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Showing posts from February, 2024

Film stars sparkle at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium as Mumbai Heroes beat Kerala Strikers in an edge of the seat thriller in the Celebrity Cricket League opener

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By K.R. Nayar  Sharjah. Film stars usually enthrall people through their movies, but on February 22nd (Friday), they entertained everyone through cricket at the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The opening match of the Celebrity Cricket TV League   between Mumbai Heroes and Kerala Strikers   revealed to these stars as to why this ground has a history of producing edge-of-the-seat thrillers.   Salman Khan with Mumbai Heroes captain Riteish Deshmukh and Kerala Strikers skipper Indrajit Sukumaran  Cheered on by legendary actors like Salman Khan, Bobby Deol, and Suniel Shetty, Mumbai Heroes, led by Riteish Deshmukh, pipped Kerala Strikers, captained by Indrajit Sukumaran, by nine runs.   We have always watched in great excitement Salman Khan, Bobby Deol, and Suniel Shetty in movies, especially the sudden twists and turns in the scripts and thrilling finishes. This was a chance to see the three anxiously watching the twists and turns of this match. We...

Trailing two legendary pacers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis

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By K.R. Nayar  My Facebook posting of trailing the two great pacers Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and being with them recently too. I've been fortunate to cover the legendary bowling spells of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, witnessing their magic from the early days across various venues. Recently, since they were commentators for the ILT20 tournament in the UAE, I had the opportunity to interact with them almost daily for a month. It was a nostalgic journey, as I recalled interviewing them back in the eighties and nineties.

Cricket for Blind to be held in Dubai through the Bhima Friendship Triangular Cricket Series for the Blind involving India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

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By K.R. Nayar Dubai. The Bhima Friendship Triangular Cricket Series for the Blind presented by World Memon Organisation (WMO) will be held at the ICC Academy, involving India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka from today - February 22 (Thursday) to February 25th (Sunday). A press conference to announce this series was held at the India Club on February 20. It took me on a journey back to 2018 when I had reported on the Blind Cricket World Cup held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, where India lifted the World Cup beating Pakistan by two wickets.   With the organisers, sponsors and media that attended the press conference at the India Club  There was a time when I used to wonder how the great former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who lost his right eye in a car accident in 1961, could face the fearsome West Indies pacers like Andy Roberts and even hit a century. Reporting the 2018 Blind Cricket World Cup gave me a sense of the magnitude of Pataudi’s sharp senses and determin...

The tale of how Sarfaraz Khan followed Gavaskar’s advice given to him in 2009 on his debut in the Rajkot Test match

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By K.R. Nayar Dubai. I have been fortunate to witness many cricketers perform brilliantly as youngsters, from Sachin Tendulkar to Virat Kohli, before they became legendary Test cricketers. While they have worked hard to achieve that status, I never got to see them train, even though I have been with them for many days. Sarfaraz Khan, who on his Test debut in Rajkot earlier this week has created ripples through two consecutive half centuries, had given me the opportunity to witness his training sessions eight years ago. Sarfaraz Khan meets Sunil Gavaskar for the first time with Shyam Bhatia  Khan was part of the G Force training camp conducted by coach Gopal Jasapara at the Epsom College in England in 2016. Cricket enthusiast Shyam Bhatia had sponsored Sarfaraz Khan and his younger brother Musheer Khan’s trip so that they could be at this camp.  I saw the two brothers train hard from many days from dawn to dusk. The result is that Sarfraz made it to the Indian Test team an...

DP World ILT20 season 2 leaves an indelible mark as one of the best and keenly fought franchise leagues in the world

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By  K.R. Nayar Chief Content Writer, DPWorld ILT20 (Please click ILT20 official website  www.ilt20.ae  for official release of this report and more pictures and videos) Dubai. Stamping its mark as one of the best and keenly fought franchise leagues in the world, the curtains of the UAE’s own cricket league – the DP World ILT20 season 2 came down at the Dubai International Stadium on Saturday. MI Emirates lifted the glittering trophy, beating Dubai Capitals in front of a capacity crowd that had filled nearly every seat at the stadium. MI Emirates celebrate their title triumph  The large turnout was nothing but the result of all six teams producing brilliant contests. In short, T20 cricket was at its best. The intensity and fighting spirit that all teams displayed resulted in most matches ending in thrillers, with last over finishes and even a last-ball six to win.  Nicholas Pooran, skipper of MI Emirates, produced the most valuable and exciting captain’s kn...

MI Emirates’ batting brilliance overpowers Dubai Capitals by 45 runs to emerge as DP World ILT20’s new champions

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By  K.R. Nayar Chief Content Writer, DPWorld ILT20 (Please click ILT20 official website  www.ilt20.ae  for official release of this report and more pictures and videos) Dubai. MI Emirates’s run riot crafted by their skipper Nicholas Pooran and Andre Fletcher’s half centuries, which produced the highest total this season, blew away Dubai Capitals by 45 runs to emerge as the new champions of the DP World ILT20 Season 2. In front of a packed Dubai International Stadium, Pooran scored a breezy unbeaten captain's knock of 57 runs off 27 balls studded with six sixes and two boundaries. He was backed by Fletcher's 53 off 37 balls, featuring four sixes and three boundaries.  Openers Muhammad Waseem and his partner Kusal Perera contributed aggressively, with Waseem scoring 43 off 24 balls, including three boundaries and three sixes, and Perera adding 38 off 26 balls, with six boundaries, leading to a 77-run opening partnership and helping MI Emirates set a record score ...