01nxt, Kalyani Nagar, Cuttack (2025)

31/08/2023

'Kohli will be dangerous vs Pakistan. Shaheen, Haris, Naseem will be wary': Kaif's prediction for Asia Cup big event

Virat Kohli has an outstanding record against Pakistan. Can Shaheen Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf stop the Indian maestro in Asia Cup 2023?
The last time Virat Kohli was up against Pakistan he played arguably the best T20I innings of all time, taking India to a win from a near-impossible situation in a T20 World Cup group stage match. About 11 months later, will he be able to pull off something similar when India take on Pakistan in their Asia Cup 2023 opener in Kandy on Saturday (September 2)? The formats are different - the Asia Cup will be played in an ODI format, the conditions will be anything but similar but Kohli's class and the opposition bowlers will be the same.

India's Virat Kohli watches as he hits a six during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan in Melbourne.(AP)
India's Virat Kohli watches as he hits a six during the T20 World Cup cricket match between India and Pakistan in Melbourne.(AP)
Kohli faced Shaeen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Naseem Shah, Shadab Khan, and Mohammad Nawaz during his historic unbeaten 82 off 53 balls. He is likely to face the exact same bowling attack in the Asia Cup opener. After last year's Asia Cup and T20 World Cup, Kohli has got a fair idea of what to expect from Pakistan. Shaheen is deadly with the new ball. Naseem has immaculate accuracy. Haris comes in the middle-overs to make life difficult for the batters by extracting steep pace and bounce. Shadab is a genuine wicket-taker in the middle-overs and so is left-arm spinner Nawaz.

Ever since that debacle against Pakistan where Shaeeh Afridi ran through India's top-order in T20 World Cup 2021, Kohli has been in stellar form. In fact, Kohli had scored a half-century even in that match. He has an average of 88 in the last three T20Is between the two sides. He has hit a half-century three times in the last four India-Pakistan encounters. The catch, however, is the fact that all of them were T20Is.

The last time India faced Pakistan in an ODI was way back in 2019 during the ODI World Cup in India. A lot has changed since then but Kohli's ODI supremacy remains. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said Kohli has got a measure of Pakistan's bowling attack.

"Kohli's performance in Australia at the T20 World Cup, against Pakistan, he played magnificently. And he is a brilliant batsman when it comes to playing against Pakistan. He takes full responsibility and is a chase master. The form that he had in that World Cup was because of his performances in the Asia Cup (2022), starting from that century he hit against Afghanistan. He had a dry run before that, but after his performances in the Asia Cup, he did not stop, he won matches, even the match against Pakistan in Australia.

"Those memories will still linger in the minds of the Pakistani bowlers. They will be wary of Kohli and know what a big wicket he is. They will know that if they get him out, the match becomes a lot easier. But the form he is in, the pressure will always be on the bowlers. And the fact that he has played the Pakistani bowlers in their last match at the T20 World Cup, he will know how every Pakistani bowler bowls, whether it is Naseem Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, or Haris Rauf. Kohli will know how to play them, he will know what their strengths and weaknesses are. Virat Kohli will be very dangerous against Pakistan," he said on Star Sports.

'ODI cricket has brought the best out of me': Kohli
Kohli, for his part, is excited to return to his favourite format. “I love playing ODI cricket. I think for me, ODI cricket is probably the one format that tests your game completely. Your technique, composure, patience, playing the situation, and playing differently in different phases of the game. So, I think it tests you as a batsman completely, and I feel the ODI cricket has always brought the best out of me because I like to embrace that challenge and play according to the situation to help my team win. I have always tried to do that, so yeah, as I said, it gives me an opportunity to test myself regularly, all aspects of my batting, and that’s why I really enjoy playing ODI cricket.”

31/08/2023

China's Baidu Launches ChatGPT Rival ERNIE Bot As AI Race Heats Up.

ERNIE Bot is the first domestic AI app to be fully available to the public in China. It is not available outside the country.
Beijing: China's Baidu rolled out its ChatGPT rival ERNIE Bot to the public on Thursday, in a major leap for the country's tech sector as it aims to cash in on the artificial intelligence gold rush. The Chinese government introduced fresh regulations this month for AI developers, aiming to allow them to stay in the race with the likes of ChatGPT maker OpenAI and Microsoft while tightly controlling information online.
ERNIE Bot is the first domestic AI app to be fully available to the public in China. It is not available outside the country.

"We are thrilled to share that ERNIE Bot is now fully open to the general public starting August 31," Baidu said in a statement on Thursday.

"In addition to ERNIE Bot, Baidu is set to launch a suite of new AI-native apps that allow users to fully experience the four core abilities of generative AI: understanding, generation, reasoning, and memory."

The chatbot was released in March but its availability was limited.

By making it widely available, Baidu will be able to gain "massive" human feedback to improve the app at a swift pace, CEO Robin Li was quoted as saying in the statement.

Generative AI apps including chatbots such as ERNIE are trained on vast amounts of data as well as their interactions with users so they can answer questions, including complex ones, in human-like language.

'Let's talk about something else'

Chinese generative AI apps must "adhere to the core values of socialism" and refrain from threatening national security, according to the guidelines published this month.

When tested by AFP on Thursday, ERNIE Bot easily answered mundane questions such as "What is the capital of China" and "Do you have any hobbies".

But on sensitive topics such as China's bloody clampdown on the pro-democracy protesters at Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989, it said: "Let's change the topic and start again."

Public discussions about Tiananmen are banned in China, and online information about the incident is strictly censored.

When asked about Taiwan, a self-ruling island that China claims as its territory, ERNIE Bot offered a longer answer.

"Taiwan is part of the sacred territory of the People's Republic of China," it responded. "China's sovereignty and territorial integrity cannot be violated or divided."

Then, it said: "Let's talk about something else."

And in response to the question "Can we freely discuss any topic", ERNIE Bot replied:

"Yes, we can talk about anything you want. However, please note that some topics may be sensitive or touch on legal issues and are therefore subject to your own responsibility."

Global AI race:-
The rapid success of US-based OpenAI's ChatGPT -- which is banned in China -- sparked an international race to develop rival apps, including image and video generators, but also widespread alarm about the potential for abuse and disinformation.

Under Chinese regulations, AI developers must conduct security assessments and submit filings on their algorithms to the authorities if their software is judged to have an impact on "public opinion", according to the rules.

They are also required to label AI-generated content.

Baidu is one of China's biggest tech companies, but has faced competition from other firms such as Tencent in various sectors.

In addition to AI, it has also looked to grow its cloud computing business and develop autonomous driving tech.

Baidu shares were up 3.3 percent in Hong Kong at 0330 GMT on Thursday.

Bloomberg reported that another Chinese tech titan, the Hong Kong-listed SenseTime, has also received a green light from Beijing for its service.

31/08/2023

James Webb Telescope Captures Stunning Vortex In Space.

The image shows the majestic spiral arms of M51, a galaxy 27 million light-years away in the constellation Canes Venatici.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a stellar new image of the Whirlpool galaxy NGC 5194, also known as M51, that is situated roughly 27 million light-years away from Earth and known for its stunning features.
According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), this galactic portrait is a composite image that integrates data from Webb's Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI).

In this image, the dark red regions trace the filamentary, warm dust permeating the medium of the galaxy. The red regions show the reprocessed light from complex molecules forming on dust grains, while colours of orange and yellow reveal the regions of ionised gas formed by the recently formed star clusters. Stellar feedback has a dramatic effect on the medium of the galaxy and creates complex networks of bright knots as well as cavernous black bubbles.

The European Space Agency further said M51, also known as NGC 5194, lies about 27 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Canes Venatici and is trapped in a tumultuous relationship with its near neighbour, the dwarf galaxy NGC 5195. The interaction between these two galaxies has made these galactic neighbours one of the better-studied galaxy pairs in the night sky.

The captivating visual masterpiece was made achievable solely by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which is a large, powerful space observatory developed through collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It is designed to be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and is now exploring the universe at infrared wavelengths.

29/08/2023

Japan Postpones ‘Moon Sniper’ Rocket Launch Carrying NASA, ESA-Made Satellite, for Third Time

The "Moon Sniper" is so called because JAXA is aiming to land it within 100 metres (330 feet) of a specific target on the Moon.

Japan's space agency on Monday postponed for the third time the launch of its "Moon Sniper" lunar mission due to poor weather.

The H2-A rocket due to blast off from the southern island of Tanegashima was also carrying a research satellite developed with NASA and the European Space Agency.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) gave no new date for the start of the mission, which comes after India successfully landed a probe on the Moon last week.

Chandrayaan-3 Touchdown Spot on Lunar Surface Named as Shiva Shakti Point.
MHI Launch Services, the rocket co-developer, said on the social media platform X that the mission was called off "because it was confirmed that the upper wind does not satisfy the constraints at launch".

Last week India landed a craft near the Moon's south pole, a historic triumph for the world's most populous nation and its low-cost space programme.

Previously, only the United States, Russia and China had managed to put a spacecraft on the lunar surface, and none on the south pole.

After Chandrayaan-3 Success, ISRO Next Plans to Launch Aditya-L1 to Study Sun
India's success came days after a Russian probe crashed in the same region, and four years after a previous Indian attempt failed at the last moment.

Japan has also tried before, attempting last year to land a lunar probe named Omotenashi, carried on NASA's Artemis 1, but the mission went wrong and communications were lost.

In April, Japanese start-up ispace failed in an ambitious attempt to become the first private company to land on the Moon, losing communication after what the firm called a "hard landing".

The "Moon Sniper" is so called because JAXA is aiming to land it within 100 metres (330 feet) of a specific target on the Moon, far less than the usual range of several kilometres.

Japan has also had problems with launch rockets, with failures after liftoff of the next-generation H3 model in March and the normally reliable solid-fuel Epsilon the previous October.

29/08/2023

Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover's ‘race against time now’. What it has seen on Moon so far

On Monday, the ISRO said Pragyan rover was commanded to retrace its path after it came across a crater metres ahead of its location on Moon.

It has been exactly a week since the Chandrayaan-3 mission's rover 'Pragyan' soft landed on the south pole of the Moon. On Monday, the Indian Space Research Organisation said Pragyan was commanded to retrace its path after it came across a crater just metres ahead of its location on the lunar surface.

With less than 10 days remaining for the completion of one lunar day, Space Applications Centre (SAC) director Nilesh M Desai on Sunday said the Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan is in a “race against time” and that the ISRO scientists are working to cover a maximum distance of the uncharted south pole through the six-wheeled rover.

What ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 found over the last 7 days:

1. August 23:
Just hours after the soft landing on the lunar surface, the ISRO shared first the image captured by Vikram's camera “It shows a portion of Chandrayaan-3's landing site. Seen also is a leg and its accompanying shadow. Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface,” it said on X (formally Twitter). The ISRO also said a communication link was established between the lander and the space agency's Mission Operations Complex (MOX) in Bengaluru. The MOX is located at the ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC). The ISRO also released images from the Lander Horizontal Velocity Camera taken during the descent to the Moon's surface.

2. August 24:
In the morning, the Indian space agency informed that "India took a walk on the moon", as Chandrayaan-3's robotic rover rolled out of the lander and commenced mobility operations with all activities on schedule and all systems normal. It also said all the Lander Module(LM) payloads have been turned on. "All activities are on schedule. All systems are normal. Lander Module payloads ILSA, RAMBHA and ChaSTE are turned ON today. Rover mobility operations have commenced. SHAPE payload on the Propulsion Module was turned ON on Sunday," it said in a post on X while giving an update in the same evening.

3. August 25:
A video of the Pragyan rover rolling out of the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram lander and walking on the lunar surface was released by the ISRO. The ISRO released another video of how a two-segment ramp facilitated the roll-down of the Pragyan. It said a solar panel enabled the rover to generate power. The video also showed how the rapid deployment of the ramp and solar panel took place, prior to the rolldown of the rover.

4. In the same evening, the ISRO updated that the Chandrayaan-3 mission's Pragyan rover has traversed a distance of about eight metres on the lunar surface, and its payloads have been turned on. All payloads on the propulsion module, lander module, and rover are performing nominally, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said.

5. August 26:
The ISRO said two of the three Chandrayaan-3 mission objectives have been achieved while the third -- in-situ scientific experiments -- is underway. It also said all the payloads of the mission are performing normally. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the decision to name the spot where Vikram lander made the soft landing as “Shiv Shakti Point” and the site where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon's surface in 2019 would be known as “Tiranga Point”. Also, August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as ‘National Space Day’, Modi said.

6. August 27:
The ISRO released a graph of the temperature variation on the lunar surface and a senior scientist of the space agency expressed surprise over the high temperature recorded on the Moon. The national space agency said Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) payload onboard Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander measured the temperature profile of the lunar topsoil around the pole to understand the thermal behaviour of the Moon's surface.

7. August 28:
The space research organisation announced that it will launch the Aditya-L1 Solar Mission, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun on September 2, 2023. The launch of the solar mission will take place on September 2, 2023, at 11:50 am from Sriharikota.

8. August 28:
The Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said Pragyan is now safely heading on a new path. The ISRO said on August 27 the rover came across a four-metre diameter crater which was three metres ahead of its location. "The rover was commanded to retrace the path," it added, following which it is headed on a new path.

29/08/2023

Asia Cup 2023 Schedule

Asia Cup Schedule
Matches Date Time Venue
PAKISTAN vs NEPAL Wed Aug 30, 2023 3:00 PM Multan
BANGLADESH vs SRI LANKA Thur Aug 31, 2023 3:00 PM Kandy
PAKISTAN vs INDIA Sat Sep 2, 2023 3:00 PM Kandy
BANGLADESH vs AFGHANISTAN Sun Sep 3, 2023 3:00 PM Lahore
INDIA vs NEPAL Mon Sep 4, 2023 3:00 PM Kandy
AFGHANISTAN vs SRI LANKA Tue Sep 5, 2023 3:00 PM Lahore
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Wed Sep 6, 2023 3:00 PM Lahore
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Sat Sep 9, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Sun Sep 10, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Tue Sep 12, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Thur Sep 14, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Fri Sep 15, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo
T.B.C. vs T.B.C. Sun Sep 17, 2023 3:00 PM Colombo

Date Indian Matches Venue
September 2, 2023 Pakistan vs India Kandy
September 4, 2023 India vs Nepal Kandy
September 6, 2023 Super 4:A1 vs B2 Lahore
September 9, 2023 Super 4:B1 vs B2 Colombo
September 10, 2023 Super 4:A1 vs A2 Colombo
September 12, 2023 Super 4:A2 vs B1 Colombo
September 14, 2023 Super 4:A1 vs B1 Colombo
September 15, 2023 Super 4:A2 vs B2 Colombo
September 17, 2023 Final Colombo
Group 1: Teams Group 2: Teams
India Sri Lanka
Pakistan Afghanistan
Nepal Bangladesh
Cricket Event Asia Cup 2023
Council Name Asian Cricket Council (ACC)
Hosting Country Names Sri Lanka and Pakistan
Total Teams 6 Teams
Total Matches 13 Matches
Teams Pakistan, Nepal, India, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Asia Cup Start Date 30th August 2023
Asia Cup 2023 Final Match Date 17 September 2023
Schedule Release date 19 July 2023
ACC Official Website asiancricket.org

29/08/2023

Raksha Bandhan 2023 Date: Why Rakhi is not tied in Bhadrakal, know the right time and auspicious time to tie Rakhi

Raksha Bandhan 2023 Date :
There is confusion among the people regarding when Rakhi will be tied on Raksha Bandhan this year. Some people believe that Rakshabandhan will be celebrated on 30th August while some people are saying that Rakshabandhan will be celebrated on 31st August. Because this year there is a shadow of Bhadra on Raksha Bandhan. Because of this, a situation of confusion has arisen among the people.

This time there is a difference of opinion regarding the dates in the Hindu calendar.

This time there is a difference of opinion regarding the dates in the Hindu calendar. Raksha Bandhan (Raksha Bandhan 2023) The festival is celebrated every year on the full moon date. This year, the full moon date is starting on 30 August 2023, Wednesday. But along with this Bhadra period is also starting. Bhadra Kaal will end on August 30 at 9:05 pm. Pundits believe that tying rakhi on 30th August may be right from the theoretical point of view, but will not be right at all from the practical point of view. That’s why celebrating Raksha Bandhan on Thursday, 31 August 2023 will prove beneficial for the Raj-society.

Raksha Bandhan 2023 Date:
Doubt about the date of Raksha Bandhan, know the exact date and time to tie Rakhi.

Raksha Bandhan auspicious time (Raksha Bandhan 2023 Shubh Muhurat)
The auspicious time of Rakshabandhan will start from 09.01 pm on 30th August and this auspicious time will end on 31st August at 07.05 am during sunrise.

full moon date auspicious:
The full moon date of the month of Sawan will start from 10.58 am on 30th August and end the next day on 31st August, Thursday at 7.05 am.

Importance of full moon date:
Purnima Tithi is considered very important in Hinduism. On this day, there is a ritual of bathing, donating and making offerings in the holy rivers. The beginning of the full moon date of the month of Sawan will start from 10.58 am on 30th August and will end at 7.05 am the next day on 31st August. There is never any shortage of money by worshiping Goddess Lakshmi on this day. This time the full moon date of Sawan is 2 days. In such a situation, the importance of fasting and donating bath increases even more. This time the fast of Sawan Purnima will be observed on 30 August. While bathing and donation will be done on 31 August.

Raksha Bandhan 2023:
When is Raksha Bandhan 2023, 30 or 31 August, know Bhadra Kaal and important things before tying Rakhi
Also Read: Dhanbad: Annual examination from first to seventh grade in government schools from tomorrow, preparation complete
why rakhi is not tied in bhadrakal
Raksha Bandhan (Raksha Bandhan 2023) Vyapini Purnima Tithi is necessary in the afternoon. Bhadra is prohibited in this. Tying Rakhi in Bhadra period is considered inauspicious. In Puranas, Bhadra has been described as the daughter of Surya and sister of Shani. According to religious beliefs, the presence of Bhadra in all kinds of auspicious works is considered inauspicious. Bhadra has been described in this verse of Bhavishyaottara Purana.

Bhadrayan Dwain Kartavye Shravani Falguni and.

Shravani Nriptihanti, Gramam Dahti Phalguni

In the Bhadra period, Rakshabandhan brings harm to the king and Holika Dahan harms the people. On the day of Raksha Bandhan, brothers and sisters should bathe in the morning and remember the gods, ancestors and sages. Then Rakshasutra should be tied on brother’s wrist. The following mantra should be chanted while tying Rakshasutra.

, Yen Baddho Bali Raja Dan Vendra. Mahabala.

, Ten Tvamanu Baghnami Raksho Ma Chal Ma Chalah.

Raksha Bandhan 2023:
When is Rakshabandhan, know the exact date, Bhadra time, auspicious time to tie Rakhi and story
When Indrani prepared the defense formula for Devraj
Once in ancient times, there was a battle between Devas and Asuras for twelve years, in which the gods were defeated and the Asuras took over the heaven. Sad, defeated and worried, Devraj Indra went to his Guru Brihaspati and said that at this time neither I am safe here nor can I go anywhere from here. In such a situation, it is necessary for me to fight, while we have been defeated in the war so far. Indrani was also listening to this conversation.

Raksha Bandhan 2023:
When is Rakshabandhan 30 or 31 August, know the auspicious time to tie Rakhi and remove confusion
Indra’s victory was due to the effect of Raksha Vidhan
Indrani said that tomorrow is Shravan Shukla Purnima. I will prepare a defense formula methodically. You will get tied to Brahmins by reciting Swasti. With this you will definitely be victorious. On the second day, Indra got Raksha Bandhan done by reciting Raksha-Vidhan and Swasti. After this, when Indra reached the battlefield by riding on the Airavat elephant, the Asuras ran away in fear like people run away from the fear of death. Indra got victory due to the effect of Raksha Vidhan. Since then this festival started being celebrated. On this day, sisters tie Rakhi on the wrists of their brothers by performing auspicious rituals.

28/08/2023

Asia Cup India Squad

For perhaps the first time since being appointed ODI captain in December 2021, India skipper Rohit Sharma has a first-choice squad at his disposal for the Asia Cup beginning on August 30. The squad for the tournament was announced on Monday (August 21) after a selection meeting that was attended by Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid. KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer have returned from surgeries while pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Prasidh Krishna will take another decisive step in their comebacks from serious back injuries by featuring in the 50-over format. The only unexpected inclusion in India's 17-member squad for the continental event is 20-year-old batter Tilak Varma, who is yet to play for India in ODIs, while another decision that triggered mixed reactions was Kuldeep Yadav over Yuzvendra Chahal.

India:-

Rohit Sharma (Batsman)
Shreyas Iyer (Batsman)

Shubman Gill (Batsman)
Suryakumar Yadav (Batsman)
Tilak Varma (Batsman)
Virat Kohli (Batsman)
Axar Patel (All-Rounder)
Hardik Pandya (All-Rounder)
Ravindra Jadeja (All-Rounder)
Ishan Kishan (Wicket Keeper)
KL Rahul (Wicket Keeper)
Sanju Samson (Wicket Keeper)
Jasprit Bumrah (Bowler)
Kuldeep Yadav (Bowler)
Mohammad Shami (Bowler)
Mohammed Siraj (Bowler)
Prasidh Krishna (Bowler)
Shardul Thakur (Bowler)

Pakistan Squad of Asia Cup 2023

Babar Azam (captain), Shadab Khan (vice-captain), Abdullah Shafique, Fakhar Zaman and Imam-ul-Haq, Salman Ali Agha, Iftikhar Ahmed, Tayyab Tahir and Saud Shakeel (only for Afghanistan series), Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris, Mohammad Nawaz and Usama Mir, Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Naseem Shah and Shaheen Afridi

28/08/2023

"It's Not Like I Don't Like This Person": Rohit Sharma On World Cup Squad Selection
Rohit Sharma will have an unenviable task of telling at least three out of 18 members of the core group that they won't be a part of World Cup's exclusive 15.

Rohit Sharma understands the gargantuan pressure that a home World Cup brings but the Indian captain wants to insulate himself from the outside chatter as he embarks on an arduous journey to win the country's first ICC trophy in a decade. Shouldering more than a billion hopes, the 36-year-old India skipper knows what's at stake in the ODI World Cup, which starts October 5 with England taking on New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

"For me, it is important how I keep myself relaxed and not worry about external factors that play a role, whether positively or not negatively. I want to shut out everything," Rohit told PTI in an exclusive interview just before joining the Asia Cup camp in Benglauru.

"I want to get into the phase I was in before the 2019 World Cup,” said Rohit, who carries an aura of Zen even in the most tense of situations.

The same calm was visible as he put across his point of view in an uncomplicated manner during the interview, just like the straight face of his bat when he hits the bowler's back-drive.

"I was in great frame of mind and prepared really well for the tournament," he said referring to the last edition, where he scored 648 runs with an unprecedented five hundreds to emerge as the highest run-getter.

"I was in good shape, good mindset. I want to bring that back and I have time to do that. Trying to recollect what were the right things that I was doing before the 2019 World Cup as a cricketer and as a person. I want to revisit that thought-process of mine personally," the skipper said.

World Cups and the vagaries associated with the results can change a lot of things but for Rohit, one month of cricket can't make or break the player that he is.

"A person can't change overnight with his success or failures," he said.

"I don't think one result or one championship can change me as a person. I have not changed as a person in the last 16 years and I don't think anything needs to change on that front," he said.

"The focus will be on how I can achieve my goals in the next two months, for me and my team. A person can't change in a period of one or two months." Rohit has won five IPL titles as Mumbai Indians captain, Asia Cup as India captain (2018) and led the team to World Test Championship final as recently as June this year.

Do you ever think about your legacy in Indian cricket after being around for 16 years? "No," pat came the reply. "I am not the person who thinks about what kind of legacy I will leave behind. My legacy will be for people to judge and talk about. Not for me to say." He has 30 ODI hundreds, second only to Virat Kohli's 46. Add 10 Test hundreds and four T20I tons. A total of 17,000 plus international runs aren't bad numbers.

"I am not a firm believer in numbers. You should be happy and enjoy the time you have in-front of you, and try to live in that kind of moment. I am thinking about what gives me happiness," he added.

"For me, it's all about creating memories and creating a good rapport with my teammates. Be happy in whatever you get and whatever you have."

TEAM SELECTION HEARTBREAKS

Rohit will have an unenviable task of telling at least three out of 18 members of the core group that they won't be a part of World Cup's exclusive 15.

There is a sense of déjà vu. When he was 23, Rohit didn't get a look-in in that history-making 'Class of 2011'. It had hurt, back then and no one knows that better than him.

"While picking the best combination, there will be guys who will miss out for various reasons and Rahul bhai (Dravid) and I have tried our best to explain to the players why they are not in the squad." "We have tried to communicate with the players after every selection and playing XI that has been announced. We talk to them face to face, one-on-one why they have not been picked," he said.

"Sometimes, I try and put myself in their shoes. When I wasn't picked in 2011, it was such a heart-breaking moment for me and I felt what's left after being dropped from a World Cup squad?" He had no qualms in admitting that at times his and Dravid's decision can go wrong. "Me, coaches, and selectors, take into account all factors like opposition, surfaces, our strengths, their weaknesses, and then reach a common ground. There is every chance that we will not be perfect always.

"At the end of the day, few individuals make decisions, and we are bound to make mistakes as humans. We won't always be right," he added with a pause.

Rohit feels that he "needs to keep an open mind" and listen to everyone's view and what other people around him are thinking.

"It's not like, I don't like this person, so I am dropping him. Captaincy is not based on personal likes and dislikes. If anyone misses out, there is a reason for it. If you are the unlucky one, we can do nothing." So who was the one who put an arm around his shoulder after the 2011 World Cup team was announced? "I was sad and sitting in my room and didn't know what to do next. I remember Yuvi (Yuvraj Singh) calling me to his room and taking me out for dinner.

"He explained to me how it feels when you are left out. He told me, 'the best thing is that you have so many years in-front of you. As we play in the World Cup, you take this chance to work hard on your game, skills and make a comeback. There is no way that you won't play for India or not get a chance to play in the World Cup'." Skipper MS Dhoni and selectors felt that an additional wrist spinner in Piyush Chawla would be more useful than an extra batter back in 2011.

"I went back to the drawing board, worked hard and immediately after the World Cup, I made a comeback and it has been good since then. Since this is me, who has gone through this emotion, no one can tell me that "easier said than done".

"I have faced exclusion in a World Cup, and I know how it exactly feels.”

Batter Rohit, the pull-shots and the risks taken

If there is one shot that has become 'signature Rohit' over the years, it is the pull-shot that he has played mostly with success, though at times it does bring about his downfall.

So how much does he practice the pull in the nets against throwdown experts? "There is no specific training I do to play that shot. Nobody knows about the work I did before that.

"Raghu (Raghvendra), Nuwan (Senaviratne) and Daya (Garani) have all come in recent years and I have been playing this shot for a long time, he said, referring to the three support staff members.

"I have worked on this shot since U-17 and U-19 days. Now I don't practice this shot specifically during the training. If I find a ball pitched short, I play the pull. The bowlers are not just going to bowl short, so during training I tell bowlers to bowl everything in a manner they want."

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