All
Politics
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Celebrities
Good news for footwear enthusiasts in Chennai. The city will host the first Kickers store. Following a 30-year licensing deal with Royer Group of France, Kothari Industrial Corporation Ltd (KICL) is gearing up to set up its maiden Kickers store in Chennai tomorrow. The timing could not have been better for KICL, which has come under a new owner in Rafiq Ahmed and got relisted on the bourses. The opening of the Kickers store in Chennai comes within days of a significant development in the annals of KICL. A Qatar company belonging to the Royal family has just been cleared by the board of KICL to pick up a 10% stake in the Chennai company. Qatar-based F J Global Investment is owned by Falah Jassim J.M.AL-Thani, who is a director of Doha Bank and was also the founder of Qatar Airways. He was also a minister in the Qatar Government. This is a significant boost to KICL under Rafiq Ahmend, who has gone on a mission to revive the KICL and bring the iconic Kothari brand back to yester-year glory. The investment from a company owned by Qatar Royal family is seen positively by industry circles in Tamil Nadu, which is going the extra mile to woo foreign investment into the state. Significantly enough, KICL has also embarked on a consolidation move with the board approving a proposal to buy 30% stake held by Rafiq Ahmed in Phoenix Kothari Footwear Ltd, a joint venture that is setting up a non-leather footwear park in backward Perambalur district of Tamil Nadu. Well, things appear to fall in place for KICL as it seeks to make a strong comeback and regain its past glory.
It was something that the Congress couldn’t stomach easily. Perhaps the party was surprised that the Raj Kapoor family had chosen to interact with PM Modi. A day after the social media and TV channels were awash with PM Modi’s interaction with members of the Kapoor family, a very senior Congress leader ventured to put out a snarky social media post questioning the meeting. For some odd reason he completely chose to ignore the context of the meeting. “We have been asking PM Modi to visit Manipur. But he has instead found time to meet with Kareena Kapoor.” Soon good sense prevailed and he deleted his crude post. Guess he must have realised that his post was outright offensive. The Kapoor family had called on PM Modi on December 10 to invite him to the legendary actor-filmmaker’s Film Festival. The festival is to commemorate Raj Kapoor’s 100th birth anniversary, an iconic figure in Indian cinema who passed away in 1988. Ten Raj Kapoor films are going to be showcased across 40 cities in 135 cinemas .The Kapoor family, including actors Ranbir Kapoor, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Neetu Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Alia Bhat and Saif Ali Khan met the PM. “This is a special day for us. We enjoyed the conversation. He spoke to us in a friendly manner. He made all of us feel very comfortable,” said actor Ranbir Kapoor. His cousin actor Kareena Kapoor Khan said that it was her dream to sit next to PM Modi and talk to him. “His energy is so positive and he is truly a global leader.” PM Modi inquired about the third generation of Kapoors — and autographed for Kareena’s children Tim and Jeh. December 14 marks the 100th birth anniversary of Raj Kapoor.
It couldn’t have come at a more inappropriate time than this. The day when the entire national media was riveted on the Parliament debates commemorating 75 years of Constitution of India and newly-elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Vadra Gandhi was making her debut speech in the House. For some odd reason the Telangana Police chose to arrest Telugu star Allu Arjun, protagonist in the Rs 1000-crore plus grosser Pushpa 2: The Rule. He was arrested in connection with the stampede incident at Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre, which resulted in the death of a woman. On December 4, a massive crowd gathered at Sandhya Theatre to see Allu Arjun, resulting in a tragic stampede. Revathi, a 39-year-old woman, died due to asphyxiation, and her 8-year-old son was hospitalised. While granting interim bail to Allu Arjun, the Telangana High Court affirmed Arjun’s right to life and liberty, stating that he cannot be deprived of these fundamental rights. While leaders cutting across the political spectrum came out in support of the actor, Telangana BJP leader and Union Minister Bandi Sanjay described the arrest of a National Award-winning actor as having been done to steal the spotlight. “Drama over delivery, diversion over governance — that’s the Telangana Congress government for you!” Arjun’s uncle and Andhra deputy CM Pawan Kalyan rushed to rally support for him. In the meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how Priyanka Vadra herself responds to the ham-handed manner CM Revanth Reddy handled the situation. He had after all managed to divert attention from her debut performance in the Lok Sabha to an avoidable law & order incident in Hyderabad.
To ensure the social welfare schemes reach the intended target group, West Bengal chief West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has rolled out a robust mechanism to ensure the effective implementation of socio-welfare schemes. This initiative aims to hold government officials accountable for supervising these projects and addressing inefficiencies that have marred progress in recent years. The state finance ministry has issued a notification, followed by the establishment of a dedicated help desk at Navanna to oversee information flow from block and sub-division levels. This initiative, aimed at curbing inefficiency and fraud, will require officials to physically visit project sites instead of submitting progress reports from office desks. The app will feature automatic geo-tagging, ensuring accurate location tracking of officials during field visits. During multiple administrative meetings chaired by CM, officials repeatedly failed to provide accurate updates on the status of ongoing schemes. This incomplete information has not only slowed down critical projects but also caused dissatisfaction among citizens. Officials, from BDOs to District Magistrates, must register using their mobile numbers. Reports will require OTP authentication and must include photographs of on-ground work. The app mandates regular updates, such as reporting issues in road construction, cleanliness, drinking water, and electricity services, along with distinguishing between simple and complex problems. The model draws inspiration from private sector practices, where geo-tagging apps track employee performance. The state’s new app is expected to enforce accountability among officials, address bureaucratic delays, and improve public service delivery.
In a move that may have surprised the Opposition BJP, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee appointed Radharamn Das, vice president of ISKCON Kolkata,to a 13-member board of trustees for the upcoming Jagannath Dham project in Digha. The temple, set to be a cultural and religious landmark on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, will be inaugurated on Akshay Tritiya on April 30, 2025. The Jagannath Dham Sanskriti Kendra, spanning 20 acres, is being developed under the supervision of HIDCO, an urban planning body under the state government. With an investment of Rs 250 crore, the project aims to replicate the grandeur of the Puri Jagannath Temple and serve as a significant pilgrimage and tourist attraction. This development comes amid ongoing political friction between Didi and BJP’s Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari. It may be recalled that Nandigram where the temple is being built was the place where he had defeated Didi in the 2021 Assembly elections. Adhikari who is opposing the project on the ground that using public funds to construct religious structures is unconstitutional. He accused Mamata of attempting to win the Hindu vote bank as her minority appeasement has alienated Hindus. Mamata’s decision to include an ISKCON leader is seen as a strategic move, in light of recent attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh and the arrest of an ISKCON monk. Political analysts believe Didi is sending a message of solidarity to the Hindu community while subtly addressing concerns raised by the BJP over her government’s alleged minority appeasement policies.
Devajit Saikia is the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s (BCCI) representative in the International Cricket Council (ICC) as its Director. Saikia, who is the question that is being asked by those not acquainted with the BCCI’s governance structure, especially after the Justice Lodha Committee’s Reforms in Cricket report was accepted by the Supreme Court in 2016 and its Constitution was rewritten thereafter. The ICC Board is the all-powerful body in its Governance structure, and as a convention, the 12 full members of the ICC nominate its Presidents as Directors. Many stalwarts of the BCCI, like Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, N Srinivasan and Shashank Manohar were on the ICC Board, and after the 2019 election, post the reforms, former India captain and BCCI President Sourav Ganguly was on the ICC Board. Ganguly was succeeded by the BCCI Secretary Jay Shah with the BCCI President Roger Binny as the alternate director in 2022, the same year when the former Assam Ranji Trophy cricketer and legal practitioner Saikia was elected as Jt. Secretary of the BCCI. People in the know attribute Saikia’s rise on the administration side of the game to his association and rapport with Assam’s BJP chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Once it was announced that Jay Shah would take charge as Chair (Independent Director) of the ICC from December 1, 2024, quite a handful of names like Arun Singh Dhumal (former BCCI Treasurer and currently chairman, IPL) and Ashish Shelar (BJP President, Mumbai and BCCI Treasurer) emerged as a potential successor to Shah as BCCI Secretary. Saikia, will remain the BCCI Joint Secretary and perform the duties of the Secretary. But his nomination to the ICC Board has surprised many people.
Veteran leader Sharad Pawar has once again monopolised the centre stage following reports that a top leader of his party has held talks with a prominent BJP Union minister in Delhi. The political grapevine is buzzing with different versions since the meeting is believed to have occurred at industrialist Gautam Adani’s Delhi residence. In fact, Pawar started hitting the headlines on Thursday (Dec 12) morning as the news that his nephew Ajit Pawar and a couple of other NCP (Ajit) leaders had reached the patriarch’s residence. Ajit later said that being a family member, he had greeted his uncle on his birthday and nothing unusual should be read in the visit. Ajit was accompanied by Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, both very close to Sharad Pawar till the recent split in the NCP. The name of Adani added grist to the gossip since the industrialist had visited Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis just a couple of days ago in Mumbai. The Adani group continues to BE target of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray. In the past too, Adani has been meeting Pawar off and on. The presence of Fadnavis in Delhi on Thursday proved to be another trigger to speculate that the political scene of Maharashtra was likely to undergo another overhaul. Pawar’s hot and cold relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always remained an intrigue. Hence, his followers are unable to predict which way he can turn.
The Raj Kapoor family has finally come out together to celebrate the centenary year — 1924-2024 — of the showman of the film industry. Forty two year old Ranbir Kapoor who has been in the film industry for nearly two decades has taken the lead along with his cousin Kunal Kapoor to celebrate Raj Kapoor through his cinema. But was it too late to celebrate RK? Is the newer generation enthusiastic to watch his films? Ranbir Kapoor said, like his wife Alia, the young generation needs to know about the cinema of Raj Kapoor and one hopes he is successful through his stardom and initiative to keep RK’s legacy alive. But, is the film industry or the government really care about saving our heritage or culture, considering the government is calling the film industry as soft power? The hard truth is: why are our studios and banners not surviving be it Filmalaya Studio, Kamalistan Studio and Raj Kamal Studio which has limited work space. Raj Kapoor’s RK Studio, a famous landmark in Chembur along with his bungalow has been sold to Godrej Properties for constructing residential properties. It may be recalled that RK Studio was working on the rentals till the fire destroyed the entire heritage. Luckily film lovers are lucky his films were in the safe custody of NFAI. It is learnt that Ranbir Kapoor who is already a producer wants to turn director. So will he revive the RK Banner? As a part of the centenary celebration the entire RK clan met the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and conspicuous by his absence was Randhir Kapoor as he was not keeping well. In the end one only hopes that Ranbir Kapoor carries the great showman’s legacy forward.
This maverick and marauding scam tainted politician was once the acolyte of Lok Nayak Jayprakash Narayan. Former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav has burnt many bridges in his meteoric rise in politics. A stormy petrel, indicted for five scams, served jail term and is now out on a bail. He is once again in the news for his below-the-belt remark against his bete noire, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who recently announced a Mahila Samvad Yatra to interact directly with women and evaluate the impact of his government’s programme targeted for women. When the media quizzed the RJD supremo Lalu about Nitish Kumar’s Mahila Yatra and his goal of winning all 225 seats in the forthcoming Assembly elections, the unstoppable motor mouth said, “Pahle unko aankh sekhne do” (let them get an eyeful of the women). Lalu is famous for double entendres and pithy talk. This chintzy, low end hit at both Nitish’s party and the women electorate set off a storm. Bihar deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha said, “It seems Lalu Prasad has lost his ability to comprehend, doesn’t know what he is saying “. JDU MP from Munger, Rajiv Ranjan Singh said, “Lalu is master of buffoonery”. Public discourse is an amalgam of many such talents. But certainly hitting below the belt and indulging in such loose talk shows the lack of grace and polish.
Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray’s plans to attend the Winter Session of the Maharashtra legislature beginning from December 16 at Nagpur will prove to be a game changer, his followers feel. Thackeray’s continued distance from the state legislative council proceedings over the past year are discussed by his party members in hushed tones since the aggressive direction needed to corner the BJP-led three-party government somehow lacks as far as his Sena is concerned. Council’s leader of the Opposition Ambadas Danve (of the Sena UBT) lacks the image and articulation which are vital for any LoP to humble the ruling side. Now that the new government led by Devendra Fadnavis has decided to appoint former CM Eknath Shinde as leader of the upper house, Danve’s limitations will be felt more vividly. Thackeray’s intermittent presence in the council ever since he resigned as chief minister in 2022 has been noted more due to his statements outside the house. He has hardly made any worthwhile speech on the floor. Therefore, his plans to remain present for the Winter Session have revived the hopes of his followers, who wish to witness his attacks against the BJP and the Sena led by Shinde. It is being recalled that Thackeray did not attend the recent three-day session of the legislature in Mumbai, held after the assembly elections. According to present indications, Thackeray will reach Nagpur well in time for the week-long session, which will be a stormy affair, focussing on settling political scores.
More than 90000 spectators turned up for the India-Pakistan World Twenty20 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on October 23 and 36000 plus for the India-Netherlands Group 2 league match at the Sydney Cricket Ground on October 27. The rest of the matches are going to be played at the Optus Stadium at Perth on Sunday (Oct 30) and Adelaide Oval before the last league match against Zimbabwe at the MCG again. The ICC has been smart to schedule India’s matches at venues that will draw a big crowd and rake in the moolah. Among the spectators are the faithful of the Indian kind from different parts of the USA, UK and Continental Europe. A Gujarati couple from Chowpatty, Mumbai but settled in Baltimore said they will follow the Indian team till the end and they have not travelled all the way from Baltimore just for one marquee match against Pakistan. Last October in the UAE, India lost the first two matches against Pakistan and New Zealand, but a year later Rohit Sharma’s team has reversed the trend in Australia by winning the first two matches. These two wins have raised the hopes of India winning the title, but as it happened in the third match on Thursday (Oct 27), Zimbabwe beat Pakistan by one run to almost eliminate Babar Azam’s team from the tournament. However with Virat Kohli ever so determined, India should reach the semi-finals from where it can be anybody’s game!
Arshdeep Singh has come a long way in a short span of time and proved his mettle in the big league of international cricket. He was sounded out at the back-end of the IPL Season 15 by the selectors that they are looking at him as a contender for the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup. And that’s because he is a left-hand seamer, and potentially long term prospect — a rare talent among the fast and seam bowling variety in India’s domestic circuit. Last Sunday (Oct 23), the young kid on the block silenced the Pakistan supporters among the 90,000 odd who had come to watch the India-Pakistan skirmish at the Melbourne Cricket Stadium. Making his debut in an ICC event for the first time, Arshdeep manipulated the ball into the right hander bowling from over the wicket and the Pakistan skipper Babar Azam was trapped in front first ball. It was the fifth time that Azam was dispatched for a first ball duck. Azam has scored 3231 runs coming into the match; he had baulked India in the last year’s World Cup opener in the UAE. Arshdeep went on to dismiss Mohammed Rizwan and Asif Ali in his second spell and now has a tally of 22 wickets in 14 matches. The Sardar is turning out to be a real find!
India captain Rohit Sharma was a cool captain, deftly fielding questions on the eve of India’s opening ICC Men’s Twenty 20 World Cup match against Pakistan at the majestic Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. He readily acknowledged that Pakistan has always been a competitive side ever since he played against them in 2007 for the first time and that the supporters would hope to see a good match. Sharma has been the full time captain of the Indian team across all formats since October 2021. At the outset he pointed out that giving security (of their position in the team) has been the biggest change in the last 12 months. The highest run getter in the Twenty20 format – the second being Virat Kohli — Sharma confessed that the team knows that India has not won an ICC event since 2013, but is not burdened by such thoughts. India and Pakistan have played three matches in the last 12 months, one in the last year’s World Twenty20 and twice in the Asia Cup. Well into his 30s, Sharma will not have the services of Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja and so he will have to depend on the exploits of Mohammad Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh to deliver the goods with ball, and also hope the spinners rise to the occasion.
Politicians, who take pot shots at each other in the Legislative Assembly, and at the hustings in the lead up to the elections day, have in the last three decades, virtually taken ownership of the top post in the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA). And, Sharad Pawar has always been the playmaker when not occupying the MCA President’s post. He held the coveted post for 13 years with a resolution passed at a general body to extend his term beyond eight years. But it was the most affable personality in SK Wankhede, the assembly speaker who held the top post for 23 years — from 1963-64 to 1986-87. A former MCA official described Wankhede’s time as the most defining one in the history of the Association when it broke the umbilical cord with the Cricket Club of India and built its headquarters at D Road, Churchgate. Former officials also described Pawar’s contribution as significant because the Wankhede was refurbished for the 2011 World Cup and a new facility worth over many hundred crore now came into existence at the Bandra Kurla Complex. Manohar Joshi was MCA President for eight years and Vilasrao Deshmukh and Ashish Shelar for around one year each. Vijay Patil hails from a family entrenched in politics and now Amol Kale, who is pitted against a cricketing hero Sandeep Patil is said to have good equations with Devendra Fadnavis. Truly, the politicians love the MCA.
Sandeep Patil, Shivaji Park and Mumbai cricket’s“ladke’’, has taken a shot at the president’s post of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) that’s going to take place on October 20. Patil who became a darling of the Mumbai maidans clouting 6s in the 1970s and 1980s, went on to become the “Adelaide Hero’’ when he slammed a breathtaking 174 against the hostile bowling attack in Dennis Lillee, Rodney Hogg and Len Pascoe unleashed by the Australian captain Greg Chappell. This grand knock came on the heels of his 62 against Pakistan’s Imran Khan & Co, at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Raised at the Balmohan Vidya Mandir under the famous coach Anna Vaidya, Patil became a World Cup hero in 1983 hammering a 32-ball unbeaten 51 in the semi-final against England at Old Trafford. One of India’s brightest stars in the 1980s, Patil made a swashbuckling 129 in the Old Trafford Test of 1982, hitting six 4s in a single over from fast bowler Bob Willis. Patil played 46 matches for Mumbai, scoring 3144 runs with 9 x 100s and 18 x 50s. Patil was a great entertainer and brought joy to the spectators. Will the representatives of the 213 maidan clubs, 69 office clubs, 36 school and colleges and 51 former international cricketers throw their weight behind Patil or his opponent Amol Kale, who was the vice-president in the preceding three years?
Who will question the wisdom of those calling the shots in the BCCI, especially in the choice of its president, in the run up to the elections of a sports organisation that showed a red of Rs 95 lakh in the mid-1990s, but in close to three decades has assets worth several thousand crore. The 1983 World Cup fame Roger Michael Binny who was a vital cog in the wheels of Kapil’s Devils, accounting for 18 scalps, has been handpicked to lead the BCCI for the 2022-2025 period. Three years ago the BCCI, after a senior politician’s intervention, sided with Sourav Ganguly, when juxtaposed against Brijesh Patel. Three years later, the same people have wrong footed Babumoshai Ganguly and gone for Binny, who has excellent credentials as a former cricketer and individual; he is also the president of the Karnataka State Cricket Association. Binny hails from Karnataka, sort of a BJP bastion. The Lotus blooming in the BCCI is evident with BJP MLA Ashish Shelar (close confidant of Home Minister Shah, and who will be in the vanguard to deliver the BMC to the party) being chosen for the Treasurer’s post. Jay Shah who strove for the Secretary ‘s powers to be restored in the Supreme Court for three years and who made sure of the IPL money coming into the BCCI coffers during the pandemic will be the Secretary for another three year term.
Jasprit Bumrah’s back flared up and it straightaway pushed India back to the wall in gearing up for the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia. It would be a big shoe to fill for anyone as an eleventh hour replacement for him, even if it is a seasoned campaigner like Mohammed Shami or Deepak Chahar, who is trying to find his feet into the world of international cricket competitions. Twenty20 format is cut out for those who have the stomach for a fight in each of the 120 balls. That’s why the name of Shami — with many matches under his belt — is being bandied about, though he has not sent down a single ball in a Twenty20 international for a year. Recently Shami was laid low by Covid-19 and the decision makers are monitoring his recovery speed and trying to find out if his body will be able to withstand the strain and pressure the multi-nation competition will demand in Australia. The first challenge will be to deal with Pakistan’s successful opening pair in Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam on October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. India needs someone to start with the Kookaburra ball along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and the two Sharma’s– Chetan (Chairman, Selection Committee) and Rohit (Captain) – along with team’s Dronacharya, Rahul Dravid will pick Bumrah’s replacement soon.
In recent times India captain Rohit Sharma has been put through the wringer to learn quick lessons on the art of jugglery and find balance to the team in the Twenty20 format. A business-like captain, Sharma has had to mull over a lot with Head Coach Rahul Dravid to consult and pick playing XIs in the absence of fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja during the Asia Cup Twenty20 in Dubai, and also during the home international Twenty20 Series against Australia and South Africa. He has also been compelled to choose playing XIs without Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Arshdeep Singh. And yet he has led India to series wins against Australia and South Africa. But the high scoring match in Guwahati when India made 236 and South Africa replied with 221in a way exposed India’s shortcomings in the bowling department. India’s pace pack found it tough going with Arshdeep and Harshal Patel taken to the cleaners along with left arm spinner Axar Patel. Sharma has voiced concerns about bowling in the back end of the innings. Without Jadeja who is down with a dodgy left knee and Bumrah who is suffering from a back ailment, and as a consequence ruled out of the Twenty20 World Cup, Sharma would have to resort to some jugglery act again to find the balance in Australia. A tough ask on him, indeed!
India’s Twenty20 World Cup plans are going off kilter. First, the competitive all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja was not picked in the squad because of a knee surgery and thereafter Deepak Hooda and Jasprit Bumrah complained of back pain and have been rendered hors de combat in the ongoing series against South Africa. Should Bumrah be declared unfit to travel to Australia for the much awaited showpiece event in Down Under, it will be the biggest setback for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid’s plan of action to make amends for last year’s dismal showing in the UAE when Virat Kohli’s team was eliminated before the semi-finals. With a peculiar action Bumrah has been the linchpin of India’s bowling department for six years. He has been wrapped in cotton wool though for meaningful deployment in the shortest format of the game; Bumrah has not featured in 65 Twenty20 matches after his debut. He has played in 60 matches for India and achieved a 74.58% success rate. He has taken 70 wickets in the first 6-over powerplay and in the back-end death overs. Bumrah was thrashed for 50 runs in 24 balls by the Australian batsmen in his recent Twenty20 at Hyderabad. An official statement from the BCCI said he has been ruled out by the medical team for the first match against South Africa at Thiruvananthapuram. More news is awaited!
Little Master and legendary opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar and Champion of Champions of the 1985 World Championship of cricket in Australia, Ravi Shastri applauded the role played by the print media during their time. The two stalwarts of Indian cricket and now media personalities were feted by the Sports Journalists’ Federation of India at a function in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on the eve of the first Twenty20 international between India and South Africa. Gavaskar received an 18-carat gold medal and the Honorary Life Membership and Shastri, the Honorary Life Membership. “In those days, there was considerable interaction between the media and the players. There was a trust factor. You could talk and you could sense that they wanted you to do well, they wished you well and that they wanted you to go forward in your career and that they would help you with their articles. That was such a big thing for a budding cricketer,” said Gavaskar. On his part Shastri said: “You don’t know how thankful we are for that period of time because print media was king. If there is a recall factor of some of the games we played in the decades gone by, it is because of your articles.” Both Gavaskar and Shastri switched to media roles after retiring from all competitive cricket, the former though started writing even when he was playing for India.
Harmanpreer Kaur who cracked a sparkling unconquered 143 against England in the garden city of Canterbury in Kent on Thursday (September 23) has not wasted time to show to the cricket world that captaincy does not affect her batting. Named captain of the Indian team after Mithali Raj bid adieu post India’s failed campaign in the World Cup in New Zealand, Harmanpreet has been in good nick starting from the ODI series against Sri Lanka in July this year. She made 44 and 75 at Pallekele, and has entertained the spectators at Hove and Canterbury. She has been criticised for not delivering consistent scores after a majestic 171 not out in the World Cup semi-final against England at Derby in July 2017. She averaged 21.67 in 2018, 38 in 2019 and 32.67 in 2021, but her average has shot up to 62.50 this calendar. She made a 109 in the World Cup match against the West Indies in Hamilton in March this year, but clearly the leadership role which was denied to her after the 2017 World Cup, has ignited the spark again. Harmanpreet has now scored five centuries in 123 matches/104 innings. She is the second highest run getter this year with 750 runs in women’s cricket in ODIs. No one knows what tormented her in the previous three years; maybe she was not made the captain!
The men in blue team’s build up to the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October-November would have truly begun with the first skirmish against the Aaron Finch-led Australian team at Mohali on Tuesday (Sep 20). The two teams will lock horns three times in all, and this Twenty20 series will be followed by a three match Twenty20 series against South Africa before the Rohit Sharma led team fly to the Southern Hemisphere for the global tournament. The focus will be on Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel, both of whom were absent in India’s pace pack for the recent Asia Cup Twenty 20 in Dubai because of injuries. Bumrah and Patel will feature in both the home series, but the team management will have the option of resting them for a match or two. The selection committee has decided to rest Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (for the series against South Africa) and left arm seamer Arshdeep Singh for the series against Australia. These five will form the fulcrum of India’s fast bowling attack for campaigns in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The slow bowlers in the World Cup squad are off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and left arm spinner Axar Patel. The focus though will be on Bumrah and Harshal; their fitness is of paramount importance.
There is happiness among the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) members with the outcome of its petition to the Supreme Court seeking amendments to six rules of the Justice Lodha Committee rewritten Constitution (Rules & Regulations and Memorandum of Association). It took the BCCI some six years to convince the Apex Court that the structure of the cooling off period was flawed (it did not say so in its petition, but simply proposed a new structure). That Senior Counsel Maninder Singh was named the Amicus Curiae helped matters. The mandatory cooling off period has now been amended twice — in 2018 by the Justice Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud led bench and again on September 14, 2022 by Justices Chandrachud and Hima Kohli. The cooling off period mandated the BCCI and State’s administrators to take a three year break after a first term of three years; it was amended to two consecutive terms of three years at the BCCI and State level or a combined period of three years each at the BCCI and State. Now the cooling off period kicks in after two consecutive terms of three years each at the BCCI and State. The BCCI is okay with the cooling off period, but after six years in a row, at the BCCI and State level, separately! The 70-plus members will have to go though!
If in Dubai the cricketing faithful must visit Shyam Bhatia”s Cricket Museum. Dubai along with the Emirates of Abu Dhabi and Sharjah is becoming a favourite neutral venue for tournaments like the ICC Men’s World Twenty 20 held here last year and the recent DP World Asia Cup Twenty20 tournament. But the Emirate is also famous for the cricket museum that Bhatia, now 80, has put in place in his Villa. Bhatia’s family relocated to Ajmer in Rajasthan after partition, and it did not take much time for the young Bhatia to develop interest in the game. He played for Rajasthan and Saurashtra. He was transferred to Dubai by the New India Assurance Company in 1965, but he set up his own business in 1979 in building materials. He could not be far away from the thick of action in cricket though and he chose to found a magnificent Cricket Museum that many of the top cricketers have appreciated, including the legendary Sunil Gavaskar. Bhatia has an affinity for Test cricket and all his memorabilia collection and own creative ideas reflect this facet in his museum in Jumeirah. He met Gavaskar in 1971 when he was having dinner with Salim Durani and Ajit Wadekar at the Taj, Mumbai and since then they have been thick friends.
The Twenty20 World Cup is upon the strong contenders, challengers and the no-hopers, and all are getting ready for the big bash in Australia. India, was the winner of the inaugural event in South Africa in 2007 under the first time captaincy of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Thereafter India lost to Sri Lanka in the 2014 final and to the West Indies in the 2016 semi-final. In the last year’s competition in the UAE India was given knock out blows by Pakistan and New Zealand. India will always be regarded as a strong contender because of the talent it showcases in major ICC events. But it needs to troubleshoot specific areas of the game in order to get its act going for Australia. The Asia Cup Twenty20 has exposed weaknesses. The issues on the face of it surrounds team selection. If Dinesh Karthik is considered a finisher, he should have been fielded in all matches to get him game time. He did not play against Hong Kong, and Pakistan/ Sri Lanka in the Super 4 stage. Sharma said that the team was able to get some answers from players – on their ability to execute roles — in the last few months. Virat Kohli had a good run, closing out with a first international Twenty20 century. But there are question marks against the team that is considered a strong contender.
The arrival of Virat Kohli for the customary press conference after the loss against Pakistan in the Super 4 match of the Asia Cup Twenty20 created a terrific buzz. India had sent its vice-captain KL Rahul, Captain Rohit Sharma before the first match against Pakistan, and thereafter Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja and Head Coach Rahul Dravid on two match days and one before the last Sunday’s (Sep 4) match against the arch rival Pakistan. But Kohli was seen as sort of a maverick, especially when he was at the helm of Indian cricket until last October with Ravi Shastri as Head Coach. That view may not have changed yet after Rohit Sharma was made captain. Kohli was business like responding to questions from the Indian and Pakistani media. But his answer to a question that only Mahendra Singh Dhoni touched base and sympathized with him when a lot more had his mobile number (in the months he had ceased to be India captain and not getting the big scores and generally going through a rough patch) has made his own well-wishers wonder if the former India captain was grousing about some cricketers not calling him up during his difficult times. Some of them who have played with him are: Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ishant Sharma, Yuvraj Singh and the legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Suryakumar Yadav, aka by his popular moniker “SKY’’ is gaining reputation as a crack Twenty20 batsman. With every bright knock in the course of his 25 appearances for India since he made his debut against England at Ahmedabad in March 2021, the Mumbai right-hander has turned out to be a disruptor of rivals’ attacks and scored at rattling pace. He is the highest run getter for India in the shortest form of the game ever since he sported the men in blues colours for the first time. His swashbuckling 68 off 28 balls with half a dozen 4s and 6s each against Hong Kong in the Asia Cup Twenty20 match at the Dubai International Stadium evoked commendation from one of the greatest competitors in cricket and former India captain, Virat Kohli, who saw Yadav from close quarters lash four 6s of fast bowler Arshad Haroon in the last over of the India innings against Hong Kong. Yadav’s grand knock against an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) took him past Rohit Sharma’s 747 runs (figures after Yadav’s debut). Yadav has made 758 runs off 427 balls at a scoring rate of 10.65 with one century and six half centuries. With his brilliant knocks, Yadav appears to have made the number 4 spot his own for the World Twenty20 in Australia.
Hardik Pandya has his own ways of tackling a crisis like situation that India was facing against an upbeat Pakistan in the Asia Cup Twenty20 opener in Dubai. And indeed his captain Rohit Sharma and former India captain, and now the head coach Rahul Dravid are mightily pleased. His smart spell of four overs got him three wickets, and with the bat he delivered a 17-ball 33 runs. In short, he excelled in the two vital departments of the game and won the match for his side which may have been desperate to put it across a super charged opponent. Pandya has been in focus for the good and not so good ever since he burst into the national scene; in particular, he endured a rough time around the last year’s ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup and after India’s exit from the competition before the semi-finals stage. He was dropped like a hot potato from the home series against New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka before he applied himself to the task for Gujarat Titans in the IPL Season-15 and returned to the Indian team for the home Twenty20 series against South Africa. Since fortunes have swung in his favour; he led India in the three match series against Ireland in Dublin and now this superb show with the ball and bat against Pakistan.
While the cricket world is vertically split on whether the much celebrated Virat Kohli should figure in India’s Twenty20 international campaigns, the former India captain is happily preparing for a significant milestone in the shortest format of the game. Kohli who made his Twenty20 debut against Zimbabwe at Harare on June 12, 2010 will play his 100th match against Pakistan in the Asia Cup opener at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday, August 28. Kohli, a fabulous batter across all formats is the third highest run getter with 3308 runs in 99 matches. The first two are New Zealand’s Martin Guptill (121 matches, 3497 runs) and India captain Rohit Sharma (132 matches, 3487 runs). Kohli has featured in 62 India wins. His highest is an unbeaten 94 against the West Indies at Hyderabad in December 2019. He has been most productive at No 3, making 2469 runs. He has accumulated most of his runs against Australia (718) and England (589 runs), but has been successful against Pakistan against which his scores are 78 not out, 9, 27, 36 not out, 49, 55 not out and 57. Not exactly in great touch in recent times, Kohli will be India’s choice at No 3 in the Asia Cup and the World Cup in Australia. He will be the second Indian after Sharma and the 14th in Twenty20 to touch the magic 100 match mark.
After taking over the reins of India’s captaincy in Twenty20, one-day internationals and Test cricket and from a beleaguered Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma is set for challenges in the form of the Asia Cup Twenty20 in the UAE from August 28 and the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia in October-November. Sharma’s stock will rise should he show the way for the men in blues team for trophy triumphs. A great entertainer in white-ball cricket, Sharma has demonstrated that he is his own man in terms of leadership. In the many months of the post Kohli phase, after the last year’s World Twenty20, Sharma has led India in 16 Twenty20 internationals and won 14 recording 88% success rate. He has scored 449 runs too. But for the first time Sharma will lead in a multi-team tournament that has a champion team like Pakistan and equally quality outfits like Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Sharma will have Rahul Dravid by his side to give valuable suggestions on the playing XI and tactics, but the most successful captain in the IPL with five silverware wins for the Mumbai Indians would like to leave his mark in the Arabian Peninsula first, and then in Australia though he will be handicapped without the ace up his sleeve, Jasprit Bumrah in the Asian competition.
In less than 10 days’ time, India will lock horns with Pakistan in its Asia Cup Twenty20 lung-opener in Dubai on August 28. Flashes of last October’s deadly exploits by left arm seamer Shaheen Shah Afridi against the arch-rival in the ICC Men’s Twenty20 World Cup come to mind; on that occasion the crafty Afridi outwitted India’s openers Rohit Sharma, trapped leg before and KL Rahul, clean bowled. The two peach of deliveries from Afridi sounded the death knell for India in the global event. Virat Kohli dug in his heels to make a stoical 57 in 97 minutes, but Pakistan made short work of India’s 151, winning by 10 wickets. India and Pakistan have not clashed again for 10 months, but Afridi, the master of swing and cut from bowling over the wicket, would like to hoodwink Sharma and Co. India would need a bit of luck to see through the new ball menace. Sharma has taken over from Kohli as captain, and it has to be seen whether a left-right combination will be tried to neutralise the probing opening burst by Afridi. Pant has opened in Twenty20 internationals just twice and hence it’s unlikely his batting order would be relocated to the top. He made a useful 39 at No 5 against Pakistan in the ICC event last year. But after a long gap, the Afridi threat looms large!
The FIFA decision to debar the All India Football Federation (AIFF) from its primary membership has apparently not gone down well with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was in the vanguard of promoting the 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai in July-August and he doesn’t want anything in the way to impede India from taking the centre stage by hosting FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup from October 11. Ever since he became the PM in 2014, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has been on an overdrive providing all facilities for the sports persons to excel at the Olympics, Asian Games, World Championships and the Commonwealth Games. The AIFF being run by the Supreme Court appointed Committee of Administrators (COA) has been described by the World’s governing body as a “third party interference” and hence it wants the COA to clear the decks for an elected body in line with the FIFA charter. The FIFA has been having a dialogue with the Sports Ministry officials and top officials were told in no uncertain terms that the AIFF will be suspended from its primary membership. The FIFA Women’s Under-17 World Cup is in jeopardy now, but one can hope for a favourite outcome from a SC hearing on August 17. The FIFA also wants the AIFF to run the sport in India, not people without any obligation.
For his ready wit, Eknath Shinde got a 100/100 at the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023 launch event held at the packed Regal Room at South Mumbai’s Trident Hotel on Wednesday (Aug 10). Dressed in his signature long-sleeve white shirt, trouser and the prominent round tilak on his forehead, Shinde created an electrifying atmosphere at the event saying: “What about our marathon; Mumbai to Surat and from there to Guwahati and to Goa. We did not know if we would be successful. But we won it eventually. But we have won only the half marathon now, we will win the full marathon in 2024.” The Maharashtra Chief Minister took a quick recall of the dramatic incidents that his supporters in the Shiv Sena were part of before taking control of Mantralaya. The Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was scheduled to share the stage at the unveiling of TMM 2023, but instead came the towering and erudite Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar. Also present at the high profile registration launch of the street race were the BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar and the Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan. As a parting shot Shinde said amidst a guffaw: “We not only run our marathons, but also make others run the marathon.” So many political connotations at a sports event, but Shinde won a lot of admirers!
Avinash Sable is the new poster boy of athletics sports in India. The Beed-born track star from Maharashtra has outwitted a few champion runners in the 3000 metres steeplechase, an obstacle race run over seven and a half laps of 400m each. At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, he startled a couple of Kenyans to win the silver medal in a new national record time of 8:11:2 seconds. A former Olympian who ran the quarter and metric mile, 5000 m race and the 3000m steeplechase, Eddie Sequeira (82) said: “Sable has the physique and he is good. If he can improve the speed between the hurdles, he has a good chance at the Paris Olympics in 2024. Steeplechase is not easy, I used to run it in the All India Steel Games. It’s tough. I am sure the coaches are working on his speed.” Sable prevented a Kenyan 1-2-3 sweep that had begun in Melbourne in 1998. Sable is a special track athlete: apart from creating a new national record in 2019, he won the silver in the Asian Athletics Championship. He became the first Indian steeplechaser to run at an Olympics in Tokyo 2020 and to reach the final of the World Athletics Championships at Oregon22 last month. “He has been remarkable so far”, said Sequeira.
If Aditya Verma of Bihar was responsible for shaking veteran cricket administrators like a leaf through his famous Public Interest Litigation (PIL) of 2013 in the Bombay High Court which subsequently led to the downfall of a few mandarins of the BCCI and forced new governance/ accountability rules on the establishment following a Supreme Court order, Indore-based Sanjeev Gupta has been demonstrating the bulldog spirit to protect an Apex Court order that pertains to Reforms in Cricket. Always referring to Diary Number 24114 of 2013 and case number CA/4235/2014 in the Supreme Court, the indefatigable Gupta with the objective of seeking justice for the game and the institution, has written around one thousand letters to the BCCI’s Ombudsman and Ethics Officer (O&EO) pointing out violations that has occurred in the last three years. Recently he urged the BCCI’s new O&EO Justice Vineet Saran to resolve 26 pending cases in a time span of 24 months to 10 days. The pending cases relate among others to former India captain Virat Kohli, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly, BCCI vice president Rajeev Shukla, BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal and Nita Ambani of the Reliance Industries. Following his previous complaints a few heads have rolled. He even gave up life membership of the Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association presumably to avoid a conflict of interest situation.
Ultimately wiser counsel prevailed with a handful of past administrators of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) like Prof Ratnakar Shetty, Shripad Halbe, Ravi Mandrekar, Ravi Savant and Advocate Nilesh Khandre driving home the futility of a discussion on the proposed amendments to the Association’s Constitution. The MCA President, Vijay Patil too played his part by expressing his indignation at the proposal to cancel the voting rights of Mumbai’s 71 international cricketers. As per the Supreme Court order of August 2018, the MCA became a compliant body with the Bombay High Court appointed Committee of Administrators in Justices (Retd) H L Gokhale and V M Kanade registering the Constitution with the Charity Commissioner on September 12, 2018. The new constitution was in line with the BCCI’s and the former CJI RM Lodha authored Reforms in Cricket report, but MCA’s 330 plus clubs were not given the opportunity to consider it at a special general meeting. A senior member described the entire activity as fraudulent and amendment papers as “raddhi“. “There are anomalies between the MCA’s interlocutory application in the SC and the amendments unethically circulated to the members,” said a peeved member. Generally the MCA members feel that the Constitution in its entirety has to be considered at an AGM, rule by rule. “The primacy of the MCA cannot be diluted. I am glad it fizzled out,” quipped a veteran administrator.
Come the Commonwealth Games and the medals rush of all hues begin for India’s sports persons not accustomed to shine at the Olympics; to an extent even in the Asian Games. The CWG took its new avatar as Commonwealth Games in 1978 at Edmonton, Canada, from being known as the British CWG at Christchurch in New Zealand in 1974. But imagine a sports reporter being chiefly instrumental in founding the British Empire Games in 1930! Canadian Melville Marks Robinson, Editor, Hamilton Spectator has been credited as the father of the games. At the age of 13, he was an office boy with Toronto Star. Apparently he dubbed the American team’s behaviour at the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics as arrogant and obnoxious. “The Games should be merrier and less stern, and will substitute the stimulus of a novel adventure for the pressure of international rivalry”, he said soon after sowing the seeds for the CWG in the Land of the Tulips in 1928. There are 72 countries taking part in the Birmingham 2022 CWG. India has won 503 medals (181 gold) from the 1934 event in London. India’s strength was in shooting sports with 63 gold medals, overall 135. Birmingham put shooting on the hit list leaving India at a war of words with the organisers and the shooters’ dreams shattered.
“We have to nip it in the bud,” quipped a member of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) about the proposed amendments to the Association’s Constitution at a special general meeting on July 29. “The Apex Council of the MCA has not proposed a single amendment. The members have asked the MCA to place their suggestions at an SGM. I will say again that the Apex Council has not moved the proposals,” clarified Vijay Patil, president, MCA. The suggestions — placed before the AGM two years ago — relates to denying voting rights to international cricketers who were made members following a Supreme Court order, removing the age bar on officials over 70 from contesting elections and giving full powers to the elected Secretary. An MCA member and a Constitutional matter firebrand at MCA AGMs is not sure if due diligence has been followed to convene the SGM. A few signatories to the proposed amendments have withdrawn. On December 20, 2020 the Shivaji Park Gymkhana informed the MCA that it is withdrawing support for the amendment to deny voting rights to international cricketers. The BCCI’s petition seeking six amendments is pending in the Supreme Court for 32 months. “I am not ruling out a mischievous game being played by a former BCCI functionary from South India who is well past the age of 70,” said a sharp mind in the MCA.
Will ODI cricket go to the chopping block? Played over 60 overs a side, initially the 1970s’ new hit and style of play was frowned upon by the purists. Once the flannels gave way to coloured clothing at the 1992 World Cup in Australia, ODI cricket was given the notorious tagline ‘Pyjama cricket”. The new brand of cricket made Clive Lloyd’s West Indies “Kings of ODI cricket” after it won the 1975 and 1979 finals at Lord’s, and enabled Kapil’s Devils turn the cricket world upside down in 1983, but after 50 years ODI cricket that filled the coffers of the Cricket Boards with millions of dollars appears to have become a veritable humdrum. Rahul Dravid was the first to sound the alarm bells six years ago at the Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture. “I think ODI cricket without context will struggle. All other ODI cricket should be geared towards preparing for the World Cup and Champions Trophy. People can play lesser ODI cricket and focus more (other formats),” voiced Dravid that was more of a whimper at the packed CK Nayudu Hall, Cricket Club of India, Mumbai. In the last few days Dravid’s thoughts have been echoed by Ben Stokes who has retired from ODI cricket. All said and done ODI cricket gets the crowd going and brings a lot of money to the ICC, BCCI and other cricket boards.
Cooling-off period is an issue that has been bugging the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for a long time; it’s a significant governance rule incorporated in the Reforms in Cricket Report authored by the Supreme Court appointed Justice Lodha Committee. It was six years ago, on July 18, 2016, that the Court accepted the Lodha Report. But in spite of the review and curative appeals going against it, the BCCI has been petitioning the Court to allow it to amend its bylaws. After accepting a few modifications recommended by the Vinod Rai chaired Committee of Administrators (COA) the Court asked the Registrar of Societies, Tamil Nadu to validate the BCCI’s new constitution on August 9, 2018. The Court-approved Constitution prevents the BCCI to carry out amendments without its permission. One of the six rules the BCCI has sought relief from the Court is to modify the combined (BCCI and State Association) consecutive term of three years each rule for the cooling-off period to come into effect. The BCCI wants two consecutive terms independently at the BCCI and State. The BCCI also wants relief from certain disqualification rules for contesting elections, nomination of a person to the ICC and full powers of the Apex Council and Secretary to be restored. The Supreme Court is likely to hear the BCCI’s point of view soon.
Neeraj Chopra is girding up his loins in Oregon, USA, in order to rule the roost in javelin throw event of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22.The 24-year-old from Panipat shot into global fame making short work of a world-class field in the Tokyo Olympics last August, became India’s first sportsperson to win a track and field gold medal at an Olympics and became the darling of Indian Athletics. After the Tokyo glory, Chopra, a junior commissioned officer in the Indian Army, is looking to surpass his best and throw the spear beyond the 90-metre mark and become a top contender for the gold in less than 10 days. The javelin qualifications are slated for July 21 and the final on July 23. Chopra began his preparations for the worlds with a throw of 89.94 metres, a national record created at the Diamond League at Stockholm on June 30. “I am close to 90 metres. I know I can throw it this year. A lot of guys now are capable of throwing over 90 metres. I think it will take 89 metres plus to win in Eugene (Oregon).’ Grenadian Anderson Peters and Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch have touched 93.07 m and 90.88 m this season, just the motivation for Chopra to go for 90 m plus at Oregon.
Thanks to the power-hitting displays by Rishabh Pant, Deepak Hooda and Suryakumar Yadav, it is turning out to be an Indian summer in the British Isles, with last year’s fifth Test being the showpiece event in Birmingham. The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) relocated the Test from Old Trafford to Birmingham which is home for thousands of ethnic Indians. At stake for the ECB was a revenue of £ 20 mn from SKY sports from the one off Test. The Indians thronged the venue and saw Pant and Ravindra Jadeja score centuries before Jonny Bairstow’s centuries in each innings and Joe Root’s century in the second brought down the visiting team at Edgbaston. It has been a full house, and the moolah reeling in for Cricket Ireland and the ECB ever since the Hardik Pandya-led Indian team provided the fireworks in the Twenty20 bash at Dublin and thereafter Rohit Sharma took charge for three more at Southampton, Edgbaston and Trent Bridge where the Mumbaikar Suryakumar Yadav pummelled the England bowling for 14 fours and six 6s to give joy to the paying spectators. Sharma’s team is all set to play three 50 over matches against the home team at London’s ‘The Oval’ and Lord’s and Old Trafford to complete the Indian Summer before the team’s eight-match engagement at the Caribbean.
After a sort of Hitchcockian suspense, Justice (Retd) Dilip Bhosale has taken charge as Ombudsman & Ethics Officer of the Mumbai Cricket Association. According to people in the know of the intriguing outcome related to the nomination proposal by the MCA President Vijay Patil, the former CJ of Allahabad High Court received a wafer-thin 8-7 vote from the Apex Council, the decision-making body of the Association. Initially the numbers were stacked against the legal personality: it was purportedly 7-8 among the 15-member Apex Council of the Association. A preferred choice of Sharad Pawar, the kingmaker at the MCA for well over a decade, the 65-year-old Bhosale’s appointment will be validated at the Association’s AGM on September 28. The other development at the MCA, with the sudden change at the Maharashtra Government is of whispers being heard in the corridors of power about Amol Kale likely to be elected as President of the association. Reportedly a friend of the man in the news, former Chief Minister and the present Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, Kale was elected Vice-president unopposed three years ago. The MCA needs to thrash out a few issues with the government, and the prevailing sentiment among a large group of MCA with his chummy relationship with Fadnavis, can quickly fix nagging matters with the authorities.
The Virat Kohli-Ravi Shastri deduction in the English summer last year that Ravichandran Ashwin does not fit into the scheme of things for the Tests at Trent Bridge, Lord’s, Headingley and The Oval was assumed to be based on the conditions — weather and pitch. A like call was taken by the new combo in Jasprit Bumrah and Rahul Dravid for the newly time-tabled fifth Test at Edgbaston. They had no qualms to keep India’s most successful off-spinner on the fringes. It’s anybody’s guess as to what Rohit Sharma would have done had he not been struck by the Covid-19 bug and rendered hors de combat. On his part, Shastri, in front of the microphone at Edgbaston, explained the difficulties of leaving Ashwin out of the playing XI; he touched upon cloud cover etc. It was a fait accompli plight for Ashwin though, once his name was not inked in the first eleven at Edgbaston. “Field the best XI” has been the refrain from experts, including the SONY Sports commentator, Graeme Swann, England’s most successful off spinner. Point blank he said, it will be crazy to leave out Ashwin from any Test India plays. Ashwin has played a Test at Edgbaston and the numbers he delivered in 2018 were: 4/62 and 3/59! His victims were Cook, Buttler, Stokes and Broad and Cook, Root and Jennings.
Jasprit Bumrah has averred that he will be his own man, not a copycat, while leading India in the deferred fifth Test against England at Edgbaston. Bumrah is a man of action in the fast lane, and his rise as captain of the Test team has happened because of the sorry plight of Rohit Sharma, who is stricken with Covid-19. Whatever it may be, will it be a case that fits into the adage “Too many cooks spoil the broth”? The head honcho of the Indian cricket team, Rahul Dravid, is quite emphatic, nay dismissive, about the hazards of having to work with different captains. Dravid was matter of fact saying that “It is what it is. Even I would not have predicted that there would be so many captains when I became the coach some months ago. We are not fazed by such situations. You have to react and deal with situations.” Dravid has been coach for Indian teams led by Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, across the three formats. And now, Bumrah, who will be the 36th captain to lead India in a Test match, his 30th in which he has taken 123 wickets. Taking centre stage is routine to him because he usually starts with the shining red cherry, but captaincy, after all, is another cuppa!
Almost six years ago the Supreme Court of India found a way to set things right at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Following alleged malpractices in the IPL, the Apex Court appointed a Committee of Administrators (COA) to run the BCCI’s day-to-day affairs. The BCCI is still not convinced with certain reforms in cricket as recommended by former CJI RM Lodha; but in recent times the Courts — the Apex Court and the Delhi High Court have probably taken the cue from the BCCI case to sort out administrative and other matters at the All India Football Federation, Hockey India, and the National Federations of Table Tennis and Judo. In the year of the Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, England, the Courts have appointed COAs to make the federations compliant with the National Sports Code and “clean the administration” as described by a senior sports administrator. A couple of big guns — Praful Patel of the AIFF and Narendra Batra of the Indian Olympic Association — were unseated following the Court orders. Amidst all the hullabaloo around the maladministration of the sports bodies, a former table tennis player of repute, wondered whether the COA is the right way and solution to bring integrity in the functioning of the national sports federations. Well, as of now, it’s like telling us: Like it or lump it!
A substantial increase in the monthly gratis announced by the BCCI for retired cricketers has brought joy to all of them. The Indian Cricketers Association (ICA) whose representatives — Anushman Gaekwad and Shanta Rangaswamy — are in the Apex Council of the BCCI conveyed its happiness to Jay Shah (Secretary, BCCI); some cricketers took to Facebook and Twitter outlets to thank Shah, but there is one unhappy soul — Karnataka’s Smitha Harikrishna — who is left wondering why she was given the go bye by her fraternity and the BCCI whose President is former India captain Sourav Ganguly. Smitha played 22 one day internationals from 1995 to 2000, 13 matches of which were in World Cups held in 1997 in India and in New Zealand. Those who argue for Smitha’s genuine grievance say that if those who have played only one Test (before the cut-off date of December 2004) can get Rs 30,000 a month, why is Smitha being discriminated against. Initially the BCCI took a policy decision to consider monthly gratis to women players who have played upwards of five Tests on or before December 31, 2004, but the Supreme Court appointed of Administrators extended the benefit to those who played even one Test match, leaving one day specialist Smitha in tears. The increase in monthly gratis payment has only compounded her woes.
One cannot grudge the BCCI functionaries if they feel like the fictional character Richie Rich, whose net worth was once valued at $25 billion. The fact is that the prime cricket property in the world with a famous acronym IPL — a Twenty20 tournament conducted by the BCCI — has been screaming about having crossed the $5.6 billion mark valuation; a far cry from the Richie Rich valuation and what the ideator of the tournament, Lalit Modi had predicted; between $8 to 10 billion for the 2023-27 period. But the BCCI top brass must be pleased as punch with Rs 47,000 crore valuation of the tournament that in 2008 was put in place by business tycoons from the textile, oil, beverages, real estate, cement, media, pharmaceutical, airport industry and celebrities from the tinsel town. SONY Sports held the media rights for the first 10 years at Rs 8,200 crore plus and Star Sports held it for the last five season cycle for Rs 16,347 crore plus. And now the successful bidders for the 2023-27 cycle, reported to be Star Sports for television and the Ambanis driven Viacom18 for digital, have to shell out Rs 4,750 crore and Rs 4,100 crore to the BCCI for each of the next five seasons. The BCCI’s Jay Shah and Brijesh Patel have every right to feel like Richie Rich!
Mithali Raj put an end to all speculation regarding future appearances wearing the India colours by announcing retirement from international cricket. Into her 40th year, it was time to move on for the prima donna of the national team after 23 years of playing Test, one-day internationals and Twenty20 cricket. Mithali took to Twitter to inform fans that she was bidding adieu to the game; her declaration coming a few hours before the BCCI announced Harmanpreet Kaur as captain of the Indian team for the white ball series (ODIs and Twenty20) in Sri Lanka. These two events happening one after another, sent the rumour mill on a spin with whispers that she may have been elbowed out. Mithali’s last assignment as India captain was the failed campaign in the ICC Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. Her team lost four league matches and could not enter the semi-finals. For over a decade she had shouldered the task of scoring runs until Harmanpreet and Smriti Mandhana arrived on the scene, exhibiting lovely stroke play that riveted attention on them in domestic and international cricket. Then came Jemima Rodrigues, Shafali Verma, Harleen Deol, Richa Ghosh and Yastika Bhatia; all of whom went after the ball and sent pulses racing. But the famous ‘Didi’ of Indian women’s cricket cannot be denied her exalted place in the pantheon of women’s cricket in the world.
The 15th season of the Indian Premier League concluded and with it, global media rights secured by Star India for Rs 16,347 crore for five seasons from 2018. SONY Pictures had won the first 10-year media rights for around Rs.8200 crore in 2008. Fifteen years back Lalit Modi, chief architect of the trailblazing Twenty20 league, monetised the franchise auctions and media rights for astronomical figures. The refrain in the ad world today is “sky’s the limit” for the next IPL media rights 2023-27 (in four categories) as IPL is the most premium product for advertisers now. “The IPL became a premium product after the first 10 seasons. Today corporate first set aside money for IPL, before considering other options. There are a number of them. The IPL is the pivot for broadcasting companies as a whole, not just their sports channels,” explained a doyen in the media rights business. The BCCI has pegged a high reserve price of Rs 32,890 crore for all four categories together. There are reports that TV18-Viacom, Disney Star, Sony, Zee and Amazon have bought the invitation for tenders. NP Singh, CEO & MD of SONY Pictures feels the need for a reality check on the reserve price following a drop in viewership for IPL-15. The weekend e- auction of media rights will quantify the windfall BCCI will reap.
The Tata IPL-15 came as a welcome breather for quarrelling factions within the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) who shifted their focus to conducting the 21 league matches. The MCA was able to deploy its resources to run the games virtually incident-free. The association earned much praise from BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and Rs 12 plus crore for bailing out the BCCI in these pandemic times. However, an uneasy calm prevails now in MCA’s corridors of power over the matter of accepting Justice (Retd) Dilip Babasaheb Bhosale as its Ethics Officer and Ombudsman (EOO). Multiple sources caught in the vortex of the sensitive matter told shortpost.in that former MCA President Sharad Pawar, who still commands a lot of clout in matters of the association, is in favour of Justice Bhosale’s appointment. He is the son of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Babasaheb Bhosale and a former Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court. The reason for rancour is that Justice Bhosale was appointed at an AGM, the present MCA Apex Council had actually called off, but still conducted by a fair number of members, who elected a chair and obtained post-facto validation from senior advocate Darius Khambata. Now, the Apex Council, due for elections in a few months, is showing the barndoor defence to all persuasions!
Tendulkar Joins The Hardik Pandya's Hurrah Parade, After Gujarat Titans Captain's Great IPL Escapade
The IPL Twenty20 competition is a different ball game from turning up for India duties. Performances in the most popular league may be put down as a flash in the pan but, Hardik Pandya, not long back known for his bling fetish, has refreshingly improved his excellent run of form in the TATA IPL-15; as a batter, bowler, fielder and now, as captain. Hardik’s makeover was applauded by his former Mumbai Indians icon Sachin Tendulkar on his Youtube show #SachInsightT20. “It has to be celebrated, Hardik has been a stand-out as a Number 4 batter and captain. He has outsmarted the opposition,” said the former master blaster. Hardik was the Titans’ highest run getter with 487 runs and chief wicket-taker in the title match. What’s so significant about these numbers is the manner in which he exhibited his gifts all through the tournament. In the final he broke the back of Rajasthan Royals taking 3 for 18 and chipping in with a weighty 34 runs with his bat. Hardik is being dubbed as a hero now, but his true test will come up against a strong South African Twenty20 team that will lock horns with KL Rahul’s team from June 9 in five matches. Hardik is a genuine talent though. The Indian team would hope that his lower back doesn’t flare up again!
Rejected outright by all 10 franchises at the big player auction for the Tata IPL-15 in Bengaluru, Indore-born batter Rajat Patidar proved how the talent scouts hunting for gifted players were wrong in their assessment of his class and calibre. Even the United Spirits owned Royal Challengers Bangalore, which played him in four matches in season 2021 did not have a second look at him at the auction. But ‘kismet’ has its own ways to bring luck for a player. RCB chose the Madhya Pradesh bombarder as a replacement for the injured Luvnith Sisodia after the league had got off the ground and RCB had lost two matches. Being an uncapped player (not played for India in any format), the CTC to the Bangalore franchise was a meagre Rs 20 lakh. Patidar showed glimpses of his hitting ability in six matches before blasting away to glory with a 54 ball unconquered 112 with 7x6s and 5x4s. The Return of Investment on a start-up like player was humongous; the RCB eliminated the RP-Sanjiv Goenka group owned Lucknow Super Giants from the playoffs and got within striking distance of the title match. Former England captain and a busybee on Twitter, Michael Vaughan, described Patidar’s match-winning knock as: “Talk about producing when it really counts…incredible.” A discard at the IPL auction, Patidar became overnight famous with a gem of a knock.
Dinesh Karthik has thrown his hat in the ring for a place in the Indian team for the ICC Men’s World Twenty20 in the Australian summer this year. The smart stumper from Chennai is 36 and the selectors — all bowlers — believe that the keeper-batter who has played in two Twenty20 World Cups in 2007 and 2010, and scored 57 runs in five innings for an average of 11.40 has to be put on trial again for the big event Down Under. Karthik played his last Twenty20 international in February 2019. He has now been selected for the five match Twenty20 series against South Africa to be played at five cities from June 9. Rishabh Pant is in the squad as first ‘keeper and vice-captain to KL Rahul and so Karthik will play as a specialist batter. None other than Sunil Gavaskar pushed his case saying: “Form is important. They say form is temporary and class is permanent and if a classy player is in form, then you must pick him. The way he is batting currently he should be considered and included as a pure batter and wicket-keeping should be an added option. Don’t think about his age.” For Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL-15, Karthik scored 177 @no7 in seven innings with a strike rate of 11 plus an over.
Every punch landed just right for Nikhat Zareen in Istanbul, Turkey. At only 25-years-old, she punched her way to glory, scoring 5 -0 jury verdicts in all five bouts to win the gold medal and a cool $ 100,000 (Rs 77.52 lakh) cash prize. The young pugilist from Nizamabad, Telangana was not allowed to compete in a trial bout with the more famous Mary Kom prior to the Tokyo Olympics. She has proved her mettle now within the flyweight category (50-52 kg) at the International Boxing Association organized Women’s World Boxing Championships held in Istanbul. Since 2011, when she won the World Junior Women’s Gold at Antalya, Turkey, she had secured financial support from entrepreneur Jaithirth “Jerry” Rao. “Jerry is also supporting Maharashtra’s upcoming woman boxer Alfiya Pathan. More corporations and individuals must support boxing. Now, Nikhat should compete in both the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham this year and the Asian Games in China (postponed because of the pandemic),” said a happy Kishan Narsi, former international referee-judge and technical expert. Nikhat, who beat boxers from Mexico, Mongolia, England, Brazil and Thailand to win $100,000 in prize money was introduced at the World meet in Belgrade (Serbia) last year. Two other Indian women Parveen and Manisha won bronze medals and a cash prize of $25,000 each (Rs 19 lakh).
Sports Ministry’s Four-Year Investment In Badminton Yields Rich Dividends, As India Lifts Thomas Cup
The Sports Authority of India (SAI) can take credit for the Indian men’s badminton team’s trailblazing Thomas Cup win, prevailing over Asian giants like Malaysia and Indonesia and the European powerhouse, Denmark. The SAI, which has been proactive and hands-on supporting sports federations and Elite Athletes, is an Independent organisation under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Over the last four years, it had funded badminton to the tune of Rs 67.19 crore, in particular for the men and women players’ training and competitions overseas. In the last 12 months the SAI defrayed the cost of 14 international exposure tournaments, Rs 4.5 crore, to the Elite players. The SAI also engaged foreign coaches for the singles and doubles players. Soon after the win in Bangkok, the SAI said: “The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports has contributed to the unprecedented success of the team… A 10-week National Camp in January helped raise the fitness levels of the players. The support to engage Mathias Boe as coach to assist the doubles combinations has been significant as well.” Former All England men’s singles winner and Chief National Coach Pullela Gopichand — who along with the legendary Prakash Padukone are responsible for popularising the game — told shortpost.in that he is optimistic of the SAI extending support to the junior players. A big shabash to the SAI for providing succour to Indian sport and its athletes.
H S Prannoy is the talk of the town. This 1.78 m tall shuttlecock player has placed India on the verge of a historic Thomas Cup glory. “Should India win the title in Bangkok come Sunday (May 15), it would be akin to India winning the 1983 cricket World Cup,” said Sanjay Sharma who played under Indian legend Prakash Padukone in the 1979 Thomas Cup in Kuala Lumpur. Prannoy got a direct entry into the men’s team. The Badminton Association of India (BAI) selection committee naturally chose players up to the Top 15 world rankings for the direct entry category, but made an exception in the case of 29-year-old Prannoy, ranked 23. The BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said: “Since he has performed consistently at top international events, and also beat top players consistently, he was considered for selection directly, without having to participate in the trials.” And how well has the Thiruvananthapuram born Prannoy responded to the selectors’ call? Despite an ankle injury he downed Denmark’s Rasmus Gemke in the semi-final tie and Malaysia’s Jun Hao Leong earlier, in the quarter-finals. This after after Kidambi Srikanth and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy/Chirag Shetty had done the spadework. Indonesia will be a tough nut to crack, and the boys coached by Padukone, Pullela Gopichand and Uday Pawar need all the luck to take India past the finishing line.
The BCCI has pulled out all stops to run the Tata IPL-15 without engaging a third party. Barring a few players catching the Covid-19 bug that necessitated relocation of venues for two matches featuring the Delhi Capitals, the league has gone on without a glitch. From 2008 to 2020, the high-end revenue generating Twenty20 competition was supervised by the IMG, the New York-based sports management company. The BCCI parted ways with it at the conclusion of the 13th season in the UAE. The financial agreement with the agency had run into problems in 2008, before it was reworked to Rs 27 crore per season. The agreement was revised in 2017 with an augmented fee. “It’s an achievement. No doubt about it. The IMG had engaged a few of its own officials and many Indians. The BCCI has engaged perhaps the same local talent to run the show and saved Rs 35 plus crore,” said a former BCCI functionary. The BCCI paid a compensation of around Rs 100 crore to the Emirates Cricket Board (in 2020) and a little less last year. It has committed to pay Rs 60 lakh per match to the four associations (Mumbai, Maharashtra, Cricket Club of India, and DY Patil); and the compensation money adds to Rs 42 crore as host fee. All good for the faithful in India.
Indian cricket is all set to return to normalcy with the BCCI allotting the five match Twenty20 internationals against South Africa to five affiliated associations of Delhi, Odisha (Cuttack), Andhra Pradesh (Visakhapatnam), Saurashtra (Rajkot) and Bengaluru. The series will be played from June 9 to 19. For the first time in two years, famished cricket fans in the four cities (excluding Bengaluru) will get to see the Indian stars in action in their own backyard. The BCCI will begin fiscal 2022-2023 with a revenue between Rs 450 and Rs 500 crore, and the associations too, will make money out of in-stadia advertising. However, a matter of high import pertains to the selectors picking a Rohit Sharma led team along with Head Coach Rahul Dravid and fixing a few niggles before the Asia Cup Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and the ICC Men’s World Twenty20 slated for the Australian summer. Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the white ball home series has been held in Ahmedabad (5 against England and 3 against the West Indies), in Pune (3 against England) in Kolkata (1 against New Zealand and 3 against the West Indies), and Lucknow (1 against Sri Lanka) and Dharamsala (2 against Sri Lanka). Now its Bharat darshan for the teams, but nevertheless, good news for cricket fans!
The BCCI deserves a pat on the back after conducting domestic cricket tournaments this year. Last year, it could not due to the Covid pandemic. This year, however, BCCI ensured domestic cricketers found opportunities to play and earn a livelihood. Applauding the BCCI initiative, former GM, Game Development, BCCI, Prof Ratnakar Shetty said: “The decision to conduct the Ranji Trophy, although with a revised format, was a welcome decision by the BCCI. It provides a platform for budding talent and also badly needed monetary help to first class cricketers.” Since 2003, when the BCCI resolved to share 26% of a certain portion of its annual income with cricketers — 13% each to the national and domestic cricketers — India’s consistently performing first class cricketers playing for the Ranji Trophy and other senior tournaments earned over Rs 20 lakh per season. The annual outgo now for the national men’s team was in excess of Rs 100 crore. The senior teams (men and women) receive an annual retainership. But the sheer size of domestic cricketers — the ballpark figure is between 800 and 1000 cricketers — makes the overall sum disbursed to them much higher. So, this year, it’s not only the cash cow IPL the BCCI is conducting, but also the Ranji Trophy, the bread-and-butter tournament for domestic cricketers.
SunRisers Hyderabad’s prospects of advancing to the Tata IPL-15 playoffs will be known within the week or, thereabouts. It ought to have forced a win against Gujarat Titans at Wankhede Stadium the other night but caved in, to the pyrotechnic batting displayed by Rahul Tewatia and Afghan spinner Rashid Khan, to get placed 3rd on the points’ table, with five wins and 10 points. It was a skirmish that once again focused the spotlight on budding fast bowler Umran Malik, who took his first fifer in any competition. Hats off to the franchise’s conscious decision taken last December to retain the virtual unknown, from Sunjwan — a village on the outskirts of Gujjar town in Jammu Union Territory. The SunRisers’ advisors Muttiah Muralitharan and Tom Moody had articulated Malik’s retention as an investment for the future. Their decision is reaping rich rewards for the franchise owner, Kavya Maran, who proactively placed bids at player auctions for IPL-15 held in Bengaluru. Malik’s potential (he had replaced indisposed left armer T Natarajan last year) and now, after only 8 matches this IPL season, he is already primed for an India call-up because of bowling speeds at 150 kmph. He has scalped 15 batters so far from 8 IPL-15 games with a four-wicket haul and a fifer. Great call by the Marans to retain Malik at Rs 4 crore.
TRENDS & VIEWS
Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack
It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.