Dear Readers,

Time is running out as the 2019 ICC World Cup kicks off on May 30 when host England takes on South Africa. England are looking to bounce back from a travesty in 2015, while India, South Africa, and New Zealand are hoping to dethrone defending champions Australia and their typically deep squad. Can Sri Lanka or Pakistan make a splash? Do the West Indies, with their batting stars, have what it takes? While there can only be one champion, but star players — and what qualifies as a successful tournament — will arrive in many forms. In this week’s Feature Story, we preview the 10 teams for you to get caught up on, their star players, strengths and weaknesses.

Our cover story ties in with our feature story. In this issue, we have the Indian cricket team’s captain, Virat Kohli, one of India’s most spectacular sports persons. The skipper represents the culmination of the evolution in batting, rather than a new age of batsmanship. And that says a lot about his talent. In this week’s cover story, we look into the Indian skipper’s peak moments, how he switched off from the game, his fitness regime, and more!

Every year, fashion aficionados around the world look forward to the first Monday in May as it signals the approach of the Met Gala. The theme for the 2019 event was Camp: Notes on Fashion and this year, too, the attendees went all out. Catch up on all the talking points from the night in our Special Feature.

As always, we continue to bring you a rich assortment of content for your reading pleasure. Check out our interview with Parth Satwalekar in People in Focus. A dentist by profession and a cricketer at heart, Parth represented Hyderabad at all junior state levels, played the Ranji Trophy, and captained Karnataka University and the south zone teams for four consecutive years.

It’s well-established that participating in team sports can be wonderful, especially for children. Not only do they combat obesity, but it also helps mentally, emotionally, and promotes respect and teamwork. Read our Mind & Body section to find out more about the other holistic benefits of team sports.

In any sport, venues are very significant. And cricket is no different. Stadiums are the generators of enthusiasm and landmarks of memory where the lights, the facades, the scenery, the designs are stunning. Check our Grand Getaways where we picked three stadiums in England that has to be on your travel agenda in the next couple of months.