and UP Warriorz takes on Gujarat Giants at the DY Patil Stadium.

There will be four double headers, with the first game beginning at 15:30 IST and the final three games beginning at 1930 IST. The DY Patil Stadium and Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai will host a combined total of 11 matches, according to a media statement from the BCCI.

On March 21 at the Brabourne Stadium, CCI, UP Warriorz and Delhi Capitals will square off in the league stage’s penultimate match. On March 24, The Eliminator will be held at DY Patil Stadium. On March 26, the Women’s Premier League Final will be held at Brabourne Stadium.

Prior to the league’s debut, the five organisations spent lavishly to sign some of the top players on the national and international circuits.

Smriti Mandhana of India was the highest purchase; she was sold to Royal Challengers Bangalore for an astounding INR 3.40 crore. Harmanpreet Kaur, the captain of Team India, was traded to the Mumbai Indians for INR 1.80 crore, while all of the other international and Indian celebrities were selected for one of the five franchises.

Ashleigh Gardner of Australia and Natalie Sciver of England were the top purchases among the overseas players and were sold to Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians for INR 3.20 crore each.

Shafali Verma, the captain of the India U19 team and winner of the ICC U19 T20 World Cup, was the top buy and was sold to Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore.

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Subhash Ghai launches new movie with his ‘Hero’ Jackie Shroff

Budget 2023-24: A growth plan with a good-harvest emphasis

The agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy, and fisheries sectors were shown in a favourable light in the Union Budget for 2023–2024 that was unveiled by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. According to industry officials, the proposals will lead to long-term growth that will produce better results in the upcoming years.

“The Budget has proven to showcase that the future of the agriculture sector in the country is bright, with its well-researched, and nuanced focus towards the sector,” said Karthik Jayaraman, Co-Founder and Managing Director, WayCool Foods and Products Ltd, a food and agri-tech platform.

We warmly welcome Sitharaman’s declaration that the government will provide digital public infrastructure for agriculture, enabling an open-source, open-standard, and interoperable public good that includes farmer-centric solutions, Jayaraman said the move will improve access to farm inputs for the farmers whilst also boosting market intelligence, thereby, also providing support to agri-tech and start-up growth.

According to him, the Agriculture Accelerator Fund’s launch will significantly benefit the industry by enticing young entrepreneurs to the field and introducing creative, cost-effective solutions to the problems farmers face, particularly those related to boosting profitability and outfitting modern technology.

Moreover, With a budget of Rs 2,200 crore, the Atmanirbhar clean plant initiative would give farmers access to the availability of disease-free, clean planting materials, boosting agricultural production significantly. Disease infestation has been a serious issue affecting 35% of overall crop productivity, Jayaraman added.

“We are glad to hear a number of farmer-friendly initiatives by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman which undoubtedly will support our agricultural economy and accelerate growth amongst other sectors such as animal husbandry, dairy and fisheries,” said B. Soundararajan, Chairman, Suguna Group.

He said the Agriculture Acceleration Fund would be extremely useful in stimulating agricultural start-ups in rural areas through a collaboration between the farmers, state, and the sector.

“Overall, investment in resources and modern technology in these domains will surely contribute in the formation of long-term growth that will give greater results in the coming years,” Soundararajan said.

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Subhash Ghai launches new movie with his ‘Hero’ Jackie Shroff

Market reaction to the Budget 2023–24 has been conflicted

Director Subhash Ghai gave Bollywood star Jackie Shroff, who turns 50 on Wednesday, a unique gift in the form of a brand-new movie.

The actor has previously collaborated with Subhash Ghai on the hugely successful 1983 movie “Hero.”

They later collaborated on the 2001 film “Yaadein,” in which Jackie played a parent instead of the irate young guy he did in “Hero.”

Subhash Ghai announced his upcoming project, which stars Jackie Shroff, on the actor’s birthday, elevating their relationship to a new level. He uploaded a throwback photo of the actor alongside the announcement on Instagram.

He wrote in the caption, “Once a HERO – always a HERO. BORN as a new super HERO in our film HERO 1983 and #YAADEIN 2001 now comes in 2023 as a heart-warming super HERO on big screen film being produced by @MuktaArtsLtd on our script like never before. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ‘JACKIE’ from everyone from Mukta arts zee studios and all of us (sic).”

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After Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivered the Union Budget for FY24, the Indian stock markets rose briefly on Wednesday before falling.

This is true even if most business leaders and economists approved of the budget ideas.

The BSE Sensex began at 60,001.17 points after closing on Tuesday at 59,549.90 points.

Itx fluctuated between 58,816.84 points and 60,773.44 points.

The Nifty opened at 17,811.60 points on the NSE and closed at 17,662.15 points. Throughout the day, it fluctuated between a high of 17,972.20 points and a low of 17,353.40 points.

The Sensex concluded at 59,708.08 points, up while the Nifty fell by 0.26 percent to close at 17,616.30 points.

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India finally won its first women’s cricket global championship on January 29, 2023, when Shafali Verma’s team defeated England in Potchefstroom’s inaugural ICC U19 Women’s T20 World Cup final by a margin of seven wickets.

Prior to their historic victory at Potchefstroom, India had placed second in the finals of three World Cups – twice in the ODI World Cup finals in 2005 and 2017 and once in the T20 World Cup final – in addition to taking home a silver medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games gold-medal match.

The India U19 Women’s team’s victory on Sunday in Potchefstroom felt like the end of a protracted curse. Shubhangi Kulkarni, a former captain of India, believes that the U19 women’s team’s success will be the first of many future victories for her nation.

“It’s fantastic for women’s cricket in India. Winning a World Cup is something which all of us have been dreaming of for a long time. I am very happy that the U19 have been able to do it. Hope this is one of many more to come,” she added.

In the meantime, former India captain Mamatha Maben praised the preparation work done by the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which culminated in the U19 Women’s T20 World Cup championship.

“It’s definitely a momentous occasion in the history of women’s cricket in India. A lot of meticulous planning has gone into the preparation for this World Cup by NCA & BCCI. To see it come to fruition is hugely satisfying.”

The BCCI has held a number of zonal camps over the past nine months, along with competitions like the U19 T20 Trophy and U19 Challenger Trophy, fielded two U19 teams in a quadrangular series against West Indies and Sri Lanka in Visakhapatnam, and bilateral matches against New Zealand in Mumbai and South Africa ahead of the World Cup.

“The U19 team began preparing for this important competition last year. They have participated in camps at the NCA, played numerous matches, and put in a lot of practise time. They received good facilities from the BCCI, which also oversees juvenile cricket in India. Because they were well-prepared, our team outperformed the competition by a wide margin.,” added Shubhangi.

Considering the future, Shubhangi, who represented India in 19 Tests and 27 ODIs between 1976 and 1991, thinks the U19 World Cup victory will encourage many young females in the nation to take up the sport, referencing the 1983 Men’s ODI World Cup success.

“Parents haven’t always encouraged girls to play cricket. Now I am sure girls will be encouraged to take up the sport and seeing the rewards given by the BCCI they will be further motivated. The U19 players have become popular and will be role models for younger girls who will want to take up the sport.”

“It has obviously attracted a lot of attention and this is what is required for any sport to take off. In 1983 when the Indian men’s team won the World Cup, it suddenly gave a big boost to the men’s game. Similarly, I am quite sure this U19 win will give a boost to women’s cricket.”

The U19 World Cup victory also highlighted India’s outstanding talent and the potential for them to rule cricket for the next ten years, particularly with the debut of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) just around the corner.

The winning U19 team’s bravery and ability to remain composed under pressure, according to Shubhangi, who presently represents the Indian Cricketers’ Association (ICA) on the BCCI’s top council, will serve them well as they transition to senior cricket.

“The players have tasted success and they have seen what they need to do to succeed. It has taken hard work, dedication, sincerity and sacrifice to reach where they have. I am sure they will have aspirations of getting into the senior team and to do well and win the Women’s World Cups (in future).”

“They know they are playing the U19 age group and if they have to play for the senior team they have to work that much harder. The players showed good temperament and were not overawed by the occasion when they played the finals. These qualities will help them transition to senior cricket. They have the potential to make it to the senior team.”

Mamatha, who represented India in 40 ODIs and four Test matches between 1993 and 2004, also praised head coach Nooshin Al Khadeer. “Nooshin’s leadership of India to its first World Cup is a significant advancement for female coaches. Many thanks for your kind words.”

When asked if Nooshin, one of the most successful coaches in domestic cricket, may be a strong candidate for the position of head coach of the senior women’s team, Shubhangi responded in the affirmative and added that a coach’s gender is unimportant.

“Yes why not. When we reached the finals of the World Cup in 2005, ours was the only team which had a female coach. We’ve had some outstanding performances when we had female coaches and we have female coaches who are good enough to coach the Indian teams.”

“But I don’t think we should appoint someone based on gender. As long as we have a coach who understands the intricacies of women’s cricket and is able to take the team to the next level it should be fine.”

Mamatha concluded by listing the U19 World Cup winning team members who had an impression on her. “Titas Sadhu and Parshavi Chopra are two of the bowlers. For batters, the back end should feature Shweta Sherawat, Gongadi Trisha, and Soumya Tiwari.

Overall, the future of the game in India is highly promising.”

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Not all taxpayers will inevitably benefit from the new tax laws: Experts

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The new tax system (NTR) will now be regarded as the default regime, but experts cautioned that not all taxpayers may find it to be the best alternative.

Preeti Sharma, Partner, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India, said that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made conscious efforts to make the NTR more attractive for the taxpayers.

“The NTR shall now be considered as a default regime for all the taxpayers, but that does not necessarily mean a better regime for all. Taxpayers still need to look at their personal situation, various investments and expenditure that are eligible for tax exemption under the old regime and then decide which regime is better for them,” Sharma said.

Although the NTR is the default regime, an individual still has the option to opt for the old regime if the same is more beneficial in terms of tax outflow, Sharma said.

Deepashree Shetty, Associate Partner, Tax and Regulatory Services, BDO India, said several measures have been introduced to promote the NTR for individual taxpayers. These include increasing the basic exemption limit, change in the income slabs, extending the scope of tax rebate, extension of standard deduction, etc.

“The changes in the Income tax slab structure has enhanced the purchasing power of the populace. This move will encourage the adoption of cleaner, cost effective means of travel for their daily commute and the availability of FAME-II subsidy will further boost the sales of electric vehicles in the coming fiscal. Additionally, the extension on customs duty on the import of capital goods and machinery for developing lithium-ion cells would also enable EV manufacturers to localise their products in the long term, leading towards reduction in the cost of an electric vehicle for the consumer in the years to come, particularly for a brand like ours that are 95% indigenously manufactured in India.” added Mr. Kapil Shelke, Founder & CEO, TORK Motors.

The proposal to make NTR as the default tax regime supports the government’s initiative to digitise and simplify the tax process for the individuals. This would also mean significant changes in the payroll procedures of employers for salaried taxpayers, Shetty said.

It is anticipated that the revenue from personal income tax will increase discretionary incomes and ease the transition of taxpayers to the new tax system.

Suman Chowdhury, Executive Director and Chief Analytical Officer, Acuite Ratings & Research, said, “The rationalisation of the personal income tax structure is expected to lead to two things (i) raise disposable incomes for the middle class, particularly the younger taxpayers (ii) transition of the taxpayers to the new tax regime with minimal exemptions and lower and simpler tax slabs. This is expected to give a moderate boost to domestic consumption.”

S. Ranganathan, Head of Research at LKP Securities, said, “Thee Budget has put more money in the hands of the people through relief from income tax which to our mind is a very positive step.”

Sitharaman on Wednesday announced new tax slabs for 2023-24, under which no tax will be payable for income up to Rs 7 lakh per annum under the new income tax regime.

“Currently, those with an income of up to Rs 5 lakh don’t pay any income tax. I proposed to increase the tax rebate limit to Rs 7 lakh in the new tax regime,” Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

A tax of 5 per cent would be levied on total income between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 6 lakh, 10 per cent tax would be imposed on income between Rs 6 lakh and Rs 9 lakh, while it will be 15 per cent on income between the range of Rs 9 lakh and Rs 12 lakh.

On the income range of Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh, 20 per cent tax would be levied, while the tax would be 30 per cent on an income slab of Rs 15 lakh and above, the finance minister informed.

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The International Cricket Council announced on Tuesday that Indian captain Harmanpreet Kaur will lead the 2022 ICC Women’s ODI Team of the Year, which will also feature colleagues opener Smriti Mandhana and quick bowler Renuka Singh.

Alyssa Healy (Australia), Laura Wolvaardt (South Africa), Nat Sciver (England), Beth Mooney (Australia), Amelia Kerr (New Zealand), Sophie Ecclestone (England), Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa), and Shabnim Ismail are the other players in the ICC Women’s T20I team of the year 2022. (South Africa).

As she helped herself to a century and six half-centuries for the calendar year, Mandhana improved her consistency in 2022. At the World Cup in New Zealand, she beat the West Indies with a fantastic 123-point performance, although possibly it was later.

In September, Mandhana scored an outstanding 91 runs against England in Hove. He then finished the year strong with innings of 40 and 50 runs.

Harmanpreet, an accomplished all-rounder, continues to be one of cricket’s most reliable players. Throughout the year, she scored two century and five half-centuries, including an unbroken 143 against England in September. Additionally, the 33-year-old contributed five significant wickets with her more than competent off-spin.

At the beginning of 2022, Renuka made her international debut against New Zealand, but she was unable to crack the formidable India XI during a fruitless 50-over World Cup campaign.

The right-armer had another opportunity to play ODI cricket as a result of her outstanding T20I performances, and she ended the year as one of the top seamers in women’s cricket.

In 2022, she played at just seven games and took 18 wickets, with her best figure of 4/28 coming against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in the middle of the year. The pacer then put the finishing touches on the year with back-to-back four-wicket hauls in a September match against England.

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