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By K.R. Nayar There is a lot to learn from a sunrise. It brings along messages to wipe away negative thoughts and carve a day filled with positive thoughts. So let us use that to scale greater heights of success and help us shine our lives like the sunlight Sunrise brings hope for the fishermen. Photo by Ajita Nayar  This is the time when one must rise up if we have fallen down in our journey of life. Every day one hears of unexpected things happening around due to the coronavirus pandemic. Many of us feel helpless and have no clue as to what needs to be done next. This is the time we need to up our mental strength. When faced with a tough situation, our minds can turn negative. It then gives us messages that can make us feel as if there is no way forward.  That is when we must remember the sun. I once got a lovely message from a friend that said 'Remember the sun sets to rise again,' and that is a message for all of us to rise again. This also got me to realise that we r

By K.R. Nayar With cricketers pulling out of the ongoing IPL, a debate has ensued on whether the event should have been postponed or held in the UAE. There have been numerous opinions being given, and it is worthwhile looking into them. To add fuel to this debate is the decision by an Indian daily, The Indian Express, on April 25 to stop reporting on the IPL matches. Ravichandran Ashwin Soon after Delhi Capitals' Ravichandran Ashwin decided to leave the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be with his family amidst the ongoing raging coronavirus pandemic, I have been receiving a number of messages from cricket loving friends. When Royal Challengers Bangalore’s Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa, and Rajasthan Royals’ Andrew Tye too flew back to Australia, debate on this topic heated up in my WhatsApp groups.  While many of them have been watching this IPL every day since it has been going on,   a few were of the opinion that this tournament should not have been held during such a challengi

By K.R. Nayar   Next time you see the scoop shot being played, remember that it dates back to over 100 years. Though the stroke is popularly called Dilscoop after Sri Lankan batsman  Tillakaratne Dilshan, there are many who have played this stroke but did not get the credit for it Tillakaratne Dilshan plays his scoop shot. Photo: YouTube Today (April 24) is the day when Sachin Tendulkar, the master of almost all the strokes in cricket, was born. All his strokes were from the coaching manual and he played them to perfection.  This is also the day when Dougie Marillier, a not-so-famous Zimbabwean cricketer was born. Very few may know that he had a stroke named after him called the ‘Marillier shot.’ This was a lap-scoop over the wicketkeeper played against fast bowlers. Whenever we watch or talk about scoop shots, the cricketer who comes to our mind is Sri Lankan batsman  Tillakaratne Dilshan. His scoop shot became so popular that it was named the ‘Dilscoop’ unlike the  Marillier shot

By K.R. Nayar IPL is a stage for cricketers who work hard and willing to chase their dreams. Challenging backgrounds or life’s struggles are never an obstacle for them. Rajasthan Royals’ Chetan Sakariya is the latest among the youngsters to prove that nothing can stop one’s desire to play in the IPL and win laurels Chetan Sakaria being applauded by his teammates in the match against Chennai Super Kings. Photo: Courtesy IPL Tales of many of the cricketers playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are quite touching. Some are about the struggles they've had to undergo to become an IPL player and some are about the devotion they showed towards the game to earn success.   The excellent bowling display by an unknown 23-year-old left-arm pacer, Chetan Sakariya, pushed me to know more about him.   Playing Rajasthan Royals, he produced three wickets spells against Kings Punjab and Chennai Super Kings.   While I was looking for some more information about this boy who hails from Bha

  By K.R. Nayar Age cannot stop any ardent cricketer from playing the game. There have been many instances when players have made their debut even in their fifties. They proved that as long as there is the desire in them to keep playing, nothing can stop them. Raja Maharaj Singh While commentating for the Divyang Premier League for Cricketers with Physical Disabilities at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium last week, a question was posed to online viewers on Raja Maharaj Singh. From a few options, viewers were asked to pick the age at which Maharaj Singh had made his first-class debut. The right answer was that Singh made his first-class debut at the age of 72! Interesting facts like these were included in-between by SF360 Digital Production to make live streaming of the event interesting and informative. The question for viewers on Raja Maharaj Singh during the Divyang Premier League  In the UAE, we have an all-rounder in Freddy Sidhwa, who is in his mid-seventies but plays in the domes

  By K.R. Nayar Chennai Superstarz emerged champions of the first Divyang Premier League for cricketers with physical disabilities by beating Kolkata Knight Fighters in the final. The whole tournament was an emotional battle with physically challenged cricketers fighting hard ignoring their misfortunes and giving their best on the field to emerge as the best Chennai Superstarz celebrate their victory  Amidst emotional scenes, Chennai Superstarz lifted the winner's trophy of the first edition of the Divyang Premier League for cricketers with physical disabilities. They beat Kolkata Knight Fighters by 23 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium with most of their players in tears during the closing stages of the final. Kailash, who bowled the last over to prevent Kolkata from reaching the target, burst into tears in the middle of the last over. He was unable to control his emotions after he had ensured that Kolkata does not reach the target and realised that his team would be the champion

  By K.R. Nayar They are cricketers with physical deformities...some with just an arm or just a leg. They take unbelievable one-handed catches, run cheeky singles, and stop boundaries despite limping all the way. These determined cricketers produced a fascinating contest at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium through the first edition of the Divyang Premier League for the physically challenged. Mukesh Kanchan, who is also the president of the Divyang Cricket Control Board of India    Divyang Premier League (DPL) is a cricket tournament with a difference. It is played by cricketers of determination, some have only an arm, some with just one leg, and some have a limping weak leg. But they produced fascinating cricket at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday representing the different states of India. This tournament was broadcast live on television by SF360 Digital Production. As one of the commentators for the event, it was an unbelievable experience. There were moments I choked for words w

  By K.R. Nayar Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson stunned cricket fans yesterday with his powerful shots during the course of his century. Read about the tale behind his enormous power. Kings XI Punjab’s left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh who bowled the last over and stopped Samson to ensure his team a victory has the habit of learning by asking questions constantly to senior players in his team.  Sanju Samson plays one of his powerful shots against Kings XI Punjab. Photo: Courtesy IPL Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson cracked a blistering knock of 119 displaying his mighty strength and timing to chase a tough target on the fourth day of the Indian Premier League. Chasing King’s XI Punjab’s total of 221 for 6, Samson carried his team to just four runs short of the target. It is his belief that he is one of the strongest men in this world that makes him play such knocks. During the course of the innings, it looked like all deliveries bowled to him would sail for a six or crash to

  By K.R. Nayar The Indian Premier League has always been a stage for determined cricketers to display their skills imbibed from the legends of the game. Kolkata Knight Riders’ man of the match Nitish Rana and Abdul Samad, a rising 18-year-old from Sunrisers Hyderabad, are two players who have used the stage to earn glory Nitish Rana in action against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Photo: Courtesy IPL Kolkata Knight Riders won over Sunrisers Hyderabad by 10 runs on the third day of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to Kolkata’s opening batsman Nitish Rana’s sparkling 80 runs. Rana is an example of a cricketer who was inspired by his idols to become a hero himself.  This left-hander grew up wanting to bat like former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. He even mimicked Ganguly’s batting style. He has also closely watched his Delhi team’s star left-hander and Indian opener Gautam Gambhir. Rana mimicked Ganguly so much that before the start of the last IPL in the UAE he had remarked in an intervie

By K.R. Nayar  Delhi Capitals recorded an easy win over Chennai Super Kings on Day 2 of the IPL. Here are four interesting nuggets from that match Avesh Khan being applauded by his teammates. Photo: Courtesy IPL   Avesh Khan: From a net bowler to a deadly pacer Avesh Khan proved that he deserves to play for India soon.  Trapping Chennai opener Faf Du Plessis leg before for a duck and then getting skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni clean bowled, this 24-year-old pacer has announced that he deserves to play international cricket soon.  Avesh can generate a good pace and bowl at over 140kmph. Avesh Khan had figured among the top 20 bowlers who have bowled the fastest delivery twice in the IPL 2018.  He once bowled at 149.12 and on another occasion, it was 148.74kmph. In the match against Chennai on Saturday (April 10), his fastest delivery clocked 143.06. Delhi Capital’s pacer Anrich Nortje, who is going through quarantine and did not play the match, had bowled the fast delivery in IPL hist

By K.R. Nayar  Royal Challengers beat Mumbai Indians in a thriller on Day 1 of the IPL. Here are five interesting nuggets from that exciting match. Man of the Match Harshal Patel. Photo: Courtesy IPL Man of the Match had all plans to settle in the USA Who is Harshal Patel, the man of the match?  Like the many Patels from Gujarat, Harshal Patel too had all plans to settle in the USA with his family, but something pushed him to stay back and take up cricket as a career. Although he played for India in the Under-19 World Cup in 2010, he failed to find a place in the Gujarat Ranji Trophy team. Then he went on to play for Haryana and produced eight-wicket spells against Karnataka and Rajasthan in the 2011-2012 Ranji Trophy season. And when Royal Challengers picked him to be used as their death bowler, he delivered. On the first day of the IPL 2021, he became the first player to pick a five-for against Mumbai. Interestingly, this statistic was news to Patel and he said: “ I didn't kn