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Semifinal Match Preview: South Africa vs New Zealand
Gaurav Chhabra (Sports Desk)
South African team ranked 3rd in the ODI ICC listings is all set to take on the New Zealand team who is 4th in the one day rankings. First Semifinal of the World Cup is expected to be a stupendous match with two most prominent teams of the World Cup heading for a cracker.
South African team has only been defeated by India and Pakistan in this World Cup tournament. But since they have got better as a side and have registered some of the big win against fine opponents like Sri Lanka in the quarterfinals of the World Cup 2015.
Their skipper AB de Villiers has amassed 417 runs till now in the World Cup tournament and he can prove to be lethal on his day. His previous innings like 162 off 66 balls has made it clear that it would be not easy for the Kiwi bowlers to stop him on the small ground if he gets going.
The strong batting line up of South Africa having David Miller, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis would be key aspect to watch out for the New Zealand team.
Dale Steyn has to perform out of the box lot better than what he is performing in the recent past if South Africa has to restrict the opposition from scoring huge totals that New Zealand has been doing in the recent matches.
Imran Tahir with 15 wickets from seven matches can also prove to be a trump card against the Kiwi’s and can be given a fine support by JP Duminy who became South Africa’s only bowler with a World Cup hat-trick.
New Zealand on the other hand is the only team apart from India who has not lost a single game. With the kind of form their batsmen are and the advantage of local conditions with Martin Guptill’s record 237* in the quarters finals make them sit in the driver’s seat.
Auckland has been one of the grounds that have been good for the Kiwi’s and they would like to dominate the South African side in the semifinals.
Another key reason for the brilliant performance by the New Zealand team is the captaincy by Brendon McCullum. He has been attacking all the way throughout the entire tournament.
Guptill on the other hand with 498 runs from seven matches is in smooth touch and with the double century in the quarters he will be hoping to take his form forward in the semisfinals.
Trent Boult and Tim Southee have provided Kiwis with the aggressive countering with great speed and swing that has troubled all the batsmen they have bowled till now.
Daniel Vettori the old lad if anyone can call him so, has shown that he can restrict any batsmen from hitting big shots and is equally fit in the field and on top of it he can provide some runs as well.
It looks like a cracker of a match as of now, on paper South African team looks slightly on the stronger side but the Kiwis team can manage it well with the home advantage they will get in the semifinals.
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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.