India Cricket World Champions 2011

The Indian Cricket Team won the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup hosted by India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The final was played between the two hosts India and Sri Lanka on April 2, 2011. Batting first Sri Lanka made 274 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in their alloted 50 overs, which India beat with 277 losing only 4 wickets and Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni hitting a huge six for the winning runs, and with one over to spare. This is the first time that a hosting nation has won the Cricket World Cup, first held in England back in 1975. This is also the second time that India, where the sport of cricket is a national passion, have won the cup having surprised the world with their victory over the West Indies in 1983. India are currently the number one ranked Test Cricket nation and number two ranked in One Day Cricket, the format in which the World Cup is played.



Substantial awards have been announced for the world champions by the federal and state governments in India, where celebrations and parties have continued over into Sunday. Under Captain MS Dhoni, seen holding the cup with valuable left handed batter Gambhir on his right, India also became world champions in the T20 format of the game in 2007 and number one ranked in Test Cricket, making Dhoni the most successful cricket captain for India. MS Dhoni scored 91 and was declared Man of the Match, while Gambhir steadied the Indian innings with a solid 97 after the loss of two quick wickets early on.

Winning in Mumbai was an emotional high for the world champions; it is home to India's greatest cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and was targeted by Pakistan based terrorists on 26/11/2008. That made the victory over Pakistan's cricket team in the semi-final earlier in the week, important to Indians. In an interview with ESPN Gambhir said:

We are aware and will give our best. And if we win the final, for me, it'll be dedicated to the people who lost their lives in the 26/11 massacre. To my mind, a win against Pakistan and a win in the final and that too in Mumbai should be dedicated to those victims.

Do you think that will soothe their pain?
I am sure the win against Pakistan would have helped. Once on a trip to Jammu, I met some army men. They told me whatever we do, whoever we play; we should never lose to Pakistan. One of them was posted at the Indo-Pak border and was so emotional that he suggested that I should have a tattoo on my body saying, "I will never lose to Pakistan".

2011 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl

After three successive years of blonde bikini-clad girls on the cover of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition, it's the year of the brunette with Russian model, and soccer star Christiano Ronaldo's girlfriend, Irina Shayk to grace the cover. The 2011 edition cover girl photo features Irina Shayk on her knees in the warm sands of Hawaii, wearing a tight pink-and-yellow halter bikini.



The swimsuit cover girl photo is usually revealed on Valentine's Day at the taping of the 'Late Show' with David Letterman. "There were 10 models there to do the Top 10 List, and nobody knows until the last minute who the cover will be," Shayk said. "And then I saw it, and I couldn't believe it." Irina Shayk is not a sports player or an athlete; but she does sculpt her body with a healthy diet and exercise program. Of the other swimsuit models in the 2011 edition: last year's cover girl Brooklyn Decker, is starring in the film Just Go With It, Alyssa Miller, Hilary Rhoda, Julie Henderson, Cintia Dicker, Kenza Fourati, Damaris Lewis, Jessica White, Jessica Gomes, Izabel Goulart, Esti Ginzburg, Irina Shayk, Shannan Click, Anne Vyalitsina, Chrissy Teigen, Kate Upton and Genevieve Morton.

Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV

The Green Bay Packers won Super Bowl XLV beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. The Packers' Linebacker Clay Matthews (below photo) made the crucial play in the fourth, when he knocked the ball loose from Rashard Mendenhall for a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Desmond Bishop. Green Bay converted that turnover into a key touchdown and won Super Bowl XLV. "I had a good feeling that play was going to come," Matthews said. "I told my defensive end to spin it for me and wrap it around the outside.... I got to make a play, and I did." The Green Bay Packers fought back to a winning position from a 18-point second-quarter deficit. Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin congratulated the Pakers on winning the Super Bowl: "These guys are pros and competitors. I expect them to do that.....Green Bay played a pretty good game and made the necessary plays to be world champions."