Ding will face a stern challenge from the 18-year-old Gukesh, who "doesn't make any mistakes at all" and has had a terrific run in 2024.
'I can't express my feelings right now. It's unbelievable. Can't imagine scoring back-to-back hundreds, that too in SA. Right now, I can't express my feelings.'
Many were hoping that with Vajpayee's NDA gone, there would be a return to the Congress normal. Nobody was prepared for the opposite. Sonia Gandhi was sceptical. This became the only issue over which Manmohan Singh took on his party bosses and risked his government. Politically, it was riskier than the 1991 reform, recalls Shekhar Gupta.
'The Kerala BJP leadership is doing the job of clerical staff. What the boss orders, they just follow them.'
'...spent 1/10th of his time at 24, Akbar Road...' 'He would have met thousands of party workers and ordinary Congress supporters who have love for the party.' 'Left of Centre intellectuals have shaped Rahul's values, but he lacks earthiness.'
New Zealand opener Will Young on Saturday credited his coach Gary Stead for teaching him the art of playing spin after hitting a career-best 89 in tough batting conditions on day three of the Kanpur Test against India.
'I still enjoy playing it and think a lot of young guys coming through still see it as a good opportunity to play for your country.'
'Whenever people say to me that all my work looks unique, I say to them originality is the art of concealing your source.' 'You can't see the sources that I take from because usually, they are Indian.' 'But then Indians don't find my work Indian.'
'Cyrus was always very different. He would think before acting.'
Religion and economic barriers continue to define love in modern India, discovers Preshth Bhardwaj.
'Salman wanted to do the interview properly. That's why he was nervous, you know, that dad should be happy.'
'My one recommendation would be to first quell the violence and then encourage dialogue and build the trust among the different communities.' 'This is not easy but necessary, for violence cannot be the way forward.'
Indian men's team failed to defend its title after going down fighting 1-3 to China
Skipper Rohit Sharma is impressed by the 23-year-old's understanding of the role of opener in ODIs.
'Justice may or may not happen, but who are those people who did this to her?' 'If the hospital authorities had helped us that day, or the police, then the real culprits would have been caught.' 'Getting justice for my daughter is my goal now and I want the CM to remember that.'
Chirag Paswan said he believes two classes of people -- rich and poor -- exist in the society and persons of different castes and religions fall in both categories.
'What's sad today is that there are so many people who cannot find work, not because the country is devoid of that opportunity, but because we are not doing enough in the country.'
'I never had an opportunity to do the things children do.'
Sourav Ganguly believes Rishabh Pant is on course to become an all-time great in Test cricket.
Speaking on the sidelines of the WTC Final, Kiwi great Ross Taylor said players need to be paid adequately to continue playing international cricket.
"There is a limit when it comes to tolerating abusive behaviour or working styles. Many (employees) find ways to quit," says career coach and rediffGURU Pradeep Pramanik.
Kirsten said it is not improbable if India can figure a way to make things right in the knockout games.
'He never had a negative thought in his mind, he was supremely confident.' 'He always stuck to his natural game, he never moved away from that.'
Shubman Gill has the required technique and temperament to bat at any position in the Indian Test team but he does need to convert those great starts into big knocks, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar said about the young batter.
'If I'm too nice, it doesn't help in that position.' 'My position almost asks me to be aggressive and not very nice.'
Yashasvi Jaiswal says this is just the start and he needs to makes sure he is 'ready' for Sunday's fifth and final series-deciding T20 International against the West Indies.
The share of such voters has shrunk to 1.9 per cent of registered voters in 2024 from 2.7 per cent in 2014.
Dravid is now overseeing the transition phase as a head coach, sometthing he was part of when he along with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly passed the baton to MS Dhoni.
The nature of war and its purpose remains unchanged. The change is in the character of war in terms of a man-machine mix, domination of sensors and certain automation of the tactics and methods of war, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Now both men have made history for their country, leaving a permanent mark on the history books.
Wing Commander Pratap Marathe's story is one of dedication, bravery, and humour, a shining example of the spirit of the Indian Air Force. Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd) salutes Wing Commander Marathe who passed into the ages last week.
Ratan Tata: A Life, the much awaited biography, reveals that after a year of 'parallel running', Tata began having second thoughts about Cyrus Mistry's 'suitability'. 'Mistry targeted Ratan, the man who had elevated him from virtual oblivion into the mainstream of the Tatas...'
Images that should keep you grinning for days on end.
'I give a lot of credit to Rahul Gandhi for standing up and fighting it for a long time and surviving, nobody else would have been able to survive'
Yashasvi Jaiswal's Test career is just nine games old but the great Brian Lara feels if there is anyone who can get close to his lofty feats, including the record 400 not out, it is the 22-year-old southpaw from India.
Having been there and done that, Graeme Swann is now mentoring a group of young England spinners, who would feature in a 'Shadow Tour' of India next month with a couple of them in contention to make it to senior team for five-Test series, starting January 25.
'I made it very clear even at the casting process that there was going to be a lot of nudity.' 'And I wanted to be sure that it would be done with ease.'
Babuta zeroed in on the reason which led to him finishing fourth and says he will be more careful in upcoming competitions.
'He was a practical person who ensured that he thought about the common man, animals, the fact that they have a life and they have to be respected.'
