Mumbai tour diary - 6: Jaimeek Shah's unbeaten 95 at the historic Khar Gymkhana ground

By K.R. Nayar

The fourth day of the G Force Cricket Academy’s Mumbai tour was another memorable day with young Jaimeek Shah's spectacular batting display where he scored an unbeaten 95. The two matches of the day were played at Khar Gymkhana, a club formed in 1928, and its ground has been the grooming centre for many cricketers who went on to play for Mumbai and India.

Jaimeek Shah... unbeaten 95

The reverence that everyone shows to the pitch at the Khar Gymkhana ground was special. Addressing the players, Vivek Devnani, President, Khar Gymkhana remarked that the wicket on which they would play was the one on which Sachin Tendulkar and almost all the greats from Mumbai had played and excelled. That was when the young cricketers realised that they should not only be respecting their kits but also the wicket since that would be the stage on which they would perform. G Force’s Under-12 cricketer Jaimeek Shah showed his respect by scoring an unbeaten 95 in the match against KG Bayside Sports Cricket Academy. G Force thus won the first match of the day by 59 runs. 

Jaimeek Shah applauded all the way back to the pavilion 

Before the start of the match, a garland was placed over the stumps and a coconut was broken over a stone behind the stumps by Vivek Devnani along with Gopal Jasapara, the Head Coach of the G Force Academy. This ritual is considered as an auspicious start for any activity.  A visit to the dressing rooms of the Khar Gymkhana revealed the history of the club. Group photos of players after Khar Gymkhana had won Mumbai’s top tournament adorns the walls with a banner saying: ‘Down Memory Lane’ followed by the words: “The tough get going when the going gets tough.”

Respecting the pitch and an auspicious start 

It was good to spot Mohammad Lokhandwala, former secretary of the Dubai Cricket Council, in one of the pictures among the group that had brought laurels to the club. He was a member of the Khar Gymkhana team that won the Khar Gymkhana-Padmakar Talim Shield in 1979-80. Lokhandwala returned to Mumbai this month after serving cricket in Dubai for 40 years. It felt good to meet Lokhandwala and his wife when they had come to watch the G Force match.

The photo with Mohammad Lokhandwala as member of the Khar Gymkhana team 

Riding on Jaimeek Shah’s unbeaten 95 off 72 balls, G Force Gladiators posted 158 for 4 in the allotted 20 overs. Kabir Wagh took three out of the four G Force wickets for 16 runs. KG Bayside chased through their opener Ishaan Deshpande’s unbeaten 57 and Vivaan Jhaveri’s 20 runs but they could muster only 99 for 2 in the 20 overs. Arnav Pathak bagged both the KG Bayside’s wickets.

The dressing room with photographs from the past 

In the second match in the Under-14 category, G Force's captain Shane Saldhana scored 51 while Manoj Kapil hit 47 in G Force's total of 250. KG Bayside could muster only 60 runs with G Force’s Jugal Parek bagging 4 for 12.

Naushad Khan... a proud father 

Naushad Khan, father of India’s two promising batsmen, Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan, addressed the boys during the break. He stressed on the importance of fitness and discipline. Incidentally, Naushad Khan has played in the Sharjah's Bukhatir League representing a team from Oman many years ago. He recalled the days when he had played against Ali Anwar Jafri who was hailed as one of the finest spinners during his playing days and had later on become the secretary of the Sharjah Cricket Council.

A lasting memory for both teams 

The boys returned to MIG Cricket Club after a satisfying day out, playing like champions on a historic pitch, feeling proud of Jaimeek Shah’s show, having met former Indian cricketer Ghavri, and heard from the father of Sarfaraz Khan and Musheer Khan, the rising stars of Indian cricket.