MUMBAI: Ricky Ponting seems to be busier after retirement. Soon after taking off his Baggy Green in December last year, Ponting got busy playing the Big Bash for Hobart Hurricanes, followed by a hectic season for his favourite team Tasmania.

He's now in India to lead the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, then will head to Surrey for a two-month stint, followed by the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) that has signed him as one of its marquee international cricketers. Just in case he ends up leading MI into the knockouts, the Champions League later this year will require him to be on duty for another two weeks.

LONDON: The Champions League tie between Bayern Munich and Juventus is the outstanding pairing of the round but there are glittering jewels - and duels - to savour everywhere in the quarterfinals of Europe's elite soccer competition this week.

It's tough getting to the top. It's tougher staying there. For Kolkata Knight Riders, talent and turmoil had walked hand in hand the first four seasons of the Indian Premier League, but they finally got it right last year. But, then, having tamed the demons within and having reached the pinnacle of the world's richest and raciest T20 league, Shah Rukh Khan's men will now be under a different kind of pressure.

Glenn Maxwell, Mumbai Indians | He is the million-dollar man of the sixth edition of the Indian Premier League. Mumbai Indians paid through their noses to get this Victorian to don the blue jersey. Maxwell made his mark in Australia's domestic circuit with a 19-ball half century against Tasmania two seasons ago. That whirlwind knock remains the fastest half-century effort in Australia's domestic history. Sure he can bat and is a flexible option for a skipper. He has the ability to adapt and bat at any position and under trying situations. If flexibility is Maxwell's USP, his off-spinners need to be more potent. A brilliant fielder, he can be an intoxicating package if he shows better shot selection.

DHAKA: Amid nationwide violence in Bangladesh over 1971 war crimes trial of fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami leaders, the country's human rights body has criticized the government for inadequate steps to protect Hindus from recent attacks as the minority community demanded more security.

New Delhi: Nurturing the ambition to make it big in the finance arena, a 23-year-old Delhi girl has qualified as chartered accountant, cost accountant, and also company secretary - becoming possibly the youngest person to complete all the three professional accounting courses. A Delhi University commerce graduate, Pallavi Sachdeva admires ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar as a role model and has already got her dream job with an offer from international finance major, Barclays Plc.

Jalandhar: An assistant sub-inspector (ASI) was shot dead by unknown persons on Sunday evening on the Jalandhar-Ludhiana highway. Police claim that the ASI was shot at when he chased a few persons in a car for not stopping when he asked them to.

New Delhi: The deadline set by the government for Cable TV digitisation in 38 cities across 14 states ends on Monday. Television sets without set top boxes would go blank. These cities are part of the second phase of digitisation as government claimed 67 per cent digitisation had been achieved in these places.

The UP government had on Saturday written to the Ministry seeking extension of digitisation deadline. Officials in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry said digitisation would be implemented in these cities barring Bangalore and four towns in Gujarat where the deadline was being extended following court orders.

New Delhi: Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams, who holds the record for the longest space flight by a woman astronaut, has a date with India. She will start her India trip on April 1 from the national capital. She will be speaking with students at the National Science Centre in the national capital. Following that she will meet the President Pranab Mukherjee before leaving for Kolkata.

"The centre will host Sunita L Williams (Captain, US Navy) and NASA astronaut on April 1. She will be interacting with a select group of students and teachers," an official of the NSC said.

Amritsar: Launching his 'Janatantra Yatra' (tour for democracy) from the historic Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in this Sikh holy city on Sunday, anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare said only a mass movement could bring about a change in India.

"I will continue this crusade (against corruption) as long as I have life in me," Hazare, 75, said addressing his supporters here.

Flanked by former Indian Army chief Gen VK Singh, Hazare started his year-long, all-India tour from the city's historic Jallianwala Bagh.