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By K.R. Nayar A notebook is meant for taking notes and not for celebrating a wicket in a cricket match. This is a lesson Lucknow Super Giants spinner Digvesh Rathi may have learned during the 2025 Indian Premier League. His unique style of celebration after taking a wicket involves mimicking the action of pulling out a notebook and pretending to write, as if signing off or sending off the dismissed player.   Digvesh Rathi does his notebook celebration against Mumbai Indians. Photo: BCCI  Rathi was fined 25 percent of his match fee for this provocative celebration after dismissing Punjab opener Priyansh Arya on April 1. He repeated the gesture on April 4 after dismissing Mumbai Indians’ Naman Dhir, and this time received a 50 percent fine. Had he taken note of his first fine—and mentally noted not to repeat the notebook act—he could have avoided the second penalty, which came just four days later.   Digvesh Rathi s first notebook celebration against Punjab Now th...

By K.R Nayar From Amritsar A youngster from a small village delivers a sensational performance in the IPL.   It was celebratory time in Punjab when Ashwani Kumar from Jhanjheri village in Punjab made a stunning debut for the Mumbai Indians, taking 4 for 24 and guiding his team to an eight-wicket win on March 31. Ashwani Kumar... sensational debut  I was fortunate to be in Amritsar on that day, and it was interesting to see all newspapers prominently displayed with pride the achievements of their local hero. A similar celebration occurred when Kerala’s Vignesh Puthur delivered an outstanding three-wicket spell in his debut for Mumbai against Chennai on March 23. These moments bring to light the lesser-known stories of determination and hard work that helped these players rise to prominence.   Display of Ashwani's performance in the local newspaper Punjab Kesari   It was a double delight for the people of Amritsar, as not only did Ashwani Kuma...

By K.R. Nayar From Mumbai When dreams, which one thinks are impossible, come true, the effect is nothing short of amazing. Vignesh Puthur from Kerala, who bagged three wickets for Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings and became the talk of the Indian Premier League (IPL), is living his dream. It’s not just the three wickets he took with his left-arm wrist spin that must have thrilled him, but the moment after the match when he received a pat on the back from none other than the legendary former Indian captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, of Chennai Super Kings.  Vignesh Puthur gets a pat from the legendary Mahenda Singh Dhoni  To fully grasp the enormity of this occasion, one needs to know more about Puthur. His story reveals that no matter where one comes from or what circumstances one grows up in, glory can be achieved through hard work and dedication. I first heard about Puthur when I visited Trident, the Mumbai Indians’ team hotel, for the pre-season press conferen...

By K.R. Nayar From Mumbai Mumbai is a city that welcomes all sports. While cricket holds prominence, other sports are also played with equal enthusiasm, and top events are staged here with great verve. The beauty of Mumbai lies in its deep-rooted sports culture, which has been nurtured over the years, ensuring that every sport finds its followers. JSW Indian Open 2025 press meet at the Bombay Gymkhana  During my days in Mumbai, I had the opportunity to report on almost all sports. On this short visit to the city, I was invited to the JSW India Open 2025 press meet at the historic Bombay Gymkhana. This international squash event is being held from March 24 to 28.   Bombay Gymkhana, which is celebrating its 150th year,  is the venue for the event  Years ago, I used to report on squash matches at the Cricket Club of India. Encouraging all sports at historic venues has been a tradition here, and Bombay Gymkhana has followed suit.   Celebrating its 150th year...

By K.R. Nayar From Mumbai   This season, Mumbai Cricket Association(MCA) honoured Dilip Vengsarkar, Diana Edulji, Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, and Pravin Barve with Life-Time Achievement Awards. I have been fortunate to have had numerous interactions with Vengsarkar, Edulji, and Shetty during my days as a journalist in Mumbai, and those relationships continued even after I moved to Dubai. So it was hardly a surprise to me when they were honoured by the MCA, and that also prompted me to share my experiences with them. With Dileep Vengsarkar, a legend I had trailed during his playing days   Dilip Vengsarkar   Vengsarkar, the cricketer, needs no introduction. As a batter, his brilliance was witnessed by all. But I was fortunate to report many of the matches where he had guided Mumbai to glorious moments. During his playing days, international cricketers actively participated in domestic matches, focusing on their home team’s success. Vengsarkar played for Mumbai with ...