Istanbul on edge after suicide attack blamed on IS

Turkey on Sunday named the bomber behind a suicide attack in a busy Istanbul shopping and entertainment hub that killed four foreigners as a Turkish jihadist with links to the Islamic State group.

The attack on the famous Istiklal Caddesi street sent shockwaves through the city, where a derby between arch-rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce was postponed Sunday after the authorities received information of what they called a "serious" threat.

Interior Minister Efken Ala identified the alleged perpetrator of the attack as Mehmet Ozturk from Gaziantep, on the border with Syria.

"The attacker has been formally identified. He is linked to the terrorist organisation Daesh (Islamic State)," Ala said.

Ozturk, who was born in 1992 and travelled to Syria between 2013 and 2015, had been sought by police over his alleged links to an IS cell in Turkey, Hurriyet newspaper reported.

Ala insisted however he was "not on our (police) wanted list", defending the government against accusations of repeated security failings following six bombings since July that have killed over 200 people.

On Saturday, three Israelis and one Iranian were killed when the bomber detonated his explosives. The bodies of the three Israelis were flown home Sunday for burial.

Most of those injured in the blast were foreigners.

Nineteen people were still being treated in hospital Sunday, eight of them in critical condition, the health ministry said.

The interior minister said five people had been arrested on suspicion of links to the attack. Dogan agency reported that Ozturk's father and brother were among those held.

- Football derby postponed -

The normally bustling district targeted by the bomber was eerily silent Sunday, with many people skirting the neighbourhood for fear of further bloodshed.

In a sign of the nervousness, a highly-anticipated game between Turkish premier division sides Galatasaray and Fenerbahce was postponed two hours before kickoff over a security threat.

Spectators had already started arriving for the game at Galatasaray's Turk Telecom Arena when the decision was announced and they were asked to leave the ground.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempted to rally the public, telling Turks not give into the "fear and despondency".

"Turkey will never give into terrorists' agenda," he declared, sending his condolences to the victims' families.

- Israeli warning -

The Istanbul blast came just six days after 35 people were killed in a suicide car bombing in a busy square in the capital Ankara, in an attack claimed by Kurdish rebels.

Israeli media said the three Israeli victims were part of a group that was on a gastronomic tour of Turkey. Two of them also had US citizenship.

On Sunday, Israel's anti-terrorism office warned against travel to Turkey, citing "the threat to tourist targets" throughout the country.

The main opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet said the latest strike was proof of the government's "incompetence" in security matters.

Ankara had borne the brunt of the attacks until now, being hit three times in the past five months.

IS was held responsible for Turkey's worst ever attack, which killed 103 people at an October peace rally in Ankara.

The last such bombing in Istanbul, which was also blamed on IS, targeted the tourist quarter of Sultanahmet, where the Blue Mosque is located. Twelve German tourists were killed in that blast.

- 'Terrifying' new reality -

Flowers, candles, Turkish flags and placards -- one reading "We are not afraid" -- were left at the spot where the bomber struck outside a local government building.

Despite the messages of defiance, many people expressed fears for their safety.

"You never know where it can happen. It's terrifying," said Ismail, a chef from a local restaurant.

The US and Europe, NATO allies which have been critical of Turkey's slide into authoritarianism under Erdogan, both rushed to assure the country of their support in the wake of the attack.

Erdogan has been accused of trampling free speech and of neglecting the fight against IS to wage war against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) after a two-year truce between the state and the rebels fell apart in July.

A radical PKK offshoot, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), claimed responsibility for the March 13 suicide car bombing in Ankara, saying it was to avenge civilians killed in a military offensive in the mainly Kurdish southeast.

The same group also claimed a February attack targeting troops in Ankara that killed 29 people.

The PKK took up arms against the state in pursuit of autonomy for the Kurdish minority in 1984.

The conflict has claimed some 40,000 lives so far.

Top 50 Tourist Places in India

India is among the most diverse countries in world that is home to seas, oceans, hills, valleys and historical attractions. There are pilgrimage sites, honeymoon locales and picturesque beaches. Plan your tour to India with touristplacesinindia.com for an experience of a lifetime. If you are still wondering about which places to visit during your trip to India, here is a list of top 50 tourist places in the country.

1. Taj Mahal - This mausoleum built in Agra by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site. You cannot miss this magnificent work of marble during your travel to India.

2. Ajanta and Ellora Caves - Situated in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, Ellora has around 34 caves and Ajanta 29. They depict extraordinary work of sculpture, painting and architecture.

3. Khajuraho Temples - The 20 temples at Khajuraho built of sandstone depict erotic sculptures and wall frescoes. This is also among the World Heritage Sites in India and a popular tourist destination. It is situated in Madhya Pradesh.

4. Kashmir - Popular as the paradise of India, Kashmir Valley is one of the beautiful places to visit in the world that is surrounded by the Pir Panjal and the Himalayan range.

5. Goa - This small state in India has plenty to offer to tourists such as the beaches, cruise on the Mandovi River, a vibrant nightlife, tour of churches and monuments and the glimpse of the erstwhile Portuguese culture.

6. Kerala Backwaters - The beauty of the Malabar Coast is best experienced with a tour of the Kerala backwaters. This southern state of India has the largest chain of interlocking canals, rivers and lakes forming the beautiful stretch of the backwaters.

7. Jaipur - The Pink City of India and the capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is popular for its majestic Mughal and Rajput era monuments, havelis and forts. The Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort, Amber Palace, Jal Mahal and the Nahargarh Fort stand reminiscent to the city's glorious past.

8. Munnar - Acres of tea plantations, beautiful valleys and the serenity of the hills make this place a tourist hot spot. Munnar is the only hill station of Kerala with opportunities for paragliding and trekking to Anaimudi.

9. Udaipur - Known as the Lake City of India, Udaipur is a historical city in Rajasthan. A number of lakes, the Aravalli Hills, islands of Fateh Sagar Lake and the beautiful Lake Palace are among the top tourist attractions.

10. Jaisalmer - The Golden Fort, camel safari and Rajputana havelis make this city a prominent place of visit in Rajasthan.

11. Leh and Ladakh - A prominent Buddhist pilgrimage place, known for its century old monasteries and gompas, Leh and Ladakh is also a haven for adventure tourists.

12. Kullu and Manali- Manali is a small hill station around 53 km from the town of Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. Apart from the breathtaking view, the Manikaran Gurudwara and Hadimba Devi Temple are popular attractions.

13. Shimla - Shimla is the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. The sight of the snow capped Himalayas, the Victorian era buildings and churches and the Shimla Mall are worth visiting.

14. Gangtok - Capital of Sikkim and home to a number of monasteries, Gangtok is a major gateway to the Nathula Pass.

15. Darjeeling - Well known as the Queen of Hills, Darjeeling is located in West Bengal. Tea estates, parks, zoos, and the view of Mount Everest are things to enjoy here.

16. Kovalam Beach - Kovalam is a beach town in Thirivananthapuram, Kerala drawing a large crowd of international tourists throughout the year. There are three beaches, resorts and a light house here.

17. Ooty - The Nilgiri Hills or the Blue Mountains, Ooty is worth a visit during the winters in India. Places to visit include Government Rose Garden, Ooty Botanical Gardens and the lake.

18. Kanyakumari- Kanyakumari is the confluence point of the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The ferry ride to the Vivekananda Rock will be a memorable journey.

19. Haridwar - The Hindu pilgrimage site that brings in thousands of tourists and devotees during the Kumbh Mela held once in every 12 years. They also visit the temples, Har Ki Pauri and the Brahma Kund.

20. Nainital - Situated in the foothills of the Kumaon range, it is among the top tourist places in India for its serenity and attractions such as the Naina Devi Temple, Naina Peak and the Bhimtal Lake.

21. New Delhi - Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Chandi Chowk, Karol Bagh market and Connaught Place are places of visit in the capital city of India.

22. Dehradun - The beauty of the Doon Valley is what makes Dehradun a popular place of visit in Uttarakhand. You can tour the Malsi Deer Park, Kalanga Monument and the Tapkeshwar Temple.

23. Hampi - Hampi is a historical place and the erstwhile capital of the Vijayanagar. The 14th century ruins features around 500 monuments, their planning, public baths and other advancements of the era.

24. Fatehpur Sikri - The 16th century capital of the Mughal Empire, Fatehpur Sikri today is known for its royal palaces, courts and the Jama Masjid. It is a World Heritage Site as well.

25. Golden Temple of Amritsar - The Holy shrine of the Sikhs, the Golden Temple complex includes the Hari Mandir, the Amrit Sarovar, the large dining hall and the Central Sikh Museum.

26. Mumbai - The City of Dreams, Mumbai is in limelight for its cosmopolitan culture. Home to Bollywood, it is the entertainment capital of the country. The Juhu Beach and Marine Drive are prominent places of visit.

27. Mysore - You have quite a number of reasons to visit this place. The Mysore Palace, Mysore paintings, Mysore Pak (sweet) and the silk sarees draw tourists to this city.

28. Bangalore - Though a prominent commercial and educational hub, Bangalore is also home to the Bannerghata National Park, Lal Bagh Garden, Bangalore Palace and the Tipu Sultan Summer Palace.

29. Mahabalipuram - The port city dating to the 7th century, Mahabalipuram has rock cut monuments reflecting the Dravidian architecture. Thirukadalmallai Temple and the Pancha Rathas are important structures here.

30. Chennai - The metropolitan of Chennai has beaches such as the Marina Beach and Cavelong Beach among its main attractions. You can also visit the Guindy National Park and the Parthasarathy Temple.

31. Hyderabad - The capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad is a tourist hot spot for its trade in pearls, the authentic Mughal and Arabic cuisine, Char Minar, Chowmalla Palace and the Golconda Fort.

32. Andaman and Nicobar Islands - these two groups of islands has around 300 smaller islands part of its territory. With world-class resorts and adventure spots, these islands are ultimate place for honeymoon couples.

33. Havelock Islands - Part of the Nicobar Islands, Havelock is a popular spot for adventure tourists who indulge in snorkeling and scuba diving.

34. Lakshadweep Islands - Water sports is integral to the tourism of Lakshadweep. There are small tourist huts on the islands of Kalpeni, Kavaratti, Minicoy and Kadmat.

35. Assam - A major gateway to northeast India, Assam features beautiful landscape, hills, the Brahmaputra River and the Kamakhya Temple.

36. Meghalaya - A hilly strip in north east India, Meghalaya tour is incomplete without touring Shillong.

37. Coorg - Called the Scotland of India for the large sandalwood forests and tea and coffee plantations, Coorg is a picture-perfect place for holiday. The Iruppu Falls and the Brahmagiri Hill are two other places of interest.

38. Visakhapatnam - The largest city in Andhra Pradesh, Visakhapatnam is popular for its virgin beaches, small hills and the Araku valley tour.

39. Kedarnath and Badrinath - Visit to Kedarnath and Badrinath can be part of the Do Dham yatra or pilgrimage in India. These two towns have two Hindu shrines.

40. Tirupati - Another Hindu pilgrimage site in Andhra Pradesh and the Sri Venkateshwara Temple here is dedicated to Lord Balaji.

41. Kodaikanal - Known as the Princess of the Hill Stations, Kodaikanal is situated in Tamil Nadu. The Kodaikanal Lake, Bryant Park and the Bear Shola Falls are top places of interest.

42. Kolkata - The capital of West Bengal, Kolkata is truly the City of Joy with several avenues of entertainment, multi cuisine restaurants, the Victoria Memorial, Alipore Zoo and the Kali Ghat Temple.

43. Varanasi - On the banks of River Ganga is the city of Varanasi where the popular classical form of Benaras Gharana had evolved. It is home to the Vishwanath Temple and several other places of worship and culture.

44. Mantheran - The ideal place for a weekend getaway, Mantheran is a drive of around 90 km from Mumbai. You can opt for trekking and mountaineering here.

45. Mahabaleshwar - A drive of 125 km from Pune, Mahabaleshwar is a beautiful plateau. A popular honeymoon spot, the Mahabaleshwar Temple is the prime attraction here.

46. Bodh Gaya - A pilgrimage site for the Buddhist, Bodh Gaya is a World Heritage Site famous for the Bodh Gaya Temple complex.

47. Jim Corbett National Park - The oldest park of its kind in the country, Jim Corbett is the ultimate place for wildlife and safari lovers. It has a protected area for the endangered species of Royal Bengal Tiger.

48. Dilwara Temples, Mount Abu - Dedicated to the Jain tirtanthankaras, Dilwara Temples (five in number) are magnificent work of marble architecture. Each of the temples is unique work of art.

49. Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh - The Bhedaghat - Marble Rocks is the prime attraction of this city. The Duandhar Falls and the marble gorge offer extraordinary sight.

50. Madurai - A city in the state of Tamil Nadu, Madurai has temples that feature the Dravidian style of architecture. The most famous one is the Meenakshi- Sundareswar Temple.

ICC World T20 2016: Why Chris Gayle didn't open the innings for West Indies against Sri Lanka

Although it didn't hurt West Indies' chances of winning the match, most of the crowd at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru were left disappointed as they didn't get to witness Chris Gayle bat.

The chants of “We want Gayle, we want Gayle" was ringing around the stadium ever since the West Indian openers were getting ready to come out until the very end when Russell hit the winning runs.

Many would have come to the crease expecting fireworks from the West Indian opener but they were robbed of their wish as not only did Sri Lanka post a below-par total but Gayle also didn't come out to open the innings with Johnson Charles having gone out of the field while Sri Lanka were batting with a hamstring injury.

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After winning the toss, the West Indian skipper decided to bowl and it meant the capacity crowd would have to wait for a while before seeing him bat. But a Sri Lankan collapse meant that a Gayle masterclass was unlikely given their low total.

Although Gayle picked up a good diving catch in the ninth over to get rid of Milinda Siriwardana, he didn't stick around in the pitch for too much longer as he picked up a hamstring injury while fielding soon after that.

He was replaced by Jason Holder and he didn't field towards the end of the innings. As he had spent time off the field, he couldn't open along with Charles. And because he was also injured, it was reported from West Indies that he would only come out to bat, if it was absolutely necessary because of his left hamstring.

Time off the field was the reason why Gayle didn’t come out

What made it even worse was that when Denesh Ramdin was out in the 13th over, Gayle was getting ready to come out but umpire Ian Gould held him back because of the time he was off the field. At the time, he needed at least two wickets to fall or 11 minutes to pass, so Andre Russell came in his place instead.

After that, the crowd thought Gayle was coming out to bat when Andre Fletcher looked to have edged behind to the keeper off the first ball of the 16th over, but it turned out that the ball had bounced before Dinesh Chandimal took the catch.

When Russell skied a ball in the 18th over, it looked as though the southpaw might come in and finish things but the fielder at third man dropped it and the crowd wouldn't get their wish in the end.

At one point Ian Gould even managed to push Gayle, who was standing near the edge of the rope inside, in jest and was seen having a laugh as well. Unfortunately for the capacity crowd in Bengaluru, they were robbed of an opportunity to watch their star player do what he does best as they all left the ground without watching him bat.

Salman Khan Breaks His 'No Night Shift' Rule For 'Sultan'

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan, who will be next seen playing a Haryanvi wrestler in YRF flick Sultan, is going out of his way for the shooting schedule, we hear.

We had recently reported that the Bhaijaan has reportedly kicked the bottle for the duration of the shoot and we have now learned that Sallu has also broken his 'no night shifts' rule for the film. For those who do not know this, Salman doesn't like to shoot at nights, but for Sultan, Salman has done away with this rule so that the shooting gets wrapped up on time.

Salman will be paired opposite Anushka Sharma in this film, which releases this Eid.

Happy Birthday Rani Mukerji: Top 10 roles of the Bengali beauty

Happy Birthday Rani Mukerji: Top 10 roles of the Bengali beauty

'Black' (2005): You think of Rani, and the first movie that comes to mind is 'Black'. The nuances of the blind, mute and deaf girl that Rani caught and played could be done by nobody else. She made Michelle McNally her own.

'Mardaani' (2014): Rani Mukerji's last release 'Mardaani' outshone many male-centric movies. Such was the dynamism with which Rani played Shivani Shivaji Rao, that she was honoured and awarded at most of the events and ceremonies of 2014.

'Hum Tum' (2004): Another slew of awards fell into Rani's kitty, when she played the vivacious and fun-loving Rhea Prakash in Kunal Kohli's 'Hum Tum'. Bubbly, intelligent, stylish and yet with a good head on her shoulders, Ria was endearing and 'home' to the wanderlust Karan played by Saif Ali Khan. She also showed a mature distinct side of herself in the film when she essayed the role of a widow. Her crackling chemistry with Saif made the film a huge hit.

'Bunty Aur Babli' (2005): Rani's 'Babli' in 'Bunty Aur Babli' was connivingly cute. Conniving, for she conned people to earn a living, and cute because she was adorably cute in the movie. Her chemistry with Abhishek Bachchan was yet another high point of the movie.

'Veer Zaara' (2004): Rani Mukerji's portrayal of the young and wise lawyer Saamiya Siddiqui in the 2004 release 'Veer Zara' won hearts and awards alike. She was restrained yet powerful in her act.

'Saathiya' (2002): One of her earliest movies, 'Saathiya' showed Rani Mukerji in a light that took her to new heights. Rani played the role of Suhani Sharma opposite Vivek Oberoi. The film, which was a remake of Tamil film Alaipayuthey, told the tale of how a couple passionately in love with each other elope from home to be together.

'Yuva' (2004): Another iconic performance by Rani Mukerji in Mani Ratnam’s ‘Yuva’, where she played the role of a Bengali housewife while her husband Abhishek Bachchan was a goon in the film. Also starring Ajay Devgn, Esha Deol, Vivek Oberoi, Kareena Kapoor, Om Puri and Sonu Sood, ‘Yuva’ became a huge box office success. Rani walked away with the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress that year.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' (1998): Rani is well remembered for her role as the sizzling hot Tina in Karan Johar’s blockbuster ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’ along with Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol. Her performance as the sweet, sexy and sophisticated principal's daughter who falls in love with the popular guy in college, earned her the first recognition of an 'actress'.

'No One Killed Jessica' (2011): Based on the real-life murder of Jessica Lal, Rajkumar Gupta’s ‘No One Killed Jessica’ featured Rani in the role of a feisty, determined news reporter, Meera Gaity, who helps the victim’s sister played by Vidya Balan get justice. The film was well-received and earned Rani rave reviews for the portrayal of the character.

'Laga Chunari Mein Daag': 'Laga Chunari Mein Daag' might have been a disaster at the Box Office but you can't overlook Rani Mukerji's portrayal of the jilted Vibhavari Sahay in this Pradeep Sarkar movie. Revolving around two small-town sisters having a hard time adjusting to life in the big city, this movie is worth a watch just for Rani.

artificial-intelligence-googles-alphago

Artificial intelligence: Google's AlphaGo beats Go master Lee Se-dol

A computer program has beaten a master Go player 3-0 in a best-of-five competition, in what is seen as a landmark moment for artificial intelligence.

Google's AlphaGo program was playing against Lee Se-dol in Seoul, in South Korea.

Mr Lee had been confident he would win before the competition started.

The Chinese board game is considered to be a much more complex challenge for a computer than chess.

"AlphaGo played consistently from beginning to the end while Lee, as he is only human, showed some mental vulnerability," one of Lee's former coaches, Kwon Kap-Yong, told the AFP news agency.

Mr Lee is considered a champion Go player, having won numerous professional tournaments in a long, successful career.

Go is a game of two players who take turns putting black or white stones on a 19-by-19 grid. Players win by surrounding their opponents pieces with their own.

In the first game of the series, AlphaGo triumphed by a very narrow margin - Mr Lee had led for most of the match, but AlphaGo managed to build up a strong lead in its closing stages.

VIRAT KOHLI SUCCESS STORY

VIRAT KOHLI SUCCESS STORY

In a country where cricket is considered a religion, it isn’t easy to compete with a million other talented young men in the sport and make it to the top. But Virat Kohli, the epitome of aggressive sportsmanship and confidence did not just make it to the Indian team but also went to become the Captain of the Indian National Cricket Team for Test matches, and a Vice-captain for Limited-over matches (ODIs and T20s).

His cheekiness and self assured attitude is also loved by all the millions of fans of the sport in India. From a small kid who played for the local cricket teams to the captain of Indian team, Virat Kohli had a long and inspiring journey. Today, at just 27, this right handed middle order batsman isn’t just another Captain that the team has had already, but he looks to become one of the most efficient captains the team had ever had.

Family Life

Family background

Virat Kohli was born on 5th November 1988 in Delhi, although his family originates from Punjab.

His father, Prem Kohli, was a Criminal Lawyer and his Mother, Saroj Kohli is a Housewife. He has a older brother called Vikash and an elder sister called Bhavna.

Childhood and Education

He was known to have had an affinity towards cricket from a very early age, as early as 3, according some. He’d take up his bat, and ask his father to bowl to him. He studied in Vishal Bharti Public School, and was  raised in Uttam Nagar, Delhi. When he was a youngster, he played in the alley ways with the boys from the area, and the people around saw his talent even then. Everyone urged his father to not let his talent go to waste in gulley cricket and send him to a proper cricket coaching Academy.

In 1998, a nine year old Virat Kohli joined the newly formed West Delhi Cricket Academy. His father, having recognised the potential in him, took him there. Here, Virat trained under Rajkumar Sharma and played matches in the nearby cricket academies including Sumit Dogra Academy near Noida.

To help better his game, Virat moved schools to Savier Convent in Paschim Vihar. He is remembered at his schools as a bright and alert child, his academics were above the normal grade.

In 2006, Virat’s father passed away having been bed-ridden for a month after suffering a brain stroke.

The family faced hard times after that, and Virat mentions that they had to live in a rented house after their family business started declining. Having seen tough times in his young life and lived through that, he is a person who has his priorities set.

Virat has mentioned his father to have been his biggest support, that his father drove him to practise everyday and that he still misses him sometimes.

Youth and Domestic Career

State and Ranji Career

It wasn’t long before Virat was noticed by the scouts. He played for Delhi Under-15 team for the first time in October 2002 in the 2002-2003 Polly Umriger Trophy. Scoring the highest number of runs that year, he was made the Captain for the next year. In the 2003-2004 Polly Umrigar trophy, he scored two centuries and two fifties, totalling 390 runs in 5 innings.

Under 17 career

By late 2004 he was a member of the Under 17 Delhi Cricket Team for the Vijay Merchant Trophy. he blazed through the tournament scoring over 450 runs and made a high score of 251* in just four matches. The next year in the Vijay Merchant trophy, he made headlines. Virat Kohli was the highest run scorer with 757 runs in 7 matches with two centuries and an batting average of 84.11.

Under 19 Career

In July 2006, Kohli was selected for the India Under-19 Cricket squad for their tour of England. In the three match ODI tour against England Under-19s, he scored at an average of 105 runs. In the three tests that they played in the same tour, Kohli scored at an average of 49 runs. India Under-19 came back a winner of both the series. He even performed remarkably against Pakistan’s U-19 cricket team later that year.

By this time, Virat had become a permanent fixture in the Delhi U-19 team as he showed his quality batsmanship over and over. He made his First Class Debut for Delhi against Tamil Nadu in 2006. He came to spotlight later that year when he continued to play his part in the match against Karnataka even after he’d got the news of his father’s death. He scored 90 runs in that innings and went directly to his father’s funeral from there.

Everyone saw the change in him from then onwards, his sense of responsibility increased and according to his captain, he received a lot of accolades for his attitude and determination.

"The way I approached the game changed that day. I just had one thing in my mind - that I have to play for my country and live that dream for my dad."
— Kohli said on his innings against Karnataka

Limited Over State Level Matches

In April 2007, he made his Twenty20 debut in the Inter-State T20 Championship and was the highest scorer for his team with an average of 35.80. Later that year India U-19 Team toured SriLanka, playing in a triangular series along with the Sri Lanka U-19s and Bangladesh U-19s. He scored 146 runs in the 5 ODI matches, and in the test series, he scored a hundred and a fifty ( a total of 244 runs).

India Under 19 Team Captaincy

In February - March of 2008, he was made the Captain of the India Under 19 Cricket Team for the U-19 World Cup in Malaysia. He returned home victorious and with many achievements under his belt.

Following his spectacular performance in both batting and bowling and also his capacity to keep his cool under pressure, he was bought by the Indian Premier League's Franchise of Royal Challengers Bangalore on a youth contract. He was awarded the Border-Gavaskar scholarship in 2008 along with his U-19 teammates Pradeep Sangwan and Tanmay Srivastava which allowed him to Train for six weeks in Brisbane at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence.

In the July of 2008, he was picked out for the probable 30 man squad for ICC Championship Trophy to be held later that year.

Virat Kohli with Shikhar Dhawan

International Career

Selection to India Team

When the Championship Trophy was postponed to 2009, he was selected for a tour of Sri Lanka for a ODI series by the selectors of the Indian Cricket Team. In this tour is when he got his chance at playing on the Indian A Team. Due to both Shewag and Tendulkar being injured and unavailable, Kohli was called up as a makeshift opening batsman for the team. He scored his first ODI fifty in that series, and India went on to win the series against Sri Lanka.

After that, he was repeatedly called up for the Indian Team, although he didn’t much get chances to play.

Beginning to Make his Mark

• In July- August 2009, Kohli was selected for Emerging Players Tournament that was being played in Australia amongst four teams. He was the leading scorer in that tournament with 398 runs and a batting average of 66.33. His century in the final match against South Africa Emerging players helped India win that match and clinch the title.  Kohli himself said that this tournament was the ‘Turning point’ in his career.
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• In the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy, he played as a substitute for the injured Yuvraj Singh. He also played on as a substitute as and when required in the ODI series at Home against Australia. He found huge success in the tri nation series in Bangladesh in 2010 against Sri Lanka as well as the hosts. He scored his second ODI century making him the third Indian Batsman to score 2 ODI Centuries before their 22nd birthday. He again finished as the tournament’s highest run scorer with an average of 91.66.

• In the tri series against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in May-June 2010, Suresh Raina was made the Captain of the Indian team, and the 21 year old Kohli was made the vice captain as many first team cricketers skipped the tour. Even though India crashed out of the series, Kohli managed to get enough runs to reach 1000 in ODIs, making him the fastest Indian batsman to reach that milestone.
• In the 2010 Asia Cup, Kohli wasn’t quite up to form but he was somehow retained in the ODI team for the next few matches of the Indian Cricket team.
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• In a ODI series in late 2010 at home, Virat was once again made vice-captain of the team led by Suresh Raina. Kohli outperformed everyone, and ended the year on a high note as India’s highest run scorer of the calendar year.
• In January 2011, Virat Kohli reached no. 2 at the ICC cricket Rankings as an ODI batsman, and he was named in the ICC Cricket World Cup’s 15 man squad. He justified his skipper’s faith in him by scoring an unbeaten century in the first match of the tournament. His performance in the final was a very important one and India brought home the World Cup for the first time since 1983.
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• Kohli made his test debut in West Indies later that year, in which he seemed to struggle at first. But as luck would have it, he got to play quite a few test matches because of injuries to the first team players.
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• He scored his maiden test century in Australia later that year where India lost badly to the Australians in both Test and ODI series. He was one of the few cricketers that have had to pay fine for having retaliated against the spectators’ sledging.

• It was in the 2012 Asia Cup that Kohli was intentionally made the vice captain, and not just because someone else was absent from the team. It was in this tournament that he scored 183 whilst chasing and broke Brian Lara’s long standing record of 156.

• In 2013, in a home Test series against Australia, Kohli blazed his way to his fourth test century keeping a batting average of 56.80 in the series and cementing his place in the Test team.
• Known popularly having a blend of Dravid’s intensity, Sehwag’s audacity andSachin’s intelligent style of batting, Kohli is one of the greatest captains the Indian team ever had. And someone with such a gamut of talent definitely deserves the demi-god status that a cricketer often receives in India. 
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Personal Life

Virat Kohli has admitted himself that he’s a superstitious person, he wears black wristbands for luck and a Kara since 2012. Earlier in his career, he used to wear the same gloves that he’d scored well with.

Virat Kohli has been linked to various high- profile women over time. He has dated Sarah Jane Dias, an Indian Model, and VJ, Sanjana, another actress for a short while. For a while he’s dated Tamanna Bhatia, Izabelle Leite, a Brazilian Model and lately he was in a quite a high profile relationship with Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma.

As of early February he has confirmed that he’s single, having broken up with Anushka Sharma.

Awards

2013

                 

                 ARJUNA