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Person

Aryaman Birla

Indian businessman and former professional cricketer

Aryaman Vikram Birla is an Indian businessman, former professional cricketer, and a prominent member of the illustrious Birla family. Born on August 27, 1997, he is the son of Kumar Mangalam Birla, the billionaire chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, a global conglomerate. In his early years, Aryaman pursued a passion for sports and established himself as a talented left-handed batsman. He played domestic cricket for Madhya Pradesh, making his first-class debut in 2017, and scored a notable maiden first-class century against Bengal in 2018. His athletic achievements led to his selection by the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League for the 2018 season. In late 2019, Aryaman decided to take an indefinite break from professional cricket to prioritize his mental health and address anxiety issues, a decision that received widespread praise for raising awareness about mental well-being in sports. Following his sabbatical, he transitioned into the corporate world to prepare for leadership roles within his family's business empire. In January 2023, he was inducted as a non-executive director on the boards of Grasim Industries and Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited, two of the group's flagship companies. He also actively participates in Aditya Birla Ventures, the group's venture capital arm, driving new-age business initiatives and investments.

Business Person
AB
Person

Aditya Vikram Birla

Pioneering Indian Industrialist and Former Chairman of Aditya Birla Group

Aditya Vikram Birla was a pioneering Indian industrialist who played a crucial role in expanding the Birla business empire into a global conglomerate. Born into the prominent Birla business family, he was the grandson of legendary industrialist Ghanshyam Das Birla. After completing his schooling in Calcutta and earning a degree in chemical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he returned to India to join the family business. Rather than confining his ambitions to the restrictive domestic market of pre-liberalization India, Aditya Birla became one of the first Indian industrialists to look globally. In 1969, he set up Indo-Thai Synthetics Company, marking the group's first overseas venture in Thailand. Over the next two decades, he established highly successful operations in Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Egypt. Under his leadership, the group consolidated its presence in core sectors including textiles, cement, aluminum, chemicals, and financial services. He structured his enterprises under the umbrella of what is today known as the Aditya Birla Group, turning it into one of India's largest and most respected business houses. His visionary approach earned him a reputation as India's first truly global business leader. His untimely demise in 1995 at the age of 51 led to his young son, Kumar Mangalam Birla, taking over the leadership of the vast corporate empire.

Business Person
HK
Person

Harmanpreet Kaur

Captain of the India Women's National Cricket Team

Harmanpreet Kaur is an elite Indian cricketer and the captain of the Indian Women's National Cricket Team across all formats. Known for her aggressive batting style and effective right-arm off-break bowling, she has established herself as one of the most destructive middle-order batters in women's cricket. Born in Moga, Punjab, Kaur made her international debut in 2009. She rose to global prominence during the 2017 ICC Women's Cricket World Cup, where her sensational unbeaten knock of 171 runs off 115 balls against Australia in the semi-final guided India to the final and revolutionized women's cricket in India. Kaur has achieved several historic milestones, including becoming the first Indian cricketer to sign with an overseas T20 franchise when she joined the Sydney Thunder in the Women's Big Bash League in 2016. In 2018, she became the first Indian woman to score a century in a Women's T20 International. She has also served as the captain of the Supernovas in the Women's T20 Challenge and was signed by the Mumbai Indians to lead them in the inaugural Women's Premier League in 2023, guiding them to a historic championship victory. Recognizing her immense contribution to Indian sports, she was honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2017 and was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2023.

Sports Person
SP
Person

Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai is an Indian–American business executive who has been the CEO of Google since 2015 and the CEO of its parent company Alphabet Inc. since 2019.

Pichai began his career as a materials engineer. Following a short stint at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co., Pichai joined Google in 2004, where he led the product management and innovation efforts for a suite of Google's client software products, including Google Chrome and ChromeOS, as well as being largely responsible for Google Drive. In addition, he went on to oversee the development of other applications such as Gmail and Google Maps.

Technology Person
MR
Person

Mithali Raj

Former Captain of the Indian Women's Cricket Team

Mithali Raj is widely regarded as one of the greatest female cricketers of all time and the former captain of the Indian women's national cricket team. Born on December 3, 1982, in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, she grew up in Hyderabad, where she pursued cricket alongside classical Bharatanatyam dance. Known for her superb batting technique and calm composure under pressure, Mithali made her One Day International debut in 1999 against Ireland, scoring an unbeaten 114 runs. She went on to hold the record for the highest run-scorer in women's international cricket and remains the only female cricketer to surpass the 7,000-run milestone in ODIs. Mithali captained India to the finals of two ICC Women's Cricket World Cups, in 2005 and 2017, becoming a central figure in popularizing women's cricket in India. Her international career spanned an incredible 23 years, during which she set numerous records, including scoring seven consecutive half-centuries in ODIs. She officially retired from all formats of international cricket in June 2022. Following her retirement, she stayed active in the cricket ecosystem, joining the Women's Premier League franchise Gujarat Giants as a mentor and advisor. Over her illustrious career, Mithali has received multiple prestigious national awards, including the Arjuna Award in 2003, the Padma Shri in 2015, and the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021, cementing her legacy as a true pioneer of the game.

Sports Person
SV
Person

Shafali Verma

Indian Cricketer

Shafali Verma is an Indian cricketer who plays as an opening batter for the Indian national women's cricket team. Born on January 28, 2004, in Rohtak, Haryana, she is widely regarded as one of the most explosive and destructive batters in women's cricket. Verma made her international debut for India in September 2019 at the age of 15, becoming the youngest player to represent the country in a Women's Twenty20 International (WT20I) match. Later that year, she surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's long-standing record to become the youngest Indian cricketer to score an international half-century. Verma's aggressive batting style quickly earned her global recognition. In 2020, she played a pivotal role in leading India to the final of the ICC Women's T20 World Cup in Australia, where she also briefly claimed the top spot in the ICC Women's T20I batting rankings. In June 2021, she made her Test and ODI debuts against England, becoming the youngest player of either gender to represent India in all three formats of international cricket. In January 2023, Verma captained the Indian team to a historic victory in the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa. In domestic franchise cricket, she represents the Delhi Capitals in the Women's Premier League (WPL), having previously played for the Sydney Sixers in the Women's Big Bash League and the Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred. Her fearless approach at the top of the order continues to make her a crucial asset for Indian cricket.

Sports Person
SA
Person

Dibyendu Adhikari

Dibyendu Adhikari (born 24 December 1976) is an Indian politician from the state of West Bengal. He was voted into the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as an MLA from Egra Assembly constituency in the 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election as a me

he was elected to Lok Sabha from Tamluk in 2019 as a member of the Trinamool Congress. Adhikari was a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in West Bengal from Dakhin Kanthi constituency from 2009 to 2016. In 2016, he was elected to Lok Sabha from Tamluk parliamentary constituency of West Bengal on an AITC ticket in a by-election when the seat fell vacant due to the resignation of the sitting MP and his elder brother Suvendu Adhikari, who was elected to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. He is also councillor of Contai Municipality.

Political Person
EP
Person

Ellyse Perry

Australian Cricketer and Former Professional Soccer Player

Ellyse Perry is an elite Australian athlete who has represented her country in both cricket and association football. Having debuted for both the national cricket team and the national soccer team, the Matildas, at the age of 16, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest female cricketers of all time. Perry is a genuine all-rounder, known for her masterful right-handed batting and skilled fast-medium bowling. She has played a key role in numerous ICC Women's World Cup and T20 World Cup victories for Australia. On the football pitch, she represented Australia at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, notably scoring a spectacular goal in the quarter-final against Sweden. Perry later transitioned to focusing entirely on cricket, breaking numerous international records, including becoming the first player to amass 1,000 runs and 100 wickets in T20 Internationals. Domestically, she has played for teams like New South Wales, Sydney Sixers, Victoria, and Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Women's Premier League, whom she guided to a historic championship in 2024. Her enduring excellence and contribution to women's sports have earned her multiple Belinda Clark Awards and the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award for ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade.

Sports Person
AB
Person

AB de Villiers

Former South African Cricketer & Commentator

Abraham Benjamin de Villiers, widely known as AB de Villiers, is a former South African professional cricketer who is universally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the sport. Born in Warmbad, South Africa, de Villiers established himself as an exceptionally versatile athlete, excelling in multiple sports before dedicating himself fully to cricket. He made his international debut for South Africa in 2004 and quickly rose to prominence due to his innovative batting style, exceptional fielding, and wicket-keeping abilities. Known as Mr. 360 for his unique ability to hit the ball to all corners of the ground, he revolutionized modern limited-overs batting. De Villiers holds the record for the fastest ODI century, reaching the milestone in just 31 balls against the West Indies in 2015. He represented South Africa in 114 Tests, 228 ODIs, and 78 T20Is, scoring over 20,000 international runs across all formats. In franchise cricket, he enjoyed a legendary tenure with the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, forming a formidable partnership with Virat Kohli. De Villiers announced his retirement from international cricket in 2018, and subsequently retired from all formats of the game in 2021. Post-retirement, he works as a commentator, cricket analyst, and digital content creator.

Sports Person