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By K.R. Nayar Is Abhishek Sharma the most dangerous batter in world cricket today? His knock of 113 off 38 balls, with 11 sixes and nine boundaries, against New Zealand at Wellington, which gave India a six-wicket win with 40 balls to spare, raises this question. He is not merely a demolisher of bowlers but a threat to the whole bowling fraternity. To demolish the New Zealand bowling attack on their home soil, in front of their home crowd, was too brutal, merciless and impolite.  It would have been generous if Abhishek had apologised to the New Zealand bowlers for subjecting them to such ruthless hitting. He made one of the finest teams in the world look like a group of club cricketers. At one stage it looked like he was not chasing the target of 199 but simply practicing how far he can hit the cricket ball. The fact is that 102 of his 113 runs came from boundaries and sixes. Only 11 runs came from running between the wickets! Did he run those 11 to give the scorers a breather?...

By K.R. Nayar India played brilliant, nerve-cracking and thrilling cricket, and won the match. Reeling at 70 for 5 in 10.5 overs while chasing a target of 181, India went on to win by four wickets with one ball to spare in the second T20I against New Zealand. So how did they pull off such a stunning win? It was a match that seemed to be slipping rapidly from their grasp. This time, the heroes were Tilak Varma (unbeaten 51 in 26 balls) and Nitish Kumar Reddy (26 not out in 13 balls), and once again, Naman Dhir, with a knock of 31 in 17 balls. Varma and Reddy lifted India from 112 for 6 in 14.5 overs, after the fall of Dhir’s wicket, to craft victory and a 2-0 lead in the series. They showed how to rise and fight after slipping down, with four of the top batters having scored only Sanju Samson (14), Abhishek Sharma (27), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (4), and skipper Shreyas Iyer (7). This is what is called a fightback — refusing to give up hope. It was a demonstration of character, courage a...

By K.R. Nayar  India’s win over New Zealand in the first T20I match of the series at Christchurch by four wickets, if observed closely, has many significant features. It was much more than a well-fought victory that has set the mood for an exciting series. There was barely any sign of jet lag. Instead, there was a display of huge mental resilience.  The heroes were Player of the Match Sanju Samson (67), skipper Shreyas Iyer (42), and Naman Dhir (42 not out) playing only in his sixth T20 International. India showed how a T20 team should play when faced with a daunting target of 226. Sanju Samson... another match winning knock Samson has once again let his critics know that when he plays a good knock, India races to victory. The aggressive starts that he provides come from timing without hesitation. He fails at times, but that is because he does not protect his wicket and is not concerned about the risk he needs to take to give his team a quick start.  ...

By K.R. Nayar  Before the New Zealand series, many things are happening in Indian cricket. Experiments with new players have been going on, new team combinations have been tried out, and now there is a split captaincy during the New Zealand tour. When Head Coach Gautam Gambhir was resting or unavailable, VVS Laxman stepped into his role, leading to rumours that soon there may be split coaches too. A selection committee with Pragyan Ojha as chairperson and Ramesh Powar as a new member has taken charge. The just-concluded West Indies series was supposed to be easy for India, but India won the One Day International series by just a 2-1 margin, and the T20I series ended 2-2.  Despite all the efforts being made to carve out a strong team, a few questions remain. Though India has many good cricketers, are there enough match-winners? Selectors are finding it tough to finalise who matters most and who will deliver. The domestic structure has been producing many talented cricke...

By K.R. Nayar This is about a book written by yoga master, Sanjeev Krishnan, whom I reverently address as Guruji, and who brought a rhythm to my life. My wife and I attended his Rhythm of Life course nearly a decade ago, and the rhythm he instilled in us continues to keep us going even today.  His book, Decode Global Wellness, was launched last week by HE Dr Emmadi Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, Consul General of India in Dubai, at the Consulate General of India Auditorium, during a colourful ceremony. The auditorium was packed with people, most of whom had benefited from Guruji’s courses.  He has now put his words into a book so that everyone can read them at leisure. The reason I say “at leisure” is that he clearly states in the book: “Readers are encouraged to read slowly, reflect deeply, pause often and apply gently.”   HE Dr Emmadi Vishnu Vardhan Reddy,  Consul General of India, lights the lamp during the book launch function.   In the earlier days, I was ve...

By K.R. Nayar Almost every Keralite in the Gulf has, at some point, been affectionately - or sometimes inaccurately - addressed as a ‘Malabari’. The irony is that Malabar is only a region in northern Kerala, encompassing districts such as Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad, Kozhikode and Malappuram. Yet, in the Gulf, the word has often become a convenient umbrella term for Malayalis from every corner of Kerala. A memento that says it all  But when it comes to cricket, Malabar has a special identity of its own. And at the heart of that identity lies Tellicherry, now known as Thalassery, in Kannur district, widely regarded as one of the earliest centres of cricket in India. The game is believed to have taken root there during the British era, when officers of the East India Company introduced it to the region and local residents joined them on the cricket field. At the Sevens Ground  If cricket arrived on Malabar’s shores with the British, it was the people of Malabar who helped ...