Correct Answer :   Shubhman Gill

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* BCCI Awards 2024 have been announced, this time this award function was organized in Hyderabad.

* The Pauly Umargar Award given for the best international cricketer (men) was won by Shubman Gill (2022-23), Jasprit Bumrah (2021-22), Ravichandran Ashwin (2020-21), Mohammed Shami (2019-20).

* Whereas Colonel C. Of. Naidu Lifetime Achievement Award was given to former cricketers Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri.

* This award show was organized after four years, the last time it was organized in the year 2019.

Correct Answer :   Suryakumar Yadav

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India’s Suryakumar Yadav was named ICC Men’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2023 on Wednesday (24th Jan 2024). The star India batter continued his rise in T20I cricket with 733 runs in 17 innings in 2023 with a strike rate of 155.95. he left behind Sikandar Raza, Alpesh Ramjani and Mark Chapman to clinch the award.

Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year : West Indies captain Hayley Matthews won the ICC Women’s T20I Cricketer of the Year for 2023.

Matthews T20I record in 2023 : 700 runs and 19 wickets in 14 matches

Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year (2023) :

* New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra was named the ICC Men’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year for 2023. The Kiwi all-rounder beat South Africa pacer Gerald Coetzee, Sri Lanka fast bowler Dilshan Madushanka and Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal to win the ward. Ravindra had a brilliant ODI World Cup 2023 where he smashed 578 runs as New Zealand reached the semi-finals.


Rachin Ravindra’s record in 2023 :

* 820 ODI runs at 41, Strike Rate 108.03, 18 wickets at 46.61, economy 6.02
* 91 T20I runs at 18.20, Strike Rate 133.82, 5 wickets at 32.80, economy 9.11

Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 :

* Australia’s Phoebe Litchfield was named the ICC Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year for 2023. Other nominees were Bangladesh’s Marufa Akter, England pacer Lauren Bell and Scotland all-rounder Darcey Carter.


Phoebe Litchfield’s record in 2023 :

* 87 Test runs at 21.75
* 344 ODI runs at 49.14
* 88 T20I runs at 88


Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023 :

* Bas de Leede of Netherlands was named as the ICC Men’s Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023. He was Netherlands’ best player during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 Qualifier and the ODI World Cup in India.


Women’s Emerging Cricketer of the Year 2023 :

* Queentor Abel of Kenya was named ICC Women’s Associate Cricketer of the Year 2023. She took 30 T20I wickets at an average of 7.36 and scored 476 T20I runs at 34..

Source : First Post

Correct Answer :   Tai Tzu Ying

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An inspired Tai Tzu Ying secured her first women's singles India Open title with a dominating straight-game win over Chen Yu Fei, in Delhi on 21st January 2024, Sunday.

The former world number one from Chinese Taipei, who is set to retire after this season, used her cross-court smashes and delightful drops to completely outplay her Chinese rival 21-16 21-12 in the summit clash which was a rematch of the Tokyo Olympic final.

On that evening, the Chinese had the last laugh but Tai Tzu on Sunday showed why she is revered as one of the greatest players of the game with a masterclass performance at the KD Jadhav Indoor stadium here.

Earlier, Thailand's Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Sapsiree Taerattanachai claimed the Mixed Doubles title, defeating World No. 5 duo Jiang Zhen Bang and Wei Ya Xin of China 21-16, 21-16 in the final of Super 750 badminton tournament.

Indian pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, the 2022 champions, will face reigning world champions Kang Min Hyuk and Seo Seung Jae of South Korea in the men's doubles final in the last match of the evening..

Source : Outlook India

Correct Answer :   SpaceX

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) here today (18th Jan 2024) at 4:49 p.m. EST (2149 GMT), sending the Crew Dragon capsule "Freedom" skyward on Ax-3, the third mission organized by Houston company Axiom Space. The launch was originally scheduled for Wednesday (Jan. 17) but was delayed a day to allow more time for prelaunch checks.

The four-person Ax-3 is led by Michael López-Alegría, a former NASA astronaut who now serves as Axiom Space's chief astronaut. He's joined by mission pilot Walter Villadei, an Italian Air Force colonel who flew to suborbital space with Virgin Galactic last summer; Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravc?; and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut reserve member Marcus Wandt. Gezeravc? and Wandt will serve as mission specialists.

López-Alegría is a citizen of Spain as well as the U.S., so Axiom bills Ax-3 as "the first all-European commercial astronaut mission" to the ISS.

The Falcon 9's successful liftoff and staging were followed by the return to Earth of the rocket's first stage. The booster touched down at SpaceX's Landing Zone-1 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, which is next door to KSC, a little less than eight minutes after launch as planned.

Freedom separated from the Falcon 9's second stage about 12 minutes after liftoff, beginning the capsule's roughly 36-hour orbital journey to rendezvous with the ISS.

"Walter, Alper and Marcus: Congrats, and welcome to your first flight on Dragon," SpaceX launch director Mark Soltys said to the Ax-3 crew shortly after Freedom's deployment. "Mike, on the other hand, welcome to the Dragon frequent flyer club. I imagine you'll have enough miles to qualify for platinum status after this flight."

As that note indicates, Villadei, Gezeravc? and Wandt had not flown with SpaceX before; indeed, Ax-3 is the first orbital mission for all three. López-Alegría, on the other hand, now has six spaceflights under his belt, including the Ax-1 mission to the ISS in April 2022. He is the first astronaut ever to fly on Dragon twice.

Freedom is scheduled to catch up with the space station early Saturday morning (20th Jan 2024), docking with the Harmony module at around 5:15 a.m. EST (1015 GMT). Hatch opening between Freedom and the ISS will occur not long after that, followed by an Ax-3 crew welcome ceremony with the station's entire complement.

The Ax-3 astronauts will spend about two weeks working as integrated residents of the orbital laboratory, conducting microgravity research and science. Experiments performed by the Ax-3 crew will include investigations into physics, human health and outer space medicine. Some of this research will help Axiom better understand and develop training programs for their astronauts on future flights.

Private crew mission: Axiom Space Mission 3

* Axiom Space Mission 3 marks the third private crew mission to visit the ISS, ushering in a new era of space exploration.

* The crew, composed entirely of private crew, is set to spend approximately 14 days aboard the ISS, undertaking up to 30 experiments. Their endeavours align with the ongoing activities of the seven astronauts already present on the space station.

Correct Answer :   Kuchipudi

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Pendyala Lakshmi Priya from Hanumakonda was the only girl from Telangana who was selected for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar-2024 Award for her outstanding performance in Kuchipudi dance under art and culture category.

On Friday (19th Jan 2024), the ministry of women and child development announced 19 winners of Bala Puraskar Award across the county and 15-year-old Lakshmi Priya was one of them.

A class X student of a missionary school in Hanumakonda, Lakshmi Priya started practising Kuchipudi dance when she was in class III. “I was inspired by renowned Kuchipudi dancers like "Deepika Reddy" and versatile actress-cum-dancer Manju Bhargavi. I have taken part in the dance competitions at state and national levels,” Lakshmi Priya told TOI. Though dance is her passion, the young girl wants to become an IAS officer.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar to be conferred on 19 children on January 22 :

President Droupadi Murmu will confer the National Child Awards for Exceptional Achievement, 2024, to 19 exceptional children in an award ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan on January 22, 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with the awardees on January 23, 2024..

Source : India Times

Correct Answer :   Ravi Kumar Dahiya

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Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya, who missed the entire 2023 international season due to injuries, marked his return with a bronze medal at the Grand Prix De France Henri Deglane  wrestling tournament in Nice, France .

The Indian wrestler won his 61kg freestyle bronze medal bout 10-4 against Kairat Amirtayev of Kazakhstan. Dahiya trailed 2-4 in the first minute but used his experience to clinch the contest * convincingly.

* Dahiya overcame Julien Zinser of Germany in the round of 16 via technical superiority (13-2) followed by a 12-6 win over Zangar Kabylbekov of Kazakhstan in the quarter-final. However, the Indian suffered a 6-3 defeat against Arman Eloyan of France in the semi-final and was pulled into the  bronze medal bout.

* Dahiya last competed on the international stage at the 2022 World Wrestling Championships. He was ruled out of the Asian Championships in April 2023 after he sustained Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL) injuries on his right knee in February during practice.

* He aggravated the injury during the national trials in July  for the Asian Games and was forced out of action for the rest of the year. Subsequently, he did not compete at the World Wrestling Championships in Belgrade, a qualifying event for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

* For the upcoming events, Dahiya is expected to come down from 61kg to 57kg weight category. He is likely to compete at the Asian Olympic Games Qualifier in Kyrgyzstan in  April and the World Olympic Qualifiers in Turkey in May 2024..

Source : The States Man

Correct Answer :   Rohit Sharma

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India’s Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most centuries in T20I cricket.

Since his T20I debut against England during a T20 World Cup 2007 clash in Durban, Rohit Sharma has smashed five hundreds in international cricket's shortest format.

Australia’s Glenn Maxwell and Suryakumar Yadav of India are second on the list for most centuries in T20I cricket, having slammed four hundreds each in T20 internationals.

The likes of Czech Republic’s Sabawoon Davizi, New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Babar Azam of Pakistan share the third spot for the most centuries in T20I cricket. All three cricketers have recorded three centuries in T20I format.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Waseem, Evin Lewis, George Munsey, Glenn Phillips, Martin Guptill, Aaron Finch, KL Rahul, David Miller, Brendon McCullum, and Chris Gayle have hit two tons in T20Is. Know the cricketers with the most centuries in T20I cricket..

Source : Sports Adda

Correct Answer :   Karnataka Bank

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Karnataka Bank  joined hands with NBFC Clix Capital to provide loans to the MSME sector.

* Karnataka Bank and Clix Capital have entered into a strategic digital co-lending partnership through Yubi Co.lend Platform. The partnership would focus on providing loans to the Indian MSME sector, which is one of the biggest contributors to India's GDP and employment growth, it said.

* The partnership combines Karnataka Bank’s low cost of funds, end-to-end digital capabilities and expertise to offer credit facilities to this segment along with Clix Capital's strong & easy lending tech platform and robust due diligence.

* The partnership aims to provide seamless financing solutions, conveniently and economically in a digital manner, thereby enabling both the partners to draw upon each other’s strengths to serve the unserved, it said.

* Earlier this month, the private lender and Satin Creditcare Network entered into a co-lending arrangement to provide financial support to Joint Liability Groups (JLG) of economically active women in both rural and semi-urban areas and to give impetus to the micro credit facilities segment of the country.

* The share touched a 52-week high of Rs 282 on January 15, 2024 and a 52-week low of Rs 124.10 on March 29, 2023. The stock is trading 5.09 percent below its 52-week high and 115.67 percent above its 52-week low..

Source : Money Control

Correct Answer :   Pat Cummins

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The cricketing world witnessed outstanding performances in December 2023, and the International Cricket Council (ICC) duly recognized the brilliance of Australia’s Pat Cummins and India’s Deepti Sharma. In a month that showcased cricketing prowess across formats, Cummins and Sharma stood out, earning the prestigious ICC Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month awards.

1. Pat Cummins: A Bowling Maestro :

Australia’s skipper, Pat Cummins, capped off a stellar year with the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for December. Cummins played a pivotal role in Australia’s Test series triumph against Pakistan, displaying exceptional leadership and bowling prowess.

* Dominant Test Series Performance : Cummins led from the front in Australia’s Test series victory over Pakistan, contributing significantly to their successful campaign in 2023.

* Inspiring Melbourne Spell : The highlight of Cummins’ month came in the second Test against Pakistan in Melbourne, where he showcased his bowling mastery by taking ten wickets. His crucial five-for in the second innings, including the prized wicket of Mohammed Rizwan, secured a dramatic victory for Australia.

* Accolades and Nominations : Cummins, who played a key role in Australia winning the World Test Championship and the Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2023, is now nominated for the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy in the ICC Awards 2023.

2. Deepti Sharma: Multi-Format Brilliance

India’s Deepti Sharma made history by winning her maiden ICC Women’s Player of the Month award for December. Sharma’s exceptional performances across all three formats, especially against England and Australia, earned her this well-deserved recognition.

* T20I and Test Brilliance : Sharma began the month with solid contributions in T20Is against England, setting the stage for a remarkable Test performance. In the Test against England, she scored 67 runs and showcased her bowling prowess with a stunning nine-wicket haul.

* Test Triumph Against Australia : Deepti continued her exceptional run in the Test against Australia, top-scoring with a crucial 78 runs, contributing significantly to India’s eight-wicket victory.

* Consistent ODI Performances : The subsequent ODI matches against Australia witnessed more brilliance from Sharma, including a remarkable five-for in one encounter.

Correct Answer :   Rameshbabu Praggnanand

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Chess prodigy Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa made headlines by securing the number one spot among India's chess players following his impressive victory over World champion Ding Liren at the 2024 Tata Steel Chess tournament.

The 18-year-old defeated the reigning champion with the black pieces, and surpassed the legendary Viswanathan Anand to claim the top position in India.

Praggnanandhaa expressed his surprise at the outcome, stating, "I felt I equalized very easily, and then somehow things started to go wrong for him. Even after I won the pawn, I felt it should be holdable."

The young chess sensation, who started playing at the age of 5, emphasized the significance of defeating a world champion, saying, "The first time winning against a world champion in classical chess feels good."

In 2018, Praggnanandhaa became India's youngest Grandmaster and the world's second-youngest at the age of 12. Known for his exceptional skills and achievements, he is the fifth-youngest person ever to attain the title of Grandmaster.

Remarkably, his elder sister, R Vaishali, is also a Grandmaster, making them the world's first-ever brother-sister GM duo.

Meanwhile, in the Masters category of the Tata Steel Chess tournament, Grandmaster Anish Giri emerged as the sole leader heading into the first rest day. Giri's strategic moves and victory over D Gukesh contributed to his commanding position in the tournament..

Source : India Times