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By K.R. Nayar From Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad. What makes Shivam Dube a clean hitter? After watching his mighty shots in this World Cup, I wanted to know from him whether anyone had given him any advice on this, or was sheer hard work, or was it that he had been given a free hand to play these shots. After his match-winning knock of 66 against the Netherlands, I got the opportunity, and his reply was simple and filled with humility. “Definitely, sir. I worked really hard, but there is something called support that is given by Surya and Gautam. They have given me a free hand. So I go and hit because they trust me a lot. Also, I need to back myself in that situation.” Shivam Dube addresses the post match press conference. Photo: ICC From his response it was clear that it was not just power-hitting, but an art mastered through persistent hard work. The confidence comes from silencing any self-doubt. As a boy, at the age of 14, he had walked away from the game for five years...

By K.R. Nayar From Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad. The entrance to the Narendra Modi Stadium is majestic, as majestic as the stadium itself. When dressed in T20 World Cup colours, it looked spectacular. When at the stadium, one feels it is a venue where cricket roars the loudest. Nearly 100,000 people can comfortably watch the match. It is a venue that inspires Indians because on the walls at the entrance to the press conference room are huge images of India’s first T20 World Cup triumph in 2007 and the 50-over World Cup triumph in 2011. It is also a venue that makes the people of Ahmedabad proud, as they have the biggest cricket stadium in the world. The majestic entrance to the Narendra Modi stadium dressed in World Cup colours. Photo by K.R. Nayar Typing with the roar of the crowd At the pre-match press conference, Netherlands skipper Scott Edwards candidly remarked that it is a massive opportunity to play at the biggest stadium. Almost every team in the world feels the s...

By K.R. Nayar From Narendra Modi Stadium Ahmedabad. It is really hard for a losing team, especially if it happens to be Pakistan, and that too against India. The Pakistan fans and their former cricketers are tearing the team to pieces, some even urging the senior players to quit cricket. The cab driver who took me to Colombo airport is hoping for an India-Sri Lanka final. This, I believe, is what most Sri Lankans too want.  My flight back to Ahmedabad via Chennai was an early one and I was at the airport by 6 am. There were many Indian fans too taking the same flight. Some were singing A. R. Rahman songs Jai Ho and Vande Mataram. Pakistan’s patriotic song Dil Dil Pakistan was rarely heard at the stadium. It was more of sadness that filled Pakistan’s fans’ hearts, minds, and souls. Watching happy and sad fans After the India-Pakistan match, it was a sea of mixed emotions among the fans. Cricket, in its cruel beauty, draws a line between agony and ecstasy. Paki...

By K.R. Nayar From R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo. India’s 61-run win over Pakistan at the Premadasa Stadium was nothing but a familiar script. This time it was louder, too bold, and ruthless. Once upon a time, India–Pakistan clashes were heart-racing and nail-biting. If this is the trend, very soon cricket fans in Pakistan will have to tell their coming generation that there was a time when their team used to give India a strong fight, but that was very long ago. The suspense of an India-Pakistan match has already started to fade. However, fans are still eager to watch, hoping for a twist leading to an intense battle. Unfortunately, that has not been happening in the last few years. Pakistan came in with hope. But India sent them back with a reminder that they are too strong for them. When one team keeps getting it right and the other is searching for answers, the contest starts losing its bite. In the chapter of rivalry between the two teams, one team is writing history; t...

By K.R. Nayar From R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo. In Sri Lanka, every welcome carries a blessing. The word ‘Ayubowan’ in Sinhalese is not just a greeting — it is a wish, “may you live long.” On an India-Pakistan match day, for the fans, it could well be “May cricket live long and India-Pakistan matches keep happening.” Since Tamil is also a popular language here, and many Sri Lankans are fluent in this language, this makes quite a few journalists feel at home.  The Premadasa Stadium dressed in world cup colours. Photo by K.R. Nayar   Sri Lankans and the grace of good manners There is something deeply calming about Sri Lanka’s cricketing culture. Even when the tension of an India–Pakistan clash crackles in the air, the people here manage to soften its edges. Sri Lanka, as hosts, don’t just organise — they embrace. Cricketers, officials, volunteers — all carry an easy warmth. It reflects in their smiles, in their patience, and in their humility. The greats of Sri La...

By K.R. Nayar From R. Premadasa Stadium Colombo. For nearly three decades, we have travelled the world covering cricket and meeting each other at iconic venues across continents. Shahid Akhtar Hashmi from Pakistan, simply known as Shahid Hashmi, is more than a journalist friend. He writes for Agence France-Presse (AFP), speaks on ARY News Television, and has also written for Indian newspapers. Since India-Pakistan matches offer a feast of stories, our job has always been to savour the joy of writing them. With Shahid Hashmi at the R. Premadasa Stadium press box   .  The animosity between the two nations and the fierce rivalry both on and off the field has never affected our relationship because we wrote only about cricket and nothing else. Whenever our respective team has either won or lost, we’ve congratulated or consoled each other. The noise of politics never entered our space. Those late-night rides back to the hotel after an India-Pakistan clash remain unforgettable...