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From Kerala to Galle: Padikkal sails into Test history

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By K.R. Nayar Devdutt Padikkal’s roots are in Kerala, the southern state of India that lies close to Sri Lanka. To score his maiden Test century at the Galle International Stadium in Sri Lanka makes the occasion all the more special. Born in Edappal in Malappuram district, a place known as the birthplace of renowned Malayalam film actor Sukumaran and brilliant writer P. Surendran, Padikkal has now been added as a new celebrity to that list. His bat announced that Edappal has produced another name that India will remember. Padikkal’s maiden Test century will be remembered for a long time for various reasons. Indian fans will be thrilled to celebrate his century on the 80th Independence Day of his country. His century has come in India’s 600th Test match. This knock also comes after his unbeaten 142 in the tour match against Sri Lanka Cricket XI, which ensured his place in the playing eleven and the No. 1 batting slot. For every cricketer, their maiden Test century is a milestone...
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The task ahead of Indian cricket’s next chief selector will be challenging

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By K.R. Nayar  There are reports that Ajit Agarkar's tenure as India’s chief selector may end in September and his contract is unlikely to be extended. Whoever takes on this role next will face an uphill task. The coming years are crucial, with many high-profile events listed, especially the ICC Cricket World Cup in 2027. While captains lead on the field, it is the selectors who shape the future of the team. Ajit Agarkar  Today, with so much pressure on maintaining rankings in all formats of the game in international cricket, and the need to analyse performances from franchise cricket, the workload for a chief selector is just very heavy, unlike in the past. The modern chief selector must not be just a brilliant former cricketer alone, but a strategist, and a man with an exceptional eye for talent scouting. When he steps into that role, he automatically becomes the custodian of Indian cricket’s future. Agarkar’s role came under scrutiny after some puzzling calls dur...
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Aspiring cricketer’s suicide sends a stark warning

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By K.R. Nayar A 17-year-old aspiring female cricketer, Aditi Moreshwar Chaukhande, committed suicide in Nagpur, India, on July 30, 2026, expressing severe distress and disappointment over failing to be selected for a higher-level Vidarbha Cricket Association team. This incident must be closely examined and not written off as a one-off incident.  Aditi was undergoing intensive cricket training, wanting to pursue a professional cricket career. Her brother is also a cricketer, and she left behind a note saying: “I could not get selected, but you have been selected. Play well, and I will always be with you throughout your life.” Today, the disappointment of not getting selected cuts deeper than ever before. Cricket is no longer just a sport played for joy—it is a career, a livelihood, a dream packaged with expectations. When youngsters, along with their parents, choose this path, selection becomes everything. Many aspire to break into lucrative franchise leagues that promise inst...
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Cap 278, Rahane, retires: Did India truly value its crisis man?

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By K.R. Nayar  Ajinkya Rahane announced his retirement from international cricket, leaving behind a treasure full of memories. They were performances that made India look formidable against top teams. He was often dropped during his prime, especially when he deserved to be firmly entrenched in the Indian team. Rahane was a selfless, ultimate team man, an exceptionally brilliant fielder, and a batter who could adapt to any conditions and format. His elegance was without noise and refused to be flashy to attract public attention. Rahane deserves a rich tribute as he walks away from international cricket for many compelling reasons. A glance at his performances makes one wonder why Rahane, now 38 years old, was never picked for ODIs since 2018 (at the age of 30), for T20I matches since 2016 (at the age of 28), and why his last Test appearance came in 2023. Fans thereafter got to applaud him only in domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League. He will stand tall as one among the f...
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Power of positivity fuels India to a clean sweep win over Zimbabwe

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By K.R. Nayar India has recorded a clean sweep 3-0 win over Zimbabwe in Harare in the T20 series, powered by a fearless and positive mindset.  Arriving in Harare with a string of six defeats in T20 International matches, they won the first match by seven wickets, the second by 90 runs, and the third by 35 runs. At a time when there were doubts over whether this team would crash again, under Shreyas Iyer, the players blocked all negative thoughts and focused on the present. An inspiring message from Iyer did the trick. Iyer urged his players to shed fear and forget the past: “Be in the present. Maximise the opportunity you're getting. Tomorrow is a new day.” Simple words, but they struck deep. Ishan Kishan, who emerged as the Player of the Match in the second game, revealed the impact of positivity that helped him produce a match-winning knock of 81 and how focusing on the present moment backed him. “I don't give so much focus to what's happening outside. I know the wa...
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The significance of Sooryavanshi’s maiden International half century

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By K.R. Nayar  Indian cricket was passing through a worrying phase. Amidst that gloom, a 15-year-old boy in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has brought some cheer. Despite India being the world champions in T20 cricket, a string of six defeats in this format required a break. Through a whirlwind 50 off just 19 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes, Sooryavanshi powered India to a seven-wicket win over Zimbabwe on July 23, 2026, in Harare. This half-century from the teenager is much beyond a match-winning knock. It has come from a boy who was kept out of the eleven for the ODI matches against England following scores of 14, 13 and 15 in the T20 series defeat to England. Doubts were raised over whether he would live up to his promise in international cricket. But the manner in which he batted against Zimbabwe, unleashing his aggressive skills, showed that he is special. He has now become the youngest player to hit a half-century in international cricket at 15 years and 118 days. In fac...
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Memories of Sobers through Abid Ali, Aravind De Silva and Karsan Ghavri

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By K.R. Nayar Garry Sobers, the legendary cricketer from the West Indies, passed away two weeks before his 90 th birthday on July 17, 2026. Sobers was a hero I had heard about from the time I chose to play cricket, and when I became a journalist, I got to read a lot about him too. In countless interviews with international cricketers, his name would surface—almost inevitably, almost reverentially. For many, he was not just an idol; he was the benchmark of greatness. I never had the privilege of watching him play live—only through grainy videos—but was fortunate to spend time with those who have shared the field with him, and through them, Sobers came alive for me. One of them was the late former Indian all-rounder Syed Abid Ali. We used to spend a lot of time together in Sharjah and Dubai when he was the coach of the UAE team. I remember writing about his encounters with Sobers during the early 2000s, and they were published in the newspaper I worked for in the UAE. Once Ali w...
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