Let BCCI decide on captaincy, says Dhoni

Dhoni believes his challenge on Zimbabwe tour will be identifying the strengths of his young side in a short span of time. © Getty

Successive defeats in One-Day International series against Bangladesh, South Africa and Australia, followed by an unsuccessful 2016 ICC World Twenty20 campaign at home, coupled with his own lack of form has recently sparked a debate on whether it is time for Mahendra Singh Dhoni to step down and let Virat Kohli, India's Test captain, take over the reigns across all three formats of the game.

Dhoni, who quit Test cricket after the drawn Melbourne game against Australia in December 2014, was replaced by Kohli at the helm in the longest format. The wicketkeeper-batsman, however, continued to lead the team in the shorter formats of the game. He has, by far, been India's most successful skipper - leading India to both the 50-over and Twenty20 world titles and was also in charge when India climbed to the top spot in the Test rankings. His form, however, has deserted him in recent past.

Ravi Shastri, team's outgoing director, too, advocated for the change last week, suggesting that it was time for the selectors to take a call in the 'interest of Indian cricket'.

Quite naturally, Dhoni had to face the tricky question before India's departure for the short limited-overs tour of Zimbabwe. The Indian skipper, however, decided to play it safe. "It is a decision that BCCI will take, it is not up to me to decide that," Dhoni retorted at the pre-departure press meet in Mumbai on Tuesday (June 7).

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Dhoni, however, was more forthcoming when his opinion on the ongoing hunt for the new head coach of the team was asked for. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) called for a Hindi-speaking candidate as one of its nine-point criteria for the selection, the captain believes, more than language it is the understanding of the country's culture that will help the new man gel well with the team.

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‘Rumours calling me Jisha’s killer almost cost me my job’

“This is just the beginning of my loss,” says Thaslik KY, a sales professional based out of Paravaur in Ernakulam. During the past few days, Thaslik’s picture has been doing the rounds on social media and messaging platforms with people alleging that he resembled the man suspected of killing law student Jisha in Perumbavoor.

Thaslik, according to many bore similarities with the sketch of the key suspect and the comparison has now almost cost him a job.

Thaslik KY who acts in cameo roles in movies was asked to leave the project he was currently part of, he wrote on Facebook. Following his Facebook post that garnered him a lot of support, he was however asked to join the movie back.

 “This is the beginning of my loss. My goal is to become an actor. I had to do other jobs to feed my family. Now I have been thrown out of my current project. I thank all those who expressed their social responsibility by spreading the post on me,” he wrote.                   

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Ramadan Mubarak: Everything You Need to Know About This Holy Month

According to Islamic tradition, Ramzan is the holiest month of the entire year, “a month of blessing” and brings with it a fresh wave of festive cheer. It lasts for 28 to 30 days depending on the sighting of the moon. The day starts at the crack of dawn by eating a meal referred to as ‘Suhoor’ or ‘Sehri’ before the Fajr prayer, and rounds off by breaking the fast after sunset, followed by an elaborate ‘Iftar’ meal eaten right before the Magrib prayer. During the month of Ramzan, Muslims all over the world abstain from consuming food or water during the day. This year, Ramadan begins on 06th June 2016.

Suhoor

The Suhoor meal, or the pre-dawn meal, is wholesome and packed with energy-rich foods in order to fuel one through the day. Fruits and vegetables are eaten as they are loaded with fiber, which keeps one full for a longer time. The meal also includes bread and rice that are rich in carbohydrates to keep energy levels up, and protein such as egg, meat or dairy to boost immunity. Nuts are a popular choice too, as they release energy over a period of time and help prevent fatigue and lethargy.

Tip: Avoid consuming tea or coffee as the caffeine content leads to loss of water, thereby increasing one’s thirst.
  

Iftar Meals Across the World 

As legend has it, Prophet Muhammad had broken his roza by eating three dates. So traditionally, Muslims eat dates along with milk, juice or water. The meal is followed by the fourth prayer of the day called Maghrib prayer. It is interesting to note that countries all over the world cook up the Iftar meal differently. Muslims in Afghanistan indulge in traditional soups and onion-based meat curries, kebabs and pulao while Pakistan and Bangladesh relish jalebis, haleem, sweetened drinks, parathas, rice preparations, meat curries, fruit salads, shami kebabs and more. In India, Muslims enjoy nihari and haleem, and the Hyderabadi haleem tops the charts, being very popular across the globe as well. Muslims in Kerala and Tamil Nadu break their roza with nombu kanji, a dish prepared with meat, greens and porridge.
  

Significance of Ramadan 

Muslims practice sawm, or fasting, for the entire month of Ramadan while the sun shines. Fasting is obligatory for all adult Muslims except those who are ill, travelling, elderly or women who are pregnant. But contrary to popular belief, Ramzan (or Ramadan) isn't just about fasting. It is also a month of devotion, compassion, generosity, forgiveness and repentance. One of the most basic ideas behind keeping a roza is to inculcate patience and a sense of self restraint, to cleanse the body and mind. It is a period of self-reflection and appreciation for what we have. By fasting, Muslims express their gratitude to Allah for revealing the Quran to Prophet Muhammad during this holy month, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The month of Ramzan also encourages one to be charitable. The Quran says the poor, the handicapped and those who are deprived also have their share in your money.
  

With Ramzan starting off, it is a special time of the year, when you will find certain localities in cities like Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata coming alive with festive fervour, especially in the evenings. The markets will be brimming with people buying fruits, dates, refreshing sherbets, meethi sewai, and exotic dishes for the Iftar meal. A stroll down the popular food streets is an absolute must around this time of the year to indulge in a range of authentic delicacies. But if you are up for some cooking at home, we present six scrumptious yet simple recipes for you:

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