WHEN TWENTY20 OUTNUMBERED SAAS-BAHU SOAPS IN TRP RATINGS

In a clear indication that women viewers do watch things beyond the saas-bahu soaps, the India-Australia semifinal match of the Twenty20 World Cup saw a rating as high as 12.8 for the female TG.

This is the highest rated programme across the top-3 Hindi mass channels in 2007.

In fact, the semi-final between India and Australia touched a high of 23.2 TVR and the average rating for the match was also as high as 17.9 TVR, a press release issued by ESPN-STAR Sports said.

During the duration of the match, the channel share of ESPN and STAR Cricket combined was 63 per cent.

Meanwhile, STAR Cricket will once again take cricket lovers through the winning moments of the Indian team in the ICC World Twenty20 and will air non-stop action of all the victorious matches played by India on Sunday from 1530 IST.

AGARKAR, ROHIT TO GET RS 10 LAKH EACH FROM MAHARASHTRA GOVERNMENT

The Maharashtra government today announced cash incentive of Rs 10 lakhs each for Ajit Agarkar and Rohit Sharma, both hailing from Mumbai, for playing a part in India's Twenty20 World Cup victory.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. "Maharashtra is proud of the performance of our boys. They have brought laurels to the state," he said.

Deshmukh would be present at the Mumbai airport to welcome the Indian players when they arrive here from South Africa, an official in the state Secretariat said.

DHONI IS JHARKHAND RATNA, AND MORE SURPRISES IN STORE FOR HIM FROM JHARKHAND CM

Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda today said he would present a surprise gift to the inaugural ICC Twenty20 World Cup winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni when he returns home.

"I have promised a surprise gift for Dhoni and it is proper that I should reveal it before him only. If I reveal now, the surprise element will be lost.

A couple of years ago, the state government had given a piece of land in the state capital after Dhoni's sizzling performance at the international level.

The Chief Minister, who watched the entire match in the capital, said he spoke to Dhoni's parents over phone and congratulated them on the success of the Indian team.

"We have arranged a grand celebration for Dhoni...We are already conferring him the Jharkhand Ratna on November 15."

TROPHY DESIGNER PREDICTS INDIA WILL WIN TWENTY20 WORLD CUP

Millions of cricket crazy fans in India and Pakistan would be praying for their team's victory in tomorrow's high voltage Twenty20 World Cup final, but there is one man who is banking on history repeating itself with the Indians coming home with the trophy.

Amit Pabuwal believes the team will return with the trophy made by him after conquering arch rivals Pakistan in the final at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg.

Here is how he supports his claim.

"All the trophies that I have manaufactured for different tournaments, in recent times, India has emerged winners in all those.

"India won the Future's Cup by beating South Africa, they won women's Asia Cup in Jaipur and did not lose in the Friendship Cup against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi which resulted in a tie with the trophy being shared by both countries.

"It has been happening for quite some time and I am praying that this time also the trophy comes back to India," Pabuwal said.

He said he would also make trophies for the upcoming India-Australia seven-match ODI series.

AFRIDI TOPS PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT TABLE, YUVRAJ SINGH IN HOT PURSUIT

Shahid Afridi leads the race for the Player of the Tournament award but tomorrow's final of the Twenty20 World Cup gives Yuvraj Singh, lone Indian in hot pursuit, yet another chance to pip the Pakistani to the honour.

Afridi has so far polled seven votes to top the table, but there are still four players -- including three of his teammates Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Shoaib Malik -- who can catch up with him.

Yuvraj, along with Stuart Clark, Sanath Jayasuriya and Morne Morkel, has garnered six votes.

Afridi is the joint leading wicket-taker -- alongside Australia's Stuart Clark -- with 12 victims, and has also scored rapidly whenever he has reached the batting crease, making 91 runs from just 45 balls faced.

In contrast, Yuvraj's 134 runs came from just 57 balls, giving him the best batting strike-rate of any player with 75 runs or more 235.08 runs per hundred balls.

His total includes 12 sixes, seven during his 16-ball innings of 58 against England that included six maximums in one over from Stuart Broad, and another five in his 70 from just 30 deliveries against Australia in the semi-final.

Malik (187) and Misbah (175) are among the leading run-scorers in the tournament and only Matthew Hayden of Australia, with 265 runs, has more than Malik's total.

HOWZZAT! TWENTY20 WORLD CUP IN WOMEN'S CRICKET

Encouraged by the success and popularity of the Twenty20 World Cup, the Board is seriously considering introduction of the shortest version of the game in women's cricket too.

"BCCI is planning to introduce the shorter version of the game in women's cricket and also trying that Twenty20 World Cup of womens' cricket be organised either before or after the Womens' World Cup, scheduled in England next year", BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told PTI.

He said the shorter version of the game will not affect one-day or Test match schedules.

"People want something new everytime and there is always a chance of change in the game and BCCI welcomes the change," Shah added.