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The curious case of Sanju Samson who plays under an expiry date

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By K.R. Nayar Sanju Samson has been dropped again. This time, the axe has fallen before the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. A study of Samson’s career reveals a blatant truth: he tops the list among Indian cricketers to be dropped from the Indian team the maximum number of times and has been ignored from the playing eleven despite being part of the squad. Samson has been dropped for the Zimbabwe series after just three scores of 5, 0, and 1, but this came after knocks of 97 not out, 89, and 89 that helped India win the T20 World Cup. This literally means that the selectors are walking around him with an axe. In fact, he got the chance to play those match-winning knocks in the T20 World Cup after the selectors tried their best to keep him out of the playing eleven, but were forced to include him towards the end. For the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup, the selectors had happily kept him out of the eleven throughout the tournament, as if his best role was to warm the bench. Those ...
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'Moon’ and ‘Stars’ carry Australian women’s cricket team to seventh heaven

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By K.R. Nayar  Australian women lifted the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title for the seventh time, and this time it happened due to ‘Moon’ and the ‘Stars’. Beth Mooney, nicknamed Moon, played a splendid knock of 64, backed by Phoebe Litchfield’s 48. These two, along with the other players, all of whom are worthy of being stars, ensured a seven-wicket win over England in the final at Lord’s Cricket Ground on July 5, 2026. The Australian team is in seventh heaven now, mainly due to their meticulous planning and consistent hard work. They have also won the ICC Women’s World Cup (50-over) seven times, proving themselves to be a power in world cricket. Though Team India are the reigning women’s World Cup champions, they have a long way to go to become a strong force in both formats like the Australians in women’s cricket. So why is it a treat to watch these Australian women in action? Primarily, it is the confidence with which they walk onto the field announcing they are out...
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UAE cricketers’ favourite ‘Uncle Thomson’ passes away, leaving fond memories

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By K.R. Nayar  While reporting domestic cricket in the UAE, a smiling face always greeted me at different venues and almost at all tournaments. Cricketers lovingly called him “Uncle.” To some, he was Uncle Thomson; to others, Bulla Mama. But to everyone in general, Thomson John D'Silva was warmth wrapped in a smile. As the manager of many domestic teams in the UAE, most of his teams have won numerous laurels. He was an inspiring presence, and he passed away on July 2, 2026, at the age of 75. The ever-smiling Uncle Thomson   Not everyone is blessed with innate man-management skills. Uncle Thomson had that unique ability not just to manage but to mentor and be like a guardian. During the glorious period of domestic cricket in the UAE, when tournaments were enthusiastically organised by passionate lovers of the game and councils, Uncle Thomson was in great demand as a team manager. As a reporter, he was my best point of contact since he would willingly share details about eve...
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Did Irish Luck or Boney M sing the Indian team out?

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By K.R. Nayar  Ireland’s 2-0 clean sweep over India in Belfast is shocking. As the reigning T20 world champions, one wonders whether it was the Irish luck that beat India. Also, since the victory happened in Belfast, it may well be that the Ireland team was influenced by Boney M’s famous song Belfast and may have walked out humming the lyrics of the song: “Belfast, Belfast, Belfast. Got to have a belief in, got to have a belief in, got to have a belief in all the people.” It is indeed the belief in their ability to beat the world champions that gave Ireland their 34-run win in the first T20 match and the nerve-shredding one-run win in the second match. This is not just a historic series sweep for Ireland, but for world cricket itself. To beat India, which hasn’t been beaten in 16 series over three years, is truly remarkable.   Had it been a one-off win, it could have been attributed to Irish luck, a term associated more with dumb luck rather than actual skill, intelligence...
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Shyam Bhatia’s book “Her Story, Her Glory”, written by Aditya Bhushan, launched

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By K.R. Nayar  At a time when the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup is building towards its crescendo, a book that captures the soul of women’s cricket found its perfect stage. "Her Story, Her Glory: The Making of Women's Cricket in India" was launched at the iconic Cricket Club of India (CCI) in Mumbai on Thursday, June 25, 2026. It was another initiative by Dubai-based businessman and cricket enthusiast Shyam Bhatia, who backed author Aditya Bhushan as the presenter. The book launch (from left) Ayaz Memon, Shyam Bhatia, Diana Edulji, Aditya  Bhushan  Bhatia’s book launches are not just events—they are occasions where history breathes, speaks, and relives itself. This is Bhatia’s fifth book. His earlier works include Portrait of the Game (three editions) with the late Kishore Bhimani, and Sunny G with Debasish Dutta. But what sets Bhatia apart is not just the books—it is his instinct for moments. He chooses dates that echo with history and venues that carry memory. Launching...
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Qamar Ahmed: A front-seat storyteller on cricket’s highway is no more

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By K.R. Nayar Almost everyone called him Q, but for me he was Qamar bhai. Pakistan’s veteran cricket writer and commentator, Qamar Ahmed, who passed away on June 18, 2026, was someone with whom I’ve travelled a lot. To be precise, we travelled together whenever he came to Dubai, listening to his many stories. The first message I received after the passing away of 88 year old Qamar was from another Pakistan journalist and close friend, Shahid Hashmi. He wrote: “The front seat in your car (where Qamar always sat) will remain vacant. Our journey mate during matches in the UAE is no more.” With Qamar Ahmed after he received a memento from the Pakistan Cricket Board after he reported his 423rd Test match in Dubai in 2016. The energy with which Qamar came to report matches always defied his age. Not once did I get the impression that the man seated next to me was in his 80s. It was the tales he narrated about his first-class debut in 1956 for Sind against Karachi Whites, and how he h...
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Four-year victory drought for Pakistan over India

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By K.R. Nayar  Following the Indian women’s team’s 64-run victory over Pakistan in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on June 14, 2026, it will be nearly four years since Pakistan’s men’s and women’s teams have beaten India. The last time Pakistan’s men’s team beat India was on September 4, 2022, in a Super 4 match at the 2022 Asia Cup in Dubai, winning by 5 wickets. The last time the women's team beat India was on October 7, 2022, during the Women's T20 Asia Cup in Bangladesh, securing a 13-run victory.  A rivalry once defined by edge-of-the-seat uncertainty now seems to walk a predictable script. Pakistan-India matches have in the past produced many exciting moments; but it now seems like Pakistan is not playing against India but against themselves. Against India, scoreboards aren’t chased — they are feared. In some matches, Pakistan have looked like world- beaters, but often, in matches against India, they play like strangers to the game.  Debates on why Pakistan...
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