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By K.R. Nayar Mumbai. Cricket becomes exciting when a jinx is broken and flung into the Arabian Sea. It turns into a spectacle when a target of 221 runs is chased with brilliant, aggressive batting. Even more, it turns magical when the home team wins, and that too at the historic Wankhede Stadium, where many spectacular victories have been celebrated in the past. All of this happened on March 29, during the second match of the Indian Premier League 2026, when Mumbai Indians won by six wickets over Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ending a 13-year jinx of not having won their opening game since 2012.  The exorcists: Ryan Rickelton and Rohit Sharma. Photos: Mumbai Indians  For fans who enjoy watching bowlers dominate, this was not their day. It was sheer massacre of the bowlers, so much so that if a bowler managed to deliver two dot balls in a stretch, he became a hero. Hence, it was not surprising that Mumbai’s Shardul Thakur, who bagged three wickets, was awarded t...

By K.R. Nayar Mumbai.  Narrating beyond what you see in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match is a joy. The opening match of this world’s most popular tournament had its own beauty. A packed stadium, enjoying the art of brilliant batting displayed by Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal, along with Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Ishan Kishan, was a rapturous delight. Of course, the bowling by RCB’s Jacob Duffy added to the radiance of his team’s emphatic six-wicket win, with 26 balls to spare, at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. The action began after 11 seats at the stadium were kept unoccupied as a tribute to the 11 fans who lost their lives during RCB’s title triumph celebration at this venue last year. These 11 seats will remain permanently unoccupied. If not for the fans, the IPL would never have been as popular as it is today. Respecting those fans was important, and I am sure those 11 would have been there to watch the opening match had they been alive. Cri...

By K.R. Nayar From MIG Cricket Club Mumbai. With three cricketing veterans on the same dias, it was a magical Friday evening at the MIG Club in Bandra. There was elegance from former Indian captain Vengsarkar, as he was known for as a batter; there was history and knowledge from Ratnakar Shetty, a former professor who held the prestigious position of BCCI’s Chief Administrative Officer; and there was Prabhudesai, a former media relations officer and biographer. Ratnakar Shetty, Dilip Vengsarkar, Ajinkya Naik and Devendra Prabhudesai release the book. Photos by K.R. Nayar    It was the release of Prabhudesai’s 10th book as an author, titled Running Between the Wickets: The Story of the Indian Men's Cricket Team, at the MIG Cricket Club, Bandra, on Friday evening.  All three have been part of many historical cricketing moments—one as a cricketer and the other two as administrators. When they speak, interesting anecdotes from the history of Indian cricket surface....

By K.R. Nayar From the Cricket Club of India Mumbai.  Snooker in a historic cricket venue like the Cricket Club of India at the Brabourne Stadium was exciting. Having reported only cricket from this venue over the years, the CCI Snooker Classic tournament 2026 being held there, with the best of snooker artistry on display, created a refreshingly different feeling. The fact that this tournament has been held for nearly 60 years and that this venue, known more for cricketing legends, had opened its doors for this elegant sport, shows the magnanimity of the members here in encouraging other sports too. For an event to be staged for nearly six decades demands not just passion, but unwavering commitment from its dedicated members. A get-together of all the snooker stars during the CCI Snooker Classic 2026. Photo by K.R. Nayar A warm get-together of snooker lovers and journalists was then held at the CK Nayudu Hall, where nostalgia mingled with admiration. I was fortunate to mee...

By K.R. Nayar From Wankhede Stadium   Mumbai.  A special function was held at the Wankhede Stadium press box during the ICC T20 semifinal between India and England. It stirred nostalgia and emotion in equal measure. The Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), along with the Sports Journalists Association of Mumbai (SJAM), unveiled an Honours Board dedicated to sports journalists of Mumbai who have passed away after serving the game with distinction. The Honours Board of Sports Journalists at the Wankhede Stadium after being unveiled by Ajinkya Naik, President of the Mumbai Cricket Association. Photo by K.R. Nayar  For many who grew up reading these journalists, and whose names now adorn the Honours Board, it was a deeply nostalgic moment. For me, it was even more emotional, for I have interacted with some of them closely at work and during our travels to many cricket centres around the world. Ajinkya Naik, President of the Mumbai Cricket Association unveils the Honour...