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IPL: Bottom placed Delhi face confident Punjab at home (Preview)
New Delhi, April 22 (IANS) Following a string of defeats, Delhi Daredevils (DD) will be desperate for a win against table-toppers Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) when they meet in an Indian Premier League (IPL) clash at the Feroz Shah Kotla here on Monday.
After four defeats in their first five games of the tournament, the Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi side is languishing at the bottom of the league table with just two points in their kitty.
They have suffered back to back defeats in their last two matches and will be desperate to win their first game at home.
Once again in this year’s edition of the cash-rich league, Delhi are having a bad time. They started their IPL 2018 campaign after losing their first two games against KXIP and Rajasthan Royals.
Delhi clinched their first win against Mumbai, thanks to a fine knock by foreign buy Jason Roy and Rishabh Pant.
While Jason slammed an unbeaten 53-ball 91, Pant chipped in with a valuable 47 to help Delhi chase down a challenging 195-run target.
They however, failed to repeat the story against Kolkata Knight Riders as they faltered in chasing 201 runs and lost by 71 runs.
On Saturday, Delhi was again at the receiving end as Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) outclassed them by six wickets. Gambhir’s team would have suffered one of the worst defeats against Bangalore if Shreyas Iyer (52) and Pant (85) had not shown some resistance.
For Delhi, only Pant has looked good so far with the bat while Ray, who played a match winning knock against Mumbai, failed to keep the momentum going. The other batters, including skipper Gambhir, have struggled to gather runs.
In the bowling unit, young leg-spinner Rahul Tewatia has lived up to the expectations of the franchise after scalping six wickets in five games. The 24-year-old has also been economical with 7.38 runs per over (rpo).
Pacer Trent Boult has seven wickets to his name but has been slightly expensive after 8.54 rpo.
Punjab meanwhile, are flying high with four wins in five games.
In their last face-off with Delhi in the league, which was also their campaign opener, the Ravichandran Ashwin-led side had thrashed Delhi by six wickets.
They later lost to RCB in their second match but came back strongly to register a hat-trick of wins against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Punjab’s in-form openers Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul have handed a desired start to their side and will again look to keep the momentum going. While Gayle has amassed 229 runs from three outings, Rahul has accumulated 213 runs from five games, averaging 42.60.
Also, Ashwin has proved handy with the bat. However, Yuvraj Singh’s lacklustre show could be a cause of concern for Punjab.
The veteran left-hander has managed to gather just 36 runs from three outings.
KXIP bowling will once again rely on Ashwin and Andrew Tye. While the Punjab skipper has taken five wickets, Tye has led from the front bagging seven wickets from five games, averaging 23.57.
Despite the home advantage for Delhi, Punjab will be the favourites for Monday’s game in the wake of their fantastic form.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.