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By K.R. Nayar  Mumbai. Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shreyas Iyer’s nerves are made of steel, and his determination is as hot as a burning iron rod. His performance as a leader, batter, and fielder in PBKS’s unbeaten run in this edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) been outstanding. Through his knock of 66 runs in his team’s seven-wicket win over Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April 16, 2026), and a string of three half-centuries, he proved to be an inspiration not only for his team but also for all IPL fans who turned up at the Wankhede Stadium. He is also Mumbai’s own boy, fondly known as Sarpanch Saab by all his fans.  I have trailed Iyer’s journey from the day he was he was left out of India’s playing XI during the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in the UAE. Then when he was picked for India’s next match in Sharjah, he smashed the second ball he faced against the West Indies for a six and went on to score an identical 66, like the one he scor...

By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. Bowlers who make their debut may well be handled with caution now. They give it their all in their first chance to bowl, as it marks the end of their wait to play in the prestigious Indian Premier League (IPL). Rajasthan Royals (RR) learned this the hard way when Sunrisers Hyderabad’s (SRH) debut bowlers, Praful Hinge and Sakib Hussain, both right-arm medium pacers, bagged four wickets each at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The most remarkable feat was 24-year-old Hinge’s world-record-breaking performance of bagging three wickets in his very first over in the IPL. It was a night that belonged entirely to the debutants.  Never in the 19-year history of the IPL has any bowler taken three wickets in the very first over of an innings. The batters he dismissed were the dangerous and in-form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (golden duck), Dhruv Jurel, as well as Lhuan-dre Pretorius. It is only in dreams that most pacers visualise such a spell, but...

By K.R. Nayar  Mumbai. It was a delightful sight for anyone entering the Wankhede Stadium. This venue was totally dressed in Mumbai Indians (MI) colours, with towering cut-outs of Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav beckoning everyone to watch them in full flow. Unfortunately, in the match against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Sunday (April 12, 2026), none of them rose to the challenge with big scores, and MI lost by 18 runs. The towering cut-outs of Mumbai Indians's top stars at the Wankhede Stadium. Photo by K.R. Nayar Five-time champions MI are stumbling having lost three of their four matches. Their fans had arrived early to enjoy top class cricket from their team and were seated below the stadium roof painted in MI’s blue and gold colours with hopes in their hearts. What they got instead was heartbreak. A vibrant Royal Challengers top order, comprising opener Phil Salt, Virat Kohli and skipper Rajat Patidar, struck half-centuries, while for Mumbai, e...

By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. It’s not just IPL teams, but cricketing teams across the globe now recognise a chilling truth: dismiss Sanju Samson early or be ready to pay the price. Following his unbeaten 115 in 56 balls for Chennai Super Kings (CSK), after scores of 6, 7, and 9 in his first three matches, every team is likely to be nervous if he passes the single-digit score. Sanju Chetta (brother), as he is adorably addressed, is the finest demolisher of any bowling attack, and he gave CSK a 23-run victory over Delhi Capitals (DC). It was CSK’s first win of this edition and also ended a six-match losing streak for CSK on their home ground. A devoted admirer of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, Sanju lit up the night further with the iconic salute from Padayappa movie, sending the Chepauk crowd into raptures. While Sanju did the Padayappa salute, every bowler who bowled should have also saluted this exceptionally talented hard-hitter, who won the Player of the Tournament award in the recen...

By K.R. Nayar Mumbai.  The unveiling of a cricket stadium stand in a cricketer’s name is very often an event where formal words, polite applause, and a respectful nod to history all come together. However, at the evening when the unveiling of the Ravi Shastri Stand was held at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday (April 9, 2026), along with the unveiling of gates named after Dilip Sardesai, Eknath Solkar, and Diana Edulji, one got to hear many stories that evoked nostalgia. Ravi Shastri stand being unveiled. Photo by K.R. Nayar  As someone who has reported many of their matches and closely interacted with these four greats from Mumbai, this was also emotional for me reviving old memories and some great moments I’ve had with them. In an era where today’s cricketers seldom read reports or build personal bonds with journalists, these four belonged to a different, warmer time. They valued relationships. They acknowledged the storyteller. So, after the unveiling, when Shastri intro...

By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. It was while writing the book ‘318-Whispers of the Indian Test Cap’ that I searched deep into the life of C. D. Gopinath. Little did I imagine that within months of putting his journey into words as the oldest living Indian cricketer, he would pass away on April 9, 2026, at the age of 96. Cricket has lost a whisper from its earliest heartbeat. C.D. Gopinath  Now, Chandrakant Patankar, who is 95 years and 132 days old, is the oldest living Indian cricketer. Among the oldest Test cricketers in the world, he will be third after Australia’s Neil Harvey, who is 97 years and 187 days old, and New Zealand’s John Leggat, who is 95 years and 307 days old. The secret behind Gopinath’s longevity must be the joy with which he lived life every day. He was a member of the team that secured India’s first-ever Test victory in 1952, beating England by an innings and eight runs—his contribution being a valuable 35 runs. India has beaten England many times after this ...