Veteran sports presenter Charu Sharma had to take over auctioneering duties at the Indian Premier League 2022 (IPL 2022) mega auction in Bengaluru on Saturday after designated auctioneer Hugh Edmeades collapsed mid-event. Sharma conducted the auction for the rest of the day and resumed duties on Sunday for the second and final day of the auction. Sharma revealed that he had to dash to the auction from his hotel in “just 15-20 minutes” to replace Edmeades. Sharma said he received a call from Brijesh Patel, chairman of the IPL governing council, before making a quick dash to the venue.
“I don’t live too far from the hotel. So Brijesh called me and said, ‘just put on some clothes and run’… I was there in just 15-20 minutes. They briefed me for a bit and then we were on,” Sharma told Sportstar.
“They said they will call me soon and let me know. I am waiting for their call to know whether I need to be there today…” he added.
He revealed that there weren’t many complications despite the forced mid-event replacement.
“I don’t think there were too many complications in the system that were set for the auction. The auction itself has a pattern, and the rest is all structured. Once you have a structure in place, it is not very complicated. But yes, still one expects certain butterflies in the stomach, but given the fact that I have done commentary stint for the past 40 years if I still have butterflies in my stomach, then when will they ever go away?” Sharma elaborated.
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Meanwhile, Edmeades gave an update on his health on Sunday, saying that he is doing “absolutely fine”.
“I am sorry that I can’t be in person with you today. As you can see, I’m absolutely fine but I wasn’t going to be able to give 100 per cent performance today, which will be unfair to the BCCI, the IPL, the bidders and most importantly the players. I just want to thank people all around the world who have sent me good wishes,” Hugh Edmeades said in a video uploaded by the BCCI.
When the times get tough, the tough get going. Perhaps that’s why it’s such a heart-pounding pleasure to watch war moviesda. In these films, we witness not only brutal battles but also the bravery and resilience of heroes and survivors. Their stories might be steeped in tragedy, violence, and horror, but nonetheless, they rally to fight back.
Whether set on foreign shores or many years ago, these war stories hit home with characters’ journeys powerful and profound. If you’re looking for something thrilling, heart-wrenching, inspirational, or even hilarious, we’ve got you covered.
Here are the top 10 war movies on Netflix streaming now.
1. Da 5 Bloods
Spike Lee directs this riveting Vietnam War drama, which swings between past and present. Delroy Lindo, Norm Lewis, Clarke Peters, Isiah Whitlock Jr., and the late Chadwick Boseman star as the titular quintet, who buries gold bars while serving overseas in the Army. Decades later, they return to Vietnam, not only for the treasure, but also to bring back the remains of one they lost. Along the way, they’ll run into shady characters, familial conflict, and explosive twists. Jonathan Majors, Mélanie Thierry, Paul Walter Hauser, and Jean Reno co-star in this critically heralded 2020 release.
Sharan Sharma directs this heartwarming biopic, which focuses on a glass-ceiling shattering heroine of the Kargil War of 1999. From a young age, Gunjan Saxena (Janhvi Kapoor) dreamed of flying the skies as a pilot, but the path for women in India to achieve this dream had not been fully charted. She faced doubters, derision, and blatant sexism as she climbed the ranks in the Air Force, finally making history as the first female officer of the Indian Air Force to fly in a combat zone. With earnest drama and a bouncy soundtrack, this 2020 Netflix original takes audiences through her inspirational story and into the battles between the Indian and Pakistani forces.
Following Independence Day and Godzilla, action-auteur Roland Emmerich teamed with Braveheart‘s Mel Gibson for an American Revolutionary War epic. Gibson and Heath Ledger star as a father and son who join forces with the Continental Army to overthrow the merciless British, in particular, a cruel colonel played by Jason Isaac. Loaded with sweeping battleground sequences, history-inspired heroics, and moving moments of melodrama, The Patriot packs a punch.
Celebrated for his gritty dramas The Rover and Animal Kingdom, Australian writer-director David Michôd threw critics for a loop with his dark 2017 satire, based on Michael Hasting’s non-fiction book The Operators: The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America’s War in Afghanistan. Brad Pitt stars as a bombastic general, charged with the rebuilding effort in Afghanistan. During his mission, he will face skepticism, scorn, and outright opposition from enemies, allies, and government officials. Funny and thought provoking, this curious comedy also boasts appearances by Anthony Michael Hall, Topher Grace, and LaKeith Stanfield.
One of the fascinating films where the production has drawn as much attention as the movie itself, Apocalypse Now was its own war for director Francis Ford Coppola. Filming in the Philippines, he and his crew endured military-related delays, punishing weather, health emergencies, and the recasting of the hero two weeks into shooting. Then, leading man Martin Sheen brought his own demons to the already trouble production. Even achieving the final cut of the 1979 film was a battle. So in 2001, Coppola revisited his Academy Award-winning Vietnam War movie to create a cut closer to his heart of darkness. The result was Apocalypse Now Redux, a director’s cut 20+ years in the making with 49 more minutes of footage.
Often war stories look to the frontlines, but writer/director Sofia Coppola’s 2017 stunner focused on the homefront of the American Civil War. Based on Thomas P. Cullinan’s novel of the same name, The Beguiled centers on a girls school in Virginia, where the unexpected intrusion of a Union soldier spurs feelings of lust, jealousy, and wrath. The grim lesson learned is that the violence of war won’t be contained to the battlefield. Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst, and Elle Fanning starred in the slow-burn thriller that wowed critics and earned Coppola the Best Director award out of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
Adapted from the Frank Miller and Lynn Varley comic, Zack Snyder’s 2006 war epic follows the 300-strong contingent of Spartans — led by King Leonidas I (Gerard Butler) — that defended ancient Greece from a Persian invasion, led by King Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) in 479 B.C. Both the comic and the movie are based on the real-life Battle of Thermopylae. But in both adaptations, the story is secondary to the presentation.
Snyder’s signature style of artful framing and conscious formal play is splashed across every frame of 300. (Who can forget that famous slow-mo kick?) For all the intense violence, this is a stunningly beautiful film as well as one of the first that nailed the artistic sensibilities of an action-heavy comic book. Snyder may be a controversial fave, but 300 remains one of the most impressive expressions of his innate talents to date. And it makes for a genuinely gripping war movie.—Adam Rosenberg, Senior Entertainment Reporter
Based on Uzodinma Iweala’s novel of the same name, this war drama explores the horrific plight of child soldiers. Abraham Attah stars as Agu, a young West African boy who is ripped away from his family and conscripted into the militia of a charismatic but demanding Commandant (Idris Elba). To survive, Agu must forge a path of violence and blood, machete first. Written, directed, and shot by Cary Joji Fukunaga, this riveting drama won praise for its powerful storytelling, while Elba scored a Golden Globe nod for his striking portrayal.
Chris Pine headlines this action-studded biopic about the 14th-century Scottish King who was the underdog in a war against the massive and mighty English forces. Directed by David Mackenzie, this epic drama ushers audiences back to Middle Ages warfare, where chainmail, heavy armor, and swords clashed. Critics lauded the humanity webbed throughout this war film and cheered Pine’s captivating portrayal of a legendary historical figure.
Stripes is like a funny Full Metal Jacket. The 1981 comedy follows friends and professional losers John Winger (Bill Murray) and Ryan Ziskey (Harold Ramis) as their crumbling adult lives compel them both to enlist. We spend the first half of the movie getting to know Stripes‘ colorful cast of miscreant recruits, including John Candy’s lovable rube, Dewey “Ox” Oxberger. When sent to Italy, the ostensibly-trained band of misfits led by Winger and Ziskey race right up to the brink of an international incident — of their own creation. Hijinks ensue.
Stripes is a classic comedy from the ’80s featuring three legends in Murray, Ramis, and Candy alongside a stellar cast that also includes Warren Oates, John Larroquette, Judge Reinhold, and, in one of his earliest film appearances, Bill Paxton. —A.R.
Brexit continues to be an enormous deterrent to trade due to problems at customs control, according to UK-based SHD Logistics, which recently said the country’s international trade is down by 70 per cent. This primarily constitutes shipments from the European Union (EU). Small businesses , such as the many partner e-commerce retailers of the company, are being hit particularly hard.
Full customs controls between the EU and Great Britain (except Ireland) came into effect January 1, 2022. The customs arrangements in place for 2021 for goods moving from Ireland and Northern Ireland (NI) to Great Britain have been extended for as long as discussions between the United Kingdom and EU on the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP) are ongoing.
Businesses get used to knowing what the commodity codes are for their products. If they don’t know there has been code changes, they don’t amend them, and therefore, goods are held up in customs or returned due to ‘errors’, SHD Logistics said in a press release.
Brexit continues to be an enormous deterrent to trade due to customs problems, according to UK-based SHD Logistics, which said the country’s international trade is down by 70 per cent. This primarily constitutes shipments from the EU. Small businesses , such as the many partner e-commerce retailers of the company, are being hit particularly hard.
Clients with special customs requirements are struggling the most. The notifications and training for small and medium enterprises on these changes are poor and often fairly last minute, the logistics company noted.
“We are continuously developing our bespoke technology system Despatchlab to match changes as required. This is not compensated enough by government Brexit transition ‘support’,” it said.
“If products aren’t caught in customs, they’re delayed. Services we expect to take 3-5 days are taking more than double this time on occasion and we are unable to follow up with anyone. ‘Held at customs’ is what we’re told. We are advised on occasion a (new) certification is missing and the goods are returned to sender,” it elaborated.
“Individual countries are also changing what they do and do not accept, and no one seems to know where this information is being held. It certainly isn’t being communicated to us, our clients or carrier partners. When we contact customs directly, they are not able to provide us with the information we need. It’s impossible for operators to plan without the full picture,” the company added.
Twitter faced a global outage on Friday night as thousands of users weren’t able to access their twitter accounts and this incident was reported by an outage tracking website named DownDetector. Twitter’s website and mobile app were affected by this global outage. However, the company was very quick in fixing the issue and they said that this outage was due to a technical issue.
Twitter, in an official statement said that “We’ve fixed a technical bug that was preventing timelines from loading and tweets from posting. Things should be back to normal now. Sorry for the interruption”. The users from different parts of the world complained that they are unable to access their profile on the app or the website. The profile went down around 11 PM IST on Friday.
We’ve fixed a technical bug that was preventing timelines from loading and Tweets from posting. Things should be back to normal now. Sorry for the interruption!
The twitter users headed to Reddit to share the issues they were facing due to this outage and when these technical issues were fixed, the users shared the issues that they had faced during the downtime. #TwitterDown started to trend on the platform. A twitter user named Jasmine posted “Yeah bro, it’s not only you Twitter is down. #Twitterdown. Another user named Nice Guy Cup Arc posted” me trying to check if twitter is down on twitter but guess twitter is down I can’t check #twitterdown.
Arcaneshow’s official twitter account posted a video and captioned it as “Looks like Jinx broke into the Twitter servers. #TwitterDown”. Another user tweeted “everyone’s saying twitter down but everyone is somehow tweeting #Twitterdown”.
Jemimah Rodrigues slammed an unbeaten half-century as India got their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign underway with a win against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Newlands In Cape Town on Sunday. Chasing a target of 150, Jemimah slammed an unbeaten 53 off 38 balls as India crossed the finishing line with an over to spare. Earlier, Pakistan, on the back of captain Bismah Maroof fifty, had posted a total of 149/4 in 20 overs. As India pulled off the highest successful run chase in the history of the Women’s T20 World Cup, people from all walks of life took to Twitter and congratulated the Harmanpreet Kaur-led side on achieving such a landmark.
Here’s how Twitter reacted:
“High quality run chase this from @BCCIWomen. Jemima and Richa were fantastic, but what stuck out was how calm the dressing room was when we needed 40 from 4 overs,” veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin tweeted.
High quality run chase this from @BCCIWomen. Jemima and Richa were fantastic, but what stuck out was how calm the dressing room was when we needed 40 from 4 overs. #T20WorldCup2023
“WHAT A WIN! The second highest successful run chase in Women’s #T20WorldCup history. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh were extra special in a thrilling run chase. Great start to the tournament, best wishes @BCCIWomen,” National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman tweeted.
WHAT A WIN ! The second highest successful tun chase in Women’s #T20WorldCup history. Jemimah Rodrigues and Richa Ghosh were extra special in a thrilling run chase. Great start to the tournament, best wishes @BCCIWomen#INDvsPAKpic.twitter.com/wG0Aq4xr4N
“What a match! The energy and fighting spirit showcased by all the players was brilliant. Congratulations #TeamIndia for an outstanding win.This has surely set the tone for a great tournament. More power to you, girls!” BCCI secretary Jay Shah posted on Twitter.
What a match! The energy and fighting spirit showcased by all the players was brilliant. Congratulations #TeamIndia for an outstanding win.This has surely set the tone for a great tournament. More power to you, girls! #INDvPAK#T20WorldCup@BCCIWomenpic.twitter.com/bifegXstz7
“What a terrific start for Indian women’s team A record run chase to begin their #T20WorldCup. match winning knock frm Jemimah & a power-hitting of Richa was stunning to see,tough luck for Pakistan A proper India vs Pakistan game,” former India cricketer Sunil Joshi said in a tweet.
Chasing 150 to win, India reached their target with six balls to spare after Jemimah Rodrigues hit an undefeated 53 off 38 deliveries with eight fours.
Earlier, Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof (68 not out) and hard-hitting Ayesha Naseem (43 not out) had boosted their side’s total after struggling to 68 for four in the 13th over.
(With AFP Inputs)
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Chess is a board game for two players. The game is played on a chessboard, a square board divided into 64 squares of alternating colors. Each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. The game’s object is to checkmate the opponent’s king, whereby the king is trapped in a position where it cannot move and is attacked by one or more of the opponent’s pieces. If you’re a beginner and looking to improve your chess game, you should read some books on the subject. In this blog post, we’ll recommend 4 must-read books on chess for beginners.
1.My System by Aron Nimzowitsch
Aron Nimzowitsch’s “My System” is one of the most important chess books ever written. In it, Nimzowitsch lays out his groundbreaking ideas on chess. These ideas have been highly influential in subsequent chess thinking and continue to be studied by chess players worldwide.
One of Nimzowitsch’s most important ideas is the concept of pawn structure. Nimzowitsch believed that pawn structure was one of the most critical aspects of the game and could be used to gain an advantage over one’s opponent. He developed several techniques for achieving and defending a strong pawn structure, and these techniques are still studied by chess players today.
Nimzowitsch also emphasized the importance of the center of the board and discussed how to use it to dominate one’s opponent. Nimzowitsch believed that control of the center is necessary for both attack and defense in chess and claimed that whoever controlled the center would ultimately win.
Ultimately, “My System” is a masterpiece of chess literature, and any serious player should own a copy. Everyone from beginners to experts can find something of value within its pages.
RarBG has a vast library of chess ebooks for free download. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, there’s something for everyone. Plus, the site is easy to navigate, so finding what you’re looking for is a breeze.
2. The Art of Attack in Chess by Vladimir Vukovic
The Art of Attack in Chess is one of the most important books on chess strategy. In it, Vladimir Vukovic explains how to attack your opponent’s king.
The first step is to identify the enemy king’s weaknesses. You can do this by looking at the position of the king and its surrounding pieces. The king is most vulnerable when under attack from two or more sides.
Once you have identified the king’s weaknesses, you can launch your attack. You can do this by attacking the king’s weak squares, using your pawns to create threats, or using your pieces to create mating patterns.
If you want to attack your opponent’s king successfully, you need to be able to visualize the position of the king and its surrounding pieces. You also need to analyze your opponent’s defense and determine how best to attack his king.
The Art of Attack in Chess is a classic chess book that every beginner should read. It’s easy to understand and teaches you some of the most essential concepts in chess. If you want to improve your attacking skills at chess, this book is for you!
3. Modern Ideas In Chess Strategy by Richard Reti
The first concept Reti discusses is the initiative. The initiative is the ability to control the game by making moves that force the opponent to react. The player with the industry can force the opponent into a passive position, where the opponent can only react to the player’s moves. This can be done by attacking the opponent’s pieces, controlling key squares, or forcing the opponent to move their pieces into unfavorable positions.
The second concept Reti discusses is the value of the pieces. The value of a piece can be determined by its position on the board, its type, and the number of pieces of that type that are already on the board. The most valuable pieces are the queen and the rook, followed by the bishop and the knight.
The third concept Reti discusses is the value of the squares. The value of a square can be determined by its position, its type, and the number of pieces that occupy that square. The most valuable squares are located on the kingside and in the center.
With these three concepts in mind, you can start to understand how to attack your opponent’s king. You can do this by attacking with your pieces, utilizing threats or mating patterns, or avoiding exchanges that allow you to exert control over an important square on your opponent’s side of the board.
4. Think Like a Grandmaster by Alexander Kotov
The title of this book, “Think Like a Grandmaster,” suggests that the author, Alexander Kotov, will teach the reader how to think like a grandmaster chess player. This is an ambitious goal, given that grandmasters are some of the best thinkers in the world. However, Kotov does not disappoint.
Kotov begins the book by discussing the importance of thinking ahead in chess. He notes that the best chess players can think many moves ahead and that the ability to think ahead separates the best players from the rest. Kotov then discusses various techniques that chess players can use to think ahead. He covers topics such as visualization, calculation, and prevention.
In conclusion, if you want to improve your chess game, it’s essential to read as much as you can about it. These four books are a great place to start, but plenty of other resources are available online and in libraries. Keep practicing and learning, and you will gradually improve your skills.
Indian commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal is reportedly expected to visit Dhaka in March end to attend the Bangladesh-India commerce secretary-level meeting to discuss issues related to trade. Bangladesh has sent an invitation to Indian authorities and is soon expecting India’s consent. The last such meeting was held in New Delhi last March.
The planned Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), lifting of anti-dumping duty on jute and jute products from Bangladesh, withdrawal of export ban on some items from Bangladesh, ensuring supply chain of essential commodities would be prominent topics of discussion during the meeting, a news agency in Bangladesh reported.
Indian commerce secretary Sunil Barthwal is reportedly expected to visit Dhaka in March end to attend the Bangladesh-India commerce secretary-level meeting to discuss issues related to trade. Bangladesh has sent an invitation to Indian authorities and is soon expecting India’s consent. The last such meeting was held in New Delhi last March.
Formal talks on the proposed CEPA is likely to commence soon as well, the report said. A joint feasibility study was carried out on CEPA after the last secretary-level meeting.
The study suggests that the CEPA would provide a sound basis for substantial enhancement of trade and commercial partnership between the two countries and would create new jobs, raise living standards, and provide wider social and economic opportunities in Bangladesh and India.
Bangladesh is India’s biggest trade partner in South Asia. It is also the fourth largest export destination for India with exports registering a growth of over 66 per cent from $9.69 billion in fiscal 2020-21 to $16.15 billion in fiscal 2021-22.
India batter Ishan Kishan on Saturday was bought for a whopping INR 15.25 crore by the Mumbai Indians (MI) on Day 1 of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 auction in Bengaluru. After being bought by the five-time champions, Kishan became the most expensive buy of the ongoing IPL auction. Last year, Ishan Kishan was released by the Mumbai Indians ahead of the ongoing IPL auction. Ishan Kishan, who made his IPL debut in 2016 with the now-defunct Gujarat Lions, was bought by the Mumbai Indians ahead of IPL 2018 season.
He played an important part in Mumbai’s back-to-back title-winning campaigns in 2019 and 2020. He was the top-scorer of the team in the 2020 season, amassing 516 runs from 14 matches.
Kishan overtook Shreyas Iyer to become the most expensive buy of the IPL 2022 auction so far. Shreyas was earlier bought by the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a hefty sum of INR 12.25 crore.
Ishan Kishan was also MI’s first buy of the ongoing event.
For MI, Ishan scored 1,133 runs in 45 matches across four seasons.
Ahead of the auction, MI had retained four players.
They had held on to Rohit Sharma (INR 16 crore), ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah (INR 12 crore), experienced batter Suryakumar Yadav (INR 8 crore), and veteran all-rounder Kieron Pollard (INR 6 crore).
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MI entered the auction with an overall purse of INR 48 crore.
A total of 600 players had registered for the IPL auction. The ongoing IPL auction is a two-day event, which will conclude on Sunday, February 13.
The Big Game is almost here, but for This Is Us fans everywhere Super Bowl Sunday will always be known as the anniversary of The Big Cry.
Ever since the NBC drama revealed the tragic death of America’s TV dad, Jack Pearson, in the Season 2 episode, “Super Bowl Sunday,” which rudely aired immediately after the game in 2018, the day has had somewhat of a dark cloud over it. Sure, it’s still a day for food, fun, and football. But now, each year marks an anniversary of sad memories.
It’s the anniversary of the day we saw the Pearson family home engulfed in flames from a slow cooker fire, Jack die of cardiac arrest brought on by smoke inhalation, Rebecca grief-eat a Mars bar in the hospital before breaking down in tears, and a whole bunch of other NOPE moments.
This Super Bowl Sunday, since there’s no heartbreaking This Is Us episode to remind us, we came up with seven ways you can honor the memory of Jack Pearson.
1. Put the “us” in This Is Us
To start, the head of the Pearson family would have wanted us all to gather round and watch the game with loved ones. So reach out to friends, family members, and favorite co-workers and obsess over the Super Bowl together.
2. Dress like Jack
No matter which teams are playing, consider wearing a Steelers jersey on Sunday as a nod to Jack Pearson’s favorite team. If that’s too dramatic for you, just opt for a plaid shirt, because he loved rocking those, too.
3. Cautious cooking
We know that Jack Pearson met his early demise as a result of forgetting to unplug his old, faulty slow cooker when he cleaned up the Super Bowl snacks in the kitchen before going to bed. So it’s important be mindful when engaging in sensitive slow cooker-related convos on the big day. For those who are still grieving, we’ve compiled a few delicious recipes that don’t require slow cookers.
4. A cathartic pre-game cry
Before the big game, you might even consider re-watching the episode in Jack’s honor. That’s very nice, but also very sad, so perhaps just listen to “To Build A Home” by The Cinematic Orchestra and pregame the Big Game with another Big Cry.
5. Cautious clean up
In wake of that devastating Super Bowl episode, Milo Ventimiglia (who plays Jack) and other This Is Us cast members rallied to support Crock Pots and slow cookers everywhere, reminding the world that not all of them have faulty switches and will spontaneously combust. And much like the cast members, if Jack Pearson were alive right now I’ll bet he’d say something encouragingly profound like, “Never let the fear of slow cooker fires keep you from enjoying the game.”
So carry on with your slow cooking, and enjoy your chili and delicious dips, but please, do not forget to unplug the slow cooker when the game’s over. Unplug it for your own safety, of course, but also do it for Jack.
6. Some light smoke detector upkeep
If you recall, the Pearson family unfortunately forgot to replace the batteries in their smoke detector, which is why it took so long for them to realize the house was on fire that night. So if you haven’t changed your smoke detector batteries in a while, Super Bowl Sunday is the perfect time to do so.
In the third quarter (Q3) of fiscal 2022, net revenue of the leading fashion brand Ralph Lauren has increased by 27 per cent to $1.8 billion on a reported basis and a 28 per cent increase in constant currency. Foreign currency negatively impacted the company’s revenue growth by approximately 150 basis points in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.
The company repurchased approximately $300 million of Class A Common Stock in the third quarter. In addition, the company’s board of directors authorised a new $1.5 billion stock repurchase programme permitting it to purchase shares of Class A Common Stock, subject to overall business and market conditions. This is in addition to the $280 million available at the end of third quarter Fiscal 2022 as part of a previously authorised stock repurchase programme, bringing the company’s total current authorization to $1.78 billion, Ralph Lauren said in a press release.
“What we do has always been about living — enjoying every moment from what you wear, to the way you live, to the way you love,” said Ralph Lauren, executive chairman and chief creative officer. “And as we enter a new year, filled with hope of more connection and healing as humans and for our planet, I am inspired by how our teams and people around the world are connecting to what we are about — timelessness and an authentic life well-lived.”
In the third quarter (Q3) of fiscal 2022, net revenue of the leading fashion brand Ralph Lauren has increased by 27 per cent to $1.8 billion on a reported basis and a 28 per cent increase in constant currency. Foreign currency negatively impacted the company’s revenue growth by approximately 150 basis points in the third quarter of fiscal 2022.
Ralph Lauren delivered strong growth across every region in the quarter, exceeding expectations with North America up 30 per cent, Europe up 50 per cent and Asia up 20 per cent to last year in constant currency. All three regions returned to positive growth compared to third quarter Fiscal 2020 pre-pandemic levels
“We were pleased to report strong third quarter performance during the important holiday season,” said Patrice Louvet, president and chief executive officer. “Our better-than-expected results across all three regions are a testament to the outstanding work our teams have done to fundamentally reposition our business, elevate our brand and pivot to offense – including in North America, where our turnaround is well underway. With our significant reset work behind us, we are encouraged that our long-term growth is supported by multiple engines – from geographic and channel expansion to recruiting new high-value consumers and developing high-potential product categories.”
For fiscal 2022, the company now expects constant currency revenue growth of approximately 39 per cent to 41 per cent to last year on a 53-week reported basis, compared to its previous outlook of 34 per cent to 36 per cent growth. Foreign currency is expected to negatively impact revenue growth by approximately 70 basis points.
The company also raised its outlook for operating margin for fiscal 2022 to approximately 13 per cent on both a reported and constant currency basis, compared to a range of 12.0 per cent to 12.5 per cent previously. This compared to operating margin of 4.8 per cent in the prior year period and 10.3 per cent in fiscal 2020.
