Dhoni - The only indian nominee for two ICC awards

Dhoni is an aggressive right-handed batsman and wicket-keeper. Dhoni is one of the wicket-keepers who have come through the ranks of junior and India A cricket teams to represent the national team - Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra and Dinesh Karthik being the others. Dhoni, referred to as 'Mahi' by his friends, debuted in the Bihar cricket team during the 1998/99 cricket season and was selected to represent India-A for a tour to Kenya in 2004. Along with Gautam Gambhir, Dhoni made multiple centuries against the Pakistan-A team in a tri-nation series and was selected in the Indian national team later in that year.

Dhoni scored 148 against Pakistan in his fifth ODI match in 2005 - then the highest score by an Indian wicketkeeper. Later in the year, he broke his own record as well as set the current world record for the highest score in the second innings in ODI matches as he scored 183* against Sri Lanka. Dhoni's success in the limited overs format secured him a place in the test team and coincidentally he made his maiden test century in his fifth Test match, when he scored 148 against Pakistan. Consistent performances in ODI cricket through the end of the 2005/06 season saw Dhoni ranked as the No. 1 batsman in the ICC ODI ratings briefly.

Dhoni's form dipped through 2006 as India lost matches at the ICC Champions trophy, DLF Cup, away bilateral series against West Indies and South Africa. A return to form in the home series against West Indies and SriLanka in early 2007 proved to be an inaccurate indicator of Dhoni's form as India crashed out of the first round in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Dhoni was out for duck in both India's losses. After the World Cup, Dhoni won the Man of the series award in the bilateral ODI tournament against Bangladesh. For the tour of England, Dhoni was named the ODI team vice-captain.

A batter, Dhoni has shown the maturity to restrain his aggressive nature and play a responsible innings when the situation requires.[3] Apart from traditional shots, Dhoni has two very unorthodox but effective cricket strokes. Since his entry into the Indian cricket team, Dhoni's aggressive batting style, success on the field, personality, and long hair have made him one of the most marketable cricketers in India

Indians may have lost out on the nominations for some of the coveted ICC awards, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh and Ishant Sharma were among the nominees in various categories of the awards to be presented in Dubai on Wednesday. 

As per the list of nominees announced by ICC CEO Haroon Lorgat here on Monday, Dhoni is among the front-runners for the ODI Player-of-the-Year award. Sachin Tendulkar is also in contention for the honours.

Dhoni has also been nominated in the newly introduced Twenty20 International Performance of the Year category. Other nominees in this category are Yuvraj Singh, Chris Gayle and Brett Lee. 

Ishant has been nominated along with Stuart Broad, Ajantha Mendis and Morne Morkel in the Emerging Player of the Year category. Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Mahela Jayawardene and Dale Steyn have been nominated in two main categories — Cricketer of the Year and Test Player of the Year. Clive Lloyd, Greg Chappell, Shaun Pollock, Sidath Wettimuny and Atahar Ali Khan form the panel of jury. Performances from August 9, 2007 to August 12, 2008 were considered before the names were shortlisted.

The shortlisted names: 

Cricketer of the Year: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mahela Jayawardene, Graeme Smith and Dale Steyn. 

Test Player of the Year: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Mahela Jayawardene, Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn. 

ODI Player of the Year: Nathan Bracken, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Mohammad Yousuf. 

Emerging Player of the Year: Stuart Broad, Ajantha Mendis, Morne Morkel and Ishant Sharma. 

Associate Player of the Year: Ryan ten Doeschate, Alex Obanda, Niall O’Brien and Thomas Odoyo. 

Twenty20 International Performance of the Year: Chris Gayle, M.S. Dhoni, Brett Lee and Yuvraj Singh. 

Woman Player of the Year: Nicola Browne, Charlotte Edwards, Lisa Sthalekar and Claire Taylor. 

Spirit of Cricket: Bangladesh, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies. 

Umpire of the Year: Mark Benson, Aleem Dar, Steve Davis, Rudi Koertzen and Simon Taufel.

bachna ae haseeno

It’s no wonder rapper Snoop Dogg and actor Sylvester Stallone have flocked to Mumbai for cameo rolls in Bollywood’s sleepless cinema factory. The production values are skyrocketing—what with a hop to Capri and a skip to the Swiss Alps. Add to the blank-check budget a fan base well stocked and willing to get their paws on the supplemental paraphernalia beyond the picture, and you’ve got yourself a venerable industry. Bachna Ae Haseeno will not disappoint those who are craving for some loop in their fruit. A playboy yanks the love strings completely from two buxom babes before getting a bad dose of his own medicine when trying to court a third. Despite the sap spewing from this maple, it will delight sweet-tooth auds near and far; even compelling them to fork-up a couple bucks for the soundtrack.
It takes only a few seconds into the titles to begin the first choreographed music spectacular. Our main man Raj (Ranbir Kapoor), a glorified video game creator, sports a glittery fedora while doing a bronco stampede dance with a harem of female backups dressed in fishnet stockings writhing close with extra pelvic thrusts. Their attire changes with the beat from no-mercy getups a la ’80s neon to Las Vegas disco. At one point, Raj is breakdancing, and you think you’re watching a recreation of Ozone in Breakin’. Then the number ends, and it’s into the story we go. Raj stands before a postcard view along the Italian Riviera and narrates in almost a whisper: “I am a killer.” It takes a while before you realize that the word killer is not going to unreel a story about cloak-and-dagger tactics but lady-killing. It’s present time, and our hushed narrator in his white Elvis duds and aviators is a killer because he woos big-chested women with hearts of gold and leaves them dying at the stake for even a last glance.
There’s Mahi (Minissha Lamba), a youth of privilege who’s Euro-tripping with her family on a train. At 18, Raj is doing the same and chasing tail to boot with his three mates. Ultimately, the two make eyes, and after Mahi misses a train, the two are going by moped through the Swiss Alps to catch-up with her family in Zurich. Love blossoms on a bench, and the two lock lips. The downside is Mahi’s already fixed to be married to another. Raj still pursues her by stealing some chocolate truffles and writing a poem on toilet paper. Such the romantic! The montage sequence layered over a catchy tune where the pair are playing in a soccer match and racing in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race all impress the fact that this guy travels far and fast despite his penniless status. Soon enough, the Romeo blows it by bragging lies about their affair and is caught in the act.
No matter. He’s got a chance to crumble another heart years later when he meets his next-door neighbor, this stunner named Radhika (Bipasha Basu), and puts on the charm. Soon enough, the two are intersecting at the mailbox and in the elevator, borrowing sugar for coffee. After Raj’s career gets a leg up, he must move to Sydney, Australia, he’s in a world of hurt to determine how to break it easy to his live-in girlfriend. He tries to do so through conversation, and she instead wants to get married. Cue the toilet flushing and plate-crashing sound effects. (These corny effects are repeated whenever things go south.) All attempts to wiggle out of the relationship backfire. Wedding bells hover and clearly Raj is not the marrying type. In Sydney, the video-game biz is flourishing, but Raj’s romance is floundering. Takes a wisecracking taxi driver, who happens to be a knockout named Gayatri (Deepika Padukone) to trip up the Indian Don Juan. When all his moves are proved tired, Raj goes for the gusto and tries to win over Gayatri.
The take on an old story of love thrice gotten and lost almost as many times is well and good. Raj goes back to appease the victims he ran over with his love cruiser without even glancing the rearview. Now fallen from grace, his conscience has kicked in and he gives a hoot. Raj promises at one point, “I never want to hurt anybody again.” Seeing him grovel and become a love guru so fast is a hard sell. But this is Bollywood, mind you. Fantasy flows through the water supply.
It’s nice to see a lead whose not injecting human growth hormone between takes. His frame is that of a Joe who sips a beer from time to time instead of Creatine. Then again, Raj is just your average video-game techie boasting voluptuous babes pining for his love and affection. The musical acts during montages are eclectic for this fare—a gondola carries lovers through canals, a deserted beach for two lovers, hip clubs where the revealing outfits the girls wear get the Hollywood treatment. It’s all quite flashy and tight.
In the case of this picture, it’s crucial to look at it with a measuring instrument taking into account the humorous elements and lovestruck plot. Yes, the thing can seem a bit hokey. The lead hunk is trying awfully hard to be this man of mystery. In some ways, he pulls it off. Could be his slick dance moves or the notion that there is good chemistry amongst the cast. You allow the extended music-video soap opera to carry on with its bouncy-ball plot without grabbing at it to stay still. It’s a well-balanced sauce with enough frills and not enough cheese to overwhelm the palette. And despite the long length (over two and a half hours) the film moves.
Director Siddharth Anand had a vision for this film and really took patient paces to mold together a witty and jubilant bit of cinema. The musical tracks keep the head bobbing, and the story has a universal theme that’s easy to grasp no matter how fast the subtitles move. It’s as if time stops, and you just get to play along with this ensemble of beautiful people (some perhaps got a little help from the science of silicon) who are trying to get to reach euphoria. The scenario of boy meets girl (in this case three girls) and finds something special, albeit through plying for scruples in each case, is old but happens to get a new coat in this film. Does the guy have this much sway with gals in real life? You have to doubt that. But at least on the big screen, the guy can have it all and smooch every girl he wants, have the cushy job, and however many times he falls, he still finds romance in the end. A film that can deliver this kind of escape deserves praise. And it will get it.

Me in thirparapu falls

Wow!!!
wat a place.. i enjoyed very much here on that day with my fiends. superb falls.. havent seen such a place anywhere? really amazing..

still those pictures come to my mind whenever i think of it.. one of it for u!!!!!

Kanyakumari takes its name from the Kumari Amman or Kanyakumari Temple, situated in the town, on the sea-shore, the very confluence of the three water-bodies - Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. According to local lore, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Parvati, was to marry Shiva, but as he failed to show up on his wedding day, the rice and other grains meant for the wedding feast remained uncooked and remain unused thereafter. As the local lore goes, the uncooked grains turned into stones as time went by. Some believe that the small stones which look like rice on the shore today, are indeed grains of the wedding that was never solemnized. Kanya Devi is now considered a virgin goddess who blesses pilgrims and tourists who flock the town.

According to another local myth, Lord Hanuman dropped a piece of earth as he was carrying a mountain with his life-saving herb, Mrita Sanjivani from the Himalayas to Lanka (Sri Lanka) during the Rama-Ravana war. This chunk of earth is called Marunthuvazh Malai, which is literally translated to "hills where medicine is found".This is said to be the reason for the abundance of unique native medicinal plants in the area. Marunthuvazh Malai is located near Swamithope about 7 km from Kanyakumari town on the Kanyakumari-Nagercoil highway.

The sage Agasthya, who was himself an expert in medicinal herbs, is believed to have lived around this site in ancient days. The reason why, some believe, so many medicinal herbs are to be found on these hills near Kanyakumari. There is even a village by the name Agastheeswaram close to the town, named after the sage. Today, there is a small Ashram on the middle of the Maruthuvazh Malai hill, which tourists visit (after a short trek from the base of the hill), both to visit the Ashram and also to take a glimpse of the sea near Kanyakumari a few kilometres away, and the greenery below.

The 133 ft tall Thiruvalluvar Statue

Kanyakumari has been a great centre for art and religion for centuries. It was also an area of great trade and commerce. It was ruled by the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks. The architectural beauty of the temples in the area are the works of these rulers. Later Kanyakumari became part of the Venad kingdom with its capital at Padmanabhapuram. The king of Venad, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, established Travancore by extending his domain further north up to Azhva, during his reign from 1729 to 1758. By this, the present Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, Maharaja Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company at the famous Battle of Colachel.

Kanyakumari was under the rule of the Kings of Travancore under the overall suzerainty of the British until 1947, when India became independent. Travancore joined the independent Indian Union in 1947. The reign of the Travancore royals came to an end.

Under the Travancore state, the town, and the modern administrative district that bears its name, Kanyakumari District, gained both socially and economically.

In 1949, Kanyakumari became part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin State. Around this time, a popular agitation for the amalgamation of Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu by the Tamil-speaking majority of the district intensified, under the leadership of Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai Eventually, in 1956, Kanyakumari was integrated with Tamil Nadu (then known as Madras State) as per the language-based reorganisation of States.

Christianity arrived in South India around AD 52 through St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. However, European missionaries, who arrived in the 16th century, propagated Christianity in the area. St. Francis Xavier (April 7, 1506 – December 2, 1552) was the pioneer in preaching Christianity in the present day Kanyakumari district. Islam is believed to have entered the southern part of India through Kanyakumari during the early part of the eighth century AD through traders and missionaries who came through sea-routes. Islam, Christianity and Jainism have also contributed to the architectural wealth and literary heritage of the region.

Kanyakumari takes its name from the Kumari Amman or Kanyakumari Temple, situated in the town, on the sea-shore, the very confluence of the three water-bodies - Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. According to local lore, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Parvati, was to marry Shiva, but as he failed to show up on his wedding day, the rice and other grains meant for the wedding feast remained uncooked and remain unused thereafter. As the local lore goes, the uncooked grains turned into stones as time went by. Some believe that the small stones which look like rice on the shore today, are indeed grains of the wedding that was never solemnized. Kanya Devi is now considered a virgin goddess who blesses pilgrims and tourists who flock the town.

According to another local myth, Lord Hanuman dropped a piece of earth as he was carrying a mountain with his life-saving herb, Mrita Sanjivani from the Himalayas to Lanka (Sri Lanka) during the Rama-Ravana war. This chunk of earth is called Marunthuvazh Malai, which is literally translated to "hills where medicine is found".This is said to be the reason for the abundance of unique native medicinal plants in the area. Marunthuvazh Malai is located near Swamithope about 7 km from Kanyakumari town on the Kanyakumari-Nagercoil highway.

The sage Agasthya, who was himself an expert in medicinal herbs, is believed to have lived around this site in ancient days. The reason why, some believe, so many medicinal herbs are to be found on these hills near Kanyakumari. There is even a village by the name Agastheeswaram close to the town, named after the sage. Today, there is a small Ashram on the middle of the Maruthuvazh Malai hill, which tourists visit (after a short trek from the base of the hill), both to visit the Ashram and also to take a glimpse of the sea near Kanyakumari a few kilometres away, and the greenery below.

The 133 ft tall Thiruvalluvar Statue

Kanyakumari has been a great centre for art and religion for centuries. It was also an area of great trade and commerce. It was ruled by the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks. The architectural beauty of the temples in the area are the works of these rulers. Later Kanyakumari became part of the Venad kingdom with its capital at Padmanabhapuram. The king of Venad, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, established Travancore by extending his domain further north up to Azhva, during his reign from 1729 to 1758. By this, the present Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, Maharaja Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company at the famous Battle of Colachel.

Kanyakumari was under the rule of the Kings of Travancore under the overall suzerainty of the British until 1947, when India became independent. Travancore joined the independent Indian Union in 1947. The reign of the Travancore royals came to an end.

Under the Travancore state, the town, and the modern administrative district that bears its name, Kanyakumari District, gained both socially and economically.

In 1949, Kanyakumari became part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin State. Around this time, a popular agitation for the amalgamation of Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu by the Tamil-speaking majority of the district intensified, under the leadership of Kavimani Desigavinayagam Pillai Eventually, in 1956, Kanyakumari was integrated with Tamil Nadu (then known as Madras State) as per the language-based reorganisation of States.

Christianity arrived in South India around AD 52 through St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Christ. However, European missionaries, who arrived in the 16th century, propagated Christianity in the area. St. Francis Xavier (April 7, 1506 – December 2, 1552) was the pioneer in preaching Christianity in the present day Kanyakumari district. Islam is believed to have entered the southern part of India through Kanyakumari during the early part of the eighth century AD through traders and missionaries who came through sea-routes. Islam, Christianity and Jainism have also contributed to the architectural wealth and literary heritage of the region.

My Hometown

Kanyakumari is one of the famous tourist spots in India.. Its the place where three seas meet..
ie. The Arabian sea, Bay of Bengal and The Indian ocean join here..
Sun rise and sun set is clearly visible in Kanyakumari.. Lots and lots of people from various places of India as well as foreign countries come here to see the sun rise and sun set..
There is a statue of Thiruvalluvar in the midst of the the sea which is 133 feet high.. Thiruvalluvar is one of the famous tamil writers who wrote Thirukural..It consists of 1330 kurals which tells about each and every situation a person exhibits in his entire life.. Boating service is provided from the shore to that rock in the sea..
Near the thiruvalluvar statue in the midst of the sea there is a vivekanandar mani mandapam where there are some spots for meditation.. Its a place where we can rest our mind and feel the silence of the world.. Another important place is the Gandhi mandapam.. Its speciality is that, on Oct 2nd the sun rays fall in a particular space inside the mani mandapam.. Other than that lots and lots of decorative items from sea are available there.. Some amazing waterfalls and beaches are there near by.. Palaces owned by Kings are maintained by the government and lots of rare sculptures and statues are found.. If you get a chance to visit India, ne'er miss to visit Kanyakumari..