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‘Dismiss Sanju Samson early or be ready to pay the price’

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. It’s not just IPL teams, but cricketing teams across the globe now recognise a chilling truth: dismiss Sanju Samson early or be ready to pay the price. Following his unbeaten 115 in 56 balls for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after scores of 6, 7, and 9 in his first three matches, every team is likely to be nervous if he passes the single-digit score. Sanju Chetta (brother), as he is adorably addressed, is the finest demolisher of any bowling attack, and he gave CSK a 23-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC). It was CSK’s first win of this edition and also ended a six-match losing streak for CSK on their home ground. A devoted admirer of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, Sanju lit up the night further with the iconic salute from Padayappa movie, sending the Chepauk crowd into raptures. While Sanju did the Padayappa salute, every bowler who bowled should have also saluted this exceptionally talented hard-hitter, who won the Player of the Tournament award in the recen...
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Ravi Shastri Stand unveiling function echoes a golden era

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai.  The unveiling of a cricket stadium stand in a cricketer’s name is very often an event where formal words, polite applause, and a respectful nod to history all come together. However, at the evening when the unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand was held at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April 9, 2026), along with the unveiling of gates named after Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, and Diana Edulji, one got to hear many stories that evoked nostalgia. Ravi Shastri stand being unveiled. Photo by K.R. Nayar  As someone who has reported many of their matches and closely interacted with these four greats from Mumbai, this was also emotional for me reviving old memories and some great moments I’ve had with them. In an era where today’s cricketers seldom read reports or build personal bonds with journalists, these four belonged to a different, warmer time. They valued relationships. They acknowledged the storyteller. So, after the unveiling, when Shastri intro...
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C. D. Gopinath: The last voice of India’s first Test glory fades away

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. It was while writing the book ‘318-Whispers of the Indian Test Cap’ that I searched deep into the life of C. D. Gopinath. Little did I imagine that within months of putting his journey into words as the oldest living Indian cricketer, he would pass away on April 9, 2026, at the age of 96. Cricket has lost a whisper from its earliest heartbeat. C.D. Gopinath  Now, Chandrakant Patankar, who is 95 years and 132 days old, is the oldest living Indian cricketer. Among the oldest Test cricketers in the world, he will be third after Australia’s Neil Harvey, who is 97 years and 187 days old, and New Zealand’s John Leggat, who is 95 years and 307 days old. The secret behind Gopinath’s longevity must be the joy with which he lived life every day. He was a member of the team that secured India’s first-ever Test victory in 1952, beating England by an innings and eight runs—his contribution being a valuable 35 runs. India has beaten England many times after this ...
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An ignored single delivered a powerful message

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai.  More often than not, IPL stories are about the sixes and scores of over 200. But on Wednesday (April 8, 2026), during the match between Gujarat Titans (GT) and Delhi Capitals (DC), cricket reminded everyone of the importance of a single that should have been taken. The drama that took place at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, in which GT won by one run over DC, was a lesson on how important the smallest denomination is and why it should be respected and picked rather than ignored like a one-rupee coin that slipped out of your pocket and vanished forever. Very often in cricket, a single run has revealed its importance, especially for a batter who has failed to get off the mark continuously for many matches.  On Wednesday, GT’s David Miller, known as ‘Killer Miller’, realized that all the runs he has scored had no value for his team after he ignored that single off the penultimate ball of the final over, when his team needed two runs off two balls. He rejecte...
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Jaiswal’s gem of a knock in the 11-over Mumbai Indians’ massacre

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. It was a massacre of the Mumbai Indians’ bowling attack on Tuesday. The architect of this 11-over rain-curtailed match, in which Rajasthan Royals (RR) recorded a 27-run win over Mumbai Indians (MI) in Guwahati, was Yashasvi Jaiswal. Once again, it was the Jaiswal–Vaibhav Sooryavanshi breezy opening partnership of 80 runs in just 4.6 overs with ruthless authority that gave RR their third consecutive win. Almost every IPL match has produced a classic innings, and Jaiswal’s unbeaten 77 off 32 balls, with 10 boundaries and four sixes, will stand out among the best aggressive knocks. He was literally blazing and was unstoppable. It was shocking to see even good-length balls disappearing into the crowd and short balls being punished with a message never to bowl such deliveries to him. The MI bowlers looked like a group of men caught in a cyclone. It seemed like Jaiswal was out to create panic and forced MI to scatter their fielders. With him was the 15-year-ol...
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Shami’s match-winning spell and whispers of his struggle and resilience

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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. When Mohammed Shami bowls, it’s not just another show from a fast bowler. His deliveries carry whispers of struggle and echoes of resilience. His spell of four overs, no maiden, just nine runs and two wickets shaped Lucknow Super Giants’ (LSG) five-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Sunday (April 5, 2026). He is not a tearaway pacer, but one who strikes using his intelligence. It looks like he stalks the weakness in every batter. One wonders whether his seam position is a trap and whether the length he bowls is only to mislead a batter. When he runs in to bowl with the seam upright, the movement he generates resembles that of a restless and venomous snake. He knows fast bowling can be cruel, and injuries have often stopped his run-up to glory. Every time he has returned to the top of his run-up, he has looked sharper and hungrier. What forced SRH to manage only nine runs from his four overs is his precision. His accuracy is suffocating for any ...
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IPL’s double delight on Saturday

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By K.R. Nayar  Mumbai.  Saturday’s double delight from the Indian Premier League witnessed a commanding six-wicket win for Delhi Capitals (DC) over Mumbai Indians (MI) and a nail-biting six-run triumph for Rajasthan Royals (RR) over Gujarat Titans (GT). It looked like the afternoon game created the tempo for the exciting evening clash between RR and GT. Both matches produced heroes and created drama. What fans love is a nerve-shredder or a last-over finish. The star who did not allow the DC-MI match to turn into a thriller, though many expected it to be keenly fought, was the in-form DC batter Sameer Rizvi. His knock of 90 outscored MI’s stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav’s knock of 51. What was great about Rizvi’s knock was that he was calm when needed and brutal when the situation demanded it. He reminded the MI bowlers that their line and length would be destroyed at his will. Delhi Capitals batters were expected to capitalise on any poor delivery, as well as on the...
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