Dhoni moves up to 4th in ODI rankings

Team India stumper Mahendra Singh Dhoni gained a spot to be fourth in the latest LG-ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen, released today. Dhoni, who was the man of the series in the one-day international series against Bangladesh, has a chance to move up to third if he continues his fine form during the Afro-Asia Cup in Bangalore and Chennai starting tomorrow. The 25-year-old is just five rating points behind Australia's Mike Hussey and, if he continues with his good form over the next week, he will close the gap on Kevin Pietersen and Ricky Ponting at the top of the log. Skipper Rahul Dravid also moved up one place to be 15th, just one point behind South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs.
In the bowlers' chart, off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, despite being out of action after being dropped for the tour of Bangladesh has cilmbed up one spot to share the 13th position with England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff and Sri Lankan pacer Lasith Malinga. The only other Indian in the bowling top-20 is Ajit Agarkar, who occupies the 16th spot. Shaun Pollock continues to lead the pack and is set to play in the Afro-Asian Cup as a specialist batsman following minor foot surgery. PTI

Wanna fly? Now is the time

With monsoons round the corner, domestic airlines are offering tickets at throw-away prices. Several of them have announced special offers to woo passengersto travel during the rainy season which is considered a lean period. Despite incurring heavy losses, airlines are offering tickets atRs 225 or 99 paise.

Budget carriers like Air Deccan, GoAir and SpiceJet have even offered free tickets to passengers. Full service carrier Jet Airways is also joining the monsoonoffer bandwagon to fill space during the lean season.

These cheap fares are tactics to stimulate passengers to travelmore, say industry analysts, and fill as many seats as possible. The rainy season is the worst time for airlines. Therefore, airlines areselling seats in advance by offering cheaper fares.

According to estimates, domestic airlines posted a net loss of about Rs 2,000 crore during last financial year. Jet Airways, the country's largest private airline, is offering special advance fares in 40 sectors, including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Goa.

The airlines' monsoon fares are priced lower than normal economyor check fares. Under the scheme on offer, passengers can bookflights on certain domestic routes 10, 15, 20 and 25 days before thetravel date, and the journey should be undertaken by September 30.

(Courtesy: UNI)

Priyamani's double speak on exposing

Priyamani is the new talk of Tollywood today. Not that she has any great achievement to her credit. Nor does she have any assets or acting talent to boast about. Nor for that matter the striking beatuy of the Bollywood belles. It's just her luck that there are no good faces around to fill the dearth of heroines in the Telugu film industry. Otherwise how do you think this Bangalore belle, who was tried and tested and packed up to Tamil for good, get a chance to get some assignments. Of course, even now she doesn't have great films to speak of, except for a teeny weeny role opposite junior NTR in Yamadonga. Which is how she shot into the limelight. And you know how Tollywood directors are. The moment a heroine is cast opposite a top hero, they make a beeline to the actress's house. And we hear that she has a hit to her credit in Tamil too. But it needs confirmation. Other than NTR she is acting in a film called Toss (God knows who the hero of the film is) and opposite Tarun in a Supergood Films venture.

Despite that, we must admit that she is really trying her best to cash in on her unusual luck. And her thoughts invariably sway towards exposing. And here is what she has to say about exposing: "Cinema means glamour. It's not fair to say that I won't do glamour roles here. But there are certain limitations. That is why I always choose clothes that suit me. If I feel that they don't gel with my physique, I will refuse to wear them."

Dear Priyamani, we know what glamour is, we don't need a discourse from you on the topic. Are you exposing or not, we want a direct answer to that, not some vague poetry. And how do you define glamour? There are thousand and one ways to be glamourous without exposing an inch of your salacious flesh. And we can definitely tell you that you don't qualify for those glamour roles, because, as we have said earlier, you neither have the looks nor the physique to boast about. So, it boils down to exposing, right? Do you think you have the choice to choose your own clothes in the Telugu film industry? You either buckle in under pressure or you get out. And so you have only a hobson's choice. And we know you are game for it. Right?

Tollywood