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How Kerala is celebrating Sanju Samson’s selection into the 2024 T20 World Cup squad

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By K.R. Nayar From Kochi Kochi.   Sanju Samson’s selection for the 2024 T20 World Cup, starting in the USA and West Indies, is virtually a celebration in Kerala. This news has filled every Keralite with pride. I witnessed the joy across the state as I arrived in Kochi on the day the news broke about his selection. It is the biggest news in the state, and everyone is now looking forward to the World Cup, hoping to see Sanju, as they affectionately call him, in action. Display of Sanju Samson's selection in Kerala's leading newspaper Malayala Manorama Everywhere, discussions revolve around whether he will keep wickets or play solely as a batsman. Speculation suggests that both wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and Samson will be part of the playing eleven, with Sanju possibly batting at the No.1 slot to provide a quick start. Right from outside the Kochi airport, the presence of Sanju is evident, with advertisements featuring him lining the roads. Almost all Malayalam newspaper

Chris Gayle, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, along with Indian Legends, to support Legends League Cricket’s Ten10 League across ten Indian cities as part of the 'Fit India' initiative

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By K.R. Nayar From New Delhi Legends League Cricket (LLC), since its inception, has always been undertaking something special and innovative. This tournament, which lures cricket fans to stadiums to watch legendary cricketers back in action, has now announced a massive cricket campaign in ten Indian cities. An exciting tournament is being organized with a vision to encourage a healthy lifestyle as part of the “Fit India” Initiative of the Government of India.   The Fit India movement was launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019, encouraging people to adopt a healthy lifestyle by promoting physical activity and healthy habits. LLC’s vision is to encourage a healthy lifestyle through cricket, and this new league will stage 300 matches that will be    played with a hard tennis ball and will engage 1,280 players. It will be an 80-day extravaganza in the state of Uttar Pradesh. This initiative has been designed to entice more people into the game and give opportunities

The UAE acknowledges Shyam Bhatia’s cricket initiatives with the prestigious fifth 'Sports Imprint Award' from the Dubai Sports Council and Watani Al Emarat Foundation

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By K.R. Nayar Dubai: Efforts that enhance the UAE’s sports sector through humanitarian initiatives never go unacknowledged. This year, Shyam Bhatia, an Indian businessman and an ardent cricket aficionado, has been awarded one of the UAE’s most prestigious awards for his consistent efforts to spread positive values through cricket. The government has acknowledged his cricket museum, which is now one of the world’s largest museums in the game, and that his numerous years of philanthropic efforts in the sports field, deserve to be appreciated.   Shyam Bhatia receives the 'Sports Imprint Award' Under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, H.H. Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Incorporated, Bhatia was presented the fifth ‘Sports Imprint Award’ at a function held at the World Trade Centre and attended by UAE’s top sports authorities and eminent

Is April Fool’s Day a fool’s day?

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By K.R. Nayar April 1st is considered as April Fool’s Day, a day of pranks followed by laughter; in short, a day unlike any other, where many funny things happen. Many prepare for some fun the day before to make it special. A lot of importance used to be given to this day while at school, and if one did not create at least a small incident to fool someone, then we would get the feeling that the day was not honoured. Of late, many don’t really care about this ritual. Last year, a friend messaged me "Happy April Fool’s Day," as one would wish "Happy Valentine's Day" or "Happy New Year."  Involuntarily, I thanked him and wished him the same. After that, I began to wonder whether he wished me so because he knew that someone had made a fool of me, or was he wishing me because if anyone fools me, let it be a happy one? I have always wondered how businessmen accept cheques dated April 1. The guy who wrote the cheque could say that he did it just to fool

Aryan Saxena: The consistent journey of a young UAE cricketer with dreams

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By K.R. Nayar "Success is a journey, not a destination. The act of doing holds more significance than the outcome." UAE’s emerging talent, 18-year-old Aryan Saxena, firmly embraces this principle. I first wrote about this passionate cricketer in February 2022 when he had achieved remarkable feats: a double century, an unbeaten 145, a swift 101 in 51 balls, a five-wicket haul, and two four-wicket spells, all in prestigious tournaments within a single year.   Aryan Saxena with one among the many trophies that he won for his performance  His consistent performance and ongoing progress gave me the opportunity to write about him once again.    He serves as an exemplar of continually raising the bar through his displays on the field. In the UAE Under 19 National Academy League, he emerged as the tournament's second-highest scorer, amassing 383 runs from six innings, including a notable knock of 130 and three half-centuries, earning him the Player of the Match title twice.

A 25kg cricket book and Ashwin’s 100th Test match ball at Shyam Bhatia’s museum

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By K.R. Nayar Cricket never ceases to excite. Like life, cricket is a game of various uncertainties. If you thought that only cricket matches will surprise you, then you are in for a correction. A cricket book too can   literally stun you. And mind you, this impact is even before start reading it.    I experienced it at the Shyam Bhatia Cricket museum – a cricket book weighing 25kg. In fact, the total weight is 32kg, including the 7kg book case. This is the latest addition to the Shyam Bhatia cricket museum that is filled with not only cricket memorabilia but also takes you through the history of the game through its exhibits.   Shyam Bhatia with his latest addition to his museum - the 25kg book on 1983 World Cup  If that was not enough to get a cricket enthusiast thrilled, there was more. The cricket ball with which Ravichandran Ashwin played his 100th Test match during the Dharmasala Test match against England is also here. Bhatia had recently gone    to Dharmasala to not only

Adrian Griffith, who batted on all five days of a Test match, appointed as the Chief Cricket Operations Officer of Legends League Cricket

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By K.R. Nayar Dubai: Former West Indies cricketer Adrian Griffith will assume the role of Chief Cricket Operations Officer for Legends League Cricket (LLC), as announced by Raman Raheja, the Co-Founder & CEO of LLC.  Griffith, currently a sports consultant with over 15 years of experience in various facets of international cricket, including match officiating, technology, event planning, and operations, has been selected for this position. Griffith holds the distinction of being only the sixth batsman in Test cricket history to have batted on each of the all five days of a match, achieved in 1999 against New Zealand in Hamilton. During that Test, Griffith scored an unbeaten 103 on the first day and ended his innings on the second day with a total of 114, contributing to West Indies' first innings score of 365.   On the third day, New Zealand batted briskly to score 393 runs and Griffith who opened the second innings remained unbeaten on zero. On the fourth day, two sessions