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Showing posts from September, 2022

Legends League Cricket diary: Flying in with legends to a city that came to a standstill for cricket

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By K.R. Nayar in Jodhpur There have been many occasions when I have travelled with the team on a flight from one venue to another either during a bilateral series or during a World Cup.    But never have I been with so many superstars of the game from different countries on the same flight. The Legends League Cricket organisers had chartered a flight for the legends teams, commentators, umpires and officials from Cuttack to Jodhpur. A packed Barkatullah Khan Stadium in Jodhpur on Friday Passengers in awe It was truly a memorable trip being on the same flight with players like Muttiah Muralithan, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Mitchell Johnson, Mohammad Kaif, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Ryan Sidebottom and commentators like Sanjay Manjrekar and many more. Passengers at the Jodhpur airport taking flights to other destinations watched in awe when these legends arrived at the airport.   Charterx welcomes Legends League Cricket  Though many have retired five to six ye...

What's behind Gautam Gambhir's India Capitals sailing to the top and their victory over Manipal Tigers?

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By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack India Capitals’ players are currently playing top class cricket. The convincing manner in which they beat Manipal Tigers by seven wickets in the 10th game of the SKY247.net Legends League Cricket (LLC) on Thursday is an example of how they have been able to use their experience snd fitness to overcome their opponents and reach the knock out stage. Hamilton Masakadza and Ross Taylor  Zimbabwe’s Hamilton Masakadza top scored with an unbeaten 68 and his countryman Solomon Mire scored 28 while the New Zealand great, Ross Taylor, inspired everyone through a valuable 29 runs. It was no surprise that Masakadza played such a fine knock because he carries with him the experience of being the first player to record multiple 150 plus scores for Zimbabwe in a series. Not only that, he has captained Zimbabwe and became the fourth player to play 200 One Day internationals for Zimbabwe. Solomon has also played in all formats for Zimbabwe. They were backed well...

Nasir Faraz’s century and his three wicket spell ensure The Vision Shipping a smooth sail to victory in the 47th Bukhatir League

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By K.R Nayar The Vision Shipping sailed to a smooth victory over Future Mattress propelled by Nasir Faraz’s century and a three-wicket spell in the 47th Bukhatir League at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday. Nasir Faraz’s 107 came off 86 balls studded with eight boundaries and seven sixes. With opener Salman Khan too chipping in with 54 runs and skipper Jawad Ghani scoring 43 runs, the Vision Shipping posted a whopping 347 for 9 in 50 overs.   Chasing the target, Future Mattress were bowled out for 139 in 31.5 overs following Faraz’ three wicket spell and his skipper Jawad Ghani too bagging three wickets. Future Mattress, who won the toss and elected to field, would not have imagined that such a huge score would be posted against them. They got opener Salman Shahid caught behind by wicketkeeper Abdul Shakoor off M Uzair Khan for 12. One-drop Ali Abid and Salman Khan took the score to 78 in 13.3 overs when Ali Abid got out to Rohan Mustafa for 26. Nasir Faraz joined S...

International cricket stars to light up Jodhpur’s Barkatullah Khan Stadium

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By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack  Thanks to Sky247.net Legends League Cricket, international cricket stars are returning to a ground where they have not been for nearly 20 years .Jodhpur’s Barkatullah Khan Stadium last staged an international cricket match in November 2002 when India and West Indies clashed in the sixth match of a seven-match series of the West Indies tour of India. Captains to meet again at Jodhpur So Legends League Cricket virtually ends the wait of the cricket fans from this city when Gujarat Giants and Bhilwara Kings clash on September 30 at the Barkatullah Khan Stadium. What is interesting is that Chris Gayle and Ricardo Powell of West Indies, who played in the November 2002 match, will be playing in this match. From India, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and Reetinder Sodhi had also played in this match. Chris Gayle returns to Jodhpur where he played 20 years ago  Jodhpur is known as the Blue City. It is said that copper sulphate found in the soil here...

Stage set for an exciting finish to Legends League Cricket with the final to be held at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium

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By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack The final of the SKY247.net Legends League Cricket final has been scheduled to be held at the Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium on October 5. This historic stadium, which hosted an India-Pakistan contest as the ground’s first One Day International in 1983 and its first Test match in 1987, will be the stage of another first – the final of the Legends League Cricket held in India for the first time. Raman Raheja, co-founder and CEO of Legends League Cricket, while announcing the event’s final, said “Jaipur was chosen as the venue for the big match keeping in mind the historical relevance of the ground and the city that has witnessed world-class cricket being played in the past.” Raman Raheja... aiming for a top-class final   Jaipur, known as the Pink City, will have the ideal setting for a final at Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium.  Raman Raheja then elaborated about the venue: “It is a great stadium and we hope fans will thoroughly enjoy th...

Yasir Kaleem proves to be the backbone of InterGlobe Marine again through a century to outplay Ajman Heroes in the 47th Bukhatir League

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By K.R. Nayar Yasir Kaleem is known by many sobriquets such as Mr. Dependable, Mr. Elegant and Mr. Consistent, and time and again proved he has proved he is the backbone of the InterGlobe Marine team. In fact, he is literally the backbone in many ways given that he is their wicketkeeper and also their strong middle-order batsman.  In the 47th Bukhatir League match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, Yasir Kaleem through a knock of 113 off 136 balls with 15 boundaries,  helped InterGlobe Maine outplay Ajman Heroes by 110 runs. InterGlobe Marine won the toss and refused to follow the usual path of bowling first. Batting first, they went about their plan to post a strong total. It was not a smooth take off though as they lost their aggressive opener Sandeep Singh to Usman Mani for 9.  Usman Mani also removed the other opener Shahnawaz Khan for 6. Although Kuwar Pathak did not reach the double figure mark, he provided good support to Yasir Kaleem and took ...

Legends League Cricket’s Pravin Tambe, the table topper for most wickets, plays with the spirit of a young boy even at 50.

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By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack Pravin Tambe is an embodiment of the adage that ‘age is just a number’. He believes that it is the spirit to play like a 16-year-old boy that matters in the game. Tambe, who represents GMR backed India Capitals in the SKY247.net League Legends Cricket and makes every legend of the game struggle to play against him, is also a cricketer who has ignited hope in many cricketers who believe that cricket ends in the mid-thirties. Pravin Tambe at Mayfair Lagoon hotel ...all set for another success At the time of speaking to  krbuzz.blogspot.com  at the picturesque Mayfair Lagoon hotel on Wednesday, Tambe was 50 years and 355 days old. This leg spinner with his wide-range of deliveries hogged the limelight only at the age of 41 by becoming the oldest ever IPL debutant. He was picked by Rajasthan Royals for IPL 2013 and proved that life can begin at forty, and now through the Legends League Cricket he is proving that a career of a cricketer can go beyond...

Sharjah Cricket Academy’s Simranjeet Singh and Harsh Desai bowl out Seven Districts for 50 runs in the 15th match of the 47th Bukhatir League and win by 133 runs

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By K.R. Nayar Sharjah Cricket Academy produced a splendid bowling performance to bowl out Seven Districts for a paltry 50 runs and win by 133 runs in the 15th match of the 47th Bukhatir League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. The destroyers of Seven Districts’ innings were Simranjeet Singh (5 for 20) and Harsh Desai (4 for 30). The duo bowled out Seven Districts in 14.1 overs after Sharjah Cricket Academy were restricted to 183 in 45.2 overs. It was Sharjah Cricket Academy’s day from the start. They won the toss and elected to bat. Openers Rayan Khan and Aryansh Sharma put on 44 runs in 11.2 overs before Rayan got run out for 10. This was followed by a huge partnership of 97 runs between Sharma and one-drop Kashish Panseja. Zameer Abbasi ended Panseja’s knock of 50 that came off 71 balls with five boundaries and a six. Seven runs later, Aryansh Sharma too followed, trapped leg before by Shahid Nawaz for 76 runs. His knock off 110 balls had seven boundaries. Zameer A...

Bhilwara Kings capture Gujarat Giants through a united effort led by William Porterfield, Morne van Wyk and the evergreen and accurate Sreesanth

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By K.R. Nayar in Cuttack  Only a united effort can help capture a giant. Bhilwara Kings did just that in the ninth match of the SKY247.net League Legends Cricket at the Barabati Stadium on Tuesday in front a vociferous crowd. They conquered the Gujarat Giants by 57 runs despite Gujarat being giants not only in their name but also in the make-up of their team. Stylish William Porterfield  scores freely   It was not surprising that Bhilwara Kings produced a concerted effort because legendary players of the game carry with them the experience of having strategically conquered top teams in their playing career. Bhilwara took on Gujarat Giants that had Virender Sehwag and Chris Gayle, two giants who have scripted many a victories in the past through their sheer aggressive batting. Bilwara Kings skipper Irfan Pathan knew that the only hope of a victory was to get his teammates play their roles to perfection. Their effort only got tougher when Irfan Pathan lost the to...