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The Sanju Samson show brings joy to the fans of City of Joy

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By K.R. Nayar From Eden Gardens Kolkata.  Sanju Samson’s match-winning unbeaten knock of 97, which carried India into the semifinal by overcoming the West Indies at the Eden Gardens, was a treat to the fans of this City of Joy. It was an innings played with immense maturity, and an announcement that he was not just a big hitter. Every stroke had timing, every defence had a purpose, and every run he scored revealed his command over the West Indies bowlers. He played that innings when Eden Gardens hummed with nervous energy following the fall of a few wickets, including that of his skipper, Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson thanks  the Almighty after his match winning knock. Photo: ICC Samson made the ball obey his command Though Samson had once, during an exclusive interview with this writer, while talking about the strength with which he hits sixes, had said: “I always remind myself of my name. Samson was considered the strongest man in the world (according to the Bible). I k...
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World Cup amid war and tremors while J&K script a story of steel

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By K.R. Nayar From Eden Gardens Kolkata. As the ICC T20 World Cup tiptoes into its final week, many unexpected incidents are happening — as unexpected as some of the results of the matches. The US–Israel–Iran war and the attacks on Middle Eastern countries have created tension for the organisers, though fans here are focused on the oncoming matches. A statement from the ICC expressed its concern and said that players, team management, match officials, broadcast teams, and event staff rely on Gulf hub airports, particularly Dubai, and that ICC security consultants are liaising with the relevant authorities to plan their course of action. In Kolkata, the main talking points among cricket fans were about the Friday earthquake and the India–West Indies . The giant screen at the Eden Gardens. Photo by K.R. Nayar  Earthquake and cricket fans An earthquake before an important cricket World Cup match is not something fans expect to happen. While the hurricane after the 2024 ICC ...
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Without a wink to the City of Joy and last World Cup for the yellow ambassador taxis

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By K.R. Nayar From Eden Gardens Kolkata. There was a time when Eden Gardens, where India take on West Indies on March 1 in the ICC T20 World Cup, was the stadium with the largest seating capacity in India. Nearly 100,000 people used to watch the action. Today, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest. But my first experience of reporting while sitting amidst 100,000 spectators was at the Eden Gardens. After renovation, this stadium can accommodate only around 70,000, but the aura and history of this ground makes it special. It was established way back in 1864 . Last World Cup for yellow Ambassador taxi. Photo by K.R. Nayar  To Kolkata without a wink of sleep Leaving for Kolkata from Chennai within a few hours after the India-Zimbabwe match and taking the 4:45 am flight resulted in a sleepless night. Since it was a red-eye flight, I hardly expected any journalist to be on this flight. To my surprise,  India’s ex-captain-turned-commentator, Ravi Shastri w...
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Chennai fans had a blast savouring India’s bravery and class act

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By K.R. Nayar From M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Chennai. Chennai cricket fans have always appreciated boldness and bravery, be it from the Indian team or from a visiting team. On Thursday, the Indian team gave them plenty to cheer during the course of their 72 runs win over Zimbabwe. It was a performance wrapped in authority and flair, one that re-instated the belief that they can remain T20 World Cup champions.  Chennai fans celebrate India's big win. Photo: ICC  From the very first over, they lived up to the hopes of the crowd as well as the whole of India, thanks to the positive start by Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. They batted as if they had never been out of form and struck with authority. This was exactly what the crowd wanted. In T20 cricket, momentum is like oxygen, and the Indian batters never allowed Zimbabwe to breathe. When the openers provided a breezy start, the dressing room relaxed, the fans cheered, and it boosted the rest to go for the kill. Zimbabwe ...
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Press conferences with pocket full of excuses and clichés

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By K.R. Nayar From M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Chennai. When a team official or a player meets journalists after a huge loss, he is bound to be grilled. Before the India-Zimbabwe match, there was an interesting situation because both team representatives were facing the media after defeats to South Africa and West Indies respectively. India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak at the pre-match press conference. Photo: ICC India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak had to face a barrage of questions on the team’s batting, such as Indian batters having scored 11 ducks and a batting average of only 20 in this World Cup. Zimbabwe vice-captain Ryan Burl, when asked about West Indies, candidly admitted that the Windies have the firepower to attack from ball one. Kotak regretted the defeat to South Africa and mentioned it was the worst game they had played in two years. So often, it is better to admit that the team and the players played badly and appreciate the opponent rather than try to def...
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Tales of Jayalalithaa’s crush on Nari Contractor and the timeless Madras Cricket Club

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By K.R. Nayar From M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Chennai.  If you are in Chennai and don’t get to see posters of the late actor-turned-chief minister M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and the late actress-turned-chief minister J. Jayalalithaa, then the trip is not complete. There was a time when huge cut-out posters of these two leaders, and later of former chief minister C. N. Annadurai, could be seen in various parts of the city. A domestic cricket tournament called the MGR Trophy is now in its 31st edition here, having begun on February 20. A poster of all three late chief ministers. Photo by K.R. Nayar  Interestingly, J. Jayalalithaa used to watch international cricket matches when she was young. In an interview with Simi Garewal, she once said that she had a childhood crush on former Indian cricket captain Nari Contractor and used to attend Test matches specifically to watch him play. At the age of 91, Contractor is among the oldest living Indian cricketers. So he is remembered no...
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Names that evoke a chuckle, Chennai’s knowledgeable fans, and ‘Thala’ Dhoni

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By K.R. Nayar From M. A. Chidambaram Stadium Chennai. A World Cup in India is a special experience. Every city one visits is different, and everywhere there are tales—both, about the city, and cricket. It is not cricket alone that entertains, because if you keep your eyes open, you will see the many creative and humorous things around. In Ahmedabad, the creativity and humour in naming establishments were remarkable. At the  M. A. Chidambaram Stadium. Photo by K.R. Nayar  “What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet but after seeing a few in India, one feels that names do play a big role. They grab attention like a last-over six. As we drove towards the Ahmedabad stadium, the names given to certain establishments evoked many a chuckle among the media. As the media bus crawled through the Ahmedabad traffic at a pace that would embarrass even a defensive forward push, I had enough time to read, re-read, and even photograph these masterpieces of naming brilli...
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